@DragonDraena: Thanks for the kind words of encouragement!
I had to think twice before realizing which balance you were asking about. Your question is of course not related to my in-game gold and arcane dust totals (which are plentiful), but how I spend my daily time besides consuming different forms of Hearthstone content 😅
Honestly, Hearthstone has been my one and only hobby for the past few years. This used to be a big excuse of mine to spend a decent chunk of money on this game. Hence my earlier comment about being a whale. The huge influx of new cosmetics and its higher frequency in 2021 finally made me stop collecting all the paid unique DLC. I am really glad I at least managed to convince myself to spend less money on this game.
Also, not really able to go outside and meet up with family and friends during most of the pandemic naturally did not help me out either. At home, most of my leisure time is usually going towards watching TV, browsing the internet randomly and playing Hearthstone.
If only there was some other hobby that would interest me more, which would probably soak up some time from Hearthstone. However, it would not surprise me at all if that new thing would eventually replace Hearthstone and become the new major "offender".
One more important thing to consider in this discussion is that my general view of the world and its inhabitants has become a lot more negative since the COVID-19 pandemic started. The current war in Ukraine also does not improve my opinion about my fellow Europeans. I do not know whether including health and political issues is useful, but it is an undeniable influence on (my) daily life.
My own self diagnosis: "I seem to be trapped inside a negative feedback loop" 😔
Until a few days ago almost every second deck was a Kazakusan deck. Now since a few days I have not met the dragon anymore! Is the same happening to you? (I am Diamond <5)
I've already get the 2 packs the first week, this week i've tried to get those "bonus" but nothing happened... i bet last week "bonus" was just a youtube mistake...
It might add a little time to your daily total, but I think that talking about HS addiction/imprisonment/overuse is the first step toward some relief.
So, in that spirit, good job recognizing the problem.
For me, I do play HS daily, and I do visit OOC almost daily, but I'm enjoying it as a balance to my other activities/responsibilities and not feeling trapped/imprisoned.
Can we check your balance? (It is my intention to say all this in a loving/respectful way. I know internet communication can be tricky.) What else takes up space in your brain?
OR, you could join up with Legends of Runeterra, which is basically all of that, but we know FOR SURE that you never, ever have to spend money on cards. Period. Full Stop.
Wouldn't compare the two, since Runterra has very different mechanics that not everyone might like (I, for one, don't like the combat).
Still not touching Skyweaver with a mile-long Pokey Stick because it uses crypto crap.
I mean, sure - not liking the combat is a good reason not to play LoR.
I just cannot really comprehend, personally, why anyone would not like the combat system of LoR. Assuming they take some time to get used to it.
My issue is that it's a reactive system (your opponent attacks, and you choose what to block with), while I prefer more proactive versions (you can choose what you attack into), like Hearthstone.
OR, you could join up with Legends of Runeterra, which is basically all of that, but we know FOR SURE that you never, ever have to spend money on cards. Period. Full Stop.
Wouldn't compare the two, since Runterra has very different mechanics that not everyone might like (I, for one, don't like the combat).
Still not touching Skyweaver with a mile-long Pokey Stick because it uses crypto crap.
I mean, sure - not liking the combat is a good reason not to play LoR.
I just cannot really comprehend, personally, why anyone would not like the combat system of LoR. Assuming they take some time to get used to it.
Neb, are you feeling like you might miss out on tasks/quests/rewards? I think you and I both play enough that the slots are empty by the end of the day/week.
Or are you wishing you cared a little less about Hearthstone? Is it taking up too much space in your brain?
When new quests arrive, the daily quest slot is empty again within minutes and the weekly quest slots are usually empty within the same day.
You have actually asked the perfect question DragonDraena, I would very much want to care less about Hearthstone.
Before the introduction of the Rewards Track I just cleared the dailies and I played a few longer stretches here and there. However, my playtime has skyrocketed since then.
Also, my browser homepage is set to this wonderful community site and I still visit Hearthpwn because I noticed in the past some Hearthstone news was missing over here. This means besides playing the actual game, I still consume Hearthstone content during offtime.
