Gang of Four is a card game based on a variant of Chinese gambling. The game is for 3-4 players and uses 64 cards. The object of the game is to play all of your cards first. Cards can be played in singles, pairs, triplets, or as a full house. If a player has 4 or more of the same card they may play all 4 as a wild card. The cards are in order 1-10 with 2 gree, 2 yellow, and 2 red. Red cards are the highest of there number, and then yellow and green. The last four cardss are a yellow dragon, which is the highest single card, the yellow and green dragon, which are the 2nd and third highest cards respectively, and the multi-colored #1 card. The player who was dealt the multi-colored #1 card begins the game. The beginning player may play one or more carsa as outlined above and each following player may only play the same number of cards, and the cards must be higher than those played by the previous player. The last player to play their cards on teh pile may start the next set with any combination of cards they wish.
The game can be a lot of fun, as the random dealing of the cards makes the game much more mental. Some strategies are to always play as low a hand as possible so that there is more likely a chance you can pay more before an extremely high card is played. If you are dealt 4 of a kind, it is also often good to hold it until your second to last set of cards, so that you may play the 4 as a wild card, winning the pile, and start the next pile with your last card, thus winning the game.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Who Done it
Recently I was introduce to an article entitled, "Who killed video games?"
The article outlined the basic design ideas behind most modern flash/smartphone app games. These games are widespread and popular. The article focused on the use of micro-transactions to earn revenue for the creators. This is in contrast to traditional games which require an upfront price.
Along with the idea of this being the "FTP" or "Free to Play" and "FTUE" or "First Time User Experience" the article generally discusses how the companies that create these games try to craft them in such a way to make players want to pay more for what is already given to them for free.
After reading this I began to take a look at an online game I play called Eve Online. Eve recently added micro-transactions in the form of the Noble Exchange. The Noble Exchange or Nex as it is called in game is a seperate market for vanity item goods. Here players can buy a couple new outfits, and in the future more content will be added.
When the Nex was introduced the player base in general revolted. The forums were full of players angry about the intorduction of micro-transactions into the game, and in game riots sprang up across the in game universe protestin the new addition.
The Nex was added to the game in large part because teh creators of Eve were drawing criticism from other MMORPG creators.
With the introduction of the Nex market, CCP the creators of Eve released the new currency Aurum. Aurum, or Aur is obtained by trading in game tokens called PLEX (Pilots License EXtensions) theses item are worth 30 days of game play time, and can be purchased for cast at a price of $19.99 for one or $15 times 2, 6 or 12, with a special promotional offer of 13 for the price of $199.
After reading the article I see how the introduction of the Nex and Aurum was a slight failure. The main reason is that the price point is too high, $15 is hardly considered micro to many people. Secondly, because of the Aurum pice for items in the Nex, a shirt for your character cost just enough Aurum that you needed 2 PLEX's or at least $30.00 to purchase.
There are several other game-related issues that caused teh massive uproar from the player base. After reading the article I realize what some of the problems were in regards to teh introduction of secondary micro-transaction market in Eve Online.
The article outlined the basic design ideas behind most modern flash/smartphone app games. These games are widespread and popular. The article focused on the use of micro-transactions to earn revenue for the creators. This is in contrast to traditional games which require an upfront price.
Along with the idea of this being the "FTP" or "Free to Play" and "FTUE" or "First Time User Experience" the article generally discusses how the companies that create these games try to craft them in such a way to make players want to pay more for what is already given to them for free.
After reading this I began to take a look at an online game I play called Eve Online. Eve recently added micro-transactions in the form of the Noble Exchange. The Noble Exchange or Nex as it is called in game is a seperate market for vanity item goods. Here players can buy a couple new outfits, and in the future more content will be added.
When the Nex was introduced the player base in general revolted. The forums were full of players angry about the intorduction of micro-transactions into the game, and in game riots sprang up across the in game universe protestin the new addition.
The Nex was added to the game in large part because teh creators of Eve were drawing criticism from other MMORPG creators.
With the introduction of the Nex market, CCP the creators of Eve released the new currency Aurum. Aurum, or Aur is obtained by trading in game tokens called PLEX (Pilots License EXtensions) theses item are worth 30 days of game play time, and can be purchased for cast at a price of $19.99 for one or $15 times 2, 6 or 12, with a special promotional offer of 13 for the price of $199.
After reading the article I see how the introduction of the Nex and Aurum was a slight failure. The main reason is that the price point is too high, $15 is hardly considered micro to many people. Secondly, because of the Aurum pice for items in the Nex, a shirt for your character cost just enough Aurum that you needed 2 PLEX's or at least $30.00 to purchase.
There are several other game-related issues that caused teh massive uproar from the player base. After reading the article I realize what some of the problems were in regards to teh introduction of secondary micro-transaction market in Eve Online.
Lightening Bolt!
Lately I have been playing a lot of Magic: The Gathering with my friends.
Magic is a trading card game which is loosely based on characters in a set of fictional novels. With the arrival of Inistrad this fall I've gotten back into teh swing of things and have made several new decks.
