Beyond the MMORPG - The Continuum
In this week`s Beyond the MMORPG feature, we take a look at a game called "The Continuum". The Continuum is a flash-based game currently in beta that comes down somewhere between a miniatures game and a trading card game.
Every now and then here at MMORPG.com, we like to venture outside of our genre to talk about a game that, while it doesn’t exactly meet our game list criteria, still might prove to provide a little bit of fun for our readers.
Today in “Beyond the MMORPG”, I want to introduce you all to a little competitive game called The Continuum. Being developed by a company called Seven Lights, The Continuum is currently in the beta phase of production.
One of Seven Lights’ developers, a man named Tim Harris, was kind enough to take some time out of his production schedule to show me around the game a little bit, so that I could share what I learned with players like you who might be interested.
The Continuum I think is best described as a kind of hybrid between a classic trading card game, and a tabletop miniatures game. It’s done entirely in Flash. While that means that the graphics are, well, done in Flash, the game doesn’t need flashy graphics to do what it promises.
The first thing that I did after creating my account (which was painless enough), was to buy a deck of characters. This is how the game plans to finance itself. They will not be charging any kind of monthly fee, but instead will charge a nominal fee. Right now, it lists a starter pack at $12 USD and a booster pack for $6. The starter pack with gain you your first 40 characters (booster packs give 15), and similarly to most trading card games, will come with various tiers of characters, from common to rare (denoted by color).
“There are 35 character types, and there are different probabilities of getting each character type”, Tim told me.
The game can be played with either a small amount of characters fighting against each other (for example, a two on two skirmish), up to large armies. It’s entirely up to the individual player’s tastes (and pocketbook). This cuts down on the idea that buying a lot of cards will give you an extreme advantage. Before going into battle, players agree on a fixed PV (points value) before they fight. This is a kind of salary cap that insures that the fight will be a fair one.
The game, from my quick impressions, is almost as much about planning before you hit the battlefield as it is about the fight itself. As an example, before plunging into battle, I took my 40 characters (that I “purchased” in my starter pack) and divided them into a number of squads. These squads will be represented on the battlefield by a single model. They will fight as a group, and so it’s strategically important that you put the right squads of characters together before the battle takes place.
The battle itself is also pretty strategic. As you move your squads around a digital terrain, not only do you have to figure out how best to navigate to gain advantage over your opponent, but you also have to keep an eye out for special tiles that give your squads bonuses (for example, to speed).
Of course, it just wouldn’t be a proper competitive online game if they didn’t have some kind of scoreboard. Being a web-based flash game gives The Continuum a bit of an advantage here as their main entrance interface is a website where you can keep track not only of your profile, but of your own personal accomplishments, summaries of battles that you have fought, as well as an interesting award system that sees top players awarded accomplishments and a daily .
In the end, this article is really just a quick introduction to the game. Personally, I had a good time during my tour / play session. If you enjoy trading card games, miniatures games, or are just looking for something quick and new, I would suggest that you check this game out.
Fortunately, the game is currently in the beta process, so MMORPG.com readers can check it out for themselves. Before our tour ended, Tim was kind enough to extend an invitation out to all of us to try out the beta.
If you’re interested in trying out The Continuum, visit the website and sign up, then write to yo@thecontinuum.com and tell them that you came from MMORPG.com. Tim tells me that he’ll get you right into the beta.
Check out the game's official website here.
Sounds awfully lot like Sony onlines "Legends of norrath" except there you could also find starter and booster packs inside EQ and EQ2 and get ingame items for those games in the bosters.
I would agree..
I looks utterly Shyte! - Are the people at MMORPG so bored or desperate for news that the have to drag up this kind of foul smelling dribble?
I can just about bare the "hello kitty online" and "myth war" kinda of crap games they write articles about.. but this really puts me off using mmorpg.com
I come here to read quality reviews and news not this rubbish..
Carry on like this mmorpg.com and I certainly wont be visiting or reccomending your site to anyone. Just grow up please and realise that your audience deserves a bit more respect.
I don't see how you feel "disrespected" by this article. It was labelled as a "beyond the MMORPG" article, and is presented for those who wish to read it. If you don't want to read about non-MMO games, don't read Beyond the MMORPG articles.
It's not about you, mmorpg.com doesn't revolve around you. It's an MMO community, some people look forward to the hello kitty online/myth war news. As well as this news that digs outside the MMO world. You don't like it, skip it. Don't sit here and complain that the news doesn't revolve around your tastes. Let's grow up a little shall we.
Nice to know that's how maturely you act at age 30? Seriously, people enjoy different games than you, no need to just cry about it since you aren't interested in something. Like Hashbrick said, people arew looking forward to Myth War 2.0 and HKO, the games DON'T revolve around you.
I was playing the beta for this game. It has some interesting elements and some useless elements, some of which might be dealt with in beta. Its touted as a mix of turn based wargame, rpg and collectible cards. Its not for everyone but it has some appeal as well as an extensive world and storyline with many characters. It is most definitely an mmo and your pool of combatants are generated purely from starter packs and booster packs of cards. Think of each card as a character sheet. Once you have your armies Its fun to design, equip them (I dont like the method of procuring equipment at all) and level them up and their abilities with experience gained from battles, although at times it seems very random or pointless.
