Currently there is a save slot for each Hero, to allow you to quickly switch decks. When you tap on save, it will save the deck to the server in the slot for that Hero. When you tap on Load, it will display the different Hero decks you have previously saved, then try to reconstruct that deck based on your current inventory, and warn you if any cards are missing because you sold them or something. I think in most cases you will not need to tweak a Hero's deck much, but you do want to be able to switch between Heroes quickly. Actually it was implemented in the way it was because it shows greyed out Heroes on the Load screen when you haven't played with that Hero yet, which subconsciously makes you want to go out and buy that class deck just to try it............
Yeah, it's a cool way to organize decks! I would like to say the IAP prices seems pretty fair to the gamer right now, congrats on that!
There's a lot of positives to be found in SE, for sure. And it's certainly nice to have a developer take a shot at adding a real TCG to the App Store; it seems to be an area that's really lacking while everyone cranks out Angry Birds clones. But there's some negatives, too. There's some changes that need to be considered before SE loses its appeal to the casual player or complete newcomer. I'm not too worried about the hardcore faction for instance, people who post at a place like Touch Arcade but, in its current state, I can't see SE doing anything other than driving away the casual player and/or newcomer. Three things leap out to me (after about 2.5 games; I aborted one after having to take a long phone call): 1. The menu thing needs massive improvement: That jewel ... or dragon ... or spaceship ... or whatever the hell it's supposed to be up there at the top of the screen ... well, it's the single worst UI element I've run into since I downloaded my first app in the summer of 2008. There's no kind way to say it: it's completely non-intuitive, it's far too hidden and remote, and there's no indication whatsoever that the player is actually supposed to interact with it. I actually laughed out loud when I finally swiped it by accident and discovered that there were menus hidden in there. I'm stunned that this sort of thing actually made it into a final version. If this issue wasn't raised during playtesting, then the developers need to fire their playtesters. It's astonishingly poor. 2. So what do all those numbers mean? Well, you can't find out from the actual game you're trying to play ... or at least not from anything I was able to find (which amounts to the same thing; if your players are having to search for basic information, you've got some serious presentation issues). Not everyone has played a card-battling game before; in fact, the vast majority of people on the planet haven't played one. So it's crucial to explain the basics: the numbers on the cards, how a battle works, etc. Things need to be explained so that the lowest common denominator in this case, a user who has never played a TCG can grasp the basics. I finally found an explanation for the card values at the SE website ... and it was buried in the FAQ. That's just unacceptable. I should be able to grasp the basics of a game without having to search the internet. 3. General UI issues: Menus and buttons tend to be too small and too close to the edge of the screen. The game does not take advantage enough of iOS' gestures (dragging, pinching, etc.). In general, trying to interact with SE often seems counter-intuitive and needlessly difficult. So, to repeat what I said above: while the TCG audience and the hardcore gamer faction are probably going to give SE many, many chances to succeed, the casual gamer and the newcomer are likely to be turned away by what is, overall, a poor user interface. And there's a lot more people in that second group than there are in the first. I was really taken aback by how difficult it was to enjoy this game. I'm not a newcomer to either gaming, to TCGs, or to iOs for example, I played Advanced Squad Leader when I was 15; I've got years of experience with the Vs. System; and I'm a fairly engaged iOs gamer. And I'm not a complete dumbass (no, really ...). But attempting to interact with SE and to feel as if I had some degree of control was mostly an exercise in frustration. There's massive potential in this game. Even with my criticism above, I can certainly see that there's a good game hidden beneath the surface of a baffling layer of UI craziness. But getting to that good game is an issue right now, especially for a casual player. I sincerely recommend that everyone involved with SE take a very long look at just about every UI aspect of the game.
