Arcomage is a computerized card game

Card game

A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games...

 produced by The 3DO Company

The 3DO Company

The 3DO Company , also known as 3DO , was a video game company...

. It originated as a minigame

Minigame

A minigame is a short video game often contained within another video game. A minigame is always smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game...

 in Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor

Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor

Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor is a role playing game published in 1999 by 3DO and developed by New World Computing, and is the predecessor of Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer...

and Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer

Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer

Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer is a computer role-playing game developed for Microsoft Windows by New World Computing and released in 2000 by the 3DO Company. It is the eighth game in the Might and Magic series...

, in which it was used to gamble for in-game money or to complete a quest to win games in every tavern. 3DO later released it as a stand-alone game in 2000. In the stand-alone version a single player can play against a computer opponent or two players can play via a LAN

Län

Län and lääni refer to the administrative divisions used in Sweden and previously in Finland. The provinces of Finland were abolished on January 1, 2010....

 or TCP/IP

Internet protocol suite

The Internet protocol suite is the set of communications protocols used for the Internet and other similar networks. It is commonly known as TCP/IP from its most important protocols: Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol , which were the first networking protocols defined in this...

 connection. Arcomage uses the fantasy themes of the game in which it is set.

Arcomage was developed by Stickman Games. The game was sold to 3DO.

Gameplay

Arcomage takes the form of a tabletop game

Tabletop game

Tabletop game is a general term used to refer to board games, card games, dice games, miniatures wargames, tile-based games and other games that are normally played on a table or other flat surface...

, in which there are two player

Player (game)

A player of a game is a participant therein. The term 'player' is used with this same meaning both in game theory and in ordinary recreational games....

s, each with a deck of cards, a "tower" and a "wall", as well as several other variables that determine whether they win or lose, and what cards they can play. As Might and Magic is a single-player game, one would always play against an AI

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...

 opponent - making the game relatively easy to win.

Players take it in turns to:

• Draw the appropriate number of card
  Playing card
  A playing card is a piece of specially prepared heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic, marked with distinguishing motifs and used as one of a set for playing card games...
  
  s to complete their 6-part deck (one or more cards would have been played or discarded during their previous turn)
• Either play or discard a card, depending on their options - in some cases discard will be the only option available, as the player might not have the appropriate amount of "gems", "bricks" or "recruits".
• If their chosen card allows it, play again and/or choose a card to discard.

Every tavern has its different victory conditions, so players must adapt their styles for different situations.

As well as having a "Tower", "Wall" and Deck of Cards, each player also has:

• "Quarry" - controls how many "bricks" are gained each turn
• "Bricks" - spent on brick cards
• "Magic" - controls how many "gems" are gained each turn
• "Gems" - spent on gem cards
• "Dungeon" - controls how many "recruits" are gained each turn
• "Recruits" - spent on recruit cards

Arcomage employs a wide range of cards, each with their own name, effects and picture. Several cards were added to the original deck in Might and Magic VIII. Examples include:

• Faerie (recruit card): 2 damage (to enemy tower/wall); play Again. Cost: 1 recruit.
• Portcullis (brick card): +5 wall; +1 dungeon. Cost: 9 bricks.
• Sanctuary (gem card): + 10 tower; +5 wall; gain 5 recruits. Cost: 15 gems.

Other versions

Various open-source Arcomage projects have sought to keep Archomage alive on the internet in player-versus-player battle. Some, like Arcomage.net, have expanded Arcomage and added new cards, effects, and factions.

External links

• http://arcomage.net/Play Arcomage Enhanced NOW against people from all over the world!
• Arcomage Tribute open source project
• original Arcomage cards