You and I are actually pretty similar here. I've been playing since GvG, never bothered to grind long and hard enough to get anywhere near Legend, and I'm 34, which isn't very old at all in the grand scheme, but, as far as gaming these days goes (and especially in the case of Hearthstone) I'm one of those grandpas who stopped being cool roughly two decades ago but still hasn't figured it out yet. I'd love to do some sparring and have some deck discussions. Maybe I can finally hit the big "L" myself and avoid dying a broken, failed man.
Arena isn't fair, and in my opinion, it shouldn't be. Arena, like life, is about taking what you've got and what you're lucky (or unlucky) enough to be given, and then making the most of things. The only thing I wish is that *streaks* of misfortune (like me being offered only Warrior, Druid, and Hunter for three or four runs in a row, or being given no weapons as a Warrior or Paladin AGAIN) would somehow be toned down. I GET SO DAMN UNLUCKY ALL THE TIME and it makes me crazy when everyone else clearly gets much more balanced results.
tldr: I'm fine getting unlucky. It happens. I'm simply tired of *regularly* getting unlucky. My "lucky" runs are when my deck doesn't completely suck balls. My draft options are rarely ever "good."
45 packs, three different legends, lots of random, non-duplicate golden cards spread across commons, rares, and epics. Not bragging (not that there's THAT much to brag about); simply stating that at least one person on the NA servers opened a decent variety of cards without any seemingly apparent RNG fuckery.
God, some of you people sicken me. This card is decent--as are 50% of the other cards immediately deemed "unplayable" weeks before they're available for use AND BEFORE THE FULL SET HAS EVEN BEEN REVEALED. Geez...
I mostly stick to casual if I'm drinking. Weirdly enough, though, my overall win rate while sauced is fairly high. I think it's because, at the end of the day, I'm an above average player, but when I'm sober, I tend to overthink things and second guess myself. Drinking gives me the boost to believe in my booze-filled (but apparently very competitively viable) dreams.
For the most part, I agree with you. Blizzard has made it fairly clear that for every "fix" they're determined to bring another six issues to the table within a few more weeks or months.
The only thing I'd add is this: The fundamental problem at hand is actually not Blizzard's poor design choices. Those poor design choices simply make it easier for people to do what they apparently can't resist: Find the simplest, most efficient way to secure the endorphin rush they receive from locking down a win. And this is coming from a 10+ year PvP gamer. I've seen it in strategy games, CCGs, first-person shooters, fighting games--everything. HUMANS ARE ADDICTED TO WINNING. And while that may seem like a ridiculously obvious statement, the fact that humans will do ANYTHING to win is the real issue at hand. Playing broken combos, using brain-dead/surefire strategies, straight up blatant cheating--for way too many gamers, the feel of vanquishing an opponent trumps fair play or putting in a little effort or using any imagination. And that's why even if Blizzard had designed the most balanced and fair game to ever hit the market, gamers would rabidly seek out the most broken and unfair setup in that balanced and fair game and they'd spam the living shit out of it. Whether it's simply cultural or some instinctual drive of humans to see themselves one-up all competition in the most disgusting way possible, until that changes, there will ALWAYS be one or two broken decks in the meta. The *degree* of brokenness might be better or worse than now, but humans WILL ALWAYS find a way to better secure their precious rush of win-endorphins.
I don't agree overall, but Kripp does have a (hilarious) BM addiction and Trump is a great educational streamer. When I first started Hearthstone, Trump filled me in on the basics.
Definitely been there before. Happens to me about every four or five days when I play really late at night or super early in the morning, especially on Sundays for whatever reason. My theory? The average (read: casual) Hearthstone player isn't online during those times, instead sleeping or hanging out with friends/family. The hardcore players, however, are always on, and those are some of the only people left to be matched with at, like, 3:15 a.m. on a Sunday. I also notice a ton more golden portraits/fully golden decks during those weird windows of time, and that seems to fit my argument, but that certainly isn't hard evidence.
Oh, yeah, definitely. Too true. I mean, except for all the Hexes I've been chewing up and spitting out during all the EPIC games I've been easily winning against shamans. 'Cept for all that.
0
weggman#1133
You and I are actually pretty similar here. I've been playing since GvG, never bothered to grind long and hard enough to get anywhere near Legend, and I'm 34, which isn't very old at all in the grand scheme, but, as far as gaming these days goes (and especially in the case of Hearthstone) I'm one of those grandpas who stopped being cool roughly two decades ago but still hasn't figured it out yet. I'd love to do some sparring and have some deck discussions. Maybe I can finally hit the big "L" myself and avoid dying a broken, failed man.
