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Friday, November 18, 2011

Guān Yǔ 关羽 (SP007)

Posted by Ricky Chua On 1:55 PM 17 comments
Translated Description
“Marquis of HanShou 汉寿亭侯(hàn shòu tíng hóu)”

Who is he?
Even if you cannot identify him through his new appearance, you should have noticed the Red Hare 赤兔 and the Green Dragon Crescent Blade 青龙偃月刀. Bingo! He’s our loyal “second brother”, the warrior saint in legend, the bearded gentleman in history, Guan Yu.

Wait a minute... The frame of this card is blue? Is this like 徐庶Xu Shu, who has a blue frame but still belongs to 蜀 Shu? Oh my god he doesn’t even belong to Shu Kingdom any more? Why was his allegiance changed to 魏 Wei? Designer’s mistake? Printers ran out of blue ink? Don’t panic, Guan Yu never betrayed his only ruler and "Elder brother" 刘备Liu Bei. Want to know what’s going on here? Keep reading and find out!

Why is he an SP character?
Just like the SP Sun Shang Xiang 孙尚香, SP Guan Yu was created for the completion of the whole Three Kingdoms’ story. This SP version is designed to represent Guan Yu’s life experience under Cao Cao 曹操’s military. In return for being treated respectfully after being captured by Cao Cao, Guan Yu fought for Cao Cao against Yuan Shao 袁绍 for a short while, and was very successful! So successful in fact that Cao Cao really wanted Guan Yu change his allegiance. Guan Yu, of course, refused because of his loyalty to Liu Bei. It was actually Cao Cao who gave him the title of Marquis of Han Shou whilst under his service. After some time Guan Yu left Cao Cao with nothing but his Red Hare and Green Dragon Crescent Blade, riding through thousands of miles to finally rejoin his brothers. This special experience also explains why he let Cao Cao escape after the huge loss at Battle of Red Cliffs 赤壁之战. For more info, just check Ricky’s write up of Guan Yu (蜀Shu) under the “Most famous achievement” section.

Character ability1: “Warrior Saint 武圣 (wǔ shèng)”
Every card with a “heart” or “diamonds” suit (effectively all red-suit cards) can be used as an ATTACK 杀card.

Character ability2: “Single Calvary 单骑(dān qí)” [Awakening ability] 
At the beginning of your turn, if your number of on-hand cards is larger than your current health units, AND the RULER for the game is Cao Cao, you must reduce your maximum health by 1 unit. You then permanently acquire the ability “Horsemanship 马术”

(Recall: Horsemanship 马术 = You will always have -1 distance in range calculations).

Additional info based on changes:
I guess it would really take some time for the players to get used to his new allegiance, because he cannot use ATTACK 杀 for Liu Bei any more! However, he can now react to both “Royal Escort” of Cao Cao and “Exalt the Powerful” of Cao Pi 曹丕.

Wiki Link:
- Guan Yu Wiki

How to obtain this character?
He is not available on SGS online yet. For obtaining a card, purchase ZYZ magazine issue #8 (August 2011).

Contributing Writer:
- Cherry Cat

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Sūn Shàng Xiáng 孙尚香 (SP005)

Posted by Ricky Chua On 10:38 PM 2 comments
Translated Description
“Exceptional Marriage 梦醉良缘(mèng zuì liáng yuán)”

Who is she?
A beautiful young bride wearing a traditional red wedding dress, sitting in the bridal chamber smiling mysteriously at you. Through the red chiffons, you seem to be able to smell the faint aroma around the new wedding bed, is she waiting for someone? Oh, I forgot I am not writing an erotic novel! So this girl is the SP version of Sūn Shàng Xiāng 孙尚香, Sun Quan 孙权’s younger sister and  Liu Bei刘备’s second wife. You are probably very familiar with her and her abilities in SGS. But why did they totally change her appearance? Keep reading and find it out!

Why is she an SP character?
According to the designers of the SP characters, the female characters are always extremely popular and welcome among SGS players. That’s why they made a new version of Lady Sun. They didn’t just change her appearance, but also changed her allegiance from Wu to Shu. These two changes perfectly match both the story and the traditional custom in ancient China: From the moment she married Liu Bei, she no longer belonged to the kingdom of her birth. Makes you wonder then, if the normal Sun Shang Xiang is considered "single"... with cleavage showing and all it's no surprise!

