MArcomage

Free multiplayer on-line fantasy card game

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Chrone on 08:33, 17. Dec, 2009
Many players are bored with fast, rushy games. Sometimes you want to make use of 20 gems of spectral dragon, or maybe really play arthoria the saber, but game ends too fast.
How do you think about extended, less random and a bit more tactical game, when one cannot win with a pair of lucky cards?

My idea is to extend borders of game. Say, double maximum and starting tower/wall height, disabling tower build victory and extending resource accumulation victory to 1000 resources.

What do you think about it?
Mojko on 08:45, 17. Dec, 2009
This can be implemented, but I'm not quite sure if this is really what we want. Please note that cards are balanced also to starting resources.
dindon on 08:48, 17. Dec, 2009
Why disable tower victory? Why not just double the amount needed for it?

Anyways, I think this is an interesting idea, and if it existed I would definitely be interested in playing it. On the other hand, maybe instead of making a new mode, the core game itself needs some tweaks to make the average game length a bit closer to what it used to be (i.e. increasing starting tower/wall, scaling up cards' costs or scaling down their effects, changing a few cards...).
Chrone on 09:08, 17. Dec, 2009
Mojko, game is really great balanced for normal conditions. You are right here (great job ;). But today, good deck wins really fast. 10-20 turns for damage victory and 20-40 for tower build victory is normal. Due to new cards introduction and keyword development game became faster. Many cards were rendered virtually useless. This mode will just slightly shift focus to more costly and long-perspective cards.

Cards that can really spoil balance are few, and they may be altered: say, max 40 dmg for sabotage, max 30 stock for luxiry tax and return to the beginning will really return to starting wall/tower amount.

Anyway, it is just a proposal. If it is too radical, it can be changed to some milder version.
Mojko on 09:26, 17. Dec, 2009
The game attributes (tower, wall, facilities and stock) and victory conditions can be altered, victory types disabled by a game mode, but with certain restrictions. Range of tower and wall must be kept at all times. What can't be done are the card modifications. We will not maintain two set of cards for each game mode, sorry.
Chrone on 09:31, 17. Dec, 2009
I said nothing about different sets. Changes (except RttB) will still work for ordinary game. Rttb will stay as it is.
Mojko on 09:59, 17. Dec, 2009
I was only reacting to dindon's idea for scaling card costs and effects.
Mojko on 11:10, 17. Dec, 2009
I suggest this configuration for the long mode:

- starting tower 40 instead of 30
- starting wall 35 instead of 20
- disable timeout victory
Progressor on 12:45, 17. Dec, 2009
I believe you misinterpreted Dindons statement. What he says is (I believe) quite close to my feeling while reading this thread:

This thread proves that there are balance issues when it comes to comparing Tower destruction to other victory types. Instead of making a whole new game mode that is effected less by these balance issues, these balance issues should be addressed.

So, for normal game mode, make attack more expensive, building more cost / time efficient, etc. (Instead of making a new game mode.)
Chrone on 12:48, 17. Dec, 2009
Mojko, with starting 40 tower one will build tower to 100 even faster. It will be not 'long', it will be 'builder' mode. I insist on doubling maximum and starting tower/wall.

Progressor - doubling hp or reducing damage two times - doesn't really matter. My proposal is just more clear and easier to implement. So don't bother inventing bycicles.
Mojko on 13:06, 17. Dec, 2009
to Progressor: Oh, I think I get it now. So you want the tower destruction victory to become more difficult to achieve.

to Xpoh: After some analysis I came to conclusion that changing the maximum tower and wall can be implemented as well.
Myschly on 14:54, 17. Dec, 2009
I'd be very interested in long game mode. My suggestion:

-Basic tower = 40
-Basic wall = 35
-Tower victory = 150
-Max wall = 250
-Resource victory = 600
-No timeout

Also, adding +10-25% exp for victory in long-game mode.
DPsycho on 15:23, 17. Dec, 2009
Myschly's suggested values sound good, pretty close to what I would have suggested, though I think the experience bonus could be kicked up a bit more.
Fithz Hood on 08:25, 18. Dec, 2009
I like this idea.
what about avenging angel? maybe it should be reworked to be affective in both modes. something like "attack = maximum tower - tower".
Mojko on 11:51, 18. Dec, 2009
I made a functional prototype of the long mode. Following data is now easily configurable:

$game_config['normal']['max_tower'] = 100;
$game_config['normal']['max_wall'] = 150;
$game_config['normal']['init_tower'] = 30;
$game_config['normal']['init_wall'] = 20;
$game_config['normal']['res_victory'] = 400;

$game_config['long']['max_tower'] = 150;
$game_config['long']['max_wall'] = 200;
$game_config['long']['init_tower'] = 40;
$game_config['long']['init_wall'] = 35;
$game_config['long']['res_victory'] = 600;

Timeout victory is disabled in the long mode. I extended card terminology (Max tower, Max wall, Starting tower, Starting wall) due to these changes. Cards can refer to these constants in their effects.

I also modified some cards - http://helppage.3dfx.sk/fendek/mod_cards.png

Now we need to precisely determine the value of these constants and also a long mode flag picture would be appreciated ;)
Chrone on 12:27, 18. Dec, 2009
http://i45.tinypic.com/5twbuq.jpg

pictogram for long mode.


I think, choice of exact numbers can be done only after some short beta-testing.
Lord Ornlu on 13:25, 18. Dec, 2009
we could also have a short deathmatch game mode

basic tower = 10
basic wall = 50
starting resources = 30 each
starting facilities = 2 each

no custom decks allowed, only random cards

it would be a fun and intense game

I remember a tavern in Might and Magic 8 that had this game mode
Chrone on 14:20, 18. Dec, 2009
Try beasts deck. 5-10 reound/game is enough intense, isn't it?
Lord Ornlu on 14:24, 18. Dec, 2009
beast cards arent such a bad idea :)
Lord_Earthfire on 15:05, 18. Dec, 2009
"basic tower = 10"
...and when you got bad luck, the enemy gets you with trigger trap or sharpshooter in round 2-4