Talk:Playable

Explanation for "new term" and second thoughts
First let me copy part of an explanation I made on Talk:Play mode:
 * I only very recently created this page, because I felt we needed a simple term to describe "collectible or uncollectible cards you see in 'normal' games". "Playable" is not a perfect name for it, partly because as an open-ended and informal term it has several other meanings, but it seemed like the best choice available. Anyway, I welcome other edits/suggestions to that page as well as changes to the way it's linked into other pages - this is a first/second draft and it's bound to be awkward until more people have helped sand down the rough edges :)

Some alternate names might include: These words are also broader, describing not just cards but also game modes themselves, which might actually be a good thing. At the moment I'm halfway to convincing myself to move this to "Regular" but I'll give it some more thought :)&#32;- jerodast (talk) 16:30, 26 April 2017 (UTC)
 * "normal" - which I don't love because there's an implied judgement that playing other modes is "abnormal"
 * "regular" - which is okay and is probably less confusing than this term but somehow seems less natural


 * Thesaurus gave me my new favorite option, "ordinary". It makes a nice counterpart to "special", which is often used to describe Tavern Brawl and boss cards.&#32;- jerodast (talk) 05:34, 1 May 2017 (UTC)


 * I am strongly in favor of "regular". I suggest also adding the word "cards" to the title ("regular cards"), allthough I am aware that you also include hero powers in the text.
 * Standard and wild (ranked and unranked) and arena are in my opinion all "regular" play modes; adventures and (some) tavern brawls are highly irregular because of their special rules and special cards. This page describes cards and hero power that can occur in regular play.
 * For "normal", I agree with the implied judgement argument. For "ordinary" I'll make a similar argument. Think "ordinary housewife" vs "fancy baronness". I also think that it's just wrong to describe any of those overpowered quest reward cards as "ordinary" :-)
 * The problem with the title "playable" is that the term "Play" is widely used in the game and on this wiki to refer to the act of playing a card from hand. That means a hero power is unplayable, choice cards are unplayable, and Kun the Forgotten King is unplayable until you have 10 mana crystals; White King and Castle are playable when you are in the Karazhan adventure.


 * Let's get one thing clear: "Playable" was the wrong choice :) I know I had good reasons for putting it here but I've forgotten what they are. Probably, I saw it used in this sense like 3 times and figured "that's enough" without thinking it through. It was nice that it sounded like "collectible" but that's not a great reason.
 * In a way, I like that "ordinary vs special" does not treat the two sides evenly. The fact is, ladder + arena IS ordinary, it's routine, it's what you do every day. Whereas Tavern Brawls and new adventures are special events. Yes they both come out periodically, but each time they do it's a different one. It's a break from routine, it's a chance to do something really new, before going back to your usual stuff. "Ordinary" captures all of this.
 * Really, I think the only reason "ordinary" has a negative connotation is the wealth of bad coming-of-age-stories where tweens grapple with developing their own identity and are terrified of being "ordinary". See Twilight. (Well, don't, but you know what I mean...) Healthy adults aren't panicked because they have kids and a job and hobbies just like most of other people. There's nothing wrong with ordinary.
 * I still can't really pin down why I have an instinctive dislike for "regular". I think it's something to do with the implied amount of restriction and organization. Specific encounters in TBs and adventures are often more regimented than usual play, with predefined decks, additional rules, etc. Yes, unusual things happen, but not necessarily irregular things. This may be groundless, I'm not sure.
 * &#32;- jerodast (talk) 17:35, 2 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Although I do not object to "ordinary" enough that I would throw a fit if that's the choice we end up with, I will one last time try to explain why I think it's not the best possible choice. In my mind, it implied a subjective point of view.
 * I personally actually relate to your "ordinay" vs "special" explanation. I like the break from the usual routine, the chance to do something special in a Tavern Brawl or in an Adventure. But that's my personal preference. I know that there are also players that shun Tavern Brawl or only play it for the pack, and that only play Adventures to unlock the cards, and then hastily return to the ladder grind because that's what thhey prefer.
 * I do like the word "special" for Tavern Brawl and Adventures. I think "special" is okay becuase it describes that it's very different from the regular game modes, but without being judgemental. If ladder grinders would suggest using the term "weird" for Tavern Brawl and Adventures, I would object, becuase though just as accurate, the word "weird" does come with a judgemental connotation that is abssent in "Special".
 * Conversely, I imagine that fans of ladder and infinite Arena players would consider "Ordinary" to be judgemental of their preference.
 * Long story short - I prefer "regular" is best for Practice, Casual, Ranked, and Arena; and "special" for Tavern Brawl, Adventures, and Tutorial (including the special mode for returning players).
 * But I can live with "ordinary" as well, if you feel strongly about it. ;) -- BigHugger (talk) 19:46, 2 May 2017 (UTC)


 * I feel...moderately about it haha. But you should never feel the need to "shut up about it", I appreciate the thoughts. Mainly I'd like to get more feedback from more people eventually, but we have other projects going on so it's not a high priority.
 * I created this page on a rather half-baked surge of initiative to make referring to certain classes of cards easier, and without a word we're happy with, that goal won't be accomplished anyway, so it's better we take the time to mull it over. This page is only linked to by a few others currently, and none of them really rely on it to impart much meaning (as should be the case for most informal slang), so it's not going to cause a problem leaving it a little underdeveloped in my opinion.&#32;- jerodast (talk) 06:34, 3 May 2017 (UTC)