What’s New?
This patch is a mini-update with some significant new features and includes a number of bug fixes. The features in this patch are all geared towards improving the game economy. The major update after this patch will include more content.
Cash Store
Tokens System
Redeem Codes
Crafting Rebalance
Rarity Adjustment
Bug Fixes
Known Issue
Cash Store
In preparation for making the game free to play, we have enabled the Cash Store. You may now buy packs with more than just Gold. To purchase with cash, simply choose the cash option before making your selection. Also note that unlike other currencies, cash purchases offer a quantity discount when buying packs.
Please note that the game is still in Early Access. Before exiting Early Access, we may find need to reset accounts. In that case, your account will be credited with card packs you have purchased (whether with Gold or cash) as well as your outstanding Gold and Stardust.
Tokens System
With this update, we are also rolling out the Tokens system. Tokens are an alternate currency that may be used to buy card packs. If you have any Tokens, you will see them listed in green at the top of the main game screen. One Token is worth one card pack.
Why Tokens?
By creating a separate currency, we can reward players with card packs in a way that gives them the most flexibility, with control over when they use them and what kind of card pack they receive. Have you ever received a card pack of a core set when you wish it was a pack from an expansion? Tokens solve that problem.
How do I gain Tokens?
At present, the only way to gain Tokens is as a reward for being a Kickstarter backer or a backer on our website. Backers will receive a code by email that they may use to redeem their card pack rewards (other kinds of rewards will be available at a later date.) When they do so, they will receive one Token for each card pack due them from their tier rewards, as well as any other promotions or stretch goals. Emails will be sent out in a couple days once we can verify that this patch is stable.
In the future, we will continue to use Tokens as a way to award players with card packs. During limited promotions (such as the release of a new set) we may award players directly with card packs, but in most other cases this will be done with Tokens.
Redeem Codes
This patch enables the Redeem Codes feature. To redeem a code for the first time, players will be asked to register an account with an email address. Please note that the account name that you enter is NOT your in-game name and your in-game name will not change.
You will be granted 500 Stardust for registering an account. If you opt-in to receiving regular emails from us, they will be at about the same frequency as what we currently send out for build updates. In the future, we may even send email containing special promotions.
We plan to expand this system in the future to enable linking of accounts from multiple third party services and providing an alternative way for players to gather more Stardust.
Crafting Rebalance
Based on our experiences from testing combined with player feedback, we have rebalanced most of the costs and rewards related to crafting cards with Stardust. For Rare cards and better, we have slightly reduced the cost to craft them and have greatly increased the Stardust rewarded for disenchanting them. The cost and reward for common cards has not changed.
Why did we make this change?
Our economy design relies on the fact that players earn Stardust from multiple sources. In addition to disenchanting, players earn Stardust passively through successful defenses of their Lair. Now that we have more data from a wider pool of players, we have determined that our initial estimate of the amount of Stardust that players earn over time was weighted too heavily on the side of Lair generation. This means that the difference between the value of a card when disenchanted for Stardust is too far from the cost of crafting a card of the same rarity than we would like. The new values bring these two more in line.
Rarity Adjustment
The flipside of the crafting rebalance is an adjustment of rarity distribution when card packs are opened, particularly Legendaries. As we have made all higher rarities more accessible through crafting with Stardust, we have found that the occurrence of Legendary cards in packs is too high. Our intent is to have Legendary cards feel very exciting to open, and very valuable to have in a deck. We have changed their drop rates, so they now show up significantly less frequently.
However, with the crafting rebalance, Legendaries generate almost three times the Stardust when disenchanted than they did before this patch, so if you are seeking a particular Legendary for one of your decks, you will likely find it easier than you did before.
Key Bug Fixes
Fixed bug where multiple bosses would not show up in Experience Dialogs.
Steam notifications turned back on.
Core battle and UI logic fixes.
Known Issue
Although most players may never notice this issue, players with collections approaching all the cards and who are opening 50-100 card packs at a time may see a slow down in the speed they are able to open packs in one sitting. Occasionally these players may even see an error message asking them to wait awhile and try again later. In this case, it is ideal to wait 15 minutes before opening another pack, but even a few minutes wait will help.
Playfab, our backend service provider, is currently optimizing their system and this issue should be resolved within 1-2 months.
Development
This week's progress includes working on the following items.
The Engineering Team worked on action triggering refractors; ranked rewards UI; Card shop and registration; Ranked matchmaking; Steam notifications and Store update; Defense notifications when returning to landing.
The Design Team worked on Champion specific card designs; offense card unlocks.
The Art Team worked on victory and defeat banners; Ardelon Warrior 1 and 2; Ardelon Warrior texturing; Pirate and Oracle variations; Angel of Death idle and walk; Aether Blast revisions; Dialog portraits.
The Audio Team worked on Card Pack key sounds.
