Some Battlegrounds Feedback

Hello there. I’ve played Hearthstone for the past 2 years or so, so I have seen quite a lot and have a pretty good understanding of how the game works. Since the launch of the open beta of Battlegrounds, I’ve played quite a lot of games, so I've gathered some thoughts here to provide as feedback.

First of all, positives:

+The UI is great. Although different from the usual Hearthstone UI, the Battlegrounds one is quite enjoyable too.

+The heroes are pleasing to play as. Save for the fact that it'd always be pretty cool to play as The Lich King or Yogg-Saron, or Ragnaros, they are all thematic, their hero powers fit them quite well.

+The music is thematic as well. Both tracks that play in the Battlegrounds make you feel like you're in a tavern, chatting with a stranger, while waiting for your beer to come. I’d also like to suggest one of my favorite OSTs from WoW, the Kul Tiras Tavern Day 2 track: https://youtu.be/x9jH1UM3IbA

Now, negatives:

-The turn time is not enough, especially for mobile. I know this would be hard to balance, as if there was more time, it would get boring and tedious because of the waiting, but neither is it okay to have 20 seconds at Bob's Tavern sometimes. What I'd suggest would be to shorten the animation times, or add the option to.

-There are not so many strategies to adopt. I guess this is harder to fix, as it’d require adding more cards, but I’d quite like to see some new tribes being introduced as cards. It would be interesting to see Dragons with their in-hand synergies and Elementals with theirs and so on.

Now, some nitpicks:

-It’s a little disappointing that there are no voiced emotes. Remember how earlier I said that it’s cool to play as The Lich King or Yogg-Saron, or Ragnaros? You know what would be twice as cooler? Yeah, playing as those same heroes, but with fully voiced emotes. I know it would be hard to have 24 and soon more fully voiced heroes, because of the casting, but it would be a great improvement nevertheless.

-There are no clickables in the background. Sometimes, especially in the early game, you finish your turn quickly. And what is there left for you to do? Nothing. You can’t click on candles in the background to make them explode, you can’t brew potions, you can’t activate traps in ancient temples. It just breaks the whimsical and silly feel of the game.

So, those are my thoughts! I know it's only still beta, but I thought it'd be useful for the developers if I provided some feedback, you never know if they'll read it!

-Good luck

-Siupanifan93#2762

I agree on the visuals and sound. I would guess they toned it down a little on purpose, given that some phones can‘t handle this Version already.

Turn Timers are fine imo. Waiting times >30 seconds are tedious. Plus short timers add additional skill to the mode.

They would be stupid not adding different cards and strategies to the game mode. For a beta it’s fine though. Easy to learn, Not to overwhelming, ... just as the Original HS bet

The issue with adding cards/units to a game like this is that it dilutes the pool, making it harder to upgrade your units. It's not an insurmountable problem, for example DotA underlords has a really clever mechanic where they stick a couple of units in "jail" every day, which means that the meta changes daily, depending on what units/combos are available. If/when they do add more cards to the game, I expect something similar to be implemented along with it to make sure players still have a reasonable chance to combine triples.

Another issue is that it's kinda pay to win, as if you buy packs you have a bigger selection of heroes available

Quote From sinti

Quote From AliRadicali

The issue with adding cards/units to a game like this is that it dilutes the pool, making it harder to upgrade your units. It's not an insurmountable problem, for example DotA underlords has a really clever mechanic where they stick a couple of units in "jail" every day, which means that the meta changes daily, depending on what units/combos are available. If/when they do add more cards to the game, I expect something similar to be implemented along with it to make sure players still have a reasonable chance to combine triples.

They could just make it so that when you have two same minions, your chances to get a third one are higher. There would have to be some balance beind that, to not be guaranteed to cheese it, but i there could be rather easy solution for this particular issue.

Sure, they could, but you'd still find key cards less consistently and have more trouble making pairs. I know Blizzard likes putting complicated false randomness into their games to protect players from actual RNG, but I think the most elegant solution, especially for a game like autochess, is if that part of the math is simple and above-the-table.

I would't mind seeing one card per tribe that when on your board slightly increases your chance of rolling cards of (or relating to) that tribe. You would have to sacrifice buying and keeping an otherwise weak minion on your board to get the benefit, so it would be an interesting strategy choice.

I'd also like to see dragons added, especially since right now certain cards can only get full benefit with an amalgam (like Zoobot)

I also agree on poor mobile experience, though I also get that increasing the timer would just make it worse for everyone else. Not sure the solution there.

One final thing is that I'd like to see some slight preference for higher-tier minions at higher tiers. Nothing is worse than spending most of your gold to upgrade to tier 5, saving just enough to reroll once and get a sick minion, and then you roll five tier-1 minions. Maybe that's a little extreme, but I find often at higher tiers have a hard time actually getting offered decent minions. Maybe the solution is to not put sold minions back into the pool, so that end game rolls are not filled with Murloc Tidehunters and Alleycats

What would make Hearthstone a better game all together if they had a "power saver" option, or a "low definition" option which would reduce the visuals of the game and shorten animations. This would greatly improve the performance for Mobile users and it would probably make the game crash a lot less.

or let you upgrade your tavern or re-roll new minions or buy new minions while you have your hand enlarged...so many times i got screwed cuz i had to tap to reduce my hand back to the side so i could re-roll. 

Quote From KANSAS

What would make Hearthstone a better game all together if they had a "power saver" option, or a "low definition" option which would reduce the visuals of the game and shorten animations. This would greatly improve the performance for Mobile users and it would probably make the game crash a lot less.

