Ask the Idea Guru

[UTAlan]

2 questions about Distort | Sequester (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36684.0.html):

1) Should the cost be lowered, especially when compared to other PC cards such as Steal and Deflagration?
2) Any suggestions on how to handle stackable permanents (pillars, SoG, etc)?

Thanks!

[OldTrees]

Can I have some feedback on Ocula (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36635.0.html)?

In before any suggestions, I was thinking of:
Dropping health
Making ability one-time use only

1|5 stats (1|6 upgraded)
Usually this would be Seeing their hand and rendering their most threatening card useless (manual hostile discard).

The ability is the core mechanic to design around.
Questions to consider in the design process
1) How valuable is a manual hostile discard?
Obviously more powerful that drawing a card but how much more powerful.
2) How fragile should the ability be?
Very fragile since 2 of these could lock down almost any opponent. (~2-4 hp)
3) How late in a game should it be delayed?
Probably mid to late game. (~6-8 quanta casting cost)
4) What could this be compared to?
It deals in card advantage (discard), card filtering (manual discard) and information gathering (see hand). Precognition seems a good start for comparison so the Time Nymph is a good model to balance from.

So now there is a cost (6-8 quanta + 1 card) and a resilience (~2-4 hp) so the Attack + Skill Value should add up to 7-9.

So my suggestion would be to change the hp and increase the cost.

2 questions about Distort | Sequester (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36684.0.html):

1) Should the cost be lowered, especially when compared to other PC cards such as Steal and Deflagration?
2) Any suggestions on how to handle stackable permanents (pillars, SoG, etc)?

Thanks!

1)
Destroy costs 3|2.
Worse than destroy costs 2 |1 or 1 |1 .
2)
Temporarily reduce the size of the stack.

[EmeraldTiger]

Would it be possible to cause two creatures on opposite sides to attack only each other?

[OldTrees]

Would it be possible to cause two creatures on opposite sides to attack only each other?

Yes. A creature could have the activated ability to challenge a creature on the opposite side. It would involve some additional combat code if it were to prevent the creatures from attacking normally or the combat could be in addition to normal combat. Damage could also be done simultaneously or sequentially.
Alternatively a spell could teach the Challenge activated ability to a creature.

[EmeraldTiger]

I will work on this later tonight in about 7 to 8 hours from now, in card idea planning.

[Captain Scibra]

Would it be possible to cause two creatures on opposite sides to attack only each other?

Yes. A creature could have the activated ability to challenge a creature on the opposite side. It would involve some additional combat code if it were to prevent the creatures from attacking normally or the combat could be in addition to normal combat. Damage could also be done simultaneously or sequentially.
Alternatively a spell could teach the Challenge activated ability to a creature.

The mechanic seems best that one's attack is removed from the others hp, and vice versa, at the time of the effect.  Any survivors are delayed.  Ideally, it is a berfed Warden.

[ZephyrPhantom]

Topaz Nymph | Acid Nymph (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,24781.0.html)
(Disregarding the whole FG suggestion that was implemented in that thread as this is not the main focus of the card.)
Unlike it's counterpart, Garnet Nymph | Energy Nymph (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,24783.0.html), I feel that this card I made is not managing to hit the standard of quality I usually set but the theme of the card is interesting enough for me expand on.

Am I correct in that this card could be be designed with better quality, and what are your suggestions on improving it?

[OldTrees]

Topaz Nymph | Acid Nymph (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,24781.0.html)
(Disregarding the whole FG suggestion that was implemented in that thread as this is not the main focus of the card.)
Unlike it's counterpart, Garnet Nymph | Energy Nymph (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,24783.0.html), I feel that this card I made is not managing to hit the standard of quality I usually set but the theme of the card is interesting enough for me expand on.

Am I correct in that this card could be be designed with better quality, and what are your suggestions on improving it?

Yes, it is lower than your norm.

Theme:
Remember Nymphs use Alchemy. This is why the effect does not change significantly between unupped and upgraded. Does Topaz reflect this?
Remember Nymphs use Alchemy. Thunderstorm is not an alchemy card. Is this a problem?
Acid probably is not Other but rather fits some particular element or duo. (Remember Pseudo elements can be subsets of existing elements. Void was a strange exception)

Basically my diagnosis would be to double check the theme, make the card versions more consistent and balance the card.

PS: I would put Acid in Death or Water. Creating Acid Rain using Air would be weird.

[ZephyrPhantom]

Remember Nymphs use Alchemy. This is why the effect does not change significantly between unupped and upgraded. Does Topaz reflect this?

I'm not sure where to draw the line on this - Void Nymph (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,21512.0.html) also had a significant change in it's ability, which you noted was "worth the upgrade". Here, you seem to imply that the shift in stats and lethality takes away from the card instead. Is Void's theme generally an exception in most (if not all) cases within ETG?

[OldTrees]

Remember Nymphs use Alchemy. This is why the effect does not change significantly between unupped and upgraded. Does Topaz reflect this?

I'm not sure where to draw the line on this - Void Nymph (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,21512.0.html) also had a significant change in it's ability, which you noted was "worth the upgrade". Here, you seem to imply that the shift in stats and lethality takes away from the card instead. Is Void's theme generally an exception in most (if not all) cases within ETG?

In the case of Void, the effect increased in magnitude (destroy quanta to absorb quanta) but did not change direction. Acid Nymph's effect changes direction (-atk to -hp).

[EmeraldTiger]

Elephant | Bull Elephant (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36771.0.html) balance check. please

[Daguerreo]

It's been a long time, eh?

Could you join Chain of Atlas (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,35839.0.html), Bonefish (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36760.0.html) and Storm Wand (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36761.0.html) threads and discuss about balance and usefulness of these cards?