Dota 2 card game artifact. Artifact is a new card game from valve. Why the concept of Initiative is so important
Valve is a large private company that has released games such as: Left 4 Dead, the Half-Life series, Portal puzzle games, the Counter-Strike (CS) first-person shooter series and probably the longest running multiplayer project Team Fortress 2. They all left a solid mark on the industry. For the past seven and a half years, Valve has been busy reworking existing ideas, turning them into long-term projects that can bring hundreds of millions of dollars to Valve. Moreover, Steam also brings the company about 30% of all sales in the service.
Valve makes a colossal amount of money. The exact amounts are not known, because Valve is a private company and is not required to publish financial statements. If we take into account the sales of games through the service, the audience of Dota 2, TF2 and CS:GO, the company should receive quite large amounts of money, approximately one and a half billion a year.
Part of the funds goes to operating expenses. The other part is for upgrading and experimenting with VR, prototyping and other futuristic hardware. Still on reinvestment and other developments. A rather reasonable (logical) question arises - how much money is left for games?
Judging by the latest announcement of Valve - a card game in the Dota2 universe, Valve has little money to produce games. It's not enough that Valve is ready to catch on to the market of card games, which in recent years have been released by all and sundry.
Against the backdrop of news that veterans are leaving Valve, in particular those who worked on scenarios, news like this, raising questions about what game developers are actually doing at Valve itself? Not engineers, artists and modelers, but those people who directly come up with game design,
New Artifact card game from Valve is the right decision. Unexpected, but completely meaningful. Especially since Valve called on Sean Plott, aka Day9, to lead the streams. Sean is known for being watched by a large number of Hearthstone players. Not only do they have a cool presenter, but also one that is watched by the audience of the competing card game. The most important thing is that the Dota card game will be played. Why? Because this game has a large audience, and also a good lore.
However, such is the industry - arena multiplayer, card games, esports-esports-esports. The industry has found a goldmine and they are hammering it until the pickaxes wear out. And Valve is also investing in potentially game-changing technology along the way that could become a 2020s Dota analogue, with new sensations replacing bulging eyes from master combos.
In the meantime, the Dota audience is spending hundreds of millions on cosmetic improvements and other perks, Valve will deal with Dota. Card games, comics, figurines, hats, cups, posters, trinkets, videos and more. After all, the main goal of any successful company is not to earn a lot of money, but to earn all the money from a product invented by it. And Valve has no plans to finish yet.
Forget Half Life. For the next 5-7 years. Perhaps never. Because now is the time of franchise shooters, not stories about portals and other worlds like Zen.
An introductory article about Artifact by Michael "rokman" Weldon has been published on artibuff.com. In it, the author talks in an understandable language about the main mechanics and concepts of the game. We recommend that all novice players familiarize themselves with the translation of this article on our portal.
Artifact is a card game released by Valve Corporation. The game was developed in collaboration with Richard Garfield, creator of Magic: the Gathering. Artifact based on the universe DotA, using creatures, magic items and characters from a large gaming lore. Although the expectations from the game are very high, many believe Artifact too complex and confusing game for the general audience, for casual players. I will do my best to explain the mechanics Artifact in such a way that anyone can understand it without having experience playing CCG.
Board
This is the board where the action takes place. Artifact. The first thing that catches your eye is that the game is played on three separate game boards - Lines. This is one of the most important elements Artifact which makes the game unique compared to other TCGs. On the side of the player, as well as on the side of his opponent, there is a Tower on each line. Each Tower has 40 health and 3 mana since the start of the game.
In the Universe DotA two major forces, Light and Darkness, are at war with each other. These forces also affect the world Artifact, appearing in the game as Towers and Throne. Whenever a tower on one of the lanes is destroyed, each side's entity, the Throne, emerges from the ground, creating a new target for the player to destroy. The throne has 80 health points. The game can be won by destroying either two towers or tower + throne.
Let's take a closer look at a single line:
This is the first line where you can see your tower's mana and health more clearly. Red indicators in the lower right corner of the maps and the tower will notify you of the damage inflicted before Combat Phase.
In the upper left corner of the screen, you can see the "Summary" window. It offers a lot useful information: allows you to see all the heroes that are in the lane, tells what stage the game is at, who owns the Initiative, as well as which heroes are in the Fountain.
The fountain is the place where the hero goes after he dies. Whenever a hero dies, he must spend one turn in the Fountain, and after that he can be re-played in one of the lanes. Just one hero Rix, has the ability Rapid Deployment(Quick Deployment) which allows him to automatically return to combat upon death. There is also an item card Vesture of the Tyrant, which gives the same effect.
