Greetings readers,

A few days ago I shared a glimpse of some card art and card mechanics from the still pre-alpha game called Worlds Apart, set in the Doctor Who universe. You can check that post here.

I have since opened another pack and you can see the cards below.

Happy to see I pulled another Doctor card and have another moment, in an uncommon frame. What are these frames you may ask. Well, in laymen's terms they are another form of monetization through scarcity. 

The card mechanics are exactly the same irrespective of the frame it has, but the rarer the frame the scarcer that particular combination (card+frame) so potentially the higher the re-sale value. Now, to be clear, the frame rarity is not linked to the card rarity which is depicted in the middle colorful symbol in the middle of the card above the name/type. 

There are currently 4 rarities in the game: common, rare, epic and legendary with the normal color palette: white, blue, purple and yellow.

Now in terms of frames, here is where things get more complex. These are the currently foreseen card frames:

• Core frames: Standard (the blue you see above), Bronze (also seen above), Silver, Gold, Black Diamond
  These core frames have an unlimited supply.
• Alien frames: Ice Warrior, Sontaran, Zygon, Weeping Angel, Bronze Dalek, Cyber Warrior, Silurian, Tardis, White Point Star
  These core frames have a limited supply and once the supply is sold out they can then be acquired only via the secondary market. 

The alien frames start dropping from the Premium Pack onwards (12.99 USD) with a certain drop chance as can be checked on the Worlds Apart site. 

What do you think about this approach to monetization and rarity? Do you prefer the premium feel of 'foil cards' with enhanced graphics or effects as opposed to having a slightly different card frame? I for one appreciate more the art of a foil card than having a frame.

Take care,

Alex