Furthermore, I always collect the free packs from official Hearthstone events even when I absolutely do not need them because new expansions are usually completely collected within days after their launch.
I still like and enjoy Hearthstone very much, but it has become so noticeably time consuming that it cannot possibly be considered healthy even from a bystanders point of view. My brain is somehow taking me hostage and trapping me inside a Hearthstone universe or dimension for the past couple of years.
By the way, I highly doubt dropping this game entirely will have a lasting positive effect because history tends to repeat itself over and over again. Hearthstone was not the first game where I had this recurring feeling. Although it is clearly the worst "offender" of them all.
PS.: Even discussing this addiction somehow feels like adding time towards Hearthstone "imprisonment".
Neb, are you feeling like you might miss out on tasks/quests/rewards? I think you and I both play enough that the slots are empty by the end of the day/week.
Or are you wishing you cared a little less about Hearthstone? Is it taking up too much space in your brain?
Ive made only one real comparison, which is storytelling, a general enough point that can be related to most if not all games. Some games have more story than gameplay, but its not entirely invalid to make a comparisons of an attempt at story between two unrelated genres.
The only possible other would be my statement that Ive been playing more elden ring than hearthstone as of late, mostly because I think the meta's a little stale. Hardly an unfair statement.
FOMO is a psychological / emotional issue. I avoid it by looking at it from a rational perspective.
I tend to look at the whole issue from an economic angle. HS like other games not only consumes your money but also, in my mind much more important, your time. Time is a resource which comes with an opportunity cost. Opportunity cost in essence means giving something up in order to get something. In the case of video games what you get is fun or a sense of satisfaction. What you invest is your time, which could have been invested otherwise. For example hanging out with friends, reading a good book or whatever you like. You have to weigh your options.
When you chase the next achievement or try to complete the battlepass just think about what other things you like you could spend this time for. In other words what is the cost and what are the gains. If I come to the conclusion it is worth it then I do it, if not I just stop and spend my time differently. Or more simple: Do I have fun or not?
Example: I have been playing since Blackrock (?) and have never achieved Legend. The reason for this is I just don't think that it is worth. D5 is usually a breeze for me but then the grind starts and my fun stops. My personal cost is getting too high at this point and outweighs the sense of satisfaction I might get. Therefore I just stop and do something else. That being said for others it might be totally worth it. After all the whole issue is largely subjective.
I can second the recommendation of The Girl With All The Gifts, it's a very original take on the zombie genre with a very cool ending. I think they even made a movie based on the book but I haven't seen that one yet.
I've finished The Demon Cycle by Brett which I can't recommend enough. Rarely a series managed to increase in complexity so much without it feeling forced like this one did. Next in line is The Name of the Wind which has been waiting for its turn for far too long already.
For my fellow Sci-Fi lovers: Don't miss out on Paolini's To Sleep in a Sea of Stars!
I was wondering, how do you deal with the feeling of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) in Hearthstone or any other game?
I am pretty sure I have never missed out on a daily or weekly quest and I recently completed the entire Rewards Track (for the second time) with a full month to spare. I have to attribute these personal feats mostly to FOMO.
I have played other games in the past which consumed most of my spare time and my only working solution so far was to complelety abandon them. Since I am a Hearthstone whale I cannot rationally convince myself to repeat the same thing nor should it be necessary I feel.
I guess I should be glad that Team 5 implemented a hard cap to the Rewards Track. Otherwise I would most likely continue to gather XP until the very last day, lose my freaking mind and even more of my spare time.
Comparing Elden Ring to Hearthstone is like comparing a Honda Civic to a bottle of wine from a farmer's market. They aren't even related except with the word "game". Not sure why people are even trying to compare the two. Just stop already.
