Hearthstone has often received quite a bit of flak due to the perceived effect that RNG, which stands for Random Number Generation, also used as the acronym for the element of randomness in a game, has on gameplay. One cannot deny the effect that RNG has on Hearthstone, between piloted minions, Ragnaros, Dr. Boom, and the innate RNG of the draw that Hearthstone has as a TCG. But the issue is how much of an effect does RNG have on Hearthstone? Is it overbearing? Or does it not matter? RNG has a non-trivial effect on all aspects of Hearthstone, from individual classes, to the matchmaking and ladder system, to deckbuilding, to arena drafts, and to highest level of gameplay in world-class tournaments, RNG has a not-so hidden effect on all aspects of Hearthstone.



The Effect of RNG on Individual Classes

Each class has its own level of RNG, from the seemingly straightforward class of Priest, to the RNG infested class of Shaman. In fact, Shaman has been criticized for being overly reliant on RNG due to its hero power and very potentially powerful spells such as Lightning Storm and Crackle. I spoke with Gaarabestshaman to talk about the relationship that Shaman has with RNG:







BBV2: Gaara, you're best known for your shaman, a class many people say requires good luck for it to be viable, how dependent do you think shaman is on RNG?

Gaara: Right now Mech shaman is the most consistent shaman list and it doesn't require too much RNG besides the classic card draw RNG. Sometimes, you need a high crackle roll to finish off your opponent. The Standard list requires more RNG in certain situations, because you rely on a high lightning storm damage roll or a totem roll. The different totems you can get each turn is the biggest RNG factor of the shaman class, since every totem has a completely different use



BBV2: How has its dependence on RNG changed through the release of GvG and BRM?

Gaara: With GVG many RNG cards like the infamous Dr. Boom have been released. That card is still played in most decks, so automatically RNG has grown with that expansion by a lot. BRM didn't include any RNG cards, so with that expansion the RNG dropped.



BBV2: There are 2 main types of RNG in this game, the RNG of the draw, and the RNG of the cards themselves, do you think that shaman, compared to other classes, has more variance when it comes to the RNG of the draw?

Gaara: Shaman usually plays many low cost damage spells/removals. And half of the deck consists of minions. If you draw the wrong part of your deck you are stuck with a hand of only spells or minions and you never want that as Shaman, you always want to have a good mix of both. I think that shaman is very reliant on card draw RNG.



BBV2: Should the wide variance of RNG in Shaman be normalized?

Gaara: I don't know. Blizzard's intentions are to make the game casual friendly and having a class with a lot of RNG might be fun for the newer players? From an Esports perspective they should normalize it or give shaman better cards to compete with the other classes. I think that overload is a bad mechanic and holds shaman back more than RNG.



BBV2: What expectations do you have for Blizzard as they release new sets with regards towards solving this RNG issue?

Gaara: Expansions like BRM are great. Strong new cards for building amazing decks with no RNG effects.



As we can see, while Shaman may not be completely reliant on RNG, RNG still has an unhealthy effect on Shaman's deckbuilding, especially since midrange and control Shaman are dependent on cards such as crackle and lightning storm to clear, and especially early on in the game, good crackle and lightning storm RNG can make or break the game versus aggressive decks. And in fact, the current meta Shaman deck is one that obviates itself of the majority of cards from which Shaman draws its class identity, I believe that Shaman mechanics need to be looked at by Blizzard so that the potentially frustrating playstyle of Shaman can be remedied.



The Effect of RNG in Arena

Arena is the home of the majority of the Free-to-Play player base of Hearthstone. Due to the lack of consistency and synergy that arena drafts have when compared to constructed decklists, RNG cards such as the Bomber series, among other cards, can have a huge impact in games, sometimes carrying mediocre drafts to a high number of wins. But how much of an impact does RNG have on arena? We talked with the guru of bad RNG himself, Octavian “Kripparrian” Morosan, on the effect of RNG in arena:







BBV2: So Kripp, in the game of Hearthstone there are 2 main types of RNG, the RNG of the draw and the RNG built into the cards, however in arena, which you are famous for, there's a third type of RNG, the RNG of the cards drafted. How has the RNG of the draft and the RNG of the draw changed over time?

Kripp: With cards constantly being added to the pool, it's always getting less likely to draft the best imaginable deck. This saturation process affects the classes that have the strongest & the weakest base and common cards, which tends to bring the classes closer to each others power level. It also has made it so you have to play around many more cards, and thus made the draw potentially much more significant.





BBV2: Have classes been disproportionately affected by the RNG in the game over time? and if so, how?

