CES 2008: Legends of Norrath
Trading card games. TCGs. Table-top cards taking the place of traditional board games. This has become a phenomenon in the past decade that has surpassed what many believed possible. Take Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon, or Yu-Gi-Oh. Seriously - pocket pets that have become a multi-billion dollar industry comprising of toys, television, movies, collectibles and more?!?
Hard to believe, isn't it?
Well.. not for some. In fact, the TCG industry has gone even further and invaded our online gaming. Maybe "invaded" isn't the right term, especially since that implies an unwanted presence. Rather, TCGs have expanded and grown into the online media so well that they're no longer just an "accepted norm", but becoming part of the overall expected package included in many initial new game designs.
| Naturally, with such a phenomenally successful history behind the concept, it's no wonder that MMO designers are bringing the table-top to your desktop. And SOE is no exception. In 2007, they released two separate TCG titles. Stargate TCG was released in early 2007, and is maintaining itself fairly well. At Fan Faire in 2007, Legends of Norrath was announced, and subsequently released shortly thereafter. |
| Each deck containes for quests, each one requiring a higher level of determination to complete. Within your cards, you include "abilities", which are used to complete quests. At the beginning of your turn, should you have any ready abilities, you begin combat against your opponent at the quest of your choice (there is one for each player and you can choose which to attempt). Regardless of whether or not you win the battle - unless your avatar is completely eliminated - you are able to place your ability at the chosen quest and advance your progress. While this allows an added level of gameplay, this aspect gives almost no challenge. A player can create an avatar with plenty of health, and add to his or her deck sufficient healing tactics to keep them alive while they continue in almost single-mindedness purpose on question - as long as they can keep their avatar alive, they can win the war regardless of how many battles they may lose in the process. But, while I may not personally agree with it, this strategy has its place in the game and thus many players use it. And win. SOE holds regular tournaments for players to test their prowess against one another, and for several this is as close as they ever come to actual EQ or EQII gameplay. And that doesn't bother SOE one bit. They're quite content to provide an out-of-game experience for those individuals who prefer to use their strategies and experience against one another in an environment that encourages comraderie, good sportsmanship, and friendly competition. Which you'll find regularly, around the clock, in their trading lounge, casual game rooms, and tournament hall. Not only will find players there... but devs can also be found hanging out as well, helping players learn and navigate their way through. Which is refreshing to see. That's not the only way the devs get involved, either... they are so involved in this game, you can see their impacts in some of the cards designs. Literally. |
|
 |  |  |  |
Not only that, but players can also get their faces forever preserved in a card all their own... tournament winners have a chance at winning the prize of being featured on a new card created as a promotional card.
| The botton line is that Legends of Norrath is a great game with fantastic player and developer involvement. You can play against other people while in EverQuest or EverQuest II, or in a stand-alone client on your desktop. You can build a casual deck for the occasional match, or create a power deck for the tournaments you plan on entering. Maybe you prefer to use this title as a distraction (as I do) while crafting, or just a way to keep your mind busy while you wait for your raid to start. Whatever your motivation behind playing, the need is met. Maybe you don't want to play, but instead are hoping to find one of the rare "loot cards" that come in random booster packs. From unique in-game mounts to potions that boost your experience gain, Legends of Norrath provides many rewards for those individuals willing to invest a few more dollars into their online experience. Granted, you're never guaranteed one of the coveted items (I'm still waiting on my Warg!), but you just may get lucky. And if it's not exactly what you were looking for... you can certainly learn the fine art of trading to work your way towards the desired goal. Regardless of how you choose to play, SOE certainly has shown they can be creative in more ways than virtual world creation and comical NPC interaction. With Legends of Norrath, they've proven their ability to take ingenuity to a whole new level while staying true to storyline that has kept thousands intrigued for almost a decade. The lore behind the franchise is still intact, yet an entirely new way to look at it is presented in art and design that leaves little wondering as to the abilities of the team behind it. |  | |||
If you haven't done so yet, I suggest you take a look at Legends of Norrath. A whole new world awaits you.