We enjoyed the fact that Comic Images created two distinct playing phases that occur simultaneously during missions. The Hero is the player who’s attempting to complete each mission while the Villain player is simultaneously playing cards in a desperate attempt to derail the Hero’s plans. This is where the Villain Score victory condition (the third type) comes into play. At the end of any mission failed by the Hero player, the Villain is allowed to score the Adversary (a card type specifically used while playing as the Villain) he played during that mission. These Villain totals can win the game as easily as gaining experience points or glyphs.
How this translates into an online format is the big question but it’s ably answered by SOE’s game-client. The program’s slick interface offers everything an online TCG gamer could want and then some, including the ability to create and save decks, play a skirmish match versus the AI, a fully-featured collection utility (that enables online trading as well as setting flags for cards you need or can trade), an extremely helpful tutorial to get you playing as soon as possible, and casual as well as tournament play areas.
