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Author Topic: Eternal - Luis Scott-Vargas makes Hearthstone: The Gathering  (Read 17275 times)
Malakili
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on: February 13, 2016, 04:48:53 AM

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX0MdD_tt-o

Website and Beta sign ups: http://www.eternalcardgame.com/

For everyone interested in card games, this looks like another possible contender. Hex-like resource system, Hearthstone-like slick-UI, Magic-like everything else.

There doesn't seem to be a lot of information floating around about this yet, but it looks pretty slick from the video. It is free to play, but I can't tell if it is going to be a Hearthstone-style CCG, or if it will have full trading and an economy. That's the biggest question I have at the moment.

The AI already looks a damn sight better than Hex's.

naum
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Reply #1 on: October 10, 2017, 11:37:15 AM

Having a blast with this & it's weaned me off Hearthstone.

It is a meld of Hearthstone & MtG (improving upon Hex handling of Mana/Shards/Power/Play Points), but chooses MtG style of Attacker/Blocker v. Hearthstone/Shadowverse/Etc.

Various Single Player formats like Gauntlet where you beat 7 AI in a row, & score rewards on how far you make, each progressively tougher. Good for grinding good, at least until you hit Master (every time you beat it, you "rank up" -- Silver -> Bronze -> Gold -> Diamond -> Master) where "rank up" rewards are very generous, including packs.

Forge, a single player format similar to Hearthstone Arena, where you are presented with 3 cards & you pick 1. 25X (and then your deck will be filled with necessary Power/Mana cards). The 1st 2 colors you pick then will narrow your selections down to only cards of those 2 colors. You go until you win 7 or lose 2. You add the cards you pick to your collection.

Draft, similar to MtG, though packs are presented asynchronous -- you draft from 4 packs, and then play until you win 7, or lose 3. You keep the cards you draft, like Forge. Rewards are greater, but so is entry cost.

It still in Beta, but they do 2 Set releases per year and 2 campaigns that are like mini-sets, ~20 cards. Plus Promo cards & Events.

Here is a referral invite that will net you 3 free packs and a Theme Deck.

I put together a list of online resources for the game here, on this Tumblr:
https://eternalemporium.tumblr.com/linklog

Hope this succeeds -- I really dig the lore, the gunslingers, outlaws, dragons, dinosaurs, mystics, elementals, etc. theme.
« Last Edit: October 10, 2017, 11:48:01 AM by naum »

"Should the batman kill Joker because it would save more lives?" is a fundamentally different question from "should the batman have a bunch of machineguns that go BATBATBATBATBAT because its totally cool?". ~Goumindong
schild
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Reply #2 on: October 10, 2017, 12:14:54 PM

i can't play eternal and elder scrolls because Dire Wolf made some questionable hires
naum
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Reply #3 on: October 10, 2017, 04:31:30 PM

i can't play eternal and elder scrolls because Dire Wolf made some questionable hires

Why were they "questionable hires"?

Design team? CS team?

"Should the batman kill Joker because it would save more lives?" is a fundamentally different question from "should the batman have a bunch of machineguns that go BATBATBATBATBAT because its totally cool?". ~Goumindong
Azuredream
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Reply #4 on: October 10, 2017, 07:36:51 PM

I played this briefly a while ago and just really hated the land mechanic. So many games where you have too many lands or no lands at all. I felt pretty powerless to draw RNG moreso than hearthstone or shadowverse.

The Lord of the Land approaches..
schild
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Reply #5 on: October 10, 2017, 07:55:37 PM

i can't play eternal and elder scrolls because Dire Wolf made some questionable hires

Why were they "questionable hires"?

Design team? CS team?
Is that really relevant?
naum
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Reply #6 on: October 11, 2017, 09:40:19 AM

i can't play eternal and elder scrolls because Dire Wolf made some questionable hires

Why were they "questionable hires"?

Design team? CS team?
Is that really relevant?

