Gwent Challenger 3: Please give your feedback!

[j_e_1977]

Overall I think I the tournament was great.

The mix of caster and analyst desk was a lot slicker this time. In the last challenger Swim didn't get enough chance to talk since the casters had a lot to say too. That's no bad thing but it took a way little from what Swim was there to do. The addition of Jaggerous fixed this - they have a great rapport together and it really showed. Nice getting those replays and deep-dive analysis of the games.

I loved the video interludes which I thought were a lot of fun. Having the cosplay on stage added some great colour but I always wonder if it's distracting to the players whilst games are going on?

Timing / tournament format I think was spot on. I can understand folks wanting to see new decks for day 2, but for me knowing that players will have seen each others decks and been working on strategies adds to the excitement.

Casters EXCELLENT as always. McBeard and Mogwai's interactions are always so fun!

Things I'd change

The big one:

- Whilst I understand the desire to attract people using "named" hosts I don't feel it really works at the moment. I'd expect hosts to be doing more links/interviews but because they're not regular players it's super hard to do them. As such they end up just handing off between casters/analysis so don't really add much. Really no personal criticism of Matt, Marisha and Jesse - I think they did well given their background. I'd really like Ash to do the next one - she did all the links and interviews for the Gwent Slam events admirably and it would be nice to see more community members involved.
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Really minor stuff:

- Casters using nick-names for cards I can imagine could be frustrating for new players. On streams it's cool because most people are in on the joke of "aye aye sirs" or "dun bananas" and can always chat if they don't know. It's kind of different in this format as it's not as interactive as a stream so it's possible it could seem like a barrier to entry

 

[ThorSerpent]

Why dont allow players to change decks between days or allow them to bring 2 sets of decks for tournament so they can swap decks for day 2.

We might look into this idea in the future.

With no offence intended, their choice of apparel did raise some questions, though, as it did not match the atmosphere of the venue, and created a marked discrepancy between them and characters such as Pavko. This last point could be grouped under 'immersion' (however, that is a highly subjective term). Maybe one or two cosplayers as casters/hosts might be an idea? (I've seen more than a few requests for Ash Cosplay in the chat.)

I must note that we're working with a stylist who helps to select outfits for the on-air talent, so it's not exactly their choice. Comment about immersion is interesting, because I believe that we have to maintain a certain level of seriousness even if "role-playing" goes over the top. Perhaps this particular Challenger was a bit wilder mix of styles than usual, but I don't think that we need to turn future events into medieval fairs.

Agree with this as well. Just pick a side for the match and stick with it ... maybe whomever goes first or something like that.

That would be the easiest thing to do for us, because switching POV is quite difficult and requires a lot of attention and good reaction from cameraman. Without switching perspective there is basically no need for any spectating job, but the broadcast will lose a lot of sense if viewers won't be able to follow the key actions of red player (except those which are visible by both players). That being said on Saturday there were some issues with the number of POV switching and a speed of animation - both of those issues were resolved on Sunday.

This is just a suggestion for the youtube video, can we have markers for the start of the matches, interviews, players introductions?

This is just a suggestion for the youtube video, can we have markers for the start of the matches, interviews, players introductions?

I will pass this suggestion to our video team

However the 25min interview/analysis/player video/etc should be closer to 10min!

Giving more on-air time to our analysts was a decision made based on the popular feedback from viewers who wanted to learn more about professional players' strategies and decisions. Also the segment before the final have to be at least 25 min, because we need to give the winner of 2nd semi-final some time to prepare and rest after previous Bo5.

 

[Draconifors]

Nothing really struck me out of place or annoying. Except I may have been a tiny bit annoyed because of the vandalized Emhyr painting, as fitting as it was.

Casters were great, as always.
I'm not much into theorycrafting and that kind of stuff, but the analysts did a good job in, well, analyzing.
As for the host... while I felt he really wanted to be there and enjoyed his role, I have to agree his lack of experience with the game showed. Then again, I'm no expert myself, so I didn't really mind.

The "adventure" clips were awesome! I also really liked the parts showing the various characters with their dice poker and drinks and whatnot.

I was expecting the mine to be a really cool venue, and those player introduction video clips really proved that right, even more than the "match room".


All in all, at the very least on par with the previous Challenger.

 

[SrdjanB]

I must note that we're working with a stylist who helps to select outfits for the on-air talent, so it's not exactly their choice. Comment about immersion is interesting, because I believe that we have to maintain a certain level of seriousness even if "role-playing" goes over the top. Perhaps this particular Challenger was a bit wilder mix of styles than usual, but I don't think that we need to turn future events into medieval fairs.

Stylist goes over the top with kitsch and it doesn't look serious at all. If serious is the goal, avoid dressing the team as clowns, there is a suit and tie and there is a "suit and tie". What is more those guys (all four casters) have good general idea how to dress as their attire at GwentSlam events and on occasions they post photos of on social networks can attest.

As for the medieval fair, I am confident doublets and shirts in medieval style can look really serious and somber if done with taste, so it is not something that should be dismissed easily especially since the whole setting is going that way.

