I spoke with the creator of Legions of Will- here are his answers to my questions:
Q: Please describe your trading card game!
A: Legions of Will takes place during a time where humans are fighting for their survival with and against all sorts of unique beings.
This universe consists of Biterrians, Demons and biblically-accurate Angels. The gameplay is centered around building and protecting your three unique bases while trying to destroy your opponent's three bases in order to win.
Q: What inspired you to create a TCG?
A: I was playing a lot of Magic and it was really difficult to coordinate with others and introduce the game to friends and family. Then, I had this dream I was playing this card game and so when I woke up I wrote down the unique aspects of it, everything that I could remember and immediately started working on what became Legions of Will.
Q: What TCGs did you grow up playing as a kid?
A: Growing up in the 90s, I played a lot of Pokemon and then as I got older I got into Yugioh and Harry Potter as well. I collected Digimon, but never even tried to learn.
Q: What sets Legions of Will apart from other TCGs?
A: I wanted to create a game that is easy to understand just by looking at the cards and is easy to learn. Your maximum hand size is two and you don't draw cards at the beginning of your turn, instead you draw a card when you play a card.
The bases produce resource, which you gain at the beginning of your turn and also have a capacity limit. So, the game is really is to learn due to having limits on hand size, board precense, resource and having a built in draw engine.
The game can get complex and competitive depending on the decks you build, however I wanted to eliminate some of the issues with MTG and create a very low barrier of entry. Also, your units have a will and power stat. In order to attack, your units have to meet a will requirement by rolling a d12.
This bit of chance or luck can turn a game around and helps curb players from being stuck in a complete disadvantage.
Q: How long have you been working on the game?
A: I've been working on Legions of Will for about two years now. We've released two waves of samples cards and are about to release the final wave of samples soon! So far, a total of 162 cards have been designed, printed and played.
Q: How did you come up with the name Legions of Will?
A: The name Legions of Will sort of came about intuitively. 'Legions' represents the armies of units you control and 'Will' referencing the will mechanic that decides whether or not your units will attack.
Q: What is the illustration/design process like?
A: I currently have four main artists who I work with and who understand the game's lore and philosophy really well. Sometimes they'll feel inspired and create an illustration, then I'll design the card based on the art.
For the most part, there are a lot of cards necessary to create the gameplay and so I'll design the cards needed and usually work together with the artist to brainstorm the best representation of that card's effect.
I've just completed a 255 card set and being that this is the first set of Legions of Will, it was important to get the right mechanics into the game now. I'm drafting the designs for the second set and will be able to have a lot more fun by introducing more unique characters and mechanics, now that the foundation of the game has been laid out.
Q: Will you be at any upcoming conventions?
A: I do plan on making it to some conventions. However, right now with work and family it's a bit difficult. I do have some plans for representing Legions of Will and you'll even be able to find some exclusive promo cards at Kansas City and Ocala!
Q: What are your future plans for Legions of Will?
A: With this first set now complete, I plan on launching Kickstarter very soon, which will give everyone an oppurtunity to get their hands on the full booster box set. This set is draftable for players and I will be keeping the campaign simple by focusing on the game, fullfilling booster boxes and theme decks.
After Kickstarter fullfillment and 1st edition, I plan on releasing the second set codenamed 'Forgotten Tribes'. I am currently drafting out the lore, cards and mechanics.
Legions of Will is available on Tabletop Simultor, so I will continue to update that with all of the new cards. I also plan on working with local game stores in carrying products. I've spoken with a lot of owners and I'll be offering no minimum orders for brick and mortars to help encourage them on carrying new products.
Q: Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own TCG?
A: I would focus on the gameplay and work with your community. Everything else will fall into place. If you create a unique game that your passionate about and that is fun to play, then you'll always have support.
Don't focus on trying to get rich, you will have to dedicate a lot of time and money for your project. If that's your true goal, then you'll run into a lot of issues.
If your dream is to make a TCG that people will enjoy, then you'll be able to accomplish that very easily.
For more, check out @legionsofwilltcg on Instagram, and legionsofwill.com
Great interview!!
ReplyDelete