By and large I am a fan of stratagy games because they require the players to actually think instead of mindlesly mashing buttons until win pops up on the screen. That said not every stratagy game requires a lot of thought, ala warcraft, but for the most part a reasonable backing in tactics is required, like say chess.
This is also why I like TCG's because, despite the amount of luck involved in the game, you need to understand what cards are solid, which are useless, and how to make the solid ones work properly in a chance based scenario. If you draw card A at this time, how are you going to make it work as well as if you drew it at another time.
Poxnora is an online game that combines the tactical layout of a chess game, with the strategic deck building of a trading card game, and just to add a little extra thought, the pieces you use can be customized.
The basis of the game is this: A turn based stratagy game where players summon powerful creatures and cast spells to attempt to destroy the other players base. Both players have a limited resource, called nora, that they gain each turn, and the value of the ammount gained is dependant on the number of strategic locations held. This nora is used to pay the costs of your creatures and spells to allow you to use them, or what I call the "magic-the-gathering" approach.
The difference is that these creatures, once brought into play are free to move about on a board (one of many, each fundimentally different but we will get to that later) and engage opposing creatures. The ultimate goal is to work your way to your opponents shrine and destroy it with your creatures attacks and your spells.
The true challenge of this game, like all TCG's, comes from the human element. The opponents don't follow any code or have a set list of creatures they will always choose from (most people stick to a select few of the best ones but thats a different matter). This adds a whole new level to the difficulty curve.
Now, what kind of reviewer would I be if I did not point out the bad things
So lets start.
Poxnora misleadingly advertises itself as a free game, when to get the full experience you are required to purchase packs of cards like you would any other game. Players who do not are restricted to a set list of preconfigured decks for them to fart around and get their asses kick with. I'm fine with paying the company for a service, thats generally the relationship people have with companies, but don't use the word free when 99% of the game costs money.
Nitpicking and not really game related I know, but it bothers me.
Game wise there are a few problems that really stand out. When moving your creatures around the board, you pick where you want them to go and the auto pathing gets you there in the shortest possible route, the problem is that the auto pathing doesnt recognize traps you have laid or land hazards such as deep water or lava which will slow your progress or kill you. This often means that if you are worried about enemy traps, dont want to trigger your own, or go around a particular land formation that you have to move your champion a space or two at a time rendering the autopathing pretty much useless.
The game also limits your deck size to 20. Now while I understand that the majority of maps really are not that large, and having something like 40 cards would be completely rediculous, 20 is too small a number. It very tightly restricts your options like some sort of strategic corset, and allows for little improvisation even with the best deck layouts, which means that you are usually facing the same decks regardless of who you are playing against.
Also being an online game means that you are constantly surrounded by hundreds of players who match the following list of traits:
1) sore losers
2) inner dickwads
3) smug bastards
4) teenagers with all the maturity of a 5 year old who just shat himself.
And the anonymity of the internet brings all these traits right ot the forefront. I am not saying all the players are like this, but it seems online games attract these types of players like flies to shit, only the flies wear masks so you can't tell who they are, allowing them to be the dickheads they secretly wish they could be in real life, and putting up with them can be a real strain on the patience.
All in all poxnora is a lot of fun, and a great thinking game in a world of win buttons. Just ignore the majority of players and be prepared for a little monotony in your opponents.
This is also why I like TCG's because, despite the amount of luck involved in the game, you need to understand what cards are solid, which are useless, and how to make the solid ones work properly in a chance based scenario. If you draw card A at this time, how are you going to make it work as well as if you drew it at another time.
Poxnora is an online game that combines the tactical layout of a chess game, with the strategic deck building of a trading card game, and just to add a little extra thought, the pieces you use can be customized.
The basis of the game is this: A turn based stratagy game where players summon powerful creatures and cast spells to attempt to destroy the other players base. Both players have a limited resource, called nora, that they gain each turn, and the value of the ammount gained is dependant on the number of strategic locations held. This nora is used to pay the costs of your creatures and spells to allow you to use them, or what I call the "magic-the-gathering" approach.
The difference is that these creatures, once brought into play are free to move about on a board (one of many, each fundimentally different but we will get to that later) and engage opposing creatures. The ultimate goal is to work your way to your opponents shrine and destroy it with your creatures attacks and your spells.
The true challenge of this game, like all TCG's, comes from the human element. The opponents don't follow any code or have a set list of creatures they will always choose from (most people stick to a select few of the best ones but thats a different matter). This adds a whole new level to the difficulty curve.
Now, what kind of reviewer would I be if I did not point out the bad things
So lets start.Poxnora misleadingly advertises itself as a free game, when to get the full experience you are required to purchase packs of cards like you would any other game. Players who do not are restricted to a set list of preconfigured decks for them to fart around and get their asses kick with. I'm fine with paying the company for a service, thats generally the relationship people have with companies, but don't use the word free when 99% of the game costs money.
Nitpicking and not really game related I know, but it bothers me.
Game wise there are a few problems that really stand out. When moving your creatures around the board, you pick where you want them to go and the auto pathing gets you there in the shortest possible route, the problem is that the auto pathing doesnt recognize traps you have laid or land hazards such as deep water or lava which will slow your progress or kill you. This often means that if you are worried about enemy traps, dont want to trigger your own, or go around a particular land formation that you have to move your champion a space or two at a time rendering the autopathing pretty much useless.
The game also limits your deck size to 20. Now while I understand that the majority of maps really are not that large, and having something like 40 cards would be completely rediculous, 20 is too small a number. It very tightly restricts your options like some sort of strategic corset, and allows for little improvisation even with the best deck layouts, which means that you are usually facing the same decks regardless of who you are playing against.
Also being an online game means that you are constantly surrounded by hundreds of players who match the following list of traits:
1) sore losers
2) inner dickwads
3) smug bastards
4) teenagers with all the maturity of a 5 year old who just shat himself.
And the anonymity of the internet brings all these traits right ot the forefront. I am not saying all the players are like this, but it seems online games attract these types of players like flies to shit, only the flies wear masks so you can't tell who they are, allowing them to be the dickheads they secretly wish they could be in real life, and putting up with them can be a real strain on the patience.
All in all poxnora is a lot of fun, and a great thinking game in a world of win buttons. Just ignore the majority of players and be prepared for a little monotony in your opponents.