iPhone Spellcraft - Collectable Card Game - by Three Goblins Ltd

Discussion in 'iPhone and iPad Games' started by sladeums, Aug 31, 2012.

  1. Steve at ThreeGoblins

    Steve at ThreeGoblins Well-Known Member

    Sep 10, 2012
    173
    0
    0
    Game Designer and Teacher
    Tokyo
    Hi Sheinfell,

    Interestingly, you have picked up on a deliberate decision on my part to avoid the 'classic' fantasy races of dwarves, orcs and elves. In fact the original name for the company was almost "Strictly No Elves". I think some of the forest fey folk look Elven though ;)
    Never thought of eliminating humans too. Humans will have to stay I think, as they feature heavily in a future faction.


    Lovecraft Mythos: Yes I agree. Kraken's reach, the Aquallids and a few other things were partly inspired by Cthulhu , since I am a big Lovecraft fan.


    Pirates: I like your idea a lot. I will pass this on to the artist.

    Thanks!
    Steve
    http://www.spellcraft-ccg.com/
     
  2. Mack the Knife

    Mack the Knife Well-Known Member

    Jun 21, 2012
    562
    0
    0
    thanks steve! glad to hear you folks are continuing to enhance the game. how about throwing us a bone :D what will come first? new faction, new cards for the campaign, new artwork? i know you'll probably say your first priority is the iphone (but i don't care about that). so, will it be the iphone in the first month and the rest in month two?
     
  3. Sheinfell

    Sheinfell Well-Known Member

    May 14, 2012
    943
    0
    0
    Europe, CET timezone
    #183 Sheinfell, Oct 9, 2012
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2012
    I like that with the "No Elves" :) Couldn't find the original "STOP" sign with the crossed-out pointy ear, so this one will have to do: http://www.discordia11thdimension.com/images/story_images/elf1.gif
    And yes, I definitely noticed the low presence of humans, really nice change from "classic" fantasy.
    And Fey != (Fantasy) Elves ;) I guess that many people don't know or care about the difference, but here is one person that does.

    Brainstorming a bit here:
    If removing humans completely does not fit your future plans, how about removing them from the existing factions? Similar to the idea of replacing the Water Pirates with a different non-human card.
    At least in my opinion, the few human cards that currently exist do not fit well into the factions they are a part of.
    Having a human faction is a different story, of course. I immediately think of a struggling enclave among all the weird non-human stuff that dominates the world.

    Let's see... some lengthy analysis coming up:

    Fire has the Pyromancers who look human; but those could very well be humanoid Djinns, like on the "Berserk Djinn" card.
    Interestingly enough, there is the Inferno card, which shows a human not as protagonist, but as victim of a spell.

    Nature: Reemergence, Healing Sap, Rebirth, Wild Growth:
    The hunting party on Reemergence definitely looks Elvish in the zoomed view (see above, maybe just an oversight ;) ) , but comes across as humans unless you zoom in and notice the pointy ears.
    While the guy on "Healing Sap" has pointy ears, he looks very human.
    Rebirth looks great, but also very human.
    Wild Growth looks fey-ish, but could also be a human mage/druid.
    To make them fit the faction better, I would make them more fey-like, similar to the theme you see on the "Chanting Druids" card (the leaf dress of the woman in the back looks fantastic, more of that style please!).

    Water has the Pirates that Steve addresses below. And the "Ocean Mist" card, where - again very interesting - a human is shown as victim again, in the same style as the above-mentioned Fire Inferno card.

    Underworld: Darkling Slavers, Narrow Tunnels, Taken Under, Essence Exchange: Again, humans as victim, not protagonist. Interesting...is this a theme/pattern?
    Lost and "Wrong Tunnel" are hard to tell: The guy on Lost looks human (face, and no pointy ears), for Tunnel you cannot say, because it shows a silhouette only.
    However, their clothing style seems more Elvish-inspired to me. Would like to hear what your artist used as inspiration for those particular cards.
    And again, they are portrayed as victims, not as protagonists.

    Same here :)
    Very nice to hear that, thanks alot!
     
