There are a lot of things to consider when developing a CCG, and as a player there are plenty of things to consider before investing time and money into a game. The best of all combinations then is a game that is cheap to produce but retains quality, engaging and addictive in its gameplay, not such a massive financial investment that if nobody else you know plays it you haven't lost your shirt, and a game that retains a degree of either collectability or rarity amongst its cards. The DCG or Downloadable Card Game does all of these.
Firestorm Ink have an excellent concept here and the first incarnation of their DCG idea is currently being rolled out in all its Alpha glory. Factions is a political game that takes some of its ideas from games like Allegiance and adds an engaging set of mechanics and gameplay in a very accessible framework. They are accepting alpha testers now, email them at alpha@firestorm-ink.com.
What is a DCG then? It's actually a vehicle to produce card games. Cards are printed to PDF (the same quality files that go to a regular printer) and then players can buy the individual PDF files for a set price (each PDF has 9 cards on it). Each file you purchase gives you a credit. These credits can then be used to enter tournaments, acquire additional rare cards, etc. Once you have the card PDF you can print it as many times as you want, on any medium, from proper card backing to ordinary printer paper. If a card set has 180 cards then the entire game will cost you $20 to start playing if each file costs $1, and it is anticipated that this is about what each file will cost.
Want some friends to learn? Print them off some cards, simple as that. Lose a few cards, or they get torn and ratty, print some more. So what's stopping players buying the cards and then just printing them for all and sundry? Well nothing really except by actually buying the files you are earning the Credits and you also register to get unique card files emailed to you. If you choose to give these rare cards to your friends too, then that's up to you, but not doing so will give you an advantage both in local play and in tournaments.
Beyond this simple download of the files, players can purchase a subscription. This entitles them to all the cards that are produced for the length of their subscription (including all rare and special cards). Higher levels of subscription will enable the player to have the cards professionally printed on card and posted to them (keep the card backed set for tournaments and use the paper backed copies for friendly social play).
It's a great concept, and allows a player to invest as little or as much into the game as they wish by bypassing or putting in the players hands the major cost of a CCG's production - the printing, bring in friends initially at no cost, and if the game isn't your cup of tea, you haven't lost your shirt. With some good titles behind this idea, Firestorm Ink might just be onto something.
0 comments:
Post a Comment