| The Continuum |
[Jun. 23rd, 2008|09:01 pm] |
The Continuum (launching June 25th) cleverly mixes RPG, CCG, and tactical strategy elements into one web-based multiplayer game that is quite fun, but perhaps a bit too much for some to chew.
In the game you have units (the card equivalent) that are acquired randomly in various sized sets and have different rarities. Each of these units is a single combat character, and they can advance as they gain XP. The advancement increases overall power but also opens up options for customization to let you tune your units to different specialties, similar to Diablo or World of Warcraft.
Using these characters you build up armies, which are made of one or more squads of 1 - 20 units each. The simplest army tends to be one squad, usually of 20 units. Big battles can involve armies with 100-200 units on a side. My preference tends towards armies with 20-60 units, since each unit could potentially have special abilities you can optionally activate.
There are multiple different maps you can fight on, supporting variously sizes matches. Some are quite large with lots of room to maneuver, some have lots of power-ups you can pick up to boost your squads, and some are small and direct skirmishes. Maps can also contain items you can grab to then equip to your characters.
This game has been a bunch of fun in the month or so of Beta I was involved in. It hooked me in cleverly with the RPG advancement elements, and the customization of armies around different themes (a feature of CCGs and the like that I have always found fun) didn't hurt. The various elements fit together well, instead of pulling in different directions. They have a logical sequence, so they do not overload each other. You customize units, then you customize armies, then you customize strategy as you learn about an opponent and choose your actions in a fight.
While testing the developers have been good at both listening and motivating. Various quests and task checklists were given to stimulate different kinds of gameplay and to challenge players with odd circumstances, all with rewards from the game staff for completion.
This game is about to go live, and I'll be playing for at least a few weeks to see how things have been tweaked, to see the new content they are releasing (theoretically on a steady basis) and to keep exploring new strategies for my fights. I'd love to join anyone and give you an introduction to the elements at play. I'm not sure if this game has long term staying power, but I am liking it as my summer addiction.
https://www.thecontinuum.com/ |
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