Well you give an amorphous comment, and it just seems so vague.

"Questionable hires"?

Because of a personal animus (a beef with an individual or because they didn't hire you or they hired X)?  Or because they hire wife beaters, pussy grabbers, puppy killers, etc.? In other words, like is it a reason that players should boycott DWD?

"Should the batman kill Joker because it would save more lives?" is a fundamentally different question from "should the batman have a bunch of machineguns that go BATBATBATBATBAT because its totally cool?". ~Goumindong
naum
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Reply #7 on: October 11, 2017, 09:42:45 AM

I played this briefly a while ago and just really hated the land mechanic. So many games where you have too many lands or no lands at all. I felt pretty powerless to draw RNG moreso than hearthstone or shadowverse.

Yeah, it, like MtG/Hex, does the card as resource/mana/power/shards/play points.

But it is mitigated a bit here as on a Redraw you are guaranteed to get 2-4 Power cards. Still, in these games, you can always get starved (or flooded), but at least you're set for first couple of turns/draws.

"Should the batman kill Joker because it would save more lives?" is a fundamentally different question from "should the batman have a bunch of machineguns that go BATBATBATBATBAT because its totally cool?". ~Goumindong
Nebu
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Reply #8 on: October 11, 2017, 04:08:52 PM

Is there an "Arena" or random deck drafting mode? When I played MtG, I always preferred virgin deck play to that of built decks.  I'm not really into the Pokemon aspect of these games. 

"Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other."

-  Mark Twain
naum
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Reply #9 on: October 11, 2017, 04:25:46 PM

Is there an "Arena" or random deck drafting mode? When I played MtG, I always preferred virgin deck play to that of built decks.  I'm not really into the Pokemon aspect of these games. 

Yes, there is an multiplayer "Arena" mode.

You pick from 4 booster packs and pack is passed along after you pick a card, so you pick from a pack of 12, then 11, 10, etc., 4X to get 48 cards and build a 45 card deck (you'll use 25-30 of them, depending on how many Power card slots that you get for free -- standard is 18, +/- depending on deck composition and if you've taken some cards in the draft that provide Power, like Banners or Seats or Transmuted cards that are Power when you are <5 Max Power, but turn into a different card after you have Max Power >= 5) -- a little different than MtG where you're playing against the people you draft with -- here, you get passed picked from packs from the same person, but it's done asynchronously. You play until you win 7 or lose 3, and rewards progress up. You do get to keep the cards you draft, which means some players are just grabbing Rare/Legendary cards (a pack contains 12 cards -- 8 Common, 3 Uncommon, and 1 Rare/Legendary, with 10% chance of Rare being upgraded to a Legendary).

"Should the batman kill Joker because it would save more lives?" is a fundamentally different question from "should the batman have a bunch of machineguns that go BATBATBATBATBAT because its totally cool?". ~Goumindong
schild
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Reply #10 on: October 11, 2017, 09:33:29 PM

i can't play eternal and elder scrolls because Dire Wolf made some questionable hires

Why were they "questionable hires"?

Design team? CS team?
Is that really relevant?

Well you give an amorphous comment, and it just seems so vague.

"Questionable hires"?

Because of a personal animus (a beef with an individual or because they didn't hire you or they hired X)?  Or because they hire wife beaters, pussy grabbers, puppy killers, etc.? In other words, like is it a reason that players should boycott DWD?
Just some folks I don't consider to be in the top 50%. I do love LSV tho.
Hoax
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Reply #11 on: October 12, 2017, 05:30:58 AM

Its good, far better than SV or HS in terms of gameplay but they are too small and the playerbase is too small and the result is new cards are really slow to come out. Also the grind as f2p to get to constructed is insane compared to SV or HS. Draft is great though and you keep the cards.

