GWENT: Ask a Dev

[CallMeHoot]

I feel like my question has kind of been half answered in another person's question/answer post.

What I want to know is if we get full mill value for "extra" card copies once Homecoming hits.

e.g. If I have 7 copies of Half-Elf Hunter and 2 copies of Old Speartip, when I click the "mill duplicates/extras" button will I get full mill value for them once Homecoming hits?

I think it's important to answer this question definitively because if the answer is "yes" then I will not scrap anything until after Homecoming hits, no matter how many packs I open (not that I'm even playing atm but that's by the by). If the answer is "no" then there is no point keeping duplicates and I can craft the cards I want as normal.

 

[Donjazmin]

Hi, I've been a fan of card games for a long time but something that i never found amusing was card packs (in gwent kegs) or currencies.

Any chance we might see a more straightforward possibility to buy cards, for example:

50 euros: Buy all monsters cards (without expansions)
25 euros: Upgrade all monsters cards to premium (if you have them).

The price are just an idea

 

[lakired]

I would wait and see the card design before passing judgment

Wouldn't an effective communication strategy be presenting these proposed changes (30 card deck, 2 bronze dupes, removal of tutors, hand size limit, etc) in the context of how the development team believes they will address some of the core issues facing Gwent?

"Homecoming" seemed to be a response to the misdirection the game took following the MWU, yet most of the core changes seem to be moving the game TOWARDS the MWU's core troubles: focus on tempo, lack of consistency, increased RNG.

If my interpretation is incorrect, wouldn't it be wise to assuage concerns by presenting the changes in a way that demonstrates how they actually emphasize strategic, skill-based play? I think I speak for many when I say I don't care even remotely what the game looks like at this point. I just want to know that our concerns post-MWU are being catered to, and that the dev team understands what makes its game great and are playing to its strengths rather than further deviating towards a more casual (and grossly over-saturated) market that it has no real chance to compete in.

TL;DR: Can we please get some insight into the dev team's thinking/justification for some of these core changes, and how it will improve an existing deficit of the game?

Thanks for taking the time to respond!

 

[thewarsend]

I have some questions as well;

1. Will you add an historic deck based on the lore? (there are characters like "Geoffrey Monck", "Jan Bekker" and so on)

2. Will there be alternate/upgradeable cards? (Imagine something like "Geralt of Rivia, Bellegarde" or "Geralt of Rivia, Butcher of Blaviken" or so on)

3. ....
Well, this one is a bit unrelated but we never get to ask these things directly.. Is there any possibility of a Wither 1 remaster? I always found it a bit sad that you guys would forsake the game that made this all possible. (especially since between Witcher 2 and 3 you almost have all the assets you could ever need to recreate it and even expand it faithfully.)

Ok, I don't imagine this last question being that popular or having a positive answer but I really really really loved Witcher games and I really needed to ask.

 

[apostleofzion]

Hi gwent team
Some questions

1. Information on HC will be given only via videos?
2. How many info videos are planned before HC release?
3. Duration for closed PTR and open PTR?
4. If there is delay for HC will you consider releasing thronebreaker later to deliver HC on time?
5. You told weeks back, after a month you will know progress status on HC and confirm if there is a delay on HC release. So can you confirm during challenger?
6. Will you not answer questions in reddit as compared to this forum?

Hope the devs can figure out a streamlined communication strategy so that it reduces back and forth.

 

[TheNotoriousThree]

Are we going to be getting new avtars before, after or with Homecoming? I know for a fact that you guys have already created a bunch of new ones and I can't wait to unlock or buy every single one.

 

[Emperor_Plum]

Hey Gwent team!

You mentioned that the game will get back to a "Darker style" Will the card descriptions be more "vulgar"like in the Witcher 3 gwent ?
As i understood in the letter , you guys are making the game more strategic and not a "mindless number game" wich im really happy about so my question is: Will gold immunity return? (I liked that waaaay more)

Will there be an alpha or beta version of hc or you guys just deliver the finished game?
Thanks for answering Burza!

Good luck


-Michael

 

[BenShanBigBig]

Some questions from Chinese gwent forum
1. After HC, will there be some decks like 40 NR, which has a very high upper limit, but a very low lower limit?
2. Will there be some cards like Brouver Hoog who can play many units from deck? I hate this card very much. It is almost bound to Barclay Els. This cambo is boring.

 

[Burza46]

On the topic of milling collections, would it be possible for the game to auto-mill cards where appropriate (triplets, cards removed from the game), allow players to retain the rest of their card collection and provide full mill value for all cards for an interval of time after Homecoming release?

If it is done this way players don't have to "rebuy" their collections but can still adjust them around the changes as necessary.

Not an option I'm afraid. We're milling the full collection. If we have a limited time for full mill value, some players might not make it in the give time period and then not have the option to mill for full value.

 

[Burza46]

What will be the perspective of the new board? Will it still be static top-down view with 3D Elements or how will it look like?

