Meet the Unstoppable Force!
about 3 years ago – Mon, Sep 27, 2021 at 11:41:20 PM

By the Power of Grayskull!

We've just crossed the $1,300k mark and unlocked Swiftwind for all backers:

Reaching this mark was aided by our latest Optional Buy, the Wrath of Snake Mountain Expansion which we revealed on Friday, check it out below!

Riding mightily across Eternia atop the trusty Stridor, Fisto joins the ranks of the Heroic Warriors brandishing his sword for all to see!

When we reach $1,350k, we will unlock the Kickstarter Exclusive Fisto on Stridor, including their model, HP token, and cards for all backers!

When fighting from horseback, this version of Fisto takes a much more strategic approach to combat than his brawling style from fighting on foot. Making use of his increased speed, momentum, and vantage point, Fisto rides across the battlefield like a knight, striking foes and commanding his allies to victory!

You have the Power!

Exploring Co-Op vs. A.I.
about 3 years ago – Mon, Sep 27, 2021 at 11:41:00 PM

By the Power of Grayskull!

Today we'd like to bring you an update to further explore the Coop vs AI mode in Clash for Eternia, and for this we brought along none other than Michael Shinall, one of the game designers for the project. Take it away, Michael!

Welcome Heroic Warriors and Evil Warriors all!

Previously we took a bit of a deeper look into the Terrain Features of Eternia, so we figured we'd continue the trend of diving into some mechanics. Today we're going to take a look at Cooperative Play / the AI System in Clash for Eternia.

First things first, the full rules for Cooperative and AI are in the rulebook, so for any of the following to make sense please give that a read over by clicking the image below:

Scenarios

Now that you've given that a read-over we can go into some of the specifics of how the A.I. works.

First and foremost, you and your group will select one of the A.I Scenarios available to you. These scenarios are specifically build around the Controller being utilized by the A.I. System, and as a result do function a bit differently from the standard scenarios. While with most scenarios you have the benefit of a human brain making tactical decisions, choosing how to allocate resources, choosing when to best utilize said resources, with an A.I. it all has to be automated, hence why there are specific scenarios dedicated to that.

This isn't to say some of the Open and Narrative Scenarios couldn't work for A.I., but we'd rather have dedicated ones rather than just lump them all together (for example, the "Brawl" Open Scenario could work just fine for Cooperative play, since the scenario is designed as essentially a big slugfest. Meanwhile, a scenario like "Hidden Treasures", which requires the Controller to strategically place and defend Objectives across the map, utilizing some measure of bluffing and/or planning, just isn't as functional with an A.I. - yes, it can work and does function, but you won't get as deep an experience).

Alright, so knowing that the Scenario is an important factor, let's take a look at the rest of the components and how they end up mingling together.

A.I. Characters

Just like with a human Controller, the Characters that you're up against are going to have a big impact on how you approach things, arguably more here than even with non-cooperative play. While the Characters may look like alterative versions of basic Controller Characters, the nature of AI requires some differences. Let's take a look at three examples and go into some specifics:

As you've seen, all AI Characters have an Attack and a Skill, again, not much different than a Controller Character. The biggest difference here really is that they have a designed Skill. Whereas a Controller Character typically has a Skill that maximizes strategic planning, positioning, and usage, the A.I. Skills tend to just be bad things that will happen to the players.

This hallmarks one of the fundamental differences in playing with A.I. vs. a human Controller: When its head-to-head you want things to be balanced for both sides, so that strategic planning, decisions, and tactics are what secure victory in the end. When it comes to A.I., its the players vs. the game- the game being an obstacle for the group of players to be challenged by and (hopefully) overcome. There is a big mentality shift from "We lost against the game. Let's try again!" and "We lost to Big-Brained-Steve who outplayed us like a chess master. We hate playing against Steve."

When it comes to utilizing the A.I. Characters, that comes down to the Actions presented in the A.I. Deck, which can range from very basic actions, such as just moving forward and attacking, to some surprise twists thrown in to keep you guessing:

The Character AI Deck is comprised of 10 cards, and you'll be flipping 3 of them each round (shuffling at the end of each round). As mentioned above, there are duplicates of "Attack and Advance" and "Activate Skill", which are the most common A.I Actions, but there are other effects thrown in there as well- again to keep the players on their toes. Reckless Onslaught is one of them, and offers the most damaging offensive attack option to the A.I., but that is not all they are capable of. 

And while the Character AI Deck has some sneaky tricks, its really the A.I. Controller that you're going to need to look out for...

