"They're veering wildly off of Warcraft's lore and established races," I thought. "They're making pig people, rabbit people, grasshopper people."
There's a world of difference between Tauren, proud Bull- and cow-folk, and anthropomorphizing whatever artists can see from the Hearthstone office windows.
Even with Kooky Chemist, while not as fanciful as unestablished races, they're clearly going for alliterative, silly names.
It feels like they're diluting any immersion in favor of releasing whatever whimsy they feel like, and frankly much of that feels like it's aimed at children. This is more recently relevant during a series of "Welcome to Un'Goro" videos that addresses the audience as a group of child Scouts, which Elise Starseeker also happens to lead in the unveiling video from last month.
Is this part of something larger? Perhaps why they've dumbed the game down and removed virtually all combo decks in favor of supporting agro and midrange? Is Hearthstone aiming at children who'll steal their parents' credit card for a wild night of pack opening? Is something sinister going on? Did you realize that "Un'Goro Crater" is an anagram of "Turn Core Agro?"
they are however capable of calculating lethal with midrange decks and determining when to go face in aggro mirrors, and how to use resources efficiently with a control deck.
the game should have elements of fun and being kind of wacky, but also competitive and strategic. I feel like they do a pretty decent job of that.
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Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.
It was always like this - it's a silly take on the warcraft lore which already had some pretty lighthearted stuff in it. Go rewatch the 2014 intro video showing cameos of jaina/grommash with an epic score playing, but then finishes with the innkeeper's cheesy voiceover "or you could forget all that and just have fun".
Tinfoil hats engage! I think I saw a post like this recently and it was pointed out that all those different animal races are in Warcraft lore already. The hogriders are Quilboar, the rabbits are Virmen and were introduced as citizens of Pandaria, and the grasshopper looking guys are Mantid which are, again, already a race in Warcraft lore.
As for card naming conventions what would you prefer? I personally enjoy that Hearthstone doesn't take itself too seriously.
I think the wackyness has always been there, see all card descriptions. 'You smell like a lepre gnome' I get the combo part, but the nerfs done have been quite fair to stop powerfull non-stopable combo's, except gadgetzan auctioneer.
It was Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, now it's just Hearthstone. Many characters don't exist in WoW (Kazakus, Arch-Thief Rafaam etc) They don't care about lore and it's sadly. I love lore and this is the 1st reason why I started play HS.
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One day this game will stop existing. I can't wait.
?? What combo exists that an 8 year old couldn't work out with a little practice?
it was /s
op claimed that the game was being targeted to a younger audience, since combo "doesnt exist" and is trending toward "aggro and midrange." my comment was meant to show how that's ridiculous.
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Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.
Hearthstone to me has always been a simplistic collectible card game compared to magic the gathering. You mainly have interactions only on your turn (aside from a secret- and that's still fairly hands off). It's no magic the gathering... heck even pokemon at times has more strategy.
HS and even WOW has always had cutesy stuff in it. That doesn't mean that's all it's about. Blizzard just tries to hit all the demographics. It obviously works for them, they made $400 million off HS alone last year.
?? What combo exists that an 8 year old couldn't work out with a little practice?
I know these don't exist anymore, but I'm pretty sure an 8 year old would have some difficulty calculating the old patron warrior combos.
There are plenty, Malygos deck is extremely hard to pilot correctly. But I think that a very smart 8 or 9 year old could figure it out with a lot of practice.
No, Hearthstone isn't being kiddified, or really even too close from that to be honest. Not every expansion has to be as dark and spooky as Whispers of the Old Gods. Hearthstone is, always has, and always will be based on WoW without its cards. True that they are straying away from that a little bit, but honestly, they're still keeping with WoW as we still get characters from WoW and our expansions are still based on WoW. If you ask me, I think adding more originality to Hearthstone is actually a good thing because it makes it more interesting.
If Hearthstone wants to do more lighthearded and wacky things, let them do that. Every other card game does that (especially Yu-Gi-Oh for example) and no one complains about it being too childish in that game. Besides, at some point, we probably will get another dark expansion like WoTOG. Just like Ryan_Sechrets said, lighthearted and childish are not the same thing.
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Click the image to go to my custom Time Traveler class.
I first remember thinking something was off with Tanaris Hogchopper, Spiked Hogrider, and Leatherclad Hogrider.
"They're veering wildly off of Warcraft's lore and established races," I thought. "They're making pig people, rabbit people, grasshopper people."
