DRAFT - First impressions

[Slizzl]

Finally it seems people are starting to see the issues with this mode. The devs will have to constantly maintain it when they hardly even have the resources to balance the main game itself.
I don't understand why the devs gave themselves this extra workload that as far as I could tell nobody really asked for.

 

[DRK3]

Shaelmaar is also included in at least one package, and draft is the only place where it's worth playing. It's not broken, it's just good.

I disagree - Shaelmaar is better in Draft (and previously in Arena) than in Standard modes, yes, but he has a lot of untapped potential in assimilate decks, im surprised not more of those run it because he can easily get to crazy values.

Here's a fun screenie, pretty huge shaelmaar, and it was done in standard. Most shaelmaars in arena and draft dont go that big or do they?

 

[Slizzl]

I disagree - Shaelmaar is better in Draft (and previously in Arena) than in Standard modes, yes, but he has a lot of untapped potential in assimilate decks, im surprised not more of those run it because he can easily get to crazy values.

View attachment 11067860
Here's a fun screenie, pretty huge shaelmaar, and it was done in standard. Most shaelmaars in arena and draft dont go that big or do they?

Wait, how did it get so big? I don't understand.

 

[Draconifors]

Here's a fun screenie, pretty huge shaelmaar, and it was done in standard.

But the probability of something like that... super, super low. No engines on board, pulling two scenarios and "completing" both, getting a ton of crows. A marginal case.

 

[Lokiat0r]

Wait, how did it get so big? I don't understand.

4 points base + 12 non-NG units @ 2 bonus each.

I'm more curious about how they managed to get a second copy of the SK scenario in play in Standard... I understand how the first could be stolen, but where did the copy come from?

 

[Six-Sided-Prism]

I'm more curious about how they managed to get a second copy of the SK scenario in play in Standard... I understand how the first could be stolen, but where did the copy come from?

I'm sure the first "Gedyneith" was spawned by "Angoulême"'s ability, and the second was probably created through "Bribery"'s effect.

 

[Slizzl]

4 points base + 12 non-NG units @ 2 bonus each.

I'm more curious about how they managed to get a second copy of the SK scenario in play in Standard... I understand how the first could be stolen, but where did the copy come from?

Oh wow I think I've completely misunderstood Shaelmaar until now. Seems like it could actually be a pretty cool Assimilate finisher I'll try it out.

 

[DRK3]

But the probability of something like that... super, super low. No engines on board, pulling two scenarios and "completing" both, getting a ton of crows. A marginal case.

True, you definitely dont get Shaelmaars that big everytime, but there's also easier ways to do them than pulling a double scenario angouleme, and i will point 2 ive achieved frequently: Kerack frigates and Endrega larvae.
Two of the best bronzes in the game, must have's in any deck of those factions - copy those and you can easily get 20+ Shaelmaars while also getting really good engines.

@Lokiat0r to be honest, i actually wondered that too, i dont even remember how i pulled it off. The screenshot is quite old, from January this year, so i thin it might've been through Renew into Angouleme, i think there was no provision cap on Renew at that time but i might be wrong.

@Six-Sided-Prism The 1st SK scenario was through Angouleme but Bribery cant get artefacts or specials, only units, and my opponent was definitely not running angouleme too.

 

[Six-Sided-Prism]

The 1st SK scenario was through Angouleme but Bribery cant get artefacts or specials, only units, and my opponent was definitely not running angouleme too.

Oops. I completely forgot that "Bribery" only created units. I occasionally use that card, so I should really know better. That definitely makes this double Scenario situation much more mysterious. I can see the symbol for Lockdown in the image, so you didn't get the second "Gedyneith" from Double Cross. I'm a little fuzzy about what took place before I started playing, but haven't people mentioned that "Yennefer's Invocation" used to be able to steal Artifacts. Maybe that's the answer.

 

[ReaperTek]

@Lokiat0r to be honest, i actually wondered that too, i dont even remember how i pulled it off. The screenshot is quite old, from January this year, so i thin it might've been through Renew into Angouleme, i think there was no provision cap on Renew at that time but i might be wrong.

Yennefer Invocation because back in January she could still target Artifacts and the opponent was most likely running a double Gedyneith with Caretaker (he could resurrect Artifacts back then) or Lippy which made it easy to steal it round 1.

