Heroscape: Age of Annihilation is here! Back it on Haslab!

[Captain Stupendous]

Originally Posted by caps

It's just a poll, folks, and Option A (keep the original design) is in the lead right now (which I think is a mistake, personally).

Yeah, I love the original shape, but the new hex design is really great and probably better in the long run.

[brak88]

Originally Posted by Master Roshi

Just checked out the poll on Discord. I agree with option B only if they further optimize the space on the card to allow more text and abilities; however, based on what they have so far it isn't optimized, the picture shouldn't take up so much space, the general logo is too large (people identify general by card color much easier), and we don't need the Heroscape logo at the bottom since we already know what game we're playing. Here's a quick edit that shows how a substantial amount of more free space can be achieved. The character picture is similar to the size it was on the original cards, so it would help to use a zoomed out image of the figure

At the moment, I don't see option B as being more optimized in any meaningful way so I prefer the original cards, but if a change is made to the new version to optimize for more space then I can see the benefit to that and would support it over the original

Throw the species, class, personality, size and unit type information below the image and this is very efficient. You can even still have more of the image. Just scroll back the image. They said they want the image bigger so people can see the colors, but you can't see below his chest anyway.

[caps]

Yeah the full figure art should be on the basic side.

[Myriadite]

When learning a new game, seeing a card with various symbols and numbers is a bit intimidating, giving the "this game will be confusing" impression. Rivet Wars is a bit like that - so much information that I will need to learn. Classic Heroscape cards, on the other hand, really spell everything out and are clear, which makes it easy to teach and remember.
While I am more in favour of the classic style, I would be happy with the new hexagon as well (I would get used to the symbols, and they do look quite sleek).

[Knox]

Originally Posted by DBZMagus

By doing WHAT exactly?! We're 10 days into the campaign and nothing has changed on the Haslab page. Where are the card reveals that might actually make me interested in playing with the new furry faction? Where is Tom Vassel to help promote? Where is the gameplay video for people unfamiliar with the product? Why does the main image on the Haslab page make the game look like a preschool toy with a $250 price tag? Where are the terrain and squad packs to incentivize me to buy more than the base offering? I see the community working way harder to promote this game than the people being paid to do it.

Sorry for venting, it's just really frustrating watching this campaign crawl along like this when the game deserves so much more.

100% this. Where is the promotion? They say they are focused on the Haslab funding and yet the Haslab page looks like garbage. There is zero reason to buy this game if you weren't in the discord. I'm in. I'm hooked. AoA will be AWESOME. But I was in the discord, and it is NOT being marketed well to anyone who isn't

[champrjk]

Originally Posted by Hogg

The more things they change, the more things there are for people to point at and say "That's not MY HeroScape." They are already fighting uphill because of the unpainted miniatures.

And since they are trying to sell to a limited number of existing players, they are just shrinking their market every time they change something. I am positive there are people who will not back it because of the updated cards, they just lost crucial pledges and spent energy and resources to do it.

I really feel it would have been better to claim from the beginning that this new revival as more of a successor to the original heroscape rather than a continuation. The more it deviates from the original classic (even the little slight changes) the more it feels like a different game to a lot of us.

[Good Pig]

Stating more space is needed for ability text as the primary driver for a new card design is a bit worrying to me. I think it's natural as a game goes on that complexity creep comes along on it's own. Keeping the ability text box to the original size creates constraints in which the designers have to work. Creativity thrives on constraints. If you increase that limit, all the sudden abilities are now long-winded and unnecessarily complex.

It feels a bit like the game is having an identity crisis after the long hiatus. The reason Heroscape was and is so great is because of the accessibility (simplicity). You start making changes to modernize it and it may no longer capture the magic of the original.

The audience for the campaign this whole time has been original players not new players. If their backing is essential to funding the new era of Heroscape, a change to the cards feels like a bit of a misstep.

[Grungebob]

Originally Posted by Good Pig

If you increase that limit, all the sudden abilities are now long-winded and unnecessarily complex.

This is a fallacy. More space doesn’t lead to long winded abilities, lack of discipline in the design approach does.

[Agent Minivann]

Originally Posted by Good Pig

Stating more space is needed for ability text as the primary driver for a new card design is a bit worrying to me. I think it's natural as a game goes on that complexity creep comes along on it's own. Keeping the ability text box to the original size creates constraints in which the designers have to work. Creativity thrives on constraints. If you increase that limit, all the sudden abilities are now long-winded and unnecessarily complex.

It feels a bit like the game is having an identity crisis after the long hiatus. The reason Heroscape was and is so great is because of the accessibility (simplicity). You start making changes to modernize it and it may no longer capture the magic of the original.

The audience for the campaign this whole time has been original players not new players. If their backing is essential to funding the new era of Heroscape, a change to the cards feels like a bit of a misstep.

Agree on all points.

[Hogg]

Originally Posted by Good Pig

Stating more space is needed for ability text as the primary driver for a new card design is a bit worrying to me. I think it's natural as a game goes on that complexity creep comes along on it's own. Keeping the ability text box to the original size creates constraints in which the designers have to work. Creativity thrives on constraints. If you increase that limit, all the sudden abilities are now long-winded and unnecessarily complex.

I have always wanted to see a unit with no special abilities at all and have its point value be reflected by the stat numbers. It would be wild to see a card with no text at all in the special abilities box, but its just a beefy fighter.

[Good Pig]

Originally Posted by Grungebob

This is a fallacy. More space doesn’t lead to long winded abilities, lack of discipline in the design approach does.

By not expanding the ability text box size it forces disciplined design. Make it bigger and over time it will eventually get filled up. I think it's just human nature.

[TheSparkleInYourWater]

Originally Posted by Good Pig

By not expanding the ability text box size it forces disciplined design. Make it bigger and over time it will eventually get filled up. I think it's just human nature.

They've been modifying the ability text space since RoTV. They didn't use discipline they just lowered the font size down until it fit, like with the Airborne Elite. Cyprien Esenwein has smaller text and the text box space expanded farther to the right. Swarm of the Marro and after they did the more noticeable moon cut into the figure image area to make more room for text and would still shrink the font when needed.