So, ive been talking to some oldies, we all agree, it was more fun when some items were more unfair than others. So why not make a specially ranked PVP mode, for people like us that likes it raw? I mean, isnt pvp the most popular feature on the game, why not make more of it?
So are you asking to have a separate server or separate save for a nostalgia mode? I'll say that I wasn't here in the 'good old days' but I don't see this as a good idea. This will just divide the current playerbase into two groups, and quite frankly the only way I'm staying sane in this game (with the influx of all the new steam players) is playing and talking with some of the older people.
How many nerfs are you planning on undoing? Martyr Blessing, Talented Healer, Altruism? Will you return Fireball and Wall Of Stone to the items that had them?
I want it to stay dead. For nostalgic purposes. I'm also in the camp that would rather have Blue Manchu dedicating more time and effort into improving the game, adding content, and fixing bugs rather than trying to resurrect a game state most agree is better left dead.
All that, plus global whirlwinds, +3 for mass frenzy, and dwarfcicles! **sigh** I don't know what a poll would show on a nerf-by-nerf, buff-by-buff basis, and I have no idea what most think of the various states the game has passed through. In any case, I don't think a separate set is a real possibility.
On a card-by-card basis, some things could definitely be debated. What can't be debated though was the state of the league rankings after the dust had settled from that three month melee. Nimble-Dwarf-Whirlwind was everywhere in the top slots and pretty definitively proved that the meta was, if not outright broken, then at least 'solved' in a way that made all but a very few teams viable.
step-4 Nimble Strike, step-2 + penetrating Vicious Thrust, 100% draw on Altruism. 100% draw for every healing card played with Talented Healer... It was still a fun game, but it was was like a cheese cake with extra cheese, and cheese sauce. Balance is a lot better in the current version, and I'd prefer to not split the player-base.
If something like this was to be added (probably not likely), I think the way to do it would be to have a "Vintage League". It would pair preset OP teams of old against one another, using "Vintage" (unnerfed) versions of cards. The parties would be pre-built based on classic teams of old, and they would be mirror match-ups to ensure fairness. Possible teams could include Vintage Fireball, Vintage Whirlwind w/Nimble Strike, Vintage Card Draw, Vintage Frenzy w/Nimble Strike, Vintage Firestorm, etc.
That's way more doable, especially if folks don't mind getting those decks randomly assigned. One possible issue is card namespace (we couldn't have two versions of Nimble Strike at the same time, for instance) but that can be fixed with variant names (like "Nimble Strike X" or something).
I haven't been around when it was Wild West out here, but @Vakaz's idea could be interesting. The vintage versions could have sepia illustrations to further distinguish them from the current versions.
Back in my day, when someone played a Whirlwind, it could drop you anywhere on the map. And we liked it!
Make no mistake, even this newer suggestion would still be a bunch of work. Also many changes from the crap balance of the past are more than a matter of changing a few cards--encumber, for instance, is a system-level change.
That's why I didn't mention 3DC It would probably be better to just avoid old decks with those types of cards for vintage leagues.