That's fair. What I meant to imply was that your external rating does not accurately reflect your skill in the mode. Like Battlegrounds, and like Standard, they're planning to reset your external rating. I hate that 'get back to where you were' grind, because they make it very easy, almost guaranteed. It's boring, tedious busywork designed to keep you coming back to the game. It's not 'meaningful'.
I also wish they'd stick to a ranked system and ignore MMR altogether, but that's another kettle of bridges.
"The external rating is the number you see, which is reset at the start of each season to add meaningful stakes and progression each season."
Well, no, you just told me that the reset has no actual meaning. I really dislike their persistence on this type of system.
Otherwise, though, very neat to get some insight on how matchmaking works! It's intriguing that they added some level of 'anti-rage support' - that they didn't want a bunch of Casters to get matched with a bunch of Fighters. At first I disliked the artificiality, but after some thinking I think I like this. . . but I'm also interested to see if I can game that system by intentionally forming teams with just 1 style, heheeee.
I wish that I could simply say they need to hire more folks. It's obvious that they need to produce more content - Wild needs balance/philosophy updates, Standard needs balance updates, Duels needs a reskin and new treasures, Tavern Brawl is stagnant, Arena hasn't been updated in years, the main menu and UI needs an overhaul - but I also know that hiring more people onto a team makes that team less cohesive. Hiring more folks isn't necessarily the right solution - with no experience, I don't know what is, re: hiring.
What I do know is that biting off a whole new game under these stressors was a bad idea. But that wasn't intentional! I haven't seen anyone mention this - because of COVID, their plans were moved back months. It's absolutely no wonder that the entire game feels unstable at the moment; they committed themselves to a promise at the absolute worst time, and they've suffered for it.
Because of Dean's words (no new modes for at least two years) and how frustrated they must be working internally on Mercenaries (if the announcement is anything to go by), there is hope. They've mentioned UI changes, Arena changes, a Duels overhaul - these two years will be when that all finally happens! Maybe a year from now we can look back and say, "Eh, it sucked for a bit, but we got a new mode and everything's fine now, so win-win?" Devs and teams are people too, and I imagine that they've learned their lesson when it comes to biting off large projects.
And re: players -- words are better listened to when the speaker is respected. There are plenty of ways to get your voice heard without being an ass.
That is a good point, actually. We've all faced the inexplicable challenge of figuring out new water fixture controls in hotels or friends' houses - does it bend out? up? down? do I push it in? which way is hot? It's amazing that something so simple can be made so complicated without words.
The same is true for the internet - as I learned while teaching my parents how to navigate the web, what constitutes a link or button - 'something you can click on' - is really inconsistent. Blue text? an image? underlined text? specific symbols? outlined buttons?
All that said, I think they could implement something more interesting and still give it text and a uniform button UI. Hopefully Flux is right, re: this being a stopgap before a bigger release.
I'm really hoping that they don't add MMR to Arena. It'll introduce the same problem that currently exists in Duels: a mode which you play to gain return on your investment, which requires more than a 50% winrate, is designed so that you are more likely to have a 50% winrate. I want to be rewarded for my skill, not punished for it.
That said, it's exciting to imagine what sort of changes they'll implement! Maybe some sort of card drafting will finally arrive. Mutators that you encounter while picking cards, as discussed in a previous AMA. Rewards or changes to your deck after a few wins, as in Duels. Lots of interesting ideas.
To me, Arena is about facing progressive challenges and gaining gold as you go. I hope the rewards they implement will follow that line - win x games, put two epics in your deck that you keep after the run, win x more, do the same with a legendary, et cetera. For instance. Something like the Hunter class flavor.
Ah, I hadn't thought that this might not be the major overhaul they've teased. In that case, it makes some sense to have a stopgap measure in the meantime. I hope that you're right! I would, honestly, be surprised if this was their main effort.
I can't be bothered to read this instruction manual for a mode that won't come out 'til mid October, but wow, the art is gorgeous! Why can't regular Hearthstone cards have this much character? I love it.
