But is it about competitive play in ranked ?, or simply about enjoying a game and having fun ? One could argue that they are both one and the same thing, but I would hold that this is only partly true.
Winning is fun, that is indeed competitive by definition, but just because I like winning a match , it may not mean that I'd enjoy pitting myself against the best brains and decks, where my Mr. Average self would definitely not fare well.
The league re-work was about bringing fun back into deck building, learning a playstyle that suits your budget and not needing to spend big (very big) every set release to stay in the arena that you study, learn and practice.
That is the difference for me.
Yes, I agree, give the competitive achievers an arena to display their skills, so , yes re-work tournaments, but please, please, give me a place to craft a Sliver deck, hone my playstyle and get used to the nuances of the abilities in that level , without needing to aim for max cards every time.
For example, my CA summoners are at Silver level, I can't afford to get them higher, event though I have many of the cheaper cards at higher levels and some at max. Those Silver summoners never get played, except in brawls occasionally where I play Silver, but given that it's Silver Wild, they still sit idle.
So, I agree and I disagree and feel that a rework of leagues/ranked was not to the exclusion of a rework of Tournaments.
Some form of sensible progression ladder is badly needed. Look how popular Foundation League is now. I think that is partly because it is the nearest we have to a truly level playing field with regards to the teams you will likely face.
The simple solution is to allow a player to select ANY league at the start of the season and you remain locked into that league for the remainder of the season. Want to play in Gold with your mix of Bronze and silver cards ..go for it, test your skill and creative deck building. Want to play in Silver with your mix of Silver, Gold and Diamond cards...fine, but your cards will be capped at Silver level for that season.
One further point...how many edition cycles can we keep pushing a player to buy max cards...I've seen three editions now, I started just before Chaos Legion was released, I've pushed to build out my deck, each time I've spent a few grand on packs and singles to get my deck playable, and I love the game, but really, now reality has to set in at some point , that level of spending is really too much, I'm not a rich man by any means,(just old with few expenses ), and I'm wondering if I can really justify a few thousand again next year. I don't think I can.
Let me play in Silver, and if I feel inclined push higher , I like Gold too. I will build up eventually. As it stands, it really is a go hard or go home playstyle.
BTW..I LOVE Foundation
I love foundation also!
This seems like the most obvious solution to me. Several people have mentioned this and it appears to address the concerns on both sides of the discussion.