So from my read of the site alone, I can tell you a few things
No rotation guarantee: Obviously misses out on the entire point of a standard rotation and they aren't looking into the future of this game. If this game were to never recieve expansions, or they were in a system like runeterra where you can only use one of group A or group B cards with the new group C cards, but not every card in your collection in one deck, you don't need a rotation. However, in pretty much all other cases, you will run into synergy-creep, not just power-creep where new cards have to look good to be wanted, but the simple act of the card existing and being slightly more synergistic than another card in your deck leads to Yugioh, where all games end by turn 2 because you played your entire hand, half your deck, and overkilled
Trade system with free to earn cards: Any player of MMO's can tell you how much free to earn resources becomes hyperinflated to a point of worthlessness if you're allowed to use it in trades and earn any number of said resources. Added onto this, in card TCG's, you don't need more than the card limit of each card, which is why duplicate cards of the original Artifact card game's starter kit ended up becoming useless, nobody would buy, and it was simply a waste of a pack if got all starter cards. It's either that, or you will hit a brick wall like most free to play games that shower you at the start in order to make you feel good and play more.
NFT: It's a pump and dump scheme. They always are. They literally always are. I'm sorry. And the fact that the game pretty much plays exactly like Hearthstone with little to nothing new or original makes me lean even more towards thinking that they're just trying to make a quick dollar by getting people into the cult so they can sell their own NFT cards to them.
Regarding the year long story, they seem to be alternating between them, since there was no story in 2020, but there was one in 2019. We'll have to see how 2023 will be.
Kazakusan disappearing ?
You have been lucky ;)
How to deal with the feeling of FOMO?
@DragonDraena: Thanks for the kind words of encouragement!
I had to think twice before realizing which balance you were asking about. Your question is of course not related to my in-game gold and arcane dust totals (which are plentiful), but how I spend my daily time besides consuming different forms of Hearthstone content 😅
Honestly, Hearthstone has been my one and only hobby for the past few years. This used to be a big excuse of mine to spend a decent chunk of money on this game. Hence my earlier comment about being a whale. The huge influx of new cosmetics and its higher frequency in 2021 finally made me stop collecting all the paid unique DLC. I am really glad I at least managed to convince myself to spend less money on this game.
Also, not really able to go outside and meet up with family and friends during most of the pandemic naturally did not help me out either. At home, most of my leisure time is usually going towards watching TV, browsing the internet randomly and playing Hearthstone.
If only there was some other hobby that would interest me more, which would probably soak up some time from Hearthstone. However, it would not surprise me at all if that new thing would eventually replace Hearthstone and become the new major "offender".
One more important thing to consider in this discussion is that my general view of the world and its inhabitants has become a lot more negative since the COVID-19 pandemic started. The current war in Ukraine also does not improve my opinion about my fellow Europeans. I do not know whether including health and political issues is useful, but it is an undeniable influence on (my) daily life.
My own self diagnosis: "I seem to be trapped inside a negative feedback loop" 😔
Kazakusan disappearing ?
Until a few days ago almost every second deck was a Kazakusan deck. Now since a few days I have not met the dragon anymore! Is the same happening to you? (I am Diamond <5)
Hearthstone Grandmasters 2022 Season 1 Continues With Week 3 - Here's What You Need to Know
I've already get the 2 packs the first week, this week i've tried to get those "bonus" but nothing happened... i bet last week "bonus" was just a youtube mistake...
How to deal with the feeling of FOMO?
It might add a little time to your daily total, but I think that talking about HS addiction/imprisonment/overuse is the first step toward some relief.
So, in that spirit, good job recognizing the problem.
For me, I do play HS daily, and I do visit OOC almost daily, but I'm enjoying it as a balance to my other activities/responsibilities and not feeling trapped/imprisoned.
Can we check your balance? (It is my intention to say all this in a loving/respectful way. I know internet communication can be tricky.) What else takes up space in your brain?
New(?) card game
My issue is that it's a reactive system (your opponent attacks, and you choose what to block with), while I prefer more proactive versions (you can choose what you attack into), like Hearthstone.
New(?) card game
I mean, sure - not liking the combat is a good reason not to play LoR.
I just cannot really comprehend, personally, why anyone would not like the combat system of LoR. Assuming they take some time to get used to it.