  4. markturner_goblin

    markturner_goblin Well-Known Member

    Oct 1, 2012
    46
    0
    0
    Yes I may replace some of the humans like pirates,these could look good as tritons.I was trying to keep away from the usual fantasy monsters like goblins,orcs and dwarves as we wanted our own world with its own creatures.It might be a good idea to have a large version of the map up on our website with details of the regions and its races.
    There is quite few humans in the cards,many as victims of some spells as I imagined them to be fairly aggresive and territorial ,but they won't really appear much as actual minions untill the city region expansion. Although also I imagined the darklings would be kidnapping humans and other races(taken under,lost)
    Thanks for the comment .If you want some games some time let me know.
     
  5. Sheinfell

    Sheinfell Well-Known Member

    May 14, 2012
    943
    0
    0
    Europe, CET timezone
    Spellcraft soundtrack?

    Goblins, would you consider putting the Spellcraft soundtrack up for purchase on iTunes?
    I really like most of the tracks, and sometimes feel like listening to them as background music, without having the game running.

    And maybe track/playlist controls for inside the game?
     
  6. Mack the Knife

    Mack the Knife Well-Known Member

    Jun 21, 2012
    562
    0
    0
    hmmm...no developer post for 2 weeks, no response to Sheinfell's post in a week, no update at their website, no app updates, no news of any app updates, it's not summer vacation time nor the holiday season.
    [​IMG]
     
  7. Steve at ThreeGoblins

    Steve at ThreeGoblins Well-Known Member

    Sep 10, 2012
    173
    0
    0
    Game Designer and Teacher
    Tokyo
    Hello Mack,

    Unortunately, I was suddenly rushed to hospital for what turned out to be a life-saving operation. The other 2 don't frequent this forum much, so you can always contact them via the website.
    However all is back to semi-normal now, so I will attempt to update you now.


    To answer Sheinfell's question, we don't have any plans to change the music system or release the tracks. However, it's been requested previously so it goes on the long-term list of wants

    The storage issue with iCloud is being finalised and the iPhone version is making good progress. The improved artwork is also making good progress - same/similar images just nicer looking.

    Undead faction is 70% done but my absence hindered matters severely , so it's my fault really.

    Sorry that's all I have for you right now. Will be watching for any replies.

    Steve @ ThreeGoblins
     
  8. Earthdweller

    Earthdweller Well-Known Member

    Oct 24, 2009
    60
    0
    0
    UK
    Well OK we'll let you off then!

    Seriously I hope youre Ok and make a good recovery.

    The game can wait!
     
  9. Steve at ThreeGoblins

    Steve at ThreeGoblins Well-Known Member

    Sep 10, 2012
    173
    0
    0
    Game Designer and Teacher
    Tokyo
    #189 Steve at ThreeGoblins, Oct 26, 2012
    Last edited: Nov 6, 2012
    Undead

    Firstly, thank you for the kind words.



    Secondly, a few details of some undead cards.




    Item: Heart of Darkness : Gain 1 power when a minion dies

    Trap: Corrupt : destroy enemy aura as that aura is cast

    Spell: Death Is Inevitable : Both players lose 3 life

    Spell: Cloud of Bats: places a 0/1 Bat with Quick in each free slot

    Spell: Post Mortem : remove top minion in opponent's graveyard and gain life equal to its health


    Minions

    Stitched Golem : as cast removes top 2 minions from your graveyard, adding their power and health to its own

    Grave Robbers : each turn move 2 cards in enemy discard pile to your own

    Bone Dragon : ability to destroy outright any creature opposing it with less health than Bone Dragon

    Necromages: 1 damage to any target but you lose 1 life

    Wraith Soulhunter: Each turn moves to face an unblocked minion

    Skeleton Crew: when played , an item in opponent's graveyard goes to your hand

    Blood Vapour: Gains +1/+1 each turn but you lose 1 life


    Steve @ ThreeGoblins
     
  10. Mack the Knife

    Mack the Knife Well-Known Member

    Jun 21, 2012
    562
    0
    0
    hey steve, glad to hear all is getting better for you, wish you all the best and let us know stuff when you can. i'll be patient (sorry for the pun :D)
     
  11. Sheinfell

    Sheinfell Well-Known Member

    May 14, 2012
    943
    0
    0
    Europe, CET timezone
    Hi Steve,
    first of all, I hope you are recovering well. All best wishes from me!