From someone who dosent play these type of games, I was drawn to it by the incredible artwork and I think this game is brilliant. There is loads of strategy to it and I think with some of the user interface tweaks which people are suggesting to be made to the game, it can only get better. I am going to make an elemental deck, I am asking for help over on the other strategy thread so please feel free to post and help Just two questions aimed at Kyle. 1) How reliable is your server? I play Gun Bros and the servers were a nightmare, especially causing accounts to wipe loosing all your guns/armor. 2) When are you looking for your first update to be available?
On top of that: deck management is the extreme opposite of intuitive. I bought two decks, but how could I ever figure out you're supposed to remove the Hero, and start a new deck from scratch using the cards from the deck you bought if you don't know what's in it? It's still the best iOS card game, though. No questions there. Hats off to Kyle.
It would be nice if some sort of anti-aliasing was done on the cards. All the cards at an angle are a bit jagged which draws away from the beautiful art on the cards.
Well it looks like I'll be sticking with the web version Every time I beat the first opponent (6 wins so far) the game crashes and doesn't count the victory.
Great game so far. It's a lot shallower then Magic, but makes up for it with faster matches and more friendly to people new to CCG's. I'm looking forward to seeing it grow with expansions to fill in the current gaps, like those cards that provide weapon-based effects. Couple of thoughts: - the fireball animation causes extreme lag on my 3G Touch - the sliding menu text is difficult to read, the "" quote text on cards is impossible to read, and the card set numbers are also impossible to read. Perhaps switching some fonts to something designed to work without aliasing? A good pixel font would do wonders - what is the levelling experience scale? 1 to 2 was only a single game, but level 3 to 4 requires 7. By the time I earn 2 packs of cards (by level 8), do I need to win 40 rounds?
Off the top of my head, Level 8 requires 3100 points, so 31 wins against AI or half that many against people. In the forums on the Shadow Era website, a good number of people (including myself) have suggested an additional leveling up incentive (bonus card or higher rewards, for example). I don't see myself grinding for extra Shadow Crystals once I reach Level 9 (since you basically get enough for a booster/starter at levels 5 and 9).
@strivemind For calculating level experince, read this post: http://www.shadowera.com/showthread.php?664-XP-per-level&p=4750&viewfull=1#post4750
forgive me if this is a stupid/already-asked question, but can you only play AI opponents a certain number of times? i'd been playing against the first AI deck repeatedly to try to get a hang of things, but he's just disappeared from the 'world' graphic.
So far, I'm loving the game. But I'm already a bit tired of people quitting before they loose. Especially if they quit early enough into the game where I gain no xp and they loose nothing. I find that it's a terrible waste of time, and it makes me want to play against the AI just that much more. I know this is unavoidable, but I wish there was some sort of penalty for people abandoning games (unable to play matchmaking for X amount of time, loss in gold, loss in XP, etc...) that would make them fight till the bitter end. This morning alone, I've had every game I started end in my opponent abandoning the game when they were loosing. Loosing sucks, but it's part of the game. If they were playing in any sort of TCG tournament they'd be disqualified if they abandoned the game prematurely. Just my two cents.
Completely agree...losing is just part of the game and it's really annoying when people quit...I'm hoping right now it's just happening more often because of so many new players who might be trying it out/unsure of what to do. Ideally, there could be a penalty or player lobbies or AI taking over based upon your opponent's deck so that you didn't have to waste time/miss out on Experience/Gold. The main thing is that you're loving the game (as am I), so hopefully that will compensate for the headaches of people trying to quit before they actually lose.
there is another bug that should be fixed asap. if you played rain delay - u can can not target allies in this and next turns with spells like Captured Prey, for example.
What would be really cool is if Kyle sold physical cards and then we can use our iPhone (iPad 2?) camera to take a picture to add it to our library.
I remember playing a game on my PS3 were you did that can't remember what it was called though . Loving this game though already bought 4 decks and the booster pack . Edit : Just remembered what the game was called Eye of Judgement
There is another bug with rain delay. If I destroy that card the effects are still on the field meaning I can't attack yet...
