Beta Population Getting Smaller?

[Worax]

I use to see 3000+ logged on... Now its always under 2500...

We do for another round of invites?

[Bibdy]

I invited your mommaship. That should double the number pretty quick.

[Poolatka]

I think people are slowly starting to resume a normal life schedule again...

[Divine]

*due

but yeah .. maybe... well lot of WoW noobs (@starcraft.. not saying noobs in WoW) are probably going back to their normal raid schedules

[Tehschoolbus]

I invited your mommaship. That should double the number pretty quick.
lol

Yeah I think a large population actually had spring break. I don't get mine for a week or two, but I think that might have been part of it, coupled with the idea of people getting tired of the game/resuming a regular lifestyle.

However I've noticed that Blizzard has hard-countered this with some flowers (a pure pwnage joke, sorry had to do it). Actually though they added in a new wave of nooblets. I logged on yesterday to find that I'd gone up like 20 ranks without even play a game lol.

[Leviathon]

The current Beta is kinda oriented to certain players which is going to reduce it's population. For example a large portion of the games playerbase at release will never touch the ladder and will be playing custom games and messing with the editor. I understand the reasoning behind the map editor not being in yet (it wouldn't help balance testing) but that not being in is going to affect things a bit.

While I have enjoyed the ladder I personally am more looking forward to the map editor more than anything and am finding myself only playing a couple games here and there (having only 8 maps and no chat channels increases the boredom also).

[Thander]

Everyone is waiting for the next patch. Last week we got two patches unexpectedly. Then Blizzcast, they said they are planning about one patch a week with small changes. While there are some people that just play ladder nonstop and love it, I think the majority prefer a little of this and a little of that. Maybe ladder one day, single player the next day, custom maps the third day, etc. Because of the rested points, it seems Blizzard wants the final game to be casual friendly. People will be able to do non-ladder stuff and still keep their ranking rather than having to play ladder all their free time.

[Worax]

How long do you guys think the beta will last?

[Joey]

May 14th

[Silver]

I think that there's a chunk of players that aren't really that interested in melee matches, have already made their gameplay, interface, and Battle.net 2.0 suggestions, and are just waiting for the Galaxy editor to be released and other changes to be made to the game.

[Zasz]

Like people have mentioned, Blizzard is only testing a portion of this game right now (Competitive Ladder), and while it may be my favorite part of the game, that's not the case for some. Unfortunately for them, Blizzard probably won't want to test the Galaxy Editor until the very end of Beta, if at all, and we definitely won't be getting the Campaign until release.

[Tehschoolbus]

May 14th
pics.... er.... links or it didn't happen

[Kalogrym]

I'm starting to play less because of the matchmaking process. Stomping someone or being stomped on gets old fast. I understand why it is the way it is, but it doesnt make for much of a compelling match most of the time.

I'd like to see a better AI implemented for offline playing if they are not going to retune the matchmaking process at this point.

[Silver]

Originally posted by Kalogrym.abspara

I'm starting to play less because of the matchmaking process. Stomping someone or being stomped on gets old fast. I understand why it is the way it is, but it doesnt make for much of a compelling match most of the time.

I'd like to see a better AI implemented for offline playing if they are not going to retune the matchmaking process at this point.

I'm just waiting for better AI and the Galaxy editor. Melee is already stale for me.

[Shikee]

Ya, Im gettin tired of the 2v2 random with the worst players ever, over and over and over again. Its irritating when all you do is save @@*@ allies the whole game. There has to be just 1 more person out there that can fill in for the noob on my team, but sadly no.

[Zaq]

I just posted about this in the general seciton, we need another wave of invites, the number of users has begun falling every day.

I"m guessing alot of people got bored with it or tired of losing or something.

[jimmy]

I think people are slowly starting to resume a normal life schedule again...

That be the truth for me... extra pressure at work means a lot less SC2 time :(

[Dreuel]

I have multiple friends in the beta who have dropped out because they find continual multiplayer losses too frustrating. I'm still having a blast though.

[Evolx]

heh, try logging on before 5pm. im lucky to see more than 1700 on.


finding a game takes ages.

[Mindless]

How long do you guys think the beta will last?

Blizzard said they expect beta to last 4-6 months.

[phoenix]

I think people are slowly starting to resume a normal life schedule again...

I know this is my story : (

[Eloderung]

The current Beta is kinda oriented to certain players which is going to reduce it's population. For example a large portion of the games playerbase at release will never touch the ladder and will be playing custom games and messing with the editor. I understand the reasoning behind the map editor not being in yet (it wouldn't help balance testing) but that not being in is going to affect things a bit.

While I have enjoyed the ladder I personally am more looking forward to the map editor more than anything and am finding myself only playing a couple games here and there (having only 8 maps and no chat channels increases the boredom also).

This is most likely it. A very large portion of blizzard's RTS playerbase plays primarily for the custom games / campaigns I believe.

Melee is also stale for me, but it was for me as well in the original Starcraft. At least small games (1v1/2v2). WTB 3v3/4v4 and Galaxy!

[Calnos]

I, for one, am juggling real life, college, WoW, and StarCraft II Beta. Sadly, Real Life/College come before video games, thus I'm not on much. I still haven't finished my placement matches!

But yeah, if there are indeed less people on, its probably people getting over the "ZOMG SC2!!!1!" effect and waiting on the next patch.

[Divine]

I, for one, am juggling real life, college, WoW, and StarCraft II Beta. Sadly, Real Life/College come before video games, thus I'm not on much. I still haven't finished my placement matches!

But yeah, if there are indeed less people on, its probably people getting over the "ZOMG SC2!!!1!" effect and waiting on the next patch.

you haven't had time to play 10 games but you have time to post on the forum? =O

[Deviant]

I, for one, am juggling real life, college, WoW, and StarCraft II Beta. Sadly, Real Life/College come before video games, thus I'm not on much. I still haven't finished my placement matches!

But yeah, if there are indeed less people on, its probably people getting over the "ZOMG SC2!!!1!" effect and waiting on the next patch.

Man.. this is sad... cut out WoW and we've got the same basics. And I've still managed to clock in ~250 games.

[Naha]

They just need to roll out a few more patches and move on with testing. Testing tier 1 unit rushes only stays fresh for so long. It's pretty obvious that's what the current beta phase is primarily focused on, it's time to add in better CPU AI, 3v3/4v4, and work on the balance of the mid->upper tier units.

[Eloderung]

Man.. this is sad... cut out WoW and we've got the same basics. And I've still managed to clock in ~250 games.

I don't believe any of my WoW friends have played many SC2 games, even those who come from a very high-end Starcraft and WarIII ladder background. I myself fall in the latter.

I've also participated in some four blizzard beta tests to date and SC2 probably has the fastest population drop-off so far.

The melee game / options available as-is are stale, there's really not much else to it. Keep in mind that wave two invites went out just last week, so the explanation of "people are returning to more normal lifestyles" doesn't really apply when wave two folk have barely sunk their teeth into the game.

The game's still perfectly fine for die-hard Starcraft melee fans but this thread shows that Starcraft to a lot of people does not mean 1v1 and 2v2 all day long, and I hope blizzard realizes that they should test more facets of the game (Galaxy, 3v3/4v4, higher AIs) sooner rather than later. It's important that custom games and Galaxy have a head start before release for all the people in this thread (and those in the general public) who love Starcraft, but are finding melee to be stale.

FFA is the most fun mode for me right now because games actually last until tier3, but right now they encourage turtling and being defensive too much. 1v1/2v2 to me encourages far too much rushing and tier1 or early tier2 dominance. A mix of the two would be nice in 1v1/2v2, and hopefully blizzard will be able to get that out there with patches soon.

[Vonhenry]

@OP

Um - it's Tuesday! (well, Wednesday now....) WoWers are raiding, etc etc.
Friday night, or most certainly Saturday, you'll see the 3000 number again.

Plus, as others have said:
1 - the newness is wearing off. People will wait for patches
2 - some people are getting tired of Matchmaking being 'fast' rather than 'accurate'.

