that should tell you something about the state of the game... when they are giving away a ticket for a mode nobody wants to play anymore. just think about this for a minute. sure they made some server changes to effect arena balance or whatever, but they are having to give away free runs to entice you to play a mode which you probably won't like. that's like a free bottle of warm terrible beer, just sadness really.
I have to agree -- this was not a great time for Blizzard to try to attract people to Arena. My free run basically confirmed everything I've been hearing. If you aren't lucky enough to roll Paladin, you might as well pack it in. I was not offered Paladin.
As Rogue, I was against Paladin my first two games, and the power level was memeworthy. Then I beat a Hunter (also a laughable power gap), then I had a pretty even fight with a Mage, but his two powerful legendaries vs my zero legendaries kinda sealed the deal.
Sure, that last one was the luck of the draft, but everything that came before only served to make me happy I seldom waste my time or gold on this broken format.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"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
You only need to play 3 games for the pack, don't bother with what happens. I haven't played the games yet, only crafted the decks, but I long ago stopped caring for Arena. When you can't control what card go in your deck and you are unlucky with drafts, you can't really get past 10 wins...
oh wait... it's play 3 games only? easy... thought it needed us to start 3 arena runs... easier than i thought.
Win Averages are determined by skill, of course they are, but when you are not playing Arenas constantly, there is no Win Averate to track, it's simply about the one or two arenas you play, and how much the luck of the Draft influenced your arena.
As much as you may have that win rate, you can't possibly tell me you haven't been fucked out of an arena run by getting a poor deck and matched with much better decks that even played poorly, still destroyed you. Never happened to you?
Here is the thing you and some others are missing about Arena and the Skill it takes.
Yes, sometimes you go up against someone with a better deck, and despite your skill, in that game, you will lose. That is no different that queueing up against a bad match in standard on ladder, both good decks, but no matter your skill if it's a terrible match, you can get crushed despite the best plays. And it goes in reverse, sometimes you have the edge and there is not a lot your opponent can do.
But... Arena is about getting a good average of wins over multiple arena runs, not about winning big on every run, or winning every game. Good players make the most of good and bad decks and get the most out of every card choice they get while building and every card they draw while playing. There are many games in Arena that could go either way and come down to the last few cards in a deck far more often than you get in constructed.
Because of how Arena Pairings work, good decks will eventually find eachother as do bad decks, so the matches are far more even handed than you tend to get on ladder. This means your skill really comes forward as the deciding factor in games once you get paired down or are on a hot streak to 12 wins.
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Check out my gaming blog: Downy Owlbear Designs and download free P&P games. Or argue with me about games on Qallout, the video debate site.
The other way I know that Arena takes a lot of skill is how easy it is right now due to the influx of people who are clearly not especially skilled at it.
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Check out my gaming blog: Downy Owlbear Designs and download free P&P games. Or argue with me about games on Qallout, the video debate site.
"Very little skill in arena" - then how come the same pros top the charts every month? Arena takes a TON of skill - a lot more than netdecking the latest Pirate Warrior build and climbing ladder. You're just not even good enough to appreciate the skill required, which is impressively noob-ish. Get wrecked. ;)
This. Plus, if they bother getting at least decent (5-6 win average) in the long run they would see how much more packs they could afford. Last 2 months i played almost exclusively arena, i had enough of all the secret mage/burn mage/quest rogue/token druid/murloc paladin bullshit.Every game feels different, and skills in drafting and piloting a deck is usually well repaid. But i guess many just want to netdeck and need guides for "how to play pirate warrior"
Arena isn't easy... I love arena because there is a different skill element and a lot to learn, if you are willing to pay the fee to learn you can do amazing but for the unskilled tilted player it can feel like there is a lot of luck in there.
Drafting is very important and goes a long way past "pick the best rated card" if you want to be successful, if you study a bit of the great arena players you will see that they prefer different cards in the same escenario because it feets the way they play the game and both are successful at it.
Even those educated pure constructed players will tell you that arena isn't based on luck but that they find it boring and that's cool, you can dislike something as far as you are being honest why and not just rambling with an uninformed opinion about something to make you feel you aren't bad at it, being bad at arena isn't as bad, almost all of us are bad at arena and we don't want to pay to learn.
