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DotP 2015 Announced

PostPosted: 10 Apr 2014, 15:52
by MC Brodie
Looks like we may have another year of modding. DotP 2015 has been announced. Apparently this year we are fighting Garruk. They also consider "build[ing] customizable decks" a new feature so maybe we'll get some leeway in that direction.

Articles
http://m.ign.com/articles/2014/04/10/ma ... -announced
http://company.wizards.com/content/magi ... magic-2015
http://www.gameinformer.com/games/magic ... -2015.aspx

Teaser Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVtrjCN5H1Y

iPad Gameplay Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4lGXC2_5Xo

PAX East Interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVoYLoMeM20

Screenshots
http://mtg-realm.blogspot.com/2014/04/m ... =BP_recent
https://majorspoilers.com/2014/04/10/ma ... agic-2015/
http://www.examiner.com/slideshow/duels ... ts#slide=3

It looks like there will be a demo at PAX East again so we'll get a preview after this weekend. The screenshots show mostly cards we've seen in DotP but Accursed Spirit, Arbor Colossus, Maalfeld Twins, Polluted Dead and Undying Evil are new I believe. There is also a card called Necromancer's Assistant (3/1 costing {2}{B} with an ETB effect that puts the top 3 cards of your library in your graveyard) which I can't find on The Gatherer so it may be new. The opponent in one screenshot is also called Living Death. It most likely is an encounter but we might get some interesting new decks.

The articles claim the game has "new features including the ability to build customized decks, new booster packs with premium downloadable content, and an even more robust deck builder". None of these sound new. The optimist in me wants to think the new booster packs and premium downloadable content means a larger variety of cards which could make new abilities/mechanics to the DotP engine. They show a Monstrosity creature but Bestow would be pretty nice as well. It will be interesting to see how it turns out.

Also, the one ipad screenshot has buttons for "Lands" and "Spells". This could be unique to the ipad/android versions but who knows, maybe we'll get some new mana options this year or some manlands.

Edit - Added another link to some screenshots with cards not shown in the others. I cannot make out the green card in the player's hand between what looks like Primal Huntbeast and Mind Rot. I also don't recognize the card to the left of Child of the Night in the deck editor.

Re: DotP 2015 Announced

PostPosted: 11 Apr 2014, 08:33
by thefiremind
MC Brodie wrote:They show a Monstrosity creature but Bestow would be pretty nice as well.
Arbor Colossus is already pretty easy to code... maybe they'll add a proper BECAME_MONSTROUS trigger to play with, but in DotP2014 we usually launch a delayed trigger from the monstrosity activated ability and that does the trick. Bestow would be a totally different matter... if they give us the power to choose a casting mode that also influences costs and targets, I'd be super-happy, but I expect them to just add a <BESTOW_COST value="..." /> as they implemented flashback in DotP2012 (if they implement bestow at all, that is).

Today there's also an article on the Daily MTG site:
http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/A ... rcana/1470
It clearly says:
Full, Open-Ended Deck Building: Players can build their own collection of cards to create any style of deck they want.
Worded like this, it seems to be a bit more than the current sealed mode, but we'll see. My worry is that they might make a big card pool that all the player's decks refer to on their list... big, but not infinite! If that happens, our modding possibilities will be severely crippled. Let's hope not! [-o<

Re: DotP 2015 Announced

PostPosted: 11 Apr 2014, 22:05
by MC Brodie
I'm thinking (and hoping) that is referring to the "limited" portion regarding the booster packs. I don't think they would want to stray away from the pre-constructed deck style for the normal game but it still isn't an unreasonable assumption.

Hopefully more information regarding this will be released this weekend. If modding is limited and there are no pre-cons like we are used to then I might not even get it. I didn't like sealed last year and if this version is essentially that but with booster packs, it's really not that appealing.

Edit - Looks like I'm probably going to be wrong. I linked a gameplay video in the first post and from how Liz is describing the game it sounds like it is one big cardpool (with paying for boosters) and no pre-constructed decks. They must have made some improvements though because Liz claims Magic is the "world's best strategy game" :D . You still unlock cards through the campaign but if you need the boosters in order to be competitive then I don't know about it. We'll have to see.

Re: DotP 2015 Announced

PostPosted: 11 Apr 2014, 22:08
by GrovyleXShinyCelebi
I'm actually kind of worried for this edition, modification-wise. No pre-constructed decks means we have to kiss our little deck packs goodbye. It might make it harder for us to incorporate modded cards into the game. Also, I'm worried that Wizards/Stainless might try to tighten up on their code this year (perhaps for the booster packs) and make their game unmoddable (heck, there's a chance they might even make it online-only).

I really hope that 2014 isn't the last iteration of duels that can be modded. It was a really interesting and educational experience for me, making custom cards/decks.

Re: DotP 2015 Announced

PostPosted: 11 Apr 2014, 22:35
by MC Brodie
I'm kind of worried too but at this point we can only speculate.

As for pre-cons/card pool, it could be the worst (what I consider the worst) and just be one big card pool with no pre-cons. Or it could be the normal pre-cons and unlocks and the booster packs are "common" cards that you can put in any pre-con deck. Apparently Hearthstone has a model similar to this. I wouldn't know as I've never played it. I just know that I didn't like sealed in DotP and I'm definitely not very interested in having to pay a variable amount of money to get a competitive deck. If that is what I wanted then I'd play MTGO. The old simple model of pre-cons was perfect for DotP. Don't worry, I'll stop complaining of something that might not even be an issue :).

