GWENT: Ask a Dev

[Burza46]

Hey Burza, first of all, thank you so much for all these small leeks. I just had a small question.
Will the "handpicked players" for Closed PTR be chosen from players above a specific player ranking, and if so, can we get a hint at what that will be?
Bonus Hard Question: I know you probably can't answer that one but hey, can we get an estimated month for Closed PTR?

As for closed PTR, we always have the same pool of players, which we worked with before. Can't share dates ATM.

 

[Burza46]

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.

Yes, full mill for all cards.

 

[Burza46]

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

Not planned ATM.

 

[Burza46]

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!

Context will we provided when we start unveiling homecoming assets.

 

[Burza46]

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.

1. Not planned right now
2. Not with Homecoming for sure
3. Not planned ATM

 

[Burza46]

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.

1. Videos and maybe news posts, first we need to show the first video.
2. Not sticking to a number for sure
3. Can't share details
4. We'll cross that bridge when we get there
5. Well, we'll have to wait and see
6. No, Reddit is not our official channel of communication

 

[Burza46]

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.

We'll see

 

[Burza46]

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

• The game will have a darker feel, but it won't be The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
• Gold immunity won't return
• There might be an open PTR, but I would wait and see

 

[Burza46]

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.

1. Probably not
2. There will be less tutor cards in the game

 

[Arnachad]

Hey Burza

1. Is it because leek season spans from October to January that you do not want to give use leeks? Because they would be unripe?
2. On a more serious note, are you not afraid that less tutors will ruin reliability? As you cannot draw your entire deck but only 13 cards (+a bit of mulligan, and a few drawing effects), if there are fewer tutors, do you not fear that it will limit deckbuilding, as you won't be able to make a deck based on one card to win (current Kambi comes to mind)?
3. Will card advantage be such a deciding factor with Homecoming (like one card up means win most of the time)? Or will we see more decks, kind of like Consume, that can and must afford card disadvantage to get a better lategame?

 

[NightElemental]

As for closed PTR, we always have the same pool of players, which we worked with before. Can't share dates ATM.

So there is no way for players who haven't been in a previous close PTR to get inside this one?

 

[rrc]

Dear Burza,
Can you please tell us honestly what is the algorithm/logic in which the cards options are given in Arena? Specifically, my questions are:
1) The option of Gold or Silver or Bronze, is it completely random?
2) Among the choices, each of the choices, are they completely random?
3) I have a feeling that the choices presented (in both levels, the color of the cards and the cards themselves) are dependent on our previous choices (at least to some very minimal level). Is my hunch correct?

Because, for example, if I choose one special card initially, then I am kind of forced to choose a lot of special cards (with all other options being junk). It has happened quite a few times.

 

[BenShanBigBig]

Will there be some avatars and avatar borders specifically for those who are still playing before HC？

 

[rrc]

Dear Burza,

When you first informed about full-mill for HC, you kind of hinted that we will only get scraps. A premium gold will yield 1600 scraps. But your latest information says we will get both scraps and powder. So, my questions is, what would a premium gold yield when you auto-mill? 800 scraps + 400 powder? Or 1600 scraps? or 1600 scraps and 400 powder (it is OK to be greedy right? )?

 

[Burza46]

Hey Burza

1. Is it because leek season spans from October to January that you do not want to give use leeks? Because they would be unripe?
2. On a more serious note, are you not afraid that less tutors will ruin reliability? As you cannot draw your entire deck but only 13 cards (+a bit of mulligan, and a few drawing effects), if there are fewer tutors, do you not fear that it will limit deckbuilding, as you won't be able to make a deck based on one card to win (current Kambi comes to mind)?
3. Will card advantage be such a deciding factor with Homecoming (like one card up means win most of the time)? Or will we see more decks, kind of like Consume, that can and must afford card disadvantage to get a better lategame?

1. Not true, but ok
2. With the current design I don't think so, we got into a point where we had a tutor fiesta
3. It will play a role, as always

 

[Burza46]

So there is no way for players who haven't been in a previous close PTR to get inside this one?

Some might, but this is geared towards the pro-players and streamers.

 

[Burza46]

Dear Burza,
Can you please tell us honestly what is the algorithm/logic in which the cards options are given in Arena? Specifically, my questions are:
1) The option of Gold or Silver or Bronze, is it completely random?
2) Among the choices, each of the choices, are they completely random?
3) I have a feeling that the choices presented (in both levels, the color of the cards and the cards themselves) are dependent on our previous choices (at least to some very minimal level). Is my hunch correct?

Because, for example, if I choose one special card initially, then I am kind of forced to choose a lot of special cards (with all other options being junk). It has happened quite a few times.

The cards are randomly generated, that's all I know.

 

[Burza46]

Will there be some avatars and avatar borders specifically for those who are still playing before HC？

Don't know yet.

 

[Burza46]

Dear Burza,

When you first informed about full-mill for HC, you kind of hinted that we will only get scraps. A premium gold will yield 1600 scraps. But your latest information says we will get both scraps and powder. So, my questions is, what would a premium gold yield when you auto-mill? 800 scraps + 400 powder? Or 1600 scraps? or 1600 scraps and 400 powder (it is OK to be greedy right? )?

800 scraps + 400 powder

 

[sleepyhead062]

Hello Burza,
Any estimation on the length of thronebreaker in its current scope? If you can't reveal specifically then even a vague number will do.
Good luck to you and your team on the way to HC!

Edit: Another question if I may, will it be possible to access the campaign offline or will it be always online? I asked this to you before in an AMA and you said you guys will see. Any update on that?