Ask the Idea Guru

[OldTrees]

Any opinion or suggestion about Avalanche (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,30778.0.html) ?

Flooding synergy, Anti Fractal, Expensive standalone instant kill that ignores hp.
Excluding Water creature prevents beneficial Flooding synergy. (also Pufferfish cannot swim up avalanches ) You might have meant only the damage clause excluded water creatures. In that case you ran out of room to communicate that on the card. (ice still hurts fish)
I would definitely agree with Jocko's suggestion where one version is enemy only and one version in universal.
Dealing 2 damage on both versions might help reduce the variance between best and worst results.
I think the random nature fits the disaster quite well thematically.
PS: compare to thunderstorm and fire storm not to fire bolt.

 Mmmh, this card is a very old concept of mine, now I understand better which modify I should do.
Original idea was: Deal damage and shift row to both field, but creature don't take damages. So it allow a beneficial Flooding synergy, but maybe it has no much meaning this point.

I agree to make one version to only one field, but which one? I was thinking to the upgraded.

With 2 damage it isn't OP? with 3 of those you can kill almost everthing and it's really hard to take an advantage to put your creatures underwater.

2 damage at the current cost would be OP. However 2 damage at a higher cost is better design that the current version.
(some water creatures can survive the 2 damage so the exclusion clause is unecessary)

[Daguerreo]

Ok, thank you. I've changed the card and added a poll.

[Daguerreo]

May you join threads and give me an opinion about general card balancing? (cost etc...)

Pryntil | Pryntil (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,33425.0.html)
Puppeteer | Master Puppeteer (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,35909.0.html)

[OldTrees]

May you join threads and give me an opinion about general card balancing? (cost etc...)
Pryntil | Pryntil (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,33425.0.html)

In general you make comparisons.
Growth = quadratic damage
Charm = quadratic damage prevention
Damage prevention < Damage
So Lava Golem costs 5 + 1 card for 5|1 and  :Growth
Expensive activation costs are a -1 cost reduction
costs 4 + 1 card for 5|1 and  :Growth
Reduce Attack and reduce cost
costs 1 + 1 card for 2|1 and  :Growth
change growth to charm
costs 1 + 1 card for 1|6 and  :Charm

Puppeteer | Master Puppeteer (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,35909.0.html)

This has more variables that cannot be removed or discounted.
I would take the larger scale comparison of Blessing|Chaos Power + Puppeteer as a win condition vs Lava Golem and Firefly Queen.
How many turns does it take to deal 100/200 hp?
How much quanta + cards did it take?
How does that compare with LG and FFQ?

[Daguerreo]

Well... this is not a card but a project thread which may interest you (and your experience would be useful)

Acquatic/Amphibian Passive Skill (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,35904.0.html)

[OldTrees]

Well... this is not a card but a project thread which may interest you (and your experience would be useful)

Acquatic/Amphibian Passive Skill (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,35904.0.html)

Aquatic as a characteristic does not provide a benefit until a source of water is provided.

It will need 2 changes to the game to be fully developed.
1) Non Water aquatic creatures
2) Non Flooding sources of water

After that it should probably be structured like Airborne in that it has a default benefit when in water but certain sources of water would give additional bonuses.

[ZephyrPhantom]

What are the known card ideas 'taboos' (ideas that are frowned upon, such as controlling an enemy creature) and why are they labeled as so?

[waterzx]

Just made a few cards about Time, wanna get some comments

Suspension Clock / Suspension Shield : A new shield for time elements, able to delay and suspend damage
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36028.0.html

Time Slip / Time Displacement : A new spell that can speed up something,  dim. shield bewares !
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36026.0.html

Temporal Loop / Eternal Loop : New form of time creature, with true immortality and good synergy with death element
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36029.0.html

Book of Prophecy / Code of Genesis : Manipulate the future !
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36030.0.html

Distant Future / End of Time : Synergy with air element, permanent control for time
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36057.0.html

[Drake_XIV]

I'm stuck with how I should pursue this card idea:
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36012.0.html
Ultimately, which of the two is better and would fare better under the curators' scrutiny in considerations for the Crucible?

[OldTrees]

What are the known card ideas 'taboos' (ideas that are frowned upon, such as controlling an enemy creature) and why are they labeled as so?

Everyone should know this: Card Idea Taboos are merely guidelines with a bite. Only break a taboo if you have a good reason. If you have a good reason then break a taboo. Humans are fallible and the taboos originate from humans.

There are 3 types of 'taboos'
1) Vetoed by Zanz or otherwise impossible to add
These are taboo because they are a waste of the suggestion author's time to suggest.
2) Disliked by the community
The community has negative reactions to these suggestions whether or not the suggestion deserves such reactions.
3) Difficult to balance
These are cards with such problems balancing that they seem to have contradicting balance requirements (Ex: Must cost X such that 4 >X>6 ). These cards probably can be balanced but it is no easy task and the community recommends only attempting if you are experienced. Experience is tied to skill not to seniority.