 

[Mikkukan2019]

Getting rid of Arena mode is just a bad idea by the developers. They could have make it co-exist with the new draft mode, so players like myself who mainly play Arena mode can still enjoy the game. Arena mode is fun because it's unpredictable and every game is unique and there's no way knowing your opponents cards are. I like the reward system as well since it provides me extra incentives to play the mode and play well.

 

[Draconifors]

They could have make it co-exist with the new draft mode

Splitting the playerbase too much.

 

[ReaperTek]

Last patch we have released into the wild the new Draft Mode and were happy to see how much interest and excitement it was met with by the community. Quickly the forums started filling up with stories about wacky decks, but some of them seemed... too wacky. One short investigation later, it turned out that there were some issues with the configuration of packs, which led for example to packages that should have been disabled being offered in draft anyway. This has been fixed, and should make the experience more balanced, yet still keeping it fun and open for experiments.

Unlike with Arena, that once released was essentially left untouched, we intend to make the Draft Mode an ever evolving format, that will be able to keep players entertained and engaged. In short, that means that we plan to make regular updates and balancing changes to Draft Mode, like we do with Ranked Play Mode.

That said, let me introduce the first Draft Mode Patchnotes!

New arrivals:

New Card added , the great sorcerer himself - Alzur!
Mages package is now a default Tribal package.
Alzur is added as a Core Card. Choosing him increases chances of getting Tribal - Mages package and Special packages.
Triss: Telekinesis is added to the Tribal - Mages package
New Witcher Trio Wombo Combo package is added:

• Vesemir: Mentor
• Lambert: Swordmaster
• Eskel: Pathfinder

Departures:

Elves is no longer a default Tribal package.
Tourney Shaelmaar is removed from Mechanical - Create package.
Ge'els is removed from the Tribal - Wild Hunt package.
Sewer Raiders are removed from the Value - Hoard package.
Triss: Telekinesis removed from the Core Cards

Shuffling and balancing:

Prize-Winning Cow is replaced with Operator in the Tribal - Beast package.
The triple Drummond Queensguard package will now include two Drummond Queensguaurd and Cerys An Craite.
Odds of getting more deathwish cards in Mechanical - Deathwish package increased.
Chances of getting Vandergrift in Defence - Shield package are decreased.
Generally reduced odds of seeing the same exact thinning package twice.
The following Core cards and leader abilities now boost chances of getting Tribal - Mage package:

• Artorius Vigo
• Xarthisius
• Stockpile

Bronzes that come with Cave Troll have been adapted to the following Ogroids:

• Nekker Warrior
• Ice Troll
• Ice Giant
• Nekker
• Cyclops

Draft Mode Patchnotes 7.4.1

Changes and improvements for the new Draft Mode!

www.playgwent.com

 

[ya1]

Shaelmaar is also included in at least one package

Yes, it is in Create package with other NG cards.

It's not broken, it's just good.

Shealmaar is completely broken in Draft, and most people who know Gwent agree. Like the winner of the last Open, Pajabol. He said he doesn't even grab it anymore because it's so broken that it's no fun.

Unless you can prove your claim is true, using objective data, it's just confirmation bias. The odds are the majority don't waste time redrafting over and over again, because perfection seekers who go to serious lengths to win will never be a majority when the game has plenty of casual players.

The sentence I underlined can just as well pertain to the statement that follows. Neither of us got the stats. I'm just saying that in a couple dozen games I played (and a few times that number of drafts) I relatively rarely saw lists that looked like a first try.

You rarely get a good deck in one try. Especially when SY stuff that's completely unplayable with other archetypes comes up every second roll and limits your choices. Often times, you choose Nature's Gift and get only one Nature package with two nature cards in it. Or you choose Syanna and not a single decent deploy. Or you get that crap package with Adelia and non-NR units in every second roll. Draft is way ahead of Arena in terms of synergies but it still only happens once in a few tries that you actually get a coherent deck.

And I've been seeing mostly coherent decks. Only occasionally did I see decks that had many packages that didn't belong.

Obviously you just want to hate on the mode

That's not true. I do think devs pay it too much mind and ignore pressing issues with the game itself. But Draft is better than Arena, and that's something, at least a good direction. It's fun to play interesting cards that you would not ever put in a competitive deck. But the mode has many issues. Complete lack of a reward system - the one thing that was actually good about Arena - is one of them.

 

[Luckless_Jack]

Splitting the playerbase too much.

This may be true, but if so it is pretty sad that the game is only popular enough to support 4 game modes (Ranked, Unranked, Seasonal and Draft). Can it ever become popular enough to support 5 (or more) game modes, so Arena could return (preferably with a few small improvements)?