A lite version is really needed.

You don't need a HQ images on a mobile card game, that version should resolve the storage issue.

Quote From sinti

Not putting sold minions back in the pool would create a heavy 'first came first served problem' where who was offered key minions first would likely win the whole thing leaving no comeback mechanic. 

Isn't this what happens now with later game cards like Mama Bear, Junkbot, and Soul Juggler? I agree maybe that when players are killed their cards should go back, but the big comeback cards are never being sold. The sold cards are buffs and early minions, and the early minions really dilute the late-game pool when they go back in.

Quote From Pullanisu

Another issue is that it's kinda pay to win, as if you buy packs you have a bigger selection of heroes available

Yea sure. Blizzard not giving out a game entirely for free is an issue.

F2P only gets to play the demo.

Quote From YJHS2000

Quote From sinti

Not putting sold minions back in the pool would create a heavy 'first came first served problem' where who was offered key minions first would likely win the whole thing leaving no comeback mechanic. 

Isn't this what happens now with later game cards like Mama Bear, Junkbot, and Soul Juggler? I agree maybe that when players are killed their cards should go back, but the big comeback cards are never being sold. The sold cards are buffs and early minions, and the early minions really dilute the late-game pool when they go back in.

That's exactly what happens. When a player is killed their minions are added back to the minion pool for all to draft. When a minion is sold it goes back as well. I assume upgraded units going back will break it up into three normal units.

If it wasn't first come served (more or less: you still have to find the key minions), there wouldn't be much point in rushing early tavern tiers. The benefit isn't just first pickings, it's denying your opponents those crucial high tier minions from their lineup.

They should also add a weekly reward, exactly as we have it in Tavern Brawl. 

1x Classic or Latest pack per week, if you get top4 in a BG.

I am positive about them adding something like that once the mode gets out of Beta.

___

As for the gameplay, i'd love more tribes, and i wouldn't mind at all to have a generally more diluted pool. I don't like consisten powerspikes in Constructed, and i don't like them in BG. 

Fun(Variety) > Fun(Power).

Quote From RavenSunHS

They should also add a weekly reward, exactly as we have it in Tavern Brawl. 

1x Classic or Latest pack per week, if you get top4 in a BG.

I am positive about them adding something like that once the mode gets out of Beta.

___

As for the gameplay, i'd love more tribes, and i wouldn't mind at all to have a generally more diluted pool. I don't like consisten powerspikes in Constructed, and i don't like them in BG. 

Fun(Variety) > Fun(Power).

I think just introducing new units to the pool would have the opposite effect of promoting variety. It disincentivises going for tripling a bunch of otherwise mediocre/off-meta minions in favour of always picking strong individual minions. Right now there is a decent incentive to be the one guy going for demons or battlecries when several people are building mechs or beasts because your golden minions will be fighting basic mama bears and Cobalt Guardians.

Combining minions is a central mechanic in this game and I'd argue one of the most fun aspects, so I think it'd be a terrible idea to make it harder to accomplish.

What this means?

[Q] -> Do the minions you or your opponents have or pick affect the minions that you are offered?
[A] -> Yes

That you just have less chance; or that if you have mechs your chance to get more of them is increased, meaning offerings from the pool aren't completely random.

These question/answer aren't very clear.

Quote From Tuscarora87

What this means?

 

[Q] -> Do the minions you or your opponents have or pick affect the minions that you are offered?
[A] -> Yes

 

That you just have less chance; or that if you have mechs your chance to get more of them is increased, meaning offerings from the pool aren't completely random.

These question/answer aren't very clear.

That's only half of Donais' answer, of course it's unclear. Here's the rest: 

"Higher tavern tier gives you access to higher tier minions. There are 18 copies of each tier 1 minion and 15 copies of each tier 2 minion (and 13,11,9,6).

All the copies of all minions on your tier or less are thrown into a pool and you get one randomly from that pool. If someone else buys one and is still alive then you have less chance of getting it because it isn't in that pool.

There are no other multipliers, its just those numbers."

So no, drafting mechs doesn't improve your odds of getting offered more mechs, what it does do is remove the mechs you bought from the pool, meaning that everyone now has less of a chance to get offered the specific mechs you bought. There are eleven total Junkbots in any game's unit pool, so if you buy one that leaves ten for you and your opponents to draft.

Thanks for the clarification.

U forgot to add the dont play on mobile 

Pretty minor point but it'd be nice if after the victory/defeat screen you'd have another second or so with your lineup unblurred for screenshots and gloating.

I just 'accidentally' won a game because the number 2 got knocked out by a ghost while I was fighting #3 and lost the opportunity to tally up my swole amalgams' stats. D:

As a new player, I find it easier to grind gold on BG then on the ladder

Quote From troY

As a new player, I find it easier to grind gold on BG then on the ladder

I think more players play battlegrounds rather then ladder these days xd

Quote From DelkoHS

Quote From troY

As a new player, I find it easier to grind gold on BG then on the ladder

I think more players play battlegrounds rather then ladder these days xd

What ladder? You mean Shamanville? 40% at legend right now. Disgusting.

Quote From AliRadicali

Pretty minor point but it'd be nice if after the victory/defeat screen you'd have another second or so with your lineup unblurred for screenshots and gloating.

 

I just 'accidentally' won a game because the number 2 got knocked out by a ghost while I was fighting #3 and lost the opportunity to tally up my swole amalgams' stats. D:

Looks like this got implemented. Sweet!