There's a world of difference between Tauren, proud Bull- and cow-folk, and anthropomorphizing whatever artists can see from the Hearthstone office windows.
Even with Kooky Chemist, while not as fanciful as unestablished races, they're clearly going for alliterative, silly names.
It feels like they're diluting any immersion in favor of releasing whatever whimsy they feel like, and frankly much of that feels like it's aimed at children. This is more recently relevant during a series of "Welcome to Un'Goro" videos that addresses the audience as a group of child Scouts, which Elise Starseeker also happens to lead in the unveiling video from last month.
Is this part of something larger? Perhaps why they've dumbed the game down and removed virtually all combo decks in favor of supporting agro and midrange? Is Hearthstone aiming at children who'll steal their parents' credit card for a wild night of pack opening? Is something sinister going on? Did you realize that "Un'Goro Crater" is an anagram of "Turn Core Agro?"
children are incapable of calculating combos
they are however capable of calculating lethal with midrange decks and determining when to go face in aggro mirrors, and how to use resources efficiently with a control deck.
the game should have elements of fun and being kind of wacky, but also competitive and strategic. I feel like they do a pretty decent job of that.
Kaladin's RoS Set Review
Join me at Out of Cards!
It was always like this - it's a silly take on the warcraft lore which already had some pretty lighthearted stuff in it. Go rewatch the 2014 intro video showing cameos of jaina/grommash with an epic score playing, but then finishes with the innkeeper's cheesy voiceover "or you could forget all that and just have fun".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o84Y_cSjVyE
Tinfoil hats engage! I think I saw a post like this recently and it was pointed out that all those different animal races are in Warcraft lore already. The hogriders are Quilboar, the rabbits are Virmen and were introduced as citizens of Pandaria, and the grasshopper looking guys are Mantid which are, again, already a race in Warcraft lore.
As for card naming conventions what would you prefer? I personally enjoy that Hearthstone doesn't take itself too seriously.
playing wild
~nomad
I think the wackyness has always been there, see all card descriptions. 'You smell like a lepre gnome' I get the combo part, but the nerfs done have been quite fair to stop powerfull non-stopable combo's, except gadgetzan auctioneer.
Hearthstone has always been lighthearted, and lighthearted and childlike are not the same thing. /thread
The "pig people," are the Quillboars. http://wow.gamepedia.com/Quilboar
The "rabbit people" are the Virmen. http://wow.gamepedia.com/Virmen
The "grasshopper people" are the Klaxxi. http://wow.gamepedia.com/Klaxxi
Guess what. They all exist in warcraft lore.
Ah damn looks like I only got 2/3 right up above haha
OP must be new to War Craft.
It was Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, now it's just Hearthstone. Many characters don't exist in WoW (Kazakus, Arch-Thief Rafaam etc) They don't care about lore and it's sadly. I love lore and this is the 1st reason why I started play HS.
One day this game will stop existing. I can't wait.
Kaladin's RoS Set Review
Join me at Out of Cards!
Hearthstone to me has always been a simplistic collectible card game compared to magic the gathering. You mainly have interactions only on your turn (aside from a secret- and that's still fairly hands off). It's no magic the gathering... heck even pokemon at times has more strategy.
HS and even WOW has always had cutesy stuff in it. That doesn't mean that's all it's about. Blizzard just tries to hit all the demographics. It obviously works for them, they made $400 million off HS alone last year.
playing wild
~nomad
No, Hearthstone isn't being kiddified, or really even too close from that to be honest. Not every expansion has to be as dark and spooky as Whispers of the Old Gods. Hearthstone is, always has, and always will be based on WoW without its cards. True that they are straying away from that a little bit, but honestly, they're still keeping with WoW as we still get characters from WoW and our expansions are still based on WoW. If you ask me, I think adding more originality to Hearthstone is actually a good thing because it makes it more interesting.
If Hearthstone wants to do more lighthearded and wacky things, let them do that. Every other card game does that (especially Yu-Gi-Oh for example) and no one complains about it being too childish in that game. Besides, at some point, we probably will get another dark expansion like WoTOG. Just like Ryan_Sechrets said, lighthearted and childish are not the same thing.
Click the image to go to my custom Time Traveler class.
I understand that Hearthstone is a lighthearted take on the Warcraft lore, and I didn't realize the Hogriders were Quillboar, but consider this.
Compare Warcraft 3 or the deaths that begin Legion, and consider the tonal dissonance between those and as marty_mcnoob pointed out, Hydrologist.