A greater variety of enjoyable game modes could actually be a selling point and end up attracting more players. Fewer game modes could end up causing players to get bored and leave, or at the very least, play a lot less.

How much would having both Draft and Arena split the player base? Perhaps many Arena players only liked Arena, don't take to Draft, and will now be lost to the game?

I don't have any figures for how many play each mode or how many play multiple modes and how much, but CDPR should have. Perhaps they can determine if having separate Arena and Draft modes would be viable or not. Maybe this could be tested as part of the Draft beta process?

Personally, I would prefer to have both Arena and Draft modes to choose from, so that I could play the format I preferred depending on what sort of game I was in the mood for. They feel sufficiently different to me, at least as things stand. Both have their own appeal.

 

[Pacifixer]

After playing only draft for an entire season it's time to give some feedback
- some core cards are useless - Albrich, Malena, . . .
- you should not be able to get more than one thining pack
- some cards are too good to have more than one of them - i had a deck with 3 Dandelions and 2 Visogotas, very Very VERY easy 7 wins
- you should not be able to get more than 1 defender
- some combos should not be in the same pack - Dandelion+Visogota, Priscila+Helga, . . .
- you should not be able to make a deck consisting of cards from just 1 faction
- some packs (Radeyah) are bricked by default
- evolving cards shouldn't be already evolved
- if i choose a scenario as my core card, give me enough packs that proc it
- some cards should be core exclusive - Keltulis, Dandelion or Visogota, . . .
- would be nice to know which packs and cards are my choices going to unlock
- would be nice to draft 1 or 2 more packs and than remove some cards before playing
- you should never get more than one Roach or Knickers - INSANE red coin advantage, they should come as a pack of 1 Knickers, 1 Roach and some faction "wild" card (Aeliren, Affan, SY Ship, Morg, Winter Queen, . . . )

 

[vladmods]

Getting rid of Arena mode is just a bad idea by the developers. They could have make it co-exist with the new draft mode, so players like myself who mainly play Arena mode can still enjoy the game. Arena mode is fun because it's unpredictable and every game is unique and there's no way knowing your opponents cards are. I like the reward system as well since it provides me extra incentives to play the mode and play well.

Yes, I enjoyed Arena quite a lot. It was fun, even when I didn't get the 3 wins. The unpredictability was the best part of it all. I just can't get myself to play Draft, unfortunately.

 

[Jollyrogerxberg]

First impression: well this is a beta and it feels like it. fee and rewards should not be added at this point but after a 7/7 streak i want at least 50 ore, one keg or....something.
Packages are a nice idea but tend to go crazy. 3xRoaches pack is outa space. The fun of comboing different factions to get crazy stuff going is lost due to a "somewhat intelligent" sorting mechanism and still a lot of cards are just missing. If your card does not come in a predesinged package it is impossible to do some creative shit. I rather go construckted and play my own decks or decks created buy people who play and understand the meta (teams/metadecks) then those desinged by defs who have nice ideas but 000.1 insight in the game cause they kinda play it for 10min once every two or three months when they make a defstream. Saddest day of my gwent experience was seeing Slama and Burza struggle agaist the trainig Ki (u now the old arachnas deck they had. the one wich got changed to organic but without changing the KI deck or behavior...- yeah gimme more of your genius.)

sorry but is it just constructed tybe b - not a "different" experience anymore.

how to make it better: get some idea of the packs. either devide by gold/bronce packs and get a fix number or get wide
more packs in aprox even strength like one gold+ 2 bronce in every! pack. Don't give "winning" packs. Let the players search for the missing packs for their picks instead of going full facebook add. "you where looking at these shoes yesteday - here are more shoes and more and more"

 

[StanislavOZZO]

Saddest day of my gwent experience was seeing Slama and Burza struggle agaist the trainig Ki (u now the old arachnas deck they had. the one wich got changed to organic but without changing the KI deck or behavior...- yeah gimme more of your genius.)

hahaha, really? This is hilarious. Both masters of Gwent in action.

 

[Jollyrogerxberg]

ok. in the end they beat it . Guess it was reveal of Iron Judgement of Merchants. One of these def streams after or prior to the big overwhauls. Saddest thing wasn't their "lack of skill" it was actually the lack of knowledge or you could say lack of "idea" how their own game works. Iirc it was a match introducing "mahakam forge" as a new leader.