A nation consists of its laws. A nation does not consist of its situation at a given time. If an individual's morals are situational, then that individual is without morals. If a nation's laws are situational, that nation has no laws, and soon isn't a nation.
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Nebu
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Reply #12 on: October 12, 2017, 08:10:21 AM

I may give this a try.  Thanks for all the info naum! 

"Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other."

-  Mark Twain
Setanta
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Reply #13 on: October 13, 2017, 12:43:39 AM

I'm not hating this. I forgot how much I hated land-screws in M:TG though.

I bought the founders pack because it seems a nice alternative to Hearthstone

"No man is an island. But if you strap a bunch of dead guys together it makes a damn fine raft."
Rendakor
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Reply #14 on: October 13, 2017, 05:53:57 AM

Is this better than Hex? Is it available on mobile?

"i can't be a star citizen. they won't even give me a star green card"
schild
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Reply #15 on: October 13, 2017, 06:21:28 AM

Is this better than Hex? Is it available on mobile?
No. You will be sorely upset if you even compare it to Hex. None of these games should be compared to Hex/Magic. They're all literally 50% as much game in various ways.
naum
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Reply #16 on: October 13, 2017, 08:01:57 AM

Is this better than Hex? Is it available on mobile?

I think so.

I tried Hex, made it through the single player content, and game was OK, but the client made my eyes bleed. And it desktop only. Hex has a bigger card pool because it's been out longer, & Eternal improves upon Hex handling of Mana/Shards/Power.

It's available on mobile -- has PC / Mac / iOS / Android, and a better client (UI) than all of these games IMV.

And while the player base on here is a fraction of Hearthstone (& is trailing Gwent, Shadowverse, MtG Online, it's steadily growing (got an infusion of new players when Hasbro/Wizards announced they were ceasing support for Magic Duels), whereas Hex is a *dying* (along with Faeria, Duelyist) game, with a shrinking & tiny player base.

Yes, none of these games are MtG. But then they don't make you click 5X+ a turn either, as they're streamlined for digital play.

Playing Hex just made me sad I wasn't playing MtG. Playing Eternal I get that I'm playing a streamlined MtG knockoff that lifted the pizzazz & polish from Hearthstone, but it's enjoyable for me. It's not perfect, there are flaws in the game that make it inferior to MtG and the card pool is still relatively small, but it's the best of these IMV.
« Last Edit: October 13, 2017, 08:09:17 AM by naum »

"Should the batman kill Joker because it would save more lives?" is a fundamentally different question from "should the batman have a bunch of machineguns that go BATBATBATBATBAT because its totally cool?". ~Goumindong
schild
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Reply #17 on: October 13, 2017, 08:43:06 AM

Quote
Yes, none of these games are MtG. But then they don't make you click 5X+ a turn either, as they're streamlined for digital play.

Clicking serves a purpose. Saying you want something easier and less fiddly is fine. Knocking the exact thing that mimics depth, however, is absurd. Without the clicking, you get Hearthstone. Which is objectively garbage.

Playing Hex just made me sad I wasn't playing MtG. Playing Eternal I get that I'm playing a streamlined MtG knockoff that lifted the pizzazz & polish from Hearthstone, but it's enjoyable for me. It's not perfect, there are flaws in the game that make it inferior to MtG and the card pool is still relatively small, but it's the best of these IMV.

This I agree with. Playing Hex makes me miss Magic, though they could fix that pretty easily. As for Eternal, the card pool will never, ever be as good as Magic - nor will the mechanics. They're not equipped to produce at that level.
« Last Edit: October 13, 2017, 08:48:14 AM by schild »
naum
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Reply #18 on: October 13, 2017, 09:05:11 AM

Quote
Yes, none of these games are MtG. But then they don't make you click 5X+ a turn either, as they're streamlined for digital play.

Clicking serves a purpose. Saying you want something easier and less fiddly is fine. Knocking the exact thing that mimics depth, however, is absurd. Without the clicking, you get Hearthstone. Which is objectively garbage.

