tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826986957606858027.post7132189195719871776..comments2023-06-19T10:45:56.724-04:00Comments on Player Versus Developer: Hearthstone Constructed Match-Making: Profiting From the Stomping of NewbiesGreen Armadillohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15564045048380177626noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826986957606858027.post-10252141748612962252013-10-21T12:24:57.999-04:002013-10-21T12:24:57.999-04:00Just to add my own personal anecdote. I have spen...Just to add my own personal anecdote. I have spent a grand total of $1.99 on the game for a single arena entry to get the Beta Legendary (although I use him in no decks) <br /><br />All packs and gold have been gotten simply from playing doing the daily quests and a few arenas. <br /><br />My main deck is a paladin deck that has all common cards (a couple were crafted from dust from arena/disenchants) and I think one rare (the give adjacent +1/+1 taunt Defender of Argus?) <br />I got him from a lucky 9-2 arena run.<br /><br />I have a fairly decent win rate 60%ish and have made it up to 2 star masters, both pre-wipe and post. <br /><br />I will definitely say you can play this game for free if you want. I get stomped occasionally by some crazy combo decks but can mostly hold my own. <br /><br />*No previous TCG/CCG experiance watched a bit of Trump/Kripp streamers to understand some ccg basic.<br /><br />dimlihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02394602455694885825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826986957606858027.post-69657229526333049682013-10-17T02:05:37.223-04:002013-10-17T02:05:37.223-04:00Agree. I like Hearthstone but I'd enjoy it mor...Agree. I like Hearthstone but I'd enjoy it more if they charged £20 or something and gave you the full set of cards to play with.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826986957606858027.post-86950876896261544302013-10-16T19:03:40.336-04:002013-10-16T19:03:40.336-04:00@Dàchéng: We're on the same page here. My poi...@Dàchéng: We're on the same page here. My point is not to knock pay to win but rather that, unlike your experience with WoT, I don't consider the non-paying Hearthstone experience to be worth my time. <br /><br /><br />RE: Grinding out the fees, for me personally it is NOT worth suffering through painful losses for the virtual currency equivalent of less than $1/hour. The place where I see a potential niche would be paying for the arena entry fee in cash and using the winnings as a rebate towards future entry fees. I could imagine playing Arena primarily on the weekends for roughly the cost of a normal MMO subscription and eventually having enough cards to make a deck that isn't terrible.Green Armadillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15564045048380177626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826986957606858027.post-79131511907287678812013-10-16T09:13:39.999-04:002013-10-16T09:13:39.999-04:00If you are not buying cards, you are not the custo...If you are not buying cards, you are not the customer. You are the content.<br /><br />Blizzard lets you play for free so that paying customers get to have fun stomping on you. Without your participation, those customers (despite paying for 'epic' cards) would find themselves losing games more often (since they'd be playing against players who had also paid for 'epic' cards). they might start to wonder if they're having enough fun to warrrant paying for more cards. that's where you come in, as a non-paying player. You are allowed to play for free so that even poor players who are paying customers get to win enough games to make them feel they got their money's worth. In a pay-to-win game such as this, the price of not paying is not winning. <br /><br />I also play a pay-to-win game that I don't pay for (World of Tanks), so I'm not knocking pay-to-win: but I know that<br />a) I am allowed to play for free so that players who can afford to buy gold shells have fun blowing me up.<br />b) the game wouldn't exist if <br />somebody wasn't paying for it.<br /><br />Blizzard doesn't directly want you stomped so you will buy more cards. That is a bye-product of their real desire: Blizzard wants you stomped so that their paying customers have a good experience.<br />Dàchénghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02994982502333811797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826986957606858027.post-44291299131963036502013-10-16T08:48:54.081-04:002013-10-16T08:48:54.081-04:00I'm not sure why this surprises anyone. Back ...I'm not sure why this surprises anyone. Back when the game was announced this was the only logical monetization strategy. Whatever we may want to think gaming is still a business and they will only continue if it's turning a profit.<br /><br />I was a fairly serious Magic player, back when The Dark and Fallen Empires were new, and I'm treating this game like a less expensive version of the old tournament scene. Grind out the Arena entry fee in constructed games, go into the Arena, and try to pull together a deck that earns me a decent reward. The better I do in Arena, the better chance I have in constructed. It's not fast but I'm not trying to "win" the game and retire.<br /><br />If I get tired of that I'll just drop $60 - equivalent to a new box game - and stock some cards into my deck. But it will never end. They will add new heroes and new sets that you will either have to buy or win, and both cases will depend on random luck.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826986957606858027.post-41340879347530671412013-10-16T01:41:37.596-04:002013-10-16T01:41:37.596-04:00Arena is the best way to play. Each player drafts ...Arena is the best way to play. Each player drafts a deck based on cards offered. As you gain levels and achievements in Arena, and win, you gain more cards and packs for your non-Arena deck. The cost of Arena gives you more back than just buying a pack of cards. If you get 9 Arena wins before you get 3 losses, you Win and get even better rewards. Often with Arena you can win enough gold to go right back into Arena and win another pack and more cards.<br /><br />Blizzard has also stated that the match-making system is not properly in place. It only gives you Worthy Opponent right now. It's in Beta, not finished.<br /><br />If you want that one time fee, pay $50, get at least 40 rares and probably a few epic and legendaries, and you'll be winning a lot more. There's your one-time feeDickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13776403099738822892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826986957606858027.post-44227764391765741942013-10-15T22:28:37.855-04:002013-10-15T22:28:37.855-04:00You're guaranteed at least 1 pack if you play ...You're guaranteed at least 1 pack if you play Arena.<br /><br />So worst case it's $2 for 1 pack, which is less efficient than buying packs directly, but you get to make a deck and play against other decks of similar quality. <br /><br />It's also a nice way to try out new champions and new cards. Arena is my preferred style of play. I don't really play a lot, though. Just one or two games a night or less.Rohanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09090769681887119989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826986957606858027.post-12643332289671826792013-10-15T22:05:36.729-04:002013-10-15T22:05:36.729-04:00You didn't mention that you can, in a limited ...You didn't mention that you can, in a limited way, grind yourself some cards. Completing various achievements earns you in game currency that you can spend on 'booster packs' (100g) for five cards and arena drafts ( again 100g for a draft ). Out of the gate you end up earning several hundred gold and there are daily achievements to help you earn more. It's a fine balance, I mean they want you to spend money, but I'm like you I'd rather plunk down 10 or so dollars for a complete set of class cards.<br /><br />In the real world I certainly prefer games of the 'LCG' variety (championed by fantasy flight games) where you get all the cards (mostly) by simply buying the box. Over their CCG golddigging brethren.Bretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15815580084560337671noreply@blogger.com