TIME TO EXPLAIN - The Brawl Stars Podcast - 1st Episode!

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• # brawl stars
• # game development
• # community feedback
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23:59:59

Overview

This is the first episode of "Time to Explain," a Brawl Stars podcast where developers address player questions. The episode features Adrian (tester and game designer), Frank (game lead), and V (game designer). They discuss various topics, including Mortis' balance, the ever-increasing roster of Brawlers, the removal of loot boxes, the purpose of Fame and Masteries, lore, community engagement, mistakes made, favorite Brawlers, the removal of Siege, potential for a story mode, useless Star Powers and Gadgets, low-end device performance, matchmaking issues, and potential collaborations.

• Mortis' Balance and Roster Management

  • 🎮

    Mortis' high pick rate in Robo Rumble is acknowledged, but his win rate is below average, leading to a cautious approach to nerfing him. [05:06]

  • 🤖

    Releasing new Brawlers is considered crucial for player engagement and business success. [07:19][07:53]

  • 📈

    The team acknowledges the potential for an overwhelming roster size and is exploring alternative content to maintain excitement. [09:00][10:19]

  • 🏆

    The current Trophy League system requires playing all Brawlers, which is not ideal, and smaller changes are planned to address this. [11:23]

• Loot Box Removal and Economic System

  • 💰

    The removal of loot boxes aimed to improve predictability and fairness in acquiring Brawlers. [12:21][14:20]

  • 🎉

    The team acknowledges the loss of excitement associated with random rewards and is exploring ways to reintroduce such moments. [12:56]

  • 📦

    Loot boxes will not return to Brawl Stars. [14:57]

  • chromatic

    The team is aware of concerns regarding the Chromatic Brawler unlock system and is looking into potential changes. [15:11]

• Fame, Masteries, and Lore

  • ⭐

    Fame serves as a measure of player investment and commitment to the game, replacing the previous coin rewards for maxed accounts. [18:15]

  • 🖼️

    The team is open to exploring ways for players to better showcase their Fame, such as through profile pictures or other visual elements. [20:26]

  • 💪

    Masteries, combined with Fame, provide a more accurate representation of player skill and experience than previous metrics. [20:53]

  • 📖

    The team is committed to developing Brawl Stars lore but acknowledges that it has not been as explicit or visible as it could be. [25:05][27:05]

  • 🧩

    The team aims to create a lore that is both engaging and community-driven, incorporating fan ideas and interpretations. [27:45][28:34]

• Community Engagement and Supercell MAKE

  • 💬

    The team actively monitors community channels for feedback, ideas, and fan art, incorporating them into game development. [37:13]

  • 🎨

    Supercell MAKE campaigns for skins are successful, but the team acknowledges the subjectivity of skin preferences and the difficulty of pleasing everyone. [33:22][34:16]

  • 📌

    Supercell MAKE campaigns for pins are considered too simple due to the limited creative space. [35:58]

  • brawlers

    Supercell MAKE campaigns for Brawlers are considered tricky due to the team's strong opinions on how they fit into the game world. [36:15]

• Mistakes, Learnings, and Future Improvements

  • ⚙️

    Introducing Power Levels 10 and 11 simultaneously, along with Gears, is considered a mistake due to the underwhelming fun-to-cost ratio. [42:40]

  • 📈

    The team learned from the Gears update and will apply those learnings to future power level additions, ensuring sufficient gameplay depth. [44:06][45:45]

  • 🚧

    The team acknowledges the need to rework or improve underused Gadgets and Star Powers, prioritizing the worst offenders. [1:13:01]

  • 📱

    Optimization for low-end devices is ongoing, with a lower graphics system and compression in development to improve performance and reduce crashes. [1:14:42]

  • 🌎

    Matchmaking prioritizes finding matches quickly over perfect latency or trophy matching, especially for high-trophy players, to avoid excessive queue times. [1:19:53]

• Favorite Brawlers and Game Modes

  • 🦅

    Adrian enjoys playing Crow for his flashy playstyle and chip damage dealing. [53:40]

