I wrote so many warning threads during the first year of HS:
1). Tone down and slow down the powercreep of cards. You devs have started HS by placing too much power into cards for the very first Classic set, because you want “turns to feel powerful.” Such a design philosophy resulted in it feeling like Hearthstone’s very first set already included powercreep built into it. It also resulted in serious design constraints, since their original intent was for Classic to be an “evergreen” set.
All of this played into why they had to split constructed into the Wild and Standard formats so early in Hearthstone’s history. It’s also why they had to HoF some cards.
2). Don’t treat your game as temporary fad or gimmick that has to be quickly milked for all the money it can make in just a couple of years. HS has a good foundation that if developed and stewarded correctly, it will not need to be overhauled for about 20 years (in instead of 10, like it needs already). Don’t make bad decisions that create a “jump the shark” impact on Hearthstone’s future.
3). New players are the game’s future, so much is needed (and has been done) to improve the new player experience.
4). Balance cards early and often, because it can be easily done for a digital CCG. Man, it them forever to come around to this direction of thinking.
5). Cards and decks need to promote interactive gameplay. Why has it taken ten years for devs to begin to understand the fundamental importance of this?
HS has been grossly mismanaged since year one. Take all the profits that HS has made in the last tears, and that amount could have and should have equaled more than ten times that amount. if the devs had a better understanding and vision for what they created. Those hypothetical potential profits can never be realized or recovered. They will forever remain as opportunities lost.
When Wild was created, I warned the devs not to treat it as a dumpster-mode for cards that will hardly ever see balance changes. The devs clapped back by promising that they would constantly monitor and balance the Wild format. Yeah right!
When Wild was created I weighed in on this early on. I suggested that they should announce that other modes would exist in the near future which would utilize older cards in order to encourage players not to DE their cards as an easy way to keep up with Standard. They did not head my advice, so it’s just another money losing failure on their part, and eventually there will be an outcry from some players when they wish they still had access to their disenchanted cards.
I suggested the Twist format. I event used the word “twist” in my vision for the format, but the devs rushed into the concept in a very bungling and inept way while trying figure out how to grossly monetize the new format from its beginning. Finding a new way to market old cards was just not appealing enough to the devs, who may have killed the concept before it even really got underway.
Ya! Seriously, why risk missing out on full refunds for nerfed cards? HS is already showing big signs that it needs to be remodeled or revitalized, which will likely involve changing a lot of cards.
I thinks it’s mostly a time resource issue. I am sure that creating three expansions (with three mini-sets) require a lot of time and effort, especially with how large and overturned the new archetype packages tend be (which I think is a bad thing for HS). It would not be surprising if management or beancounters hamper the devs as well.
I know on the surface this ^ makes sense, since it’s old product and most of those old cards have little to offer, since many of them are no longer competitive. A small discount may be OK, but a big one will just create a cheaper way for players to acquire dust.