At the last BlizzCon, some of the early design ideas for HearthStone were shown. It was already clear back then that Blizzard’s card game was by no means as well thought out from the start as it seems today. At this year’s GDC, Senior UI Designer Derek Sakamoto shared some insights and showed us early images from previous versions.
HearthStone with Single Player Campaign
In a very early phase of the project, it was not yet clear where exactly the focus of the game should be. Was it preferable to create an exciting single-player experience? Did it need an exciting campaign?
Back then, both questions would surely have been answered with “Yes”. An initial mode of the game envisioned that the player would progress step by step through all of Azeroth. They would start in the Elwynn Forest and unlock new areas with each battle won, where new cards and challenges awaited, functioning much like quests in WoW. This idea was discarded relatively early – by the way, the whole game was written in Adobe Flash back then!
Complex, More Complex, the Chain
A few years ago, it was also uncertain how complex HearthStone was meant to be. At the time, there were still mechanics like “the chain”. Players of Magic or the original “Warcraft Trading Card Game” surely understand this term. Each time the opponent played a card, one could respond directly with a card. If Player A played a minion, Player B could destroy it with a spell in the same turn – unless Player A also had an ability that would counter Player B’s spell as a reaction.
What is a great enhancement for dynamics and strategic planning in the offline world would have only hindered the online game. Ultimately, a clear distinction between “My turn” and “Your turn” was made – with the only exception of secrets, which the opponent cannot control specifically.
A whole game just as an interface
The developers of HearthStone quickly realized that the user interface (UI) basically makes up the entire game. There is no real world in which players can move. This realization results in everything in the large “box” of the game having its own place.
For example, the selection screen for the 9 classes was taken. Everything here is firmly anchored, and the entire design is centered around the hero portraits. At some point, the idea might come to create a new class – but the interface is not designed to be “extendable”, but rather tailored to the current state.
Immersion before utility
Although HearthStone is ultimately “just” a card game, the aim was to create an immersive atmosphere. This should already happen in the loading screen. In the current version, you see the entrance of an inn – immediately after loading, you are welcomed by the innkeeper and zoom in on “the box” in which HearthStone is located. Within this box, everything has its own place; it should feel like you need to unfold the different areas to access them.
It is admitted that this decision was not well received by some players. For example, if you want to change a single card in your deck during the “Curse of Naxxramas” expansion, it takes quite a few clicks because you cannot directly jump to the “Collection”. The motto at HearthStone is “Immersion before utility,” but still prioritizes “Gameplay over everything else”.
In summary, it can be said that the development of the million-dollar success initially took many different directions before the right path was found. Additionally, the current title sounds much cooler than “Warcraft Legends – Fire and Ice,” what do you think?
