What can we do to make this game more popular?

This is a pretty solid idea and one that isn't that difficult to implement in the current structure. I can see it being like a nudie run - a GM makes up to 20 linked SP modules via the MP generator. 1-3 (more?) players choose a character each and start from level 1, bickering for the treasure that drops along the way. These modules are posted for others to use, and rated by logged-in players. The very best are picked up by BM as official content, and the creators rewarded with delicious pizza.

The best, most active PC games harness players' desire to create user content.

I have to admit that the only reasons I started playing MP was (1) the improved loot drops in league - three gold chests for running last and (2) fixed deck leagues. I could see that players who had been here since 2013 already had multiples of many legendaries, and higher ELO MP battles -- you reach 1200+ very quickly -- are brutal for newish players (even more so before the nerfs). But, with fixed deck leagues, I could stop blaming the cards and start blaming my inability to play them correctly. This drew me out of my shell and encouraged me to play prebuilt league and, eventually, normal MP.

 

We currently have custom scenarios and MP co-op so this is already possible, though you won't get any loot from it. If you spend any time in MP chat you'll likely hear people organizing co-op games. The hardest part is getting enough interested players on at the same time, which brings us back to the original topic.

MP attracts people who like to talk, so you hear a lot about MP. But we've also gotten shiny new things for SP: Mauve Manticore (7 new adventures), Attack of the Artifacts (6 new adventures), Loot Fairy, and Hidden Bandit. And we're about to get another expansion containing 6 more adventures, SP co-op, and probably another Mauve Manticore module.

 

It's funny that you get that impression, Avarice, since the vast majority of post-launch work the dev team has done has been on singleplayer. Of course, it takes our essentially-one-man team about half a year to put out an expansion like Attack of the Artifacts. We've done more announcements related to multiplayer than to singleplayer mostly because we can change PvP rewards in a week and make a news item about it, or we can spend a month doing balance changes and write three blog posts about that, but an expansion is a largely one-and-done notice that there's new content.

Also, as Kalin said, we've got another MM module coming up for a total of 8 free scenarios.

And I am officially working on replayable singleplayer content, but it's not guaranteed to make it into the game, which is a large part of why I've been keeping quiet about it. Also it'll come after the next expansion, so let's not get ahead of ourselves.

 

Are you maintaining stuff manually as opposed to hooking up to the API ?

 

Existing Manticore modules are terrible though- my personal opinion of that nature aside, every -single- time Manticore has come up in chat, it's been due to, and supported by additional people, complaining about how terrible and unfun the modules are- due either to awkward functionality [eg, Melvelous] or bat****-random luck-based win/loss card draws [eg, Astral Shrine].

That isn't to say you can't enjoy and love and appreciate the existing Manticore content- it's just that, given the fairly substantial disdain for it, it's hard to call it 'shiny' [which, by pre-slang definition as well as by slang usage, generally associates to highly attractive and compelling in a generalized sense. Like Cake. Cake is shiny. Cake is also Cake. Slang can be awesome.].

The point here isn't just me being pedantic, but to throw in support that actual, playable- AND well received- single player content does update slowly.

As Flaxy emphasized, that's not something to be critical about, given the development team involved.

Rather, it's just easy to acknowledge why single player focused players- such as myself- find their attentions drifting over time.

Though, flip side of the coin, as Flaxy noted, it's more a matter of perception than it is actual emphasis of other content over SP content.

While many MMOs do update on a monthly- even weekly- basis, generally major content updates in those games occur every 2 to 4 months, meaning that yes, CH has a slower pace of content output, but it's not too far out of reach of standard MMOs- especially CCGs, which tend to update far slower than other MMOs, as they tend to release full new card sets over partial content. In comparison to other CCGs, the pace feels pretty normal to me, and the attention to regular pvp updates- even if I can't appreciate it- actually puts CH pretty high on the list as far as well-updated games go.

Again, it's really a lack of engagingly repeatable content that hurts CH, things that both Co-Op [actual, real, proper-use-of-the-word Co-Op, not mis-labeled Team Play], and whatever nefarious schemes Flaxy is hatching, should help address.


Of course, Flaxy is also the jerk who promised us a new class and race*, so if he lets us down again, we may have to thump him right in the gnome hat. >:|

xoxo~



*Which, jests aside, would be a major factor in adding to replayability, given the enhanced potential build combinations.

 

Congrats to BM on the successful Steam release! (And CoC)

Now-- what's the next step? Is there a next step?

 

I guess that the learning curve is extremely steep. Honestly, it took me a year to understand the extreme builds and the role of all the characters and I still don't know how to use the buff priest (I can't figure out a good build that doesn't have an impenetrable nimbus or heals). I also used to attack monsters with Unholy Frenzy and Wellspring so it was extremely difficult for me to complete the campaign but I managed to last the journey!

So my point is that the dev team should give another free tutorial towards the end of the campaign where the players can play an with an extremely strong deck. I don't study human behaviour at the university but I do understand that the newbies aren't going to last long against vibrant pain, frenzy and savage curse(I'm talking about the general crowd so please don't try to be specific).

One more suggestion would be to divide the current MP list in tiers so that the bottom half isn't paired with the high rankers.