    The Undead cards sound quite interesting, looking forward to the new faction.
    Got one question and two concerns about the new cards you mentioned:
    This looks very similar to the Dark card "Mass Collapse", just a bit weaker. What will the cost of the card be? And what is the reason to give the bats Quick? (Hhmm, now I can think of one specific scenario).

    Does "top 2 minions" mean that the minions have to specifically be the 2 top cards of my discard pile? Or will it use the first 2 minions it can find in the pile? In any case, this sounds rather overpowered to me, even if it were a 5-cost card. You have other cards with similar potential (e.g. the Water card "Deepsea Thing", but those take time to build up, as opposed to instant action here. What will the card's cost and stats be?

    Same here, would you mind sharing the stats you have planned? No other card has a similar ability, so this sounds slightly overpowered as well.
    Cards that comes close are the Dark "Darkling Assassin" and the Fire "Ruby Dragon", but their abilities cost mana (1 mana for 2 damage with the Assassin, 3 for 2 with the Dragon).

    Again, best wishes, get well soon!
    Shein
     
  12. Steve at ThreeGoblins

    Steve at ThreeGoblins Well-Known Member

    Sep 10, 2012
    173
    0
    0
    Game Designer and Teacher
    Tokyo
    #192 Steve at ThreeGoblins, Oct 30, 2012
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2012
    Hello!

    Just briefly :

    Cloud of Bats is hard to compare to Mass Collapse as it generates 5 potential attackers, assuming suitable buffs. The reason for Quick is that in Spellcraft this generally equates to very agile and especially flying creatures.
    It has cunning uses, many more of which will become clear when you see the other undead cards.

    Stitched Golem : topmost 2 dead things anywhere in discard pile. It has in-built limits.

    Bone Dragon: ability is expensive. More details later. Don't want to print something now as a very small chance a minor detail might change :)


    Steve @ ThreeGoblins
    PS your submitted deck is on the web site, under Deck Showcase
    http://www.spellcraft-ccg.com/deck-showcase.html
     
  13. Sheinfell

    Sheinfell Well-Known Member

    May 14, 2012
    943
    0
    0
    Europe, CET timezone
    Very nice, thanks alot!
    You might want to remove the "(I will send you those decks, too)" in line 2. This looks a bit odd on the showcase (as the context from the emails is missing).
     
  14. Steve at ThreeGoblins

    Steve at ThreeGoblins Well-Known Member

    Sep 10, 2012
    173
    0
    0
    Game Designer and Teacher
    Tokyo
    Update

    Dear All,

    Just a quick update.
    First half of December should see one BIG update, including:

    (1) Undead faction
    (2) iPhone compatible (universal)
    (3) Better use of iCloud
    (4) Improvement to the look of many in-game screens
    (5) Some card balancing changes (nothing major, healths, casting costs,etc)
    (6) Newer artwork on many cards
    (7) Nice new border art for all cards
    (8) Graphical effects can be switched off if need be
    (9) Some new achievements


    As you can see, we've been busy! We hope the iPhone version will bring in many new players, so that 2-player matches can become a more realistic option.

    Early 2013 we will endeavour to introduce a more varied one-player campaign that uses special cards.
    After that, the next faction, already fully designed, is Air, which will focus on speed and time, really introducing a lot of very dynamic cards into the mix.


    Cheers
    Steve at ThreeGoblins
    http://www.spellcraft-ccg.com/news.html
     
  15. Talbs

    Talbs Well-Known Member

    May 1, 2011
    2,596
    368
    83
    Nice one. You've done a great job. I particularly have been hanging out for the iPhone version. I don't use my iPad so much, so an iPhone version will be great.
    I had a go on the weekend again (have had the app for a while but not played a great deal).
    It's very polished, art work is amazing, I'll just sit and look at that alone for a while. UI is simple and easy. Not sure about depth because as stated haven't played heaps. I'm sure it's reasonable. One thing I'm not sure about though is how a 4-1 card can come inand neutralize a 4-3 card, simply because they're attacks are the same. One card will only win in that situation if it gets a buff to a 5 attack. As far as I know this is the first game I know that does that. Not putting it down, just saying I'm on the fence with it. Makes u think about creatures in a different way which is good, but to me also takes some of the value out of creatures, maybe? Still, a different take on the attack/defense thing is refreshing.