Kripp: With annoying small & often RNG based creatures dominating the early few turns, the game has evolved into a form where Arcane Missiles will often do more than Frostbolt to clear a board. As a result, people pick cards like Arcane Missiles, Bombers, and Lobbers more frequently and it punishes classes with minion hero powers, while buffing classes with damage hero powers.





BBV2: Should the RNG of this game, in terms of draw and built in RNG, be normalized?

Kripp: Hearthstone has its own identity and part of that is its RNG system. I feel changing that will make it into a different game. People often talk about how they want a fully skill based game, but how many people get excited about and watch chess on Twitch?





BBV2: Was the release of GvG a mistake, so to say?

Kripp: No. GvGs randomness makes for a better viewer experience.





BBV2: looking forward, what expectations do you have from blizzard in terms of handling this rng issue?

Kripp: The amount of RNG in the game is about enough. I expect they won't have another GvG like expansion as that may be a bit too much.



Kripp, contrary to Gaara, feels that the level of RNG in the game is at a fine point, in regards to arena at least. Dr. Boom may be the terror of constructed, but in Arena you can go through several drafts without receiving a legendary at all! And Kripp is correct in saying that GvG did provide a lot more excitement for the game when compared to previous expansions due to the huge amount of possible game outcomes that were now instituted into the game. But due to the draft nature of arena, it is not as common to see cards such as Piloted Shredder and definitely Dr. Boom, and as a result, the RNG explosion that was added with GvG was softened by the nature of arena. However, Blizzard does have to be mindful to not incorporate too many RNG effects with new expansions.



The Effect of RNG in Ladder and the Constructed Meta

Constructed decks are rife with cards that include RNG: Implosion, the aforementioned doctor and shredders, Animal Companion, Brawl, Thoughtsteal, Unstable Portal, knife juggler, and Mind Control Tech; however this list is definitely not exhaustive. But is this RNG controlled for deckbuilding? And how does the issue of tech cards and the RNG of the draw affect constructed play? Goobysenchou is here to talk about how RNG affects ladder.







BBV2: How much of an effect does RNG have on ladder play in your opinion?

Gooby: It depends on the deck you play, a lot of aggressive decks run cards like Implosion, crackle, and spare part cards, I find I win a lot more with decks like Control Warrior and Handlock that don't have any RNG cards. So I would say that RNG does have a small impact on games, and a huge impact every now and then, which can mentally tilt a player and make the game seem more RNG based than it is and cause them to play poorly, so people generally make it seem like a bigger deal than it is.



BBV2: There is RNG of the draw and RNG built into cards, but in ladder you have the RNG of facing into random decks. Should Blizzard implement some sort of special restrictions to allow you to control for strategies, an example of this being map bans in Starcraft 2?

Gooby: Being able to ban one class before a match would be great, I would always ban Hunter at the moment.



BBV2: When playing in tournament opens and the like do you feel that RNG has a large effect in terms of decks brought and playstyle?

Gooby: When you know what you are going against you it can feel less RNG-ish. Its still the same RNG off draws and card effects of course.



BBV2: Is there too much RNG in the game, with regards to ladder play, and should it be normalized?

Gooby: I feel like some sort of official banlist for competitive play would be great in general, it would remove a lot of RNG elements that cater to the casual players (a huge chunk of the playerbase).



BBV2: In future expansions, how do you want blizzard to tackle the RNG issue?

Gooby: Some RNG is ok, but cards like Piloted Shredder add way too many variables and outcomes that can make or break a game, I hope they don't add anymore cards that can have so many outcomes.



Gooby, echoing Gaara, feels that the RNG in the game should be capped as it is. However, it is simply an illusion that RNG controls the meta. While Piloted Shredders and Dr. Boom are run in nearly every deck, it is due to the strength and value of those cards, not to the RNG that they provide. Dr. Boom is at the very least a 9/9 for 7 mana that can deal 2 damage to enemy targets, which is an extremely good deal for its mana cost. While Implosion and Crackle can have huge effects on the board state, they can also fizzle, reflecting the natural variance and risk in running those cards. However in matchmaking you can be punished for teching in cards for certain matchups. For example, including Kezan Mystic and Harrison Jones in your decks, but facing druids and warlocks in your ladder matches. And the completely random matchmaking of ladder means that if you make an anti-aggro deck, you can face against only control decks, and by making an anti-control deck, you can face against only aggressive decks. In tournaments, you can research what decks your opponent has been using and include tech choices to counter those decks, which reduces the variance of opponents you will face. And speaking of tournament play.