Character ability1: “Marriage 结姻 (jié yīn)”
During the action phase, you can choose to discard 2 on-hand cards and pick any male character that is not at full-health. By doing so, both the male character and yourself will recover 1 unit of health each. Limited to only 1 use per turn.

Character ability2: “Warrior Lady 枭姬 (xiāo jī)”
Whenever any equipped card is removed from your equipped items area, you can immediately draw 2 cards from the deck.

(Note that 2 cards can be drawn for each equipped card that is removed. This applies also to changing the equipped item (ie: replacing one weapon with another weapon).

Additional info based on changes:
There is no doubt that this version of Sun Shang Xiang is stronger than the previous one because the cooperation between her and Liu Bei is more useful and efficient than the one between her and Sun Quan. That’s why she always gets the most attacks in the game (there is a saying in Chinese 红颜薄命 which means “A beautiful girl often leads an unfortunate life). Anyway, the guys should feel really lucky that no matter how her appearance changes, she still keeps her G-Cup. Woo hoo!

Note: according to the game designer, Sun Shang Xiang and SP Sun Shang Xiang won’t appear in the same game on SGS online. But for the off-line game there is no such limitation. And when SP Sun Shang Xiang uses PEACH 桃 to save her brother Sun Quan, he can no longer get an extra unit of health back.

How to obtain this character?
She is available on SGS online now! (Of course VIP only, or you can just buy it in SGS online market) For obtaining a card, purchase ZYZ magazine issue #6 (June 2011).

Wiki Link:
- Sun Shang Xiang Wiki

Contributing Writer:
- Cherry Cat

Thursday, November 10, 2011

App for SGS English: Looking for App makers!

Posted by Ricky Chua On 4:31 PM No comments
Dear readers,

The next extension of the SGS English blog is to convert it into an App for Apple and Android phones. But i would much rather have a reader of SGS create it with me since you would know the ins-and-outs. 

Anyone out there create Apps?!?! Contact me!!


Here's the vision: There are 3 ways to search for SGS translations using the App.

A. Photo capture of card that needs translation
1. Activate the phone camera to be able to take a picture of any SGS card

2. Image recognition software to be able to recognize the card

3. The translation for that card is brought up immediately.


B. Browse the App through categories
1. "Browsing menu" shows categories "How to play", "cards", "characters", "expansions"

2. Mosaic of images of the cards appear. Select the card needed.


C. Search function
1. Be able to search the App using english as well as chinese characters.


The whole aim is to create an App for YOU. Do help out in making this an awesome App.

Have fun and 杀!

Monday, November 7, 2011

Yuán Shù 袁术 (SP004)

Posted by Ricky Chua On 3:17 PM 7 comments
Translated Description
“The Emperor of Zhong Dynasty 仲家帝 (zhòng jiā dì)”

Who is he?
An overweening ambitious younger brother. A terrible general. An opportunist. An immature politician. Alas, a daydreamer without a happy ending. Born from a noble, rich, powerful and ancient family as the only son of the first wife, Yuán Shù seemed to have nothing to worry about in his life. But even with such little talent, he was arrogant enough. He considered himself as the only right person to conquer the world, that’s why he couldn’t even get along well with his half-brother, Yuan Shao 袁紹. He was always searching for the right opportunity, and he finally found it when Dong Zhuo 董卓 was defeated by Sun Jian 孫坚. The imperial seal (the symbol of the legitimate ruler in China) was in the Sun family’s hand, but Sun Jian was quickly killed and Yuan Shu put Lady Sun under house arrest to force the seal out of  Sun Ce 孫策's hands. After getting the seal, he declared himself emperor under his short-lived Zhong Dynasty in 197, which instantly made him everyone’s enemy.

Why is he an SP character?
Cherry: I honestly don’t know! Because his family name is Yuan? one of the biggest noble families in ancient China? Because he’s Yuan Shao’s younger brother? Because he had such a terrible reputation at that time? Because he is one of the only two characters during the Three Kingdoms period that had absolutely no good titles according to all the Chinese historians? (The other would be Dong Zhuo of course) Or, just because his character abilities are super difficult to translate and to explain in English? But there is at least one thing for sure, that no matter in real history or in the SGS game, he is just an annoying and troublesome guy. Wondering why? Just play and find out yourself!

