Arena AI and Bot based balance

[Spellcow-doomhammer]

If I were a dev I would add AI bots into arenas, and farm multiple instances at higher speeds to collect data, which would help balance each class. Edit, jus to avoid any possible missunderstanding; no, no bots into real arenas. These would be seperate no rating mostly bots only training grounds.

If the bots are equally smart, and never make mistakes, it should logically lead to the following:
You would see which classes/specs perform the best, and which abilities need to be buffed or nerfed. This would simply make the game better.

I’m sure the devs have a ton of data collecting tools and methods already,
but here’s the bonus: players would be allowed to use these arenas as training ground.
Either spar vs bots to polish your rotation, macros, ui, without gaining or losing any rating, and selecting your enemy team/arena members from a “mortal combat” style layout with every class/spec having a unique npc face, name and transmog (which itself would be a fun core-lore addition to the game).

And on top of all, there would be a spectator mode with real time slow motion option, so you could watch bots duke it out at 25%… 50%… 75% of normal speed, also a announcer (hyperlink text) toggle on/off to commentate when someone interrupts someones spell, gets hit by cc, breaks out, etc. This would be extremely attractive to get new players into pvp so they could study and learn.

Then you’d have all the data for bot matches, average total dmg done per match/minute/second, all transparent data open for all to see in their respectful windows and tabs. This would give players great insight and overview of what is hot right now, what is expected to be nerfed or buffed, etc.

This is what wow is missing, something more interactive, open, interesting stuff, a virtual sandbox within. Personally I’d go even further and give the community modding tools so I could make a wow + poe crossover mod.

[Axran-ravencrest]

the one thing wow never needs… is more Bots

arena is already full of Scripting bots

[Spellcow-doomhammer]

How does that have anything to do with what I suggested?
It’s like saying “I want a butcher knife so I can cut steak at home” and you go “no, the streets are already full with gangs who don’t need more weapons”?? Bro wtf… you sipping on some military grade dumb dumb juice?

[Obesitea-pozzo-delleternità]

This is the excellent idea. It is going to have balancing on the best of the best players and their actions, but no need to have actual bots playing actual games in an arena setting, as the simulation will tell you all that you need. In fact the bots can not tell you more besides giving a visualization.

However, it is going to be very expensive. There will be several parameters changing in time and space as they interact.

However, tuning based on the results will cause the disaster for regular players. It is like redesigning chess based on 3200 rated bots playing each other.