[Orlandu]

the 'newness' wore off for me, but i still play 2-4 games/day on it. i'll play more when the new patch comes out.

my sleep schedule thanks me for going back to normal, that first 2 weeks was 2am every work night and up at 6am for work and school >.>

really though, it doesn't mean the game is doing bad or anything, it's a great game, the one i'm looking forward to more than ffxiii or wow expansion or god of war or anything else and im loving ladder, but right now it's a BETA and not just a game. people are just waiting for blizz to change/implement things before going back and getting deep in it again. it's the same way with any beta.

[Yaji]

I invited your mommaship. That should double the number pretty quick.

I love this...

The community is getting smaller because a large number of people got over the need to try it and have gotten back to their regular lives.. Friday's and Saturday's will still be happily populated and I assume more beta players will be invited shortly, which will knock that number back up.

[Sveinn]

I know I'm going to be pretty much dropping out for a while. The newness has worn off, I've made my suggestions/bug reports and I'm tired of losing 80% of my games. My impression from down here in the copper league is that a lot of less skilled people have been dropping out while the better players stay in, leaving us hold outs to get even more frustrated.

I'm really looking forward to the campaign, and even the ladder, once it gets big enough that I'm playing more even matches.

[Inoob]

@OP

Um - it's Tuesday! (well, Wednesday now....) WoWers are raiding, etc etc.
Friday night, or most certainly Saturday, you'll see the 3000 number again.

Plus, as others have said:
1 - the newness is wearing off. People will wait for patches
2 - some people are getting tired of Matchmaking being 'fast' rather than 'accurate'.



3.) ill add to that, a lot of people are also tired of only hard counters, no clutch units, lack of health, and need to rely on pure mass.
4.) lack of map variety besides each being located on high ground or needing a choke.

its still fun to play and they have a lot of time to get it "there". its a great base to work from. the game is stable, looks great ( though maps look somewhat barren, and lack critters or some sort of life.. ) would be nice if there were some trees in some areas so i can clear a small area and hide a turret or something. obviously this would give people the ability to abuse.. but it would still add some variety.

im sure blizzard can think up of some fun stuff to add to maps to add variation to them. only adding rocks to block paths or expansions is kind of 1 dimensional.
another user mentioned adding something like map control defensive buildings. stuff like neutral buildings which you can control much like the xel naga towers.

[Dreuel]

lack of health, and need to rely on pure mass.

Getting off-topic a bit, but wouldn't increasing unit health just reward a more aggressive strategy of massing more before attacking?

[Bashkir]

This is what happens when you invite a bunch of WoW players and people who went to Blizzcon instead of the hardcore RTS people:)

[Silver]

Getting off-topic a bit, but wouldn't increasing unit health just reward a more aggressive strategy of massing more before attacking?

No. It would encourage more micro during battles. See Warcraft 3. Slowing down the game a bit would do the same thing, though.

[Darkgamer]

Man.. this is sad... cut out WoW and we've got the same basics. And I've still managed to clock in ~250 games.

i can bet money on the fact that your real life isn't that demanding and your either not in many collage classes or in highschool.
i'd have to agree with what most people have said already though newness wearing off and people getting bored of just 1v1 2v2 is part of it but it is also during the week now which means peopel in school people at work and wow players raiding so i'm sure we'll see them back on the weekend if not though i'm sure blizz will see this and send out more invites

[Bibdy]

No. It would encourage more micro during battles. See Warcraft 3. Slowing down the game a bit would do the same thing, though.

I don't think we need to go THAT far. Nothing ever fricking died in WC3. Every unit was precious and the most basic principle of fighting in WC3 was running your units away at low health. Its actually pretty fun to do with Zealots right now. They die pretty quick in some fights, but sometimes you can save one at the last second, regen his shields, and bring him back in. But slow the pace down too much and it just becomes a core game principle like in WC3, and its boring as hell to play and watch.

For some reason it reminds me of playing arena in The Burning Crusade. Nobody died until somebody screwed up.

