Legends of Runeterra
| Legends of Runeterra | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | Riot Games | ||
| Publisher | Riot Games | ||
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
April 28, 2020 | ||
| platform | Microsoft Windows , iOS , Android | ||
| genre | Online trading card game, strategy | ||
| Subject | Fantasy | ||
| Game mode | Single player , multiplayer | ||
| Current version |
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| Age rating |
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Legends of Runeterra (abbreviation: LoR) is a free-to-play online trading card game that was developed by the publisher Riot Games .
The game was released in October 2019 as part of the 10th anniversary of the publisher, who until then had only released the successful title League of Legends , together with a number of other future games both for the computer and for the smartphone (iOS and Android) announced. The open beta phase of the game started on January 24, 2020, previously there were two closed test phases in October and November 2019, at the end of which all game accounts were reset.
On April 28, 2020, the game was released with version 1.0 including a new card set and an additional region.
Basics
Legends of Runeterra ( LoR ) is set in the League of Legends universe . From there, MOBA players can find regions and champions in LoR, for example.
The champion's skills and stories are also taken from League of Legends, so each champion playing card has its own unique abilities.
In addition to champions, Legends of Runeterra also has other units (pets) and spells in three categories (fast, instant, slow).
Each map is assigned to a region of the fictional and eponymous continent "Runeterra".
A Legends of Runeterra card deck consists of 40 cards, of which a maximum of six champions may be included. Each deck may also only contain cards from two different regions, which can be clearly seen on the deck preview image.
Gameplay
Legends of Runeterra is played on a turn-based basis. The aim of the game is to destroy the opposing nexus through attacks and spells. Both players' nexus has a maximum health of 20 points.
Each card has its own mana cost that is due when the card is played. At the beginning of each round, the mana is completely replenished and the maximum mana is increased by 1. For the first round, each player has 1 mana available, for the second 2, and so on, up to 10 mana points. At the end of each round, unused mana is transferred to a separate memory for "magic mana", which can hold a maximum of 3 mana points and can only be used for magic cards. The remaining mana expires.
The players can take turns playing units in each round. The player with the right to attack may lead an attack, but does not have to do so. Attacking units of the opponent can be blocked by your own played units. If a unit is not blocked, it will attack the opposing nexus directly. When both players have played all the cards they want, the round is ended, the mana is replenished according to the new round and the right to attack is given to the other player.
Regions
At the beginning of the open beta phase in January 2020, the game was released with six regions, which will be expanded as planned in later updates. Every map in Legends of Runeterra is assigned to one of these regions, regardless of whether it is spells, normal units or champions. Each region has its own peculiarities, which often match the style of the associated champions and can be combined with their skills.
| region | Champions |
|---|---|
| Demacia | Lucian, Fiora, Garen, Lux, Quinn |
| Freljord | Braum, Ashe, Anivia, Tryndamere, Sejuani |
| Ionia | Zed, Shen, Yasuo, Karma, Lee Sin |
| Noxus | Draven, Katarina, Vladimir, Darius, Swain |
| Piltover & Zaun | Teemo, Ezreal, Jinx, Heimerdinger, Vi |
| Shadow islands | Elise, Kalista, Thresh, Hecarim, Maokai |
| Bilgewater (new) | Fizz, Gangplank, Miss Fortune, Twisted Fate, Nautilus |
units
Units in LoR have different values for mana, attack and defense. These values can be changed to a certain extent; Changes in favor of the owner are indicated by green numbers - changes to his disadvantage by red numbers.
The mana value of a unit shows the mana cost that must be paid to play the card. The cheapest cards cost 0 mana, the currently most expensive card "Call of the War Mother" costs 12 mana.
The attack value of a card (lower left on a yellow background) defines the damage it inflicts on enemy units or the Nexus when attacked.
The defense value of a card (lower right on a red background) defines the current life of a card. If the unit is dealt damage, it is permanent and is not reset at the end of the turn (an exception are units with the recovery keyword). If the defense value of a unit reaches a value ≤0, it dies and is removed from the field.
Units are also divided into companions and champions. Every champion in LoR was taken from the League of Legends game and both values and skills were based on the template. All champions have the option of leveling up, for which a condition indicated on the map must be met. A level up usually increases the champion's attack points and also gives him an additional effect. All remaining playable units are companions.
