To get all that free stuff there will be some grind needed, so many people may not have all that time and will just pay to get cards. On top of that there will be poro and board skins, card backs and other cosmetics that can be acquired only by cash.
Adding more cash-only cosmetics and improving the economic system is something that HS should've done years ago.
Wow so much negativity on a fucking side mode, Jesus...
The resources and time spent to implement a side mode could have been probably used to make some more important and interesting change on Ladders (less grind) or to implement something like a soft tournament mode (like Brawliseum) or a whole new format (with mixed and changing sets). Those things, and many others, have been asked since forever by the community an instead of putting some effort into them they've just given us something that seems more of a permanent Brawl than a card game.
That's why many are pretty disappointed by this announcement: we want a better HS experience, not another game.
I hope that with all this dragons coming there could be a renewal of the Midrange archetype, that in more recent times has been outshadowed by powercreeps in favor of fast aggro or slow control/combo. Something more like the old Midrange Hunter or Dragon Priest, just to name a couple. I'm speaking about Wild there, I don't really know how Standard is going now days.
Well it's indeed a more modern launcher, easier to navigate and use instead of the outdated old one. Best thing is I can filter out those game I don't care for.
They're trying to jump on the auto-chess hype, but with minimum effort: over semplicistic, recycle of assets and just as a game mode for an already existing game (instead of a stand alone one). While it can be fun from time to time, auto-chess is something that if over semplified will become just pointless since strategy and complexity are key point of this genre gameplay.
I'm not too interested in this dumbed down version for HS, but I'll give it a try. I still hope that with LoR coming they'll rework how Ladders work and put some real effort in adding new things regarding the competitive aspect of HS, instead of just "side" modes.
Considering that the two previous expansions called back both old enemies and old allies, I suppose that by putting in Dragonblight (a region of Northrend, where the Lich King has his throne) mean that we're going to revist also KotFT.
I really hope that what you say comes true but, a 2.0 game is sort of admitting defeat HoTS did it and it's essentially a dead game right now I doubt they will go an overhaul the game (although it's much needed) after it didn't work with HoTS..
HotS issues aren't tied to the 2.0 version, but are linked to some terrible choice made by Activision Blizzard in the try to take over on DotA2 and LoL. But you're right saying that an official "2.0" will be like admitting they're in some hard times.
What I mean is that, if LoR will be a success, Team 5 should really push on many different innovations for HS to keep up the pace. And that could only be a good thing to HS itself.
LoR seems to have some of the core mechanics of HS (damage persist on creatures, mana that increase each turn) but also some of the best thing of MtG (chance to interact during your opponent's turn, no RNG effects). It's also pretty nice to watch and well polished. If it'll have a good economic system and many different modes (not at the beginning, but later at last) than it may actually be a real threat for HS. And LoR will also be on mobile, the platform on which HS is dominant and where it has the majority of its players.
HS' playerbase is shrinking little by little since a couple of years but Blizzard has taken very few step in the right direction to stop this loss or to bring more players. Some extra free packs is good, but the game is still untouched since forever and after 5 years of release it has introduced very few change and features. Even many of the top streamers have abandoned it for something else because bored by it.
Maybe LoR will not kill HS totally, but even if it'll fail I really hope that its threat may force Team 5 to release a sort of HS 2.0, with all those big changes the community is asking for a long time.
Thanks for the infos and for keeping us always updated on what you and the Staff are working on to improve OoC!
The idea of a costumizable home page is really nice and would indeed be appreciated, expecially becuase by covering multiple games each member probably wants to highlight only some of them. Looking onward to see it implemented!
It seems more similar to MTG than to HS, in terms of gameplay's complexity. Being on mobile would indeed be the main reason that will grant it the chance to eat on HS playerbase, expecially on oriental market since it's tied to LoL.
Let's see if LoR will be a good competitor that will force Blizzard to finally evolve HS, since Artifact was a complete fail and this has already so many things the community asked for ages that are implemented into it since the start (a better economic system, decktracker and personal stats, more interaction between players, no RNG everywhere and the like).