The Effect of RNG in High Level Tournament Play

In the highest level of Hearthstone play, where the skill of the players are very similar, RNG possibly has a magnified impact. There are several high profile examples of RNG seemingly winning games for pros. For example, Kitkatz receiving several Kel'Thuzad's off of his Sneed's Old Shredders. In these tense matches, how much of a role does RNG have in selecting the winner? We have with us Alexander “Kolento” Malsh to discuss about the effect of RNG in high level tournament play:







BBV2: You've been in the pro scene for quite some time Kolento, how much of a factor would you say RNG is in big tournaments?

Kolento: Since skill level of players in tournaments is almost even RNG decides at least 30% of matches



BBV2: When you construct decks, are there elements of RNG that you seek to include (like Dr. Boom and Piloted Shredder), or do you try to make your decks as consistent as possible?

Kolento: To make the deck consistent the deck needs good cards, Dr. Boom and Piloted Shredder are good cards.



BBV2: In your opinion, how has the factor of RNG changed throughout the history of Hearthstone?

Kolento: Blizzard added many RNG-involved playable cards in GvG, which increased overall percentage of RNG-involved cards in constructed decks



BBV2: Do you feel that some of the RNG cards that Hearthstone has need to be normalized?

Kolento: I don't like RNG at all. Would much rather like to see shredder with deathrattle summon 2/3 minion instead of what we have now, not speaking of Dr Boom.



BBV2: As we look forward towards future expansions, how do you want Blizzard to tackle the RNG issue, if you feel that it is indeed an issue?

Kolento: Even though I don't like RNG, I understand that this factor attracts many people to the game. Blizzard knows better what to do.



Kolento, agreeing with the sentiments of Gaara and Gooby, dislikes the influence of RNG in constructed decks. He recognizes that even without the RNG attributes that RNG cards run in constructed have, they remain strong, and the potential benefits from RNG can push the card to be over the top. An Implosion for 4 is receiving nearly 7 mana worth of stats, while hitting for 3 would be worth around 5.5 mana. Implosion is only a 4 mana spell, so the insane value you can get from it makes it an auto-include in many Warlock decks. Piloted Shredder, on average, gives a 2/2 minion as a drop, making it a 6/5 minion, 5 mana worth of minion stats, for 4 mana. Receiving a Millhouse Manastorm from a Shredder turns that into an absurd 8/7 minion, more than doubling the value of the original shredder. If both players play the same RNG cards in a tournament but receive differing results as their outcomes. Shredders and Implosion can also hit the low point of RNG, but the possible reward makes them run in spite of the possible bad outcomes from the cards.



Conclusion

While all Hearthstone metas have RNG elements in them, which can lead to players pulling wins from games they were destined to lose, or to cement a win in a very close game, the amount of RNG in the game is not overbearing. There are ways to play around RNG, with silences and spell power, but the RNG cards in meta decks aren't run because of the RNG element, but because the cards themselves are strong in spite of the RNG element. However Blizzard needs to be mindful with upcoming sets, as the amount of RNG in the game is reaching a threshold, and another expansion such as GvG can lead it over the cusp and make any sort of professional play a laughing matter since RNGesus will decide the winner of matches and the money and prestige with winning tournaments.





