Video Games

[NorCal]



I think i've mentioned in this thread before that i've briefly played a couple casual games of MtG in the past with a friend. Never really had interest in the game, but have considered trying it again since i've discovered how much I love playing Hearthstone. I know enough about how MtG is played to see why some players of it make fun of HS, but I believe they are missing the boat. Yes Hearthstone is a much more streamlined experience, but it makes up for it with the hero power interactions, added RNG and card types that MtG could never duplicate due to it being a physical game. Take one of the recent expansion cards Reno Jackson. It restores you 30 health when played if you only have a single copy of any given card in your deck. How would you add a card like that to MtG? Let your opponent go through your deck and verify that you correct? It really couldn't be done.

Besides that, the game is just a lot of fun. It's got a great community and is just about the perfect lunch break game i've ever played.

They have cards like that now, restricted to one. Mostly people just don't cheat. Obviously online its simple, but IRL you have random deck checks and of course if you were to somehow draw or reveal a second copy of a card you were supposed to only have one of you'd be ************. DCI ban, game loss, ostracized in the community, ect.

I think I might give Hearthstone a shot. I have played a good bit of MtG and Haearthstone is generally seen as a simpler version so I kind of wrote it of at first. However a lot of Magic Pros play, and Magic is so damned complex a little more simplicity might be nice.

 

[NorCal]



Oculus Rift launching in March for a whopping $599. That's steep. Anyone still planning to get one?

http://www.theverge.com/2016/1/6/10722212/oculus-rift-price-shipping-date-ces-2016

Is there a Appreciation app yet?

nvm, of course there is.

[VIDEO]

[/VIDEO]

 

[Jr Mouse]



They have cards like that now, restricted to one. Mostly people just don't cheat. Obviously online its simple, but IRL you have random deck checks and of course if you were to somehow draw or reveal a second copy of a card you were supposed to only have one of you'd be ************. DCI ban, game loss, ostracized in the community, ect.

I think I might give Hearthstone a shot. I have played a good bit of MtG and Haearthstone is generally seen as a simpler version so I kind of wrote it of at first. However a lot of Magic Pros play, and Magic is so damned complex a little more simplicity might be nice.

Interesting. I didn't know they had cards like that in MtG. Guess I can see how cheating would be very hard to pull off.

One criticism that HS is getting is that it can be a bit of a challenge for new players to ramp up. Takes a long time to build car pools for good decks and having to buy so many expansion wings at once (if you want those new cards) is a lot of change to drop, versus long time players who buy them over time when they come out. It's an issue Blizzard has acknowledged and is working on a solution for that should show itself soon. It's an issue all card games of this type have, but the difference is you can't borrow someone else's cards to play.

My mains have been Pal and Shaman for a while. I'm actually investing time in Priest now which is a nice change. Loving how Control Priest plays and am using a Golden Monkey version of it. Not sure I could climb that high on the ladder with this modified version, but it's a lot of fun.

 

[NorCal]

What's the cost of a tier one deck? In MtG, in a non-rotating format its 300-500, although the second deck gets cheaper because of card overlap.

 

[Jr Mouse]

I couldn't tell you, but would assume it's a lot less. Plus you can earn gold to use towards Arena runs which give you a free pack no matter what. Cards can be "dusted" too and the dust used to craft new cards.

 

[Jr Mouse]

Big news for HEARTHSTONE hit yesterday. https://www.reddit.com/r/hearthston...er_insights_with_ben_brode_a_new_way_to_play/

http://us.battle.net/hearthstone/en/blog/19995505

A New Way to Play

Exciting changes are coming to the Tavern! We’re proud to announce that we’re introducing game formats to Hearthstone! Whether you’re just getting into Hearthstone or you’re a seasoned veteran, the new Standard format will help keep Hearthstone fresh, exciting, and accessible for years to come, while the Wild format will preserve everything you already know and love about Hearthstone!

The New Standard Standard is a new format in Play mode that allows players to go head-to-head using only the most recently released Hearthstone cards. You’ll play Standard using a deck built solely from a pool of cards that were released in the current and previous calendar year, along with a core foundation of the Basic and Classic card sets (which will always be valid for Standard). You’ll be matched against other players who are also using Standard decks.
New description, same great taste!

