Reactions and Traits
One of the most unique feature set of Card Hunter lies in its reaction mechanics. In fact, it is so unique that the developer diaries contain three chapters (Jon talks about reactions,Skaff Elias talks about reactions,developers talk about more reactions) worth of explanations on the history, motivation and implementation. Readers are advised to browse the links for in-depth information and key insights. Another distinct gameplay feature revolves around the Trait mechanic. While card reactions provide a subtle way of streamlining gameplay flow, traits present more strategic deck building depth to the player. This guide presents some basics with regard to reactions and traits with examples of commonly encountered cards. Readers are advised to browse the Keywords guides for detailed information.
Reactions
A reaction consists of a trigger condition, trigger effect and a trigger result. A trigger condition refers to the state required for the reaction to manifest/activate. Trigger effect refers to the function of the reaction while the trigger result refers to the outcome of the reaction. As reactions are tied to actions/state of the game itself, bounded action space translates into bounded reaction types. There are currently 6 broad types of reactions.
| Reaction | Trigger condition | Trigger effect | Trigger result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armor | Incoming damage + dice roll (optional) | Damage type damage reduction | Modified/unmodified damage value passed |
| Block | Incoming attack + dice roll (optional) | Attack type negation | Modified/unmodified attack passed |
| Boost | Change in game state/action + dice roll (optional) | Add/enhance game state/action | Apply additions/enhancement |
| Handicap | Change in game state/action + dice roll (optional) | Add negative state/action | Apply negative state |
| Move | Change in unit position + dice roll (optional) | Modify movement range | Modified/unmodified value passed |
| Special | Unique game state/action | Unique gameplay effect | Modified/unmodified effect passed |