Written By Blitzcrank BotV2

Follow him on Twitter Each class has its own level of RNG, from the seemingly straightforward class of Priest, to the RNG infested class of Shaman. In fact, Shaman has been criticized for being overly reliant on RNG due to its hero power and very potentially powerful spells such as Lightning Storm and Crackle. I spoke with Gaarabestshaman to talk about the relationship that Shaman has with RNG:Gaara, you're best known for your shaman, a class many people say requires good luck for it to be viable, how dependent do you think shaman is on RNG?Right now Mech shaman is the most consistent shaman list and it doesn't require too much RNG besides the classic card draw RNG. Sometimes, you need a high crackle roll to finish off your opponent. The Standard list requires more RNG in certain situations, because you rely on a high lightning storm damage roll or a totem roll. The different totems you can get each turn is the biggest RNG factor of the shaman class, since every totem has a completely different useHow has its dependence on RNG changed through the release of GvG and BRM?With GVG many RNG cards like the infamous Dr. Boom have been released. That card is still played in most decks, so automatically RNG has grown with that expansion by a lot. BRM didn't include any RNG cards, so with that expansion the RNG dropped.There are 2 main types of RNG in this game, the RNG of the draw, and the RNG of the cards themselves, do you think that shaman, compared to other classes, has more variance when it comes to the RNG of the draw?Shaman usually plays many low cost damage spells/removals. And half of the deck consists of minions. If you draw the wrong part of your deck you are stuck with a hand of only spells or minions and you never want that as Shaman, you always want to have a good mix of both. I think that shaman is very reliant on card draw RNG.Should the wide variance of RNG in Shaman be normalized?I don't know. Blizzard's intentions are to make the game casual friendly and having a class with a lot of RNG might be fun for the newer players? From an Esports perspective they should normalize it or give shaman better cards to compete with the other classes. I think that overload is a bad mechanic and holds shaman back more than RNG.What expectations do you have for Blizzard as they release new sets with regards towards solving this RNG issue?Expansions like BRM are great. Strong new cards for building amazing decks with no RNG effects.As we can see, while Shaman may not be completely reliant on RNG, RNG still has an unhealthy effect on Shaman's deckbuilding, especially since midrange and control Shaman are dependent on cards such as crackle and lightning storm to clear, and especially early on in the game, good crackle and lightning storm RNG can make or break the game versus aggressive decks. And in fact, the current meta Shaman deck is one that obviates itself of the majority of cards from which Shaman draws its class identity, I believe that Shaman mechanics need to be looked at by Blizzard so that the potentially frustrating playstyle of Shaman can be remedied.Arena is the home of the majority of the Free-to-Play player base of Hearthstone. Due to the lack of consistency and synergy that arena drafts have when compared to constructed decklists, RNG cards such as the Bomber series, among other cards, can have a huge impact in games, sometimes carrying mediocre drafts to a high number of wins. But how much of an impact does RNG have on arena? We talked with the guru of bad RNG himself, Octavian “Kripparrian” Morosan, on the effect of RNG in arena:So Kripp, in the game of Hearthstone there are 2 main types of RNG, the RNG of the draw and the RNG built into the cards, however in arena, which you are famous for, there's a third type of RNG, the RNG of the cards drafted. How has the RNG of the draft and the RNG of the draw changed over time?With cards constantly being added to the pool, it's always getting less likely to draft the best imaginable deck. This saturation process affects the classes that have the strongest & the weakest base and common cards, which tends to bring the classes closer to each others power level. It also has made it so you have to play around many more cards, and thus made the draw potentially much more significant.Have classes been disproportionately affected by the RNG in the game over time? and if so, how?With annoying small & often RNG based creatures dominating the early few turns, the game has evolved into a form where Arcane Missiles will often do more than Frostbolt to clear a board. As a result, people pick cards like Arcane Missiles, Bombers, and Lobbers more frequently and it punishes classes with minion hero powers, while buffing classes with damage hero powers.Should the RNG of this game, in terms of draw and built in RNG, be normalized?Hearthstone has its own identity and part of that is its RNG system. I feel changing that will make it into a different game. People often talk about how they want a fully skill based game, but how many people get excited about and watch chess on Twitch?Was the release of GvG a mistake, so to say?No. GvGs randomness makes for a better viewer experience.looking forward, what expectations do you have from blizzard in terms of handling this rng issue?The amount of RNG in the game is about enough. I expect they won't have another GvG like expansion as that may be a bit too much.Kripp, contrary to Gaara, feels that the level of RNG in the game is at a fine point, in regards to arena at least. Dr. Boom may be the terror of constructed, but in Arena you can go through several drafts without receiving a legendary at all! And Kripp is correct in saying that GvG did provide a lot more excitement for the game when compared to previous expansions due to the huge amount of possible game outcomes that were now instituted into the game. But due to the draft nature of arena, it is not as common to see cards such as Piloted Shredder and definitely Dr. Boom, and as a result, the RNG explosion that was added with GvG was softened by the nature of arena. However, Blizzard does have to be mindful to not incorporate too many RNG effects with new expansions.Constructed decks are rife with cards that include RNG: Implosion, the aforementioned doctor and shredders, Animal Companion, Brawl, Thoughtsteal, Unstable Portal, knife juggler, and Mind Control Tech; however this list is definitely not exhaustive. But is this RNG controlled for deckbuilding? And how does the issue of tech cards and the