May 28, 2020

Mythgard - Rhino_Leo

Patch 0.18.2 focuses on balance changes, gameplay and bug fixes, and continual iteration on the Alpha Tournament system. It also marks the fourth, and hopefully last, Beta Ranked Ladder season.

Features & Bug Fixes

Beta Ranked Ladder Season IV
Overhaul of how privacy works. If you have the “profile privacy” set:
- Only people you’re following can see your match history, play time, coin cap, collection completion, etc. Known Issue: this requires that you’ve logged in at least once while the server is up, otherwise, they will see your profile as private.
- Only people you’re following can spectate or watch games in which you’re a player with some exceptions:
  - If you started the game without profile privacy, the game is treated as public even if you later set yourself to private
  - Tourney games are always viewable
  - Ranked games are always replayable
Turn timer is now visible while spectating
Turn timer now turns green after hitting ‘end turn’ (helpful for 2v2)
Skip going back to the main menu when requeuing from the combat scene
Tournament rounds (swiss) now calculated as next integer log 2
Players will now be dropped (no refund) from a tournament if they have two consecutive no shows
Players will now get refunded their entry fee if dropped from a 2v2 tournament for not getting partnered
In-game clock now shows remaining round time for tourney games
Added export button to tournament deck viewer
Finished tournaments now display the players list sorted by tiebreakers when players have the same match score. Note that in elimination tournaments, tiebreakers are not used to distinguish final rank
Add two new deck styles for tournaments (constructed only)
- Conquest
  - Each player must submit three decks built with the same card/path/power restrictions as if it were a single deck (ie. you may only have a total of 4 Freki Scouts among the 3 decks, split any way you choose)
  - At the beginning of each game, players select the deck they want to use for that game
  - The winner’s deck is disabled for the duration of the match
  - If all of a player’s decks become disabled and a match is still ongoing (in a best of seven series), all of their decks are re-enabled.
- Last Standing
  - Same deck building rules as Conquest
  - At the beginning of the first game in the match, players select the deck they want to use for that game
  - The loser’s deck is disabled for the duration of the match
  - In the event of a tie, both players’ decks are disabled
  - Winners start the next game using the same deck as they used in the previous game
  - Losers (and players that tied) select another deck from their eligible choices
  - If all of a player’s decks become disabled and a match is ongoing, all of their decks are re-enabled
Social panel should properly tell you if a friend is in a tournament game
Auto prestige update for decks no longer changes the deck’s last modified time
Fixed a bug where just changing a deck’s name/card back/board/art may not save the deck with those changes
Fixed a bug where actions after death blow were being disallowed
Fixed a bug where exiting out of watching a game would show an “invalid state” dialog
Fixed a bug where damage clamp doesn’t apply properly to minions with damage immunity to type (ex. Scion of Pride on Waystone Garden)
Fixed damage calculation error for Extract Life that has been affected by casting cost modifiers
- Note: because casting cost cannot be reduced below zero, Extract Life under the effect of a casting cost reducing effect such as War Fan does no extra damage. However an Extract Life affected by Mind Freak will do 3 less damage than normal
Fixed a bug where Defy Death would end your turn in 2v2.
Fixed a bug where Defy Death wouldn’t save you from certain chained effects.
Fixed a visual bug where stacks from Whitemoon Arena could display on separate lines
Fixed stats of Tong Foot Soldiers and Lavish Proxy in puzzles
Fixed a visual bug where some ability icons would continue to appear on a minion after being suppressed
Fixed a visual bug where a card’s playable highlight might not be updated properly after canceling a play action
Fixed a bug where a pod’s draft progress would hang if another pod finished before it
Fixed a bug where path / power selection for a tournament deck would allow selection of banned cards
Fixed a bug with the tournament deck viewer on mobile
Fixed a bug where sign in warnings would occur long before sign in
Fixed a bug where tournament prize tables was not allocating prizes for ties correctly
Fixed a bug in tiebreaker tooltip values
Fixed bug preventing modification of tournament announcement after start
Fixed bug preventing edits to draft decks after start
Fixed various places with string errors
Improved tournament messaging with regards withdrawals, forfeits, etc
Disabled non-functional context menus to spectate/replay puzzles

Known Issues

Guilds are NYI

Cards/Tuning

With Norden dominating a lot of constructed and draft play, one of our primary objectives is getting it under control, ideally without swinging SO hard that Blue suddenly becomes weak; it HAS been nice to see other playstyles in Blue and Purple giving the aggression of Red and Orange or the control of Yellow and Green a hard time for once. This suite of changes is intentionally smaller and more surgical when compared to some past balance patches, but we still tried to find room for a few outliers and problem cards...