1
Arena isn't fair, and in my opinion, it shouldn't be. Arena, like life, is about taking what you've got and what you're lucky (or unlucky) enough to be given, and then making the most of things. The only thing I wish is that *streaks* of misfortune (like me being offered only Warrior, Druid, and Hunter for three or four runs in a row, or being given no weapons as a Warrior or Paladin AGAIN) would somehow be toned down. I GET SO DAMN UNLUCKY ALL THE TIME and it makes me crazy when everyone else clearly gets much more balanced results.
tldr: I'm fine getting unlucky. It happens. I'm simply tired of *regularly* getting unlucky. My "lucky" runs are when my deck doesn't completely suck balls. My draft options are rarely ever "good."
2
Yeah, arena sucks sometimes. Your opponents draft GodDecks, you draft garbage water. Happens to me all the time. Sorry, bro.
0
45 packs, three different legends, lots of random, non-duplicate golden cards spread across commons, rares, and epics. Not bragging (not that there's THAT much to brag about); simply stating that at least one person on the NA servers opened a decent variety of cards without any seemingly apparent RNG fuckery.
0
With topics like this, I never know whether to laugh or savagely berate the OP and then laugh.
3
God, some of you people sicken me. This card is decent--as are 50% of the other cards immediately deemed "unplayable" weeks before they're available for use AND BEFORE THE FULL SET HAS EVEN BEEN REVEALED. Geez...
0
I mostly stick to casual if I'm drinking. Weirdly enough, though, my overall win rate while sauced is fairly high. I think it's because, at the end of the day, I'm an above average player, but when I'm sober, I tend to overthink things and second guess myself. Drinking gives me the boost to believe in my booze-filled (but apparently very competitively viable) dreams.
9
For the most part, I agree with you. Blizzard has made it fairly clear that for every "fix" they're determined to bring another six issues to the table within a few more weeks or months.
The only thing I'd add is this: The fundamental problem at hand is actually not Blizzard's poor design choices. Those poor design choices simply make it easier for people to do what they apparently can't resist: Find the simplest, most efficient way to secure the endorphin rush they receive from locking down a win. And this is coming from a 10+ year PvP gamer. I've seen it in strategy games, CCGs, first-person shooters, fighting games--everything. HUMANS ARE ADDICTED TO WINNING. And while that may seem like a ridiculously obvious statement, the fact that humans will do ANYTHING to win is the real issue at hand. Playing broken combos, using brain-dead/surefire strategies, straight up blatant cheating--for way too many gamers, the feel of vanquishing an opponent trumps fair play or putting in a little effort or using any imagination. And that's why even if Blizzard had designed the most balanced and fair game to ever hit the market, gamers would rabidly seek out the most broken and unfair setup in that balanced and fair game and they'd spam the living shit out of it. Whether it's simply cultural or some instinctual drive of humans to see themselves one-up all competition in the most disgusting way possible, until that changes, there will ALWAYS be one or two broken decks in the meta. The *degree* of brokenness might be better or worse than now, but humans WILL ALWAYS find a way to better secure their precious rush of win-endorphins.
6
Merry Christmas from Texas (which is basically its own country)!
1
I don't agree overall, but Kripp does have a (hilarious) BM addiction and Trump is a great educational streamer. When I first started Hearthstone, Trump filled me in on the basics.
9
Favorite streamer, hands down. Critics be damned, I'd like to buy the guy a beer one day.
...Is beer vegan?
1
Definitely been there before. Happens to me about every four or five days when I play really late at night or super early in the morning, especially on Sundays for whatever reason. My theory? The average (read: casual) Hearthstone player isn't online during those times, instead sleeping or hanging out with friends/family. The hardcore players, however, are always on, and those are some of the only people left to be matched with at, like, 3:15 a.m. on a Sunday. I also notice a ton more golden portraits/fully golden decks during those weird windows of time, and that seems to fit my argument, but that certainly isn't hard evidence.
0
Inkmaster Solia!
0
Oh, yeah, definitely. Too true. I mean, except for all the Hexes I've been chewing up and spitting out during all the EPIC games I've been easily winning against shamans. 'Cept for all that.
0
Actually pretty cool, bro.