Ask the Idea Guru

[Jenkar]

http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,37328.msg500635#msg500635

Is this card's cost (including max hp cost) balanced in regard to its effects?

[OldTrees]

http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,37328.msg500635#msg500635

Is this card's cost (including max hp cost) balanced in regard to its effects?

I do not know.
The power of the effect is hard to measure. You get 1 turn of usage out of each permanent the opponent plays. 1 quanta|2quanta from pillars, 1 strike with weapons, 1 turn of protection with shields, 1 activation of abilities, 1 turn of non activated abilities.

The cost is also difficult to condense. It costs 4 [4cu] + 1 card [+1cu=5] + 2|1 max hp per permanent played [+Xcu=5+X]

I would etimate it is balanced +/- 2 quanta but at this point I think playtesting (http://sync.in/CardIdeaBattlefield1) is needed.

[Drake_XIV]

What are your thoughts on Shard of Integrity?  Would you say it definitely favors certain shards over others?

[OldTrees]

What are your thoughts on Shard of Integrity?  Would you say it definitely favors certain shards over others?

For those without Google Docs

Element	Stats		Skills
	Unupped	Upgraded	1copy	2copies	3copies	4copies	5copies	6copies	7copies	8copies
	+2|+2	+3|+3	: Burrow	: Burrow Immaterial	: Lobotomize Immaterial	: Lobotomize Immaterial	: Lobotomize Immaterial	: Immortal (no effect) Immaterial	: Immortal (no effect) Immaterial
	+2|+2	+3|+3	: Burrow Airborne	: Queen Airborne	: Snipe Airborne	: Dive Airborne	: Dive Airborne	: Unstable Gas Airborne	: Unstable Gas Airborne
	+2|+2	+3|+3	: Burrow Devourer	: Burrow Voodoo	Vampire Voodoo	Vampire Voodoo	: Liquid Shadow Voodoo	: Steal Voodoo	: Steal Voodoo
	+2|+2	+3|+3	: Infection	Scavenger	Scavenger	Venom	: Alfatoxin	Deadly Venom	Deadly Venom
	+1|+4	+3|+3	: Burrow	: Stone Form	: Stone Form	: Guard	: Guard	: Petrify	: Petrify	: Petrify
	+2|+2	+3|+3	: Dead and Alive	: Mutation	: Paradox	: Improved Mutation	Scramble	: Antimatter	: Antimatter
	+3|+0	+4|+1	: Burrow	: Ablaze	Fiery	Fiery	: Destroy	: Rage	: Rage
	+0|+6	+1|+7	: Burrow Momentum	: Burrow Momentum	: Burrow Momentum	: Burrow Momentum	: Devour Momentum	: Black Hole Momentum	: Black Hole Momentum
	+2|+2	+3|+3	: Growth	: Growth Adrenaline	: Growth Adrenaline	: Growth Adrenaline	: Adrenaline Adrenaline	: Mitosis Adrenaline	: Mitosis Adrenaline
	+2|+2	+3|+3	: Heal	: Heal	: Endow	: Endow	: Endow	: Luciferin	: Luciferin
	+2|+2	+3|+3	: Burrow	: Scarab	: Deja Vu	Neurotoxin	Neurotoxin	: Precognition	: Precognition
	+2|+2	+3|+3	: Burrow	: Steam	: Steam	: Freeze	: Freeze	: Nymph	: Nymph

I do not think it favors any shard specifically. There are many wonderful spots to land.
Gravity tiers 1-4 are pitiful but give nice hp for gravity cards.
Aether tiers 6 and 7 (secret tier I) have amazing stats and immaterial but have a useless skill.

[eaglgenes101]

Would it be a good idea to have a rareless way to generate shards, like nymph's tears generates nymphs in a rareless card?

[OldTrees]

Would it be a good idea to have a rareless way to generate shards, like nymph's tears generates nymphs in a rareless card?

Yes, provided such a card serves a secondary purpose like Nymph's Tears and if the alternate cost was balanced relative to the shards.
Nymph's tears is an alternate cost and a Pillar PC.

In fact, Shard of Integrity is begging for such a card to be made.

[ZephyrPhantom]

Would it be a good idea to have a rareless way to generate shards, like nymph's tears generates nymphs in a rareless card?

Yes, provided such a card serves a secondary purpose like Nymph's Tears and if the alternate cost was balanced relative to the shards.
Nymph's tears is an alternate cost and a Pillar PC.

In fact, Shard of Integrity is begging for such a card to be made.

Would Glass Shard (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,35283.0.html) be a good example of such a card?

Also, what are some good alternative effects that you feel would work with Mark Upgrades (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,37370.0.html)?

[OldTrees]

Would it be a good idea to have a rareless way to generate shards, like nymph's tears generates nymphs in a rareless card?

Yes, provided such a card serves a secondary purpose like Nymph's Tears and if the alternate cost was balanced relative to the shards.
Nymph's tears is an alternate cost and a Pillar PC.

In fact, Shard of Integrity is begging for such a card to be made.