Maybe the rants come because it is way easier to netdeck something and play it with consistency instead of having to track several new things every game, and that gives the feeling of "goodness" and "skill" at the game in constructed while arena is a totally different animal.
I have to agree -- this was not a great time for Blizzard to try to attract people to Arena. My free run basically confirmed everything I've been hearing. If you aren't lucky enough to roll Paladin, you might as well pack it in. I was not offered Paladin.
As Rogue, I was against Paladin my first two games, and the power level was memeworthy. Then I beat a Hunter (also a laughable power gap), then I had a pretty even fight with a Mage, but his two powerful legendaries vs my zero legendaries kinda sealed the deal.
Sure, that last one was the luck of the draft, but everything that came before only served to make me happy I seldom waste my time or gold on this broken format.
Arena is a game of numbers. Luck, a lot of it, is involved in one or two games. However over time with good drafting and playing skill you can still end up coming out well on top. Going "infinite" in arena is a thing. But yeah, you play one game and you don't get a good class choice then things are going to seem pretty awful. Rogue I hear is actually pretty decent. Paladin and Mage though are easily the strongest.
All that being said, I personally don't like arena much. I am a filthy casual and I am not a big fan of the nerves I develop when I play arena. It's also why I have never really competed in anything but a few FNMs (friday night magic)
Now if you complain the class you play is "bad" at arena...have you tried playing "better" class? Do you went from 2 win to 11 win?
Your opponents also presented the same randomness as you do. They just try their best in picking good card for their decks and playing them out.
IE RNG Not picking "good" cards. Since you can only choose from 3 which all could be shit.
Like i said 90% rng 10% skill.
I honestly believe it's more a 60/40 (luck/skill) split at high levels of play. Fact is no matter how good you are, if you get a bad draft it's going to hurt. Class is a big part as well but a well drafted "bad" class can still often get into the higher win tiers and further with good play. It's like any draft set up in any card game ever. Block drafts can be even more brutal in MTG, and so it's not everyones bag, and that is cool. But I won't pretend that "luck" doesn't play a large role in it.
It's just so inferior compared to draft and sealed formats in other CCGs that it's difficult to enjoy. Having large rarity differences (anyone with a 3 legendary draft to most with none), no overdrafting and cutting, and the made-up expansion and now individual card rates versus drafts with fixed pack/starter deck allowances are just all shortcomings that make it less enjoyable to me.
It's just so inferior compared to draft and sealed formats in other CCGs that it's difficult to enjoy. Having large rarity differences (anyone with a 3 legendary draft to most with none), no overdrafting and cutting, and the made-up expansion and now individual card rates versus drafts with fixed pack/starter deck allowances are just all shortcomings that make it less enjoyable to me.
The lack of variety is my complaint too. I wish there was a sealed draft mode in this game. That would be fucking sweet :D
Now if you complain the class you play is "bad" at arena...have you tried playing "better" class? Do you went from 2 win to 11 win?
Your opponents also presented the same randomness as you do. They just try their best in picking good card for their decks and playing them out.
IE RNG Not picking "good" cards. Since you can only choose from 3 which all could be shit.
Like i said 90% rng 10% skill.
I honestly believe it's more a 60/40 (luck/skill) split at high levels of play. Fact is no matter how good you are, if you get a bad draft it's going to hurt. Class is a big part as well but a well drafted "bad" class can still often get into the higher win tiers and further with good play. It's like any draft set up in any card game ever. Block drafts can be even more brutal in MTG, and so it's not everyones bag, and that is cool. But I won't pretend that "luck" doesn't play a large role in it.
Ehh maybe. Things you can control are when to attack, what to attack (ie when to go face or trade), what cards you did pick from the 3 or what cards you put in your deck if you're playing constructed, where to place your minion, What cards to pick from a discover, what order you want to play cards, and when to play a spell or a minion.
Did I forget anything? Most of that requires "skill" the rest is just pure rng at best over 20% is skill I guess.
that should tell you something about the state of the game... when they are giving away a ticket for a mode nobody wants to play anymore. just think about this for a minute. sure they made some server changes to effect arena balance or whatever, but they are having to give away free runs to entice you to play a mode which you probably won't like. that's like a free bottle of warm terrible beer, just sadness really.
