Sorry, you don't know chess at all. If you say, this is like chess, then every square board game is like chess ...
Well, I am playing chess now more than 40 years ... over 20 years in a chess club in a chess team ... so I think, I know well what chess is. And this game is not even similar to it ... Nevertheless, the game itself is still great.
Well, mathematically the possibilities are limited in EVERY game. But I think this has a similar open ended depth similar to the game of Chess. It's not AS elegant as Chess, but then again, Chess doesn't have a kick ass dark fantasy theme or spell runes, where this game does.
I never said it was chess but chess 'type' in that it's played on a board with pieces. It doesn't use the same algorithms as chess but it does use squares and different pieces can move differently as in chess but you're right it's not chess but it's definitely borrowed ideas from chess. In some ways similar to battle chess.
Actually Battle Chess is really just Chess with a fantasy skin. This game is like if you were to take chess, give each piece HP, start with none of them on the board, then give each player a number of points each turn which they can spend to summon, move, and attack with their pieces. THEN add two spells to each side that they can spend those points on as well. AND also give each player life points that they have to deplete in order to win the game.
So being almost as pure as Chess, I'm assuming it is pure skill with no sort of randomization other than the players' own moves?
Most of the units have a "damage amount range" that is random within the range, like it does "6-9" damage, for example. They added that in to create some tension in the game and make it more interesting toward the end of a close match. But it's subtle enough that you still feel in control. It just makes it so that if there are two players with equal skill in the game, there will be a little bit of luck involved.
Have to correct you just a tad since no creature has 6-9 damage range. They all have ranges where max damage is min damage +2 (except for the Wizard who does fixed 6 damage). So in a situation where a creature CAN kill another you are left with 1/3 chance ,2/3 chance or certain kill
Yes, in the fact that both players have the same list of units that they can summon onto the board in whatever combination they want and can afford, up to six on the board per side at a time. What is usually different, though, are the spell runes that you take into battle, because you cannot see which ones they have when you are picking yours, and in the campaign (at least up to where I have gotten in it) the runes are set per fight.
...from reading the comments, I guess my questions then are: - Is this somewhat like Summoner Wars, or am I totally lost here? - What types of key decisions does a person have in each move? i.e. place a new piece (what's the consequence of playing a new piece?), move, ...? - Is it like chess in the sense that the units are symmetrical, or does the campaign entail different opponent types? What's the difference between the different campaign levels? (i.e. MrMojoRisin, you mention different runes: do you draft a limited set of "runes" per match?) I'm intrigued by the game, and would consider buying it later when I get home.
Ok, it seems their website has a bit more information here, though the mechanics are not fully clear to me. Still, will purchase this when I get home!
-Not at all like Summoner wars. Maybe a little, but not much. -You start a game with NO pieces on the board. Think if it like a CCG with a board (one of the only commonalities with SW), but you have the same "cards" as your opponent and they never change, plus you can bring as many of one unit out as you want up to six total units on the board. You have the same pool of power to bring units out and move or attack with the ones you already have out, so it is VERY important to decide if you want to summon each turn. Unless you already have six out, then you cannot summon any more. -Every fight in the game uses the same set of units on each side. The boards in the campaign are different in that they have different placements of the glowing spaces that you need to occupy to get more Uhrkraft in a turn. As for the runes, you go into any given game with two of them. They each have an Uhrkraft cost, specific effect, then a number of turns of "cooldown" before you can use it again. Are you referring to my posts? I am in no way afiliated with the developer. Just a player like the rest of you, and I like to try to get games early so I can write about them.
Thank you MrMojoRisin. That makes sense. Looking forward to trying it out then - it was not on my radar at all, but looks like a fun game to try. I'm happy to throw money at developers trying to bring some new, premium, serious gaming to the table. I do suspect that potentially different "factions" would make sense here then, in order to add variety and longevity, but I haven't played yet so I'm reserving judgement. Thanks!
No problem! And I'm no strategic genius or anything, so the game is engaging enough for me just trying to get my head around all that there is to do in a given turn. I might get to the point where it is all "samey", but people don't usually complain that Chess is "samey" (or do they?), lol, so I doubt this will ever get stale for me.