    As said, great work so far, very much looking forward to the update
     
  16. Mack the Knife

    Mack the Knife Well-Known Member

    Jun 21, 2012
    562
    0
    0
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
     
  17. Steve at ThreeGoblins

    Steve at ThreeGoblins Well-Known Member

    Sep 10, 2012
    173
    0
    0
    Game Designer and Teacher
    Tokyo
    Hello Talbs,

    Thanks for your comments. Always nice to hear player feedback. Or a line of dancing bananas (looking at you Mac :) )

    Yes, the decision to have creatures of equal strength locked in balance was for many reasons, including:

    (1) once a lane is successfully blocked you don't need to think about it, at least for now. Having played other games with lanes where creatures always damage each other, I found those unsatisfactory because I had to pre-calculate a large number of lane combats. It felt like a relentless grind.

    (2) it is not only based our fantasy interests but also our historical wargames backgrounds, where stand-offs and defensive positions are normal, and players jiggle for control of certain key points in the line, exploiting any weaknesses.

    How you envisage this in SC is up to you, whether the two creatures really are locked in mortal combat, are staring each other out , or unwilling to engage, etc.


    One key tactic in SC is to suddenly change the status-quo, which is easily done , even with the most common cards. One really simple way is to just replace a weak looking creature with a much stronger one. This often catches an opponent off guard.

    Early games with some inexperienced players can seem to grind to some sort of halt, much like in a board game like chess or such, where it approaches a stalemate - but this is easily broken in SC by cunning use of some very basic cards to manipulate cards strengths, move or remove them, etc.


    In any case, with each new expansion, there are more and more ways to achieve whatever your goal is.
    The next expansion , after undead, will see an emphasis on speed play, which changes the game dynamic quite a bit if speed is what your deck uses. It will also allow manipulation of Timers on cards for added mayhem.

    The iPhone conversion, iCloud stuff and other things have taken longer than planned, often due to personal circumstances. But the undead faction has proceeded just fine, so I am confident of more regular expansions throughout 2013.


    It may interested you to know that 8 more factions are already fully designed, so we're not done yet!

    Regards
    Steve @ 3G
     
  18. Mack the Knife

    Mack the Knife Well-Known Member

    Jun 21, 2012
    562
    0
    0
    #198 Mack the Knife, Nov 23, 2012
    Last edited: Nov 23, 2012
    really? in addition to Undead and Air?! is there room on the map? and, secondly, is that too many? for me, just like with Magic 2013 and 60+ cards per deck, too much of anything becomes overwhelming and makes it cumbersome to manage. there has to come a time when too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing. :D
     
  19. Steve at ThreeGoblins

    Steve at ThreeGoblins Well-Known Member

    Sep 10, 2012
    173
    0
    0
    Game Designer and Teacher
    Tokyo
    It will be a slow build up, so I don't think it will be a problem. We are thinking long term. 2013 might bring 3-4 new factions at most.
    And each faction isn't that big if you count the number of cards. In fact we might introduce the occasional extra card for all factions later.

    Is there room on the map? Yes. If you look around you can see distinct patches of terrain.

    In addition the level of complexity doesn't raise that much. It might be true to say undead is marginally more complex than ocean, but not by far.
    Later a few more game mechanics are introduced but they are variations on what we have now, so nothing drastic. No learning curves!

    Finally, it's why we provided boosters in faction of your choice rather than random mix, so you don't even need to get cards of faction X if it doesn't interest you to do so.


    Thanks
    Steve @ ThreeGoblins
     
  20. Sheinfell

    Sheinfell Well-Known Member

    May 14, 2012
    943
    0
    0
    Europe, CET timezone
    Very nice to hear about the upcoming update, Goblins!
    Really looking forward to it.
    Hhmm, maybe you should try to get coverage here on TA, now that you offer an iPhone version as well?

    And if anyone feels like a match, let me know here, best a few hours in advance as I don't check permanently. I am on vacation the next week, so I should have more time than usual.
    I did not find any matches over the last few weeks, sadly :(
     

Share This Page