Welcome to the void! If you lose your mind it isn't my fault.
Arcane Titans is actually the game that made me want to start actual game dev.
When printing and shipping out cards was going to cost over $30,000?
Yeah no thanks, I'll just go learn programming instead.
Anyways. What IS it?
A Card Game that hates you.
Alright, imagine if you took Magic The Gathering, Hearthstone, and Yugioh!, threw 'em into a blender and pressed the button... (Good job, you left the top off, dumbass. Clean up this mess)
Anyway... now throw in some Ashes of Arcanum madness.
That’s Arcane Titans.
It’s your typical card game... until it isn’t.
You’ve got three decks at the same time:
Your Spell Deck - all your spells, summons, and chaos.
Your Mana Deck - no RNG mana flood or drought here.
Your Sanity Deck - home to the strongest cards in the game...but it is worth your sanity?
Like every TCG, first one to 0 HP loses.
But how you get there? That’s the fun part.
This isn’t some MTG match that ends in three turns or drags for 400 because you drew no mana.
Every turn, you’re doing something. None of that “I pass” nonsense.
If Ashes of Arcanum is the TTRPG of player choice,
then Arcane Titans is the TCG of player choice.
Of course... the hardest choice? What to put in your deck.
Why the hell did i bring forth ANOTHER unneeded card game into the world?
well...
Arcane Titans is an amalgam of... other TCG's frustrating me to no f******* end.
Yu-Gi-Oh matches basically being "whoever wins the coin flip wins the game"
Hearthstone...well I don't think I have to explain that one. also Blizzard.
M:TG? Well the second biggest complaint is being mana flooded/mana screwed.
As Angry VIdeo Game Nerd says "What's the most important part of a game? Well being able to f******* play it!"
and you just couldn't do that sometimes in M:TG. Mostly due to mana.
And the first complaint? Well I'm not in the mood to get crucified so let's not. Let's keep it relatable.
But on top of that, the awful balance of them all.
Am I going to do any better? No.
But I suppose if I don't let greed control my balance choices, and i respect my player base :) I'll do fine.
Yeah I could just play other card games, but it's principle is also similar to Dead By Daylight...I don't see you playing The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Last year... So. There is reasons, You know the same feeling. It's like.
I want to play this...but have it not be made by devs huffing their own farts? please???
If that same kinda premise makes you not play my games? i 100% get it.
but anyways...
So the Design of Arcane Titans kinda apes other card games. duh.
But if I just made a card game copying them, it wouldn't be in this universe.
Truthfully the game started as Ashes of Arcanum:The Card Game.
aaaaaaaaand well here we are.
[How It Works]
First... The Decks.
Usually in a card game you have your Main deck...and your side deck, and that's it. The side deck don't even come into play in a match, always after.
Yeah Arcane Titans don't work that way.
Arcane Titans has a Spell Deck(your main deck 50 cards) Your Mana deck(20 cards), and your Sanity "deck"(5 cards)
Your sanity deck is special. as you don't ever "draw" from it... It's more like a static spell book. You can pull any card from it, and cast it at any time, but you "lose" a lot of sanity. and once you max that out. you just lose.
anyways.
Your Spell deck and Mana deck?
At the start of your turn...you choose which one to draw from.
Need more mana? draw from that deck. Otherwise? Draw a spell.
This certainly makes things complicated.
Opening draw? When you draw 7 cards?
You choose 1 deck to draw one card from...one at a time. you basically choose your opening hand. It's odd, but very satisfying.
To play the spells, you need mana to cast them,
but... after playing a mana card. it goes back to the bottom of the mana deck.
This sounds like a recipe for disaster..until you learn the other mechanics.
[Let's Get Weird]
I've told you all repeatedly that AU is the universe of player choice, and this game is no different, but first i have to explain a mechanic.
Action Points. Stolen straight out of Ashes of Arcanum.
Mana, and Sanity aren't your only resources, You also have Action Points.
You gain 3 per turn.(technically)
All kinds of actions use your Action Points.
Summoning a creature, casting a spell, attacking, defending...drawing a card outside your draw step. Ya know, lots of things.
Some cards only cost mana and no AP. Some cards only cost AP and no mana.
So just because your opponent looks empty. They might not be.
It's like chess, but every piece might explode.
[Field Cards]
On top of that, there is also field cards. "kinda" stolen from yu-gi-oh? but not as specific, and...well.
There is only one Field spell slot..and you and your opponent have to fight over it.
Your field spell affects the entire battlefield. or your opponents does. whichever.
If the slot is occupied?(like your mums) You can still attempt to play your field card... but which one of you is willing to give up more sanity to have its benefits?
Do you want me to sit here and explain the whole game, or do you want to go play it?
I've done enough rambling.
GO make a deck. and p*** off your opponent. Isn't that the whole point of TCG's?
Peace