Maybe the animations are a bit too "loud" but seems good and entertaining.
I believe that consumers have a great deal of power over companies provided they vote with their wallet to punish bad corporate behaviour. If a company is behaving like shit, maybe stop supporting it.
I totally agree with this. Just logging into any of their games or watching them on Twitch is supporting them (with numbers), so all those that are going to join the protest are really ready to totally quit? How many will do such thing instead of just keep playing/watching and spam some "support HK" around the internet?
It's the difference between taking real action and just call out good words. Not that words aren't important, but they'll hardly change things if left alone (history has already proven that so many times).
At that point the rules just exist to deflect legal liability, they're not a reflection of any sort of values the company pretends to uphold.
Well, I though that this was clear to everyone since the beginning. Every company that is quoted on the stock exchange has only one goal: profit. Eveything else is there just for the sake of marketing. If anyone belived Blizzard would uphold their "values" after the original founders (Michael Morhaime and Chris Metzen, mainly) have all left and everything has passed into Activision's hand... than I envy you because you still belive at fairytales.
I think that anybody can easily agree with the Hong Kong situation and the need to set things right there. Those (like myself) that have a critical eye on this "boycott Blizzard" wave are just pointing out that what Blitzchung did was simply in the wrong contest and the actions taken on him and the casters, even if harsh, are something that should have been done to keep safe the neutrality of a gaming tournament.
If literally no actions were to be taken, anybody could decide to just use the visibility offered by such a massive event to make political proclamations. How messy could that become? How enjoyable would it be for a viewer to get flooded with such statements every time?
Of course China's money had an importance at how fast and how hard Activision Blizzard acted (it will be naive to think otherwise), but enforcing a punishment on those who broke such an important thing like the neutrality of an e-sport event was the right thing to do.
Rexxar seems terrible, absolutly the worst of all nine. Valeera as a pirate is pretty wtf (is it an Halloween costume?), Garrosh also looks not fitting in his corrupted version as a goal potrait instead of a more badass looking one.
All the others are fine, but those three... I just cannot like them at all.
Activision Blizzard doesn’t want to lose their licensing privileges in China, especially as they’re trying to expand their market into that country (remember Diablo Immortal?), so of course they’d try to cover China’s rear end. If they didn’t take action, China would have levied some punishments against Activision Blizzard themselves.
Does anyone seriously think a company would care more about morality and standing up to human rights abuses than their own money? Because that’s what this was all about. They threw Blitzchung under the bus to protect their profit margins.
Is it morally wrong? Absolutely.
If people want to send a message to Activision Blizzard then they've to make them loss even more money, forcing them to act again to procted their investments by doing what people actually want. For that purpose, words are just not enough and beliving otherwise is utopistic at best.
It's totally horrible but that's how things go nowdays.
If a soldier says "f*ck the President" under work hours, expecially if talking to a mic, he'll be punished heavily. During his shift the soldier is not talking as himself alone but he represents the Army as a whole. In that moment you shouldn't talking about politcs: it's a part of being a professional.
Blitzchung used the visibility given him by Blizzard to talk about politics during his work time and he recieved a sanction for that. Blitzchung was suspended for having an unprofessional behavior during an official event hosted by Blizzard, under the rules the company decided and that he agreed with by taking part in the Grandmaster Tournament.
Does Activision Blizzard bow down because of China's money? Yes, of course. Is it a shame? Yes, indeed. But Activision Blizzard just enforced the rules that have been established and agreed on since the start between Activision Blizzard itself and Blitzchung.
Blitzchung's message is 101% right, but he was aware of the consequences and he's to praise for his action anyway. Activision Blizzard is just a company (looking for profit) and Heartstone is just one of its products: the wave of indignation that is spreading against it seems a bit hypocrital, mostly because the majority of those supporting it will continue to play Activision Blizzard's games and pay for the entertainment provied by them.