Ricky: I guess one possible reason is because there are only so few "unlikeable" characters in the story. Like Cherry mentioned, there is the ancient Chinese equivalent of Jabba the Hutt, Dong Zhuo. The only other would be the useless and selfish Yuan Shu. No better way to shame him for all eternity by giving him horrid playability in a card game.

Character ability 1: “Mediocrity 庸肆 (yōng sì)” [Enforced ability]
During your drawing phase, you draw an extra X cards, X being the total number of allegiances still in play. During your discard phase, you must discard at least as many cards as there are allegiances still in play. If you have less cards than there are allegiances, you must discard all of them.

Note: Allegiance here refers to Shu, Wei, Wu, or Heroes.

Character ability 2: “The Pseudo-Emperor 偽帝 (wěi dì)” [Enforced ability]
You possess the ruler ability of the current ruler.

Ability Tips:
1. X, in Yuan Shu’s case, does NOT mean the total amount of players, but number of Allegiance. For example, before your drawing phase starts there are Shu, Wei, Wu and Heroes characters alive, you draw 6 cards (X = 4, so additional 4 cards on top of your normal 2 cards).

2. During your discard phase, if there’s only a Shu, Wei and Heroes left in the game (3 allegiances), you must discard at least 3 cards, BUT you must also discard any number of cards in order to keep your hand equal to or less than your current health units. You can choose to discard your equipped cards.

3. Example: During your discard phase there are 3 allegiances in play, you have 2 equipped cards and 5 on-hand cards, and you have 3 units of health. You can choose to discard your 2 equipped and 1 of your on-hand cards (to match the ability constraint of 3 cards discarded), but you’ll still need to throw away one more card because your total on-hand cards is higher than your current health. Or, you can keep your equipped cards and throw away 3 on-hand cards, reducing your number of on-hand cards to below your current health and complying with the constraint of your ability. Any mix of discarded equipped and on-hand cards is possible, as long as it obeys both the specific ability rule and the game’s general rule.

4. Another example: During your discard phase you have 1 card on-hand and 1 equipped, and there are 3 allegiances left in the game. You need to discard both your cards, which means you would have absolutely NOTHING left.

5. Yuan Shu doesn’t have any RULER ability! (The frame of his card is white, not yellow as the other characters that have ruler abilities.) “The Pseudo-Emperor” is just his ability. If the current ruler has no ruler ability, or you choose Yuan Shu as the ruler, you would have only his first ability. And in any case, you would always be considered as a neutral hero.

6.The ruler ability you have would be exactly the same as the current ruler. For example, the current ruler is Cao Cao 曹操, you can use “Royal Escort 护驾”, which means you can ask any Wei character, including Cao Cao himself, to use DODGE 闪on your behalf when applicable.

Ability's relation to story
His first ability “Mediocrity” represents perfectly his personality but mixed with an overindulgent lifestyle. He is just an ordinary person with little intelligence, but he’s too greedy, always dreaming about the things he cannot handle. Finally, because of his overindulgence, he lost everything including his own life. Although he declared himself as an emperor, he never got recognized even by his own forces. Ironically, he still hasn’t been recognized 1800 years later! In SGS, although he has the ability “The Pseudo-Emperor”, he is still not one of the ruler characters.

Additional info based on story:
1. Most famous achievement – Being arrogant and stupid? Stealing the imperial seal? Declaring himself emperor when the emperor of Han Dynasty was still alive? Fighting against his brother? Making his people poor and starve all the time? Well, I suppose his biggest achievement is having absolutely no achievement. He was nothing but a son from Yuan family, was that fortunate? Or unfortunate?

2. Cause of death - After declaring himself emperor, he was besieged by all the warlords at that time, especially Cao Cao, Liu Bei 刘备 and Lü Bu 吕布. In 199, he gave the imperial seal to his brother Yuan Shao, and tried to seek refuge. Yuan Shao sent his son Yuan Tan 袁谭 to Yuan Shu's rescue, but it was too late, Yuan Shu's forces were destroyed by Liu Bei. Yuan Shu died of grief shortly thereafter.

Wiki Link:
Yuan Shu Wiki


Useful Tips:
1. Always keep in mind that you need to discard more cards than others, so don’t use your cards too indulgently. Otherwise you might find yourself with nothing left after your discard phase.

2. You are the only character in SGS that can discard equipped cards during your discard phase, so make good use of your equipment: choose the proper ones and save the others for your discard phase; if you are injured, don’t forget to throw the equipped Silver Lion Helmet 白銀獅子away to get 1 unit of health back.

How to obtain this character?
Oh he’s one of the most popular characters on SGS online now! (Of course VIP only, or you can just buy it in SGS online market) For obtaining a card, purchase ZYZ magazine issue #5 (May 2011).

Contributing Writer:
- Cherry Cat

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Gōngsūn Zàn 公孙瓒 (SP003)

Posted by Ricky Chua On 10:45 PM 7 comments
Translated Description
“The Whitehorse General 白馬將軍 (bái mǎ jiāng jūn)”

Who is he?
Among the starry sky composed by the heroic legends during the period of the Three Kingdoms, the Whitehorse General Gongsun Zan was like a bright meteor, illuminating the darkness in the north part of China. However, coming in a hurry like a real meteor, he disappeared from history in a hurry as well. Between his
diligence, good looks, education, and a noteworthy resonant voice, he caught the eye of a royal member of the Han dynasty, who married his daughter to him. He spent the first half of his life crusading against the nomadic tribes in northern China, and each tribe there was afraid of his name. He had a strong preference for white horses: he chose three thousand horsemen as his elite troops and allocated the soldiers with white horses, earning his title of Whitehorse General. But alas how did such a handsome and competent General fall to such dramatic ruin? Read on to find out!

Why is he an SP character?
Unlike characters with SP versions due to a change of allegiance (like Sun Shang Xiang 孙尚香), or minor revisions (like Diao Chan 貂蝉's portrait), Gongsun Zan is a new addition. As such, his abilities don’t allow the same level of cooperation as other characters (e.g. Liu Bei 刘备, Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮 and Huang Yueying 黄月英, etc.). KayaK, one of the founders of SGS, said: “People should not compare the abilities of the SP characters with the normal ones, it’s not comparable. I know that Gongsun Zan’s abilities may be way too weak comparing to other expansions, but that’s why we chose him to be a SP character, it’s a proper way to introduce him to the game.”

Ok KayaK, we get the idea. Now let's bring on the firepower!

Character ability: “Righteous Cavalry 义从 (yì cóng)” [Enforced ability] 
When your health is more than 2 units, you have -1 distance in any range calculations. When your health is equal or less than 2 units, you have +1 distance in any range calculations.

Ability's relation to story
The design of Gongsun Zan’s ability reflects perfectly the character’s whole life experience: first half of his life as a brave young general and last half of his life as a cruel conservative dictator. When Gongsun Zan was just deployed to Youzhou (a state in northern China, including a part of Beijing, a part of Tianjin and the south part of Liaoning Province), he led his Whitehorse cavalry to quell rebellions and won honor; in his last years he just locked himself behind the solid walls and stored lots of grain with him - only
women and boys under seven years old were allowed to come into his fortress.

Additional info based on story:
1. Most famous achievement - Gongsun Zan was famous for his preference of white horses and his Whitehorse Cavalry. At first the Cavalry was just his personal guards, then it became the top 1 light cavalry during the Three Kingdoms period. With these excellent mounted troops, he even made the Huns, who have been always famous for their horsemanship, be afraid of meeting him and his Whitehorse cavalry.

2. Cause of death - I would say the real cause of his death was his vanity, cruelty and tyranny. He used to be a hardcore warmonger, and then he lost all his fighting spirit and his mercy. In the end he was surrounded by Yuan Shao 袁绍 in the luxury grave he had made for himself and finally committed suicide. The legend of the Whitehorse Cavalry faded away in history as well.

Wiki Link: 
Gongsun Zan Wiki

Usage Tips:
The ability of Gongsun Zan relies on the range calculation (both attack and defense). So even if you were sitting beside him with a crossbow in your hand, after making his HP drop to 2, you could not keep attacking anymore. But for the characters whose abilities don’t rely on range, like Xiahou Yuan 夏侯渊, Zhou Yu 周瑜 and Diao Chan, that wouldn’t be a problem. And a series of AOE from Cao Cao 曹操 would be a death threat to Gongsun Zan as well. Interestingly, the ability of Yuan Shao, who killed Gongsun Zan in history, can help him kill Gongsun Zan in the game easily too.

How to obtain this character?
He is available on SGS online now! (But VIP only) For obtaining a card, purchase ZYZ magazine issue #4 (April 2011).

Contributing Writers:
- Cherry Cat

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