What Hearthstone Could Learn from Monster Train – Opinion

Posted on June 17, 2020 by short

What Hearthstone could learn from Monster Train? Much in fact. Today I explain how Blizzard's Hearthstone could do to improve its accessibility borrowing ideas from the Steam game Monster Train.

Hello, Ability Powered gamers! I am a Hearthstone fiend. Let’s just say the tavern barkeep knows me well. I am not particularly good at any mode besides “Battleground”, but I love it nonetheless. It is my card game of choice, so I don’t really pay attention to new games in the genre because of the time I have already invested in Hearthstone. That is until my Twitter feed exploded over the newly released Monster Train.

I ended up caving in and picking it up just to see what all the fuss was about. I am so glad I did. I have had the best time fighting my way through enemies track after track. I have had to make myself go to bed some nights to stop the problems all gamers know to well… “Just one more level.”

During my time riding the rails, I did start to feel bad about something. No, not the fact that I had completely ignored my Hearthstone dailies all week; I felt bad because I started realizing how much better Hearthstone could be with a few game play design tweaks.

Hearthstone Is a Drag

Image shows a card in Hearthstone being dragged on the game board.

If you play Hearthstone you know the pain of having a sweet buff to make your card an unstoppable force only to accidentally drag it to the wrong place or accidentally release the mouse button too soon. Instead of adding 3 attack to that brawling 6/5 Ogre, you instead sadly buffed that 1/1 Murloc who will gallantly die after 1 hit. That is because in Hearthstone you have to drag and drop every card onto the play field.

In Monster Train this isn’t the case. Instead of dragging the card and hoping that you don’t miss for various reasons, you can also use a much easier method. You can click the card you want to play then click the spot you want to play it. It is so much better! No more button holding. It works when you are playing cards or applying a spell. It is a much better option for those of us with mobility disabilities who have problems holding down buttons. It is also super helpful to anyone using voice command programs to click such as VoiceAttack.

The Key to My Heart

Image shows player choosing where to play a card on file play field in a match of Monster Hunter. Read here if you'd like to learn how Hearthstone's accessibility could be improved from Monster Hunter.

You know, Ability Powered gamers, for someone who is a mouse only gamer I sure do use my On-Screen Keyboard a lot in games. Sometimes, I can accomplish things faster just because the keys I need to use are closer to click on the On-Screen keyboard than dragging my mouse all over the user interface. This is another thing I completely enjoyed about Monster Train. Want to play the first card in your hand on the third bad guy on the train? Cool, there are keys for that! Not only was it nice to use On-Screen Keyboard, having keys for everything means I could easily supplement movement with VoiceAttack. Hearthstone sadly doesn’t have this option.

An Accessible Tavern is the Happiest

I have played Hearthstone happily since way back in Alpha testing and while it will always be special I am sad it’s not the best it can be. I feel like I just noticed that my favorite tavern has steps everywhere and forgot to add ramps. Dragging and dropping cards is a fluid mechanic and I think Hearthstone is a great game to use it, but I don’t think it should be the only option. Adding options literally brings more gamers to the table and an accessible tavern is a tavern I would be even prouder to pull my chair up in.

Short seen in her custom made World of Warcraft wheelchair as she details how Hearthstone could learn from Monster Train.

check out all the settings that Monster Hunter offers on its Options for Accessibility article. Read more of my accessibility thoughts on my Opinion page here.

Monster Train – Options for Accessibility

Posted on June 12, 2020 by short

Monster Train is a rogue-like strategy card game by developer Shiny Shoe. You are tasked with protecting the last ember of hell from the angels trying to destroy it. What are the options? Let’s look!

Notes:

VoiceAttack friendly.
Remappable keys.
Has Window Mode option.
Has subtitles.
Works with On-screen Keyboard.
Can play with only a mouse.

Short seen in her custom handdrawn wheelchair going over the Options for Accessibility for Monster Train brought to us by the studio known as Shiny Shoes.

Do you enjoy Blizzard Entertainment’s card game Hearthstone, but aren’t a huge fan of how accessible it is? Learn how it could be improved here: What Hearthstone Could Learn from Monster Train. If you’re someone seeking similar game option menus to discover then you can find many other accessibility options for other games on our Options for Accessibility column!

Minecraft Dungeons – Options for Accessibility

Posted on May 29, 2020 by short

It’s finally here! Minecraft Dungeons is an adventure game which feels like a classic dungeon crawler. It’s in the Minecraft universe, so it will be familiar to fans of the major hit franchise. What are its options? Let’s look!

Minecraft Dungeons’ Notes:

Starts in Fullscreen mode, but On-Screen Keyboard stays on top.
VoiceAttack friendly.
Accessibility options can be accessed at beginning.
All options can be accessed after character creation.
CAN walk with mouse!
Can lock or unlock cursor to game window.

Short seen in her custom handdrawn wheelchair going over the Options for Accessibility in Microsoft's new addition to the classic Mojang title Minecraft with this dungeon crawler known as Minecraft Dungeons As you can see Minecraft Dungeons is FULL of accessibility. If you’re someone seeking similar game option menus to discover then you can find many other accessibility options for other games on our Options for Accessibility column!