Druid: Lunara
Hunter: Alleria
Mage: Kadghar
Paladin: Arthas
Priest: Tyrande (I sadly find the 1000 wins Anduin's potrait pretty terrible)
Rogue: Maiev
Shaman: Rasthakan
Warlock: Nemsy
Warrior: Deathwing
To get all that free stuff there will be some grind needed, so many people may not have all that time and will just pay to get cards. On top of that there will be poro and board skins, card backs and other cosmetics that can be acquired only by cash.
Adding more cash-only cosmetics and improving the economic system is something that HS should've done years ago.
The resources and time spent to implement a side mode could have been probably used to make some more important and interesting change on Ladders (less grind) or to implement something like a soft tournament mode (like Brawliseum) or a whole new format (with mixed and changing sets). Those things, and many others, have been asked since forever by the community an instead of putting some effort into them they've just given us something that seems more of a permanent Brawl than a card game.
That's why many are pretty disappointed by this announcement: we want a better HS experience, not another game.
I hope that with all this dragons coming there could be a renewal of the Midrange archetype, that in more recent times has been outshadowed by powercreeps in favor of fast aggro or slow control/combo. Something more like the old Midrange Hunter or Dragon Priest, just to name a couple. I'm speaking about Wild there, I don't really know how Standard is going now days.
Mecha'thun
Alternate winning condition.
Well it's indeed a more modern launcher, easier to navigate and use instead of the outdated old one. Best thing is I can filter out those game I don't care for.
They're trying to jump on the auto-chess hype, but with minimum effort: over semplicistic, recycle of assets and just as a game mode for an already existing game (instead of a stand alone one). While it can be fun from time to time, auto-chess is something that if over semplified will become just pointless since strategy and complexity are key point of this genre gameplay.
I'm not too interested in this dumbed down version for HS, but I'll give it a try. I still hope that with LoR coming they'll rework how Ladders work and put some real effort in adding new things regarding the competitive aspect of HS, instead of just "side" modes.
Considering that the two previous expansions called back both old enemies and old allies, I suppose that by putting in Dragonblight (a region of Northrend, where the Lich King has his throne) mean that we're going to revist also KotFT.
The situation, this "unplayability", is caused by poor design choices. On MtG even the more extended formats still have some balance (more or less).
HotS issues aren't tied to the 2.0 version, but are linked to some terrible choice made by Activision Blizzard in the try to take over on DotA2 and LoL. But you're right saying that an official "2.0" will be like admitting they're in some hard times.
What I mean is that, if LoR will be a success, Team 5 should really push on many different innovations for HS to keep up the pace. And that could only be a good thing to HS itself.
I've just recieved a closed beta invitation: starting from tomorrow I'll be happy to dive deep into it. I really need some fresh air this days.
LoR seems to have some of the core mechanics of HS (damage persist on creatures, mana that increase each turn) but also some of the best thing of MtG (chance to interact during your opponent's turn, no RNG effects). It's also pretty nice to watch and well polished. If it'll have a good economic system and many different modes (not at the beginning, but later at last) than it may actually be a real threat for HS. And LoR will also be on mobile, the platform on which HS is dominant and where it has the majority of its players.
HS' playerbase is shrinking little by little since a couple of years but Blizzard has taken very few step in the right direction to stop this loss or to bring more players. Some extra free packs is good, but the game is still untouched since forever and after 5 years of release it has introduced very few change and features. Even many of the top streamers have abandoned it for something else because bored by it.
Maybe LoR will not kill HS totally, but even if it'll fail I really hope that its threat may force Team 5 to release a sort of HS 2.0, with all those big changes the community is asking for a long time.
Thanks for the infos and for keeping us always updated on what you and the Staff are working on to improve OoC!
The idea of a costumizable home page is really nice and would indeed be appreciated, expecially becuase by covering multiple games each member probably wants to highlight only some of them. Looking onward to see it implemented!