Merry X'mas and Happy New Year to the Dev team!
Merry X'mas and Happy New Year to my fellow CardHunters!

 

Another tutorial at the end might be nice, but then it would also ruin the surprise of learning advanced skills and items yourself, and we like surprises over Xmas ) (Plus, looking back, I'm kinda glad I learnt these things the hard way).

The tutorial at the start gives vital but subtle tips on the art of positioning and zonal control. I still haven't mastered these. If you are interested, i highly recommend, doing a nudie run with 1/1/1 all elves, it forces you to use positioning to minimize damage and also rotate damage amongst your characters.

Great work devs this year on making EttSC, Caverns, and the Steam Release. Enjoy your break, you've earned it!

 

Actually, you may have a good idea there.
Several people have pushed for more solo challenges to be implemented in the game-

Adding [non-Quest] challenges to the game, and basing them off multiplayer tactics (With suitably tightened AI for the challenge parties) could be rather fun. Then add an 'extreme challenge' option to it, where your team is at a penalty, which gives a guaranteed epic (ala Treasure Hunt).

Could be fun!

Not sure it'd be worth the separation of attention from more core things, though- and unfortunately, that's doubly true for the more-intensive, less-rewarding tutorial approach to the concept.

 

Ithought this thread was about what we, the players can do. After a quick skipping it seems to be once again about all the good stuff those lazy devs are falling short on doing.
(attention, irony)

 

We could all chip in for a multi-million dollar ad blitz.
I live on a pension, and am a bit tapped out at the moment. However if Bill Gates, George Soros, Warren Buffet, Ted Turner, or someone of similar means is lurking in the forum, it might be an option. I'd kick in what I could.

 

Looks like I've found this thread too late I am a CCG expert (playing since 1995, knowing all more-or-less important games of the genre) and a game journalist with a vast experience. So the simple things I will say now should be taken very seriously.

1). No game requiring such intense thinking as CH will ever be popular since most people don't like to think so hard, especially if they aren't getting money for that. This alone makes CH an exclusive game, despite all the platforms and advertisement you may have.
2). No game requiring 20-30 minutes on a single run will ever be popular, especially if it requires to think so hard during that time. Hearthstone is much simpler, and most of the time player's decisions are clear there. Might&Magic: Duel of the Champions has roughly the same difficulty - and shares the same problems.
3). Your players really lack the goals to continue playing after the campaign. Getting something good from farming is very hard, even from the Loot Fairy, and getting something desirable is a matter of pure luck. Personally I am entering the game every day just to check the Daily Deal and Randimar's Rarities.
4). The Mauve Manticore modules are absolutely awful. Some of them are just a matter of luck, some are irritating, and none of them provide good loot. People don't like to work hard for nothing!

What should be done here?

1). Auto mode PvP. Yes, the AI will be stupid, but it will be stupid on both sides At least players won't be forced to break their brains just for the few gold coins.
2). The really challenging campaigns with the really good rewards. Make an interesting and challenging campaign of 10-15 scenarios that will reward a legendary item once per week and change that item every week. This will make the players to play that campaign every week, pay for reviving their chars and enjoy the loot. Best of all, create 5-6 such campaigns that should require completely different teams.
3). Make the characters unique, after all!!! My heart is bleeding when I see the pure cosmetic "costumes" that should be characters. Every character may differ in:

• The slots (s)he have. Not all the warriors should have 3 weapons, for instance; somebody may trade one weapon for an extra shield and martial skill, other may wear two armors. Not every char should be just a warrior, a priest or a mage - some may have both arcane and divine skills or items.
• The character's life points. Some may have more life than the others.
• The character's move card. Why it's always the same for the given race? Maybe the Nimble Jack can perform Flank Move every turn?
• Let every character have his own "signature card" and create the items with the "signature card" placeholders instead of the actual cards. For instance, if Strong Andy has a Strong Blungeon as his signature card, then all placeholders in his deck are replaced with the Strong Bludgeons. The same item will have the different cards for another character.

 

That's because the best thing we, the players can do here is to tell the lazy devs what they should change. No irony here.

 

Looks like someone should have gotten you a calendar for [insert holiday here]. April 1st is four months away.

 

A game journalist? Cool, @Ector ! Where can we read your articles?

 

If anybody here can read in Russian, please send me a PM, and I'll give you a link to my articles. Let's avoid discussing my humble person in this thread. I've posted some info about myself just to make you people take my words seriously.
If you don't understand them but would like to, I can describe. But I won't answer to the people unable to analyze the situation like Peonprop.

 

Awkward. I obviously did not analyze the situation well enough as I was under the impression that those suggestions were made in jest. No offense intended but some of them were "A Modest Proposal" level of ridiculous in my opinion so I thought it was some kind of avant garde satire. Where I come from, when someone says that they "should be taken very seriously", that's usually code for incoming sarcasm. If I had known that you were deadly serious I would have stuck to my usual strategy of keeping my mouth shut. My sincere apologies @Ector.

 

Yes, simple but essential point. What can we as player do? Leave some money on the table, purchasing what there is to purchase.

 

The timing of the resumed activity in this thread and the Third Annual Randimar Grinch Bug is a bit awkward.