In the world of poker, many of its best players have been able to develop their talents – or transfer their abilities – from the world of role playing games, or RPGs, to the green baize. Through playing such games as Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, Hearthstone and a litany of other strategic endeavors, some of poker’s best players honed their skills into the strategic masterminds that they have become today. Now two game developers are looking to merge the two genres – role playing games and poker – into one overall game that does look intriguing.
Alexander Petukh and Alexander Bernat have been working on the concept of the new game, called Lord of Poker, for more than a year now, with Petukh working on the game concepts and Bernat contributing his knowledge of poker to the mix. Along with an outstanding and knowledgeable team of developers, managers and directors from their home country of Belarus, Petukh and Bernat have created a complex world that involves the best of role playing games but also drawing the skills involved in being a superb poker player into the mix also. There are also elements of a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) in development, as Petukh and Bernat eventually intend for individuals to be able to play in an open world.
In an attempt to reach their eventual goal, the team behind Lord of Poker has created a Kickstarter page to solicit donations to aid in completing the project. Scheduled to run through May 3, the LoP Game Corporation is looking to raise $100,000 that would fully fund the project and bring it to the market. There are goals of bringing Lord of Poker to not only Mac and PC systems but also to bring it to mobile phones and tablets.
From a neophyte to such a game genre (hey, played D&D a bit but never deeply), the Lord of Poker universe does look fascinating. The player – the “hero” – gets to choose what class he/she wants to be: an assassin, a paladin, a wizard, a druid or a monk (this is a special class for those who donate to the Kickstarter campaign) and choose male or female. Each of these classes have certain “poker attributes” that enable them to be better at certain tactics than others. For example, the paladin will be better at straight on combat than the wizard, while the wizard will employ more trickery than the paladin. This all comes to bear in the way the game story is explained.
Directly from the Kickstarter page, the developers say that the game’s story is this:
“In ancient times, nearly forgotten, poker was more than just a game. It was a way to resolve the deepest conflicts. In those days of yore, the ability to win at poker was closely connected with the knowledge of a secret poker magic. However, all Magic has a dark side, and over time some players were engulfed by greed and the influence of sinister forces. Rather than play by the rules, they sought to gain an advantage over others by any means, no matter how evil. Countless hands were won by these ruthless players.”
“The strongest among them vanquished many worthy opponents and accumulated an unimaginable fortune of gold and jewels, but as his power grew so his greed grew alongside it. He became a tyrant, known as the Dark Lord. And to preserve his wealth forever, the Dark Lord outlawed the use of Magic in poker. In the centuries since, most players have forgotten their hidden abilities and connection to Magic, relying instead on logic, reason, and intuition. As a result, poker has become the ordinary card game known today.”
“A tiny Poker Village hidden in the most remote corner of the realm is now the only place where the secrets of Poker Magic exist and its esoteric arts are yet practiced. And it is there that a few brave heroes are determined to challenge the rule of the Dark Lord and return poker to its rightful state. And so, a primeval battle between the forces of Light and Darkness is unleashed! Where Mind, Courage, Endurance, and Luck combine with the arcane forces of ancient Magic to play a role in determining the victor!”
From additional reading of the information behind the game, it is indicated that there will be the chance for players in the game to win money at the game through tournament play. It does seem, however, that the game is trying to appeal to those who enjoy role playing games, poker and the MMOGs and tournaments that seem to be very popular in the e-gaming arenas today. For more details on the Kickstarter drive (or to make a donation), take a look at their presentation and visit their website here.