On a different note, what is that red zone crap they added to the battlefield whenever you attack? I can't stand when companies do that crap when there are other real issues to take care of like the desync problems that cause people to drop or the game to lag out. Again these could be fixed and I'm complaining about something that may be an issue and on something I don't really know anything about. Are those typically two different roles in a small development team for a game like DotP? It's just frustrating and seams like companies nowadays put more effort into visuals instead of physical game quality. I guess they just need the visuals to get you to buy it.



edit - I added a new article link (third one). This one somewhat discusses the deck building system and the micro-transactions.

Re: DotP 2015 Announced

PostPosted: 12 Apr 2014, 04:50
by sumomole
I'm almost sure the pre-constructed decks won't disappear, since DotP is a teaching software, it must provide enough reference to new players so that they can build a reasonable deck. on the contrary, I believe that the customized cards pool of 2015 will be greater than the sealed cards pool of 2014 and permits customized decks play with pre-cons decks, so long as the file structure doesn't change, we can still modding. the best case, if the total amount of customized cards pool isn't limited, we can even expanding it.

Re: DotP 2015 Announced

PostPosted: 12 Apr 2014, 20:33
by MC Brodie
From the PAX East video I just linked there will be over 300 cards in the cardpool with 30 deck slots.

Re: DotP 2015 Announced

PostPosted: 13 Apr 2014, 08:16
by Ferrix
I will buy it since I am an addict. :-)
But I am very afraid that they will create a ripoff, i.e. you must pay money for booster packs. Also, I hope they will finally include the Planeswalker mode (although it does not sound so) or at least a fun mode again like Archenemy.

Also, Steam Workshop with the possibility to share decks or create challenges would be nice, but most likely won't come, as we know WOTC.

If WOTC wouldn't be known for its extensive and sometimes expensive DLC (sure, cheap compared to real life Magic, but still the Sealed Slot prices were much too high, I would have bought them maybe for 2.50 EUR for all 20 slots).

For me it sounds too much like Sealed+ mode made into an own game. Will look forward to see how it is executed, but also remain skeptical.

http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/A ... rcana/1470

Re: DotP 2015 Announced

PostPosted: 14 Apr 2014, 21:49
by GrovyleXShinyCelebi
Anyone think that Duels 2015 might end up as a Free-to-Play? If it does, it might be online-only and I'm not sure if it would even be moddible.

Re: DotP 2015 Announced

PostPosted: 15 Apr 2014, 21:41
by NEMESiS
Apparently there will be no 2 headed giant next year. Honestly, I think Duels is going down the wrong path, I know that players have been begging to be able to build their own decks but taking 10 steps back to take one forward is an issue. Now the game will be pay to win just so you can get better competitive cards? Sigh, I only wish they don't screw over the modding scene because at this point this is the only good thing going forward for 2015.

http://www.examiner.com/article/hands-o ... t-pax-east

Previous editions in the "Duels of the Planeswalkers" featured multiplayer formats such as "Two-Headed Giant," "Archenemy," and "Planechase." This year there's a four player free for all mode, which means players aren't forced to attack in any specific direction.

Re: DotP 2015 Announced

PostPosted: 15 Apr 2014, 22:22
by thefiremind
NEMESiS wrote:Apparently there will be no 2 headed giant next year. Honestly, I think Duels is going down the wrong path, I know that players have been begging to be able to build their own decks but taking 10 steps back to take one forward is an issue.
Sadly, I agree. They could just copy-paste a lot from the previous installments (I don't think the engine gets modified a lot from one year to another), but no, they have to remove things... #-o

Previous editions in the "Duels of the Planeswalkers" featured multiplayer formats such as "Two-Headed Giant," "Archenemy," and "Planechase." This year there's a four player free for all mode, which means players aren't forced to attack in any specific direction.
And this seems like an insult to our intelligence... hasn't four player mode always been present? I mean, I have never played online, but I can show an example from DotP2013 (by our fellow "mod tester" multeyemeteor, wonder where he vanished by the way...) where the 4 players were clearly playing free-for-all...

Re: DotP 2015 Announced

PostPosted: 15 Apr 2014, 22:45
by MC Brodie
I wouldn't rule out 2HG yet. I'm guessing it's just some bad phrasing and/or the author is just ill-informed on the DotP series. I started playing in 2013 but I'm pretty sure all DotP versions had 2HG. I wouldn't interpret that 2HG was gone from those two sentences given we've had it for all versions.

Regarding the four player FFA, I have no idea what they are talking about.

Re: DotP 2015 Announced

PostPosted: 16 Apr 2014, 03:01
by NEMESiS
thefiremind wrote:Sadly, I agree. They could just copy-paste a lot from the previous installments (I don't think the engine gets modified a lot from one year to another), but no, they have to remove things... #-o


And this seems like an insult to our intelligence... hasn't four player mode always been present? I mean, I have never played online, but I can show an example from DotP2013 (by our fellow "mod tester" multeyemeteor, wonder where he vanished by the way...) where the 4 players were clearly playing free-for-all...
Yes, its an outright insult. FFA has been around since 2012 IIRC so not sure what they are talking about.

I see multeyemeteor pop up every now and then on steam, not sure why he stopped making videos. I have thought about making my own channel and continue "modding for great" but time is my enemy these days.

Re: DotP 2015 Announced

PostPosted: 16 Apr 2014, 03:10
by RiiakShiNal
3 and 4 player Free-For-All was not available in DotP 2010, but even DotP 2010 had Two-Headed Giant. Lets just hope David Leavitt (article author) doesn't have a clue what he's talking about with regards to the multiplayer aspects of DotP 2015.

Re: DotP 2015 Announced

PostPosted: 16 Apr 2014, 16:51
by NEMESiS
Some hands on gameplay:

http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPad/Mag ... sp?c=58975

There are 25 levels in the single-player spread out across five different themed planes, with each presenting a different and very specific challenge based on the colour combination of the deck you'll battle there.


Deck building preview: