trading-card-game
Latest
MMO pacifism: Expanding combat alternative systems
Murder. Death. Kill. These words are synonymous with most MMORPGs (oh, and 1993's Demolition Man too, but let's not go there). There have been a number of systems introduced to the genre since its birth, but combat (PvE and PvP) has always been at the forefront. One blogger wants that to change.Syp of BioBreak has been playing a lot of LOTRO lately and he's starting to feel like Turbine are a bunch of nature-haters forcing players into the roll of exterminator extraordinaire. "It's not just 'kill 10 rats,' it's 'kill 10 of every freakin' last thing that ever walked, crawled, slithered or flew over the earth, just because'." This got him wondering about what the alternatives were. If done well, what activities would he choose over combat?He came up with a fairly extensive list of established features that could use some buffing up in his opinion, including: crafting, mini-games, puzzles, trading card games, vehicle action, achievements, and diplomacy/politics. Head on over to read his thoughts.
WoW TCG: Arena Grand Melee expansion released
The World of Warcraft Trading Card game has released its latest expansion, but it's a little bit different than what's come before. It's called Arena Grand Melee, and it actually changes the gameplay of the TCG just a little bit, including some very different mechanics than those players have seen before. For instance, there's a card called "For the Fallen" that will grant additional cards to players when they act out their melee strikes in real-life. Another card called "Steamwheedle Casino" has players playing a quick game of Blackjack with their WoW TCG cards to win an extra card. Arena Grand Melee sounds it puts a very strange twist on the current TCG game.The WoW TCG site has been highlighting some of the new cards in the game -- there's a new ability called Preparation, which allows you to use a card twice in quick succession, and there are cards that boost your hand size and beef up your allies, as well as cards that offer up some other new heroes and abilities. It sounds like an interesting addition to the game, but on the other hand, this doesn't seem like a pack for newbies -- experienced players will get the best thrill from these twists. Pick up the eighty card sets in either of the Horde or Alliance versions at your local gaming store.
Try out Fields of Honor loot on the PTR
Reader Kongzai sent us a tip this morning that the recently revealed loot cards for the next TCG expansion Fields of Honor are available for testing on the PTR. He hotfotted it down to Booty Bay and reports that it is indeed possible to sample the latest loot using the same codes as in previous PTR tests. All you need to do is enter the following when prompted by Landro:1111 for the Path of Cenarius2222 for the Ogre Pinata3333 for the Magic Rooster Egg (aka El Pollo Grande)Kongzai was also able to shed a little more information on the loot itself. He reports that Path of Cenarius is the common item, coming in stacks of 100 and lasts for five minutes. The Ogre Pinata is, as I predicted, BoP and thirty minute cooldown. He comes with 5000 HP and, when destroyed, leaves a stack of gumballs in his wake which grant a buff that makes you blow bubbles. Awesome. He also told us that El Pollo Grande costs 100g which is not a bad amount for such a cool mount.This news comes mere hours after Upper Deck posted a loot card preview on their official site featuring screens and the first video of the must-have chicken mount El Pollo Grande.
More on the Free Realms trading card game
We first mentioned the Free Realms trading card game when it was announced by SOE back in November of last year, but now we get treated to even more exclusive artwork from the game as it approaches official launch. This TCG will be available in both online and in-store versions where you can battle your friends in the MMO or face-to-face, courtesy of cards made by Topps.So check out the exclusive new pieces straight from SOE's Denver studio, in our gallery below. It includes the full hi-res artwork itself, as well as the final cards as they'll look in the stores. Also be sure to check out the Free Realms website for complete info on these cards, in both online and offline versions.%Gallery-37937%
Destroy all droids and nab some free loot!
