Introduction

As part of version 32, I'll be adding a chain of reactions to the game's base gameplay.

A chain of reactions is a system that allows you to react to an opponent's plays, which makes the gameplay richer, although slower. You can find a similar system in games like Magic the Gathering.

An example of how this system would work, taken from Magic the Gathering's rulebooks, is:

Imagine you have a 2 health follower and you're attacking your opponent. Your opponent could respond to the attack with a card that dealt 3 damage.

Normally, the chain's items resolve from last to first, meaning their damage would hit the follower, and the attack would fail.

However, if you react with a card that gives your follower +3 health, it would get that first, then the 3 damage, then survive and the attack would still happen.

Why add a chain now?

I've wanted to avoid using a chain for a while, because in the digital card game development circles it's known as something that makes games run much longer, which is a problem if people want a quick game.

However, I believe that the advantages outweight the disadvantages. I feel that a game where you have more strategic choice works better even if it lasts longer. 

Another reason is that even though we have a solid base for the game right now, I want to do a lot of changes to make it better. I'm always thinking of ways to improve the game, even if they require a lot of changes.

As Shigeru Miyamoto once said: A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad.

I don't think I'll like this change. I might have to play another game!

Part of experimenting and adding big changes to something is that you might lose some of your audience, and that's a risk I always have to take with every single update and devlog I post here.

I understand that some people would prefer a hearthstone-like with simple and quick gameplay, but at the same time I feel that for the long term it's best to experiment with more interesting gameplay to not only stand out, but also make the game more fun.

To a lot of people, it doesn't matter that Fairtravel Battle is cheaper than other card games, or provides modding, or any other business decisions. They want gameplay, and if I want to stand out I must do decisions that I think will improve the game experience.

A word on Pass and Play

As I mentioned in the last update, I was experimenting with adding pass-and-play features, where two players can use the same device to play. However, adding reaction chains would make that much more complicated. As a result, I will be abandoning the idea of pass and play.

What's Next?

I'm still working on this update, and it'll take a few more months. I understand that that's a lot more time to wait, but you should expect a new development build within a month or so.

Among other things, the new class and faction-based deckbuilding, new cards, reactions, and brand new experience which I'm planning will improve the game massively, and all I ask is for your patience while I work on the whole thing. I'll keep posting more previews over the coming weeks, until Version 32 is out.

Thank you very much for your time and interest in Fairtravel Battle.