Grey Sage Parrot + Dragoncaster interaction
Since the time I asked was over 3 weeks ago, I crafted the Parrots and saw them copy Amulet. But still thanks for reassurance.
Grey Sage Parrot + Dragoncaster interaction
Grey Sage Parrot only caries about the original cost of the spell so it should work. Atleast I know the interaction works with Deck of Lunacy
Archetype Diversity in Hearthstone's Wild Format - A Meta Discussion
That card only helps the hunters lmao. Bad wild players have always had a weird love for Skulking Geist despite the card being terrible.
How to deal with the feeling of FOMO?
@Thraxus: I completely agree with all your sensible reasoning when I read your thoughtful comment.
Unfortunately for me, in the eyes of the beholder (or prisoner in my case) all this logic seems to fade away somehow when I think about Hearthstone.
How to deal with the feeling of FOMO?
When new quests arrive, the daily quest slot is empty again within minutes and the weekly quest slots are usually empty within the same day.
You have actually asked the perfect question DragonDraena, I would very much want to care less about Hearthstone.
Before the introduction of the Rewards Track I just cleared the dailies and I played a few longer stretches here and there. However, my playtime has skyrocketed since then.
Also, my browser homepage is set to this wonderful community site and I still visit Hearthpwn because I noticed in the past some Hearthstone news was missing over here. This means besides playing the actual game, I still consume Hearthstone content during offtime.
Furthermore, I always collect the free packs from official Hearthstone events even when I absolutely do not need them because new expansions are usually completely collected within days after their launch.
I still like and enjoy Hearthstone very much, but it has become so noticeably time consuming that it cannot possibly be considered healthy even from a bystanders point of view. My brain is somehow taking me hostage and trapping me inside a Hearthstone universe or dimension for the past couple of years.
By the way, I highly doubt dropping this game entirely will have a lasting positive effect because history tends to repeat itself over and over again. Hearthstone was not the first game where I had this recurring feeling. Although it is clearly the worst "offender" of them all.
PS.: Even discussing this addiction somehow feels like adding time towards Hearthstone "imprisonment".
Group Therapy! Need to blow off some steam? Mega salty? Here's the place!
It shouldn't go crazier, Druids with Quest, Guff and Kazakus, seriously....
Getting close to just play mercenaries only
How to deal with the feeling of FOMO?
Neb, are you feeling like you might miss out on tasks/quests/rewards? I think you and I both play enough that the slots are empty by the end of the day/week.
Or are you wishing you cared a little less about Hearthstone? Is it taking up too much space in your brain?
Dean Ayala’s Hearthstone Q&A Recap #39 - No Year-long Story in 2022, Less OTK and Hand-wide Cost Reduction, & More!
Ive made only one real comparison, which is storytelling, a general enough point that can be related to most if not all games. Some games have more story than gameplay, but its not entirely invalid to make a comparisons of an attempt at story between two unrelated genres.
The only possible other would be my statement that Ive been playing more elden ring than hearthstone as of late, mostly because I think the meta's a little stale. Hardly an unfair statement.
How to deal with the feeling of FOMO?
FOMO is a psychological / emotional issue. I avoid it by looking at it from a rational perspective.
I tend to look at the whole issue from an economic angle. HS like other games not only consumes your money but also, in my mind much more important, your time. Time is a resource which comes with an opportunity cost. Opportunity cost in essence means giving something up in order to get something. In the case of video games what you get is fun or a sense of satisfaction. What you invest is your time, which could have been invested otherwise. For example hanging out with friends, reading a good book or whatever you like. You have to weigh your options.
When you chase the next achievement or try to complete the battlepass just think about what other things you like you could spend this time for. In other words what is the cost and what are the gains. If I come to the conclusion it is worth it then I do it, if not I just stop and spend my time differently. Or more simple: Do I have fun or not?
Example: I have been playing since Blackrock (?) and have never achieved Legend. The reason for this is I just don't think that it is worth. D5 is usually a breeze for me but then the grind starts and my fun stops. My personal cost is getting too high at this point and outweighs the sense of satisfaction I might get. Therefore I just stop and do something else. That being said for others it might be totally worth it. After all the whole issue is largely subjective.
