In the latest developer update video from the Overwatch team, director Jeff Kaplan discussed the public test region, more popularly known as the PTR, of the massively popular multiplayer shooter.
Gamers have recently been unhappy with certain things regarding the Overwatch PTR, and Kaplan tried his best to address these concerns in the 14-minute video.
The Philosophy Of The Overwatch PTR
Kaplan provided an overview of the PTR, and the philosophy of the Overwatch development team on the PTR's purpose.
According to Kaplan, the main purpose of the PTR is to make sure that the game runs smoothly after the development team implements changes. The version of Overwatch placed on the PTR is being tested to make sure that there are no game-breaking bugs and crashes.
The PTR is not necessarily there to acquire feedback from gamers, though the development team welcomes such. Kaplan said this in response to comments by players asking for the point of the PTR, as the development team never makes changes depending on feedback being given to changes that first arrive on the PTR before being rolled out to all versions of Overwatch.
Kaplan added that the changes that are being uploaded to the PTR are actually already the result of player feedback.
Overwatch PTR Will Likely Not Come To Consoles
Some gamers have asked why console versions of Overwatch do not gain access to the PTR. According to Kaplan, logistics gets the blame, as it is more difficult to gain approval for patches on Sony's PlayStation Plus and Microsoft's Xbox Live. For the PC, Blizzard releases patches through its own Battle.net client, so it is easier to manage the PTR on that platform.
It does not mean that the PTR will never come to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One version of Overwatch, but it will likely not do so in the near future.
Rewards For PTR Participants?
Players who play games on the PTR are actually providing assistance to Blizzard, as they are able to report any bugs and crashes that they encounter.
According to Kaplan, Blizzard is not against the idea of giving rewards to PTR players, in addition to letting them try out changes to Overwatch before they are rolled out to the main game. However, he did say that the process would be complicated and could take resources away from developing the game.
Suggestions made by players for rewards on participating in the PTR are loot boxes and transferring the experience they gain in the PTR into the main game. It remains to be seen whether Blizzard will implement such rewards, but at the very least, the Overwatch development team is open to the idea.
Kaplan Address D.Va Nerf Backlash
In the video, Kaplan also addressed the negative feedback that players have given regarding the planned nerfs to D.Va, which are now live on the PTR.
D.Va had her armor lowered from 400 to 200 while her health was increased to 400 from 200. In addition, the bullet damage of her primary weapon, the Fusion Cannons, have been rolled back to two from three, but the number of bullets fired per shot has been increased to 11 from eight.
The nerfs made D.Va less survivable while changing the way that her primary weapons works. For Kaplan's explanation, he echoed the statement that he made on the official Overwatch forums, stating that D.Va needed a nerf because it was difficult to counter her in matches. However, the team will continue monitoring her and make necessary adjustments if needed.
Kaplan and the Overwatch development team have previously shown to be very receptive to player feedback, which has fostered a great sense of community among its players. However, the flipside is that some players believe that they always have a right to bash changes made in the game, which would not be good for Overwatch in the long run.
