Blizzard’s game director for Hearthstone, Ben Brode has answered a bunch of questions in a YouTube video for WIRED. Check out the video below, and I’m going to round up some of the more interesting questions and answers below.
What are the chances we see cards ADDED to the Classic set?
“This is actually very high. The classic set was meant to set the baseline fantasy of Warcraft in the Hearthstone universe. I think we’ll bring some back. Maybe less powerful ones, ones that set the class fantasy really strongly and also give you an idea of what that class identity is. But I’m not sure what those would be just yet.”
If we have nerfs in the game, how about buffs?
“Generally nerfs happen when something is way out of proportion with the rest of the cards. Buffs imply that we want to get everything into this thin narrow band, which isn’t necessarily true. We want to create a challenge for players who really like to win with “bad” cards. We also like printing cards that, in the future, will make other cards better.”
Are there plans to make wild sets purchasable with in game gold?
“You can actually buy wild sets and adventures on our website through the battle.net shop. We are trying to keep the in-game shop very clean and simple. That said, there’s a lot of people asking for this and it’s something we would consider going forward.”
Is tournament mode going to have sideboard support?
“It’s not. But tournament mode is kind of a misnomer with our in-game tournaments we’re working on right now. It’s a specific implementation of competitive support for Hearthstone, specifically meant for you and your friends to get together and have a competitive experience.”
Will there be ways to get old card backs?
“YES. But if you just give them out, I think a lot of people will be very upset. We have to make the friction to achieve an old card back pretty high. If we make the friction too high, it could also make people feel upset. So, we have to figure out the right balance there and the right way to deliver those old card backs.”
Is Cubelock a concern or on your radar?
“YES. It’s a very skill-testing deck. Overall we have to figure out, is the power level too good? Is the next set going to have an impact on its performance? But we are looking at it.”
Has there ever been more thought to increasing deck size? Or perhaps making 60 card deck variant in its own separate game mode.
“We literally have tried this exact idea. Every game should feel different. The more cards you have in your deck the more different each game will play out. So, we actually tried a mode where you had 60 cards and they literally all had to be different. But it also had the effect where it’s harder to build a cohesive deck. So, I think it’s the kind of thing that might be fun for a tavern brawl or something to play with for a while, but not a core mode for the game. At least right now.”
Will you ever add a reward for fully leveling up your hero?
“Right now we have golden cards that as you level up your hero you get more and more. You earn your class cards first and then the elusive, basic neutral minions, and so you do get rewards all the way up to level 60. I think it’s one of our more satisfying progression systems.”
Will team 5 reverse some of the nerfs on other cards that are headed to wild?
“When we nerfed a bunch of cards going into the standard rotation, one of the biggest reasons was to make sure the standard environment had the ability to change over time. Molten Giant was specifically nerfed for that reason.”