Yes, but the challenge for a digital MtG client is to incorporate this in best way you can to make UI decent. They took a (partial) stab at this with Magic Duels (& they still continue to truck along with the awful Magic Online that is subpar even by 2007 standards) client & will still retain that monster when MtG Arena launches, which will only be for new set(s)). Eternal has *Fast Spells* so you can interact on opponent's turn (besides unit blocking), but it's streamlined (and critics will lambast that it's a *tell* when game pauses, you know opponent is holding a *Fast Spell* of some sort though it may not be relevant to the context of gameplay at that turn juncture).

Eternal also does away with the hero power features of Hearthstone (& Hex too).

I like the lore of gunslingers, outlaws, dinosaurs, dragons, mystics, shadow, etc. in Eternal whereas Hex just struck me as a washed out MtG, in terms of lore.

But the striking contrast is client -- Hex doesn't even offer mobile client (though it is multiplatform on desktop) and the client looks like ass -- my eyes hurt after playing Hex for an hour or more. We can debate about intricacies and deepness of strategy in gameplay, but polish & pizzazz in the visual/audio presentation is just as impactful (I know, this is coming from someone whose favorite strategy game is Dominions 3/4/5 :D). It's why Hearthstone is the colossal beast (well, also because of Blizzard past dominance & Warcraft lore) in this genre. But even Hearthstone client (and game platform) starting to show its age compared to Eternal, Shadowverse, Gwent (which I've not played but now might be #2 after Hearthstone), that offer more features and gameplay modes.
« Last Edit: October 13, 2017, 09:11:31 AM by naum »

"Should the batman kill Joker because it would save more lives?" is a fundamentally different question from "should the batman have a bunch of machineguns that go BATBATBATBATBAT because its totally cool?". ~Goumindong
Rendakor
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Reply #19 on: October 13, 2017, 09:12:30 AM

I don't see your problem with Hex's client (other than lack of mobile). It plays and looks fine to me, although I would like a game with LESS flashy shit that just ran better. Your comment that you played Hex's single player with no mention of multiplayer says that maybe we're looking for different things in TCGs.

"i can't be a star citizen. they won't even give me a star green card"
naum
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Reply #20 on: October 13, 2017, 09:35:35 AM

I don't see your problem with Hex's client (other than lack of mobile). It plays and looks fine to me, although I would like a game with LESS flashy shit that just ran better. Your comment that you played Hex's single player with no mention of multiplayer says that maybe we're looking for different things in TCGs.

Nah, just didn't make it past single player (especially coming late to a game where multiple sets been released and you have no cards) to do MP. Played through opening campaign & some of the single player nodes (or whatever they call them, it been a few months). Single player in these games is just to get you up and running (and actually may be a hindrance for experienced players that have to trog through silly opening campaigns. Still, Eternal has a Gauntlet mode that players use to grind gold (and even see how fast they can reel off 7 wins).

In Hex, had difficulty reading the text on the cards (maybe it way my system rendered fonts), & the UI so washed out, had to really focus to see what was going on during gameplay. Even in card collection / deck screens, had to squint to see clearly & experimented with a bunch of different display settings to no avail.

Granted, I am cursed with poor eyesight, so maybe not even noticeable for many players, but my eyes *hurt* after playing Hex for more than an hour or so.

"Should the batman kill Joker because it would save more lives?" is a fundamentally different question from "should the batman have a bunch of machineguns that go BATBATBATBATBAT because its totally cool?". ~Goumindong
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Reply #21 on: October 13, 2017, 09:47:50 AM

I have shit eyesight also, this is very much a YMMV thing though. Not sure why you'd try to read the text on any cards without zooming in. But anyway, yeah, judging it based on the single player is ridiculous. The single player shouldn't even exist.
Rendakor
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Reply #22 on: October 13, 2017, 11:02:02 AM

The single player in Hex isn't really designed to introduce the multiplayer; it's a wholly separate experience and only the account levelling and the occasional common really tie the two together.