In addition to their values, units can have various effects and one or more of the following keywords:
| keyword | impact |
|---|---|
| Direct attack | Strikes in front of the enemy when attacking |
| barrier | Completely blocks the first source of damage in the current round |
| Intangible | Cannot be repulsed by other units unless they are also intangible |
| challenger | That unit can choose which defender to block |
| Threatening | Enemies with less than 3 strength cannot repel this unit |
| Overwhelm | Excess damage to a defending enemy is passed on to the opposing nexus |
| Robbery of life | The damage caused by an attack heals your own nexus |
| Robust | Any damage this unit takes is reduced by 1 |
| recreation | At the beginning of a round, the life of this unit recovers completely |
| Freeze | Sets the strength of a unit to 0 for the current round |
| Incapable of defense | This unit cannot be used to repel attacks |
| Ephemeral | If this unit attacks or the round ends, it then dies |
| Immobile | This unit cannot attack or repel attacks |
| Scout | If only scout units attack, they can be attacked a second time |
| depth | If there are less than 15 cards in the deck, the unit takes 3 damage and 3 lives |
| Plunder | This keyword is activated when the card is played after your attack |
| loyalty | This keyword is enabled when the card is from the same region as the top card on the deck |
| Enlightened | This keyword is activated when you have 10 manastones |
| Last wish | This keyword is activated when the unit dies |
| Destroy | A card is removed from the playing field. Last wish will not activate as it does not count as ordinary death |
| Tune in | When the unit is summoned, a spell mana is replenished |
| Mobilize | The player receives the right to attack if he does not already have it |
| Numb | A stunned unit cannot attack or repel for one round |
| Vulnerable | A vulnerable unit can be forced by any enemy unit to repel its attack |
Magic
Legends of Runeterra has spells with three different attributes:
- Immediately → Immediate spells are cast immediately, the opponent can only react afterwards.
- fast → Quick spells can be used at any time, e.g. even in combat, to be played. However, the opponent has the chance to react with his own spell before it is cast.
- Slow → Slow spells can only be cast outside of a fight. The opponent also has the chance to react with a quick or instant spell.
If a spell is reacted to, the last spell played is cast first. The reaction of a spell can also be reacted to, so that a chain of several spells can arise.
Combat system
In Legends of Runeterra, the right to attack changes after each round.
If a player has the right to attack, he may initiate the attack at any time with any number of played units. Depending on the tactical advantage, this can happen before, between or after units are played. The order in which the attacking units are drawn onto the battlefield is important for the order of attack. Combining this order, different spells as well as units and champions and their skills and keywords results in increased strategic complexity.
Monetization
As Executive Producers Jeff Jew and Andrew Yip of Riot Games explained in the unveiling video for Legends of Runeterra, the common monetization models were through loot boxes and booster packs from industry competitors such as Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft and the associated frustration from the high amount of money required or time for the developer to get inspiration to create a new system: the "wildcards". Using these wildcards, which can be unlocked by playing and only available for purchase in limited numbers, any desired card can be activated directly. In this way, a deck of wish cards can be designed with significantly less effort than is usual in comparable games.
Since loot boxes are often viewed critically by the broad gaming community, and legislators are increasingly concerned with the issue of gambling in games through loot boxes, there was a lot of positive feedback from players and video game editors for this new approach.
The wildcard system combines the two approaches, on the one hand enabling a quick creation of the desired deck and on the other hand giving the players the opportunity to gradually collect and activate more cards. Chargeable loot boxes are completely dispensed with in favor of wildcards, but after feedback from the first testers, free loot boxes have been implemented that contain random cards from a region determined by the player in order to offer the fun of opening random packages.
As in League of Legends, Riot Games wants Legends of Runeterra to be financed through cosmetic content such as different card backs or the "protector" who romps around on the interchangeable playing field but has no effect on the game itself.
Tournaments and eSports
The first official tournament in Legends of Runeterra was played on the days after the publication of the open beta phase at DreamHack 2020 in Leipzig. Publisher Riot Games spent a total of EUR 3,000.00 in prize money for the tournament, half of which was distributed to the winner, 4viendha.
Riot Games would like to focus on the game, but does not rule out a later development of a competitive scene. Riot Games works with artistic partners for Legends of Runeterra.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d Legends of Runeterra. Retrieved January 27, 2020 .
- ↑ Freaks 4U Gaming GmbH freaks4u.com: Legends of Runeterra: Riot Games announces card game. Retrieved January 27, 2020 .
- Jump up ↑ Map of Runeterra - Universe - League of Legends. Retrieved January 27, 2020 .
- ↑ Legends of Runeterra. Retrieved February 5, 2020 .
- ↑ Legends of Runeterra: Open Beta is about to start. In: gaming-grounds.de. January 13, 2020, accessed February 5, 2020 .
- ↑ What are keywords and how do they work in combat? Retrieved May 7, 2020 .
- ↑ Legends of Runeterra: Beginners Guide - Everything You Need to Know. In: Mein-MMO.de. January 27, 2020, accessed February 5, 2020 .
- ↑ Legends of Runeterra: Unveiling | Official announcement and first look. Retrieved January 27, 2020 .
- ↑ Sport1.de: Gambling! FIFA 18 threatens to be banned in Belgium because of loot boxes. Retrieved January 27, 2020 .
- ↑ a b Legends of Runeterra - Even Jan Böhmermann could like that. Retrieved January 27, 2020 .
- ↑ [Ext] Legends of Runeterra - Flo vs 4viendha. In: Toornament. Webedia SA, France, accessed January 27, 2020 .
- ↑ [Ext] Legends of Runeterra. In: Toornament. Webedia SA, France, accessed January 27, 2020 .