For me there are 2 games within Mercenaries with completely opposite 'economy', where one is quite expensive while the other can only exist as a f2p by default.
1) There is the PvP mode which is kind of like ranked ladder. You want as good of a comp as possible with the occasional tweaks to counter the meta. This mode is quite expensive if you want to be competitive as some of the best mercs are legendaries and you are at a disadvantage if yours are not fully maxed out. Spending money is the way to get to the state where you can properly play the PvP game
2) There is also the PvE part, or more specifically the grind. I've only spent 5 bucks on the welcome bundle and 500 gold on 5 more packs and, without spending any more money, I am trying via coin farming from full runs and task farming from partial runs to firstly acquire all the mercs, then get them all to level 30 and finally max them all out. I see this grind as a game on its own. In that sense, spending money on packs would be equivalent to paying money in order NOT to play the game and therefore makes no sense.
I mean the game definitely involves strategy. To say it doesn't is just blatantly incorrect. If you don't think it involves strategy you're either still doing normal barrens content, or you're just not really engaged with the game because you don't enjoy it.
Sure, there's some strategy there. Like I would put together a better comp than a 4 year old. But a 7 year old would probably figure out the same comp that everyone else did. So, like I said initially, there is some basic strategy that is immediately solvable.
I suppose whenever they nerf/buff/add mercs, it will take a day or two for people to figure out some new combos that they can grind with.
This isn't like a CCG. Numbers are just going to be fairly evenly balanced. The mercs that are bad are generally ones that are extremely synergy-reliant where that synergy just isn't that great or disallows you from running better things. (Jaraxxus is a perfect example)
You don't really "solve" this style of RPG, because metas are counterable. If red-heavy comps are on top, you make blue-heavy comps to start countering them, or run things that are attack-counters when attackers are popular. That sort of thing. Like if Xyrella + Samuro are popular, you just run a strong guardian like Malfurion in your opening or some speed control characters to shut down their speed advantage.
At higher level heroic content, just having a max level party doesn't cut it, you absolutely need to be mindful of what the encounter actually involves.
1) There is the PvP mode which is kind of like ranked ladder. You want as good of a comp as possible with the occasional tweaks to counter the meta. This mode is quite expensive if you want to be competitive as some of the best mercs are legendaries and you are at a disadvantage if yours are not fully maxed out. Spending money is the way to get to the state where you can properly play the PvP game
This would not be true if more people were willing to enter PvP before maxing out their mercs. Maybe low-level matchmaking is a little too strict, a little too willing to hand you off to a bot, but I suspect the larger problem is that too many people have bought into the "p2w" theory and don't trust the matchmaking.
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"Why, you never expected justice from a company, did you? They have neither a soul to lose nor a body to kick." -- Lady Saba Holland
I love the fact that most people here compair how much easier is to play ranked in heartstone than mercenaries complitely oblivious to the fact that their hs ladder is backed up by their entire collection (achieved often through years of griding). Make the comparison using fresh account, preferably just after new expansion hits and the meta is not yet stable.
For me there are 2 games within Mercenaries with completely opposite 'economy', where one is quite expensive while the other can only exist as a f2p by default.
1) There is the PvP mode which is kind of like ranked ladder. You want as good of a comp as possible with the occasional tweaks to counter the meta. This mode is quite expensive if you want to be competitive as some of the best mercs are legendaries and you are at a disadvantage if yours are not fully maxed out. Spending money is the way to get to the state where you can properly play the PvP game
2) There is also the PvE part, or more specifically the grind. I've only spent 5 bucks on the welcome bundle and 500 gold on 5 more packs and, without spending any more money, I am trying via coin farming from full runs and task farming from partial runs to firstly acquire all the mercs, then get them all to level 30 and finally max them all out. I see this grind as a game on its own. In that sense, spending money on packs would be equivalent to paying money in order NOT to play the game and therefore makes no sense.
This isn't like a CCG. Numbers are just going to be fairly evenly balanced. The mercs that are bad are generally ones that are extremely synergy-reliant where that synergy just isn't that great or disallows you from running better things. (Jaraxxus is a perfect example)
You don't really "solve" this style of RPG, because metas are counterable. If red-heavy comps are on top, you make blue-heavy comps to start countering them, or run things that are attack-counters when attackers are popular. That sort of thing. Like if Xyrella + Samuro are popular, you just run a strong guardian like Malfurion in your opening or some speed control characters to shut down their speed advantage.
At higher level heroic content, just having a max level party doesn't cut it, you absolutely need to be mindful of what the encounter actually involves.
This would not be true if more people were willing to enter PvP before maxing out their mercs. Maybe low-level matchmaking is a little too strict, a little too willing to hand you off to a bot, but I suspect the larger problem is that too many people have bought into the "p2w" theory and don't trust the matchmaking.
"Why, you never expected justice from a company, did you? They have neither a soul to lose nor a body to kick." -- Lady Saba Holland
I love the fact that most people here compair how much easier is to play ranked in heartstone than mercenaries complitely oblivious to the fact that their hs ladder is backed up by their entire collection (achieved often through years of griding). Make the comparison using fresh account, preferably just after new expansion hits and the meta is not yet stable.
you should probably specify pvp not pve, the entire pve player base doesnt have this problem. also time spent enjoying life is not time wasted imo.
MMMmmmmmm...Acceptable.