Your Questions for Hearthstone Game Designer Dean Ayala!
Blizzard has generously invited Hearthpwn to fly to the Bahamas this weekend for the upcoming Hearthstone Winter Championship! While at the event, we'll have a chance to sit down with Hearthstone Game Designer Dean "Iksar" Ayala to ask him some questions about Hearthstone's upcoming expansion, Journey to Un'Goro!
Do you have a great question on your mind? Write it down in the comments below and we might include it when we compile the best ones later this week!
Dean is a Game Designer on the final design team, focusing on testing and balancing new cards, making sure they're fun, trying to predict what decks they will go in and what the meta will look like. He also plays a lot of Arena! He's also very active on Twitter and Reddit, often responding to questions from the community.
Ok so I'm going to start by assuming team 5 isn't crazy, Seeing how you are currently at the winter championship can we please discuss why in the world there is no Tournament mode in Hearthstone. Heroic Tavern Brawl proves people want a competitive level. It would be no problem at all to copy a tournament client from either a poker system or a game like Magic the gathering. We just want to be able to jump into an 8 man tourney sit and go or be able to register for the big event through our clients. As a multiple time legend player and a frequent player on the tournament scene it makes no sense why you haven't done this already. These tournaments have so much crazy overhead and room for people to cheat its not funny that blizzard allows them to be the entry way into major events like the winter championship. It seems like blizzard should build a tournament client hosting software like traditional table top card games and let people host tournaments that can be joined in the client?
With the addition of armor-giving cards such as Feral Rage, Kun and Kazakus over the past year, do you have any plans to someday release a card that counters armor? For example "Battlecry: Remove X armor from your opponent"
Over the years World of Warcraft got the Elite Tauren Chieftain Band, when will Team 5 start with a music project?
Ben proved that this can be a thing. So? :)
I have made a thread on Hearthpwn and directed some tweets to HS members but can't get an answer:
Will quest cards be showing up in Arena drafts? I assume not, but no statements from Blizzard have been released on the in/ exclusion of these cards.
Hello, Team 5. This is probably not a question, but a request. I think you should change Jade Idol right now, and not waste 3-4 months for "observing and analysing". It's clear that Jades will stomp all the new controlish concepts you introduced in Un'Goro.
Question: This expansion introduces cool mechanics but i couldn't see any card or deck type to deal with current meta like jade shaman jade druid. Do you think of nerf them like Jade Idol: Shuffle 3 jade stones to your deck (Just summons jade golems).
It's been years you are not adding Turkish language pack and it is so rude. Isn't there any counter to see how many Turks playing these games?
In this expansion, natural legendaries seems boring and not strong they can be replaced with many old legendaries. (Except Elise)
Blizzard is always very cautious (and rightfully so) about cards they're considering nerfing. If they bring out a "We're considering nerfing a certain card" you can bet your card collection on that card being nerfed. As long as they aren't sure about nerfing something, they won't make statements about it.
Also, why is it rude not adding a Turkish Language pack? There are tons of languages not included in HS. For example, I'm from The Netherlands. We don't have a language pack either.
I think a language pack is very expensive to make (voicing, translating, programming). If 'ROI < I 'there is no need.
According to Netherlands population, it is normal to no language pack for that. I didnt talk about tons of language pack, specified for Turkey. There are also Turkish streamers on Twitch with thousands of viewers.
We don't have Dutch streamers that are popular, unfortunately... ~ ThijsNL
Got any numbers on amount of people in Turkey that play HS, compared to amount of people that play in other countries (in absolutes)? If you do, and the numbers validate your argument 'specifically asking for a Turkish language pack', I will admit I was off.
Why is Sylvanas rotating to the hall of fame in a time where Jades may become the dominating part of the Meta? Will there be countermechanics to combat infinite value Jade Druids, other than the pure aggro approach "kill the druid before the jades get big"?
See Sunkeeper Tarim. Eadric the Pure also works. Once control paladin is viable again, there will be at least one deck that keeps Jades in check.
tell that to the 14/14, 15/15, 16/16 and 17/17 golems that will be played next turn
Are you going to include more unique neutrals like Blood of the Ancient one in the new expansion?
Why is Mana Geode not an elemental.
Mana Geode is created by Cabal, it closer to golem I think.
I look at the arcane anomaly and wonder why
What's happening when cards rotate into the hall of fame? Will we have a smaller classic set or will non-standard cards be rotated in? Especially curious about class cards
I don't think so considereing the last offer included only classic cards and were ment for new players.
When will people that have been playing Death Knight as there main class for nearly 9 years, finally get to play there favorite class in Hearthstone?
Never. They will never add a new class into the game. Just accept it.