Ortus Regni

tgb · September 15, 2015, 10:24:54 AM

I understand this game made quite the splash at Origins last year. While looking through the latest releases waiting in the Greenlight section, I came across this digital version. 1.0 is free, comes with all the cards, and has no micro-transactions. 1.0 is available now, and the developers are trying to get 1.2 approved, the difference being greater online functionality.

Essentially players are all Earls, and the object of the game is to get the other players out of the game through combat, politics, or treachery. At some point an additional AI controlled faction, the Vikings, join the game, and the player who has curried the most favor up to that point gets access to the Viking deck for combat.

Halfway through the tutorials, I can see this is a deep card game, and very different from MtG and others of that ilk. I can already see reading a manual in my future.

Have I mentioned it's free?

tgb · September 15, 2015, 10:36:49 AM

I just found this brief video from Gencon that give a pretty comprehensive overview. Apparently the free version is against AI players only, but if you want to play on line it's $5 to upgrade.

I'm happy playing the A.I. from time to time.

JasonPratt · September 15, 2015, 02:16:02 PM

I would Greenlight this puppy if it existed on Greenlight...

tgb · September 15, 2015, 02:59:28 PM

Quote from: JasonPratt on September 15, 2015, 02:16:02 PM
I would Greenlight this puppy if it existed on Greenlight...

It does. That's where I stumbled across it this morning.

spelk · September 15, 2015, 04:28:53 PM

Oh my word, what a find! Well done tgb! this has my name all over it!

tgb · September 15, 2015, 09:17:30 PM

I got my ass kicked in my first game against 1 Easy AI player for 2 reasons - 1)I didn't understand and play my hand correctly and 2) he completely dominated the "influence the Vikings" sub game and kept attacking with Viking armies that he controlled.

In the end, because I didn't hand over the fiefdom to a successor when I had the chance, I just died of old age with no heir and it was game over.

But I enjoyed it a lot. I think I'll pop for the $5 just as a show of support.

tgb · September 15, 2015, 11:33:21 PM

After a couple of very short games where I was almost immediately wiped out, I beat the Easy AI player using the default mililtary-oriented deck. It helped that both times I challenged it to a joust, it had to concede a castle because it had no one to send forth, and in the one battle that would have wiped out my entire army and most of my fiefdom, the Defender Wins resolution card came up.

JasonPratt · September 16, 2015, 05:50:23 AM

Quote from: tgb on September 15, 2015, 02:59:28 PM
Quote from: JasonPratt on September 15, 2015, 02:16:02 PM
I would Greenlight this puppy if it existed on Greenlight...

It does. That's where I stumbled across it this morning.

I searched for it on Greenlight and found nothing.

And yet this morning, there it is on the top three GL proposals when I went to the page.

Don't know why there was a difference. Perhaps the search function on the Greenlight page only searches for released games?? ???

Oh well, promptly Greenlighted. Greenlit. Whichever.

tgb · September 16, 2015, 07:15:17 AM

Not to beat a dead horse, but just to show the flexibility in play -

I just beat the Easy AI (again) playing with a Church deck. I never directly attacked, since having no land cards, I couldn't raise an army. Instead I built a series of castles ruled by either an Abbot Lord or a Vassal Lord, and quickly built the Cathedral so my opponent couldn't bequeath his Fiefdom to an heir. I sent so many emissaries to the Viking encampment that by the time they entered the game I had almost complete control.

I then used the Viking hordes to commit raids on the AI's holdings to the point where he had nothing left.

Time to increase the difficulty and try against multiple AI opponents. I really like this game a lot. I just wish it had asynch play.

JasonPratt · September 16, 2015, 11:46:27 AM

Alt-history mind boggling at the Church sending the Vikings out on raids.

tgb · September 16, 2015, 11:53:18 AM

I just heard from the developer, and it appears asynch play is supported in the "Challenge friends" mode. Email notifications won't be implemented until 1.2 so we have to check for ourselves to see whose turn it is.

Also, if you look at the "mats" tab on their website, it's a series of setups for different variations and house rules. The developer said they are working on getting some of them implemented for 1.2

Boggit · September 17, 2015, 06:09:17 PM

It sounds very interesting. O0

tgb · September 21, 2015, 02:26:57 PM

I was involved in a couple of asynch games over the weekend and they were great. You guys need to jump on this while it's still free/$4.

Nefaro · September 21, 2015, 04:05:00 PM

I downloaded it but haven't installed yet due to the World of Warships addiction.

tgb · April 02, 2016, 08:37:25 AM

With the release of 1.2 yesterday, the best game of 2015 that nobody plays went completely free. No paywall, no in-app purchases. The developer even offered to refund the $4 I paid for it last year.

So now you mutts have no excuses. I've played several asynch games against people on other boards, and they were a blast. Learn the game so we can get something set up here.