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Eternal Card Game is a free-to-play, multi-platform digital collectible card game developed by Dire Wolf Digital (DWD). It was launched into a public open beta in November 2016 and fully released in November 2018.
Eternal is set in a unique IP created by DWD, a Weird West setting in the fictional world of Myria featuring spell-casters and gunslingers, dragons and dinosaurs, ancient mysteries and alternate dimensions. The setting is also used in their related physical deck-building game Eternal: Chronicles of the Throne (2019).
Gameplay[]
Eternal is played in 1v1 matches, between two players or against an AI opponent. Each player uses their own deck, usually created beforehand from the player's collected cards, following rules specific to a particular game format.
Basic gameplay involves each player taking turns, drawing and playing cards of varying types, managing resources, and pitting their armies of units against each other. Games are usually won by reducing the opponent's health stat from 25 to 0.
Several game modes provide variations on match setups, formats, and rules. They include story-focus Campaigns against the AI, limited formats like Draft and Leagues, and regularly occurring, limited-time events. Some modes feature a ranking system which regularly resets, giving rewards for final placement.
Advanced Rules[]
Official advanced rules for Eternal are detailed in a downloadable PDF rulebook, first published in April 2019 and available on the game's FAQ webpage.[1] It was created to document mechanics and interactions that aren't fully described in the game's tutorial and in-game glossary.
- See /Advanced Rules for more information.
Organized Play[]
DWD regularly hosts official competitive tournaments in a series culminating in a yearly Eternal World Championship.
Several community-run tournament series have also existed at various points.
- Main article: Organized Play
Business Model[]
Eternal is free-to-play—it costs nothing to download the game and create an account, and all gameplay-relevant content may be unlocked over time through regular play. Gold, a game currency primarily gained through chest rewards for winning matches and completing quests, may be used to purchase card packs, campaign and bundle sets, and entry to events and tournaments.
Money may be spent on gems, another currency used for many of the same things as gold. Gems also buy cosmetics, items such as avatars and totems which have no impact on gameplay, but let players to express themselves by customizing their appearance in-game.
Several items may only be purchased directly, such as promotional bundles that may contain unique cosmetics or alternate-art cards, or large quantities of card packs at a discount.
Sets[]
Like many collectible card games, Eternal is regularly updated with new content in the form of card sets.
Large sets of new cards, called expansions, are released several times each year with around 200-250 new cards. Expansion-set cards are available in packs, which can be purchased or gained as rewards.
Smaller sets of around 25 cards are usually released between expansions, in campaign or bundle sets. Their cards are locked until the set is purchased with gold or gems.
- Main article: Card Set
Platforms[]
Eternal is available on multiple platforms with full cross-platform play, although some platforms have a restricted feature set due to platform-specific constraints. It is playable on Windows and Mac PCs, mobile (iOS and Android), and consoles (Xbox One and Nintendo Switch). With a DWD Account, players may access their collections and progress from any platform.
- See /Platforms for more information.
Development and Timeline[]
First Eternal Gameplay Video
DWD showed Eternal's first gameplay video in February 2016.
Eternal was first seen at Pax South in January 2016, where an early version was showcased.[2] Convention-goers could play against the game's developers in cross-platform play between a PC and iPad, and get signed prints of Eternal artwork (announced in the first post of the game's Twitter account). [3] Sign-ups were opened for participation in Eternal's upcoming closed beta on the newly-launched EternalCardGame.com.[4] A few weeks later, DWD released their first gameplay video on their YouTube channel.[5] Although it had some visual differences from later iterations, the game already featured many core mechanics, cards, artwork, and interface elements which would make it to the game's public release. The developers continued showing Eternal at conventions and in gameplay livestreams on Twitch.[6]
Eternal began sending its first closed beta invites on April 18, 2016.[7] More players were gradually invited based on their sign-up dates.[8] Players were initially prohibited from publicly showing the game, though the website had a private forums for discussion among invite recipients.[9] Even with a limited playerbase, the closed beta participants organized community-run tournaments.[10]
On November 18, 2016, after a final account-wipe for its closed-beta participants (who were given a number of packs as a thank-you) and a final round of card additions, removals, and changes, Eternal transitioned into its public open beta.[11] The final list of player-collectible cards became the game's first set, The Empty Throne. The game's Windows and Mac PC versions were moved from a developer-hosted client to Steam, in the platform's Early Access program.
Eternal was fully released November 15, 2018, leaving Early Access on Steam . Shortly after, it was released on the Xbox One console.[12]
Eternal Policies[]
External Links[]
References
- ↑ DWD Eternal - Eternal: Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved August 04, 2020.
- ↑ TouchArcade - PAX South 2016: ‘Eternal’ Puts its Own Spin on the ‘Hearthstone’-Style CCG by Carter Dotson (January 29, 2016). Retrieved August 05, 2020.
- ↑ Twitter - We're giving away signed Eternal art prints... [post] by @EternalCardGame (January 30, 2016). Retrieved August 05, 2020.
- ↑ The Wayback Machine - Archive of www.eternalcardgame.com (snapshot taken February 1, 2016). Retrieved August 05, 2020.
- ↑ YouTube - First Eternal Gameplay Video [video] by Dire Wolf Digital (February 12, 2016). Retrieved August 05, 2020.
- ↑ Twitch - Eternal Card Game preview vs Patrick Chapin [livestream vod] by LSV (February 24, 2016). Retrieved August 05, 2020.
- ↑ Twitter - Closed Beta invites for... [post] by @EternalCardGame (April 15, 2016). Retrieved August 05, 2020.
- ↑ Twitter - We send out keys in waves... [post] by @EternalCardGame (May 31, 2016). Retrieved August 05, 2020.
- ↑ Twitter - We're still in Closed Beta, so no streaming for now... [post] by @EternalCardGame (May 31, 2016). Retrieved August 05, 2020.
- ↑ Scions' League Reddit Masterpost [post] by TheEarthSheep (August 06, 2016). Retrieved August 05, 2020.
- ↑ Patch notes for the open beta transition (patch 1.14), archived from the defunct Eternal community forums (source published November 18, 2016)
- ↑ DWD News - New Set & Steam Release (November 13, 2018). Retrieved August 04, 2020.