Oh man. Oh man oh man oh man.
Hmmm. Let me back up and start from the top.
This thread isn't about cube. This isn't even about Magic. This is about a Magic clone that's built from the ground up to function entirely online, with a healthy dose of MMO trappings surrounding the procedures. It's being developed by Cryptozoic, current designers of the WoW TCG.
It's probably easier for you to check out the website directly than to have me try to explain it to you.
Main website: http://hextcg.com
GerryT's take on it: http://hextcg.com/gerryt-enters-entrath/
Back? Good. So, from what I can gather:
On the other, I figure that a good 75% of TCG's don't make it past the two-year mark of their lifespan. The survival rate for MMO's is likely even worse, though in the case of online games, their death is usually slow, protracted, and painful. So in combining two genres in which the mortality rate is ghastly, it's a bit like trying to attack Mount Everest with just a pair of hiking shoes and some nifty sunglasses.
It's with a wary optimism that I'll be following this game's development. What do you guys think? Will anybody here be plopping down some cash? Or is this property doomed from the outset?
Hmmm. Let me back up and start from the top.
This thread isn't about cube. This isn't even about Magic. This is about a Magic clone that's built from the ground up to function entirely online, with a healthy dose of MMO trappings surrounding the procedures. It's being developed by Cryptozoic, current designers of the WoW TCG.
It's probably easier for you to check out the website directly than to have me try to explain it to you.
Main website: http://hextcg.com
GerryT's take on it: http://hextcg.com/gerryt-enters-entrath/
Back? Good. So, from what I can gather:
- It's an exact Magic clone, through and through. Right down the five colors, the mana system, and the all-in combat system. I'm a little surprised they chose to ape off Magic, and not off their own WoW TCG, which uses a different combat system that shifts the balance more in favour of attackers.
- It's free to play, in the sense that it's not subscription-based, nor is there a cost for the desktop client. It's more akin to the MTGO model, where you pay for packs and singles, which you then own.
- PvE will be a big part of the game. This is where the MMO sensibilities kick in. By running dungeons and raids, you'll be able to earn gear, which you can then equip to your cards to augment their abilities. This equipment won't be usable in PvP.
- PvE raids will be 3 on 1, and I assume will be modeled after their WoW TCG raids, which in turn were meant to replicate the feel of WoW MMO boss encounters. As someone who can't get enough of co-op in games, I personally loved the eff out of raiding in WoW TCG, so I'm hopeful this will capture that feel.
- PvP looks like it'll comprise constructed and draft. PvP cards and PvE cards won't overlap, and I imagine the reason for this is that balance is far more important when you're playing competitive formats.
On the other, I figure that a good 75% of TCG's don't make it past the two-year mark of their lifespan. The survival rate for MMO's is likely even worse, though in the case of online games, their death is usually slow, protracted, and painful. So in combining two genres in which the mortality rate is ghastly, it's a bit like trying to attack Mount Everest with just a pair of hiking shoes and some nifty sunglasses.
It's with a wary optimism that I'll be following this game's development. What do you guys think? Will anybody here be plopping down some cash? Or is this property doomed from the outset?
