So, in the spirit of constructive feedback, first my issues with the 2019 update, then my ideas for fixing. (THREAD)
Problem 1: Taking Forts is BAD. This is the single biggest issue - taking a fort right now is the wrong play 80-90% of the time. Until you've steamrolled every fort, soaking XP in enemy territory is very risky. Catapults do all the work of freezing the lane for your opponents.
Problem 2: The catapults aren't a threat. With the stat changes to catapults, plus the 90 second timer, catapults aren't much of a reward at all for taking a fort. Instead, if you snipe a catapult in a lane you don't have to worry about it for 90 whole seconds, which is too long.
Problem 3: When you're being Elsa'd, there's not enough to do. Historically a problem most noticeable on BOE, HOTS maps just don't have a lot to do compared to League/DOTA. 2-3 lanes plus ~4 camps, two of which are too risky to consider most of the time, and on super long CDs.
Problem 3 cont.: DOTA/League have lots of small, low value "busywork" camps that give value to your time. In HOTS, the correct play is frequently to stand around and do nothing if there's no lanes you can go soak. This happens a lot more with the XP changes due to the catas.
Solution 1: Return some structure XP. The opportunity cost of taking a structure is usually a minion wave, so having 250 XP per tower and 500 xp per Fort would be a big reduction from 40.1 but still give some remedial value to the team that goes on the offensive.
Solution 2: Reduce camp timers. With catapults there will be more lane freezing than before - creating options *away* from lanes, where the defensive team is less safe, creates more opportunities for a team looking to increase their advantage.
Solution 2 cont.: I'd start by halving timers (3->1:30 siege, 4->2 hard) but also test other configurations. With the increased camp XP this offers a way for teams to pull ahead while offering plenty of counterplay. Oh, and this helps melee assassins who have struggled this year.
Solution 3: Buff catapults to 40.1 levels. There's not a clear reason for catapults to be weaker - after all, fort catapults are already weaker than keep catapults because they're so much less frequent. 90 seconds crosses a lot of thresholds compared to 30 for threat level.
CONCLUSION: There's a few intertwined issues with the XP changes. For my solutions, I'm not suggesting just taking one of them, I think doing all or some mix would be best. Or just a straight rollback but I think that defeats the good basis for the 2019 update.