  • 🎨

    Frank enjoys playing Otis for his support capabilities and the satisfaction of silencing opponents. [54:39][55:32]

  • 🧞

    V enjoys playing Gene for his skill-based hook mechanic and high-stakes gameplay. [55:49]

  • 🤠

    Danny enjoys playing Piper and Dynamike for their predictive aiming and mind games. [57:54]

  • 🥊

    Knockout is a popular game mode among the developers and players for its fast-paced matches and sense of agency. [1:02:58]

• Future Plans and Considerations

  • 🎞️

    A Brawl Stars movie or series is a possibility, but it is a complex undertaking and not planned for the near future. [1:36:24]

  • 🤝

    Collaborations with other brands are possible, but the team is currently focused on establishing Brawl Stars as a strong brand itself. [1:51:38]

  • 🛣️

    Expanding the Trophy Road beyond 50,000 trophies is being considered, with potential improvements to rewards for high-trophy players. [1:52:32]

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Install Briefy

Key moments

1. 00:00

   Introduction and welcome

   00:00

   Dani introduces the podcast and the hosts.

   00:48

   Adrian introduces himself and his role as a tester and game designer.

   01:53

   Frank introduces himself as the game lead and explains his responsibilities.

   03:07

   V introduces himself as a game designer and discusses his focus on systems design.

2. 05:02

   Mortis's high pick rate in Robo Rumble and lack of nerfs

   05:02

   A question is raised about why Mortis hasn't been nerfed despite his high pick rate in Robo Rumble.

   05:25

   The hosts discuss Mortis's win rate and the challenges of balancing him.

3. 07:17

   Handling the ever-increasing roster of Brawlers

   07:17

   A question is asked about how the team plans to handle the growing number of Brawlers.

   07:54

   Frank and V discuss the importance of releasing new Brawlers and the potential for other exciting content.

   11:00

   Dani talks about the need for changes to the trophy system to accommodate the growing roster.

4. 12:05

   Satisfaction with the game's economy after removing loot boxes

   12:05

   A question is asked about the team's satisfaction with the game's economy after removing loot boxes.

   12:37

   V and Frank discuss the feedback from the community and the desire to create more excitement in the reward system.

   13:33

   Frank analyzes the three types of comments received about the loot box removal.

5. 18:02

   Plans for the next update, Fame, Mastery for game modes, and a tiny spoiler

   18:02

   A question is asked about plans for the next update, the use of Fame, and the possibility of Mastery for game modes.

   18:11

   Frank discusses the purpose of Fame and the potential for future improvements.

   20:52

   Dani and Frank talk about the combination of Mastery and Fame as a measure of skill level.

   22:27

   V shares his thoughts on Mastery for game modes.

   23:40

   Dani tries to get a spoiler about the next update.

   24:03

   Frank reveals that a trio of Brawlers will be completed in the next update.

6. 25:04

   Lore and the future of Star Park

   25:04

   A question is asked about the future of Star Park and lore in Brawl Stars.

   25:29

   Dani and Frank discuss the challenges of topping the Star Park campaign and the ongoing development of the storyline.

   27:38

   Dani talks about the Brawlers they are most proud of, Bonnie and Janet, and the record-breaking amount of fan art they received.

   28:34

   Frank explains how the team is constantly dropping hints about the lore and how the community's ideas influence the story.

7. 32:56

   Supercell Make campaigns and community involvement

   32:56

   A question is asked about the possibility of Supercell Make campaigns for pins and Brawlers.

   33:22

   Dani and Frank discuss the challenges of judging community-created content and the subjectivity of opinions.

   35:56

   Frank talks about the importance of taking risks and trying new things, even if they might fail.

   37:12

   Adrian encourages the community to continue sharing their ideas and feedback.

8. 41:26

   Mistakes made during development and lessons learned

   41:26

   A question is asked about whether the developer team is satisfied with the current state of the game and if they have made any mistakes.

   41:49

   Frank and V discuss the nature of live service game development and the constant pursuit of improvement.

   42:38

   Frank shares his personal opinion on the introduction of power levels 10 and 11 and the gears system.

   44:50

   Frank emphasizes the importance of learning from mistakes and fixing things.