The button is gold coin in the lower right corner of the screen. When the button is available, you have the option to play a card. Whenever a card is played, Initiative is transferred to the opponent (the concept of initiative will be discussed a little later). Players also have the option to skip a turn when the button is active. Skipping a turn does not transfer Initiative. The battle phase will begin when both players miss a turn in the lane.
Gold is acquired by killing enemy heroes or creeps. When you kill a hero, you earn 5 gold. Creeps cost 1 gold. One hero Bounty Hunter along with his signature card track, can increase the cost of the hero by 10 gold. This means that for killing a hero marked track, you can earn 15 gold.
Cards
There are five types of cards. Creep cards, ability cards, upgrade cards, item cards, and hero cards. Each card plays differently and interacts with the game in its own way.
The manacost (how much mana a card costs) is located in the upper left corner of the card, next to its name. Under the mana cost and name, you can see an icon that shows the type of card.
Creep cards, for example Disciple of Nevermore, will have their own Attack and Health values, and sometimes also Armor. The creep card is played in the lane as a separate unit that can fight with the enemy, damaging his Tower or enemy heroes. Some heroes have effects or abilities that activate when played, be sure to read the card description carefully.
Spell cards like Wrath of Gold are cards that have an immediate effect, damaging units, healing creatures, or whatever. Each spell is unique! Some of the most powerful cards Artifact are spells. An example is a map Bolt of Damocles, the most expensive card in Game.
Upgrade cards like Mist of Avernus, are cards that constantly improve your lane power. Some upgrades give your tower more mana, increase the attack of your creatures, or even deal damage over time to your enemy units! There are also some improvements that can affect both the player and his opponent ( Glyph of Confusion). If you notice, in the upper left corner next to the game's mana cost, there is a left and right arrow. This means that a card can be played in one lane, but it can be sent to another. For example, if I have a green hero on the first line, I can activate Mist of Avernus but use it on the third line.
Item cards like short sword, are bought with gold, which you earn by killing enemy units. With the help of items that you equip your heroes, you can improve the performance of your heroes, as well as give them bonus effects. Some item cards are consumable resources, granting one of your heroes a one-time effect when used ( Healing Salve).
Hero cards like Ax, are the most important part of the match Artifact. Whenever a hero is in your deck, you automatically place 3 copies of the hero signature card in your deck. signature card Ax- Berserker's Call, spell card. Signature cards can be creeps, spells, or upgrades. Would it be interesting if the hero had an item card as a signature card?
All cards, except for items, have their own color. If you want to play a card in a lane, it must have a hero of the same color. For example, if you have in your hand Mist of Avernus, when you are in the first line, you can only play this card if the green hero is also in the first line. This is another example of why Heroes are so important.
Red cards are based on improving the performance of hero cards: they add armor, effects such as splash ( Cleave) or counterattack ( Retaliate), or simply improve the hero's attack stat. Red cards usually force a fight, causing your opponent to kill your fat units. Usually, red heroes have the highest stats.
Green cards are for upgrading creeps. They give creeps extra health, armor, or regeneration. Many green heroes can upgrade allied units that are next to them in the lane. Some green spells can increase your tower's total mana to summon giant creeps!
Blue cards are for board control. Spells that deal damage and clear the board, spells that deal damage to a tower are just a few examples. Blue heroes are the weakest in terms of attack and health. As a blue deck, you prefer to avoid hero-to-hero skirmishes and win with strong spells.
Black cards are aimed at killing heroes and dealing damage directly to towers. Black heroes increase the damage of your heroes and creeps against the tower with the help of siege ( Siege), use spells to directly remove creatures from the board and targeted damage to creeps. Black heroes have low health but very high attack. At the same time, a bunch of hero abilities are aimed at increasing damage against enemy heroes.
Phases
Let's take a look at the different phases of a match Artifact:
This is the very first cutscene at the beginning of the game. The player's heroes are at the bottom, and the opponent's heroes are at the top. The first three heroes of each player can be called "flop heroes" because they appear at the beginning of the game in random order. Next comes "Turn", and last hero to be played is "River".
When you create your deck, you can choose which heroes will be played on the flop, turn, or river. Keep your heroes' health in mind, because if you flop a low health hero, it's possible that the enemy flop heroes can kill your hero in the first round.
The Flop and Battle phases are phases during which no player can play their cards or interact with the board in any way. Therefore, these phases are colored red.