I definitely can't see myself paying more than a few bucks for a PvE mode, though. Usually I have to hold myself back from pre-purchasing. Not this time. Pay how many dollars to play on my own? Nope!
It's also worrisome that they said so little about the enemies you'll be facing. Surely the challenges faced are just as important as the heroes used - but we only see bounty contracts, the fighting pit, and a few bosses? Hrm.
They had a whole imaginary table of space to use - why not use it? Put an dagger beside the book and have players unwrap something on the hilt to start Mercenaries. Crack open a compass to start Adventures. Click on an event flyer to open Battlegrounds.
Anyway, my point is that Hearthstone is a game about whimsy. In terms of graphic design, it says a lot with little words. This overhaul, though, displays of that magic. It feels like they did the bare minimum. This is the face of your game - why'd you settle for the lowest common denominator?
I agree. It's a bit like the Battlegrounds and Duels rating resets - you're already weighted to get back to your previous rank. There's no competition to it so long as you keep playing. It's a system devised to give you things to do that feel meaningful, to keep you coming back. Frankly, it's drudgery.
As for what I'd like to see, though, I really miss non-MMR, rank-based matchmaking. I've said it before; if you're matched with someone better than you, you're given ideas and goals. If you match with someone worse than you, you can enjoy a quick power fantasy. But if you're matched with someone the same as you, every time... no matter how you improve, it will always feel the same. I wouldn't mind the climb back up the ladder if you were matched against opponents by rank - the variety would be fun. I'd like the whole ladder to be rank-based and Legend to be MMR-based, like it was before.
That said, I love the rank floors they've implemented. I love sitting at Diamond 5 and testing my janky decks against competitive decks. Sometimes others do the same against me, too, and that's a fun change of pace.
The worst part about Dean's comments on dust efficiency, seasonal events, in-game deck trackers, Wild balancing, Standard balancing, et cetera is that he seems to believe all these reasons he's created not to do things - not wanting players to shred their cards, keeping it on the rewards track instead, those apps exist for those that want them, et cetera.
Yes, those reasons are valid, but if you looked past them and accepted the problems, you could create a solution that satisfies both sides. Don't just sit back and accept that it's okay, make it great! The dusting system feels terrible; not having seasonal events is bland; an in-game deck tracker would be insanely convenient - all of those statements are true too, but Dean rationalizes them away. He seems to, at least. It's frustrating.
I don't like it. It sounds like achievements, the single-player content, and the rewards track - yet another little thing which makes me feel like I'm not playing properly. Another l'il notification trying to push me into playing a certain way, giving me completionist anxiety.
I come to Hearthstone to relax, not to finish everything or be the best. If they're going to implement small events, I'd rather they be silly than competitive. Nozdormu Day, for instance - just a dumb thing that you can do if you want to.
Sergeant Sally is surprisingly alright, actually. She was used in several competitive handbuff decks, back in the day. Seeing as Handbuff Paladin is tops in Wild, maybe you could try slotting her in?
Power Overwhelming, Inner Rage, a buff and Provoke or Hysteria, giving her Lifesteal, the resummon Paladin HP in Duels, Shaman's resurrect cards - there are plenty of other fun synergies! But maybe I have a soft spot for a weird old card, heh.
Beyond how this will affect which deck is most popular, I wonder how this will be implemented for more casual folks. While Team 5 is always talking about reducing complexity, this change might would make the Standard ladder feel too 'serious' for some folks.
Perhaps it would only be available after Diamond 10 or Legend? Perhaps it would be opt-in?
Shadowverse has a pane of stats and other such things that only appears once one has reached Grandmaster (Legend, basically). Perhaps something similar - reaching Legend unlocks a new pane that can be opened from the matchmaking screen, with additional options and beta features.
I'm curious whether this will happen, and how it will if it does.
It's much easier to gather coins for a merc once you have them, though, so... Go for it. Embrace your vices. Give in. DO IT.
That's fair. What I meant to imply was that your external rating does not accurately reflect your skill in the mode. Like Battlegrounds, and like Standard, they're planning to reset your external rating. I hate that 'get back to where you were' grind, because they make it very easy, almost guaranteed. It's boring, tedious busywork designed to keep you coming back to the game. It's not 'meaningful'.