One is a solar flare deck for which my friend gave me the idea. The deck is a blue/black/white which relies on Sun Titans, Phantasmal Images, Lord of the unreals, and spells to return creatures from teh graveyard to play or to your hand. The deck also has 4x Day of Judgement and 4x Divine Reckoning to help clear teh field, as well as a couple targeted creature destruction. The deck works well and often has 3x phantasmal images in play as copies of sun titan to lay a beating on my opponents. It is also handy to have snapcaster mages to flashback day of jedgement or divine reckoning. Divine reckoning already has a flashback cost, but it is one mana cheaper with snapcaster mage.
Also took apart a green/black creature control deck to make a red/black burn/creature control deck. It works out nicely so far in multi-player although I have not tried it on a 1v1 match. The basic idea of the deck is to put out deathtouch creatures or small creatures to ping while burning and destroying the opponents with shock, incinerate, doomblade and go for the throat. The deck is flushed out with the 2012 Chandra and a few other burn spells.
Magic is a trading card game which is loosely based on characters in a set of fictional novels. With the arrival of Inistrad this fall I've gotten back into teh swing of things and have made several new decks.
One is a solar flare deck for which my friend gave me the idea. The deck is a blue/black/white which relies on Sun Titans, Phantasmal Images, Lord of the unreals, and spells to return creatures from teh graveyard to play or to your hand. The deck also has 4x Day of Judgement and 4x Divine Reckoning to help clear teh field, as well as a couple targeted creature destruction. The deck works well and often has 3x phantasmal images in play as copies of sun titan to lay a beating on my opponents. It is also handy to have snapcaster mages to flashback day of jedgement or divine reckoning. Divine reckoning already has a flashback cost, but it is one mana cheaper with snapcaster mage.
Also took apart a green/black creature control deck to make a red/black burn/creature control deck. It works out nicely so far in multi-player although I have not tried it on a 1v1 match. The basic idea of the deck is to put out deathtouch creatures or small creatures to ping while burning and destroying the opponents with shock, incinerate, doomblade and go for the throat. The deck is flushed out with the 2012 Chandra and a few other burn spells.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Bang! you're dead
This week in class another student and myself introduced our peers and professor to the card game Bang. Bang is a Wild West role playing card game. The purpose varies on which role you are assigned. The roles are, Sheriff, deputy, renegade and outlaw. The Sheriff's and deput(y's/ies) goal is to kill the renegade and the outlaws, the outlaws goal is to kill the Sheriff, and the renegade's goal is to kill everyone and have a final 1 on 1 show down with the sheriff.
Along with roles, players are also assigned characters. Each character has some ability that effects game play for them and others, as well as a "life" total. Each player takes one card for each life point they have, with the exception of one character card which has 9 life and only gets 5 cards to start the game. Play begins with the sheriff and proceeds clockwise from there. Each player has a draw step, and then may play any number of cards in had. Each player may only play one BANG card each turn unless their character attribute or a card in play states otherwise. Play continues until one of the players roles is achieved.
Players play bang cards to cause damage to other players. This can be prevented by using a miss card or a card in play with a similar effect. Players initially may only play bang cards against players seated directly to their right or left. This can be modified by playing other cards.
Bang has two expansions. One adds the "fist full of cards" cards to the game. These are revealed just before teh sheriff's turn, and affect gameplay for all players. These cards may even bring characters back to life. The second expansion adds the "Wild west show" cards. These are revealed one at a time each time any player plays a Wels Fargo or stagecoach card. These are 10 cards that also effect gamepley for all players. The 10th card which is always placed on the bottom of the wild west show deck, is the card, "The wild west show". This card suspends the reles of the role cards and the new rule is, be the last player alive.
In class we had time for one game with 6 players. One advantage was that 4 of us had played before, and one of the two who hadn't was the Professor. The game proceeded well as the two new players picked up the rules and mechanics fairly quickly. The game ended in a showdown between the Renegade, ( the Professor) and the Sherrif(one of the students) Which is an unusual, as the renegade's role is the most difficult to achieve.
Along with roles, players are also assigned characters. Each character has some ability that effects game play for them and others, as well as a "life" total. Each player takes one card for each life point they have, with the exception of one character card which has 9 life and only gets 5 cards to start the game. Play begins with the sheriff and proceeds clockwise from there. Each player has a draw step, and then may play any number of cards in had. Each player may only play one BANG card each turn unless their character attribute or a card in play states otherwise. Play continues until one of the players roles is achieved.
Players play bang cards to cause damage to other players. This can be prevented by using a miss card or a card in play with a similar effect. Players initially may only play bang cards against players seated directly to their right or left. This can be modified by playing other cards.
Bang has two expansions. One adds the "fist full of cards" cards to the game. These are revealed just before teh sheriff's turn, and affect gameplay for all players. These cards may even bring characters back to life. The second expansion adds the "Wild west show" cards. These are revealed one at a time each time any player plays a Wels Fargo or stagecoach card. These are 10 cards that also effect gamepley for all players. The 10th card which is always placed on the bottom of the wild west show deck, is the card, "The wild west show". This card suspends the reles of the role cards and the new rule is, be the last player alive.
In class we had time for one game with 6 players. One advantage was that 4 of us had played before, and one of the two who hadn't was the Professor. The game proceeded well as the two new players picked up the rules and mechanics fairly quickly. The game ended in a showdown between the Renegade, ( the Professor) and the Sherrif(one of the students) Which is an unusual, as the renegade's role is the most difficult to achieve.
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