New Challenge game mode: Pre-game deck picks

**FDL** · 01-09-2012, 05:20 AM

Originally Posted by Wtzky

Me (Moonstalker

) vs Barcafan95 (Zhanna

)

Pre game I basically flipped a coin between Moonstalker

and Solo Ter Adun

. I thought I would be facing one of the top heroes in Logan, Amber

or Elad and Ter Adun

solo does well against almost everything bar Mages. In the end, I went with the more versatile Moonstalker

and kicked myself when I saw my match up.

-Wtzky on his pre-game mind game before his TJ Gauntlet finals

To me that's what lacking from the automatch scene, and not just in Shadow Era, but in gaming in general. You pick your deck before diving blindly in a pool of hundreds of opponents, each with numerous deck possibilities. Thus, the guy who wants to win most of his games (who can blame him) will go for a consistently strong setup (Eladwen

and Logan

in this meta). Result: less diverse matchup, cries of OPness, nerdrage.

In organised play, you have the advantage of knowing your opponent(s) in advance and can thus scout them, think your matchup over... basically try to make Sun Tzu proud. In the last Crown tournament, 6 different heroes made the final 8. Eladwen

and Logan

lost to eventual finalists Majiya

(winner) and Moonstalker

.

***
So in comes the new mode: Deck Draftpick.

Each player brings 3 decks to table. Each player can then protect one of its own deck and prevent the opponent from playing one of his. Players then secretly choose from the remaining decks the one they want to play.

Do you think this would lead to a more diverse/changing/rewarding metagame?

ps: this was inspired by DOTA-clone League of Legends (which I never played) Hero Draftpick mode (it is their only mode of Ranked play)
pps: the number of decks and the whole process were decided for illustration purposes
ppps: obviously, the original Challenge mode would remain.

**Helio** · 01-09-2012, 05:25 AM

Actually, I would prefer something simpler... show me who my random opponent is, then give me 60 seconds to swap cards in/out of my deck (except for the hero of course)

**FDL** · 01-09-2012, 05:31 AM

Yeah, a sideboard could also work. It's the same "spirit".

**Expected Value** · 01-11-2012, 03:50 AM

The deck draft you mention would definitely have more strategic richness than the current quick matches that we currently have. Such a format would also reward players for being versatile and knowing how to use different heroes and deck types. The remaining questions are:

Could and would the format be implemented well?
Would the format be popular?

I don't know the answers to the above questions. One format that I would really like to see is the random hero quick match:
-In order to click on random hero quick match you must have a saved deck for each hero
-One of those saved decks is randomly selected for each player

The benefits of a random hero quick match:
- Allows players to play low tier heroes in a competitive environment without suffering a disadvantage
- Leads to a variety of match-ups
- Rewards players for being able to build the best decks for every hero
- Rewards players for being able to play well with every hero
- Gives players more incentive to buy more cards, which is good for the game

The difficulties:
- New players or those who haven't acquired enough cards wouldn't even be able to play this format. Then again, this format would be for advanced players anyhow.

And FouDeLile, you're a Habs fan, eh? My Sens crushed the Penguins tonight. How did it go for the Habs against the Blues tonight?

**BDK16** · 01-11-2012, 04:07 AM

Originally Posted by Expected Value

And FouDeLile, you're a Habs fan, eh? My Sens crushed the Penguins tonight. How did it go for the Habs against the Blues tonight?

Yeah...Habs aren't doing to well this year. But we can still be fans!

Sorry for off-topic post

**Hazunia** · 01-11-2012, 04:12 AM

If you want to have an official tournament that would value peoples playing skill more than deckbuilding / choosing skill, then you need to use preconstructed decks that are tested to be balanced with each other instead of players own decks.

Downside to this is that you don't know exactly what your own cards are going to be, unless you're allowed to see them first.
On the upside, it's controlled and 100% fair to everyone with little to no luck involved in choosing your own deck. Also because it is controlled, it is possible to adjust deck strength accordingly to general hero strength.

**FDL** · 01-11-2012, 04:26 AM

I've always preferred pre-constructed/draft format. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of the 'collectible' part of CCGs.

@BDK, EV
I've been out of the country a while so I've been spared their mediocrity so far this year... but yeah, I can't help not feeling something when they score

(which they didn't do tonight

)

**Expected Value** · 01-14-2012, 11:41 PM

Originally Posted by Fou DeLile

I've always preferred pre-constructed/draft format. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of the 'collectible' part of CCGs.

@BDK, EV
I've been out of the country a while so I've been spared their mediocrity so far this year... but yeah, I can't help not feeling something when they score

(which they didn't do tonight

)

Tonight it is between the Senators and Montreal, this should be good.

**Andols** · 01-14-2012, 11:47 PM

I was looking yesterday to see if anyone every tried a "pick you opponents deck" tourney. I like odd matches and randomness. I think random hero quick matches would be a blast.