[Silver]

I don't think we need to go THAT far. Nothing ever fricking died in WC3. Every unit was precious and the most basic principle of fighting in WC3 was running your units away at low health. Its actually pretty fun to do with Zealots right now. They die pretty quick in some fights, but sometimes you can save one at the last second, regen his shields, and bring him back in. But slow the pace down too much and it just becomes a core game principle like in WC3, and its boring as hell to play and watch.

For some reason it reminds me of playing arena in The Burning Crusade. Nobody died until somebody screwed up.

Personally, I found Warcraft 3 more fun than the original Starcraft, and if I must be honest with myself, more fun than Starcraft II. I like micro a lot more than macro, and Starcraft II fights just happen so fast that you don't get much time for micro aside from focus firing and maybe a few Storms.

To each their own, though. I'd like a Warcraft 3 remake without heroes.

[Messana]

*due

but yeah .. maybe... well lot of WoW noobs (@starcraft.. not saying noobs in WoW) are probably going back to their normal raid schedules

Stop being jealous of WoW.
I'm sure there are many WoW players that could wipe the floor with you. Being good at one game doesn't automatically make them bad at another.

[Inoob]

I don't think we need to go THAT far. Nothing ever fricking died in WC3. Every unit was precious and the most basic principle of fighting in WC3 was running your units away at low health. Its actually pretty fun to do with Zealots right now. They die pretty quick in some fights, but sometimes you can save one at the last second, regen his shields, and bring him back in. But slow the pace down too much and it just becomes a core game principle like in WC3, and its boring as hell to play and watch.

For some reason it reminds me of playing arena in The Burning Crusade. Nobody died until somebody screwed up.

when you have to work hard during a battle to keep your units alive it creates friction. right now the only friction in sc2 is what units you have. what you do with them doesnt matter as much because you rarely use their skills. maybe once per battle, because by the time that skill builds up energy or the cooldown is finished, the unit is dead. i should be able to use a units skill at the minimum of twice or maybe even three times in a battle. doesnt mean that every unit should have 3x the health, but even if every unit had as little as %20-35% extra it would go a long way.

game speed wouldnt solve it. the current walk, attack rate is fine. its just the health thats off.

[Eloderung]

right now the only friction in sc2 is what units you have. what you do with them doesnt matter as much because you rarely use their skills.

So true.


And @ the WoW/WarIII haters: I guess none of you played Starcraft I and don't remember how bad the majority of the playerbase was? 7v1 comp stomps anyone? How can you even consider yourself "skilled" Starcraft players when the original Starcraft didn't even have a real ladder system?

WarIII did a number of things very right with the RTS genre and SCII could learn a bit from it. I personally enjoyed managing my units in battle in WarIII more than I do managing my base / macro mechanics while battles are raging on the other side of the map. Coming from a top20 RT WarIII player, it seems like there's next to no strategy in battle and winning or losing depends on how well you scout the map and manage your economy.

Anyways, not saying SC2 is a bad game or anything - if Galaxy is as good as blizzard claims it'll be, SC2 will be phenomenal. I just think blizzard should focus a bit more on testing the more important/fun facet of the game for the majority of its playerbase - Galaxy editor and custom maps - and not just sweep it under the rug, toward the very end of beta like the Blizzcast suggested.

[Excrement]

I find that I use all the units skills all the time, it helps certain units over come others.

Original SC had a ladder system, in which I suppose War 3s ladder system came from. Which I would think that the WoW arena system was developed from. And now the new SC2 system is a step up from that.

I have noticed a lot of people complaining about the ladder system on the forums. Mainly about not being promoted or getting matched and getting stomped.

Being matched for speed to me means more games, which means more chances to find bugs and different instances that may cause the game to crash and cause major problems with the game. The game has crashed on me numerous times during all different events, sending instances will help Blizzard make this a more stable game game.

Personally getting stomped means I need to learn, and figure out what I did wrong. Especially in Mirror matches.

This is SC2 not War 3. If you are making game suggestion and implementations that would make this game more like War 3, maybe you should go back to War 3.

I find that I hardly have to wait for games, So I guess I haven't noticed as drop in the numbers of players.

But if it is the case that numbers are dwindling I would suppose that all those WoW invites went back to WoW.

[Lofty]

I've been seeing similar trends