Any of the original beta players still playing Gwent?

[knowsGerald]

I'm following Gwent since Closed Beta - back then were the days when I had to really fight my addiction of Gwent, for some reason it was insanely immersing..
Right now I'm playing Thronebreaker, I started playing it since it came out, but I still haven't finished it, I'm really slow
But I really want Gwent to be as immersing as it once was, so I am looking for a way in, but truth be told, all multiplayer cards are new to me, everything is so different I find it difficult to start learning the game. I'm just wait for smartphone version to come out, maybe then I will find more time for this game.

 

[Timotheus00T]

Still playing since open beta, and I gotta admit, the new direction is something I like. The now dominant decks might be boring right now, but if every faction gets a rework like NR (and like SY was from the beginning), I am having more and more fun, because with every deck I feel like I can win and only lose because of my own mistakes.

^This
I can only agree with that.

 

[Nerys]

[ . . . ] You do realise it's a business, right? I mean if it wasn't a business we probably didn't have had the Midwinter patch and HC by now. FWIW I've "lied" to myself and really been trying to like HC. I've even preordered CC and both SY bundles but the game has lost all flavor and that fast and fluid pace that earlier versions had without the whole Orders/non interactive SY stuff going on.

This is so true especially when it comes to the "flavor" and "fast and fluid" gameplay. I have same feeling when it comes to Homecoming. I preordered CC but I didn't preorder SY because it was ugly in my opinion.

 

[deckard_kaine]

But I really want Gwent to be as immersing as it once was, so I am looking for a way in, but truth be told, all multiplayer cards are new to me, everything is so different I find it difficult to start learning the game.

Yes, learning the abilities of around 700 cards + new mechanics is a bit overwhelming. But give it a week time and you will be "on track" again. Every journey starts with a first step. It isn't that scary. Everyone has been through this.

 

[OrcsMustDie]

I used to play a lot in the beta times, 800h+. With midwinter they reduced my interest in Gwent to 75 percents. HC killed another 50 percents and the last "great" attraction (sy) took the rest of my passion. Nothing left, so how should I play?
I uninstalled the unwanted game for good and don't expect anything anymore.

 

[AdiMil]

I still play the game and I started during the Closed Beta
Not sure if I play as much as I used to but It's fun nonetheless

 

[InkognitoXI]

Played since Closed or Open Beta, I honestly cannot recall, however I assume it was Closed Beta.

Anyways, around April I completely lost interest in the game, given how binary the design behind engines and removal was (which CDPR has honestly fixed in the direction of not being win/lose, I am quite happy with the way they tackled this, which is why I am enjoying the game quite much again (though I miss Swim)).
To be fair, before that update the game was almost as binary as the horrible initial weather was (though nothing beats that awful design).
Initially the design was absolutely atrocious, with units being mere points and the game was basicly only deploy effects, then they added the concept with passive engines, which (in my opinion) made the game far, far better, being more complex and enjoyable (gamestates were far too simplified before).
Afterwards there was little reason to keep playing, when they announced homecoming and everything would be completely restructured again.

Homecoming introduced Order, which was in theory an amazing mechanic, being an active engine.
The introduction of Order was binary and horrible, though not as horrible as the intial Open Beta with intial weather.
The game was also introducing the provision system and provisions were distributed in a lazy way, overprizing everything that used to be good, while having cards (that in boring ways) just gave their provision costs as points (+/-1).
The mulligan number on leaders was a horrible idea and balanced stronger leaders with less consistency.

All of those issues were addressed, leaders are balanced by additional provisions, rather than mulligan numbers, (recently) cards got more depth, than just provions =? points.
Also mulligans do not carry over, not enforcing to just keep them for the last round, beyond that overfilling the hand gives more mulligans during the next round, not enforcing to play out to 7 or less cards to have a better chance of drawing missing key cards.
Going -1/+1 is not longer an immediate loss/win, which is good design and makes the game less punishing and not purely focused on tempo.
Tutors have gotten their provision cost reduced to the point of not being unusable (outside of degenerate decks).

No matter how you put it, the game was improved again and again by CDPR and unlike other studios they do not just rush out more expansions, but actually try to keep every card alright (or at the very least as meme material).
Homecoming was 3 steps forward and 7 backwards, however as before CDPR manages to continuously improve the game.
Also the aquisition parts of the collection are more than just fair (coming from someone, who did not invest in the game (yet) outside of Thronebreaker, which I enjoyed quite a bit, in fact it is the only game I have ever gotten all achievements in).
All in all I like the game more and more the more time passes, CDPR is overall doing a great job at this.

 

[Vontracht]

I still play the game i love it even with all the changes =) I am a Pioneer. Long Live Gwent =)

 

[Sailears]

I play from time to time, but not enjoying the current meta.