Just like in the standard mode, as the Players spend Power, that all gets allocated to the Controller. Unlike standard mode however, where Power is allocated between 4 Controller Skills, the AI just keeps it in a pool, storing it up to utilize in devastating ways. There are two primary differences in how the AI Controller functions vs. AI Characters: When a Character Activates, they will follow the instructions of their AI Card, which in turn plays with their Attack and/or Skill. When the AI Controller Activates, something bad is going to happen for the Players. How bad that thing is will depend entirely on the raw amount of Power available to the Controller...but it's a bit more complicated than that.

As you can see, allowing the Controller a wealth of Power presents its own problems, as it means they're going to unleash their most devastating effects on the Players when they activate... Ok, easy enough we (as the Players) just won't spend Power! Take THAT, A.I.!

Yeahhh... You're not going to want to try that either...

See, the worst effects on the A.I. Controller Actions are actually 1. If they have a ton of Power to spend and 2. If they have no Power to spend. The A.I. really doesn't like you trying to Power-Starve it, so its going to punish you for attempting that. If you take "Summon Minions", for example, if the Controller has all the Power it needs its going to both summon and Activate a new horde of Minions right next to the Players- that's bad. If it has slightly less than max Power they'll still be summoned, but they will at least only show up on Spawn Points... If they have little-to-no Power, however, then not only are they going to summon, but they are going to then punish the lowest HP Player. In many of the A.I. Scenarios, the loss-condition for the Players is "Get KO'ed X times" or "Fail to complete Objectives in X time." so these are not insignificant set-backs.

When playing against the AI, perhaps even more than against a human Controller, the balance of Power becomes all the more important, as managing that resource becomes a factor not only for the individual player, but for the group as a whole.

In the end, while the fundamentals of Cooperative are to replicate the base-game, just without the need for a human Controller, the dynamics of how you approach things does shift, which in turn creates a different experience overall. One is not elevated over the other, though personally it's hard to beat the feeling of overcoming an intelligent foe in a clash of wits, there is still something to be said about an AI presenting you with a challenge for you and your group to overcome - and then proceeding to beat that AI... Or fall before it and vow to beat it next time.

You have the Power!

Daily Secret Reveal – With Axe and Shield
about 3 years ago – Mon, Sep 27, 2021 at 11:40:53 PM

By the Power of Grayskull!

The Jaw-Bridge of Castle Grayskull opens again, revealing the secret reward for today!

We have unlocked the Kickstarter Exclusive Battle-Axe He-Man, including his model, HP token, and cards for all backers!

Tapping into the adventure roots of He-Man, the Battle Axe version of the Character is much more visceral in his approach to combat. Those who look at the Most Powerful Man in the Universe and see a battle-ready barbarian capable of slaying all those in his way will find this unique He-Man’s style right at home!

On Friday we announced our latest Optional Buy, the Kickstarter Exclusive Wrath of Snake Mountain Expansion - check it out below if you haven't yet:

Shall we glimpse at what secret Castle Grayskull holds in store for us tomorrow?

You have the Power!

Exploring the sights of Eternia
about 3 years ago – Mon, Sep 27, 2021 at 11:39:05 PM

By the Power of Grayskull!

We have a short but sweet update to share with you, to show you some of the painted models that we've received since they were revealed, and a special video from Henning Ludvigsen, the amazingly-talented artist who's worked on the Battlefield map and overlays of Clash for Eternia, going over his process of creating the artwork for the game.

Scare Glow

Fisto

Lady Slither

Creating the Battlefields of Eternia

Some of you may be already familiar with Henning’s work. He worked in several CMON projects including Bloodborne: The Board Game, Trudvang Legends, Night of the Living Dead: A Zombicide Game, and Project: ELITE, among others. Never the less, his mastery never ceases to amaze us, and we’re always impressed with his work and process. So join us in witnessing his amazing skills! We hope you enjoy this peek behind the curtains as much as we do:

You have the Power!

A Kindred Spirit
about 3 years ago – Sun, Sep 26, 2021 at 01:08:27 AM

By the Power of Grayskull!

We've just crossed the $1,250k mark and unlocked Lady Slither for all backers:

Unlocking Lady Slither comes in the heels of our recently announced Kickstarter Exclusive Optional Buy Wrath of Snake Mountain expansion - check it out below if you haven't done so yet!

Etheria is a land of magic and wonder, but even so Swiftwind strikes out for his majestic presence and stalwart companionship.

When we reach $1,300k, we will unlock the Kickstarter Exclusive Swiftwind, including his NPC model and a Kickstarter Exclusive Scenario incorporating Mount models for all backers!

This scenario utilizes the Mount model without a specific rider, allowing any Character to utilize him. In addition, specific Mounts are not directly tied to the Scenario, so the more you have, the more options you gain!

Swiftwind is blessed with many gifts: impressive wings, a powerful horn, and an armor set that protects him against harm. Add to that his brave nature and incredible mobility and you’ll understand why the agents of the Evil Horde flinch whenever Swiftwind takes to the battlefield!

You have the Power!