"i can't be a star citizen. they won't even give me a star green card"
Rendakor
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Reply #23 on: October 14, 2017, 07:36:36 PM

Giving this a shot; I finished the 20! PVE matches and still don't appear to have the ability to play PVP. Ranked and Casual are still locked. Trying gauntlet now.

"i can't be a star citizen. they won't even give me a star green card"
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Reply #24 on: October 14, 2017, 10:16:17 PM

Lol
Setanta
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Reply #25 on: October 14, 2017, 11:47:26 PM

Watching this discussion, I reinstalled MTGO, found my old login and waited for the game to unload. Fuck it looks shit now.

Eternal looks polished by comparison, Hex and Gwent look good and HS takes a huge shit all over it in terms of jump in and play.

I miss MTG (I still have folders and folders of cards) but I think Eternal could teach Wizards a thing or two.

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lamaros
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Reply #26 on: October 16, 2017, 04:35:05 AM

MtG doesn't want a good online implementation.

They're like book publishers. They make money from printed material.
Teleku
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Reply #27 on: October 16, 2017, 10:56:32 PM

MtG online being shit is pretty much the reason Hex came about.

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schild
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Reply #28 on: October 17, 2017, 10:11:09 AM

It certainly helps that every set they've released since Return to Ravnica has been hot garbage and even that (and Innistrad) were exceptions ot the rule since Scars of Mirrodin set their trajectory to "further than the bottom of a dumpster."
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Reply #29 on: October 19, 2017, 12:53:07 PM

Having fun with this. Forge seems easy enough to basically win every time and get a lot of packs and your gold back for another run...maybe this wont be the case once I'm higher than silver.

"I have more qualifications than Jesus and earn more than this whole board put together.  My ego is huge and my modesty non-existant." -Ironwood
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Reply #30 on: October 23, 2017, 04:06:02 PM

It certainly helps that every set they've released since Return to Ravnica has been hot garbage and even that (and Innistrad) were exceptions ot the rule since Scars of Mirrodin set their trajectory to "further than the bottom of a dumpster."

Is Ixalan included in that *garbage* list?

"Should the batman kill Joker because it would save more lives?" is a fundamentally different question from "should the batman have a bunch of machineguns that go BATBATBATBATBAT because its totally cool?". ~Goumindong
schild
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Reply #31 on: October 23, 2017, 05:10:33 PM

Pirates dinosaurs and vampires

You tell me

(But for real, yeah, but I'll never draft it to be able to confirm)
naum
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Reply #32 on: October 23, 2017, 09:52:52 PM

Pirates dinosaurs and vampires

You tell me

(But for real, yeah, but I'll never draft it to be able to confirm)

I don't know -- following some Eternal streamers that also still active with Magic rekindled my desire (seeing Twitter updates on Ixalan release) to play MtG so I ordered a couple of Ixalan bundle boxes with hopes I can coax family & nearby IRL friends to do this League thing.

Haven't purchased *physical* MtG cards in over 15 years. And I think it's been 10 years since last MtG Online gameplay (though I did, a few months back, play a bit of Magic Duels on iPad).

"Should the batman kill Joker because it would save more lives?" is a fundamentally different question from "should the batman have a bunch of machineguns that go BATBATBATBATBAT because its totally cool?". ~Goumindong
Nebu
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Reply #33 on: October 25, 2017, 04:02:07 PM

Went 5-3 in my very first draft.  A few of the wins were even power starved. 

Enjoying this game in short bursts.  Thanks for letting me know about it.

"Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other."

-  Mark Twain
Rendakor
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Reply #34 on: October 25, 2017, 08:06:52 PM

I've given up on it. It's a better Hearthstone, that's for sure... but it's still Hearthstone. It just makes me wish Hex had a mobile client out.

"i can't be a star citizen. they won't even give me a star green card"
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