Scrolls (By Mojang! (The Minecraft people!))
Offical site.
What is Scrolls?
Scrolls is Mojang's next game and offers a new and unique game play where you fight to outmaneuver your opponent on the battlefield using the destructive powers in your collection of magical scrolls. Tear your opponent limb from limb with the might of your summoned armies, lay waste to the defenses with the obliterating power of your siege weapons or open up the very skies and let bolts of lightning shower his minions until only ash remains. The road to victory is yours to choose. Obtain the powerful scrolls and decide which ones you will take to battle as you fight to become the mightiest Magician of all.
Why Scrolls?
Five years ago, me and Markus "Notch" Persson started talking about a game we felt was missing in the gaming market. A game we desperately wanted to play, but was unable to as it had not yet been developed. The game we envisioned had elements from the collectible card game genre as well as from traditional board games. It would be a strategic game with a strong foundation in tactical game play but with a touch of random and chance guaranteeing a never ending stream of curve balls. You would control the outcome of battle by creating, modifying and refining your arsenal to overcome the obstacles in your path. The game would challenge you with ever changing content and let you explore the world and cleanse the lands of harm, one monster at the time. It would give you the opportunity to test yourself with your peers by battling other players using a long list of tournament templates ranging from friendly matches to ranked league matches. From quick, small sized tournaments to world championships!
So Mojang is going to try their hand at another game, and try to prove they are not a "1 hit wonder". I wish them all the best on their endeavour.
It looks to me to be something of a Torchlightesque game, the art style certainly screams it. Should be interesting to watch this develop...
Gamasutra can reveal today that the second game from Minecraft developer Mojang -- a digital card game / board game mash-up announced by Markus 'Notch' Persson at GDC 2011 - is called Scrolls.
Scrolls, which Gamasutra was shown before GDC at the company's offices in Sweden, is set to be a collectible card game with board game elements. Players will build decks of 'scrolls' and use the various effects to cast spells and summon units for use against their opponents.
Gamasutra talked to Jakob Porser, the head developer of Scrolls, at the Mojang offices, in a lengthy interview regarding the game.
The available cards will change constantly as new packs are released, and players will be required to adapt with the changes and build new decks accordingly.
The playing area will resemble a chess board, with a grid laid out on which to implement your scrolls. The object of the game is to attack your opponent, and bring his or her health down to zero.
Scrolls can be used to attack or defend -- however, they are dispensable in action, as destroying your opponent's units will not directly harm your opponent. Hence, the idea is to break through his or her line of defense and attack their "king," in terms of chess.
Players will shuffle their decks at the beginning of each game, and so will have no idea what order the cards will come out in. At the start of each turn, one new scroll is lifted from the deck and placed in your hand, ready for use on the battlefield.
A single-player campaign will be included, allowing players the opportunity to build up their decks and learn the ins and outs of the game.
However, the main focus will be on the online multiplayer aspects. Players will battle one on one against each other, with both friendly and ranked matches available.
Mojang are hoping to hold huge online world championships for the game, and are currently looking for a big sponsor for the league.
Other than battling, players will also be able to visit the online auction house, where they can buy or sell cards to and from other players.
Those players hoping for an extensive backlog of statistics regarding their play sessions are in luck. The game will supply numerous useful information about your wins, losses, decks and more.
Other players will also be able to see how long you've been playing the game via creases on your cards. The more you use a particular card, the more it will begin to look dogged around the edges and the illustrations will fade a little.
Development is being headed by Jakob Porser, with art from Markus Toivonen, a.k.a. "jnkboy," and help from a backing developer. Eventually other members of the Mojang team, Jens Bergensten and Tobias Mollstam, will be helping out.
Porser said of the game "Notch [Markus Persson, creator of Minecraft] and I started discussing the idea of Scrolls nearly five years ago."
"We are both great fans of the CCG genre, but we felt that there were some common gameplay flaws in the available titles. We’re excited to finally put all our thoughts into action with the realization of Scrolls."
Penny Arcade’s Jerry "Tycho" Holkins is also working with Mojang, collaborating on the back story for the new game. "Ever since Minecraft took root in the offices, it's transformed once vital staffers into shambling hulks, concerned only with the construction of monolithic structures," said Holkins.
He explained "When Notch said the Mojang guys had an idea for another game, I decided
it would probably be safest just to join them."
A private alpha build is planned, and will be made available later this year. The opportunity to join the alpha will be offered to a number of people who bought the original Minecraft alpha.
An open beta is then planned. Neither the alpha or beta builds will cost money, and will instead help the Mojang team to balance the cards and determine how the online play will work. Only the multiplayer elements will be available in these builds.
He discussed the setting of the single-player story, the regular updates to the game that players can expect, and what kind of units and cards will come with the game.
Last edited by Gorman; Mar 2, 2011 at 04:07 AM.