Dean Ayala’s Hearthstone Q&A Recap #39 - No Year-long Story in 2022, Less OTK and Hand-wide Cost Reduction, & More!
I get the skins with gold only.
Books
Nice to see the thread alive and kickin!
I can second the recommendation of The Girl With All The Gifts, it's a very original take on the zombie genre with a very cool ending. I think they even made a movie based on the book but I haven't seen that one yet.
I've finished The Demon Cycle by Brett which I can't recommend enough. Rarely a series managed to increase in complexity so much without it feeling forced like this one did. Next in line is The Name of the Wind which has been waiting for its turn for far too long already.
For my fellow Sci-Fi lovers: Don't miss out on Paolini's To Sleep in a Sea of Stars!
How to deal with the feeling of FOMO?
I was wondering, how do you deal with the feeling of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) in Hearthstone or any other game?
I am pretty sure I have never missed out on a daily or weekly quest and I recently completed the entire Rewards Track (for the second time) with a full month to spare. I have to attribute these personal feats mostly to FOMO.
I have played other games in the past which consumed most of my spare time and my only working solution so far was to complelety abandon them. Since I am a Hearthstone whale I cannot rationally convince myself to repeat the same thing nor should it be necessary I feel.
Archetype Diversity in Hearthstone's Wild Format - A Meta Discussion
Control kinda died with discover/infinite resource generation. I miss having to manage resources carefully.
Archetype Diversity in Hearthstone's Wild Format - A Meta Discussion
Can't wait for the 2022 expansions that don't see play because last year was so broken.
Rewards Track Progress: 4.0
@Iplaywhite: Thanks!
I guess I should be glad that Team 5 implemented a hard cap to the Rewards Track. Otherwise I would most likely continue to gather XP until the very last day, lose my freaking mind and even more of my spare time.
Dean Ayala’s Hearthstone Q&A Recap #39 - No Year-long Story in 2022, Less OTK and Hand-wide Cost Reduction, & More!
Comparing Elden Ring to Hearthstone is like comparing a Honda Civic to a bottle of wine from a farmer's market. They aren't even related except with the word "game". Not sure why people are even trying to compare the two. Just stop already.
New(?) card game
So from my read of the site alone, I can tell you a few things
No rotation guarantee: Obviously misses out on the entire point of a standard rotation and they aren't looking into the future of this game. If this game were to never recieve expansions, or they were in a system like runeterra where you can only use one of group A or group B cards with the new group C cards, but not every card in your collection in one deck, you don't need a rotation. However, in pretty much all other cases, you will run into synergy-creep, not just power-creep where new cards have to look good to be wanted, but the simple act of the card existing and being slightly more synergistic than another card in your deck leads to Yugioh, where all games end by turn 2 because you played your entire hand, half your deck, and overkilled
Trade system with free to earn cards: Any player of MMO's can tell you how much free to earn resources becomes hyperinflated to a point of worthlessness if you're allowed to use it in trades and earn any number of said resources. Added onto this, in card TCG's, you don't need more than the card limit of each card, which is why duplicate cards of the original Artifact card game's starter kit ended up becoming useless, nobody would buy, and it was simply a waste of a pack if got all starter cards. It's either that, or you will hit a brick wall like most free to play games that shower you at the start in order to make you feel good and play more.
NFT: It's a pump and dump scheme. They always are. They literally always are. I'm sorry. And the fact that the game pretty much plays exactly like Hearthstone with little to nothing new or original makes me lean even more towards thinking that they're just trying to make a quick dollar by getting people into the cult so they can sell their own NFT cards to them.
Dean Ayala’s Hearthstone Q&A Recap #39 - No Year-long Story in 2022, Less OTK and Hand-wide Cost Reduction, & More!
Regarding the year long story, they seem to be alternating between them, since there was no story in 2020, but there was one in 2019. We'll have to see how 2023 will be.