PoxNora blends several
genres into an intriguing, challenging and entertaining Web-based game
By
Michael Lafferty
“There
is really no Web game out there that is this in-depth.”
There are a
lot of games vying for attention in the online space, but PoxNora is unlike
anything you have seen so far. Why? It is a Java-based Web game, but it is also
a turn-based strategy title that crosses many genres and is very much worth
checking out.
PoxNora from Octopi Inc. is a melding of several styles of games, but those who try
to pigeonhole the title in one of those genres will soon be surprised that the
game has rudiments of different genres, and really treads its own ground.
First,
PoxNora is a Web game. You log into the Web site,
www.poxnora.com, register and get a starter deck of cards (‘oh, a card
game,’ you say – wrong, but it does have cards in it). You can buy additional
decks, and the cards are otherwise known as Runes. There are four basic types of
Runes – Champion, Spell, Equipment and Relic.
Each player
gathers what is known as Nora, magical energy that determines how many Runes can
be brought into play and when they can be brought into play. In addition there
are action points that govern the movement of all pieces in play. Shrines are
located on either side of the map and the idea is to bring Runes into play,
using strategy and capturing Fonts (Wild Nora Fonts that not only generate Nora
and allow another point for entry for Runes). In this manner, the game plays
like a chess match.
Dan
Kopycienski, lead game designer and creative director at Octopi (which is
publishing the title as well) said the idea for the game was born out of a lot
of little things.
“For me
personally, I always like to play miniature games and collectible games but I
didn’t have access to other people to play with. So I was interested in creating
an online version where there would be people to play with. ”
Five guys in
a garage, thinking about what would make a good game yielded PoxNora. The game
is a little bit of chess, with card game attributes, and role-playing elements.
“We didn’t
want to create just another collectible card game, we wanted to create something
with a little more depth,” Kopycienski said.
“We came up
with the game rules on our own. Some of it is taken from chess. Instead of
kings, you have shrines.”
As the game
began to take shape, Kopycienski said there was a moment when he knew they were
on to something. “We have all different kinds of guys that work here, guys that
play Madden and guys that are into World of Warcraft; when I knew we had
something is when they totally got into this game.”
The look is
very nice for a Java-based game. The styling of the cards is well done and the
UI (user interface) has a short learning curve. While the game itself will
involve some alteration in the way a play thinks about the game, it really is
accessible.
So you have
a card feature …
“The only
way we have used the card game aspect is in how to manage decks,” Kopycienski
stated. “But when it comes to the actual card gameplay … I am not using the
potential of the computer by throwing cards at my opponent. I want guys that can
jump, and attack. To play the game it needs to be more like a miniatures game.”
The game
plays a bit like chess with action points determining movement and with shrines
acting as kings. And the game will employ a rating system similar to the Elo
rating system when ladders and rankings are implemented.
But it gets
better. The game also has RPG elements in that units used in a game can gain
experience (called Champion Points) and that experience can be used to on
attributes. Or a player can purchase attribute upgrades (the game will also
allow players to buy decks of Runes). One of the Rune cards is a Wild Elf. A
player may purchase stealth for that Rune (or quickness for another wild elf)
and thus take the game in a new direction by making one of the Runes invisible
to the opposing player.
There will
be six game boards, one for each of the factions. Each of the mapboards, but the
way they shrines are located, will present players with different tactical
options but also will have an impact on the length of time a game takes. One map
has the shrines relatively close, which will lead to a quick match … perhaps.
“A lot of
the games that I really enjoy and play, like World of Warcraft, you basically
have to have a four-hour block to play,” Kopycienski said, “and you need four or
five of those during the week to stay competitive. We wanted to make a more
casual game” that would appeal to both the player who is new to the idea or the
hardcore player who does not have a lot of time.”
The game
will also allow for guild play. Players can form guilds/teams, and there will be
tournaments that will score out on a team basis.
In short, a
lot of thought has gone into this game and it shows, even at this stage of the
beta. There are 2,000 beta testers (and growing) already and the title moved
into open beta about a week ago. What is likely to make this game a success are
several factors: the cerebral nature will have a wider appeal in terms of age
and gender, the learning curve is not that high but the game is still very
challenging, it looks good and plays well, and …
“This game
was meant to be very accessible, meant to run on Macs, PCs, Linux machines,”
Kopycienski said. “There is really no Web game out there that is this in-depth.”