Alkonost

6[G]GG → 6[G]G
(2) → ▽: Give another minion Sacrifice at the end of its turn unless it attacked or was just created

This has always been the Harpy that struggles to be relevant, (it’s hard being the eldest in a family with at least two overpowered genius siblings) and with these changes that’s still not likely to end, but hopefully she’ll at least see some action in the Arena.

Barbed Bolts

2[R]R → 2[R]

Quite weak, (and this won’t change that) but needs to be less constrained for any hope of combining with other colors.

Boneyard Abomination

Has strength and health equal to the number of minions in all boneyards → double the number of minions in your boneyard

The fact that this change helps it not be so absolutely bonkers in 2v2 is actually just a side benefit. Even in standard modes, the ‘playing against’ pattern dissatisfaction seems to be less about its raw size and more about where that power is pulled from; it feels brutal to defend against when every negative trade will feed the beast. Ideally this shifts the Abomination to be better in comeback situations than winmore ones.

Bridgeway Troll

Regen 1 → Removed

It would seem that one of the earliest and least relevant activated minion designs slowly got chain-buffed into seeing play! But with the secret being out that portal tech is actually good, he’s lightly contributing to the trend of Norden dominance, and we can’t lay the blame ENTIRELY on Ingrid. Trimming excess power from one of his more flavorful abilities before touching the core, though.

Dashing Ringmaster

Other friendly minions that are created with 4 or less strength get Rush → with 4 or less strength have Rush

Those wordings seem very similar, so what this means in English instead of card-game-ese is that the conditions for getting Rush are now dynamic; if a minion’s strength changes after they hit the board to qualify or not, they’ll gain or lose Rush dynamically. This is happening because the way it worked before could be somewhat confusing, not to mention sneakily powerful in the cases where an advanced understanding of how abilities interact let you circumvent it.

Dire Benediction

3[O] → 2[O]O
Cast on a minion to deal damage to its opposing player equal to its strength → with at least 1 strength to deal 4 damage to the player opposing it, then lock its strength to zero.

When these “two-faced” spells that are designed to work on both sides find their niche, they tend to trade interesting mechanics for one myopic function. Hopefully flattening the output will allow us to reclaim some of that flexible potential from the maw of giant minion burst killing.

Godsblud Transfusion

Give a minion +3/+3 → +2/+2 and Regen 2

Many attempts to put a little oomph into this particular combination of “out-trade and heal up” have proven to be over a surprisingly narrow efficacy line, at least within this rarity and cost bracket. Necessarily returning to the smaller buff state, given this is one of the tools Norden is currently bludgeoning everyone with.

Gemhold Dwarf

▼ → ▽: Refresh your gems

Green is generally struggling a bit and not seeing enough play as a color, so there’s a handful of low impact buffs like these; Most of them less likely to shift a ton of power so much as utility and usability.

Harvester

Demise: Add a 0/3 Maze of Iyatiku to your hand → Create a 0/3 Maze of Iyatiku here

Sowing the seeds of this draw as an existing corn card was a HYPER flavorful change, but the benefits have proven to be harder to reap than anticipated.

Herald of Conquest

7/6 → 7/7

Honed Edge

Give a minion +2/+2 → +1/+2

Similar to Godsblud Transfusion, attempting to reduce power without completely reverting to weaker past positions.

House Elf

2/1 → 1/3

He’s been confused and agitated since being told to leave his home and beat up other minions, so we’re pushing this statline to better match the li’l guy’s fantasy and function with his rarity.