What do bounty hunters and trade federation droids have in common? They're both rewards for playing through the upcoming Star Wars Galaxies trading card game scenario, "Destroy All Droids!"Yes, you too can bask in the glory of a rare card featuring bounty hunter Bane Malar and a nice piece of Star Wars Galaxies in-game loot for your house. All you have to do is simply complete the upcoming card game scenario, which will be released on April 15th. That's it!When you complete the small little storyline, the game will reward you with your card and a trade federation droid vendor for your house. If you beat it again with a new deck that has a different archetype you'll get another copy of the Bane Malar card, but you can only have up to four copies. So, if you're a Star Wars Galaxies player, you might want to check this out even if you aren't a rabid follower of the card game. Free stuff is free stuff!
Activision publishing game based on Chaotic TCG
Fans of the popular TCG and cartoon series, Chaotic, will get a much cheaper alternative when Activision releases their video game version of the card game. Combining action, role-playing, and turn-based elements, Chaotic will feature "vibrant, fully-realized 3D environments" and "various characters from the best-selling trading card game and hit animated series." Players can also look forward to "dramatic tactical battles, a variety of captivating gameplay modes, as well as powerful upgrades and valuable unlockables."Chaotic will be available for the DS, Wii, Xbox 360, and PS3 this fall.
The Daily Grind: Do you play MMO-based tabletop games?
Sure, there aren't really any such things as 'tabletop MMOs' but there are quite a few tabletop games based on MMOs. There are trading card games for a few different MMOs - both online and off. World of Warcraft has an actual board game, complete with expansions. Dungeons & Dragons Online is based on the much beloved Dungeons & Dragons pen & paper system - and now we have Champions Online in the pen & paper to MMO market. It's not quite the same thing as EverQuest spawning its own pen & paper game, though. Warhammer made the jump from minis to MMO, and WoW has jumped from MMO to minis. With this much cross-pollination going on, we thought we'd ask this morning; do you play any of the tabletop variants? From board games to card games to pen & paper games, there's a lot to choose from out there. Any you thought were really well done? How about crossovers that you tried but just didn't make the cut for you?
A little more about Wizard101
There have been quite a few releases for magic-themed game Wizard101 of late as well as the preview of the first expansion. Enough so that WhatTheyPlay has posted an overview aimed at parents to explain the basis of the game and what they can expect if their kids play it. In a nutshell, Wizard101 is a world where players are students of magic. Combat relies on a trading card system and is turn-based. No one ever "dies" in the game. It's free to play in much the same way that Runescape is - meaning that many areas and quests are only available to paid accounts. The options are numerous in terms of membership levels depending upon what the players (or their parents) want to be able to do. For those parents worried about the community, they do discuss the limitations on communication and the average age of players (about 12). Then again, with family plan pricing available, parents could join their kids in the game and find out for themselves what it's all about.
Free Realms gets a TCG too, courtesy of Topps
SOE is going all in with Free Realms, what with beta signups already underway and rumors of spinoff PSP projects, so well-known-card-maker Topps has made a deal with SOE to distribute a trading card game that will exist both virtually within the game and in physical packs you can buy at the store.The card game will launch in the Spring with 200 or so cards, and each booster pack (priced at $3.99) will feature a loot card that will allow consumers to unlock unique in-game items. Keep in mind that the game itself was designed by SOE's Denver studio -- Topps is just printing and distributing the physical card packs. Anyway, check out our gallery of artwork from the TCG -- fine stuff!%Gallery-37937%
EA's Battleforge takes a nod from MMOs
Ambitious is a word that comes to mind after reading up on EA Phenomic's upcoming offering, Battleforge. A recent article on Eurogamer notes that it's something of an RTS, MMO, and TCG hybrid. On top of that, it would appear that the company is hoping to take advantage of the Eastern microtransaction model, offering their booster packs online, and giving players the ability to trade cards back and forth via their email. See? Ambitious.Sebastian Nell of EA Phenomic discussed some other interesting aspects of what they're working on to make Battleforge more MMO-like. One of the things mentioned was including co-op maps against a raid boss type of monster that will drop special loot. However, as they list the game as being for (at most) up to 12 people at a time in a battle, we're going to have to lean towards calling this on the "not an MMO" side of the house, despite their taking some aspects from the genre we love. Of course, if you're looking for an RTS/TCG with a nod to MMOs involved, you still may want to check out the beta. Sounds like it will be interesting - if only to see them accomplish all they've set out to achieve.
