Elements 1.4

[Rutarete]

Really, what was his latest activity?  I haven't seen much of a change or word in what feels like a month.

> lrn2profile

What beef is trying to say, is that if you look at a user's profile, you can see when he/she was last online.

[teffy]

Development Bugs and Annotations
- Some arrows of hexagons are missing, when the player moves to the southern borders of the world (e.g. 86.6;106.2). They work, but are not displayed.
- When I played against Akebono Minions, I won. Then I played against Akebono and lost. I somehow came into a loop, where I always played against Akebono Minion and werent able to go back to the map, I always got that minion again.
- Low-level enemies cost less than 5 and give back 5 as a reward for voting. Should the rating system be implemented in real game, this is a possible exploit (play-lose-vote-play-lose-vote...)
- Rewards dont seem to be balanced, yet. There are e.g enemies with <50 HP - quite easy to defeat. And they give upgraded spins. Even 1 upgraded spin is too much.
Halfbloods could be somehow compared to 1 upgraded spin, 2 unupgraded.

[hongkong]

I just came back today after a long break from the game. I tried the v1.4 in the training mode, and I am not sure if the new interface is the right direction for this game. I played the game because it was fun to collect the cards, build decks, and challenge different opponents (btw, the arena was a great idea), but I got bored eventually because there are not many cards. The game just needs many more cards. The current interface is fine to me.

[Keeps]

I couldn't agree more hongkong.  However, if a new interface makes it easier for zanz to see he really just needs more cards in the game, like a lot more...  then I'm for the new interface, but only if it gets us more cards.

I'm actually terribly board in the trainer with the new interface, I just go ahead and click on Level 40 or Level 50.

[BeefSupreme]

I just came back today after a long break from the game. I tried the v1.4 in the training mode, and I am not sure if the new interface is the right direction for this game. I played the game because it was fun to collect the cards, build decks, and challenge different opponents (btw, the arena was a great idea), but I got bored eventually because there are not many cards. The game just needs many more cards. The current interface is fine to me.

You've just said what everyone has wanted since forever.
But instead of an update with lots of new cards, we got this..

Maybe now that the hype over this has diminished, people will see how...unnecessary this update is.

[TribalTrouble]

I just came back today after a long break from the game. I tried the v1.4 in the training mode, and I am not sure if the new interface is the right direction for this game. I played the game because it was fun to collect the cards, build decks, and challenge different opponents (btw, the arena was a great idea), but I got bored eventually because there are not many cards. The game just needs many more cards. The current interface is fine to me.

You've just said what everyone has wanted since forever.
But instead of an update with lots of new cards, we got this..

Maybe now that the hype over this has diminished, people will see how...unnecessary this update is.

From a community standpoint I fully agree. No shiny graphics alone ever provided one with a great new community. The thing that keeps games like MTG and Yugioh popular and growing is a multitude of updates in the cards available to players. Elements greatly lacks in this area although it excels in multiple others, mainly gameplay-related. The servers aren't perfect but they are pretty good and their lacking in speed and accuracy at times can't be changed to my knowledge. Additional cards with new concepts and rare treasures to find and donate for would increase the addiction factor. More cards means more people.

From the developer's standpoint I fully understand Zanzarino's decision and may have done the same in his stead. He is using this as part of his portfolio. People are more likely to be enticed into exploring a game by a shiny interface that makes them feel like they are really in a world with varying tribes of creatures all around them than an interface that was made with five year old technology and techniques. They won't always be enticed by a normal 'very easy' 'easy' 'normal' 'hard' 'very hard' buttons for facing the computer opponents as soon as they see the game for the first time. They like seeing things like Pandemonium and Quantum Pillars and Singularity that show that Elements is creative, complex, and provides a unique experience.

Keep in mind that new players will want to explore the game with this new interface. They will want to see all that Elements has to offer but will be given bits by bits of it through small quests that will gradually entice them towards later and later quests. This is what I believe Zanzarino is shooting for. It gives it the same type of exploration factor that makes a new Legend of Zelda game so exciting. A new world to explore, and new enemies to face. With enemies also getting progressively harder and being in areas that piqued my curiosity with how the elements each had their own area, their own enemies with varying strategies, etc. I couldn't wait to keep exploring the quests if I could save.

[Drake_XIV]

Just think of it this way.  There are no confirmed new cards.  That doesn't mean there won't be.  Although, that doesn't mean there will be either.

[BeefSupreme]

Spoiler for Hidden:

From the developer's standpoint I fully understand Zanzarino's decision and may have done the same in his stead. He is using this as part of his portfolio. People are more likely to be enticed into exploring a game by a shiny interface that makes them feel like they are really in a world with varying tribes of creatures all around them than an interface that was made with five year old technology and techniques. They won't always be enticed by a normal 'very easy' 'easy' 'normal' 'hard' 'very hard' buttons for facing the computer opponents as soon as they see the game for the first time. They like seeing things like Pandemonium and Quantum Pillars and Singularity that show that Elements is creative, complex, and provides a unique experience.

Keep in mind that new players will want to explore the game with this new interface. They will want to see all that Elements has to offer but will be given bits by bits of it through small quests that will gradually entice them towards later and later quests. This is what I believe Zanzarino is shooting for. It gives it the same type of exploration factor that makes a new Legend of Zelda game so exciting. A new world to explore, and new enemies to face. With enemies also getting progressively harder and being in areas that piqued my curiosity with how the elements each had their own area, their own enemies with varying strategies, etc. I couldn't wait to keep exploring the quests if I could save.

