Hearthstone is a game about prescience.
Hearthstone is a turn based card game played between two opponents using decks composed of thirty cards. A selected hero with a unique power (think a King piece in chess) has to be killed to win the game.
The key to Hearthstone is board control. Board control occurs when a player has knowledge of every single available card as well as any configuration of cards the opposing player uses. They use this knowledge to keep the opponent from building momentum and advantage.
Board control and deck knowledge are important (please stay with me non-nerds I'm going somewhere with this) because these skills unlock the Metagame. The Metagame is a strategy or action that transcends a games prescribed ruleset.
Think like in poker where a high level player has to understand all the cards and combinations in the deck, what the opposing player has in his hand, and has to be able to discern the opposing players style of play through how they use the cards they have, as well as subtle movements and repetitive actions of the people playing the game.
The Metagame also applies to technology in general. Knowledge of all technological advances leading up to today can give you a pretty good idea of what is coming next. The payoff of this style of play are many, as evidenced by the top scoring practitioners, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.
Yeah I know that people kiss their ass on no background and they were both assholes (think Gates isn't an asshole? Ask Paul Allen after a couple beers) but there is a good reason people do. They NBD'd the entire world using things that were just laying on the floor. Well they were laying on the floor of Xerox Parc but whatever. There was no such thing as a personal computer before Steve made it simple to use and cool to have and Bill gave it a unified rule set that anyone could build off. GG.
Hearthstone is a great game and video games in general are cool, but the metagame is way more fun. Best part is there is no better time in history to play, new players and advancements are popping up every day. It's the goddamn wild wild west out here and it's anybodies game. What a time to be alive.
I hope information recovers from Dreamhack Con Krud. Best ribs I have ever eaten, and that Twitch party... Jelly. Also, sorry Disney game team, it's a cold world. For what it's worth Infinity was fun. Oh and I'm actually handing out fades in Hearthstone forever. Gamertag is J4RMZ#1670, come get that work (I'm not good). Also Jobs.
The Protoculture Mixtape : Issue : People : Alternating Current