Blizzcore giving away a Spectral Tiger Mount
Blizzcore is a relatively new blog about Blizzard and World of Warcraft, and they emailed to let us know that they're kicking things off in style over there by giving out one of the most prized items in all of Azeroth: a Spectral Tiger Mount from the trading card game. To enter their contest, you just have to run over there and leave a comment on their post. As you probably know from entering our own contests over here, it doesn't get any more simple than that, and we like simple in all of its forms.Definitely enter, but beware: there are about 200 entries now, and the contest is open for a full two weeks, so there'll be lots and lots of entries to come. Still, just a little chance is better than no chance at all -- hopefully one of you readers will end up picking up the mount. Good luck!Editor's Note: Link fixed!
Upper Deck offers free shipping on WoW stuff
Blizzplanet's got the news that Upper Deck is offering a break on shipping in the next 24 hours, so if you've been thinking of picking up any WoW TCG-related items for a friend, now's the time to do it.It's a pretty terrible deal though -- you've got to order $50 worth of stuff to get the free shipping, and at Upper Deck's official prices, you're probably just better running out to a hobby store and picking the things up yourself. But who knows. Maybe there's one of you in Alaska who have wanted to buy tons of stuff from UDE without paying shipping, but don't have a hobby store for miles around -- if so, you're in luck.The sale inexplicably ends on November 21st, which by my calculations is tomorrow, so get your order in fast. But seriously, someone needs to teach Upper Deck how to have a holiday sale -- who buys all their gifts by Thanksgiving? Maybe we'll see a better sale on Black Friday.
World of Warcraft miniatures game launches
One of the biggest names in the trading card industry is Upper Deck Entertainment. Given the success of their World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, they've released a follow-up game this week: The World of Warcraft Miniatures Game. The World of Warcraft Miniatures Game went on sale worldwide as of Tuesday, November 11th. There are 70 different miniatures, including Warchief Thrall, Varimathras, and yes... even Leeroy Jenkins. There's a bonus for your actual WoW characters as well -- miniatures booster packs come with sample packs from the WoW Trading Card Game which might include Loot cards. Essentially, they're unlocks for "cosmetic in-game upgrades for their online World of Warcraft characters". Check out the Upper Deck launch announcement for their World of Warcraft Miniatures Game for the full details. One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!
Loot within swag: TCG cards that make you smile
I woke up at 7:00 this morning to get ready for the day at BlizzCon. The team is meeting at 8:30 to head over to the convention and start covering all the fun that's happening there. But of course before I finish my morning rituals, I have to peek into the swag bag again. This time it's opening up the packs of WoW TCG - Heroes of Azeroth.Much to my surprise I find a loot card! A Thunderhead Hippogryph, pictured above from the Upper Deck site. Of course the cards are inserted completely random into the packs, and the bags are given out at random too – so no way I bribed someone a million billion dollars for this.
The Daily Grind: What do you think of table-top games?
There exists a very close relationship between MMOs and table-top games.Yesterday saw the launch of Ethernauts, the fifth expansion to EverQuest-related collectible trading card game Legends of Norrath. LoN is digital, but gameplay-wise, it's totally a table-top game. World of Warcraft has an entirely material trading card game. Warhammer Online is of course based on the Warhammer miniatures game, and WoW is getting a miniatures game of its own. And of course, the RPG genre originated on the table-top with Dungeons & Dragons.We're wondering: how much crossover is there between digital and table-top games? How many of our readers play them? Tell us! What do you think of table-top games?
