(November 6th, 2013, 14:56)BRickAstley Wrote: So I haven't watched much yet... this looks similar to Magic, is that a correct assumption?
In that they're both Collectable Card Games yeah ... but Hearthstone is much more streamlined and intuitive, having done away with 'land' and less distinct differences between what you can have of cards (theres a large pile of 'neutral cards' and then each class have a couple of cards giving enough difference between the classes, whereas Magic have a somewhat independent high stack of cards for each of the 5 colors, plus a couple of cards aiming at any kind of mixure of 2 colors)
Can you already see what the ingame shop is going to look like and how much real money you have to spend? This looks interesting, but I don't intend to pay a few hundred bucks to buy countless booster packs and get the ultra rare cards...
Gold is earned through completing daily quests (eg. win 3 games with a mage, or play 20 minions that cost more than 8 in all your games) or can be bought with cash. Not quite sure what peg they'll settle upon but I think they're aiming to have it be between 1:100. Gold can also be earned in the rewards section after an arena (limited deck format, like drafting in M:TG) run.
Dust is earned either as an arena award, or by disenchanting cards that you have (they don't currently support, nor does it look like they plan to, player-to-player trades, so this is their method for translating cards you already have into cards that you actually want). Dust can be used to craft any card in the set.
If you're good at the game and drafting, preferred spending mode is probably to spend cash on arena runs and then attempt to go infinite through there, with your arena winnings supporting your constructed play.
@ Sian, have you gotten to try out the combo-warrior deck? You run molten giants, warsong commanders and young brewmasters and a bunch of control (shield block, slam, the removal that scales with armor, copious weapons). You use the control to try and get yourself close to 10 Life, while protecting yourself with armor from dying too quickly, then win in one turn by playing free molten giants with charge and reusing them with young brewmasters.
Very jealous of all of you with beta keys! Have been watching a lot of YouTube stuff about it, and am very much looking forward to the invitational event at BlizzCon over the weekend.
TotalBiscuit (who's not everyone's cup of tea) is doing a series called Lord of the Arena, which is interesting and entertaining - he explains everything he's doing and the thought processes behind it, and it's been interesting to see his progression from enthusiastic but bumbling amateur into someone who actually knows and plays the game very well.
(November 6th, 2013, 16:07)v8mark Wrote: Very jealous of all of you with beta keys! Have been watching a lot of YouTube stuff about it, and am very much looking forward to the invitational event at BlizzCon over the weekend.
TotalBiscuit (who's not everyone's cup of tea) is doing a series called Lord of the Arena, which is interesting and entertaining - he explains everything he's doing and the thought processes behind it, and it's been interesting to see his progression from enthusiastic but bumbling amateur into someone who actually knows and plays the game very well.
I do not possess a key, I wish I did :P
My preference is to watch Trump, but the Lord of the Arena series is alright too. TB is learning and getting better, but he still makes hair-tearing mistakes that make it hard for me to watch him play.
(November 6th, 2013, 14:56)BRickAstley Wrote: So I haven't watched much yet... this looks similar to Magic, is that a correct assumption?
In that they're both Collectable Card Games yeah ... but Hearthstone is much more streamlined and intuitive, having done away with 'land' and less distinct differences between what you can have of cards (theres a large pile of 'neutral cards' and then each class have a couple of cards giving enough difference between the classes, whereas Magic have a somewhat independent high stack of cards for each of the 5 colors, plus a couple of cards aiming at any kind of mixure of 2 colors)
I saw a very good explanation that Hearthstone is "Magic for casuals", and how that's not a bad thing. It looks like a lot of fun, but I like card games in general, including Magic.
Merovech's Mapmaking Guidelines:
0. Player Requests: The player's requests take precedence, even if they contradict the following guidelines.
1. Balance: The map must be balanced, both in regards to land quality and availability and in regards to special civilization features. A map may be wonderfully unique and surprising, but, if it is unbalanced, the game will suffer and the player's enjoyment will not be as high as it could be.
2. Identity and Enjoyment: The map should be interesting to play at all levels, from city placement and management to the border-created interactions between civilizations, and should include varied terrain. Flavor should enhance the inherent pleasure resulting from the underlying tile arrangements. The map should not be exceedingly lush, but it is better to err on the lush side than on the poor side when placing terrain.
3. Feel (Avoiding Gimmicks): The map should not be overwhelmed or dominated by the mapmaker's flavor. Embellishment of the map through the use of special improvements, barbarian units, and abnormal terrain can enhance the identity and enjoyment of the map, but should take a backseat to the more normal aspects of the map. The game should usually not revolve around the flavor, but merely be accented by it.
4. Realism: Where possible, the terrain of the map should be realistic. Jungles on desert tiles, or even next to desert tiles, should therefore have a very specific reason for existing. Rivers should run downhill or across level ground into bodies of water. Irrigated terrain should have a higher grassland to plains ratio than dry terrain. Mountain chains should cast rain shadows. Islands, mountains, and peninsulas should follow logical plate tectonics.