Ingrid Stormdottir

5(B)BB → 6(B)BB
Awaken: Return all → up to three Valkyrie cards in your boneyard to your hand and make them Ephemeral

We definitely overreacted to the Valkyrie leader not initially showing up in many decks that should have enjoyed her, but there were probably other factors like Mythic obtainability to blame in addition to the high cost. While it would be a fascinating test of card strength perception to simply revert Ingrid, we’re going to try to find a middle way where she’s not quite as overpowered.

Isle of Buyan

3[G]G → 3[G]

A little splash-ability might help this show up alongside other colors that are equipped to appreciate it.

Loki’s Veil

3(B) → 2(B)

With other bread-and-butter tools in the faction coming down a bit, taking the opportunity to ease access to something strange and niche.

Mavka

2[G]G → 2[G]

A part of the modest Dreni relief efforts, albeit one that’s less likely to impact constructed than draft modes.

Nine-Tailed Vixen

4
P → 4
[/*][/list]Because many of the Spirits that she would have fun brokering are in other colors.

Ourania Muse
- 3[R] → 2[R]R
Simply too expensive, but adding a sort of ‘safety gem’ to make sure they don’t sneak up on us with reliability in other colors and archetypes.

Parsa Divinity Cannon
- 2/5 → 2/6
Serenity Seawitch
- GGG → GG: Give another minion -3/-0 → -2/-0 until your next turn
Bringing a bit of utility down below the kind of monocolor threshold that prevents it from feeling playable.

Terragon
- 5
  → 5
  P
  [/*][/list]Our favorite high-value turtle dragon might be a bit too easy to use, especially when drafted.
  
  Vodnik Informant
  - 1/3 → 2/2
  With House Elf moving in on his territory, our fishy friend is forced to step up and compete with other one drops.
  
  Wonder Drug
  - Gain 4 life and draw a card → 5 life
  - If you have 8 → 9 or less life, double this effect to 8 life and 2 cards → 10 life and draw a card
  Trading an entire draw for 2 more life is indeed a nerf, but trying to anchor the threshold to the concept of “in single digits” in exchange since Yellow isn’t currently acting up as a ‘problem color’ (for once). Our efforts to keep game times reasonably low don’t always put individual cards in the crosshairs, but the Drug has become a very difficult to assail icon of the “just run your opponent out of gas” playbook that can really extend our average match length.

May 8, 2020

Patch Notes v0.18.0.27

Mythgard - Rhino_Leo

This intermediate patch is focused on fixing bugs -- including a small number of game play bugs introduced in the previous patch, but mostly bugs and usability issues for the Tournaments Alpha.

Features & Bug Fixes

Fixed a bug where some abilities would show up on tooltips of stealthed minions
Fixed a bug where players could attempt to enter the wrong game due to lag
Fixed a desync issue involving Aimless Vessel
Fixed a desync issue involving Re:Spawn and Serapis, False Apostle
Muting a player in game now persists for the length of the application session
Tournaments
- Fixed a bug where withdrawing from a tournament could lock up the matchmaking service
- Fixed a bug where players who hit both “next match” and “main menu” at the end of the game could bork their tourney state
- Fixed a bug preventing a tourney game from starting if one of the players is logged out when it gets kicked off and then logs back in later
- Fixed an object leak in the drafting/pods panels
- Fixed a bug where byes were not being award 3 match points
- Fixed a bug causing final placement to not be correctly assigned
- Fixed a bug pertaining to some time zones being unable to create tournaments at certain times
- Fix a bug where prize tables would revert to default
- Fixed a bug where context menus/tooltips were not visible when viewing the tourney panel from within a game
- Fixed a bug where information from a different concurrent tournament could pollute the display of another
- Fixed a bug where erroneous banlist entries could appear in both the overview and management tabs
- Fixed a bug where tiebreaker stats would not be displayed in some circumstances
- Fixed a bug where some tournament notifications were not being routed to the tourney dialog when appropriate
- Fixed a bug where the overview tab was showing the wrong signup time
- Fixed a bug preventing prize support from being updated correctly
- Fixed a bug causing some lines in the player panel to be positioned out of scroll range
- Reduce “draft in progress” notification spam
- Players can now decline tournament invites
- Tournament invites now respect the block list
- Players should no longer get tourney notifications after withdrawing
- Added a few more messages communicating tournament status (more needed)
- Added a tooltip for match nodes in brackets to show game status and results (see known issues)
- Improved error messages when trying to register invalid decks
- 2v2 partners should now be able to view each other’s decks

Known Issues

“Invalid state” dialog after spectating a live game or watching a replay (safe to ignore, but annoying)
Deck Editor
- Deck fails to save if only trim is changed
Tournaments
- Melee / Communal draft modes not enabled
- Deck styles not enabled
- Cannot change tournament settings once created
- Prize table display screwed up
- Keeper draft doesn’t notify you that your cards are added to your collection
- Refund not given for being dropped from 2v2
- Deck display doesn’t work on mobile
- Can get more than intended number of byes in double-elimination
- Bracket display for double-elimination not fully working
- Bracket nodes don't display correctly for ties
- Match tooltip in 2v2 shows missing string instead of player names
- Match tooltip doesn’t work until the match is over (iOS)
- Player tooltip in 2v2 only shows name & deck of one player
- Numerous other bugs
Guilds are NYI

May 5, 2020

Patch Notes v0.18

Mythgard - Rhino_Leo

This patch has many card bug fixes and introduces the Tournaments Alpha. Please expect tournaments to be bugged to hell (we can’t emphasize this enough). It’s way too big of a feature for a team of our size, especially in the current environment, to test. We plan on patching again ASAP as we continue to iterate on this feature.

Features & Bug Fixes

Tournament mode enters Alpha testing
Short delay before enabling “exit game” when bringing up the escape menu in game
Fixed “Requeue” in 2v2 always matching you against AIs
Fixed joining 2v2 as a group and having 5/4, 6/4 or 7/4 players found
Fixed being able to copy a deck
Fixed remembering Login with Google on Android
Fixed bug with converting coin into packs when opening the weekly chest and near the coin cap
Fixed Paths and Powers overlapping on narrow aspect ratios in draft
Fixed Verdant Jungle generating max mana when minions move onto it
Fixed 1v1 challenges not always matching you with who you challenged
Fixed Defy Death locking games when triggering divination at the same time
Updated erroneous tooltips on Master of Shadows, Fires of Creation, and Foresight
Stray Panacea now 0/1 as intended, not 0/2
Sablewing Zira reduces the cost of spells already in hand when played
Decoy’s swap ability only triggers from Stealth
Fixed Terpischore Muse gaining multiple buffs when multiple Decoys swap
Fel Kraken spawned by Sea Lord’s Trident mana cost reflects the activation cost
Fixed Shinobi of Fire showing its abilities in hand after being bounced in stealth
Fixed minions sometimes not being buffed by War Fan in the boneyard
Fixed Warded visual effect showing on minions in Stealth
Fixed gallery art sometimes getting stuck shown
Strength locked to zero abilities from Dire Benediction and Temple at Delphi should now be suppressible
Minmaxer's Challenge is now able to be completed.
Crafting refunds are now available for:
- Allfather's Horn
- Gigantomachia
- Grinning Kolobok
- Iku Turso
- Ironbelly Wyvern
- Lavish Proxy
- Shopworn Bull
- To Heaven and Back
- Wings of Abaddon
- Xerxian Recruiter

Known Issues

Tournaments
- Melee / Communal draft modes not enabled
- Deck styles not enabled
- Cannot change tournament settings once created
- Prize table display screwed up
- Context menus not working in game
- Keeper draft doesn’t notify you that your cards are added to your collection
- Numerous other bugs
Guilds are NYI

Cards/Tuning

Laser Grid

→ Piercing

If you saw the AMA on Reddit this small change jumping the fence into the tournament patch won’t surprise you, but memes aside, it’s both functional and flavorful so... we’ll allow it.

