Magic Online III Preview

The people at Wizards of the Coast’s famous Magic the Gathering have brought the gaming community an amazing experience. The gameplay online mirrors so very closely the play style of sitting down in the local card shop and facing down an opponent. The interface gives players easy access to their hands, the play area, and a chat window to allow players to talk to one another. Not content to rest on their accomplishments, the design team is bringing us Magic the Gathering Online: Version 3.0.

The developers have listened very carefully to their players. The game itself has been around for years with an evolving, engaging play style that allows players to construct their own decks. With that firm base the focus of Version 3.0 is to streamline and update the game. Their only focus is improving the game experience of their fans, making things easier and better for players everywhere. Justin Ziran, one of Wizards of the Coast’s brand managers, was kind enough to show me the vast improvements to us at E3.

New players will find the interface easier to use while more advanced players will be able to take full advantage of the new features. Instead of fixed windows for conversation, hands, and play area players will be able to rearrange the interface options to find a mix that is easiest for them. Working with an eye on the newer players, Wizards of the Coast is expanding the existing mentor system. Online mentors are available to help teach new players the ropes. They can do anything from teaching new players the fundamentals of the game to helping players customize their gameplay. The expansion of the mentor program is a firm signal to the player community: Wizards of the Coast cares!

More advanced players will be able to take advantage of some new features. The existing community is very large, and finding the right game can be time consuming. New options will be available for searching. One of the new features that Justin was very excited to talk about was the ability to search for players that met certain criteria. Players that match your search requirements, for example searching for Vanguard players, will be highlighted with spotlights and moved into one area. This will allow players to easily and quickly identify other players who are looking for the same game experience they are searching for.

Wizards of the Coast is also taking advantage of the new capabilities of computers. Existing art options are being expanded. Using the latest Direct X software tools Version 3.0 will allow for smooth scaling of size for the various cards. The level of detail available in the artwork is being increased as well. The virtual cards will look as crisp and clear as their “real world” counterparts. The play area is also being expanded, allowing more area for players to organize their forces in the quest for victory.

The development staff has also taken note of the attachment that players form with their avatars. The existing avatars are two dimensional sprites players have to choose from. The avatars in Magic the Gathering Online: Version 3.0 are stunning three-dimensional models. On display were two characters, one a robed mage type with a hood and mask. The second was a pale-skinned fallen angel with blade-like ebon wings. The avatars will sit at rendered tables complete with inlay, wood grain, and scratches. Justin said that they can even add finishing touches like tablecloths.

The defining facet of Magic the Gathering Online is that every player exists in the same world. Unlike traditional MMO’s like World of Warcraft or EverQuest II, every player in the Magic the Gathering world are in a single world. Tradition states that the players should be separated into different servers for geographic regions or to break down the population into manageable blocks. To keep the players competitive and provide a seamless world where any player can face any opponent the entire population of the game are on a single server.

Wizards of the Coast has been given many reasons over the life of their smash-hit online card game to break up the population into various servers. The prime reason ever given is to simplify the system and prevent server lag from interfering with the gameplay experience of the fans. Wizards of the Coast has always rejected these arguments to preserve the living, vital community. With Version 3.0 the developers are working to diversify the server structure. Instead of breaking the community into pieces they are working to split off the various server functions so that a large mass of players attempting to log in won’t cause gameplay for the other players to slowdown or stutter.

Existing players and potential players will both look forward to the arrival of Magic the Gathering Online: Version 3.0. The improved gameplay, increased customization, and stunning graphics will be a great improvement for the game. By diversifying the server structure, Wizards of the Coast will make the gameplay smoother and more seamless. Not content to simply sit back, the developers have made giant steps forward in making the game easier to play and more enjoyable for the fans.

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