Skill/Trait Reference List

[Sir Rebrl]

Some traits and skills may add up to a little more than wants to fit on a card, at least without tiny text.

One thing that could fix this is something Magic does, but Elements could do it better. Some cards have definitions of the creature's skills/traits, some just have the name of the trait. On one hand, this saves text space and reinforces the idea of learning what skills and traits mean, leading towards faster game play. On the other hand, if you haven't learned a skill's/trait's definition yet and it's not on the card then you have to look it up.

Since Elements is a web app, it can have an easy one (or more, depending on design) click reference to skills and traits. A slightly more complicated approach could even have an actively updated reference that only includes skills and traits of cards on the field and in your hand. It'd be super nifty.

A good example of when this'd be awesome: My proposed Symbiote Series (2 done so far! XD)
They each have a personal attach (working skill name) skill, that goes something like this:
Attach (Symbiote Name) to a target creature. As long as (Symbiote) is in play, target creature has (Effect). As long as creature is in play, (Symbiote) heals one HP per turn. While (Symbiote) does not have a host, (Symbiote) loses two HP per turn.
That could maybe be shortened up, and split into the trait Symbiote and skill Attach, but the point is that both will never fit nicely on a card without tiny text.

[Kamietsu]

Do you mean like a compendium of all the skills, traits, statuses in the game? Like there would be a button that when pressed it would take you to an in game area where it lists all of the skills and what not? I think that would be a really good idea, and a very easy fix for people who get confused with skills and traits that are either slightly confusing or don't have the full description on it for all the mechanics. Such as Catapult and Adrenaline.

[Sir Rebrl]

Precisely! Glad to get such an immediate positive response. ^_^

[Kamietsu]

I really do think this would be a wonderful, and easy to implement idea. It would eliminate the need for player to have to find out precisely what abilities do, percentages behind abilities, specifics about complex abilities, without having to go to other places. Sometimes that can be a real hassle, especially when it requires venturing to a new forum or site.

[pikachufan2164]

For now, there's the Game Mechanics (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,11691.0.html) thread, which is pretty much a comprehensive glossary to terms and effects.

It shouldn't be too difficult for Zanz to link to it in on the game page, or maybe even in the game itself.

[Sir Rebrl]

My preferred integration into the game would be an actively updated list in a match that only displays relevant skills/traits.

Like this:
Dune Scorpion:
Neurotoxin (definition)
Causes poisoning if ingested

Cause I didn't realize that and I lost my Oty to it. Poor Oty... If there had been an active reference you'd still be dead anyway cause the match is over. But you would have lived a few extra turns.


Oh, and I specify actively updated cause it'd save time otherwise spent sifting through irrelevant data.

[Kamietsu]

My preferred integration into the game would be an actively updated list in a match that only displays relevant skills/traits.

Like this:
Dune Scorpion:
Neurotoxin (definition)
Causes poisoning if ingested

Cause I didn't realize that and I lost my Oty to it. Poor Oty... If there had been an active reference you'd still be dead anyway cause the match is over. But you would have lived a few extra turns.


Oh, and I specify actively updated cause it'd save time otherwise spent sifting through irrelevant data.

Actually, that's not right at all. Neurotoxin only affects the opponent. If you hover over dune scrop when it's on the field, a second window will pop up that shows that creature has the "Poisonous" Passive abilty. That's what poisoned your Oty.

For now, there's the Game Mechanics (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,11691.0.html) thread, which is pretty much a comprehensive glossary to terms and effects.

It shouldn't be too difficult for Zanz to link to it in on the game page, or maybe even in the game itself.

Mhmm, but putting another link in the game that opens to a brand new page isn't really preferred. What would be ideal is when you click it, it opens up a new area inside the game itself that has a list of all the abilities and what they do.

[DrunkDestroyer]

I was thinking of something like this, as a way to add bonus features or little extras.

Little symbols or one word statuses on the card, that equate to sentences such as 'cause poisoning when ingested' or 'reacts differently to reverse time' - this way we can have cards that have many alternate uses, and would cause you to think a little more about the moves you make.

I can see this is more for things like Catapult, Faerenheight, Adrenaline ect - things where raw numbers dictate the outcome, but I wouldn't mind it even for smaller things that do fit into the cards, but waste space.

[Sir Rebrl]

Actually, that's not right at all. Neurotoxin only affects the opponent. If you hover over dune scrop when it's on the field, a second window will pop up that shows that creature has the "Poisonous" Passive abilty. That's what poisoned your Oty.

I didn't mean the neurotoxin did that. I meant that as a list of all the scorpion's skills/traits. Cause I didn't hover long enough to note it was poisonous.

[wizelsnarf]

What if certain effects were underlined like this?


Zanz already has a hover stats effect, he could just include a way that defines certain skills etc as well.

[Sir Rebrl]

Like this, for example?:



When one mouses over "Symbiote" it explains +1 HP/turn with host, -2 HP/turn without. When one hovers over Attach it explains "Attach to target creature. While Vampiric Parasite is in play host loses 1 HP/turn and Vampiric Parasite gains 0|+1"


That'd be cool. It'd also leave room for flavor text if it were done with all cards. I like flavor text.