New game mode - Card battle

[Lucifer]

Premise: The AO* games can have alternate game modes to improve variety in play. Here is one idea for the same. Do note that I have only played AOF extensively, so the idea is focused on that. I'm sure it can be tailored to fit the other variants as well.

Card battle:
In such game, players fight via creating a "Deck" of X number of units/techs (of a particular race in AOF). A good number for the deck is 20 units/techs.
How it works is,
1) In main menu, Players have an option to select 20 units or techs to create a "Deck". Once created, deck remains selected unless player edits it later from the main menu. A deck can have multiple copies of any unit.
2) When started, instead of TCs, both players start with just 1 "Spawn point" each on the map. "Spawn point" can look anything like a Tower, or TC, or Portal, or Magic circle, etc. It has some health, armor, etc values similar to a tower. Its visual can be selected just like changing cosmetic of unit. By default it can be a TC.
3) At the start of the game, you get 5 random cards from your deck. This is your "Hand". It can be anything from units to techs that are in your deck.
4) Each turn, you can click on the "Spawn point", which lets you see the units/techs cards you have for the turn. Each turn, you can "play" any number of cards, provided that the total cost of the cards played is less than or equal to X (X=turn count). Playing a tech instantly researches that tech for you.
For example, on turn 4, you can play any one of these combinations:
- a 4 cost unit
- a 3 cost unit
- 2 2-cost units
- a 4 cost tech
etc etc.
5) When a unit is played, it is sent to the discard pile. "Discard pile" is a separate group of units, which is not displayed to the user. When the "deck" is completely finished, the discard pile is shuffled and used again as the deck. So on, so forth.
6) At the start of each turn, you automatically draw enough cards from the deck to have 5 cards in your hand.
7) First person to destroy the enemy's spawn point wins.

[godOfKings]

Which techs r applicable for card, unit upgrade techs or stat increase techs? Also we can choose only 3rd tier and max upgraded end game units if we want to right? Even if it costs same turn as basic t1 units? Will there b differences like common cards, rare and epic cards like clash royale?

[Lucifer]

Which techs r applicable for card, unit upgrade techs or stat increase techs? Also we can choose only 3rd tier and max upgraded end game units if we want to right? Even if it costs same turn as basic t1 units? Will there b differences like common cards, rare and epic cards like clash royale?

Which techs are applicable -> all techs
Also we can choose only 3rd tier and max upgraded end game units if we want to right? -> hm.. good catch. In that case, how about this,
"You can choose any unit, even 3rd tier max upgraded ones, but you won't be able to play such card unless you have techs that unlock it. Similar to how you cannot train a unit in TC if you do not have its unlocking tech."

Will there b differences like common cards, rare and epic cards like clash royale? -> Not sure how. I guess this is effectively implemented by the gem shop upgrades. Some units are unlocked far easier than others.

[godOfKings]

How does support and leader aura units work?

[makazuwr32]

How does support and leader aura units work?

That is especially true for AoF since abilities there play so much bigger role than in AoS.

For example we have woodshaper who has:
Healing buildings and healing ents
3 plant summons
Transform abilityinto a bit weaker ent
Entangle (stops enemy movements)
Barkskin to improve armor

How should you use this unit?

Another thing is in AoF is leader units who affect enemies with their abilities or aura units AND that has limited affect range.
Thus how should that affect ranged units who in normal games may or may not be in range of those auras.

[godOfKings]

I think there will b 2 turns, deploy turn and action turn

On action turn u can do one of any of the following

Move a unit card
Atk an enemy unit card within range of ur chosen card
Use ability of ur chosen card

I think tech cards can b instantly used on deploy turn

If u can do only one action on action turn then it will b kinda like chess

[Sombrar +1]

Perhaps leader units can function as global units, for example you will play with a civilization or race that will have its respective leader unit like the Romans have the centurion, the undead could have the lich as a leader perhaps, they would be units that would not be on the field but have their own abilities and buffs that are given to the units, for example, the lich would have the ha ability that when you have 6 or more skeletons on the field you could summon a skeletal dragon how by sacrificing one unit you can strengthen another, or in the case of the centurion for every three Roman units next to another they gain +10% of mental toughness.

The technologies could be divided between those of technological advancement and those of buffs, those of technological advancement being researched in an image of the advancement center on the right side of the screen that you clicking on it opens a tab with technology options that can be researched depending on which civilization or race you are playing with. There would be another button to represent the blacksmith, for example, where you would do research to improve your units, opening the tab for technologies that improve your units or that unlock some abilities of the leader unit, for example, by researching in 5 turns you enable a passive ability for the lich that allows him to take two random cards that are already in his pile discard and throw them again if possible.

The image that would represent the player's main building could be the image of the castle or mega structure of the respective race or civilization.

[Lucifer]

Let me explain my idea a bit more, as I think you might have misunderstood a bit,

1) Game will have map exactly like right now (except TCs are replaced with Spawn points - which can be seen as towers or whatever)
2) Game will have turns exactly like right now. Turn for player 1, then player 2, then player 1, etc etc.
3) On your turn, "Play a card from your hand" is just an ability of the Spawn point tower. Once the unit is played, it can be moved around and attack and use abilities etc etc just like it does in any skirmish or campaign or multiplayer game.
=> To summarize, this mode changes how you create units. Instead of TCs/Factories/Megas, units are created by playing them from the spawn point.

As such, it is perfectly fine to play Leader units, or Caster units, etc, as the combat behaves normally. Leader units will be equally valuable. As the game goes on, you get to play more expensive units or more number of units, so leader will benefit them as it does in normal game.

[b2198]

Maybe the "points per turn" should also be affected by some other stuff, like say, a few capture points here and there, and the current turn (so that the spawning and researching gets faster the longer the game goes)?

Maybe do the same with the maximum amounts of card drawn per turn?

Interesting idea overall, similar to a few others I've seen here before, but seems more balanced and fun than them imo.

Though I think it's gonna be a good while before these can be considered by stratego, as it would be a lot of effort to develop these new gamemodes, and there's probably higher things in priority (like the Unity port currently).