Standard promises a fresher Hearthstone experience!

Standard will help make for a more dynamic and balanced metagame. A select set of cards makes each new card have more impact! The developers will have more freedom to design exciting new cards. It lets newer players jump in faster without having to collect as many cards. Standard is only available as a format in Friendly Challenges, Ranked, and Casual play, so it won’t affect Arena, Solo play, or Adventures.

Wild Will Be Wild Wild is our new name for the Hearthstone you already know, because it’ll be the format where anything can happen. While Standard puts a bright spotlight on recently released cards and brings a more balanced experience, when you queue up for Wild, you’ll be cozying up with the crazy fun of Hearthstone you’re already familiar with. Of course, as more and more cards are added over time, the wilder and more unpredictable Wild will be!

In terms of gameplay, nothing is changing for Wild: you’ll be able to finish quests, earn gold, rank up on the ladder, get card backs, earn Legend rank, and use all the cards you’ve already collected to build a Wild deck, just like you always have. When you queue up for Ranked or Casual play with a Wild deck, you’ll always be matched with other players who are also using Wild decks.

New Wild Button!

Ranking Up When Standard is introduced you’ll be able to choose between Standard and Wild for Ranked play, and you'll have a separate rank for each format, so you can earn ranks and hit Legend in both Wild and Standard if you wish! You’ll only collect ranked rewards at the end of the season based on the highest rank you attained in one format or the other, but not both, so feel free to play whichever you like best!

Time for Reflection The arrival of Standard format will also be an excellent time for us to take stock of Hearthstone. While normally we’re quite conservative about making balance changes to Hearthstone cards (and we’ll continue to be in the future), we’re planning to take the new Hearthstone year as a golden opportunity to re-evaluate a number of cards in the Basic and Classic card sets, including class cards, and make some long-considered adjustments.

More information on which cards are changing and why will be available as we draw nearer to the arrival of Standard format.

More Deck Slots? More Deck Slots! Yes! More deck slots! Prior to the arrival of Standard we’ve got a buff planned for your Collection Manager! If you’ve unlocked all nine heroes, you’ll also unlock nine more deck slots, raising your total number of deck slots to eighteen.
MOAR DECK SLOTS!

Release the Kraken! Standard format will arrive this spring! When the momentous moment arrives, you’ll be able to build Standard decks using the following sets:

Basic Classic Blackrock Mountain The Grand Tournament The League of Explorers The Spring 2016 Expansion Curse of Naxxramas and Goblins vs Gnomes will not be part of Standard. When we release the first new Expansion each year, every set that wasn’t released in the same year or the year prior will cycle out and no longer be part of the Standard format.

That’s also when the new Standard year begins. Each new Hearthstone year is symbolized by one of the zodiac constellations twinkling in Azeroth’s night sky. The moment when a new constellation comes into alignment heralds the start of the year and a time of jubilation and raucous revelry wherever Hearthstone is played!

This inaugural Standard year will be known as the Year of the Kraken, so get ready to make some waves!

Gone Wild Adventures and Expansions that are not part of the Standard format will no longer be available for purchase from the Shop—this year, that includes Naxxramas and Goblins vs Gnomes. If you want any cards you missed out on for Wild play or just to fill out your collection, you’ll be able to craft them using Arcane Dust—even cards from Adventures that were previously un-craftable. Speaking of Adventures, if you’ve purchased at least the first wing of an Adventure before it cycled out, you’ll still be able to finish acquiring and playing the remaining wings.

Wild Crafting!

We’re Pumped! We’ve worked hard to pave the way for Standard, and we’re really excited about all the great things this new format will bring to Hearthstone: fresher gameplay, more impactful expansions, and—since Standard will become the official format of the Hearthstone Championship Tour—an even more exciting competitive scene. All in all, we believe that Standard will end up being the most fun way to enjoy Hearthstone.

We hope you’re excited too, and we can’t wait to hear what you think.

We’re sure you have questions, so read the FAQ, and if you’ve still got questions, we’ll be happy to help!

 

[otc]

Ah.