 

[ZenaRose]

I have only 1 suggestion for next event : please fix / balance the game before tournament. Everything except actual gameplay was great.

 

[qurbani]

--MegaMogwai great caster - really emotive, explains the possible plays well and draws out the importance of any specific moment amazingly.

--The need for exciting and clear visual tools for the casters and analysts, to help with their explanation of plays. Visual representation of card texts in hand and graveyard and for overall game-plans.

--Go bigger with the role-playing (create more elaborate and well- written scenes and songs during down time) loved it all.

 

[qurbani]

--Would like to see matches all the way through, when there are a few cards left to play, rather than a forfeit.

--More reminders of the current stage of the competition and the players that are going through and those who are out.

 

[lordgort]

I understand the desire to have splashy amounts of prize money for the winner of the Challenger, but sending three of eight competitors home without any money looked really bad, especially considering Gwent Opens guarantee US$1,000 for all participants.

Just as an example, guaranteeing $1,250 for all participants would take only $10,000 out of the prize pool. You could still have the winner of the Challenger get a bonus $25,000 instead of a bonus $35,000 and make sure everyone goes home with something for their time.

 

[Discosauce]

First of all, great job! I really enjoyed watching.

Just two things I'd mention.

The Host: I know his job is to bring in more viewers etc, but it really showed that he didn't know much about the game. Also apparently he couldn't even watch the matches? That should be fixed.

Pavko: I love you Burza, but I don't know about your character choice for Pavko. The bored/whatever attitude seems out of place, and people might not get that it's an act.

Great job overall!

 

[alrhasis]

Hi, first, I want to congratulate you for your work. This is the first time I actually care about a competitive scene of a game.

I like the way you create identificable characters to follow (TailBot, Freddybabes, etc), but I would push that a little bit forward. Talk about the decks they build, they preferred faction, etc. I think most people like E-Sports when they are able to cheer for someone they now well.

For the immersion. The idea was really good, but I think the execution was a little bit off. People doing random stuff in the background is not the way to make it feel like a important match of Gwent in the Witcher's universe. Maybe using more people dressed as peasant rooting for the players as the match goes on? Celebrating good plays, drinking from jugs, etc.

The casters were great. Nothing to say about them.

The best thing: you can feel that you guys are trying to do the things well. Also, the matches were very high quality. The worst: the players playing on thrones looked lonely, as I said, more people actually watching the match, even if is from a screen to not disturb the players would add a lot to the immersion.

Crazy idea: you could have a tavern themed area, where people are drinking, screaming, rooting, etc, watching the match from a "portal screen" provided by some mage. That way the players do not get distracted.

Thanks for everything, I had a great time! Greetings from Chile.

 

[Pruny]

Good show, great production team. Congrats to TailGod
But create has no place in ranked, that nekurat was disgusting.
and Mulligan is a nightmare,
​​cdpr please do more balance fixes, if not weekly at least monthly.
:listen:

 

[baev_os]

-Is there anything that was out of place or annoying?
Boad flips when player look at graveyard\create dialog. As players we don't see what is happening on the other side and if we reveal cards - we still see them on top part of the screen. So when the sides constantly switch - it is really hard to concentrate what is going on.

-What should we avoid doing going forward?
Brouver and other Scoiatael already plagued the meta, we got season of the elves and now Scoia-oriented Challenger. There is too much Scoiatael to handle! Next time consider taking other classes than current meta-filler.

-On the other hand - what we should implement in the future?
Deck tracker! Give us option to see players' decks! I do not want to listen how casters tell me what cards left in the deck, I want to think with players!

-What do you think about casters/analyst/host synergy?
The only issue for me that they were too excited. Sometimes over the top as if they sniffed cocain behind the scenes.

-Do you think immersion was good?
Yes, it was.

-What are the best and worst things about this Challenger? ... and anything else you want to share!
Best: almost everything
Worst: not really anything too serious

 

[MU24bmw]

Overall I enjoyed the tournament. Some feedback as requested:
-Atmosphere was good.
-Casters were generally good and interesting.
-Jesse seemed out of place.
-Board switching - I think it's needed to a degree, but I agree with people saying it got overwhelming at times. Why it's needed to a degree, is to see what the red coin player is doing when he has options to pick from. I suppose if Create was removed, then there would be much less board switching required, as you'd significantly reduce the choices a player has to pick from.
-Get rid of Create, too many highrolls
-I really like the earlier idea from this thread where it was suggested that the players have to submit 2 deck lists - 1 for each day. This then brings the element of surprise again for Day 2.
-I'm sure you're already onto this, but the issues at the start of some of the games need to be avoided (e.g. showing the wrong bans).

 

[ErraticSpawn]

First of all: It was good to see these highly skilled Gwent players in action again. Most of my feedback has been stated already by others here, so I'll keep it short.

-Is there anything that was out of place or annoying?
-What should we avoid doing going forward?
-On the other hand - what we should implement in the future?
-What do you think about casters/analyst/host synergy?
-Do you think immersion was good?
-What are the best and worst things about this Challenger? ... and anything else you want to share!

