Whereas stove Known for competitively focused card games, Blizzard has re-contextualized some of its mechanics to create an engaging side mode. is there anyone battlefieldWhich plays similarly to auto-battler games teamfight strategy And mecabellum, Since this mode first appeared in 2019, it has been a 1v1 competitive experience where players try their best to win a best-of-eight tournament. At BlizzCon 2023, Blizzard unveiled hearthstone battlegrounds duosA new version of the mode that makes it as collaborative an experience as it is competitive.
Although this mode won’t officially come to the game until early next year, it was playable at BlizzCon 2023. spoke to its developers in a group Q&A at the event. During that conversation, we learned from Ally battlefield Game designers Michelle Loewen and Jia Di explain the origins of the mode, its similarities battlefield‘The current Solos mode, and how the team made sure its design wasn’t too overwhelming for new players.
raise the battlefield
battlefield There is a mode where players purchase minions each round, set their attack order and how their hero’s power will be used, and then watch the battle unfold automatically. A player loses when his health reaches zero, and players continue playing until they win a best-of-eight tournament. battleground duos Adds another player to the mix, meaning people must work together to strategize and deal cards to each other as they try to be the best team of two out of a pool of eight players.
Essentially, teams want to structure their turns so that their allies can outrun their opponents and they can damage the other team’s shared health level. battleground duos It will feature some special heroes and minions and will let players communicate with a new ping system stove, As for what happens if your partner quits mid-match, Loewen told that Blizzard is exploring its options so that people who don’t quit aren’t penalized.
In a group Q&A, the developers revealed that the idea emerged during a hackathon that stove The team occasionally continues to develop new ideas for card games. It was an extraordinary creation of the event, so Blizzard decided to go ahead and turn it into a full mode. Of course, the process isn’t as simple as adding another player to an already existing mode. Dee told that a lot of experimentation took place in terms of how health and armor worked between two players, whether players should fight at the same time, and how passing cards between players worked.
According to Loewen, he kept it in Duos rather than attempting a Trios or Quads mode because “it’s much easier to strategize when you only have two boards in mind.” Ultimately, Blizzard wants battleground duos To make its fans feel familiar stove Side Mode, making it an excellent place for its players to introduce their friends to the concept.
“When we were working on Duos, we wanted to keep the experience as familiar as possible for players because there’s a whole new dynamic to it, given that you’re playing with another person,” Loewen told . Playing.” “We want to try to create an experience with as many constants as possible, so we’re keeping the same eight-player count, keeping the same general health damage system, as well as keeping very similar minion pools. This is really important so that if you’re coming into this mode and you’re bringing some friends along, you don’t have to suddenly explain everything again.
fitting in with solos
There’s one thing potential players might want to clarify when it comes to minion pools, which is battleground duo There will be compatibility with pre-existing minions, given that the mode is introducing a lot of new cards. Developers say it’s best to think solo battlefield Minions as a “subset” of what’s available battleground duosWhich will have heroes with their own new minions and abilities that won’t work in a Solos match.
“You can think of the Solos pool as a subset of the Duos pool,” Dee explained to . “None of the exclusive minions from Duos are available in Solos, but all Solos minions – if we can help it – are available in Duos. This is what it is today: Same as live pool, plus Duos exclusive minions.”
Loewen said Blizzard will have the ability to ban solo cards battleground duos If the need arises, however, that probably won’t last until the mode launches. He also teased that after launch, any updates made to the solo version of Battlegrounds “will be mirrored”. Pairs, They are planning to introduce more new heroes and henchmen battleground duos At the same time, as Dee believes, the heroes currently exposed for it are “only scratching the surface of the kind of things we can do.” Ultimately, the goal is to create battleground duos A long-term mode that can bring new people to both stove And the popular side mode.
“I have a lot of experience in board games – that’s where a lot of my background comes from – and what I’ve found is the best way to teach people how to play any game is to ‘be friends.’ It’s one of the most effective ways to bring people into that experience,” Loewen said. “It’s happened many times, even though I work on the game and I know it inside and out, I have friends, and it’s hard to get them involved. As a first-time experience, it’s a little scary. But if I can be in the game with them, we’re having fun together, and it’s a lot easier for them to learn because you get that shared enthusiasm, you get that shared enthusiasm, and you’re helping each other. Can.
stove Available for PC, iOS and Android. battleground duos Will be added to the game sometime in early 2024.
Disclosure: Blizzard Entertainment paid for accommodation so could attend BlizzCon 2023.
