01 May 2007

Digital Dojo, the Digital Gamers Inc. original card with a martial arts twist, is moving into public beta testing. Take on the role of a martial arts student and compete in tournaments for the right to call yourself a martial arts master!

Digital Dojo captures the excitement of martial arts competition through the mechanic of a card game. Players begin by selecting a character, then fight a match by playing cards representing the actions they wish to perform during the match.

OVERVIEW

A character is defined by three physical attributes: attack (a composite of physical strength and basic skill in attacking), defend (a composite of physical toughness and basic skill in defending), and chi (a measure of total endurance). Each attribute has a rank from one to seven. A character also has a pool of chi points which are used to perform actions during a match.

A character also has expertise in nine skills (the three attack skills of strike, kick, vital; the three defend skills of evade, block, hold; the three chi skills of move, throw, focus). Each skill has an expertise from zero to seven.

In the course of a match, a player will choose a card representing one of the nine skills, and one or more special moves associated with the chosen skill, as their action for the current combat round. The cards selected by each player will give bonuses and penalties to their attack and defend ratings. Whether an action succeeds is randomly determined based on the ratio of the attacker's total attack to the defender's total defend.

THE PLAYING CARDS

There are seven types of cards used in Digital Dojo: School, Skill, Special Move, Weapon, Chi, Mishap, and Effect (School, Weapon, Chi, and Mishap cards are not included in the basic set; they will be added in future expansions).

Skill Cards

Skill cards represent the action that you perform in a round of combat. A skill may be used to attack your foe, defend against attacks from your foe, or attempt to gain an advantage in a subsequent round.

Special Move Cards

Special Move cards represent a technique that you use in a round of combat. The special move may increase the damage you deal to the opponent, affect your recovery of lost action points, or trigger some effect on you or your opponent.

Effect Cards

Effect cards represent some bonus or penalty on the player resulting from an action in the previous combat round. Effects may be harmful (indicated by a red background color) or beneficial (indicated by a green background color). Effect cards come into play (generally) as the result of an action in an earlier combat round or (sometimes) as a result of a Mishap.

School Cards

School cards represent the particular martial arts that may be used in a match. Depending on the type of match, you may be allowed to switch schools during the match or may be required to fight the entire match using the style of the school you choose at the beginning of the match. (Purists take note that schools represent different arts such as Taekwondo, Judo, or Aikido; rather than different schools within a particular art, such as Taekwondo's nine schools of Chung Do Kwan, Moo Duk Kwan, Song Moo Kwan, Chang Moo Kwan, Jidokwan, Han Moo Kwan, Oh Do Kwan, Kang Duk Kwan, and Jung Do Kwan).

School cards will be added in a future expansion.

Weapon Cards

Weapon cards represent the martial arts weapon you may use during a match. Depending on the type of match, you may be allowed to switch weapons during the match or may be required to fight the entire match using the weapon you choose at the beginning of the match.

Weapon cards will be added in a future expansion.

Chi (or Kiai, or Kiyop) Cards

Chi cards represent instantaneous actions you may take in the middle of a combat round, after your cards and your opponent's cards have been exposed. With these actions you attempt to focus your energy, startle your opponent, or protect yourself in order to gain an advantage in the round.

Chi cards will be added in a future expansion.

Mishap Cards

Mishap cards represent the unintended consequences that may occur from a failed attack. Mishaps can occur when a player attempts a special move with a minimum skill requirement higher than the player's current skill. A mishap (such as Mishap: Injury) can radically change the course of a game, and may carry penalties (including automatic match loss) for the player causing the mishap.

Mishap cards will be added in a future expansion.

FIGHTING THE MATCH

A match is fought in a series of combat rounds. Each round includes six phases: select, reveal, fast, attack, special, and recover. For persistent online characters, a seventh experience phase follows the recover phase.

Select Phase

In this phase you select the skill and special move (or moves) you will use in the current round.

Reveal Phase

In this phase the cards selected by you and your opponent are turned face-up. Chi cards may be played during this phase.

Fast Phase

If either you or your opponent used a special move with the FAST attribute or are under the FOCUS: Fast Attack effect, then the fast attack (and any effects that it triggers) are resolved now. Chi cards may be played during this phase, and mishaps may occur during this phase.

Attack Phase

All normal attacks are resolved now. Chi cards may be played during this phase, and mishaps may occur during this phase.

Special Phase

Effects triggered by the chosen special moves are applied now. Chi cards may be played during this phase.

Recover Phase

Action points are recovered, and expired effects are removed. You recover one action point at the end of each round in which your opponent fails to damage you. Action points are also recovered by playing one of the DEFEND skills (Evade, Block, Hold), or from the FOCUS: Meditate effect. Chi cards may be played during this phase.

Experience Phase

If playing with a persistent online character, you may earn an experience point in the skill you used, in the attribute the skill is based on, or in the chi attribute.

ENDING THE MATCH

The match ends when one player has been reduced to zero chi points.

BETA ENROLLMENT

If this overview of Digital Dojo has piqued your interest, you may apply for a beta test position here.