It’s becoming massively popular all over the world and throughout the internet, but online trading card/strategy game based in the EverQuest universe is still a difficult concept to grasp. From the outside, Legends of Norrath is a quite alien even to seasoned MMORPG players, so we decided to talk to the game’s producer Tom Lischke so he could give GDN’s readership a beginner’s guide to this prolific new online extravaganza.
GDN: Let’s start with a really tough question. How would you summarise this style of gameplay for someone who’s completely new to the concept?
TL: Legends of Norrath is an online strategy game where players build a virtual card deck, or use one of the pre-made decks to play against a variety of opponents, both other people and computer AI opponents. The cool thing is that you get to choose which cards go into your deck. Imagine playing the card game War but being able to choose which cards you wanted to place in your deck.
GDN: What was the original inspiration for this kind of gaming concept? How did SOE get started on developing something as unique as Legends of Norrath?
TL: The strategy genre has existed in paper form for awhile, and the SOE Denver studio has created a number of games of this type for online play. The studio’s experience and the story of EverQuest/ EverQuest II was an obvious combination, and one the whole team was excited about. It is great to have so much rich material to build the game upon, and explore as we release more sets.
GDN: How does it differ from a typical trading card game?
TL: Legends of Norrath can be played in a number of different ways. There is a vast amount of free single player content in the scenarios. Raids mean that if you would rather team with a group of friends to take on a wicked computer opponent, you can do that too. The game handles all of the overhead and lets the player focus on the fun. Another nice thing for new players is that there are a lot of hints that are dropped throughout the game, making it easier to get up to speed on the gameplay.
GDN: So, how does it differ from a typical turn-based RPG computer game?
TL: Well, for starters, there is no character progression from game to game. Each game the player’s avatar starts over from scratch gaining items and abilities. Also, the player has a lot more control over how their game will play out because they define the play style from ground up before each game begins, as opposed to selecting some basic stats as an RPG would. It is kind of like combining a short game of Civilization with an RPG.
GDN: Who is the intended demographic for an online trading card game like Legends of Norrath? Is it more likely to appeal to RPG fans, strategists, D&D players, or a combination of such genres?
TL: Legends of Norrath is a strategy game at heart, but the subject matter really resonates with RPG players as the archetypes and classes in the game are very familiar to them. Also, the fact that we let you build the stats and primary ability of your player avatar (and "re-roll" it whenever you want) is something that RPG players like. Strategy players love all of the meaningful tactical decisions that the game constantly throws at you. The game values smart resource allocation, analysis of the relative strength of game pieces, and the ability to think on your feet.
GDN: How accessible is Legends of Norrath to the casual gamer, or someone who’s never played a trading card game, MMORPG or EverQuest?
TL: We have done a lot to make the game accessible. The interface provides a lot of hinting and an indication of which characters in the play area are involved in any given fight. We also put a lot of time into the tutorials, and have over 30 scenario games for players to sharpen their skills against computer opponents and earn free rewards without ever having to play another human if they don’t want to. Also, the atmosphere and attitude in the casual lobbies is very inviting.
GDN: What’s the best way for a newcomer to introduce themselves to Legends of Norrath?
TL: Grab a deck and play through the tutorials. The scenarios are a natural next step and ramp up slowly as you get more experience.
GDN: Does it use a subscription service, or is it a case of buying new cards as required?
TL: You can get a complete play experience with just a starter deck. Once you do, you can add to it with additional starter decks and boosters (15 card packs) to give you more options. All of the free content gives a great opportunity to check the game out.
GDN: What aspects of playing Legends would you say best represent it’s value for money? For instance, how does the costs of playing Legends compare to buying a boxed game off the shelf?
TL: Well, for the price of a starter deck, you get access to the scenarios and that is easily over 20 hours worth of gameplay if you solve them all the first time through. You also get access to all of the lobbies where you can get unlimited games against live opponents around the world day or night. That starter also gets you access to the raid content.
GDN: Can you explain any differences between playing from within EverQuest and playing Legends independently? Would you say it’s a more complete experience when played in conjunction with EverQuest?
TL: In terms of playing the trading card game, the game plays the same regardless of if you launch from in one of the MMOs or using the stand alone client. However, the advantage to also playing one of the MMOs is the cool Loot Cards that drop in Legends of Norrath that you can use in EQ and EQII, and while playing EQ or EQII you can get free content for LoN, like starter decks, booster packs, and promo cards.
GDN: Is there a strong community following of Legends that newcomers can join? How important are the independent communities to the Legends of Norrath experience?
TL: We have forums on www.station.com that are a great place for players to connect and talk about the game. With the release of the third set, Inquisitor, we’ve also added additional guild features to Legends of Norrath, making it easier to play together with your friends. There is also a strong community of players and fan sites that has formed around the game where players discuss things like trade values and top level decks.
GDN: Does SOE add a lot of new content (quests, missions, storylines etc.) to Legends?
TL: There is a storyline that is specific to Legends of Norrath, but that is tied back to the stories told in EQ and EQII. We work hard with the dev teams on those MMOs to make sure that the story we are telling fits in with those worlds, but has some freedom to tell an exciting new story, that of Oathbound heroes and their journey.
GDN: What’s the hardest part about the continuing development of Legends for the team at SOE?
TL: Well, one of the elements that was added with the release of Forsworn late last year was raid content, the ability to join up with your friends and play either 2 vs. the AI or 4 vs. the AI. We’ve based both of the 4 vs. 1 raids (what we refer to as premium raids) on raid experiences in the MMOs. The Trakanon and Chardok raids are some of our most popular game types. The development team had some pretty heated discussions about what the new raids should be for the future sets because everyone has a favorite that they want to see included in Legends of Norrath.
GDN: What sort of things can gamers expect from the future of Legends of Norrath?
TL: We are looking at a number of different features revolving around expanding the rewards for beating raids and possibly a league format. Hand in hand with that we’re going to continue to evolve our guild features to help players connect for a raid or some team play. Of course, another big thing this summer will be our Championship Tournament at Gen Con Indy.
GDN: What advice can you offer to someone who’s getting started with Legends of Norrath?
TL: The tutorials and scenarios are a great opportunity to get a taste of the game and get your feet wet, but I wouldn’t wait too long before trying some casual games with other people. Once you have a handle on the basics, it is a lot of fun to see what other players have created by building up their own decks. I’m sure you’ll have all sorts of ideas about the decks you want to build and play.
GDN: Please add anything else you like to say to potential players of Legends.
TL: Legends of Norrath is a fun strategy game which provides a great opportunity to play against people around the world. No matter if you want to blow off some steam with a couple casual games, or want to challenge yourself in a raid or two, Legends of Norrath has something for you.
GDN: Thanks Tom.
