Post by AlSoKnown in Looking for Feedback on WotA (a new Indie Fantasy TCG) 🙏

Viewing post in Looking for Feedback on WotA (a new Indie Fantasy TCG) 🙏

I have played your game a bit. The graphics is beautiful, I was able to complete a battle.

Here are few notes:

It would be nice to have web version without the need for download. On the other hand, 400Mb is very large for web, so maybe a lower-resolution graphics version?
The requirement for login is a bit daunting, I suggest making it optional.
It seems that Adventure mode does not work – the opponent simply hangs without any action. I was only able to play in Solo mode.
Although the game is obviously very MtG-like, so many things are instantly recognizable, a bit of help/tutorial would be nice, maybe focusing just of a differences from MtG. For example, it is not obvious how energy count increases, how to get different resources besides energy (for example, gold seems to be awarded for killing enemies?), that equipment goes on player as opposed to creatures etc.
When selecting cards from deck/graveyard, it would be nice to pre-filter options by condition imposed (for example, creatures)
When dragging attacks or equipment to hero portrait, active area seems to be very small. I have to drag multiple times to “hit”
Maybe make card costs more distinct visually, e.g. it took me some time to understand that some cards cost gold instead of energy
Text of cards is very small. The pop-up box works well, but unless you somehow make text on cards to be more readable, it may be better to just remove it altogether, leaving just card images.
Overlapping cards in hand sometimes hide the cost of each other
The time limit for a move feels weird in a Solo game
I can’t really comment on balance, but just from a single game I played it seems that there is a lack of “player defence” options, so just rushing all attacks on enemy player is a quick way to win
Overall, I feel lack of distinction from MtG/Heartstone. Do you have any high-level ideas on how your game will stand out?

Hello! Thank you so much for your honest and constructive feedback. I really appreciate that you took the time to try the game, and I agree with most of your points :)

First of all, thank you again for playing. I know that people prefer fast-paced experiences these days, and I completely understand that the game may feel a bit slow at the start .-.

Before I respond to your notes, I’d like to mention that this game was originally designed to be played offline, and the digital version is only a demo. I’m still a beginner game developer, so there are many things I plan to fix and refine.

I will definitely work on a more optimized version in the future.
The login feature may be fully authenticated later on, but for now, it’s just a way to test different accounts.
You are completely right about Adventure Mode. I started working on it, made some changes, and never finished. That was my mistake, and I will fix and update it as soon as possible.
I also apologize for not having a tutorial or in-game rulebook yet. I will prioritize this, and I agree that the energy and resource points need to be displayed more clearly.
Good point about the Deck and Graveyard controls, I’ll look into improving those.
I agree about the hero collision size. I’ll increase it soon.
You’re absolutely right about the icons. Right now, only the resource icon is different, and it’s not very intuitive. I haven’t figured out the best solution yet, so I’d be grateful for any recommendations!
I understand that the card text is small. Since this game was meant to be played physically, I kept the text in a traditional style, not like other digital-only card games. I may look for a better way to display text in the future.
I’ll also focus on improving the visuals.
You’re right about the solo game timer. I’ll extend or remove it to make the first experience more relaxed. Thank you for pointing that out.
I created a large number of cards, but kept the starter decks simple so they’d be easy to understand without a tutorial. This might make early matches feel straightforward, but after more testing, I’ve seen that different strategies and counterplays do appear, even with basic decks.
At first, I added more complex mechanics, but it became overwhelming. Right now, I think the balance between Mana and Gold resources is a good foundation, as focusing heavily on one area creates weaknesses in another, which adds strategic depth. I know it still feels a bit generic, so I’d like to emphasize the Gold-based strategy more in the future.
Regarding card design, I made all the frames myself using Adobe Fireworks, not Photoshop. For illustrations, I mostly used MidJourney. Keeping consistency was challenging; I had to do thousands of attempts and edits, and some cards had to be scrapped because the artwork didn’t fit.

Thank you again for testing and for your feedback. I hope you’ll try the game again after I fix the UI, Adventure Mode, and some card-related issues. Your support means a lot! <3

Like Reply

AlSoKnown218 days ago (1 edit)

only the resource icon is different, and it’s not very intuitive. I haven’t figured out the best solution yet

Simplest solution would be to use bright and contrasting colors, even at the cost of sacrificing a bit of visual style. Clarity > beauty in UI.

You may look at what I have done in my game – although my visual style is much more minimalist, so it is easier for me.

I may look for a better way to display text in the future.

As a first step, consider using a some font with good low-resolution hints, or maybe even raster font. For example, I use Ubuntu Condensed, which does not fit “fantasy” theme at all, but is very readable as small size.

balance between Mana and Gold resources is a good foundation,

Although I did not say that last time, I did read some cards in the “library” and I feel that card sets has some depth and thoughtfulness. My point was mostly that it is still way too similar to playing yet another new expansion of MtG. On the one hand, you can take it as a compliment, since most hobbyist card games do not reach that level easily. But on the other, I still feel lack of “justification” for player to spend time on your game.

I mostly used MidJourney.

Ah, pity. Given your background, you may consider using local models instead. It is harder and requires decent GPU, but gives you much more control and ability to guide generation process in case your need to keep overall style.

I am certainly open for more play-testing in the future.

Like Reply

itch.io

Viewing post in Looking for Feedback on WotA (a new Indie Fantasy TCG) 🙏