Ascension: I'm Doing It Wrong?

[TanRu]

So I finally downloaded Ascension yesterday. The mechanics are really interesting and I bet it is fun to play face-to-face, but playing against the AI just feels like I am playing solitaire against someone else and comparing scores at some point. On the AI's turn a bunch of cards swirl all over the place and that's it. There's almost no interaction and no way to know what is happening on the AI's turn, what his strategy is so I can block it, etc. I tried clicking the button that says "LOG" and it just shows me some cards. What am I missing?

[cawshis]

Slow down the speed so you can watch the AIs turn.

But like most deck builders there isn't that much interaction between players...there is some, like hitting constructs or forcing discards, but mainly its about building a score generating deck that works better than your opponent.

The log shows cards played and cards bought that turn, so can spot what you missedthat the AI may have grabbed and adjust your strat.

[boredoom]

I downloaded the iPad version. It seemed as boring as the other CCG adaptations I've tried. The one I've had most fun with is actually Dungeon Solitaire, which, as the name implies, doesn't even pretend to be a two-player game. There's a separate thread on it somewhere. I even bought extra cards for it, for a total of like $5.

[BaronHelix]

I downloaded the iPad version. It seemed as boring as the other CCG adaptations I've tried. The one I've had most fun with is actually Dungeon Solitaire, which, as the name implies, doesn't even pretend to be a two-player game. There's a separate thread on it somewhere. I even bought extra cards for it, for a total of like $5.

W/o a doubt, the most interactive deck builder is Nightfall. Don't know if an app exists, but check it out.

[zuk]

It is not very interactive. Most deck builders aren't. The only interaction is the occasional robbing of constructs or discarding of cards. There's no "take that" mechanic.

[elricz]

The mechanics are really interesting and I bet it is fun to play face-to-face

Play with us online! What is your game center tag?

[TanRu]

TanRu. I sent you a friend request a couple days ago.

[Gundabad]

There isn't a Nightfall app yet, but it is confirmed to be in development. Was announced back in August, so maybe soon?

I'll confirm what everyone else has said: Ascension isn't that interactive. Once you play a bunch and understand how all of the different strategies play off of each other, it will become slightly more engaging.

For instance, if your opponent is stockpiling Mechana constructs or beefing up to be a monster killer, you might select a few cards that let you banish cards from the center row (preventing their from ever being mechana constructs or monsters for them to acquire/kill).

Another example is that if someone is playing a long-term game, you might beef up and become a monster-killer to make the game end quicker. You can actually affect the game's length pretty significantly if you focus on gaining actual points rather than just buying high-point cards.

[TanRu]

OMG elricz, you murdalized me!

Is there any way to chat within the game?

[elricz]

I was lucky with the initial draws, and that sets up the game. No chat in game, but I have used iMessage sometimes to comment over the game.
I have set up a new one with the expansion and more time, this should be much closer.