With Heroes 2.0 comes the new loot system, but is the new loot system a boom or bust for all players? Pro’s and the community chime in so let’s take a look!
Loot 2.0
In case you missed the announcements, Heroes is running their Heroes 2.0 beta test right now and with it comes an entirely new loot system. So what's the difference?
Now, on top of receiving gold as normal, every time you level a Hero you will receive a loot crate with random prizes like skins, heroes, sprays, emoji, banners, and portrait art. on top of that there are now three currencies; gold, shards, and gems. Gems are essentially the premium currency, shards are used for crafting specific items you want, similar to Hearthstone's dust system, and gold is now used to unlock heroes and reroll loot crates you aren't happy with.
What's the Catch?
The new loot system is not without its perils as expressed well in this Reddit post. With the new crates comes randomness. Although there's tons of free new content being thrown around, there are plenty of nay-sayers on Reddit, like here, here, and here. Meanwhile, you have a handful of proponents on Reddit like here, here, and here.
Even pros and castors are chiming in thru Twitter and Youtube:
Opinion wrap-up
It seems everyone has an opinion on the new Loot 2.0. Let's take a look at what some pros and casters have to say next.
Hidden Gems in 2.0
Embracing randomness: The new loot crates make for lots of uncertainty, and people say they don't like uncertainty. And at the same time, Google "Hearthstone card pack opening" or "Overwatch loot crate opening" and it's pretty quick to see that people also LOVE the uncertainty of opening presents and unknown prizes. Nothing is guaranteed in life and our inner wiring reflects this.
Diversity in communications: With the introduction of emoji, sprays, banners, and portrait art, something interesting is starting to happen. Players are being more expressive. Chat feels more friendly. Kills and taunts are more light-hearted.
Unexplored vistas for Free 2 Play: In the old system, free to play players had no way to unlock many of the in-game mounts and skins. In the new system, you might open one of these skins in a loot crate, or perhaps you'll save up shards for that one great skin or mount you've always wanted.
Enriched Lore: Whether you have been a Blizzard fan since the original Diablo days or whether you're brand new, by adding tons of new art assets, Blizzard has enriched the Blizzard gaming experience, serving up to players the chance to relive those great moments in art, or experience them for the first time. Community art and past art, potentially collecting dust and unseen for years, now has the chance to be venerated and celebrated. If there's one thing that separates Blizzard from other companies its their dedication to a sense of community and culture. Hell, there are professional cosplay artists for a reason. We care about tradition and aesthetics.
Sportsmanship. Open for business: Sprays mark the first time in Heroes of the Storm that a player can communicate directly to the enemy team. In the past B-stepping became a thing as a way to express some sort of "In your face" or "well played!" but now with sprays you can very easily let others know how you feel by throwing down your favorite GG or Popcorn spray. Now no one can guarantee that players won't try to use these tools poorly (thank goodness for a reporting system,) but, for the rest of us, this marks a great chance to bring a little more flair and clarity to our expressions.
Mini-Wins: Banners now act as small 'wins' as objectives are taken. Who doesn't like winning more? Losing is a part of every zero-sum game. Losing can feel bad. Especially in those games where you're behind, getting these little pieces of recognition can make a big difference so a sense of accomplishment. Small victories count and banners help emphasize that. Besides they look cool!
Hero's changing shape and feel
No doubt, these adjustments to how players acquire loot changes the feel of the game and what items mean to us. Many players have expressed unhappiness that master skins can be randomly opened as prizes while they may have worked years to earn the same skin. This will leave some players scrambling for a way to express their prestige and hard work, or simply unhappy about the whole affair.
At the same time, by making all these past skins available, cosmetics get ushered into the purely cosmetic space, and to some extent, freeing up the design space. If anyone can now have my master skin without 'earning it' I don't feel pressured to wear my Master Skin Gazlowe to show my dedication to him. All hail the church of Gazlowe btw. Perhaps Blizzard will introduce master sprays, banners, or glows? Hypu!
In Conclusion
While seeming scary to many and definitely changing the feel of the items, the new loot system presses forward a newer, fresher view on playing the game. The biggest mystery isn't what's in that next Loot Crate, but how people will feel about the new Loot 2.0 in two months.
