https://www.sylestia.com/festival/festival_winter/snow_wars/
New Snow Wars Rewards
The following rewards have been added to Snow Wars:
A new exclusive Themed Pet:
 
Guardian Angel Griffi
This Themed Pet can be obtained by winning a match in Ranked AI or Ranked Player vs Player.
Additionally, the following titles are available from Snow Wars:
Snow Wars Mastermind: Win a match against a Tier 6 AI Opponent.
The Tactician: Win a match against a Tier 3 AI Opponent or higher without losing a single Unit.
Snow Wars Combatant: Win a ranked match against another Player.
Snow Wars Champion: Place 1st on a Snow Wars Leaderboard.
Snow Wars Veteran: Place 4th or higher on a Snow Wars Leaderboard.
Snow Wars Challenger: Place 10th or higher on a Snow Wars Leaderboard.
*I realize that the 1st through 4th place finishers of the Season 1 Leaderboard didn't receive the Titles below them. They will be awarded when the Season 2 prizes are handed out.*
Season 2 Information
Season 2 of Snow Wars has begun! It will run through the end of the Festival, January 22nd at 11:59pm.
The following changes have been made:
New AI Tiers
There are now 6 Tiers of AI Difficulty. They are as follows:
Tier 1: AI Rating of 600. Beginner level of difficulty. Awards 1 Item each victory.
Tier 2: AI Rating of 1200. Easy level of difficulty. Awards 1-2 Items each victory.
Tier 3: AI Rating of 1800. Moderate level of difficulty. Awards 1-3 Items each victory.
Tier 4: AI Rating of 2400. Hard level of difficulty. Awards 2-3 Items each victory.
Tier 5: AI Rating of 3000. Very Hard level of difficulty. Awards 2-4 Items each victory.
Tier 6: AI Rating of 3000+. Impossible level of difficulty. Awards 4 Items each victory.
As you transition from one Tier to the next, you may face either Tiers of difficulty. For example, if your Player AI Rating is between 500 and 700, you can face either a Tier 1 or Tier 2 AI Opponent.
New Player Ranked System
There are now 6 Tiers of Ranks for Player vs Player. They are as follows:
Rank 1: Player Ranked Rating of 0-399. Awards 2 Items each victory.
Rank 2: Player Ranked Rating of 400-799. Awards 2-3 Items each victory.
Rank 3: Player Ranked Rating of 800-1199. Awards 2-4 Items each victory.
Rank 4: Player Ranked Rating of 1200-1599. Awards 3-5 Items each victory.
Rank 5: Player Ranked Rating of 1600-1999. Awards 4-6 Items each victory.
Rank 6: Player Ranked Rating of 2000+. Awards 6 Items each victory.
There is now also a slight bump for Rank 1 Players to help them earn rating faster to advance to Rank 2. This should help spread out the player base so that not everyone is clumped in on the same rating.
Game Play Changes
In addition to new AI Tiers and a new Ranking system, there have also been a few changes to game play:
-Snow Fort Health reduced from 48 to 30.
-Infantry Health increased from 12 to 18.
-Skipping your Turn now deals 1 Damage to any of your Units with a valid Move action.
-Cooldown Acceleration: If any player commands only 3 Units, all Unit cooldowns reduced by 1. If any player commands only 2 Units, all Unit cooldowns reduced by 2. If any player commands just 1 Unit, all Units have no cooldown.
Loot Changes
At this time, only minor changes have been made to the loot tables. I am tired and will mess with this more tomorrow. =P
But probably the biggest notable change is that Frost Tokens have been removed from "winners" loot tables.
Season 1 Leaderboard Prizes
The Leaderboard prizes for Season 1 winners will be announced sometime tomorrow. They will also most likely be the same prizes for the eventual Season 2 winners.
Original Announcement
Snow Wars has finally been released! Click the link above to visit the page and play. Alternatively, you can navigate to the Festival Bulletin Board and select it from the listed banners.
First off, Snow Wars is very rough around the edges right now. There are a lot of things that I'd still like to add / change to the game and I will list those here. So please keep that in mind while playing.
List of Improvements Added
-Added a forfeit button so that you can submit defeat to your Opponent.
-Added a Game Log that summarizes what happens each Turn.
-Added Leaderboards for Player AI Rating and Player Ranked Rating.
-Added a ~5 second delay for the AI's Turn. This was necessary to make some future mechanics work correctly. Sorry. =P
-Added a 'Bloop' noise when it is your Turn or your Queue triggers.
List of Upcoming "Maybe" Improvements
-Add a Server-side checker that advances a game if neither Players are paying attention. Atm, a game will be paused indefinitely if both players aren't there.
-Add an 'Auto Skip' feature if you have no valid moves to make that Turn.
-Adjust item rewards and add new rewards.
-Add Titles to be earned for achievements.
-Add quick "animations" to show the Units taking action after each Turn.