Card art updated for Notarize Reality

Mar 27, 2020

Patch Notes v0.17.6

Mythgard - Rhino_Leo

Features & Bug Fixes

Added in-game Support request form
Updated combat UI (End Turn button is still a work in progress)
Players may now play 2v2 with AIs as an ally or as opponents
AI is less prone to overburn their hand
A deck overview has been added (see ‘View’ button added in deck editor)
The Maat button is now clickable during rewards display
Prospective fix to safe area calculations for iPhone XS Max
Increased hit box for Main menu buttons for some mobile devices
Fixed bug where certain screen resolutions weren’t being properly reported to the resolution picker
Fixed bug where double-click wasn’t showing known cards in deck
Fixed bug where text for cards returned to owner’s hand wasn’t being updated properly
Fixed bug where Seal of Exile’s effect was being applied to the target’s controller instead of owner
Fixed bug where cards with variable strength / health (Leshy Greene, Boneyard Abomination, Avenging Alpha, Back Alley Ronin) weren’t showing expected stats when viewed in the deck
Fixed bug where Dora’s mill ability wasn’t updating known cards in deck
Fixed bug where minions in deck affected by Grandma Meng’s Tea House would be revealed.
Fixed bug where revealing a minion in stealth wouldn’t update the minion’s energy (eg. Spiteful Mimic)

Known Issues

Minmaxer’s Challenge is currently unsolvable.

Cards/Tuning

Alacrity

4[R]R → 3[R]R

Allfather’s Horn

Banish this spell → all your copies of this spell after casting

Ankle Biter

1/2 → 2/2
Breach: Gets +2/+0 → +1/+1

Brainstorm

3B[/strike] → 3[/list]

Calliope Muse
3/2 → 3/3

Cornered Wildcat
3/3 → 4/4
After defending in combat, the attacking minion takes an additional 3 → 4 damage

Decoy
0/2 → 1/2
→ Defender
→ Deadly
When a minion attacks this, draw a card → While in Stealth, when a friendly minion is attacked, swap positions with it before combat

Foresight (power)
Once per turn, look at the top 3 cards of another player's deck or Divination 2 → 3 your own

Garden of Iriy
2[G]G → 2[G]

Gigantomachia
5[R]R → 6[R]R

Godsblud Transfusion
Give a minion +2/+2 → +3/+3 and Regen 2

Grinning Kolobok
1/1 → 0/1

Hacker’s Intuition
2[G] → 1[G]

Honed Edge
Give a minion +2/+1 → +2/+2

House Elf
1/2 → 2/1

Hysterical Strength
Give a minion +2/+2 → +3/+3 until end of turn

Iku-Turso
10/10 → 9/9

Ingrid Stormdottir
7BB[/strike] → 5BB
5/5 → 4/3

Ironbelly Wyvern
3/2 → 3/3
Rush → Swift

Jorthsong
Return an enchantment to its owner's hand and draw a card → OR Return an enchantment from your boneyard to your hand

Jotun Shatterfist
Gets +2/+0 → +3/+0 after each time it takes damage

Lavish Proxy
4/9 → 2/9

Magpyre Enforcer
2/2 → 3/3

Mothmara
1/2 → 2/1

Pack Mentality
2[Y]Y → 2[Y]

Ravine Guardian
1/3 → 1/4
Gets +3/+0 → +2/+0 and [Defender] during your opponent's turn

Reckless Vulcanist
2/1 → 3/2
Demise: Deals 1 damage to all minions and players → 2 damage to you and your opponent

Sablewing Zira
→ Your spells have their mana cost reduced by (1)
The ensorcelled spirit of Bald Mountain claws its way back from the abyss!

Sand Scout
→ Swift
Has Swift and Does not take retaliatory damage when attacking while occupying a Desert enchantment

Sea Lord’s Trident
(3) → (2): Create a 4/2 Fel Kraken if you don't control one already

Serapis, False Apostle
▽: +1🗲 and deal 1 damage to you and → drain 1 life from your opponent

Shopworn Bull
3[R]R → 4[R]R

Stray Panacea
0/2 → 0/1
Demise: Gain 6 → 4 life and draw a card

To Heaven and Back
When an occupying non-Angel minion dies, return it to its owner's hand. It is now an Angel with +1/+1 Agile and its mana cost reduced by (2) permanently

Triassic Kraken
6/6 → 7/7

Vodnik Informant
1/2 → 1/3

Vulcan Brand
Give a minion Piercing and 'Demise: Deal 3 damage to → you, your opponent, and minions in the opposing three lanes'