The flop is the very beginning of the game. The first three heroes of each team will spawn randomly in one of the three lanes, one hero per lane. After that, three melee creeps will spawn in random lanes (maximum 2 creeps per lane). Many people think that this is a perfect example of the impact of randomness on the game. Personally, I think this developer choice is one of the best features Artifact because every game starts differently!
Blue phases such as Turn, River and any deployment phase thereafter are phases in which each player gets 2 melee creeps, and if the hero is ready to deploy, the player can choose which lane to place him in.
It seems the player decided to send Earthshaker to the middle line!
After both players play their heroes, random attack direction cards are generated for those units that do not have enemy units opposite them.
These cards tell the unit in which direction to attack. Sometimes, several creatures can attack the same enemy. This can be both bad and good for the player, depending on the situation. AT Artifact there are many cards that allow players to change the direction of their units' attack. Watch out for these cards, they can be very effective when correct use!
The action phase is the stage where the main actions take place in Artifact(that's why it's called that). Here, the players alternately gain turn initiative and play various cards, trying to change the position on the board during the battle in his favor.
The only way, with the help of which what happens in the lane during the action phase will go into the combat phase - skipping a turn from both players. Let me remind you that skipping a turn does not deprive you of initiative if you already have it.
During combat, players' units will attack each other at the same time, either by hitting each other and killing the creature, or by directly attacking the tower, reducing its amount of health. If you kill an enemy hero, you get 5 gold. For creeps give 1 gold.
The last stage of each round is the buying stage. This is where players spend the gold they have earned to buy item cards for their heroes.
The player has enough gold to buy Blade of Vigil or Potion Knowledge. What would you choose?
After the buy phase ends, any effects that lasted until the end of the round are canceled, all heroes in the fountain reduce their waiting time by one turn, and then the next round begins.
When the round starts, each tower in the game will fill up with mana, and its total amount will increase by 1. Damage dealt to units will, of course, persist until the creature is completely destroyed or healed.
Why is the concept of Initiative so important?
Initiative is, first of all, the ability to play your cards first in the lane. As I explained earlier in this article, a player cannot play a card unless a hero of the same color is in lane. Let's take a look at a map like Gust. It gives a silence effect on all enemy heroes in the lane for the duration of the round. While under the effect of silence, the hero cannot play cards of the same color from his hand. If I start the action phase on the first line with initiative, and I can immediately play
The decision is logical - there is an incredibly strong demand for the genre, and Valve wants a piece of this pie. Following the success of Blizzard Entertainment's "Hearthstone" and, to a lesser extent, CD Projekt RED's "Gwent", there is hope that they can beat the market. Whether this is done by luring players away from other games or by creating new interest in the genre (this is similar to Valve).
The main disappointment was that they did not announce what we have been waiting for so long from Valve for many years. Of course, everyone expected to see the announcement of Half-Life 3. Although many fans have already resigned themselves to the fact that they will never see HL3. There is also a need (and sometimes a demand) for Valve to make any of the games that have made them so successful; be it Portal 2 (2011), Left 4 Dead 2 (2009), Team Fortress 2 (2007) or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive(2012). This created a backlash for Artifact that Valve was probably expecting.
So the question is, does it make sense to ask how the game will be received? For any other AAA developer other than Blizzard and Nintendo, I would say yes. But for Valve it's enough just to have the game on the front page of the news, no matter how good the game actually is, they will see a big influx of players after release, they after they see that they have reached a sufficient number of players, they will most likely just to make money from this game, no matter how upset their audience is, as was the case with Hearthstone.
In typical Valve style, little is known about card game Artifact. The International 2017 host, Day9, played the game and relayed some information from what was clearly a script. If the mechanics stay the same until release, then they will take quite a lot from DOTA 2 (and the MOBA genre), the universe that the game will be set in. Instead of one field, there will be three stripes (they went further than " The Elder Scrolls: Legends" from Bethesda, where there are only two stripes). There are five "heroes" that are located among the lanes, although their functions and mechanics are unknown. The game has been confirmed to be move-based, as it has creeps spawning every turn. Item cards will be equipment for the aforementioned heroes.
It would be an interesting mechanic in the card game genre. The lingering aspects of MOBA complement DOTA's massive fan base, allowing it to stick around longer as there are already mechanics they'll be familiar with. The balance that Valve needs to find is that it's not so much like a MOBA, that it's taking out those who don't like this genre of game.
However, this decision would be necessary if Artifact turned out to be too typical of a card game, people would have no reason to play it when they have Hearthstone. Players need to feel like it's a completely different game if they try to compare it to similar games.
