MMODesigner

Hex: Shards of Fate has recently left its beta status behind and launched a major feature update. Garnering a lot of press in the meantime has led to a lot of new players coming over from Hearthstone and Magic: The Gathering to see what this “new” kid on the block has to offer. In Part 1, I went over what a Magic: The Gathering player can expect coming over to Hex. In this part, I’ll be discussing what a Hearthstone player will encounter, and boy, is it ever going to be different.

Hex: Shards of Fate has recently left its beta status behind and launched a major feature update. Garnering a lot of press in the meantime has led to a lot of new players coming over from Hearthstone and Magic: the Gathering to see what this “new” kid on the block has to offer. I say “new” in quotes because Hex is over two and a half years old since the Kickstarter, but slow going, and a lawsuit from Wizards of the Coast have slowed things down.

HEX: Shards of Fate. By now you’ve probably read tons of articles on the game. You know the gist. It’s a Digital TCG, in the same vein as Magic: the Gathering, only radically different once you get under the hood. Being digital brings a whole new level of things they can do with the simple card game mechanics. Things that would be incredibly difficult, if not downright impossible, to do for a traditional, in-person, card game.

It happens to all of us, it’s probably happened to you. No MMO is immune to it, but some do it better than others. There comes a point when a player stops playing the game, they log off one day and simply never log back in. The fact remains that they have stopped playing the game for whatever reason, and that reason is something that the game developers would LOVE to know.

All video games are fantastic outlets for feeding escapist desires. They allow us to visit different worlds, become different characters, and partake in epic tales of adventure. One thing that most video games lack is the ability to mold and craft and personalize the experience. This is where MMOs really separate themselves from the herd. MMOs allow users to create as well as consume.

As 2013 winds to a close, we often take a few moments to review the events of the preceding days. Matt Miller takes a look back at his 2013. See how his year fared and then leave us thoughts on your year in the comments.

Action for reward is a stock-in-trade with all MMOs. Players want to be rewarded for their time spent but it's a conundrum for developers. See how the issue is viewed and addressed in Matt Miller's latest column.

Tabletop gamers will understand what we mean when we say "directed experience" by fondly remembering their favorite Dungeon Masters of yore. In today's column, Mark Miller talks about how MMOs of today could benefit from a more directed experience for players. Find out what else he thinks on the topic and then leave your ideas in the comments.

Story. Lore. Theme. All of these are critical components to any MMO, and features that make the games we play somehow seem more "real" when tied in with mechanics. In his latest column, Matt Miller talks about this and much more. Read on before heading to the comments.

In his latest column, industry veteran Matt Miller takes a look at the notion of charitable action and giving as it relates to gamers and gaming. See what he has to say and then leave us your thoughts in the comments.

Monetization in today's era of the free to play MMO is always a hot topic. In his latest column, Matt Miller takes a look at what he believes makes sense for moetization. See what he thinks before adding your own ideas to the comments.

Artificial 'intelligence' is that which moves the enemies we fight. Some players want more intelligent AI, some not so much. In his latest column, Matt Miller takes a look at AI and the arguments presented by both sides. Read on and then leave your AI thoughts in the comments.

Hearthstone is Blizzard's latest addition to its stable of games, a trading-card game to boot. In his latest column, Matt Miller talks about his experiences in Hearthstone. See what he's got to say to see if you agree and then head to the comments to chat.

It's a rare treat to get a peek inside the gaming world of some of the genre's best minds. In our latest Matt Miller column, he tells us about his rig and much more. Check out "How I Roll" and then leave your thoughts in the comments.

Anticipation is something that drives most of us to buy the games we play. In his latest column, industry insider, Matt Miller, takes a look at the phenomenon both from the positive and not-so-hot sides. See what you think and then head to the comments to chat.