Tutorial Beta 2.0
We've been working on a new tutorial that can teach the game's basics to players who never played Artifact 1 (or any other card game, for that matter). We're shipping an early version of this tutorial out to our existing players so you can try it over the holidays. Like everything else in Artifact 2.0 Beta, we approached the tutorial's gameplay before anything else, so the visuals and fictionalization are rough and unfinished. This set of missions don't need to teach everything; just the basics. Other topics will be covered by standalone advanced tutorials, which function more like the Hero Card Demos.
We'd love you to give the new tutorial a spin and send us feedback at [email protected].
Item Experiment
We’re experimenting with item-equipping rules that are somewhat simplified, and in some ways more open and in other ways more restrictive. We’d like to figure out how much the 3 different types of item slots are really buying us, so we’re trying out a system that gets rid of them. Instead, heroes can equip any two (unique) items, no worrying about if it’s a weapon or accessory or armor. If you already have two items equipped and want to equip a new one, you get to choose which one to bounce by dragging directly onto that item.
Along with this experiment you’ll get a partial sneak-peek at where we’re going with the visual design of the cards themselves, getting rid of the battle sleeve on top. It’s a franken-card right now, but a bit simpler visually already, with status effects no longer blocking much of the card art, and without empty item slots taking up a lot of visual space.
Gameplay
Heroes
- Lycan's Pack Leadership does not count disarmed creeps.
- Kanna's Diabolic Conclusion no longer disarms creeps that cast it (i.e. Terrapin Channeler). It also only draws Attack from units that are not disarmed.
When a card’s faction is changed, it now changes many faction-related effects the card has to match the new faction. This brings it in line with how color-changing cards work (e.g. if you change a Rebel Rabble Rouser to blue, it starts creating blue Roused Rabbles – now if you change its faction to Bronze Legion it starts creating Bronze Legion Roused Rabbles.)
Creeps
- Greevil Bronco applies its effects to its faction allies if you change its faction.
- Greevil Eggtender still adds in 3 random Greevils, but changes the one you draw to the Eggtender’s faction.
- Imperial Herald gives faction allies +1 Attack and +1 Armor if you change its faction before playing it.
- Legion Scouting Party adds a Bronze Legionnaire of the Legion Scouting Party's color and faction, but draws a faction allied creep if it changes factions.
- Oglodi Vandal's Play Effect changed to: Each Red Mist ally deals 1 damage to the enemy tower. This also changes relative to its faction.
- Rebel Rabble Rouser changes Roused Rabble to Rebel Rabble Rouser’s color and faction.
- Roused Rabble gains buffs based on its current faction allies.
- Rebel Recruiter now checks if its faction allies take damage, then draws and reveals a creep from the opponent’s deck. It changes to Rebel Recruiter’s faction and color.
- Spirited Greevil applies its effects to its faction allies if you change its faction.
- Spitting Greevil applies its effects to its faction allies if you change its faction.
- Thieving Greevil applies its effects to its faction allies if you change its faction.
- Vhoul Elder now checks if its faction allies take damage, then reduces costs and buffs creeps.
- The following creeps also join the Red Mist: Horde Stryder, Oglodi Catapult, Red Mist Pillager, and Untested Grunt.
Spells
- Better Late than Never summons a Terrapin Channeler of the caster's color.
- Shifting Loyalties now swaps factions of the creeps it swaps control of.
UI
- Items now show up on the face of the card rather than in item slots on the battle sleeve. When you equip an item, if you have an empty slot you can still drag it to the hero, but you can also drag it directly onto a slot (which will show up when you start to drag).
- When equipping items, heroes now come forward from the board, closer to the camera, to assist in directly targeting item slots.
Hero Demos
- Hero demos got their own end game screen that lets you retry the demo. It will later be filled out with a flavorful description of the hero and the demo.
- Added hero demos for Lina, Luna, J'Muy, and Imperia.
Bug Fixes
- Fixed damage tooltip summary not applying Decay values.
- Fixed unexpected results of Decay. Previously, Decay could kill a unit during battle despite the effects of Regeneration. The results should now match the combat preview.
- Fixed Greevil Eggtender only adding one color of Greevil added to the deck. Now you can get up to three differently colored Greevils.
- Fixed Volatile Fog leaving Earthshaker's Rocks around after the combat phase ends.
- Fixed Relentless Pursuit causing a crash when striking a unit with retaliate.