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BattleForge Beta Review
Part of Keen's adventure in RTS, Random things, Reviews
Every so often a game comes along and does something that catches my eye. This time it's a RTS/Persistent Online Card Game called BattleForge. I was almost completely unaware of the game's existence until I was directed to the Beta signups by a friend (Bartlebe!) and shortly thereafter admitted into the testing program. I want to share with you all why Battleforge is not only on the top of my current favorites, but why the game is different from any other currently available and brings with it the potential to not only last a long time in this market but spawn future RTS/Card games just like it.
I like to start my reviews and impressions off by quoting official sites. It's a great way to gauge how well the developers deliver on their promises and how well the features live up to their hype and potential expectations from a prospectivel player/customer. Right from their 'About the Game' section:
"Experience real-time strategy in a whole new dimension! Every battle is different, every army unique. Create your own fighting force from mighty creatures and powerful soldiers. Lead your army in epic online battles - together with your friends or against them!"
"Fight alone in single-player missions or in a team with up to twelve participants. In addition to 1on1 duels, various tournament modes and a fiercely contested ranking list await you in PvP."
"The cards represent your tools of war: units, buildings and spells that are conjured directly onto the battlefield. Assemble the perfect fighting force before the battle, choosing from your ever-increasing collection, and lead it into the battle. Rare cards open up completely new tactics for you and are highly sought after for swapping at the in-game market place!"
BattleForge is far more than a RTS game. It's a collectible card game, strategy game, and persistent multiplayer experience all in one. BattleForge is ONLINE ONLY and allows players to collect cards (both from winning games and buying them [more on this later]), creating decks, making friends, and then fighting with or against them online in a persistent lobby/world experience.
The Cards
Players start off with a large assortment of cards from all of 'The Powers' (Shadow, Frost, Nature, and Fire) and can begin customizing their decks immediately, or play around with the pre-made decks. Deck building is a huge part of BattleForge because everything you do when playing the game hinges upon the cards in your deck - you're allowed 20 different cards. This is where buying, trading, and winning cards comes into play. The game uses an in-game auction house that MMORPG players will be very familiar with to allow players to trade cards directly from the lobby. Players can also do direct trades with each other, which is facilitated through a trade channel. Now here's where the most interesting part comes in with these cards... you can also buy Booster Packs with real-life currency. You do so by purchasing what I've come to call "BF Points" and then spending those points at the in-game store to buy cards. Every player in the beta started off with 2000 points to buy booster packs with (250 per pack) and rumor has it that in release you'll start with 3000 points.
More details on next page.
