Was so hyped about the Homecoming update. I love all the new features but unfortunately the gameplay and mechanics just got a big downgrade. So bad it won't be the same game I liked so much, especially on the fact that you can't build a good race & category deck anymore. For example Wild Hunt. In the public beta, it was awesome. Now it is the weakest deck type in the whole game. The fluidity, the fast paceness, plus the simple mechanics, all togheter made it the best card game around. Sorry to say it, but after around 150 hours in nearly 3 months it is time to leave the game. Not for me anymore.
- re-working of all the cards
- re-working of deck building
- removal of fun mechanics (while, to be fair, others were added)
- removal of one row (which no one asked for)
- focusing on being on a battlefield (which no one asked for)
I get it, a wider audience is needed, the game has to play well on multiple platforms, it has to make money, etc etc. But if it all comes at the expense of the game itself, what's the point?
The devs were warned time and time again not to do anything silly, that removing one row would constrict the game even further than it was, and they cut down the point variance on top of that and added provisions. So now you have to include garbage in your deck.
All I can say is SMH
Started playing gwent in november 2016 and had a lot of fun till the infamous midwinter update. I had hoped that HC will bring back gwent's former glory, but the title of the project is totally misleading, because it's a completely new game and most of the things I've loved about old gwent are gone.
Changes I don't like:
- handlimit + 3 redraws per round makes passing during the first 6 turns pointless
- the game is so damn slow
- new mulligan system without blacklisting makes good draws more important. Post MW gwent was too consistent, because of all the tutor cards, but they've completely overdone it with lowering consistency (new mulligan system + 2 bronze copies only were uneccesary changes)
- they removed a row for better visuals, but I don"t care much about card size. Changes that should make rows meaningful again (they are more meaningful than post MW, but less important than during CB) could have been implemented with 3 rows. The reach concept for example would be much more interesting with 3 rows. Everything feels worse on 2 rows for me.
- I'd prefer playing on a wooden board instead of throwing my cards in the dirt, but that's just my personal preference. More problematic: the boards looks to cluttered and information isn't represented well (rows and row score doesn't allign for example).
- I've loved the highly synergistic gameplay strongly focused on archetypes. Sadly they've gone away from that concept.
- Overall card design isn't very well. Too much boost, damage, destroy. I know things like strengthen can be a problem if not implemented properly, but without such concepts the game becomes boring.
- Gwent is out of beta now, but it looks like a game in an early beta stage (poor balancing, bugs...)
- RNG bs like reveal (why?)
- some really binary cards and concepts
......
Overall, I can't enjoy the game, actually I really hate it. Two stars for good economy and amazing card art.
Gwent was and will always be in our hearts, amazing little break between slaying monsters and searching for Ciri. Requiescat in pace my friend, this Templar filth replacing you will soon die.
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