It seems more similar to MTG than to HS, in terms of gameplay's complexity. Being on mobile would indeed be the main reason that will grant it the chance to eat on HS playerbase, expecially on oriental market since it's tied to LoL.
Let's see if LoR will be a good competitor that will force Blizzard to finally evolve HS, since Artifact was a complete fail and this has already so many things the community asked for ages that are implemented into it since the start (a better economic system, decktracker and personal stats, more interaction between players, no RNG everywhere and the like).
Maybe the animations are a bit too "loud" but seems good and entertaining.
I totally agree with this. Just logging into any of their games or watching them on Twitch is supporting them (with numbers), so all those that are going to join the protest are really ready to totally quit? How many will do such thing instead of just keep playing/watching and spam some "support HK" around the internet?
It's the difference between taking real action and just call out good words. Not that words aren't important, but they'll hardly change things if left alone (history has already proven that so many times).
Well, I though that this was clear to everyone since the beginning. Every company that is quoted on the stock exchange has only one goal: profit. Eveything else is there just for the sake of marketing. If anyone belived Blizzard would uphold their "values" after the original founders (Michael Morhaime and Chris Metzen, mainly) have all left and everything has passed into Activision's hand... than I envy you because you still belive at fairytales.
I think that anybody can easily agree with the Hong Kong situation and the need to set things right there. Those (like myself) that have a critical eye on this "boycott Blizzard" wave are just pointing out that what Blitzchung did was simply in the wrong contest and the actions taken on him and the casters, even if harsh, are something that should have been done to keep safe the neutrality of a gaming tournament.
If literally no actions were to be taken, anybody could decide to just use the visibility offered by such a massive event to make political proclamations. How messy could that become? How enjoyable would it be for a viewer to get flooded with such statements every time?
Of course China's money had an importance at how fast and how hard Activision Blizzard acted (it will be naive to think otherwise), but enforcing a punishment on those who broke such an important thing like the neutrality of an e-sport event was the right thing to do.
Rexxar seems terrible, absolutly the worst of all nine. Valeera as a pirate is pretty wtf (is it an Halloween costume?), Garrosh also looks not fitting in his corrupted version as a goal potrait instead of a more badass looking one.
All the others are fine, but those three... I just cannot like them at all.
Activision Blizzard doesn’t want to lose their licensing privileges in China, especially as they’re trying to expand their market into that country (remember Diablo Immortal?), so of course they’d try to cover China’s rear end. If they didn’t take action, China would have levied some punishments against Activision Blizzard themselves.
Does anyone seriously think a company would care more about morality and standing up to human rights abuses than their own money? Because that’s what this was all about. They threw Blitzchung under the bus to protect their profit margins.
Is it morally wrong? Absolutely.
If people want to send a message to Activision Blizzard then they've to make them loss even more money, forcing them to act again to procted their investments by doing what people actually want. For that purpose, words are just not enough and beliving otherwise is utopistic at best.
It's totally horrible but that's how things go nowdays.
If a soldier says "f*ck the President" under work hours, expecially if talking to a mic, he'll be punished heavily. During his shift the soldier is not talking as himself alone but he represents the Army as a whole. In that moment you shouldn't talking about politcs: it's a part of being a professional.
Blitzchung used the visibility given him by Blizzard to talk about politics during his work time and he recieved a sanction for that. Blitzchung was suspended for having an unprofessional behavior during an official event hosted by Blizzard, under the rules the company decided and that he agreed with by taking part in the Grandmaster Tournament.
Does Activision Blizzard bow down because of China's money? Yes, of course. Is it a shame? Yes, indeed. But Activision Blizzard just enforced the rules that have been established and agreed on since the start between Activision Blizzard itself and Blitzchung.
Blitzchung's message is 101% right, but he was aware of the consequences and he's to praise for his action anyway. Activision Blizzard is just a company (looking for profit) and Heartstone is just one of its products: the wave of indignation that is spreading against it seems a bit hypocrital, mostly because the majority of those supporting it will continue to play Activision Blizzard's games and pay for the entertainment provied by them.