Just released here in Germany, instant download and first thing I did was purchasing the coin doubler. Might get a nice little coin package as well later, because these Rubicon guys are amazing. And I love their attitudes and to support their games. I LOVE the mix. Damn, I've been waiting for years for a strategy PLUS Magic: the Gathering game. This one is actually beautiful in every way.
Is the realtime play against actual people? I ask because so many freemium games have a pseudo combat system playing against stuff people have set-up, but controlled by an AI.
Volvin, if you do buy coins, make sure to use a code, you get 50% more coins, and the referrer gets the same bonus. My code is: JFLF5HT
Yes KirenX, realtime against actual people. Each side gets 90 seconds per round. There is one on one, and 3, 4 and 6 player free for all. Team games will be added at some point. It all works really smoothly -- at least on the PC, where the beta testing was done. The single player AI isnt terrible, as far as these games go, but it needs to cheat to compete. Multiplayer is where the (massive) replay value is.
Out early!!! Awesome! (Why not just wait for conventional release though, as I thought this gave you a better chance of being in apples new and noteworthy.) Anyway, not complaining, have been looking forward to this release, and did play a little during beta.
So if real time, how long does a match take? I like the Hero Academy asynchronous gameplay and not sure I have the time to stay online for a full game (especially when at work!) Estimation?
Meh I don't like the online only aspect, totally not necessary. Unless the entire game is multiplayer then I'd be okay with that.
Game Impressions My first impression is that Combat Monsters lack the presentational polish of previous Rubicon titles, but perhaps that's just in the nature of freemium titles. Other than that, it already seems to have quite a lot to offer CCG and TBS fans, and has tremendous potential. It would take async to get me invested in the multiplayer aspect (and a game like this REALLY should offer both realtime and async play, preferably nicely integrated in the manner of Carcassonne and Playdek games). Would anyone (ArtNJ?) happen to know if there are plans for such? The coin tripler is a nice IAP option, and seems like the recommended default. A good way to both provide a premium-like experience, and accumulate a large player base with freemium appeal. A word of warning to those that ill like to be surprised, though: this balance is marred by the fact that progress can also be bought, in the forms of cards, heroes and equipment for the little dudes. There are also social mechanics that give you a larger haul from battles if you've Facebook pals who also play the game (something that obviously require you to connect your Facebook account to Combat Monsters). I think this is a nice way to establish some level of initial connection to other people, but I know that some players resent having to give a game access to their social media accounts. For pure and sophisticated turn-based strategy with persistance that does not impact battle balance, Ravenmark. Mercenaries will remain my primary (and only) choice. But for a nice mix of genres, with deck construction marching side by side with casual turn-based skirmishes, the mesh of the random and the carefully planned that the collective card game genre have polished to sheen, a strong sense of inter-match persistence and sense of progression, and low entry requirements on strategic skill and knowledge of mechanics before fun can be had, Combat Monsters might already be one of the finest (and also one of the few ) offerings for the platform.
My impression is that there were strong plans for asynch, but Rubicon was so happy with how smooth realtime is, asynch got backburnered. I think they are sort of waiting to see how many people ask for it. Tournaments and card trading are the first content update. Asynch, if people want it, could be after that. I definitely want asynch, although I do like the realtime mode a lot as well. I generally agree with you about the facebook thing, but its a pretty minor issue, for me at least. As far as "buying progress," that is fair, as long as you realize its only a temporary lead. A small minority that spend heavily will have a strong advantage at first, but trippler people can catch up in time.
Its not much of a "campaign" really -- just some battles (quite a few actually) strung together, with quickplay at the end. There is no story, and not enough variety to make it a true "campaign" in the sense that I use the term. Of course, the game is free, so you can try it out without spending a dime. You dont have to "buy" anything to get the full experience and see what YOU think.
Ugh, this often kills freemium-style games for me. How big is the bonus from those who use Facebook and those who don't?
People don't like freemium because they want to have level playing field with those who paid.. Why people can't just accept this is a great concept!! It's free!! U don't have to be the top player in the game.. Just have fun and things don't go your way just move on....