I never really thought about it from Zanz's point of view before, but this actually makes a lot more sense as to why this came up out of the blue. I just feel like this will entice people for a short time, they'll realize this is just a pretty version of the original game, and go on their way. I've heard people say numerous times (on Kong) after playing for an hour or two (after they get a few badges) that they don't like the size of the cardpool and then I never see their names again. Not implying that they would have stuck around if there was a bigger cardpool (because there are so many people who just badge hunt and never play the game again), but I definitely think it would improve their chances of staying around a bit longer.

[Higurashi]

Personally, I find more quests just as captivating as more cards. Especially if quests entail self-growth. Always been a sucker for RPG Elements and a stronger lore/thematic impact in games. It gets even better if I get to customize my own theme/background/appearence, etc.

[Keolino]

I just came back today after a long break from the game. I tried the v1.4 in the training mode, and I am not sure if the new interface is the right direction for this game. I played the game because it was fun to collect the cards, build decks, and challenge different opponents (btw, the arena was a great idea), but I got bored eventually because there are not many cards. The game just needs many more cards. The current interface is fine to me.

I think the interface of the game right now is pretty much an empty shell. Yeah, there are NPC already, but it still isn't the final version of the map (at least I think Zanz said that some time ago) We still haven't seen the new quests, and we still haven't seen how much we can develop our "characters" in the final game (all we now till now is that there are 10 levels right now, each providing 5 HP. Zanz said that that won't be everything.)

About the updates of cards: Yeah, I as well, hope for at least 2-5 really interesting new cards in the bazzar, and maybe 1 or 2 rares (i don't think that we need more "rare-series" like shards, weapons or nymphs)
but constant new cards (like in magic or yugioh or pokemon) pose problems as well. Older cards growing weaker, and the lose of interest because the cards will always be "more colorful and creative" then the ones before. Simply, they get more complex, and there come more complex (and strange) abilities all the time. I quit Magic and Yugioh because of that, and many others as well, because the "original" magic that we experienced (8. Edition, Mirodin, Kamigawa) changed so fast that we didn't want to keep up with it anymore. About Yugioh, it was even more fatal. I started it when it came out. Most creatures didn't have abilities back then, and the strongest equipment spells gave about 500 ATK, and there weren't any themes back then. The only cards connected where fusions and the parts of exodia. -----> Anyway, I quit both games because they were changing at high speed and didn't feel "original" anymore. And that's the reason why I am still stuck with elements after years.

[treebeard xiii]

I just came back today after a long break from the game. I tried the v1.4 in the training mode, and I am not sure if the new interface is the right direction for this game. I played the game because it was fun to collect the cards, build decks, and challenge different opponents (btw, the arena was a great idea), but I got bored eventually because there are not many cards. The game just needs many more cards. The current interface is fine to me.

I think the interface of the game right now is pretty much an empty shell. Yeah, there are NPC already, but it still isn't the final version of the map (at least I think Zanz said that some time ago) We still haven't seen the new quests, and we still haven't seen how much we can develop our "characters" in the final game (all we now till now is that there are 10 levels right now, each providing 5 HP. Zanz said that that won't be everything.)

About the updates of cards: Yeah, I as well, hope for at least 2-5 really interesting new cards in the bazzar, and maybe 1 or 2 rares (i don't think that we need more "rare-series" like shards, weapons or nymphs)
but constant new cards (like in magic or yugioh or pokemon) pose problems as well. Older cards growing weaker, and the lose of interest because the cards will always be "more colorful and creative" then the ones before. Simply, they get more complex, and there come more complex (and strange) abilities all the time. I quit Magic and Yugioh because of that, and many others as well, because the "original" magic that we experienced (8. Edition, Mirodin, Kamigawa) changed so fast that we didn't want to keep up with it anymore. About Yugioh, it was even more fatal. I started it when it came out. Most creatures didn't have abilities back then, and the strongest equipment spells gave about 500 ATK, and there weren't any themes back then. The only cards connected where fusions and the parts of exodia. -----> Anyway, I quit both games because they were changing at high speed and didn't feel "original" anymore. And that's the reason why I am still stuck with elements after years.

you guys are banging on about how more cards are more appealing than a new interface but you don't seem to have read this whole thread zanz had said earlier in the thread that it isn't just a new interface there will be new cards as well. As for the tonnes of cards update that these money-spinning games have i feel thatwould destroy elements more than help it, even if it remains free to play there needs to be something to improve the grind i have long since stopped grinding because it is dull and boring with the same handful of ais being your only money source and don't say the arena gives a load more ai options because it just doesn't people put the same old crap up all the time just with a different oracle card or a different mark, lots of cards means the old traditional cards get forgotten even with the small card base that elements has cards get forgotten, take the long since forgotten pulverizer there was a time where no bow was built without it now it is shard of focus everything what elements needs isn't a tonne of new cards just a few that benefit the less used cards or open up a whole new line of deckbuild options. For an example of this take shard of patience when it was changed to buff all creatures people went crazy suddenly the less used cards got churned out because the buff was crazy if given time so people exprimented a bit some new decks were born. What we need is not only a more interesting grind experience but a few cards that open up whole new strategies or revive old cards, three or four well designed cards could freshen elements up for a year provided people aren't told certain synergies these new cards have.

[hongkong]

Thank you for the replies. I am normally a quiet game player, but I feel I owe it to this game that I had a lot of fun with for free. The least that I can do is to share my thought to the community. I am glad to know that I am with the majority who wants more cards. TribalTrouble's point of view as a developer gives me new insight and I appreciate treebeard xiii's information on the new cards. Well, I would not want to ruin Zanz's career for my pleasure...I will just wait and see then.

See you all again in the next version, hopefully.