Fragpunkwill be hitting digital shelves soon, throwing itself headfirst into an incredibly competitive hero shooter scene. When it comes to standing out in such a dense market,FragPunk’s Shard Cards is a valuable asset.
In addition to its fast pace,FragPunk’s Shard Cards are its most distinguishing element. A game ofFragPunkis divided into rounds, and players can collect Shards during these rounds by getting kills, getting an assist, winning a round, and more. Between rounds, players can spend Shards activating Shard Cards, a random set of which will be presented to each team in this period. From making enemies easier to hit to imbuing attacks with elemental damage, Shard Cards can have drastic effects. Game Rant was able to sit down withFragPunk’s creative director and producer, Xin Chang, who went into depth about how this system is being developed.
Fragpunk Creative Director Explains Shard Cards
The Importance Of Shard Cards
Chang highlightedShard Cards as a key part ofFragPunk, the element that gives it a unique draw more than anything else. He noted that the incredible changes they bring to a match create experiences no game other thanFragPunkcan provide.
“The rule-bending Shard Cards make the gameplay ofFragPunkchaotic and unpredictable. In traditional demolition gameplay, players must follow a sequence of steps: scouting, searching for a site, and setting bombs. However, inFragPunk, you’re able to throw the bomb onto the site, carry the site with you, or even turn the entire map into sites—all thanks to the power of Shard Cards. No two rounds inFragPunkare governed by the same rules.”
Chang compared this corefeature ofFragPunkto “sports like soccer, basketball, and volleyball, as well as F1, boxing, and WWE.” In these sports, Chang noticed “a clear trend in the revision of rules: to prevent fixed strategies from making the game predictable. Unpredictability creates suspense, and suspense captures the audience’s attention and interest.” The team at Bad Guitar found that the lack of these revisions in the FPS giants led to “increasingly rigid and formulaic” gameplay, with “perfect tactical execution” becoming increasingly essential for progression. Shard Cards inFragPunkshould act as a way to prevent a single dominant strategy from staying on top.
How New Cards Will Be Rolled Out
Moreover, Chang also went on to detail the creation process for new cards, specifically how the team balances them withFragPunk’s other gameplay features. With new cards set to release withFragPunk’s seasonal updates, keeping them balanced with the game’s existing deck will be crucial.
“At the initial design stage of new Shard Cards, we involve our game designers, who are responsible for different modules to assess whether a card might disrupt the balance of combat, levels, and, of course, Lancers. Through this process, the development team aims to reach a consensus that a card’s ability to bend the rules is kept in check. Additionally, our QA team will conduct various tests before a card’s release to ensure it does not disrupt the game’s balance. We will also closely monitor card balance afterFragPunk’s official release and make timely adjustments as needed.”
Considering the competition,FragPunkneeds to get Shard Cards right, so it’s good to see how much the team is investing in their balance. Bad Guitar is also balancing for the inherent RNG aspect ofFragPunk’s Shard Cards, though those who dislike this random element shouldn’t expect any sort of reversal.