I have to agree -- this was not a great time for Blizzard to try to attract people to Arena. My free run basically confirmed everything I've been hearing. If you aren't lucky enough to roll Paladin, you might as well pack it in. I was not offered Paladin.
As Rogue, I was against Paladin my first two games, and the power level was memeworthy. Then I beat a Hunter (also a laughable power gap), then I had a pretty even fight with a Mage, but his two powerful legendaries vs my zero legendaries kinda sealed the deal.
Sure, that last one was the luck of the draft, but everything that came before only served to make me happy I seldom waste my time or gold on this broken format.
"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
Rogues and Mages are better than Paladin tho, but still the three are so much better than the other classes
Now if you complain the class you play is "bad" at arena...have you tried playing "better" class? Do you went from 2 win to 11 win?
Your opponents also presented the same randomness as you do. They just try their best in picking good card for their decks and playing them out.
G=Good B=Bad Do you see the pattern? Every second expansion is always trash.
G: Goblins V Gnomes , Old Gods, unguro
B: TGT, gadgetzan, Knights (Unreleased so MAYBE)
my decks (comments appreciated):
Lyra's Dragons (standard) | C'Thun Druid (standard) | Lyra's Prince (standard) | C'Thun Undead (wild)
Yes, sometimes you go up against someone with a better deck, and despite your skill, in that game, you will lose. That is no different that queueing up against a bad match in standard on ladder, both good decks, but no matter your skill if it's a terrible match, you can get crushed despite the best plays. And it goes in reverse, sometimes you have the edge and there is not a lot your opponent can do.
But...
Arena is about getting a good average of wins over multiple arena runs, not about winning big on every run, or winning every game. Good players make the most of good and bad decks and get the most out of every card choice they get while building and every card they draw while playing. There are many games in Arena that could go either way and come down to the last few cards in a deck far more often than you get in constructed.
Because of how Arena Pairings work, good decks will eventually find eachother as do bad decks, so the matches are far more even handed than you tend to get on ladder. This means your skill really comes forward as the deciding factor in games once you get paired down or are on a hot streak to 12 wins.
Check out my gaming blog: Downy Owlbear Designs and download free P&P games.
Or argue with me about games on Qallout, the video debate site.
The other way I know that Arena takes a lot of skill is how easy it is right now due to the influx of people who are clearly not especially skilled at it.
Check out my gaming blog: Downy Owlbear Designs and download free P&P games.
Or argue with me about games on Qallout, the video debate site.
I am grateful for the free packs, but if they think this marketing tactic will make me use my gold next time...
"That was a mistake".
Arena isn't easy... I love arena because there is a different skill element and a lot to learn, if you are willing to pay the fee to learn you can do amazing but for the unskilled tilted player it can feel like there is a lot of luck in there.
Drafting is very important and goes a long way past "pick the best rated card" if you want to be successful, if you study a bit of the great arena players you will see that they prefer different cards in the same escenario because it feets the way they play the game and both are successful at it.
Even those educated pure constructed players will tell you that arena isn't based on luck but that they find it boring and that's cool, you can dislike something as far as you are being honest why and not just rambling with an uninformed opinion about something to make you feel you aren't bad at it, being bad at arena isn't as bad, almost all of us are bad at arena and we don't want to pay to learn.
Maybe the rants come because it is way easier to netdeck something and play it with consistency instead of having to track several new things every game, and that gives the feeling of "goodness" and "skill" at the game in constructed while arena is a totally different animal.
It's just so inferior compared to draft and sealed formats in other CCGs that it's difficult to enjoy. Having large rarity differences (anyone with a 3 legendary draft to most with none), no overdrafting and cutting, and the made-up expansion and now individual card rates versus drafts with fixed pack/starter deck allowances are just all shortcomings that make it less enjoyable to me.
CCGing since '98.
G=Good B=Bad Do you see the pattern? Every second expansion is always trash.
G: Goblins V Gnomes , Old Gods, unguro
B: TGT, gadgetzan, Knights (Unreleased so MAYBE)