I also wish they'd stick to a ranked system and ignore MMR altogether, but that's another kettle of bridges.
"The external rating is the number you see, which is reset at the start of each season to add meaningful stakes and progression each season."
Well, no, you just told me that the reset has no actual meaning. I really dislike their persistence on this type of system.
Otherwise, though, very neat to get some insight on how matchmaking works! It's intriguing that they added some level of 'anti-rage support' - that they didn't want a bunch of Casters to get matched with a bunch of Fighters. At first I disliked the artificiality, but after some thinking I think I like this. . . but I'm also interested to see if I can game that system by intentionally forming teams with just 1 style, heheeee.
By my froggy crown!
The more I listen to his voicelines, the more I hear Austin Powers. I can't help it, and I need to pass on my disease.
I wish that I could simply say they need to hire more folks. It's obvious that they need to produce more content - Wild needs balance/philosophy updates, Standard needs balance updates, Duels needs a reskin and new treasures, Tavern Brawl is stagnant, Arena hasn't been updated in years, the main menu and UI needs an overhaul - but I also know that hiring more people onto a team makes that team less cohesive. Hiring more folks isn't necessarily the right solution - with no experience, I don't know what is, re: hiring.
What I do know is that biting off a whole new game under these stressors was a bad idea. But that wasn't intentional! I haven't seen anyone mention this - because of COVID, their plans were moved back months. It's absolutely no wonder that the entire game feels unstable at the moment; they committed themselves to a promise at the absolute worst time, and they've suffered for it.
Because of Dean's words (no new modes for at least two years) and how frustrated they must be working internally on Mercenaries (if the announcement is anything to go by), there is hope. They've mentioned UI changes, Arena changes, a Duels overhaul - these two years will be when that all finally happens! Maybe a year from now we can look back and say, "Eh, it sucked for a bit, but we got a new mode and everything's fine now, so win-win?" Devs and teams are people too, and I imagine that they've learned their lesson when it comes to biting off large projects.
And re: players -- words are better listened to when the speaker is respected. There are plenty of ways to get your voice heard without being an ass.
As they say, if the situation around you always smells like crap... maybe check your own shoes first.
That is a good point, actually. We've all faced the inexplicable challenge of figuring out new water fixture controls in hotels or friends' houses - does it bend out? up? down? do I push it in? which way is hot? It's amazing that something so simple can be made so complicated without words.
The same is true for the internet - as I learned while teaching my parents how to navigate the web, what constitutes a link or button - 'something you can click on' - is really inconsistent. Blue text? an image? underlined text? specific symbols? outlined buttons?
All that said, I think they could implement something more interesting and still give it text and a uniform button UI. Hopefully Flux is right, re: this being a stopgap before a bigger release.
I'm really hoping that they don't add MMR to Arena. It'll introduce the same problem that currently exists in Duels: a mode which you play to gain return on your investment, which requires more than a 50% winrate, is designed so that you are more likely to have a 50% winrate. I want to be rewarded for my skill, not punished for it.
That said, it's exciting to imagine what sort of changes they'll implement! Maybe some sort of card drafting will finally arrive. Mutators that you encounter while picking cards, as discussed in a previous AMA. Rewards or changes to your deck after a few wins, as in Duels. Lots of interesting ideas.
To me, Arena is about facing progressive challenges and gaining gold as you go. I hope the rewards they implement will follow that line - win x games, put two epics in your deck that you keep after the run, win x more, do the same with a legendary, et cetera. For instance. Something like the Hunter class flavor.
Ah, I hadn't thought that this might not be the major overhaul they've teased. In that case, it makes some sense to have a stopgap measure in the meantime. I hope that you're right! I would, honestly, be surprised if this was their main effort.
I can't be bothered to read this instruction manual for a mode that won't come out 'til mid October, but wow, the art is gorgeous! Why can't regular Hearthstone cards have this much character? I love it.
I definitely can't see myself paying more than a few bucks for a PvE mode, though. Usually I have to hold myself back from pre-purchasing. Not this time. Pay how many dollars to play on my own? Nope!
