I'm posting this on Out of Cards, since this is the most decent and civil Hearthstone-related forum right now, and opinions about controversial subjects like this will probably be kicked on the floor.
Hearthstone's new reward system has left the playerbase up in arms, since gold and experience became harder to get and are rewarded in smaller quantities, and the Battle Pass is a scam. Forcing people to pay up only to get less rewards than they were promised. I've seen people against it, and some defending it. But as for me, the reward system has not hindered my enjoyment of the game, mainly because I don't play for the rewards anyway. I usually play Hearthstone to try out cards and witness all sorts of crazy RNG. But even with the new system ruining things, there are enough alternatives to keep Hearthstone enjoyable. Card packs are more expensive? No problem, I've got enough cards in my collection and even have plenty of legendaries. Singleplayer isn't appealing anymore? No problem, there are lots of single-player adventures to keep me occupied. Dalaran Heist and Tombs of Terror in particular, since the RNG starting decks mean you can try out any card in the game, even for a moment, without having to spend currency on packs. And besides, even Hearthstone's current gameplay is disappointing there's always custom cards in Hearthcards and the Out of Cards fanmade content, so one can still dream.
Ever since the system was implemented, I've seen AFK farmers in Battlegrounds. They boot up Battlegrounds and do nothing all game because they'll just gain rewards anyway. One time I was in a Battlegrounds match (playing as Jaraxxus) in which EVERYONE ELSE was AFK. I just played the match normally and had fun building my warband and defeating my opponents one hit at a time. And upon winning that match, I had just learned an important life lesson. I started seeing this situation in a whole new perspective.
I realized that generosity was enough to keep Hearthstone satisfying for me. Playing for fun rather than rewards made me feel genuine satisfaction, because for me winning or at least having a worthwhile match was the reward I needed. Ask yourself this: Were you truly satisfied by Hearthstone's rewards before the new system? Why do you want rewards in Hearthstone anyway? And finally the biggest question: It's only a game, why you heff to be mad? Okay, just kidding. The main point is: greed begets greed. The temporary elatement from a materialistic desire to get rewards in a game, this is what many monetized games exploit in their consumers. (EA is a notable offender.) They know that players will pay them to get more cool content, and they will make more profit. Even if you complain about rewards being harder to work for, you're probably just playing Hearthstone only for the rewards anyway. I'm not trying to riff on the people whose hate towards the system is understandable, nor force my opinions on everyone. I'm just talking about my own experience with finding satisfaction with the game anyway without paying a dollar.
Besides, blaming "Blizzard" and having them not respond is kinda... yeah. The players' rage is directed at this hivemind of an evil corporate game development company who swindles them out of their money. (Just don't pay them...) But like all companies, Blizzard is composed of employees who make bad decisions, but are still human. Are we going to forget about the developers who have made Hearthstone a better place for everyone? Ben Brode, Hadidjah Chamberlin, Dave Kosak, John McIntyre, etc. Don't put them under the blanket blame since they've only made the game more entertaining. Look at all the stories that they've come up with: the League of Explorers, Rafaam and the League of EVIL, the Book of Heroes... do the rewards undermine all of the adventures and events that have turned Hearthstone into a world of its own?
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