Legends of Norrath launches fifth expansion: Ethernauts
Today marks the release of the fifth expansion to the Legends of Norrath digital trading card game -- Ethernauts. More than 280 cards join the existing arsenal, including four avatar cards, two new unit races, and 20 loot cards. They all play into a story that sets the stage for EverQuest II's upcoming The Shadow Odyssey expansion. In fact, there are even some scenarios based on never-before-seen TSO content. In an attempt to give would-be newbies an incentive to buy in, SOE has also introduced the Legendary Starter Pack at the price of $19.99. If you're a vet, though, you can pick up Ethernauts booster packs for $2.99 each. Current EverQuest or EQ2 subscribers will get a free starter deck, 'cause, y'know -- you're not hooked on Norrath enough already, right? Oh, and there are a bunch of special events all weekend celebrating the launch. Well met, fellow Norrathian! Make sure to check out all of our coverage of the next EverQuest II expansion, The Shadow Odyssey as well as Seeds of Destruction, the next expansion to EverQuest! %Gallery-17086%
The Star Wars Galaxies TCG goes live
Word from the official Star Wars Galaxies forums is that Champions of the Force, the brand new SOE TCG, is now live. We confirmed with a quick duck in-world, and claimed our five booster packs and starter decks from the jaws of the interface. All you need to do to play the game is type a quick /TCG into the chatbox, a method that will hopefully soon be joined by a standalone interface. Along with the launch of the TCG itself comes a brand new section of the forums to support the card players. There are areas for strategy discussions, tech issues, and of course some talk of the game's simply fantastic art. If you're as excited as we are about the new game you might want to attend a player-organized Launch Party for the new game. It's taking place on the Starsider server (this blogger's home in the galaxy far, far away) both Friday and Saturday. There are handy timezone markers in the official party post to let you know what time to show up. Make sure to put on your dancing shoes and tell them Massively sent you.%Gallery-27761%%Gallery-27590%
Check out the Pokemon goodies from Burger King
Remember last month when we reported on the team-up between Nintendo and Burger King? Well, now we get a glimpse at the Pokémon cards and toys being offered up by the fast food chain. You know, in case you wanted to take your little brother out to lunch or something. It's okay, your secret is safe with us.Anywho, we can't really comment on how awesome the cards are (we're no Pokémon Trading Card Game aficionados), but the little figures and plushies look cool enough. Each one seems to hold a card and there are also specific caddies that are available, which hold quite a few cards, we imagine.[Via Go Nintendo]
SOE announces online trading card game for Galaxies anniversary
In celebration of five years of Star Wars Galaxies, SOE and LucasArts have put out a press release announcing the production of Champions of the Force, a trading card game that will be available only to current Galaxies subscribers. The trading card game will only be available online, and will allow players to play decks against one another or even single-player in a story-based solo game. Interestingly, the game will sport "loot" cards which will be redeemable for virtual items within Galaxies proper.Subscribers will get a bountiful five booster packs a month just for paying their subscription fees, but starter decks and booster packs will be available for purchase from the Station store as well. They're aiming for a release late this summer, so make sure to check out the official site for more details if it sounds like it's up your alley. Also make sure to look at their community site to find the other goodies they've got planned for the five year anniversary.
Legends of Norrath Living Legacy Photo Contest
EverQuest and EverQuest II are getting the lion's share of the attention in SOE's Living Legacy promotion. But they are reserving something special for their massively collectible card game, Legends of Norrath. Win the Living Legacy Photo Contest, and not only will you get your picture painted, in character by artist Kieran Yanner for use on a Legends of Norrath card, but you'll be flown to the SOE Fan Faire this August. If you're an EverQuest player, your image will be made into a statue and placed into the guild halls of every guild in Norrath. If you are an EverQuest II player, your card will be made into a painting that can be hung in a place of honor in your apartment. All you need to do is to send them a picture that shows your passion for EverQuest. Find the complete rules on the Legends of Norrath web site. And good luck!