1)
13th Element (Zanz veto)
Simultaneous player actions (Multiplayer cannot be restructured to allow that)
Costs like  (Zanz veto)
Instant Kill without regard to hp (Zanz included a few but noted his general dislike)
2)
Instant Kill without regard to hp
Discard
'Excessive' denial
Moderately complex cards (Dislike grows with the complexity)
3)
Swap Attack and Hp (Attack and Hp are valued on different scales.)
Steal Creature (Temporary steal creature + Cremation/Catapult = Instant Kill, Permanent steal creature = Instant Kill)

Just made a few cards about Time, wanna get some comments

Suspension Clock / Suspension Shield : A new shield for time elements, able to delay and suspend damage
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36028.0.html

Time Slip / Time Displacement : A new spell that can speed up something,  dim. shield bewares !
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36026.0.html

Temporal Loop / Eternal Loop : New form of time creature, with true immortality and good synergy with death element
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36029.0.html

Book of Prophecy / Code of Genesis : Manipulate the future !
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36030.0.html

Distant Future / End of Time : Synergy with air element, permanent control for time
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36057.0.html

Suspension Clock / Suspension Shield
Around the power of a 40%|60% miss chance shield. Compare with Dusk Shield.
SC = 5 + 1 card + 3 (shield slot) = 9 -> ~40%
SS = 6 + 1 card + 3 (shield slot) +1.5 (upgrade) = 11.5 -> ~60%
DS = 6 + 1 card + 3 (shield slot) = 10 -> 50%

Time Slip / Time Displacement
Limited reliable usages:
1) Infection
2) Acceleration
3) ? (usually 3 strategies is a minimum)
Whose deck is affected by the upgraded? The creature's owner? The caster (current effect)? The opponent? This also has limited usage.

Temporal Loop / Eternal Loop
4,3,2,1,8,6,4,2,16,12,8,4,32,24,16,8 ... attack
Fulfills you design goal perfectly but balance is an interesting question.
4,4,3,3,4,4,4,4,5,6,6,6,8,9,9,9 ... average damage per turn (rounded to whole number)
I expect it is balanced as is but I am not sure.

Book of Prophecy / Code of Genesis
Both give card filtering. Scarabs is the only potential abuse I can think of and I do not expect that to be unbalanced.
This card might be as revolutionary as Crusader or it might not be. Having that potential is one of the signs that the card might be a great design instead of merely a good or poor design.

I'm stuck with how I should pursue this card idea:
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36012.0.html
Ultimately, which of the two is better and would fare better under the curators' scrutiny in considerations for the Crucible?

Curators do not veto card ideas. They merely require consistent formatting. Just make sure when you correct "ariborne" to "airborne" you do it in both the card image and the card text.

The easiest balance mechanic for this card is having it affect both sides equally.
There is a difference but not much of a difference between it lasting 1 or 4 turns.

[waterzx]

Suspension Clock / Suspension Shield
Around the power of a 40%|60% miss chance shield. Compare with Dusk Shield.
SC = 5  + 1 card + 3 (shield slot) = 9 -> ~40%
SS = 6  + 1 card + 3 (shield slot) +1.5 (upgrade) = 11.5 -> ~60%
DS = 6  + 1 card + 3 (shield slot) = 10 -> 50%

So this card does not need any modification ?

Time Slip / Time Displacement
Limited reliable usages:
1) Infection
2) Acceleration
3) ? (usually 3 strategies is a minimum)

The upped version of the card will not have the second effect (it will be removed soon)
The third usage is to destroy a dimensional shield instantly

Temporal Loop / Eternal Loop
4,3,2,1,8,6,4,2,16,12,8,4,32,24,16,8 ... attack
Fulfills you design goal perfectly but balance is an interesting question.
4,4,3,3,4,4,4,4,5,6,6,6,8,9,9,9 ... average damage per turn (rounded to whole number)
I expect it is balanced as is but I am not sure.

The creature will not increase in number. One dies and another one will take its place, which means I need to lower its cost or increase its attack

Book of Prophecy / Code of Genesis
Both give card filtering. Scarabs is the only potential abuse I can think of and I do not expect that to be unbalanced.
This card might be as revolutionary as Crusader or it might not be. Having that potential is one of the signs that the card might be a great design instead of merely a good or poor design.

This card serves like PU and fractal but with different limitations and advantages. Any deck that can utilize fractal and PU may also find this card suitable. It can also help you get rid of useless cards (destroy the Book of Prophecy yourself) and use Genesis to replace useless cards in hand.
Sometimes you only need one card of a kind (e.g.Hope) but you may have more than one shield in deck to increase to chance of getting it. Then you can use the Book / Code to change the additional shield to something else

[OldTrees]

Suspension Clock / Suspension Shield
Around the power of a 40%|60% miss chance shield. Compare with Dusk Shield.
SC = 5  + 1 card + 3 (shield slot) = 9 -> ~40%
SS = 6  + 1 card + 3 (shield slot) +1.5 (upgrade) = 11.5 -> ~60%
DS = 6  + 1 card + 3 (shield slot) = 10 -> 50%

So this card does not need any modification ?
It may, it may not. If 50% cost 2 per 10% then 40% would cost 8 (4 ). However it is merely around the power of a 40% miss chance shield. Somewhere in the 7-9 cost (3-5 ) range is the ideally balanced cost.

Time Slip / Time Displacement
Limited reliable usages:
1) Infection
2) Acceleration
3) ? (usually 3 strategies is a minimum)

The upped version of the card will not have the second effect (it will be removed soon)
The third usage is to destroy a dimensional shield instantly
You cannot rely on all your opponents using Dimensional Shield, Sundial or Wings.