That said, it does fully function and to my knowledge, there aren't any game-breaking bugs or anything like that. Just some stuff could be more friendly and other things need to be tweaked somewhat. So just keep that in mind. =)
How to Play
When on the Snow Wars page, you can click the "How to Play" button at any time to read the full Guide on... how to play! However, I will also copy and paste the Guide here for more easy access:
Starting a Match
There are 3 separate game modes in Snow Wars. You can opt to play an AI Match, a Ranked Match against a random Player, or a Friendly Match against a specific Player. Any match will require one [Snow Wars Token] to play. Every 30 minutes, you will receive one free Token up to a maximum of five. You may also add Bonus Tokens by opening Tokens from your Inventory that you find or purchase.
Additionally, all game modes offer rewards for playing, however the modes offer different quantities and qualities of rewards. Playing a Ranked Match against a random Player will yield the most rewards and the highest possible tier of rewards. Playing against an AI Opponent will yield the second most rewards, but also the highest possible tier of rewards. Playing against a Friendly Opponent will yield the least rewards and the lowest tier of rewards. All game modes will be described in more detail below.
Playing an AI Match
Playing an AI Match is essentially playing solo. You can play these matches at any time and at your own pace. Your Opponent, the AI, will use pre written scripts of code to figure out how to play and how to try and defeat you. As you win against the AI, your Player AI Rating will increase. If your Player AI Rating increases enough, you will advance to the next tier of AI Difficulty which will result in both more challenging matches and more rewards for winning.
There will also be a Leaderboard for Player AI Rating where the top players will earn special and unique rewards when the Festival ends.
Playing a Ranked Match
Playing a Ranked Match will yield you the most rewards. These matches are anonymous. While you will be playing against another Player, you will not know who they are nor will they know who you are. Additionally, these matches adhere to Turn Timers in order to prevent players AFK'ing during a match. If the Turn Timer expires, your turn will be skipped.
In order to sign up for a Ranked Match, you must Queue yourself for a match. At this point, the server will attempt to match you with a Player of similar Player Ranked Rating. If the server cannot find a suitable Opponent after 3 minutes, you will be prioritized in the Queue and will most likely be the next person to find a match regardless of your Opponent's Player Ranked Rating.
As you win or lose, your Player Ranked Rating will adjust. The adjustments are based on your rating versus that of your Opponent. The bigger the underdog you are, the more rating you'll earn for winning and less rating you'll lose for losing.
There will also be a Leaderboard for Player Ranked Rating where the top players will earn special and unique rewards when the Festival ends.
Playing a Friendly Match
Playing a Friendly Match is available for those who want to specifically play against their friends. When choosing this option, you must first select the "vs Player" category and "Wage War". This will then allow you to choose between a Ranked Match or a Friendly Match. At this point, select the Friendly Match option and submit the Player Name of the Opponent that you wish to play against. They will receive notification and then can either opt to accept or decline your invitation. If they accept, the Match will begin immediately. If they decline, you will be notified that they declined your invitation.
Playing a Friendly Match still adheres to Turn Timers and all of the normal rules of Snow Wars. However, since the risk is a bit less playing against a chosen Opponent, the rewards are not as fulfilling as the other game modes.
Placement Round
Once you have begun a match, the game begins with the Placement Round. There are three steps to the Placement Round before the match officially begins. Please note, if you are playing against another Player, both of you will only have 3 minutes to finish the Placement Round. If one of you fails to complete the Placement Round before the Turn Timer expires, the match will be cancelled. If you were ready to begin, you will be refunded your [Snow Wars Token].
Placing Your Fort
There are two ways to win a Snow Wars match. The first, and easiest, is to destroy your Opponent's Fort. The game immediately ends and you will be declared the winner. The second way of winning is by rendering your Opponent Unit-less.
In order to begin, you must place your Fort first. Select the Fort icon and then select from one of the highlighted Tiles on the Game Board. When satisfied with the location, click the "Place Unit" button to finalize this choice. Choose wisely, as once a Fort or Unit has been placed, it cannot be moved!
Placing Your Units
After you have placed your Fort, you can now place your Units onto the Game Board. You must select 8 Units to place onto the Game Board and each Unit has a certain maximum, listed below the Unit's icon.
Choose your Units wisely as different set ups will result in different counters and strategies. For example, if you decide to forgo Artillery, you will be very vulnerable to your Opponent if they decide to use Towers. You can read about Units in the "Unit Information" section of this Guide.
Once you have finished placing your last Unit, the next part will automatically start.
Using Boosts
Once all of your Units have been placed, you will now have the option of using Boosts on your Units. In order to use a Boost, select the Unit Type from the drop down menu that you wish to use a Boost on, select the Boost Card you wish to use, and then select the Unit on the Game Board that you want to Boost. When satisfied, click the "Use Boost" button to finalize.
Boosts can be obtained by participating in Festival Features or by purchasing them from the Festival Shop or Diamond Shop.
Once you are finished and ready to begin the game, you must click the "Start Game" button. Once your Opponent is also ready, the match will automatically begin.
