In Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, Patch 2.51 is scheduled for next week, on February 24, which includes the card game Triple Triad.
An English translation of the Producer Letter is now available, in which Naoki Yoshida, the head of FF XIV, introduced Patch 2.51 with various mini-games.
It is now also clear how exactly “Triple Triad”, the card game, will work. It corresponds to the one from Final Fantasy VIII. The game is played on a field with 9 empty card slots – similar to Tic-Tac-Toe.
In each of these slots, a game card can be placed. This card has 4 values, with each value corresponding to an “edge” of the card (West, South, East, North). The card initially belongs to the player who plays it; it counts for the player as a “point”. The opponent can try to “flip” this card by placing a card next to it that has a “higher” value on the corresponding edge. The goal is to position one’s own cards so that the “weaker edges” cannot be attacked and only the “strong” sides are facing outwards.
There will be a variety of special rules in Triple Triad. The “Standard Rule” is called “All Open”, allowing players to see the five cards the opponent holds in hand and plan strategically.
In addition, constructing the deck will work similarly to Hearthstone. Up to five decks can be saved. With 2.51, a total of 80 cards will be introduced, which can be obtained in various ways. About half will be available from NPCs that can be defeated in Triple Triad. Others come from card packs, can be purchased with Manderville Gold Saucer points, or obtained in Primal battles. The first 5 cards will be available for completing a tutorial mission.
Triple Triad is not intended to be a one-patch wonder. In the future, many more cards will be added to Final Fantasy XIV. With the expansion Heavensward, possibly another 25, and with patch 3.1 another similar amount.
