New Pre-game face off/coinflip (and comments on 3D leaders)...

[KoncertMajstor]

The screen where we used to see our leader cards is now replaced with an alpha looking screen of two 3d leaders standing in a void.

It's horribly ugly. I'm sad to say, and there's no nicer way to put it.​

I like this game, and a lot of the HC changes, but this is not right direction if you're looking to ues the Gwent/Witcher world aesthetic as a way to draw players in (which is one of the primary reasons I play). If this is a precursor to selling more leader skins, this was a bad idea.

Firstly, decoupling leaders from their powers was an odd decision, and it will make the game harder. People see a leader, and know what to expect. I made a post a long time ago on switching Brouver with Fillav because of theme... and the answer was no -- probably because it would confuse people. But things are going to be so much worse now. Looking at those icons and reading them before the game will now be essential, and it's not a good change. It makes the game far less streamlined -- especially if attracting and keeping new players is one of the directives.

Gwent beta had a nice feeling to it before where you felt like you were in a tavern playing some cards in some tavern (something Hearthstone got right -- Blizzard is doing a lot of things wrong lately, but mass appeal psychology is something they understand). Homecoming brought in the more detailed boards, along with 3D leaders. While I think the 3D leaders were fine for Thronebreaker, I don't like them in Gwent itself. I'd much rather have the leader cards just off to the side.
1. The art is beautiful on the cards.
1a. The 3D models are just so ... meh

The 3d models are serviceable on the board from a distance (very few actually look "great" -- with the worst ones being borderline bad). However, up close, now in the pre-game faceoff screen, it just looks awful, especially against the black void backdrop. It goes against what makes Gwent look great: the actual art (especially pre-Novigrad art).

I'm a big fan of the new boards being 3D -- they are getting better and better. But it feels like the game is going backwards visually in other important places. Curious to hear how others think about this, since I don't think there's an easy answer...
They've committed to having 3D leaders (especially now with sold skins), and I doubt there will ever be a way to go back to having leader cards which is better in many ways to me.

 

[4RM3D]

It's horribly ugly.

Truth be told, I do like the previous versus screen more. It was simple, yet stylish. Also, the 3D leaders aren't detailed enough to be used in a close-up like this.

 

[RyseAurellius]

I kind of like the new screen before the game starts off. I'm more interested in them balancing the game than the aesthetic side of things ( I think this patch is a step in the right direction balance wise ). I understand where you are coming from though. Decoupling the abilities from leaders was a little odd.

 

[ElricVIII]

Don't worry, it will look better on a phone screen. I'm betting the game is going to be catering to mobile a whole lot more since those people are much more likely to go for microtransactions.

 

[Draconifors]

The match start screen looked pretty cool IMO. I don't care if the visuals aren't super sharp or detailed or whatever; it's the full image (pun intended) that counts for me.

Abilities and Leaders being decoupled will take some getting used to and I'm currently undecided on whether I like it or not. I see the pros of it but can also understand why many players seem to dislike it.

 

[KoncertMajstor]

Don't worry, it will look better on a phone screen. I'm betting the game is going to be catering to mobile a whole lot more since those people are much more likely to go for microtransactions.

Exactly. The first thing that popped into my mind was mobile gaming when I saw it. I don't know why.. perhaps because of the cheap quality, but more something about the style of how it looks

I hope they revamp it there are plenty of ways to make mobile look good without looking cheap. It's odd though. Having 3d leaders seems to make mobile far more difficult. Since it requires more rendering and also takes up a ton of space on the screen.

 

[rrc]

I actually really like this new battle start screen, at least the concept. Leaders are not cards anymore and hence showing the cards pre-screen was not kind of appropriate. (Lets not discuss about "playing in a tavern feeling" thing, but only about the pre-battle screen). Whether the leader models look good is a different topic. May be they will improve on the graphics details, or do some cool stuffs.

My fiery looking Eithne's custom skin with the ST banner looks more natural and awesome for the pre-battle screen. Some leaders models look weird, I agree, but I think it is just the first implementation. It will be changed or made better, I am sure.

