Web3 TCG Series 3 — Gods Unchained vs Cross The Ages Comparison (1) (EN)
Web3 TCG Series
- Episode 1 : Gods Unchained
- Episode 2 : Cross The Ages
- Episode 3 : Gods Unchained vs Cross The Ages Comparison (1)
In the previous articles, we briefly looked at “Gods Unchained” and “Cross The Ages” in TCG(Trading Card Game) Genre. In this episode, we’ll focus on the content of the two games and compare their features.
- TCG Genre with Blockchain
- Card
- Deck & Gameplay
- Which game is more fun?
Part.1 — TCG Genre with Blockchain
Universe
The typical games of TCG/CCG genre tried to incorporate their own universe into the game. There are representative examples of World of Warcraft->Hearthostone, League of Legends->Legend of Runterra.
So, why is a universe necessary for card games? By projecting the universe of novels or existing games into new card games, players are encouraged to become more immersed. As you can see in the figure below, players who enjoy Hearthstone sometimes call some decks as character’s name. Players who like a particular character try to have a particular character deck, and they often feel more pleasure when winning with that deck.
Card Collecting & Trading
Players who enjoy TCG often have fun collecting their favorite character cards. In fact, Japan’s Yu-Gi-Oh card game recorded global total sales of $9.64 billion as of January 2021, and the world’s passion for card collection is very hot. However, in traditional Web2 games such as Hearthstone and Luntera legends, players can only use the cards owned by the game studio. To overcome this cross-section, the TCG genre was combined with Blockchain, and the card owner took full ownership of the card.
Players buy packs themselves to get the cards they want, but some players buy cards they own. These card transactions require trust between players, and even if you make a card transaction in real life, it is not easy to determine whether the card is genuine. However, as the TCG genre was combined with Blockchain, Smart Contract became responsible for the part of trust. Therefore, players can trade cards in a safe environment.
Immutable X
Due to the nature of frequent card transactions between players in TCG, transactions must be made immediately and transaction fees must be less burdensome. (Based on 6PM November 26, 2022) Ethereum network consumes an average of $0.26 per transaction, and takes an average of 3 minutes. Due to these financial and time constraints, game studios are looking for chains with high Transaction Per Seconds (TPS) and low gas fees.
So, what are the features of the Immutable X chosen by the Gods Unchained and Cross The Ages? Immutable X supports high TPS and zero gas fees. This allows game studios and players to take advantage of NFT minting, trading, and transactions without time and financial constraints.
Why does Immutable X prefer TCG genre? Impossible X charges a 2% fee when an NFT trading(include minting) is made. Therefore, games with active NFT transactions, such as the TCG genre, will have a positive effect on Immutable X in the long run.
Part.2 — Card
Sales Method
Gods Unchained sells a card pack of five cards, with four cards in the common grade and one card in the high grade. The more you purchase a higher-grade card pack, the more you get a higher-grade card.
Cross The Ages sells card packs consisting of a minimum 20 to a maximum 30 cards, depending on the grade of the pack, and each card pack consists of a combination of different grades of cards. The higher you buy a card pack, the more high grade cards you get.
The big difference between the two is “how much extra money will you spend to get a particular grade of card.” Gods Unchained requires four common cards to be purchased together to obtain one legendary card. On the other hand, in order to get a mythic card from Cross The Ages, you may need to purchase minimum 19(common ~ ultra rare) together. Players who want to invest a minimum of money to maximize efficiency will prefer the Gods Unchained’s method. On the other hand, players with diverse play styles will prefer Cross The Ages’ method because they need as many kinds of cards as possible.
Validated Model on Web2
The sales model used by Gods Unchained has already been validated. Already famous, Hearthstone sells a five-card pack. Players start with a small charge at first, but in the end, they pay continuously to get the card they want.
On Cross The Ages’ side, selling card packs containing more than 20 cards by the beginning of the game’s launch is a good fit for initial sales growth. However, after releasing many common cards in the market, we expect that using the existing models used by Hearthstone and Gods Unchained will help keep sales going.
Part.3 — Deck & Gameplay
Deck-Building
The deck of Gods Unchained consists of 30 cards. To configure a deck, you must first select a god and then select cards with the same domain as that god. Tribe is associated with the skills of the card.
The deck of Cross The Ages consists of 20 cards and must be configured so that the power value of the entire card does not exceed 10,000. Each card has an element, and there is a synergy between the elements.
Players in Gods Unchained can create concept decks such as Agro Deck, Control Deck, and Combo Deck depending on their taste. When configuring a deck, consideration should be given to all costs of consumption, Tribe, Strength, and Health. But, the player of Cross The Ages should consider the power of the card, the synergy and synergy between the attributes.
In Gods Unchained, the deck configuration process itself is interesting because the player can choose the concept of the deck himself. Cross The Ages players, on the other hand, can be happy to include their favorite characters in the novel as they recall the original novel rather than the deck composition process.
Gameplay
Gods Unchained
The player enters the game with a deck of 30 cards and starts the game with 4 cards randomly and 30 Health at the first turn. The game is a turn-off, and the player recovers a certain amount of Mana each time his turn returns. You can use up your Mana to summon the card you’re holding into the field. You win if you use the cards in the field to attack the opponent and zero their Health.
The game itself is similar to Hearthstone, but players can trade their own cards by fusing them with NFTs. Also, it has the advantage of being able to intuitively play by looking at the health/attack/skill effects written on the card.
Cross The Ages
The player enters the game with a deck of 20 cards and starts with 10 cards randomly. Players can receive a total of three new cards during the game. The game is a turn-based and the player who takes up more 4x4 maps for up to 10 minutes wins. Players must summon one card on top of the 4x4 map each turn, and cannot summon a new card to a space where the card already exists.
When player summon a card, the card attack the cards attached to the top, bottom, left, and right. When attacking, the card with higher power values wins, considering the card’s consistency and synergy. If the attack is successful, the card becomes the team of the attacking player. The card will also attack the oppnent’s card around it again. The attack doesn’t end in a single round, but it extends into a chain of cards around it. Therefore, the player should consider not only the cards around the immediate location, but also the chaining attacks.
The game method includes an Othello element in the card game. Therefore, it is essential for players to consider more cases. Basically, players need to know the elements and synergies of each elements well to win the game. Also, there is a time limit for the entire game, not each turn, so it is important to allocate time well.
Part.4 — Which game is more fun?
TCG, CCG Player
If you’re an intuitive player and like to set up and play with a specific concept, Gods Unchained will be even more fun. Especially if you’ve played Hearthstone before, you’ll be able to easily get into the game. In addition, Gods Unchained already has a community called GUDECKS, so you can also enjoy sharing strategies with other players.
Common Board Game Player
Cross The Ages is still in the Early Access phase, so the community is not active. However, unlike the appearance of a simple card, it takes a lot of consideration for the synergy and advantage between elements If you are a player who likes board game genres such as Go, Janggi, and Omok, Cross The Ages will feel more fun.
In the next episode, we’ll look at the value aspects of Gods Unchained and Cross The Ages.
Additional Link
Jensen Kim
- Researcher in Pro Gamer DAO
Twitter : @jensen_kkk
E-mail : jensen.kim@progamerdao.com