• Nothing in particular comes to mind
• POV-Switching: I understand you want to show the thought process by presenting the selection screen of the "red" graveyard or deck. But the complete switching around (especially when done in quick succession) is really confusing. Why not have an additional window (as you already do for the "red" cards) for the "red" selection screens. There is no need for a full screen display, about half-screen would be sufficient and you can keep the orientation of the overall layout. The reference (i.e. the whole board) would stay the same thus avoiding the confusion. You could give the window a red frame, so it is clear it is the opponent's selection screen.
• I enjoy 6 hours of high-level Gwent, no doubt about it. But it is difficult to block such a long time on both Saturday and Sunday (thanks to Youtube I can at least watch what I missed). I believe it would be much better to divide this in two distinct 3 hour blocks, say from 14:00 to 17:00 and from 18:00 to 21:00 on day 1. On day 2 the second block could even be an hour later, since there is only one match-up (i.e. final from 19:00 to 22:00). This would also give the second finalist more time to recover from his semi-final.
  I also would like to support the suggestion of some sort of deck tracker, although the screen might become quite busy. Still I agree that it would be nice to see possible options of gameplay for myself.
• Yeah, picking Jesse Cox was not the best decision. He couldn't add any value except being the intermediate between casters and analysts/interviewers, especially since his knowledge of Gwent seems somewhat limited, so no synergy there. Synergy between casters and analysts were good, although I agree that sometimes casters were not neutral enough, more professionalism is needed there.
• Immersion was generally okay, although some of the suits broke it hard. You already explained this was mainly because of a stylist, I don't think he/she understood the environment of the tournament. There is no need for ties either, but if you want suit and ties they should match the overall ambience (and you just said Gwent should reflect more the darker Witcher universe, Swim's suit did not achieve that all, if I may so).
• Well, you know the problems with the gameplay and are in the process of fixing it. But seeing some of the Create mechanism deciding games was hard to watch. In ladders it evens out over time, in tournaments with only a few games it can create the sense of unfairness. So I think the lesson from this would be to consider for all mechanism that you will correct/introduce with Homecoming, how well they will work in a tournament environment, or whether an adapted rule/card set is needed for tournaments to really show of the skill of the players.

And those are my two cents on this.

 

[DziejopisWawel]

How about starting your tournaments bit earlier (like 2h). I think it would increase viewership at the end of the day.

 

[ROACHviel]

I prepared something special for the occasion gwent challenger #3

 

[Riven-Twain]

I must note that we're working with a stylist who helps to select outfits for the on-air talent, so it's not exactly their choice. Comment about immersion is interesting, because I believe that we have to maintain a certain level of seriousness even if "role-playing" goes over the top. Perhaps this particular Challenger was a bit wilder mix of styles than usual, but I don't think that we need to turn future events into medieval fairs.

Ah, thank you for clarifying this point. Unfortunately, I actually wasn't certain if there was a consultant or not, because of that peculiar mix of styles. My apologies, however, the unusual contrast puzzled me. While I certainly can agree that most hosts and casters should maintain some gravity and detachment from the role-players -- rather than all dress as Dandelion or Priscilla -- to identify them as the commentators, I would say there is probably a way to find a compromise between black-tie formal-wear and dark mediaevalesque fantasy. I can appreciate the disinclination to turn the entire Challenger into a make-up and costume convention, but perhaps the team might consider more consistent attire for the overall theme of the venue or faction being featured? No need to dress everyone as a full-kit witcher character, yet, after all, with so many cosplayers/role-players present, the others looked as though they had been left out of the fun a bit. Merely an idea, of course.

 

[petesoi]

It would be nice to see the players favorite cards somewhere. I still can't find which card I should be getting for watching Tailbot win...

 

[Riven-Twain]

I still can't find which card I should be getting for watching Tailbot win...

Mandrake.

 

[TrompeLaMort]

The event was awesome; I can't really find any (serious) fault in it. I loved the background, the tavern, the role-players, the videos; everything was awesome.

I like Swim, Jaggerous and the casters. Even though sometimes Mcbearded and Mogwai made cringe-worthy mistakes/lack of awareness, I realize that casting live is a hard job. Unlike others here, I liked their clothes, especially Swim's was really funny.

Jesse didn't add much, but he wasn't horrible either.

I know this isn't a democracy, but for what is worth I second the idea of allowing card/deck changes between days 1 and 2 (I realize that before finals is harder to implement).

Overall, my biggest feedback is not about the challenger itself, but the opposite: make UI/UX (and why not, even card) designers watch the Challenger. I want that level of flavor and immersion in game! Bards singing songs about my game, people playing games (and killing each other) on the background, casters rooting for me (if I'm Freddy, ha!), having these in-game (if not somehow visually, at least audio) would be so cool!

The new board skins go against that direction. Don't get me wrong, they are gorgeous, but they are not immersive. And Challenger has shown how a great immersive and flavorful experience can make people even forget the game is not at its best moment.