Overdraw/"Fatigue" System: change damage from flat to scaling

[eudaimonia]

As I’ve only discovered just this past week (from playing many Variax Control mirrors), Duelyst’s current “fatigue” system deals a flat 2 damage per every card overdrawn (e.g. 1st = 2 damage, 5th = 2 damage, 19th = 2 damage).

In contrast, Hearthstone’s “fatigue” system deals a scaling amount of damage per each card overdrawn (e.g. 1st = 1 damage, 5th = 5 damage, 19th = 19 damage, etc).

Now I would argue that Hearthstone’s fatigue system is phenomenally supportive of strategic play, as it adds a deeper and more skillful layer of resource management to heavy control mirrors. As such, I don’t see any downside to implementing said system in Duelyst, as the vast majority of the current meta (aggro/tempo) will never approach fatigue, and therefore a change would have no impact on the vast majority of players.

I understand that this would be a relatively small, “quality-of-life” improvement then, but I (and I hope others) would greatly appreciate an additional layer of depth. I’d even take this first over the Shadow Creep counter.

[maelrawn]

I’d honestly like Magic’s system more: if your deck is empty, and you try to draw from it, you lose. It prevents ridiculous pillowforting techniques and adds a sense of urgency to longer games, while also rewarding players who managed to do more on fewer cards.

[mmf]

I’ve only really experienced being pushed to 0 cards in deck once and boy was it something else. I like duelysts 2 dam per turn of overdraw because it really gives the player a sense of urgency in late game as gives them the chance to end the game even when out of cards

[eudaimonia]

To me, MtG’s system works for its deck size standards. In Duelyst, however, we’re working with 21 fewer cards, so the margin of punishment would be significantly higher (in my mind, too high). Besides, why reduce the nuance of strategic fatigue play? Fatigue play will be rare enough (as per CPG’s exponential drift towards “lightning-fast” gameplay) that it will only hurt control players unwilling to deepen their playstyle.

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@mmf Why not improve that sense of urgency (and reward the better player) by changing the overdraw damage to scaling?

[persona0]

Lost a close game to fatigue didn’t you lol
To u have to tech something in for mirror matches… The fatigue function is never seen and works fine imo

[zer0billion]

I finally found out what happens when you fatigue in this game, I didn’t even know until this post cuz it never happens.

[paralykeet]

Better suggestion imo is to implement the Scrolls system of “Cycling the deck” (reshuffling all cards in the graveyard back into the deck.) Hearthstone needs fatigue because of the Priest and Warrior being able to outheal and remove damage, but Scrolls is so tempo oriented that it would be moot for any sort of fatigue to exist.

[mmf]

IMO the 2 damage ping system works fine in determining urgency due to the fact that at that point both players would be at 10 or less health and that 2 damage ping allows for games to extend whilst also being at knife point due to the almost guaranteed 2 health loss. The scaling system has the same potential of urgency, but would end the game after the first turn of overdraw.