Quick Start Rules

[warhost]

Hey guys -

A friend and I started Shadow Era with the physical cards sold at our local game store. We fell in love with it, based on the cost, and the fact that is wasn't Magic: The Gathering. It seemed, as far as card games go, harder to make one or two game breaking decks out of the set, making it more newb friendly. In addition, I couldn't seem to find an exhaustive rules document on shadowera.com .

However, starting with this friend and a couple of other people we've recruited since then, as we had read over the Quick Start Rules, we were confused about a number of things. Granted, playing the game online clarifies a lot as the computer prevents you from doing anything against the rules. However, for people we recruit who are only interested in the physical cards, this could become problematic. In my humble opinion, the quick start rules could be written better and have more explanation about specifics. I know they're "quick start," but it's simply not enough for us to make big gameplay errors. For instance:

-Sacrifice does not specify that the chosen card must come from your hand, or from any specific place.

-The method of randomly choosing who goes first. Most card games allow the winner of a roll-off to choose whether they go first or not. Shadow Era's rules *should* specify the winner of a roll-off must go first.

-The use of cards that incorporate the use of an opponent's card, like "Transference", needs to specify that when sent to a graveyard, they are sent to the original owner's graveyard.

-Action Phase. The description should specify that one can cast cards, use abilities, and attack in any order as long as it is legal to do so (not being legal as in an exhausted card using abilities).

- "More About Combat" ... doesn't explain effectively how defense works and how order of attacks go. For instance, Magic: The Gathering veterans are likely to read this and believe that combat acts very much like it does in Magic. Attacking "Allies" implies that your attackers hit the allies as a group, and defenders react based on who the player wants to take the hits. The rules ought to say, "When attacking with an ally or hero, you can choose an attacker's target to be your opponent's hero or any of their allies. You may attack in any order you wish." ...also, "Target will defend" may mean the target card *must* defend, but the wording leaves room for questions. It should just say "target must defend".

-Elemental Damage, and damage types. Isn't described in the quick start rules, but is all over the cards. I have yet to see a gameplay mechanic that incorporates damage types, such as sword, claw, or elements. So what purpose do they serve? If nothing else, specify that it has no effect on gameplay currently, but may be used in future versions of the game.

Not trying to be a negative nancy, I'm just offering up some constructive criticism. We love the game and hope it continues to grow with the physical copies.

[Warr Byrd]

I am very curious as to how some of these concerns are raised.

For example, your concern about sacrificing. How often in any CCG, besides drawing a card from your deck to your hand, do you do anything directly from the deck? Also, why does it matter how you decide who goes first, as long as both players agree before match (or best of 3 or whatever) start?

The "More About Combat" doesn't need to be clarified any further. It states that you may attack Hero or allies unless limited, and anything additional you may need to know about that is under "Target" in "Turn Phases." "The attacker" implicitly means that only one card is attacking at a time. And how does "Target will defend" leave any questions about whether or not it will.

Yes, currently attack types have no effect on gameplay, but they will in the future. It is easier to put them on the cards now than to change it in the future. In the meantime, you can either ignore it or pretend that it has special effects.

Personally, I feel that the lack of stating that actions need to occur in a certain order implies that actions may be taken in any order.

I will agree that it should be stated that cards stolen from an opponent return to their original owners graveyard.

[Nizaris]

I thought a better rulebook was in the works, and was going to be included with the physical cards. Apparently not though, since I just realized I didn't get one.

I see where the OP is coming from though. As an experienced player, those rules make sense to me and are easy to understand. When I read them a year ago though, not so much.

[Mojumbo]

Heya Warhost! Thanks for the feedback A full version of the rulebook is in the works and will address all the points you have raised above, hopefully that will provide the clarity you desire.

Naturally, the Quick Start Guide was made to be a "bare bones" document that provided just enough information for a new player to start playing the game and doesn't go into full detail in some areas. I'll do another quick glance over the rulebook we're working on to make sure nothing you posted was missed

Mojumbo

[warhost]

Wow... a reply from a developer. That's unexpected, and awesome.

I appreciate your efforts. Honestly, the game is amazing, and the starter deck case and the booster box were sold out in the first weekend at my local store, once me and my friend started talking about it to other friends. We've been tossing around the idea of having a local, self-sponsored league. There were just concerns about playing the physical game without the digital game as a reference, and we have told several of our newest players to play the game online in order to get the rules down pat.

I'll be posting in the future (in another section of the forum) about how to go about a local store league.

[Demnchi]

Wow... a reply from a developer. That's unexpected, and awesome.

Its actually quite common place here. They are really involved, the design team did basically come from the community iirc. Glad to hear you're enjoying the game!

[warhost]

Oh, one more thing I have come across.

There is no way that is explained in the quick start rules to indicate a card is exhausted, or resources are spent. We generally do the M:TG "tap" on allies and the hero, and just keep track of total expenses mentally with resources (as all of the people who play it in our group aren't cheating douchebags), but as the game grows, this could become a problem.

[Nizaris]

Oh, one more thing I have come across.

There is no way that is explained in the quick start rules to indicate a card is exhausted, or resources are spent. We generally do the M:TG "tap" on allies and the hero, and just keep track of total expenses mentally with resources (as all of the people who play it in our group aren't cheating douchebags), but as the game grows, this could become a problem.

Game tokens have been made to keep track of life totals and conditions and such. I can't give any specifics as I don't know what they look like yet. But they were made and included as pre-order bonuses, and should be selling separately as well.

[warhost]

That's what we've been doing, with dice.