Yeah, that's pretty much what MTG does to both keep the money flowing and make it accessible to new players.

Standard tournaments are limited to relatively new cards and the most recent base set (although if you have identical cards from old sets, you are free to use them I believe). There are other levels of play that allow more cards (and casual players generally don't care), but at the high end, that's how it goes.

Does a few of things:
- Keeps people buying new cards
- Avoids complications related to power creep. The new cards are definitely more powerful than most old cards...but since the old cards aren't legal anymore, you can't really complain.
- Don't have to worry about balancing against crazy combos where some old card has OP synergies with some new game mechanic.
- Can have focused mechanics that don't really work with a large card pool. For example, cards that rely on your opponent having a "dragon" are not very useful unless you are playing in a set that is filled with dragons.

Honestly, as a casual player, I don't love it. Every time I play, there are new rules/mechanics, and power creep has meant that my pool of older cards from when I was a kid would be easily defeated by decks built from modern cards. But I understand that for high end play, the game has to keep evolving. Otherwise, people eventually figure out the "best" decks and just play them. Unlike hearthstone, they can't easily go back and nerf cards or adjust stats. All they can do is ban/restrict them, or wait for them to phase out of tournament play.

 

[Jr Mouse]

Yeah, they took a large page out of MTG's book. Smart move to follow the most successful collectable card game in the world's lead. Lean on their experience.

I agree that with HS this will lead to players buying more cards, but most active players did so with new expansions anyways. Blizzard was making a lot of money from the game as is. This way at least they have a relatively smaller card pool to balance against and it will open things up far more for new deck types and strategies to emerge then it would otherwise. Fact is the meta was really starting to feel stale in HS and this move is going to really mix things up.

They will still have a mode of play similar to what MTG does that will allow for all cards to be played legally called Wild. If you want to keep playing Doctor Boom you have a place to do so. Just don't expect it to be very balanced moving forward.

One part I am really excited about is them using this as an opportunity to tweak basic class cards. Druid's long standing big combo is certainly going to get reworked. Big Game Hunter may too as it limits the play of interesting big minions.

Some people are bitching about all the money they have invested in cards that won't play in Standard moving forward. The way I see it you can either choose to play Wild or dust them all and craft new cards. Being digital there really is no "real" collector component to the game to prevent you from doing so. The dust wont be the same value you spent on them, but considering you got to play with the cards for so long it's not like you didn't get plenty of money's worth of enjoyment of them.

Having said all this, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Blizzard tweaks the cost of packs and expansions at some point. Dust worth too. As profitable as they want to be it's important to keep the players happy.

 

[b1os]

Actually, they stated to intend to balance both Wild and Normal. Not sure how that's going to work out...

 

[Nil]

XCOM 2 drops at midnight. I can't wait to tearfully mourn my favorite soldiers when they die after missing a 99% shot.

 

[Jr Mouse]



Actually, they stated to intend to balance both Wild and Normal. Not sure how that's going to work out...

I'm pretty sure Wild won't be balanced other then any cards being balanced that are in Standard too. Old cards moved to Wild only wont be balanced. Do you have a link saying otherwise?

 

[b1os]

Found it:

http://www.hearthpwn.com/blue-tracker/topic/15422-blizzard-isnt-throwing-out-old-cards-you-are#29

We will monitor the balance of both Standard and Wild formats once they arrive. We want players to choose the format(s) that fit how they want to play the game and will continue to ensure that all modes of play are an enjoyable experience.

 

[Jr Mouse]

Oh cool. That's great news. Means Wild will be taken seriously.

 

[otc]

Well, or just not allowed to become totally broken.

If some new standard card has game-breaking synergies with a wild card, they will probably go ahead and nerf the wild card...

 

[b1os]



Well, or just not allowed to become totally broken.

If some new standard card has game-breaking synergies with a wild card, they will probably go ahead and nerf the wild card...

Yeah, that's probably--and hopefully--what they meant. The whole purpose of the standard mode is to make balancing a bit simpler and to reduce the (to-be-balanced) cardpool. Balancing the whole cardpool, as it's happening now, is unreasonable given the introduction of standard.

This means that dusting old cards is better postponed until they get nerfed or buffed.