Who’s enjoyment, exactly?
Dew Process isn’t the problem, it’s annoying AF but it’s Shattered Reflections that is causing the issue. Getting milled is never fun but it’s part of the game so whatever. Getting milled by someone with infinite titans that heal for 100% is just fundamentally broken.
It’s just fine as a Priest-only card. Why they gave it to Druid is beyond me.
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Yup. I am not calling for nerf or anything cos it’s just a game and I don’t really care, but I’ve met lots of Druid recently going from nothing to full board and armor in a turn thanks to their titan or some ability to cast minions using armor, and then refresh their mana, and then that titan also summoned more minions while doing the casting.
I’m tempted to try that deck, but need some dust to craft it. Will see.
Okay, so for the devs it’s fun first, design space second, balance third - does that seem like its a priority for them?
It’s a priority for balance patches. Darn near the sole priority for balance patches.
The core issue here is that you’re conflating two separate processes. Balance is the top priority for balance patches. Balance is not a top priority for initial design.
Who’s enjoyment, exactly?
I genuinely believe the devs only think about the person playing the cards and not their opponent. What I mean is that if you’re having fun playing a solitaire deck and your opponent is running a tempo deck, the devs only evaluate these things in the vacuum of “can each player do fun things” in the vacuum of perfect scenarios, not necessarily taking into account the interactions before releasing a set. It’s the same with things like discover, who cares that it warps games and adds RNG and toxicity, it’s “fun.” It’s also why we see “band aid” cards like Theotar, Steamcleaner, etc.
I don’t know if they actually do this, but if they do it’s is 100% correct. You will never enjoy what you’re losing against no matter what the devs do, so it’s wrong to care about what players feel about what they play against.
You get to choose what you play as and what matters is giving everyone something that they enjoy playing as.
The core issue here is that you’re conflating two separate processes. Balance is the top priority for balance patches. Balance is not a top priority for initial design.
So when does the “initial design” phase end? I ask because it seems like the weeks after a new set are beta testing in many cases.
Paid balance playtesting is not a thing that exists. I’m not just talking Hearthstone, I’m talking the entire games industry. Paid playtesting to remove bugs exists. Unpaid balance testing sometimes exists, with names like “early access” or “open beta.” But if you think that a small team of people working in confidentiality can, in three months, reliably solve a CCG meta to the point that they can predict not just what the netdecks will be, but what tiers they’ll be at and what the matchups will be like, then you’ve forgotten what it’s like to do things without the weaponized obsession of the collective internet. It’s an impossible task.
Yes, it feels like beta testing because it is and has to be from a business perspective. They make cards, they have only the vaguest idea what power level they’ll be at so they make them fun, after they come out they use player data to determine if the power level is off then they balance patch. If you’re expecting anything different then you aren’t going to get it.
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I think they let their own personal preferences dictate.
I’ll never understand the forums let alone the player base, Druid has always and will always have at least one deck that is broken per expansion/mini-set. It’s not new so I’m confused on why people are shocked when it happens time after time.
You can’t mix power creep with endless cards that allow mana cheat/growth with costs that once started at 6 mana and now is at 1 mana if you coin. Mix in cheap hand/board buffs and removal and even hardcore aggro decks can’t compete. The balance team consists of unpaid interns or mentally challenged zoo animals.
Didn’t you read what I wrote above? There isn’t a balance team and there shouldn’t be.
When balance teams do exist, they’re always unpaid. I don’t know if beta testers qualify as interns though.
LOL, the “small team.” Activision/Blizzard just doesn’t have the money, got it.
Look, no game developer regardless of size does this. Balance testing just isn’t an occupation.
If you want to prove me wrong, go find me a single job listing posted by any game developer seeking a balance tester. I’ll wait.
I do agree with what you said i could not help myself to take a looksie. And Ubi Soft does, i can not post link though. But i google searched “game testing hire” and they are among the first on my search.
Game testing absolutely exists. But they’ll want you to find bugs and if you try to talk about balance they’ll write you up.
armor ? treant druid doesnt run stack that much armor
i d be more worried about cultivation