The game is still a lot of fun anyway, even if many cards need a lot of work.

 

[Mr_Mugglez]

what is the current meta/faction?

 

[Duhad]

Been playing since Beta and honestly still more or less happy with the game. HC took time to feel right, but I over all think the game is better for having things like orders and provisions in it.

Having said that... This current meta is about as low a point as initial HC and the end of closed beta when Grate Swords and Sabbath where running wild. Still just like with both those times I have faith in the game and hope to see it recover.

And honestly... Even bad Gwent TO ME PERSONALLY still feels a hell of allot more fun then trying to get back into Hearthstone which is a nightmare game to get back into the meta on if your not willing to spend HUGE sums of money to get the best new cards or MtG Arena which I like, but frankly has to many complex cards for my poor brain to handle without slowing down all my matches to just constantly read all the cards being played. Like... Gwent right now has issues, but I'd rather deal with DJ and Foltest then grind my face against the brick wall which is the Hearthstone Meta if your a full set rotation behind the times. And if the choice is between having to deal with seeing the same decks over and over again or trying to learn all (and I kid you not this is true) 2,086 cards CURRENTLY in Magics standard rotation... I like card games, but I don't like them that much.

 

[Rubytooth]

I am an old player. Had fallen in love and felt happy with gameplay before HC had ruined the GWENT.
After HC Gwent became a boring and poor game. I don't like this changes - had tried to play it but now its absolutely another game with dead gameplay that make me sleep so boring it appears.
RIP Gwent

 

[Balquhidder]

Started in Open Beta, still playing. I miss the board, 3 rows and some of the synergies but at the same time I still enjoy HC. Not saying it's better, it's just different, at the core of it Gwent is still Gwent.

 

[Guest 4368268]

Kind of going with the motions, waiting and hoping for a point in gameplay/meta where the game excites me again. Other than Blitz mode HC hasn't really had a phase like that for me. But as said, I like to stay involved to give feedback and hope that the game at some point caters to its older community again.

When things get me too frustrated (Syndicate/Dijkstra meta as an all time low) I usually take a month or two off.

 

[Aridez]

Started in Open Beta, still playing. I miss the board, 3 rows and some of the synergies but at the same time I still enjoy HC. Not saying it's better, it's just different, at the core of it Gwent is still Gwent.

If you consider the core the name of the game, It's still called Gwent for some reason, yeah.

 

[Guest 4342399]

I played the beta till the bitter end on PS4. I still miss many aspects of that version.

 

[nedders]

Been here since beta. It still has a number of glaring flaws, but from what I can gather is easily the most enjoyable, least random card game available. Plus it's from The Witcher.

I've learned to live with the consistent Great Dandelion Show experiences.

 

[Balquhidder]

If you consider the core the name of the game, It's still called Gwent for some reason, yeah.

You can apply the same logic to comparing both Beta and HC to Gwent in W3. Build a bridge and get over it or move onto a different game. Much like that pet labrador you had growing up, Beta is dead, it's not coming back.

 

[Guest 4368268]

You can apply the same logic to comparing both Beta and HC to Gwent in W3. Build a bridge and get over it or move onto a different game. Much like that pet labrador you had growing up, Beta is dead, it's not coming back.

Or people can keep playing and critiquing as they see fit and you can come to terms with that.

 

[Syrel]

Like a lot of other people, Homecoming broke my heart.

I don't want to go into the specifics as they have already been covered in great length in the forum i'm sure.

I'm interested if any of the original beta posters are still playing Gwent, forgive me its been a while and i forget everyone's username.

If you are still playing, why? Do you have hope for the game and do you ever think they will bring it back to traditional gwent like beta and witcher gameplay?

I took a very long break after homecoming released, after having a decent collection but not knowing what to do. I followed swim and used a few decent decks from him, and this was back before the witcher cards were taken out of the new starter decks.

I got curious again and got back into it recently, and it threw me into the tutorial. It was a welcome one, as it reminded me several aspects of the game that I lost touch with. sometimes it's hard to come back into something like this after being gone and seeing the meta shift so much. However, I will say that I always prefer this gwent over the in-game W3 Gwent.

The cards feel like they generally have a purpose, or a theme, or something that gives you tactical advantage over just being points on a board. I'm very happy with how it's grown and flourished, and I don't really miss the beta gwent at all. I played it, and enjoyed the open beta too, I really did. But now that there's some more direction, more character in this gwent, I wouldn't go back.

The only thing I'd really change, in all fairness, is the 3d models for your leaders. I don't need them. The cards were just fine as they were, animated even. But overall, this new gwent is better in a lot of good healthy ways in my opinion, and although the old beta gwent will still be fondly remembered, i'm actually happy it's not the same anymore.