Limit Early Access to All Pick

[Oathbreaker_]

Early Access has the potential to create problematic situations in Banning Modes, which are the more competitive game modes. Players who take the game more seriously do not deserve to be bothered with wondering whether or not the early release hero is overpowered or whether or not one of their opponents has early access. Limiting Early Access to all pick would allow people to still play new heroes early without alienating players who like banning modes.

[superboyy]

Yes. But better yet ad an up/down thumbs option for early access. People who want it can play it in all modes, and the rest can disable this lame new feature.

[Gringos]

Yes. But better yet ad an up/down thumbs option for early access. People who want it can play it in all modes, and the rest can disable this lame new feature.

How do you think this will work? Splitting the playerbase in half will only worsen the waiting times for one side. This will alienate one option, like it does with the maps. Nobody plays 3on3 anymore.

In addition, if you can't play the hero in your normal games, you won't buy early access. Doh. Stoopid suggestion.


Now, the OP has kind of a point, at least for banning pick. There is a reason that EAH's are excluded from tournement mode.
I'd suggest that Early Access heros can't be randomed in SD and Banning Draft, unless somebody on the board has him, so there would be no need to exclude him from these modes. In BD you already have a limited heropool, lowering your chances to outpick your enemy. 4 bans on 24 heros will be made with or without Monkey King. But at least you know that the enemy has paid money for him and may as well pick him up.

Banning pick on the other hand has to fight with a big, ever growing hero list and the random encounter of an early access hero may be point of some frustration or argueing over bans. But you can say that in regards to every newly developed hero, like Drunken Brawler.
His only difference to Monkey King should be that not every player on the board will be able to play MK.
Although when you think about that for another second, you can kinda say the same about Drunk. You don't know if the enemy has had intense training with him yet and is comfortable enough to use him.

Do you see my point?

[superboyy]

How do you think this will work? Splitting the playerbase in half will only worsen the waiting times for one side. This will alienate one option, like it does with the maps. Nobody plays 3on3 anymore.

Since when is splitting the community bad? Casual mode is splitting the comunity and you seem fine with that? Each gamemode essentially splits the community and they seem ok. Public and MM splits it. Leaver protection and verified accounts too. So why not early access? Aaaah the money ofc.