Wings of Abaddon
▽ → (1): Sacrifice one of your other minions to get Immortal until end of turn

Xerxian Recruiter
2/3 → 2/2

Art/VFX
Card art updated for Nine-Tailed Vixen

Mar 20, 2020

Dev Insights: Seven Ring Ritual

Mythgard - Rhino_Leo

Origins:

Seven Ring Ritual initially arose from a sort of side aspect of the lore that doesn’t usually have a reason to interact with a lot of the more resonant and pressing powers colliding in Mythgard. Early red ideation contained a subfaction themed around Greek metal that was very roughly inspired by Brutal Legend, and it REALLY was not coming together or resonating with the team at the time.
There was something interesting lurking in the themes of performance as ritual and audience attention as power though, so the pivot wound up being the Circus Diavolos, a carny-themed group that would offer up far more opportunities to lean into red’s hedonistic intentions and stand out visually from a lot of the other work going on at the time.

Story:

This demonic circus may ironically avoid the lore limelight in a lot of cases, but here’s a one of Xeneth’s old bits of “tone microfiction” on the subject:

“A seven ring sigil was incorporated into the main stage of the Circus Diavolos show. Little did the vacant crowds know that earlier that evening, when the big top was packed with spectators, their collective energy was being gathered. Through the attention and focus of a rapt audience, the symbols were charged and primed for this moment; The darkened tent would now serve as a stage for a very different kind of production.
Sinister grins split the lesser demons pale, eyeless heads as they emerged into our world from a place with no light. The ritual was complete.”

Much ado has been made out of some of the supposed crimes and kidnappings hinted at in various Oberos lore boxes, but it’s interesting that even at this early creative stage there’s hints of restraint baked into the landscape of entertainment-as-demonic-ritual. Running away to join the circus is an old but valid fantasy and we shouldn’t leap to conclusions!

Fans have no idea what their rapt attention allows the Circus Diavolos to summon after the show.
Where they come from, eyes are a liability.

Early drafts of the single player story had much more focus than there currently is on the structure of a “post-ragnarok hades” and the details of Percy’s escape from it. A lot of this speculative detail is bound to be muddled or lost to time given the need to jump-start a journey without getting mired in such things, but Seven Ring Ritual still bears some of the reference marks of these potentially outdated or less useful ideas:

Hades’ (the place) “pilot light” eventually going out after Hades’ (the god) failure to return.
A slightly colder and darker hades becoming attractive to the kind of more cosmic horror inspired demons than would ordinarily be there.
Demon-touched people performing summoning rituals on mortal planes.
Them breaking in and being called somehow weakening the system that Percy would need to circumvent to break out.

Initial Design:

Summoning rituals being a natural fit where demons are concerned, and long before design roundtables might have raised the question of whether or not mass minion creation was slated to be an Oberos strength, (bah, Mythic designs bend archetypical rules all the time!) the original Seven Ring Ritual looked like:

7[R]RR Mythic, Carny Spell
Create 3/2 Imps in all of your unoccupied lanes.

It’s a touch stronger and more cost restrictive than its modern incarnation, but that’s actually very close to the current implementation!

Art:

The commission was assigned to James Zapata for his mastery of ethereal and otherworldly compositions! Here’s a relatively early sketch:

Art Director Hoon worried that the spell would look too blue and not red enough, so later iterations got much more dire crimson pumped into them…

Interestingly, as the atmosphere and arcane power of the piece amped up and took over, one detail receded; Almost no one today notices the striped roof of the big top in the background…

Wrapping Up:

So, as the demons summoned by the Sovereign Architect visually and mechanically gained the power of flight, they also stole away the Imp name and forced these little guys to become called Hellions. Plans to make additional demons in the game visibly sightless also changed, because as it turns out, eyes are a very useful artistic focal point; note how these guys’ grins can be freely interpreted as either predatory OR joyful without eyes for context.

That sea of 3/2 Hellions proved to be too difficult to deal with, and dropping them to 3/1 helped open up some counterplay in the range of things that could kill off a lot of them. This eventually revitalized an interesting two-pronged debate that had been occurring both externally and internally; that it would be thematically cute if the abbreviated casting cost of 7[R]R better aligned with the card’s name.