Notes

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft Hands-on

The Warcraft universe is a hit with millions of players across the globe. It's not surprising that Blizzard is expecting big things from Hearthstone Heroes of Warcraft, an online card game. The company recently turned its hat to James Cullinane.



It seems that the gaming industry is no less prone to synchronicity than any other creative pursuit. All at once, everyone is coming to the same conclusion that the time is finally right for digital collectible games. Where once we were limited to the walled gardens of the annual Magic: The Gathering videogames Now, in addition to a variety of Kickstarters, we also have Scrolls, the next game developed by Minecraft studio Mojang, and Hearthstone which is a collectible cards game from Blizzard.



Hearthstone, a card game that is free to play is based on the popular Warcraft universe. The concept is based on the idea of heroes gathering in one of the world of Warcraft's many affluent inns to take a break from their battle fatigue and engage in friendlier competition. The game shares World of Warcraft’s brighter colours and cartoonish style. Players choose between nine different heroes, or decks, all is based on the classes from World of Warcraft, and each with its own unique style of gameplay.



Each player receives and hand of cards made up of items, creatures and spells - all based on the Warcraft universe. They are able to play dependent on the casting cost and the availability of mana crystals. Unlike most collectible card games players might be familiar with, Hearthstone deemphasises resource management. Instead, players can get one additional mana crystal each turn and the crystals will replenish every time they play.



Each class has a distinct ability that each player can use or cast every turn. For example the warlock is equipped with a life tap which lets the player trade two health to get another card The priest is able to cast +2 health on any of his creatures or himself. Heroes can also carry weapons that can attack their foes directly.



Players aren't allowed to create an entity that blocks an attacking unit. Creatures with Taunt must be attacked and killed first; otherwise it's a free-for-all. Jack Creatures can even ignore an opponent's creatures altogether and attack the opponent directly. This significantly increases the speed with the speed at which a Hearthstone hand can be played.



Altogether it signifies that Hearthstone is very easy to learn and understand and is also rapidly growing.



While the gameplay of Hearthstone has unique features that set it apart from other digital (or digitalized) collectible card games The place it really starts to stand out is in the accumulation of cards as well as deck-building and creation. Players are able to complete simple daily tasks for which they'll be awarded booster packs, or can simply be purchased.



Hearthstone was created to recreate the sense of anticipation that comes with opening a booster set of cards. Each pack contains random cards, but players are guaranteed to get at least one card that is rare, or better.



The cards can be disenchanted in order to create new and powerful cards that players might require for a specific deck they're building. This is a clever idea that fits in perfectly with the Warcraft universe, and is only possible in a fully digital card game.



It's far too easy to lose track of your time playing Hearthstone. Hearthstone's easy-going appearance and simple rules make it less intimidating than other collectible card games. However, it hides the real strategic depth. StarCraft II players will know that Blizzard's Matchmaking Services on Battle.net are among the most effective. This means that once the game launches it is highly unlikely that players will be matched up against opponents they don't have a good chance of beating. The most exciting thing about Hearthstone is its booster pack system, deck building and crafting. This package could be a major advantage over the rest.


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