Issue: Exploit
Severity: Game Breaking
Players Effected: All
Game Type: Meltdown
Meltdown in Shadow Era is a game type that I have recently become interested in but have also come to despise. The concept is intriguing. You get a few random cards, and you do what you can with them to hopefully come out on top. However, due to recent in game experiences, I have come to believe that the game type is not being played fairly nor is it being played the way that it was originally intended among many players in game. The game mode is unfair and exploitable in its current iteration.
First, the game mode is unfair. I say this due to the time required to find a "competitive" card combination. Having a selection of 4 packs from among each card series (currently 3 different series) allows up to 12 different unique combinations. Each combination yields a different set of heroes and a different set of cards. Users can choose which set among the twelve that they think is best to build their deck. There are 60 cards per set to choose from. That means in order to find "the best" combination, a player needs to sift through 720 cards. That is something that might be acceptable for someone with a lot of free time on their hands, but it is truly unfair for casual players.
Secondly, it is exploitable. The spirit of meltdown, as said earlier, is to take a random set of cards and do your best with them. Casual players like myself tend to pick the first card set they come upon with a decent set of allies and a hero that they like. However, the hardcore players will sift among the 720 cards from the 12 combinations I mentioned earlier. That in itself isn't a bad thing. However, those hardcore players are searching for unbeatable card combos, not just a "pick a few cards and go" type of game. If they sift through 720 cards and can't find what they're looking for, guess what they can do? They can start a game and then exit the game quickly before another player joins. This gives them a new set of 720 cards to sift through so that they can find their unbeatable Meltdown deck. This is exploitation of the system and defeats the spirit of meltdown.
In conclusion, Meltdown in its current iteration is broken. Players with a lot more time than casuals can sift through sets of 720 cards one after another until they find unbeatable card combinations. Doing so gives those with more time an unfair advantage in the Meltdown game type and goes against the spirit of what Meltdown is supposed to be. It isn't random if you get to "choose" your cards by exploiting the game mechanics, and it isn't fun for casual users and those playing in the true spirit of Meltdown to be preyed upon by a few "hardcore" players.
I personally believe that players in Meltdown should be assigned a singular random set of 60-120 cards per completed game to choose from. That set should not be "refreshable" until a full game has been played and completed. Doing so would keep in the spirit of randomness and fun that is supposed to be what Meltdown is all about. It would also be less susceptible to exploitation.
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