My only complaint is, why in the hell does the leader who loses the coinflip show their victory animation? When I was seeing the dev stream video itself, it was confusing for me. Jason was saying something like "the leader who is going to go first show their enthusiasm that I am going to attack first". I thought he got confused and wrongly said about the coinflip result.

@SlamaTwoFlags, please please change this. Everyone in Gwent knows that winning the coinflip means going second. Why would the leader who just lost the coinflip (and in some matchups already lost the game) show their victory animation? It should be leader who won the coinflip. Every time I lose the coinflip and my Eithne taunts as though she had won the first part of battles makes no sense at all. Whoever wins the coinflip, whoever goes second, should show that they have won the first step.

 

[KeldornOfLatria]

Every time I lose the coinflip and my Eithne taunts as though she had won the first part of battles makes no sense at all. Whoever wins the coinflip, whoever goes second, should show that they have won the first step.

You're right, but that would be confusing for new players.

 

[ashenaf92]

I prefered the leader cards over their 3D models on the face-off screen, and I hope they reconsider their decision to decouple the leaders from their abilities. After watching the 3.2 "patch notes" dev video, I understand why they want to do it but I honestly like it as it is. It gives the leaders more personality, and *it will be weird for King Foltest to use Arachas Queen's ability for example.

Nevertheless, i'm sure the game will be great no matter what they choose

*EDIT: I forgot abilities will be restricted to their respective factions but still, my point stands xD

 

[MU24bmw]

King Foltest won't be able to use Arachas Queen's ability. Abilities will be restricted to specific factions.
Though it will still be weird for Eredin to spawn Arachas drones...

 

[Mugen.]

I am not sure how they release it in the first place. I mean playtesters see it and said "that looks horrible", right? Then why releasing anyway. I don't care if i can show my skin or not, since it will look horrible in 3d anyway

And Gwent's 2D art is definitely gorgeous.

 

[ASSI-MILL-8R]

This screen was glaringly off to me when I first saw it. It just doesn't fit the design of the rest of the game at all. The huge 3D models look weird. Please update this design, I know its the least of their worries right now, but for aesthetics sake, I know the art department can do WAY better than this, it does look like some rushed design.

 

[Anciluart]

The idea is good, now they need to remove the downgrade on the 3d models (the original ones out of the game are to far better)

Also Svalblod needs a Bear themed skin, the radioactive potato is boring.

 

[MysticJoey]

3D leaders were always weird to me... If it's about buying skins, i'm pretty sure people would be buying unique versions of leader cards as well, and you can make a card way more unique than a 3D models skin.

 

[DRK3]

I was always against the damn 3d Leader models, and now things just got worse...

Just another great example of CDPR doing a new thing that nobody asked for, without asking the opinion of the community, then when it gets the backlash, it's already too late to back off.

The card art in Gwent is amazing, the one aspect where it beats all other card games and the one thing i've never been disappointed with in almost 3 years of this game. So stop ruining Gwent just to cater to the potential mobile market, who apparently like ugly ass models who look like they belong in a children's game, instead of beautifully, already rendered animated card arts.

 

[Jontk83]

New pre-game screen is simply ugly.. no other words to describe it.
It looks like an alpha release that is totally disconnected from the rest of the game.

I really wonder who's the fool making these decisions

 

[darkcult_]

New pre-game screen is not only ugly but also looks so amateurish in comparison with the rest of the game.
Hope they bring back animated leader cards back.

 

[Evangium]

Yep, seems quality control was not part of this update. Leader screens look like CDPR reskinned some models from the Witcher: Enhanced Edition. The black background really adds to that concept mock-up/early beta look many have commented on.

The left side of the board screen looks really cluttered with adition of leader symbols. The symbols themselves don't really add much as far as being the 'reminder' CDPR said they were for mulligan and card selection screens.

Updated artwork for some cards is still at the level of sloppy photoshop. If CDPR would like people to start spending money on the game, then they need to seriously lift their game. The time for resting on the laurels of TW2 and TW3 and soaking up all the good karma those titles generated for them is well and tuly past.

 

[thetruerenter]

To me the new design looks literary hazy at point of the 2 leaders aside on screen. It's not sharp. And some of the leaders look quite deformed at start. Like....Usurper. What's wrong with his hands?

 

[Bruele]

It s terrible... Very poor graphic.