The biggest speculation at this stage is how their payment system will be implemented. Most, if not all, CCG companies use the card-buying approach. Physical card games such as "Magic: The Gathering" are required to do this, while digital card games may use various variations of micropayments. But Valve has its own way to monetize games, which usually allows you to simply buy more content for the game.
Valve, it's time to stop! With Team Fortress 2, they have eliminated the need to buy the game and purchase card packs by selling hats that each player will wear using the Steam marketplace.
CS:GO took it one step further by introducing crates that could only be opened with a key purchased directly from Valve, giving players skins for their weapons (a trend that has plagued the gaming industry ever since, including legal gambling issues) .
DOTA 2 is their biggest success, in this game all the playable characters are free and earn money exclusively from cosmetics, which is a big success, unlike the most profitable computer game in the world right now is League of Legends.
Many people think that they will follow the path of DOTA 2 by making all maps free by finding many ways to monetize cosmetics. Notably, the word "collectible" and "tradeable" was missing from the teaser as it was only announced as "Dota Card Game". Although it is possible that they are just hiding their intentions, and things can change.
Streamers, players and commentators will rush to broadcast the game. Already on November 19, access to it will be given to those who got the key to The International, PAX or in the depths of the Internet. But while ordinary hard workers have not managed to touch the new card game from Valve, they have already managed to come up with many myths and conjectures.
Myth 1: I have to pay every time I want to play
Valve made a big mistake when, during the release of the first ArtiFAQ, the paragraph about available competitive modes games (they are called "competitions"). It was only known that the goal of the participants was to win a certain number of matches, and it would be possible to get there with a special ticket. From this, a rumor spread that without throwing an extra penny into Gabin's pocket, it would be impossible to play with someone other than your friends and bots. But already during the introductory tournament, the developers corrected their mistake.
First, free modes exist. The first is "The Call of Battle". The choice of players is offered one of six decks that the developers have compiled themselves. The task of users is to win as many matches in a row as possible. It is not necessary to own all the cards. You can even not open your packs for the sake of it.
Pitfall: the mode runs the risk of getting bored too quickly.
The second entertainment option regular game. Gather your deck and press the button to find an opponent. If Valve did not blunder again with the wording, then you can play normal mode"global search" (against a random player) or in the "competition" mode, when rivals will become stronger with each game. In this mode, you are in control of your deck and must have usable cards in your collection.
After the announcements, rumors began to circulate about a free draft (a mode from an introductory tournament, when the player selects cards for the deck gradually), but so far they have not been confirmed by anything.
If everything is so simple, why so many dissatisfied? The fact is that all these modes do not imply rewards. That is, you can really play by paying only $20 for . But it is impossible to get cards, packs or other rewards in this way. To do this, you will have to participate in "expert competitions", which involve an entrance fee (when you purchase the game, you will be given five of these). And as experienced players suggest, it is almost impossible to constantly get into them plus or at least 0. That is, if you are not a genius of card games and marketing, then you will have to pay to replenish the collection. And the free modes are still like playing for the sake of playing. This is already difficult for users to feed.
Myth 2: I will spend all my money on packs!
Valve offers you to spend money not on packs with cards, but on entrance tickets to various competitions. When you purchase the game, you will be given 5 tickets that you can use as you wish. At the start, there are three ways to spend them.
The first is to make a deck and start the "competition". The task of the players is to win 5 victories, losing less than 3 times. If you managed to win three matches, your entrance ticket will be returned to you, and after 4 victories, they will also reward you with card packs.
The second option is a phantom draft. The developers presented this mode at the introductory tournament. Players choose cards from different sets, build a deck and compete. But these cards are only given to you to “hold”, you cannot take them for yourself. Also, with 4 victories, a set with cards will be given as a reward.
The third option is the most tempting - a complete draft. The same selection process, but the cards can be kept for yourself. However, for entering the competition, you will have to give 2 tickets at once and donate five personal sets. If you succeed assembled deck win 3 victories, then in addition to it you will receive an additional pack and return your tickets. For five matches won, you will be given 3 sets of cards at once. Some Reddit users have found this to be the most profitable way to spend the starter pack.
For those who want to minimize their costs for the game, but at the same time have fun, players recommend immediately mastering the trading platform. On it it will be possible to sell cards and buy the necessary ones. Usually, at the start, their cost is greatly inflated, so that rare, but not too necessary, can be sold at a higher price. Players participating in beta testing assume that at first such a strategy will be much more profitable than buying kits. Moreover, many sites already have card strength ratings, and streamers will have time to demonstrate the strongest heroes and their combinations in a week.