9. 49:38

   Balancing the game for casual and competitive players

   49:38

   Frank talks about the diversity of the player base and the challenge of balancing the game for both casual and competitive players.

   50:44

   He explains that sometimes they make changes that break the game for pros in order to make it more fun for the majority of players.

   51:07

   He acknowledges that it's unrealistic to expect every Brawler to be viable at all ranges and equally balanced.

10. 52:27

    Miscellaneous questions

    52:27

    A question is asked about why Spike doesn't have a voice.

    52:38

    Frank explains that Spike is a mute and that a previous marketing video where he had a voice was a mistake.

    53:37

    The hosts share their favorite Brawlers.

    59:15

    A question is asked about the return of Siege.

    59:32

    Frank discusses the reasons why Siege was removed and the possibility of it returning in the future.

    1:07:22

    A question is asked about the possibility of a story mode.

    1:07:44

    Frank and V discuss the challenges of creating a compelling and replayable story mode.

    1:12:53

    A question is asked about useless gadgets and star powers.

    1:13:14

    Adrian talks about the plans to rework or improve underused gadgets and star powers.

    1:14:31

    A question is asked about fixing crashing games on low-end devices.

    1:14:46

    Adrian and Frank discuss the challenges of optimizing the game for a wide range of devices.

    1:19:45

    A question is asked about matchmaking and long queue times.

    1:20:04

    Frank explains the complexities of the matchmaking system and the challenges of finding the right balance between latency and trophy matching.

    1:24:40

    A question is asked about adding Dani Piper as a skin.

    1:24:50

    V and Frank discuss the reasons why they don't add developers as skins in the game.

    1:27:43

    A question is asked about who is the best Brawl Stars player on the dev team.

    1:27:52

    The hosts discuss their individual strengths and weaknesses as Brawl Stars players.

    1:31:03

    A question is asked about when Buzz will get a friend.

    1:31:10

    The hosts joke about Buzz's loneliness and the possibility of completing his trio.

    1:32:21

    A question is asked about whether Edgar will get a rework this year.

    1:32:35

    Frank and Dani discuss the challenges of reworking a popular Brawler and the philosophy of balancing Brawlers for different skill levels.

    1:36:09

    A question is asked about the possibility of a Brawl Stars movie or series.

    1:36:24

    The hosts express their enthusiasm for the idea but acknowledge the complexities of producing such a project.

    1:39:19

    A question is asked about which Brawler release cycle the team is most proud of.

    1:39:34

    The hosts share their personal favorites and the reasons behind their choices.

    1:43:15

    A question is asked about how the hosts got into Supercell and their most memorable moments.

    1:43:33

    Dani, V, and Frank share their stories and their appreciation for the company culture.

11. 1:51:35

    Rapid-fire questions

    1:51:35

    Will there be more collaborations with other brands?

    1:52:31

    Will the trophy road be expanded beyond 50,000 trophies?

    1:53:01

    Why is there a difference in communication and game direction between Brawl Stars and Clash Royale?

    1:54:16

    Delete teaming in Showdown.

    1:55:07

    Will there be other games set in the Brawl Stars universe?

    1:55:54

    Will 5v5 be added to the game?

    1:56:54

    Have you considered adding more gadgets and star powers to existing Brawlers?

    1:58:18

    Why are only some skins coming back?

    1:59:08

    Why are there no more pre-made chat messages?

    1:59:55

    Is there any possibility of choosing a different background or battle theme?

    2:00:41

    Can you delete the thumbs-down pin?

    2:02:24

    Could there be a new Brawler rarity?

    2:03:18

    Will Showdown Plus ever return?

    2:03:52

    When will Dynamike's HP be buffed to 10,000?

    2:04:08

    What is inside Barley's bottles?

    2:04:45

    Are there any plans to sell Brawl Stars merchandise in Japanese stores?

12. 2:05:22

    Conclusion and call for feedback

    2:05:22

    Dani asks the hosts for their feedback on the podcast.

    2:05:42

    Dani thanks the viewers for watching and asks for their feedback on the format and future topics.