About the cards... well... this "create" thing annoys the hell out me . This is not hearthstone, please, don't destroy Gwent identity in ame of copying a mechanic from other game.
It's not copying. HS did it better with the "discover mechanic". You could keep the card for later. In fact create could be useful if you kept your created card in your hand, then played a card from your hand, even the one you just created. That way you are at the same number of cards that you are supposed to be and create can actually be a bit more useful than mindless RNG
In general, about the patch, well:
+ Deck Builder
+++ Moonlight
D )
+ most of the new cards (Hym, NR Cursed, Alchemy Nilfgaard)
+ reconnection system
+ lacerate animation
- weather (especially Raghnar Roog which took a serious blow)
- all effects except lacerate
- clunky card placement, it feels like they are all thrown onto the board.
- Removal of Atmosphere all together. Poor Woodland spirit. Its tokens are now spawned all simultaneously, no howling in the background, nothing. This killed me a little bit. When the Leshen was dropped onto the board, it was actually a fearsome moment, what it did was amazing visually and in terms of audio
- Oversimplification of cards that actually were meaningful. Now Schiru is more powerful than ever and I hate him. Whereas when you had to transform a card in your hand into Scorch, he was AMAZING! Trollololo too and so many others
- Shortening of names. This seriously bugs me. Tibor....his name is Tibor Eggebracht. Emhyr is Emhyr var Emreis dammit!
- Create mechanic (I only hope the new mode all the create cards are meant for is worth it)
- bugs
- and probably more things, that I forget.
Overall, the patch gets 3/10 for me, with a 5/10 being something that made no change to the better or the worst for me. So it's a bit worse. Moonlight right now is the only reason I keep playing. I don't even like playing with the spy deck with that stupid damaging effect anymore.