Combine all the addictive frenzy of boosters, precon decks, and deck-building with the usual "play until dawn" 4X space strategy game and what emerges is Star Chamber, the first release from Nayantara Studios. A CCG-cum-strategy game, it will sink its claws-gentle shades of blue-in and not let go until the sun has risen and you're doing the Legs Have Gone to Sleep Shuffle over to the coffeepot while you mutter about changes to decks and how to claim victories and more cards, ye gods, MORE CARDS!
Removing one of the principal objections to an Internet-based CCG, Nayantara wisely decided to make a trial version free. It comes with the full tutorial, solo play modes to gain some experience, and Internet play, but only with preconstructed decks. It allows the player to sample some of the delights within while keeping their wallet closed and is, in fact, a marvelous way to get hooked. The download is even a reasonable 11MB as of this writing, which is time enough to sneeze in broadband terms and small enough that our brothers and sisters on dialup won't have too much time to complain.
For those interested in moving up in the Star Chamber world, there are numerous options for card acquisition. 3 Boosters (15 random cards in each) run an easy-on-the-wallet $5.99 and it's quite possible to be competitive on $20 worth of cards, a nice change from games where $100 is considered a reasonable starting sum. Also available is a subscription plan that runs $5.99 a month and grants players 2 Boosters, 2 Event tickets, and 2 promotional cards each month. Unlike most games, where a monthly fee is required just for the privilege of accessing the game servers, the fee actually gains the player something besides another hit on the wallet.
Ah yes, Event Tickets. In addition to the usual head-to-head play, there are tournaments that require a Ticket to get in. These tournaments may result in the always-lovely "Prizes" which consist mostly of more cards and/or better, rarer cards. Another cool bit of technology is a "phantom sealed deck" tournament system, which works just like the regular tournaments, only the cards don't carry over to the main game. On the other hand, the boosters don't cost anything, which lets everyone enjoy the thrills of tournament play. Star Chamber works for everyone, from the hardcore player with hundreds to spend to the gamer on a budget who just wants to play every now and then.
The game itself is a pretty straightforward space strategy game. Each game is played one-on-one, players start out with a single homeworld and can branch out from there across the map. Planets dot each map and range from barren, empty planets to industrial worlds-more ships and people-to artifact worlds-more destiny, which is important for a cultural victory. In between are asteroid belts and nebulas and nifty eye candy, but battles are mostly waged between ships around a planet. Planets are won and lost by "Influence", which requires boots on the ground in the form of Citizens. He (or she) who gets the most Citizens on the ground owns the planet. It's possible to have a mighty fleet stationed above a planet and have no control whatsoever over the planet itself, though a blockade may be enforced, lowering production.
Three ways to win make for some interesting games. A standard military victory requires conquering the opponent's homeworld. Also available is a political route; win enough "power plays" at the Star Chamber (sort of a Galactic Senate) and victory is yours. Finally, there's the Cultural victory, which requires conquering artifact planets and doing well in the Star Chamber and not letting the other player roll up too much culture. Focus too tightly on a military victory and your opponent may well swarm the Star Chamber and win politically. On the other hand, neglecting the fleet may result in a swarm of cruisers descending on a vulnerable planet. Games are frequently tension-filled exercises in winning minute things paired with violent swings in favor of one player while the other scrambles to catch up. The only downside is games can occasionally end too soon, as one player gets on a roll and swamps the other one. Victory does not favor the slow, elaborate plans that can be a joy in 4X games.
But what about the cards? Cards provide Heroes who can provide a Presence or ensure ships fire first. Cards can power up ships, provide more power to play even more cards, and bring ships out of the very ether, which can turn the tide of battle in an instant. The cards can be used to harass or stymie an opponent, smite his or her ships, ruin his or her planet, and swing approval in the Star Chamber. The cards are everything and a fine-tuned deck is a joy to behold. I daresay that deck-building is half the fun. There's truly nothing like carefully slaving over a pile of cards, crafting them, testing them against the AI, getting smashed in head-to-head play, and taking the deck back to the drawing board. The deck builder is a joy to behold, as smooth as can be, and a little chat window remains in the corner while you work, so you can heckle opponents and be heckled while slaving over the next deck to rise from the piles of cards.
The only problems I ran into were minor. There weren't a lot of players around, but the game is only a few days old, that'll probably change. There was a single server crash that lasted a few seconds, but considering the rocky quality of most launches, that should probably be listed as a benefit. Otherwise, the game works flawlessly and, while that should be a given, in the gaming world, it usually isn't. One of the reasons to like small studios is they don't have the luxury of shoving beta releases at us like some of the majors.
It's amazing how much tension a well-played game of Star Chambergenerates-and most of them were well-played. Empires hang on the precise deployment of one card, one ship, one vote in the Star Chamber. Neglecting or forgetting plans can result in catastrophe and yet most of the game is tiny, incremental victories leading to major shifts in the outcome. If you're looking for a new CCG addiction, you can't do much better.