Pandemic Blues

Posted on May 7, 2020 by short

Image shows rain hitting an umbrella with the text "Pandemic Blues"

Hello, Ability Powered gamers! How are you? I honestly just wanted to check in on everyone and see how everyone is doing with everything going on currently. I know the last two months have been rough personally. With the news constantly reminding me how dangerous COVID-19 would be for me, my long time Facebook friends suddenly showing how much they valued people who are high risk, and just the stress of having to self-isolate… I was unable to really concentrate or enjoy my usual daily routines due to these pandemic blues. I don’t think I am the only one going through this, so, Ability Powered gamers, how are you?

If you are out there on the interwebs and you are feeling overwhelmed or frustrated and need an ear to let your frustrations out to, know that my email, Twitter, or comment section is always open for you. Hang in there, Ability Powered gamers. Take media breaks, play lots of games, and take care of yourselves. Don’t be afraid to reach out. We are in this together.

Steam Remote Play Together Adds Game Accessibility Possibilities

Posted on March 12, 2020 by short

Hello Ability Powered, gamers! I wanted to talk to you about something relatively new to Steam that just hasn’t been mentioned much in the accessibility community and for the life of me I don’t understand why. It is called Remote Play Together. While I’m not getting into a how-to guide here (that is definitely a separate topic for a different discussion), I do want to tell you guys what it does and why it is important as an accessibility tool.

I don’t know about you, but there are a lot of games I could use a little help playing. While game accessibility is getting better every day, there always seems to be some new hot game that I struggle with. Either it just doesn’t have an accessibility feature I need, or it is so fast paced that I get stuck and can’t progress the story. I either could just not play the game at all or wait and hope more options are added to make it accessible, but either way look at all the adventures I would miss out on. With Remote Play Together, I don’t have to.

What is Remote Play Together?

A few months ago there was a new and interesting addition to Steam that didn’t really get that much attention. Aside from the customary Steam sale to give it a boost and make sure everyone saw the new feature, this new system was called Remote Play Together. It gives gamers the ability to play with their friends across the world. Basically, if you own a game that has Remote Play Together, you can launch the game, invite a friend to join even if they don’t own it, and you can give them access to play the game using your mouse; keyboard; or both. If you are familiar with Xbox One’s Copilot mode, then you probably have an idea of how this works, but for those of you who haven’t tried it let me explain.

If I started a Remote Play Together session with you, I could either just let you watch me play, I could let you play by yourself and just watch you, or we could work out a system to play the game together. For example, I could control the mouse and you could control the keyboard. While you are running through the the woods, I could be shooting bad guys! While this is the basic way it all works, what does it mean for accessibility?

Adventures Made Accessible

I am going to be honest with you guys. Sometimes I have even had a friend send me saves right after points in a game I had gotten stuck on. There would be a certain part I couldn’t get past because of some mechanic I couldn’t execute because of accessibility issues. The problem with doing this is both of us would need to own the game and to be at the same spot in the story. Now, I can invite someone into any game that has Remote Play Together and get real time help even if it is a game they don’t own.

Another way it has been a huge help is because it lets you test a game out before you buy it. How many times have all your friends been drooling over a new hot game, begging you to get it too, but you put off buying it because you don’t really know if you can play? With Remote Play Together, I can just try their game and see how well I can play it without dropping a ton of money.

A Big Win for Remote Play Together

Sadly, sometimes that new hot game is just too hard for me to play solo. I can setup voice commands, eye gaze areas, remap controls, and the game will still be too hard for me to enjoy. Sometimes, I want to see the game, but also interact in any way I can. I know you can watch just about any game being streamed 24 hours, 7 days a week, but it’s not the same as actually being in the adventure with a friend. Going where you want, doing what you want… Yes, totally ignoring the main quest because there is a side quest to save little Billy’s lost corgi. You can’t skip searching for the doggo just because the world’s being invaded by space bunnies! You guys get the picture. With Remote Play Together, me and a friend can work out responsibilities for each of us and hop right in. Maybe my only job is to hit a button to jump or maybe a button to loot. Whatever way you and your friend want to split up responsibilities, you can.

What Can the Gaming Industry Learn from Steam?

I love to co-pilot games. It gives me and a friend an unforgettable adventure, and lets me see stories I would otherwise miss out on. The problem is that my friends aren’t always right beside me in the same room. Sometimes they are states away. Remote Play Together is a great way to bridge that gap and let me play more games. Sometimes it means by getting help when I need help, trying out games before I buy them, or by co-piloting a game with someone five hours away from me. Other platforms could learn from Steam’s lead and open up their gaming consoles in a whole new way. Developers also need to understand the benefits of enabling this feature in the games they develop for Steam. While this certainty is not a replacement for advancing accessible design, it would open up gaming to a whole new world of possibilities!

Short seen in her custom gaming chair as she explains how Steam's Remote Play Together is enabling gaming accessibility by allowing Steam friends to join each others' games without even needing the own the game.

Want to read more of my accessibility thoughts? Head over to my Opinion category to find more!