Would Glass Shard (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,35283.0.html) be a good example of such a card?

Also, what are some good alternative effects that you feel would work with Mark Upgrades (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,37370.0.html)?

No Glass Shard resembles Nymph's Tear too closely and did not adjust to the new cost range. (7 /8-9 -> 6 /~5 ?)


Alternative effects for Marks?
The current idea is +5 quanta +5 hp when a named card is played by the opponent.

I feel this idea is extremely situational. Remember the old Purify? It was useful against 2 cards (Chrysaora and Poison). Now to be fair Purify cost a deck slot that the mark doesn't. However if there are alternate effects then this Taxation effect will cost a deck slot relative to the other abilities. This extremely limits the design of alternative abilities.

I would suggest skills of a quanta value of 0-1.
Example
Pendulum mark (choose 1 element in the trial and 1 at deck building)
Growing mark (it would increase in size every [balanced number] of turns)
Shard master (fools mark dependent shards)

Alternatively the trial could offer the ability to sacrifice the quanta generation for another ability.

[eaglgenes101]

Can you analyze Massive Orb | Gravity Orb (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36321.0.html)?

[OldTrees]

Can you analyze Massive Orb | Gravity Orb (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36321.0.html)?

Upgraded it is a repeat of Fire Nymph. Rage is a potent ability that would be devastating if available in the early game. Thus it was restricted to mid-late game by having a larger swing and thus a higher casting cost.

Unupped
1 card + 2 for 0|10
1 : +2|-3

0|10 is worth n/a cost units (It does not have a primary use to compare to. The secondary usages are not sufficiently quantified)
2|7 is worth 3 cost units
4|4 is worth 4 cost units
6|1 is worth 6 cost units

So it has 4 modes
0|10 costs 1 card + 2 = 3 cost units (cu)
2|7 costs 1 card + 3 -2 damage ~= 4cu
4|4 costs 1 card + 4 -6 damage ~= 6cu
6|1 costs 1 card + 5 -12 damage ~= 8cu

What if it had no activation cost?
0|10 costs 1 card + 2 = 3 cost units (cu)
2|7 costs 1 card + 2 -2 damage ~= 3cu
4|4 costs 1 card + 2 -6 damage ~= 5cu
6|1 costs 1 card + 2 -12 damage ~= 7cu

[eaglgenes101]

Can you analyze Massive Orb | Gravity Orb (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36321.0.html)?

Upgraded it is a repeat of Fire Nymph. Rage is a potent ability that would be devastating if available in the early game. Thus it was restricted to mid-late game by having a larger swing and thus a higher casting cost.

Unupped
1 card + 2 for 0|10
1 : +2|-3

0|10 is worth n/a cost units (It does not have a primary use to compare to. The secondary usages are not sufficiently quantified)
2|7 is worth 3 cost units
4|4 is worth 4 cost units
6|1 is worth 6 cost units

So it has 4 modes
0|10 costs 1 card + 2 = 3 cost units (cu)
2|7 costs 1 card + 3 -2 damage ~= 4cu
4|4 costs 1 card + 4 -6 damage ~= 6cu
6|1 costs 1 card + 5 -12 damage ~= 8cu

What if it had no activation cost?
0|10 costs 1 card + 2 = 3 cost units (cu)
2|7 costs 1 card + 2 -2 damage ~= 3cu
4|4 costs 1 card + 2 -6 damage ~= 5cu
6|1 costs 1 card + 2 -12 damage ~= 7cu

And then if a guardian angel, heavy armor, or holy light is also in the scene?

[OldTrees]

Can you analyze Massive Orb | Gravity Orb (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36321.0.html)?

Upgraded it is a repeat of Fire Nymph. Rage is a potent ability that would be devastating if available in the early game. Thus it was restricted to mid-late game by having a larger swing and thus a higher casting cost.

Unupped
1 card + 2 for 0|10
1 : +2|-3

0|10 is worth n/a cost units (It does not have a primary use to compare to. The secondary usages are not sufficiently quantified)
2|7 is worth 3 cost units
4|4 is worth 4 cost units
6|1 is worth 6 cost units

So it has 4 modes
0|10 costs 1 card + 2 = 3 cost units (cu)
2|7 costs 1 card + 3 -2 damage ~= 4cu
4|4 costs 1 card + 4 -6 damage ~= 6cu
6|1 costs 1 card + 5 -12 damage ~= 8cu

What if it had no activation cost?
0|10 costs 1 card + 2 = 3 cost units (cu)
2|7 costs 1 card + 2 -2 damage ~= 3cu
4|4 costs 1 card + 2 -6 damage ~= 5cu
6|1 costs 1 card + 2 -12 damage ~= 7cu

And then if a guardian angel, heavy armor, or holy light is also in the scene?

Extra cost -> Extra benefit
ex: Heavy Armor (1 + 1 card + duo = 3 cost units) -> 10|1 costs 2 cards + 2 + 1 + duo -30 damage > 10 cost units.