(02-15-2014, 05:05 PM)Frag Wrote: In addition to that, at least for me, the card pool is simply pathetic and I believe that's where a lot of the issues with the game come from.
I agree with that. It also gives me hope though. As a very simple starter base the current cards work, but are over limiting and simple. There are a certain number of deck types you see that the card pool and hero system pushes upon you and then it is minor tweaks within those decks. I enjoy the minor tweaking personally. I'm still not sure what is the best version of a Shaman deck and the fact that I haven't settled on a deck list and kept with it is a good thing I think. I'm constantly tweaking and trying to decide which card to take out and which card to add. Often I feel like there isn't a really good card to add though. Which is a problem. It feels like finding the best generic card instead of really finding the perfect card.
The way I look at it all though is that expansions are basically the solution to all the complaints. Is the current version overly simple and have a limited card pool? Sure. It is enough to get people used to things and get people who have never played these kinds of games to learn some of the tricks. I've been playing what I feel is a good amount and I still don't have all the cards that I feel I need. I'm constantly going "man I wish I had that card for X deck." So I feel like there is enough for a start. I think the beta hurts them some though. People are going to be worn out of it before it is even officially released. I envision them releasing it and then a full year passing before they release an expansion and that feels like too long. If none of us had played it yet then it would be fine, but we have. So we are all going to be burned out way before they add to it.
Eventually they will release an expansion though. Then the card pool will expand. That will solve a lot of issues itself. I can see them gradually adding more complicated mechanics too. First expansion is probably more cards and mechanics that work within the current timing. So maybe regen or first strike or such like that. All things that are easy to add right now. Then the second expansion they add in instants. I feel like it really is only a matter of time. I can't see them keeping the game as basic in it's timing as it is right now forever. Blizzard has always been about progression. When you start a level 1 character you don't have all your skills. The game teaches you as you play and gives you more over time. Same is true here except expansions are character levels basically. So the first one doesn't give you everything so you have time to learn what they do give you. Then the next one adds more on top of that. Then onwards and onwards.
So my choice is to look at the game in those terms. More of a "is this something they can build off of to eventually have something really good" than a "is this something really good right now". It definitely needs some growing, but I can see the potential. I just hope Blizzard figures out how to reach it before time runs out. I'm not sure if people will give them time to grow it or not.
Non-related to most of that, I feel like an issue annoying me is the ranked system. I really enjoy playing that. I'm finding that I'm not even playing Arena much anymore cause when I bother to log in I want to play my Shaman deck and try to advance in ranks. Yet I would also like to play other deck types too. I'd like to play them in ranked, but then I'd potentially ruin the ranking my Shaman deck has earned me. I wish rank was tied to class. So I could play a Shaman and see how high I can climb and then play a Warlock and start off at rank 25 with it and see how high I can climb with that too. Instead I feel like I have to stick with whatever deck I feel is my current best. Which leaves the others to never even compete with it since they don't get played competitively. I'm worried about this more than the other issues cause it isn't something that expansions will solve. It is something Blizzard has to see as a problem and decide to fix and I'm just not sure they will do that.