Taking Your Turn
Once the match begins, it will be Player 1's turn. If you are playing an AI Match, you will always be Player 1 and you will have an unlimited amount of time each turn to take action. If you are playing against another Player, each Player will only have 30 seconds to make their move. If you fail to take action before the timer runs out, your turn will be skipped.
The mechanics of the game will be described below.
How to Win
The Player who destroys their Opponent's Fort will immediately win the game. Additionally, if a Player runs out of Units, they will immediately lose the game. If both Players run out of moveable Units on the same turn, the game will end in a tie.
Deciding whether you want to play Defense and try and outlast your Opponent, build an army to destroy their Fort, or build an army to destroy their Units are all various strategies that you can use to try and win.
Selecting Units, Moving, and Attacking
Please reference the following Screenshot for this section:
To select a Unit, click on any Unit highlighted in yellow. Once you've selected a Unit, it will now be highlighted in green. Additionally, all available Moves and Attacks will now be visible for this Unit.
Valid Moves are indicated with a Green Target Circle. Simply click on any Green Target Circle to move the selected Unit to that Tile. You can only move Units to empty Tiles within their Move Range.
Valid Attacks are indicated with a Red Target Circle. Simply click on any Red Target Circle to attack that Tile with the selected Unit. You can only attack enemy Units within your Unit's Attack Range.
Once you decide to either Move or Attack with any Unit, the action will immediately take place and your Turn will be over.
Skip Your Turn
Sometimes you will be in a situation where you cannot take any valid Actions. If this is the case, simply click the "Skip Your Turn" button. This will end your Turn.
However, if you skip your Turn and you had a Unit with a valid Move action available, it will incur a 1 Damage pentalty. This is to avoid Players from skipping their Turn in order to force their Opponent to take an Action first.
Frostbite Tracker
After every turn, a notch will be added to the Frostbite Tracker. Once all of the notches on the Frostbite Tracker fill up, the next Turn will result in all moveable Units taking 2 Damage from Frostbite.
The Frostbite Tracker will then reset and the process will start over. This will repeat for the duration of the game.
This mechanic prevents matches from never ending and also forces Players to strategize around the mechanic.
Cooldown Acceleration
As a Match winds down and a Player begins to command less Units, a Cooldown Acceleration will initiate for all Units. This is in place in order to speed up a Match as it winds down as well as increasing the tension towards the end of a Match. It works as follows:
If any Player commands only 1 Unit: All Units have no Cooldown.
If any Player commands only 2 Units: All Units have their Cooldowns reduced by 2.
If any Player commands only 3 Units: All Units have their Cooldowns reduced by 1.
Unit Information
This section outlines the information pertaining to each available Unit in Snow Wars. The following stats are briefly described below:
Health: This determines how much Damage a Unit can take before it is destroyed.
Damage: This determines the amount of Damage that a Unit deals when it attacks. A value of 0 indicates that this Unit cannot attack.
Move Range: This determines the amount of Tile range a Unit can move in one Turn. A value of 0 indicates that this Unit cannot move.
Attack Range: This determines the amount of Tile range that a Unit can attack over. A value of 0 indicates that this Unit cannot attack.
Cooldown: This determines the amount of your Turns that must pass before the Unit can take another action. The Cooldown is incurred after each action the Unit takes.
The Snow Fort
Health: 30
Damage: 0
Move Range: 0
Attack Range: 0
Cooldown: 0
The Snow Fort is the most important Unit on the Game Board. If your Fort is destroyed, you will immediately lose the game!
It is very vulnerable against Artillery Units.
The Ice Block Tower
Health: 24
Damage: 6
Move Range: 0
Attack Range: 1
Cooldown: 2
The Ice Block Tower is purely a defensive Unit. It cannot move from where it's placed and it is often used as a static line of defense for your Snow Fort. It deals the most Damage of any Unit, but cannot move and only has an Attack Range of 1.
It is very vulnerable against Artillery Units.
The Nutcracker Soldier
Health: 18
Damage: 2
Move Range: 1
Attack Range: 1
Cooldown: 2
The Nutcracker Soldier is the Infantry Unit of Snow Wars. It is a fairly weak Unit, however it deals Bonus Damage (+200%) against Cavalry Units.
The Reindeer Cavalry
Health: 18
Damage: 3
Move Range: 2
Attack Range: 1
Cooldown: 2
The Reindeer Cavalry is the Cavalry Unit of Snow Wars. It is fairly strong, mobile, and deals Bonus Damage (+200%) against Artillery Units.
It is very vulnerable against Infantry Units.
The Ice Cannon
Health: 18
Damage: 4
Move Range: 2
Attack Range: 2
Cooldown: 3
The Ice Cannon is the Artillery Unit of Snow Wars. It is powerful and mobile, but is the Unit with the longest Cooldown. It also deals Bonus Damage (+200%) against Forts and Towers.
It is very vulnerable against Cavalry Units. |