Myth 3: solid random!
Random is the main topic of discussion for any card game. None of those who have already tried it from Valve, does not say that the game is completely free from the influence of chance. Even the viewers of the introductory tournament managed to understand how much the distribution of creeps on the lane and the initial arrangement sometimes decide. What can I say, items from the Secret Shop, which appear randomly, have won whole parties for some participants.
However, players who have already spent several months in the game are ready to convince us that the number of randomness is balanced by a variety of mechanics. For example, for Naiman, random is leveled by three lines.
“Take, for example, Hearthstone. If the random did not play in our favor, then we are behind in game situation. If the random did not work in our favor in the Artifact, then it played not in our favor on one of the lines. Therefore, you can take advantage of the failure and strengthen the remaining lines, ”he said in an interview.
The developers also remind that the player can balance the process with the help of different abilities and items. Some spells can help allies on the other lane, and teleport and Blink are a must-have. Otherwise, an ordinary card game with its pluses and minuses regarding randomness. Yes, it will also burn if it does not come desired map.
“On the cards themselves, there is almost no randomness at all. There are, of course, a couple of random cards, but, in principle, I don’t see any problem in this, because basically everything is very competent. I recently played a game: I have two red and one green hero, and the whole hand in green cards is just green, I can’t do anything, ”Maria harleen Kobzar said in an interview with Cybersport.
Myth 4: I will never be a pro player, everything is already taken there
Naturally, in the wake of the general love for eSports and the announcement of the tournament with $1 million for the first place, everyone began to worry about the question of how to become a pro-player. And looking at the fact that all the inveterate “gamblers” from MTG, HS and Gwent are already competing with might and main and registering for tournaments, ordinary hard workers lose heart. However, there are several "buts" here.
Let's start with the fact that in any esports discipline there are players who started playing in the time of mammoths. But this does not prevent talented guys who have not seen mammoths from raising championship cups now. Of course, not all at once, but there is a chance.
Secondly, already while watching the introductory tournament, even viewers in the chat noticed obvious mistakes of professional players. Maybe they have several months of experience behind their backs, but not all of them play flawlessly. In addition, there are already so many training materials at the disposal of beginners that you can become couch experts just by watching YouTube videos.
Thirdly, already now there are not only tournaments by invitation for stars of the first magnitude, but also for ordinary hard workers. For example, Brainscans.net plans to hold championships for small cash prizes and card packs. Anyone can take part in them. And enthusiasts are already creating websites that will collect information about various championships.
Moreover, Valve itself and Valve offer tools for creating various tournaments. So it will obviously be where and with whom to compete.
The main problem for those who want to get into eSports is the lack of a ladder. The developers want you to have fun and have fun, not suffer for every step you take. At least for now. So the hardest thing will not be to learn how to play better than a pro, but to make yourself noticed.
Myth 5: It's so hard, I'll never figure it out
At first glance, it looks like some kind of madness, especially if you start getting acquainted with the game by watching matches of pro players. They throw cards, buy some artifacts, and also these circles next to the towers! But in reality, understanding the basics is not so difficult.
The game will have a tutorial, which was already shown by the organizers of the introductory tournament. Alexei Lex Filippov commented on it in detail.
Users of other card games may initially be unfamiliar with the presence of three lines, suggesting a skillful distribution of resources. But, for example, Gwent players can correlate lines with familiar rounds, and Hearthstone players can easily figure out mana management.
Believe it or not, even Dota 2 players can get a slight advantage. While those who have never seen Valve's MOBAs are memorizing and memorizing heroes and their signature abilities, you already know most of their skills. You won't be surprised when Bounty Hunter puts a Track on you, and Sven will deal damage not only to the target, but also to neighboring units. In fact, doters are already familiar with almost any game mechanic, but only in Dota 2. So they can simply skip this difficult stage of learning.
Moreover, there is a game mode with bots, to which you can issue any possible cards. It is possible to study practically without infringement of vanity.
If you still doubt whether it is worth spending 1400 rubles on and it is still unknown how much for sets and cards, then just watch the streams before the official launch of the game. You will not receive any additional bonuses for pre-ordering. But you will understand how much the process can captivate you. For sure, there will also be streamers on Twitch who will enter the game for the first time and will not have a complete collection on hand.
And remember that if something goes wrong, Valve can always come up with new free modes or add rewards. The main thing is that Reddit complains louder.
