Gromling Learning Hall

The game before the game

Before you venture into the dark unknowns of the Chron X on-line community, you must be prepared to deal with both the expected and unexpected. Many friends as well as enemies await you, and their true nature may not be apparent until it is too late. To prepare, Gromling, you should have played and finished the single campaign against the AI. That is something you must do on your own, as each Chron X player must find his own favorite way of accomplishing things in this game. After you've seen what some of the cards can do, it is time to look at the cards in your arsenal. Try to make a deck that complements your strongest cards and always try to stay focused. Things to think about are: "How will this card help me defeat my opponent" or "How will this card help prevent the opponent from defeating me". After you've made a draft deck, try playing with it against the single AI missions to test it. You should be noticing what turned out well and what didn't, and try to find a solution for whatever didn't work. Try to get rid of cards that didn't help you, and see if there is anything you can add that will help the combos that did work for you. When you've tested and re-tested your deck time and time again against the AI and found that it is no longer a challenge to you, it means it is time to move on.

Core Etiquette

The regular inhabitants of the core are a picky bunch. A wrong move may put you among the outcasts, so tread carefully. It pays to be friendly here as there are many good-natured and knowledgeable players who may be able to help you out , if you don't piss them off first, that is. Not all of the Core talks are about Chron X. The topic of discussion can be just about anything you can think of, and more. You will notice strange codes of communication here, as well, such as AFK and BRB, which are usually the first letters of a well known and/or used phrase, such as Away From Keyboard or Be Right Back or even Rolling On The Floor Laughing My Ass Off (ROTFLMAO). Only time will teach you this strange language. If you have something private to say to someone, you must use the whisper option or your message may reach the wrong ears. Whispering a greeting and offering a trade request or a game is often appreciated better than just issuing a challenge without asking first.

Trading

First thing's first: Don't trade until you know the value of the cards in Chron X! Some cards' powers may not be apparent until you've seen them in action through in-game use or a combination. Be especially wary of trading away your rares, even ones you feel are useless, because sometimes you have to support them with other cards in order to realize their potential. Anyway, once in the trading screen, select your deck and bring it onto the board. Create a new pile and put your cards in there. That way, the other player may pull the cards that he likes to the side, while he continues to browse your collection. Remember to unlock your pile and ask the other player to do the same. Also, the trade is not complete until both players have confirmed the trade, so there is no way that the other players can "steal" your cards without your permission. If you are suspicious that the other player may be taking advantage of a newbie like you, you don't have to complete the trade! Go back into the core and ask a guide, or even publicly, what the community thinks about a specific trade. More often that not, they will be happy to help you out.

Playing

Until you are a seasoned enough player, avoid playing ranked games whenever possible, as you will be competing against real cut-throat decks. You may not even get a chance to scream before you get obliterated! Play skill games and learn from yours and your opponent's good moves as well as the bad ones. If you are playing ranked, always make sure that you are saving the game log; That may prove helpful after the game if you suspect that your opponent may have "plug-pulled".

After the game

Whether you won or lost, it is customary to at least say "GG" (good game) to your opponent after the game is over. Swearing at your opponent for beating you with a particularly tricky deck won't do anything for you. Learn from your mistakes and next time think twice before playing against that particular person. If you feel that your opponent may have "plug-pulled" against you, there are a few things you can do. As mentioned above, game logs may be sent to ga/Sony to be checked to see what happened. Also, a screen shot may prove useful as well. Don't forget, an innocent disconnect may appear like a "plug-pull" when it is not, so sometimes it's worth to give the benefit of the doubt to the other fellow.

The World of Chron X

The game of Chron X and its' community of on-line players is an ever changing scene. There will always be new challenges to overcome and new rewards to strive for. The game might not be perfect, but ga/Sony are doing their best to improve on what can be improved and fix what can be fixed. As a player, you are also a customer, so there is nothing wrong with expressing your opinion about Chron X. How you express yourself is a different matter, of course! Whining and crying without intelligent explanation won't get your message across. Organize your ideas into a coherent, grammatically correct letter, and explain your opinions in as clear and professional manner as possible. If you have something to say, use the Chron X web-forums and spill out whatever is giving you restless nights. Who knows, someone else might agree with you and eventually you'll get your wish... But most importantly, always try to have fun and keep a positive spirit no matter what!