Monday, March 18, 2013

Vtes - Future, Rumors, Facts ...

Hey guys!

After a long time, I am again thinking about future of our beloved game and I am not feeling really happy. Of all things, that I have at my disposal, facts about future of this game are one of most scarce resources. Only thing I know for sure is, that this game is dead. Everything else are speculations and rumors.

There was a lot of talk about Print on Demand and for a long time, I believed, that this will probably end up as solution. Not that I am really comfortable with it, but if there were some starter system for short period of time and after that chance of revival of ccg model, I would have loved it.

Lately I have read something about WoD LCG game from FFG, which should be successor of Vtes. Probably simplified and not compatible with old VTES. If it were the case, I wouldn't be glad at all. But again, I do not know anything for fact.

From the beginning, I was little unsure about PDF expansions from VEKN, but to do them to keep community alive and provide new tested cards for new potential publisher was looking like a good idea as time progressed. 

But after that, there were some pretty hard quarrels within the team, that should have made and tested those cards. I will not take any side here, mainly because I do not have all the facts and it is not purpose of this post.

New cards are not going out and there is only so many decks, that you can build, when you have limited cardpool. I love deckbuilding, but I have missed some cards, when they got out and I am not in the mood to purchase them for a loooot of money. I would just like some new commons, that would refresh the game. There is no surprise, that some players do not like to play a dead ccg game.

This somehow pressured me, to get more serious about tournament scene, and some other players too. This may not be significant, but when some players shift to more serious play and more testing of powerful decks, it somehow shifts entire metas casual games. And of course some people do not like that. 

And this is basicaly point of this post. Despair I am feeling is from this uncertainty is starting to get to me. Every day I see this game dying, because things we know, but more than anything, from thigs that we do not know. People would like to play this game for some more, but they would not like to end up with useless cards for a game, that no one plays, when they can sell them for big bucks on ebay. I can see those auctions every week. And even if this game survived, I do not really believe, that anyone of them would start playing again from scratch.

Its not like I have nothing to do. I build new decks regularly, try to organize tournaments in somewhat regular fashion, continue league games and every week, there are casual games. But I would just like to know, what the hell is going on and what to expect.

So once again, this post ended up with less substance and more ranting from my side. But that is just my frustration getting out. 

See you next time...

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Thoughts about cards - 2) Pentex(TM) Subversion

So as our metagame scene grows stronger and stronger and as I attend tournaments, I have been encountering this card more and more. And there is no surprise - it is really strong.

1) One stars/high caps -  I usually play star or at least high cap decks and this card is often enough to cripple this deck to a point, where it just waits to be ousted. Acting deck is usually shut down totally, since you need to multiact and your tool up actions are lost. Blockish are stripped of their main defense. Yes, you still can use bounce, but that may not be enough without proper cycling.

2) Midcaps - Although not as powerfull as with high caps, ability to shut down main blocker - like Carna for example, is very good. Often that one round, where that one minion cannot block you maybe enough. It may be that one intercept, ivory bow, or being a prince, that bothers you, but solution is universal. Same way, block deck can get rid of that one minion, which bothers them, or just again slow dow those initial tool up actions, like govern superior.

3) Lowcaps - even less effective, but eliminating one vampire for price of two pool can often save you much more.

Again, these thoughts are nothing new. Everyone has used it, or was killed by it and again, when moving closer and closer to tournament scene, I keep seeing this card more and more. Is it bad? I am not sure. I dislike its ability to shut down almost every one star deck. Would we see this card on the table more rarely, if its cost would be 3 pool? I doubt it. Even with 4 pool cost, I would play it in same decks. Of course, there would be times, when this card would be too much expensive, but most of the time, it would still be worth it. And I think that says a lot. Speaking with other players, some of them confirmed this opinion.

I have read some discussions, where people were advised, that his card should either restrict acting, or blocking, but not both. Another interesting idea was to give pentexed vampire ability to remove pentex.

Although all those ideas are interesting, I think that this card goes long way back and changing it this much would be too much. Although this card will be pain in my behind for a long time, since I tend to play high caps and probably will in the future, I would stick to increasing cost of this card by one pool. It isn't much, but I believe that it would help a little to balance this card. It would still remain pretty strong though.

I am not sure, what next article will be about, but I will try to continue writting about things I find interesting.

See you next time...