PoxNora Preview

Collectible card games have been a highly profitable industry since the arrival of Magic: the Gathering. Many attempts have been made to bridge the gap between the card game industry and the video-game industry. Some have met with more success than others, and a name brand is no guarantee of success. Occasionally a new game will break into the scene, bringing with it new ideas and solid gameplay. PoxNora, the latest game from Octopi is an outstanding example of innovation and creativity in a genre that requires both in order to thrive. Bringing together the best elements of standard collectible card games, strategic games, and roleplaying games to create a game that is exciting and fun.

Players begin by purchasing runes in the online store. This is roughly the same as purchasing cards for other games. An investment of around $50, an average price for some video games, can see players easily equipped with a decent assortment of runes they can use to construct their decks. While some players can and will spend more, it is entirely possible to build a functional deck relatively cheaply, focusing on specific goals and trading for the runes you need. The promise of a trading and auction system once the game goes live should make this easier, but since it is not available yet there’s no way to tell.

In PoxNora there are basic rules about deck construction involving the minimum number of champions a player needs to have, for example, or a limit on the number of a specific card players can have. Champions are the soldiers, creatures, and other minions players can summon to form their armies. Each champion has an associated cost in nora – the magical energy used for all spells. Each turn players gain nora at the start of their turn. A set amount, decided when the game is created, is granted to both players each turn. Players can also gain extra nora by taking control of “wild” nora fonts found on the game board. Controlling those nodes can be a vital goal in pursuing victory.

Once runes are deployed on the playing board the game plays like a rather unique form of chess. Instead of individual class moves each champion can advance in any direction the player chooses. Straight lines or a diagonal approach are both available. Combat is handled through two dynamics. When two champions are standing next to one another they become “engaged” and cannot move away without paying a movement penalty. Engaged units can strike one another with melee attacks freely. Archers and spell casters have the ability to make attacks at range, but with a few drawbacks. Most ranged attacks also have a minimum range, so targets that have gotten close have the advantage. Also most ranged attackers are fragile, so a few good attacks will quickly dispatch them.

The game boards come in three flavors at the moment. Three more are promised around the release. The boards currently available have underground combat around a flow of lava, mountain combat in a rocky ravine, and forest combat on an open playing field. Each board has its own unique challenges. Players who are able to adapt can master all of them with the same deck, but it is also possible to build your deck to take advantage of the terrain. In the mountains there are several cliffs that impede progress. Flying units can advance quickly and begin attacking the enemy’s stronghold while land-bound units will be forced to spend many turns racing to the fray. 

One of the more complex systems in PoxNora is the champion-point system. Each time a champion is deployed and fights in combat they can earn experience. That experience can be used to purchase upgrades for the champion. Speed or damage can be increased, additional hit-points can be bought. New abilities can be unlocked and then upgraded with future purchases. For example the Fallen Hero, a dark figure from the Forsaken Wastes culture, can gain the riposte ability – any time an opponent misses in melee combat the Fallen Hero will gain a free counterattack. The Fallen Hero can also gain the block skill, which increases the chance to block an attack. By purchasing both the Fallen Hero can become an extremely deadly warrior, avoiding attacks and punishing those responsible with frightening ease. The experience points used are earned in gameplay and are tied to the runes. By playing a single rune repeatedly a player can guarantee its eventual rise in power.

PoxNora is fortunately very diverse. There are many paths to victory, and there is no single tactic that will always work. In the Fallen Hero example the champion can be very dangerous in close combat, but its speed will suffer. A quick-moving archer or several spells that damage the champion directly can easily remove him from the field. Each strategy for success carries with it unique weaknesses that other players can exploit. Even inexperienced players can win against long-term players if they are clever. As champions are upgraded with increased abilities their nora cost grows higher and higher. If a player has built their deck around heavily upgraded units, those very units will be a weakness – because of the cost replacements will be too expensive to play in large quantities. When the expensive champions are destroyed they will be hard-pressed to replace them.

The curse of online gaming is also present in PoxNora. The turns are time-limited to keep the game moving along. Each player gets a minute and a half for their turn by default. A serious lag spike could disconnect you long enough for your entire turn to disappear. When this happens a winning scenario can quickly become a nightmare. The lag spikes are infrequent, but when they happen it can be extremely frustrating. With any luck the release will play smoother than the beta, but it is a good idea to remember that sometimes chance favors your opponent.

The mixture of collectible card game, turn-based strategy, and role-playing elements are an outstanding mix in PoxNora. The graphics may seem a little limited, but considering this is a Java game it is an amazing accomplishment for the developers. The diverse and enjoyable gameplay is almost addictively fun. With so many options available players will have endless hours to explore the fascinating world of PoxNora. Not only basic strategy of what runes to use, but what abilities to purchase or upgrade will have a defining effect on your play style. Two players with similar cards can have wildly different play styles depending on how they have built up their runes, bringing another enjoyable level of diversity to the game. Fans of strategy, role-playing, or collectible card games should give this title a good long look.