UI and Cards

[Breca]

Just a quick update on Sovereignty and an answer to some of the questions floating around out there...

As Lordzimoa has mentioned, we are undergoing a major overhaul of the UI. While the new UI going in is prettier than the old, the primary objectives were to shift toward a cleaner layout, and to reduce clickiness for a more fluid, responsive play experience. I do want to thank Iain for his hard but focused feedback. We are moving toward a crisp, clean game. We should have the first build with the new campaign UI this week. If it's looking good, we'll post some exciting new shots.

A note on the cards: Essentially the cards have 2 functions:
1) Mostly, they're an elegant way of displaying stats in the game. We could have displayed Units simply as a list of stats. Instead we chose to display them as a card. The card is a format that you can almost "grab in your hand," and because of that, cards are a really nice way of communicating a list of otherwise complex stats.
2) We have Heroes in the game! Each Hero functions like the general of an army. Each Realm may have only a few heroes...but a Realm may have many armies. So armies with Heroes are considered special. Each Hero has a Class, like Warlord or a Spymaster, and each Class has one or two special abilities that they can play as a one-time play during the Battle game. These special abilities are played like a tactical card during any turn of Battle.
- A Necromancer might play Necropolis: Remove all Units currently in your Graveyard. For every such Unit, one Skeleton is deployed.
- A Ranger might play Concealed Fire: Choose 1 Archer Unit you control. That unit retreats from battle. All remaining Archers you control reset their attack, if they have attacked already this turn.
Thus, Heroes provide the battle game with a special tactical card. Choose your key moment, and play your tactical card to turn the tide of battle! Hero Classes tend to gravitate toward specific Realm types. For instance, the haunted realm of Palemoor is likely to attract a Necromancer or Witch, while the glorious Order at Dragonhold is likely to attract a Warlord or Battlemage.

This all plays into your choice of Realm. Each realm has its own Unit types, spells, Heroes, diplomatic relations, and resources to trade. Realms also may have unique Landmarks...wonders of the world, like the Eiffel Tower or the Gates of Argonath in Middle Earth. Landmarks grant the owner special additional bonuses. The end effect is that each Realm is given a unique play style. You can play in civilized Myrmont, the barbaric tundra of Vessoi, the sprawling orcish pits of The Iron Barony, the piratical Azure Isles and many others. We think you'll find something special in Sovereignty.

We're aiming at closed beta in a month. Until then, we at Lordz and Gothic thank you all for your patience.

Good Hunting!

Breca

[Samhain]

Thanks for the update. I'm not sure why I didn't think of this sooner but is playing as any one region as difficult as any other?

[Breca]

Realms are asymmetric in what they are good at. Some are better at trade, some more magically-inclined, some more militaristic and so forth. But some are also inherently more challenging and some easier to play. Not all realms are created equal. If you're a newer player, you might try Myrmont or Ariselle, both powerful civilized realms with many allies and a strong position. If you're looking for more of a challenge, try the smaller gypsy realm of Ladvia or the blasted and precarious mines of Cragenwaste.

Good Hunting!

Breca

[CaptainHuge]

I think the use of cards is brilliant. Not only does it give a clear way of showing details, but it gives the game the feeling that you are playing a board game. I like that.