I started playing Gwent 2.5 years ago. When I looked at the game for the first time I saw that there were over 100 cards and a handful of mechanics which were integral to the game and decided that I'd like to try it. I had a reasonable expectation of being able to collect all the cards which would give me the resources I needed to get the most out of the game. If I were looking at the game for the first time today I'd see many hundreds of cards and over fifty mechanics. The sheer scale would put me off and I'd probably try something else. How many potential Gwent players are being lost to the game in this way - we'll never know, but there is a potential method to attract those individuals.
I suggest that a restructure of Gwent into a staged game could be a solution. Instead of just the current full game with all the cards and mechanics there could be a subset 'Beginner' or 'Classic' Gwent game containing just the base set of cards and their mechanics, or potentially the base set and the Crimson Curse expansion. This would give any potential new player the opportunity to learn the basics, enjoy the game and collect the cards for that subset game. After mastering it and hopefully enjoying the experience they could be eager to move on, so an 'Intermediate' game containing the next few expansions including SY could be offered. Once again, this subset game would give players the opportunity to collect the next sets of cards and master the additional mechanics and intricacies of gameplay before moving up to the full game.
The creation of subset games would additionally have the benefit of retaining existing players who were unhappy at the changes to the game from the early years - I see their comments regularly and am inclined to take them seriously - after all, most people who are dissatisfied with any product or service leave without giving any feedback, so comments are valuable. They may be happy to play with fewer cards and mechanics and may still be interested in also playing the full game as it changes with future expansions.
I suggest that a restructure of Gwent into a staged game could be a solution. Instead of just the current full game with all the cards and mechanics there could be a subset 'Beginner' or 'Classic' Gwent game containing just the base set of cards and their mechanics, or potentially the base set and the Crimson Curse expansion. This would give any potential new player the opportunity to learn the basics, enjoy the game and collect the cards for that subset game. After mastering it and hopefully enjoying the experience they could be eager to move on, so an 'Intermediate' game containing the next few expansions including SY could be offered. Once again, this subset game would give players the opportunity to collect the next sets of cards and master the additional mechanics and intricacies of gameplay before moving up to the full game.
The creation of subset games would additionally have the benefit of retaining existing players who were unhappy at the changes to the game from the early years - I see their comments regularly and am inclined to take them seriously - after all, most people who are dissatisfied with any product or service leave without giving any feedback, so comments are valuable. They may be happy to play with fewer cards and mechanics and may still be interested in also playing the full game as it changes with future expansions.