RNG of the draw affect constructed play? Goobysenchou is here to talk about how RNG affects ladder.How much of an effect does RNG have on ladder play in your opinion?It depends on the deck you play, a lot of aggressive decks run cards like Implosion, crackle, and spare part cards, I find I win a lot more with decks like Control Warrior and Handlock that don't have any RNG cards. So I would say that RNG does have a small impact on games, and a huge impact every now and then, which can mentally tilt a player and make the game seem more RNG based than it is and cause them to play poorly, so people generally make it seem like a bigger deal than it is.There is RNG of the draw and RNG built into cards, but in ladder you have the RNG of facing into random decks. Should Blizzard implement some sort of special restrictions to allow you to control for strategies, an example of this being map bans in Starcraft 2?Being able to ban one class before a match would be great, I would always ban Hunter at the moment.When playing in tournament opens and the like do you feel that RNG has a large effect in terms of decks brought and playstyle?When you know what you are going against you it can feel less RNG-ish. Its still the same RNG off draws and card effects of course.Is there too much RNG in the game, with regards to ladder play, and should it be normalized?I feel like some sort of official banlist for competitive play would be great in general, it would remove a lot of RNG elements that cater to the casual players (a huge chunk of the playerbase).In future expansions, how do you want blizzard to tackle the RNG issue?Some RNG is ok, but cards like Piloted Shredder add way too many variables and outcomes that can make or break a game, I hope they don't add anymore cards that can have so many outcomes.Gooby, echoing Gaara, feels that the RNG in the game should be capped as it is. However, it is simply an illusion that RNG controls the meta. While Piloted Shredders and Dr. Boom are run in nearly every deck, it is due to the strength and value of those cards, not to the RNG that they provide. Dr. Boom is at the very least a 9/9 for 7 mana that can deal 2 damage to enemy targets, which is an extremely good deal for its mana cost. While Implosion and Crackle can have huge effects on the board state, they can also fizzle, reflecting the natural variance and risk in running those cards. However in matchmaking you can be punished for teching in cards for certain matchups. For example, including Kezan Mystic and Harrison Jones in your decks, but facing druids and warlocks in your ladder matches. And the completely random matchmaking of ladder means that if you make an anti-aggro deck, you can face against only control decks, and by making an anti-control deck, you can face against only aggressive decks. In tournaments, you can research what decks your opponent has been using and include tech choices to counter those decks, which reduces the variance of opponents you will face. And speaking of tournament play.In the highest level of Hearthstone play, where the skill of the players are very similar, RNG possibly has a magnified impact. There are several high profile examples of RNG seemingly winning games for pros. For example, Kitkatz receiving several Kel'Thuzad's off of his Sneed's Old Shredders. In these tense matches, how much of a role does RNG have in selecting the winner? We have with us Alexander “Kolento” Malsh to discuss about the effect of RNG in high level tournament play:You've been in the pro scene for quite some time Kolento, how much of a factor would you say RNG is in big tournaments?Since skill level of players in tournaments is almost even RNG decides at least 30% of matchesWhen you construct decks, are there elements of RNG that you seek to include (like Dr. Boom and Piloted Shredder), or do you try to make your decks as consistent as possible?To make the deck consistent the deck needs good cards, Dr. Boom and Piloted Shredder are good cards.In your opinion, how has the factor of RNG changed throughout the history of Hearthstone?Blizzard added many RNG-involved playable cards in GvG, which increased overall percentage of RNG-involved cards in constructed decksDo you feel that some of the RNG cards that Hearthstone has need to be normalized?I don't like RNG at all. Would much rather like to see shredder with deathrattle summon 2/3 minion instead of what we have now, not speaking of Dr Boom.As we look forward towards future expansions, how do you want Blizzard to tackle the RNG issue, if you feel that it is indeed an issue?Even though I don't like RNG, I understand that this factor attracts many people to the game. Blizzard knows better what to do.Kolento, agreeing with the sentiments of Gaara and Gooby, dislikes the influence of RNG in constructed decks. He recognizes that even without the RNG attributes that RNG cards run in constructed have, they remain strong, and the potential benefits from RNG can push the card to be over the top. An Implosion for 4 is receiving nearly 7 mana worth of stats, while hitting for 3 would be worth around 5.5 mana. Implosion is only a 4 mana spell, so the insane value you can get from it makes it an auto-include in many Warlock decks. Piloted Shredder, on average, gives a 2/2 minion as a drop, making it a 6/5 minion, 5 mana worth of minion stats, for 4 mana. Receiving a Millhouse Manastorm from a Shredder turns that into an absurd 8/7 minion, more than doubling the value of the original shredder. If both players play the same RNG cards in a tournament but receive differing results as their outcomes. Shredders and Implosion can also hit the low point of RNG, but the possible reward makes them run in spite of the possible bad outcomes from the cards.While all Hearthstone metas have RNG elements in them, which can lead to players pulling wins from games they were destined to lose, or to cement a win in a very close game, the amount of RNG in the game is not overbearing. There are ways to play around RNG, with silences and spell power, but the RNG cards in meta decks aren't run because of the RNG element, but because the cards themselves are strong in spite of the RNG element. However Blizzard needs to be mindful with upcoming sets, as the amount of RNG in the game is reaching a threshold, and another expansion such as GvG can lead it over the cusp and make any sort of professional play a laughing matter since RNGesus will decide the winner of matches and the money and prestige with winning tournaments. Zenhurak , Thursday, 21/05/15 17:27