You'll see it in due time

 

[Burza46]

I have question about full mill value after Homecoming and how you will handle this. You said on the polish ask a dev that probably we will get only 100% scraps and no dust for milled premium cards. You also said that we will have to craft again our whole collection so it is even more worrying if it is just 800/200/80/30 scraps instead 1600/800/400/200 for premium cards.

So will we get the amount needed to craft premium so e.g. 1600/800/400/200 scraps for premium gold/silver/rare/common card like it was few months ago or just 800/200/80/30 scraps?

Probably it is just a miscommunication. I can only imagine how some players who have already full premium collection would be really mad about this one.

For premiums you'll get scraps as well as meteorite powder.

 

[Burza46]

Hi Pawel! I have a question regarding the board visuals. If I recall correctly, when you announced Homecoming you said that the board will resemble battlefield rather than tavern table,so my question is : Will board have battlefield or tavern feel,like having some coin and wine beside board for tavern feel, or having sound of swords clashing against swords and some battle animations beside board for battlefield feel?
Thanks in advance!

It feels like a proper battlefield, not a gaming table.

 

[Burza46]

Hi, Burza!
As you said, our whole cards collection will be transformed to only scraps after homecoming, does it mean that you are going to remove the dust system and only the scrap system will be left?

Scraps plus meteorite powder when we mill the collection

 

[Burza46]

Will the game still have these multiple versions of cards for same characters? For example. Geralt : Igni, Geralt : Aard etc?

If so, are you planning to have different voicelines for different cards, or will it remain the same?

There will be different versions of cards for the main protagonists. About voicelines we shall see.

 

[Burza46]

Is there plans for a guaranteed rare card week before Homecoming or did you decide it would be a one off? thanks.

If there will be one, we'll let you know, nothing more I can share at this time.

 

[Burza46]

Hi!
Got two more questions

1. Since the start we've seen cards becoming more and more restricted - the clearest case was priestess of Freya that now only resurrects bronze soldier. As you know, many cards have had a similar restriction to their flexibility. This has been undeniably necessary from a balance-perspective, but at the same time has made deck building feel less exciting. With Homecoming, have cards become more flexible or have they become more restricted? Are there any new mechanics that makes cards more flexible in how they can be used?

2. With Homecoming, are there more/many ways to interact with your own hand (and maybe even your opponents) so that you can adjust your strategy as the match goes on? (more swapping, handbuff-like interactions, etc.)

1. You'll always have cards witch give some type of restriction in any card game, GWENT is no exception.
2. You will have hand interaction too soon to say if more or less.

 

[Burza46]

First of all I'd like to thank the whole gwent team for taking the risk of HC to deliver the game we all want to see and I would gladly wait for years for that to happen if it comes to that .

I have one small request regarding cards that had triptych art like BSC and Temerian infantry ..etc if you kindly give us the better looking pieces of art since the ones we have now are arguably the least good looking of the bunch especially the Temerian infantry imho

Noted, but can't promise anything

 

[Burza46]

1. What part of all cards is going to have activateable abilities? Is it the majority?
2. How many unique mechanics/abilities will each faction have?
3. Are leaders going to get unique borders or will they keep gold borders?
4. Are locks going to still exist with homecoming, if so then how will you ensure they become more useable/relevant?
5. Out of all the cards that you have prepared for Homecoming so far, which SINGLE ONE is your favourite? (No need for ability as that'd be too much leeks, just which card)
6. Does the entire team participate in playtesting Homecoming and Thronebreaker?
7. Is deckbuilding still going to include the resource system you had planned? Won't that make deckbuilding more expensive, as Gwent is known to be one of the cheapest/most f2p friendly card games?
8. Have you decided on Thronebreaker pricing and purchase options as well as how the 20 multiplayer cards will be handled yet?
9. What is the next faction's "faction shape"? (like how NR has triangle, Nilfgaard has a sun shape, Monsters have a diamond etc.)
10. How many more questions do I need to ask to get into Homecoming PTR? (not a serious question UNLESS IT IS)

Once again thank you for all answers and I hope you are having a nice day no matter which day it is!

1. Not the majority
2. We'll see
3. Leaders will look totally differently
4. Locks will exist
5. Pavko Gale - his new ability is a bit OP
6. Not entire for sure, most don't have time since they are working on the project, we have designers and QA for testing
7. Yes, it won't make deckbuilding more expensive.
8. No
9.
10. Less is best

 

[Burza46]

Hi.
1. Will carryover cards remain in homecoming? If yes...
2. Will we see carryover archetype? Will it get some love?(strong enough to be cometitive but not OP to the point where people demand to remove it). I miss old dwarves

3. Will weather be changed?

1. We will limit carryover
2. Most likely not
3. To a certain degree, but not a lot, but this is still being worked on

 

[Burza46]

Hey Pawel! Thanks so much for so diligently answering all our questions!
My favorite archetype of all times is NG Spies. I've been playing it since NG was introduced in CB. Will NG Spies still be a thing in Homecoming?

We'll see, can't answer just yet.