Whereas the army creation and leveling are somewhat functional I do find the overall strategy somewhat lacking. Turn based strategy games are know for deep challenging strategy but this game has almost none. For instance maps in general fail to facilitate any strategy on behalf of the warring armies, position of combatants has no real effect on battle nor does terrain.
There are many elements that were not well thought out and take away from the gameplay. Some may enjoy the simple battle mechanics (if you enjoyed Might and Magic series or Final Fantasy) although I think they failed to improve on this old school battle mechanic and in some cases made it worse with their rock paper scissors commands and "slot machine" visuals. There are a lot of things that need to be worked on throughout the various beta stages. They have some good ideas they just need to tighten up the game a lot. In its current state random combatants could never have a balanced battle.
Presentation is pretty good, they do evoke a game world although somewhat random if you dont read the online comic book stories. Art is pretty consistent so its passable. The rooms and lobbys are ok and connecting to battle other players was pretty smooth although they need to make the lobby window and map window support up to 1920x1200 as the window is postage stamp sized.
I don't like the cash grab for cards at all but its beta so they are free now :)
Play the beta while you wait for your fav mmorpg to be released and help an Independent designer make a better game for those who do like it while increasing your own knowledge of game design. There is no reason to hate this game or mmorpg.com for publishing a post about it.
Dev
Hey there, MMORPG.com, A Denizen of The Continuum here, just wanted to pop in and say thanks for helping t o publicize a great game. The crew at 7L is a great bunch of guys and anyone who wants to help influence the direction The Continuum takes, don't hesitate to join in the Beta and let the devs have your 2 cents.
speaking of...Devros:
Question(s) for you; Are you the same Devros whose profile for TC can be found here?
If so, I notice that you have only level 1 units, and only played five games. Did you examine higher level abilities? I think you might be surprised by how complex strategy gets later, especially when it comes to building your units. Thats just my 2 cents. I am curious though if you could be more specific about what you felt was lacking/wrong with the game from a mechanics standpoint. I would like to examine those things for myself from your point of view and see what we (the community) might suggest to the devs to help rectify the situation.
Oh, and Sadeyx: Don't knock it till you try it, and even then, try to be fair with the knockage like Devros was.
I don't see how you feel "disrespected" by this article. It was labelled as a "beyond the MMORPG" article, and is presented for those who wish to read it. If you don't want to read about non-MMO games, don't read Beyond the MMORPG articles.
Just want to voice my support here. I love MMOs, but I see nothing wrong at all with a review or announcement of a non-mmo that might be of interest to a mmo player, as long as it doesn't become a regular thing (or just a sales pitch thing).
It's always interesting to here something from the other worlds out there.
Clarification; 'Regular thing' defined by me as a 50/50 split on the articles. This is MMORPG.com after all, so most of the articles should be about MMOs. Remember, just my opinion.
honestly.. This is the world with humans...........
I loved card games when I was younger and still find cards entertaining at times. A trading card game online is not new yet I find it interesting.
However. I haven't seen one that was fully F2P. I don't really know if trading cards are worth my money, but i do know time is money, so are the good things in life.
THIS game is going to be you buy the VIRTUAL CARDS with real money and you play online. I would have to say to this "what a way to lose your money" I would rather pay a monthly $15 to play P2P than to spend $6 for a booster pack where I could lose all that in a few games.
Hi, Zagreos (full-disclosure-- developer here)-- you don't ever lose your characters in The Continuum. We chose a pay-for-characters system, so that a player could spend whatever he/she chose and still have a valuable experience. At the end of each match, if a character dies, he simply doesn't get as much XP-- you retain him in your collection. So when you get characters, you keep them indefinitely and grow them in whatever way you choose...
Sure thing Drak, I'll PM you the deets.
Well you don't lose the cards, in addition to growing your characters you always retain your hand for the next time. There is still something to be said about paying for virtual cards though. Magic the gathering online, which this is nothing like save buyiing packs of cards, was built on an existing real world model with real cards. People paid for cards online but that game was proven over many years and the game was played purely by the cards and what they represented. Some players still grumbled, especially those that already owned a huge amount of real life cards and had to buy them again online, but in the end its solid game played by many people and its entriely based on the cards. Unless Continuum goes the way of micro payments, as in 1 dollar or less for packs then it may be a major hurdle to get new players.
I do suggest signing up for beta as mentioned before
...award system that sees top players awarded accomplishments and a daily .
A daily what? There was a space after daily like there was more to the thought, but it was never expressed.
As to the relevance of this article to this site, it was fine. While the site is "MMORPG" focused, it doesn't mean it has to be pigeon holed into only MMO's for articles. It's not like you launched forums for Call of Duty and the latest single player RPG. Get a grip folks.
ok guys dont be priks this game is pretty good , for noobs medeocur and hadcore gamers play it then judge it. and they are not cards they are your characters