Flaregate Network

The core gameplay (the underlying card game) seems absolutely amazing, but the way you engage with it really doesnt do it justice. So while I feel like it could unironically easily be one of the best CCG's on the market, atm its just kinda meh unfortuantely. The two available game modes are Campaign and Campaign (someone needs a thesaurus), and the big problem with both is that theres not really any traditional deckbuilding, which would be ok as a secondary game mode but with so many fun cards and obvious builds, I hate that being able to build a fun deck is either time gated (story) or based on RNG (adventure). These deck building restrictions are a useless attempt to reinvent-the-wheel. If you dont want it to be a TCG, make it a Deckbuilder where you unlock entire sets of cards, such as "Human - Pirate" or "Human - Invention" which are both real sub categories in the game with thier own unique mechanics. Taking half the fun out of a card game is not clever or rewarding. The Story mode is WISOTT, Human only ATM it seems, and you do deckbuild a little but youre very much on rails for the most part and it opens up VERY slowly. Its reaching a lot higher over all than the writing can carry it, thats for sure. If the characters continued the GUNDAMN esque style (instead of what ever disgusting style it is) that is used for all the other non-character cards it would be perfect, because those other cards have really good art. Otherwise the writing is very amateurish and the pacing is incredibly drawn-out, those two things making it very very difficult to stick with the story. The other mode which should be called Adventure but instead is called "Standard Campaign" (*shrug*) is interesting. The combination of card game mechanics and its adaptation into a rougelike mode work really well together as something refreshingly different, though it would still be better if it used a more deckbuilder-like system instead of pure RNG it would hands down be better, or even if you at least could start with a custom deck that has at least some kind of basic synergy or theme. Not having any MP game mode seems pretty wild. I think it goes without saying that it definitely needs to have some kind of MP game mode added ASAP. Be it 3v3, 1v1, or prefereably both, every cool looking card art or interesting mechanic or wild synergy combo, its all wasted without PvP and if this were just some shovelware game it wouldnt matter, but the gameplay is there, the card art is there, the combo's and synergies are there, so its incredibly disapointing that they are locked away as they are, even outside of the lack of MP. The audio is very basic. I dont think anyone took its creation seriously, which is a shame as you can imagine instantly how much better the experience would be with some more detail and additions like unit barks on summon. Visually its a mixed bag unfortunately. The human forces have an interesting and distinct aesthetic that I feel like instantly fits into GUNDAM, to the point I wonder why there are no mech units, but the alien forces are a bit boring. Also it would look infinitely better if it were isometric rather than this classic Flash style of JPG's sliding around, and obviously even better if it were 3D, and the fact that at least with the human units being so good looking on the cards, makes this even more unfortunate that outside of the card art they look so horrible and are literally flat. Speaking of the other factions, while its hard to tell without getting your hands on these factions, they do seem to be mechanically interesting and seem like well balanced asymetrical factions that games have failed creating competently for 20+ years, but coming from SC i guess this game had a good role model in that regard. Thats the game as it is, as i see it. I can seriously see this game being massive, or maybe a sequel of it. Potentially the next DOTA level of success from a Blizzard custom map, but if they leave it as is it will just be a Red Solstice at best. Also I would love to see the game potentially leave its strictly space restricted theme so that ground vehicles, infantry and aircraft could be added to increase the depth of the game, be it in there being more room for interesting card designs or layering unit interactions, and another personal wishlist item is a grand strategy meta game mode. I have a personal fondness for the Battletech TCG, and feel like some similarities can be drawn between this game and that.