Development Thread - *Updated (2/12/17)

Hibernum_Will

Hi everyone!

We are back with another Development Thread! It’s time again to chat about where Magic: The Gathering - Puzzle Quest is heading - and address some of your questions.

The team has been busy working on the new Aether Revolt card set and a few other surprises too! We’ve been following along with the discussion on the forums - and wanted to take some time to address some questions that have come up. The feedback that the community provides is extremely useful! Keep it coming!

Without further adieu, let’s answer some questions:

What’s changed since the last Developer’s Thread?

Before the Holidays, we implemented some important changes. In addition to a number of bug fixes and performance improvements, we closed a potential exploit in Coalition Events. In addition, we introduced the Inventor’s Fair Event. Each month we want to run one special event - with better rewards and tougher competition. Since the Holidays, we’ve added the Social Invite system. Friends should be able to help friends - and the Social Invite system is the first step in that direction. We wanted to give you the ability to help out your friends - and give them an edge when joining the game. It’s great to see so many people engaging with the system! Finally, we’ve been working hard on the new Aether Revolt cards as well as a number of new Events. We’re excited to have them in-game!

What's up next for Magic: The Gathering - Puzzle Quest?

We are adding a Battle Log to the game to help de-mystify matches - especially for new players. During an encounter, the Battle Log will keep track of the cards that you and your opponent played, as well as other critical information about the battle. You can access the Battle Log at any time during an encounter, letting you review cards and actions you may have missed. As well, you'll be able to review the Battle Log at the end of an encounter.

We also have a handful of new Events that we’ll be rolling out over the course of February. Keep an eye out for them!

Finally, over the next few months, we are adding multiple deck slots for each Planeswalker.

Did you say multiple deck slots?

I did! They’re part of a larger feature we’ve been working on that aims to help new players with deck building, and should also provide some interesting opportunities for Events. We don’t have a firm release date - but the feature should be in-game within the next few months. Hopefully I can share more details soon!

Do you plan on rebalancing cards or Planeswalkers?

Yes - but only when needed. We’re constantly looking at metrics and evaluating the state of the meta-game; however, we want to avoid making changes before the meta has had a chance to settle. Sometimes certain cards and Planeswalkers will initially appear very powerful until the community figures out how to successfully counter them. Other times we will release new cards which inadvertently boost an underplayed Planeswalker. If certains cards or Planeswalkers remain consistently over- or under-played we’ll definitely look at rebalancing them.

Are there any plans to update how matchmaking works?

Yes! We’re working on this as part of a larger update - but we hope to have it in-game in the next few months. Our long-term vision for matchmaking consists of three major changes. First, we want to change the “first-come-first-served” tie-breaking rule where the first player to reach a score wins a tie on the leaderboard. Everyone should have an equal chance, regardless of their time-zone. Second, you’ll only encounter Planeswalkers that fit the restrictions of the Event; that means no more matches against Koth when playing Terrors in the Shadows! Finally, we want to increase the variety of opponents you encounter in Events. Playing the same opponent over and over isn’t fun! We’re continually looking at ways to improve matchmaking - keep up the great feedback!

What’s up with players getting thousands of points in Quick Battle?

We’ve had a number of reports of suspicious scores in Quick Battle and Events over the last month. We take cheating very seriously; competition is only fun if it’s fair. We investigate each report of cheating individually - which can take time. However, in the vast majority of cases, players are playing by the rules.

Magic: The Gathering - Puzzle Quest has a strong community of dedicated players!

Thanks again for all the wonderful feedback! Keep an eye out for upcoming Development Threads - there’s lots more to discuss! In the meantime, thank you for playing Magic: The Gathering - Puzzle Quest!