It's also worrisome that they said so little about the enemies you'll be facing. Surely the challenges faced are just as important as the heroes used - but we only see bounty contracts, the fighting pit, and a few bosses? Hrm.
They had a whole imaginary table of space to use - why not use it? Put an dagger beside the book and have players unwrap something on the hilt to start Mercenaries. Crack open a compass to start Adventures. Click on an event flyer to open Battlegrounds.
Anyway, my point is that Hearthstone is a game about whimsy. In terms of graphic design, it says a lot with little words. This overhaul, though, displays of that magic. It feels like they did the bare minimum. This is the face of your game - why'd you settle for the lowest common denominator?
I agree. It's a bit like the Battlegrounds and Duels rating resets - you're already weighted to get back to your previous rank. There's no competition to it so long as you keep playing. It's a system devised to give you things to do that feel meaningful, to keep you coming back. Frankly, it's drudgery.
As for what I'd like to see, though, I really miss non-MMR, rank-based matchmaking. I've said it before; if you're matched with someone better than you, you're given ideas and goals. If you match with someone worse than you, you can enjoy a quick power fantasy. But if you're matched with someone the same as you, every time... no matter how you improve, it will always feel the same. I wouldn't mind the climb back up the ladder if you were matched against opponents by rank - the variety would be fun. I'd like the whole ladder to be rank-based and Legend to be MMR-based, like it was before.
That said, I love the rank floors they've implemented. I love sitting at Diamond 5 and testing my janky decks against competitive decks. Sometimes others do the same against me, too, and that's a fun change of pace.
Haha, agreed. She looks like Draco Malfoy. "Huh, I didn't know you could read."
The worst part about Dean's comments on dust efficiency, seasonal events, in-game deck trackers, Wild balancing, Standard balancing, et cetera is that he seems to believe all these reasons he's created not to do things - not wanting players to shred their cards, keeping it on the rewards track instead, those apps exist for those that want them, et cetera.
Yes, those reasons are valid, but if you looked past them and accepted the problems, you could create a solution that satisfies both sides. Don't just sit back and accept that it's okay, make it great! The dusting system feels terrible; not having seasonal events is bland; an in-game deck tracker would be insanely convenient - all of those statements are true too, but Dean rationalizes them away. He seems to, at least. It's frustrating.
I don't like it. It sounds like achievements, the single-player content, and the rewards track - yet another little thing which makes me feel like I'm not playing properly. Another l'il notification trying to push me into playing a certain way, giving me completionist anxiety.
I come to Hearthstone to relax, not to finish everything or be the best. If they're going to implement small events, I'd rather they be silly than competitive. Nozdormu Day, for instance - just a dumb thing that you can do if you want to.
Sergeant Sally is surprisingly alright, actually. She was used in several competitive handbuff decks, back in the day. Seeing as Handbuff Paladin is tops in Wild, maybe you could try slotting her in?
Power Overwhelming, Inner Rage, a buff and Provoke or Hysteria, giving her Lifesteal, the resummon Paladin HP in Duels, Shaman's resurrect cards - there are plenty of other fun synergies! But maybe I have a soft spot for a weird old card, heh.
Beyond how this will affect which deck is most popular, I wonder how this will be implemented for more casual folks. While Team 5 is always talking about reducing complexity, this change might would make the Standard ladder feel too 'serious' for some folks.
Perhaps it would only be available after Diamond 10 or Legend? Perhaps it would be opt-in?
Shadowverse has a pane of stats and other such things that only appears once one has reached Grandmaster (Legend, basically). Perhaps something similar - reaching Legend unlocks a new pane that can be opened from the matchmaking screen, with additional options and beta features.
I'm curious whether this will happen, and how it will if it does.
I do agree with that. They go for a different flavor with every expansion, and they have so many artists that work on the game.
But then, I've never been much a fan of the Warcraft flavor anyhow. It's very manly, very 'gritty'. I prefer cuter fare.
I'm in love. Thank you.
These cards have me desperately wishing I enjoyed Runeterra's mechanics.