Ask the Idea Guru

[OldTrees]

What's your thoughts on the new nymph changes?

Seconded. Also, if you're given the chance to rebalance all 12 nymphs, how will you do it? (casting cost, attack, HP, skill cost)

I tend to ignore nymphs most of the time. They too rare unupped for decent playtesting data to be collected by the player mass. An upgraded nymph is even rarer because some tournaments are unupped only. So there is too little playtesting to double check my balance predictions.

Cost	Stats	Activation Cost	Skill cost	My estimate on the unupped
8	7|4 / 9|4		3|3	Balanced
8	6|8 / 7|9		2|3	Slightly too low. Nerf attack.
8	3|5 / 5|5		7|7	Too high. Boost attack and hp.
8	6|8 / 7|9		1|2	Skill is not very useful to repeat. Stats are slightly too high.
8	6|8 / 7|9		2|3	Balanced
9	3|1 / 3|2		9|11	Too high. Boost hp and attack.
8	1|6 / 1|7	/	9|12	Too high. Boost attack and hp.
9	1|3 / 1|4		10|12	Too high. Boost attack and hp.
8	3|6 / 3|7		7|9	Too high. Boost attack and hp.
9	6|9 / 7|9	/	3|5	Balanced?
8	6|8 / 7|9		2|3	Balanced
8	6|8 / 7|9		3|4	Balanced or slightly too low.

Whenever the upgraded skill cost is higher than the unupped skill cost, the upgraded card needs to be buffed more/ nerfed less relative to the unupped card.

[Glitch]

It is time for me to again request your wisdom.

http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,39818.0.html

Duo / Fission: Target creature gains +2|+1, this card gets -2|-1.  You can use this ability multiple times per turn.
Duo  / Fusion:  Target creature gets -1|-2, this card gets +1|+2.

Convenient summary of Fission and Fusion as they relate to entropy
Fission causes particles to divide into more particles causing entropy to increase. (aka  )
Fusion causes particles to melt together causing entropy to decrease. (aka  )

Based on these definitions, I do not see the reason for these to be duo creatures.
As a mono creature, Matter Mage would have easier access to cross element synergies.
(Unupped: Wyrm, Angel, Heavy Armor, Basilisk Blood)

Fission gives +2X|+X for Casting Cost + X * Activation Cost where X=hp of Matter Mage.
+6|+3 for Casting Cost + 3 * Activation Cost
+12|+6 for Casting Cost + Plate Armor + 6 * Activation Cost
+18|+9 for Casting Cost + Heavy Armor + 9 * Activation Cost
+46|+23 for Casting Cost + Basilisk Blood + 6 turns + 23 * Activation Cost (OTK potential for OTK cost)
Since it gives 2 attack per activation cost, the activation cost of 2 quanta is appropriate. However the casting cost is a bit high.

The casting cost is high because the Matter Mage starts with 6 attack. Less attack would allow a lower casting cost.

Fusion is a 2 attack swing, +2hp and a 2hp CC. This is slightly better than Growth due to the versatility. Cost should be about 2-3 more than the starting stat value.

Let me first start out by saying I'm constantly flipping which ability I call fission and which I call fusion.  This is partially due to decent arguments for both, partially due to my rudimentary understanding of fusion and fission (at best), and partially due to my own dyslexia).  I'll probably switch them again.  For the purposes of this post, assume the cards are:

Matter Mage.  3/3 for 3 , with the ability :  Fission, this card gets -2|-1, target card gets +2|+1.  You may use this ability multiple times per turn.
Natter Master. 1/1/ for 3 , with the ability :  Fusion, this card gets +1|+2, target card gets -1|-2

There are several reasons for the duos as I have them.

1)  I want to create a series where upgrading the card changes the element.  I want these to be opposite elements.  Forcing duos is an easy way of doing this without fundamentally changing the card

2)  Fission divides a stable particle (base creature is gravity) and causes them to be more chaotic (effect costs entropy), in doing so weakening the stable particle (the base creature) and causing more energy in the system as a whole (buffing another target creature).   Fusion takes a more chaotic system (base creature is entropy) and makes it more stable (effect costs entropy), in so taking matter from the system (target creature gets -1|-2) and combining it into a stable creature (matter mage gets +1|+2).
However, the counter argument is that why would a gravity creature use fission and an entropy creature use fusion.  Shouldn't it be the other way around?  Quite clearly fission and fusion are a transition from entropy to gravity, and vice versa, the question is how to best express that on one card.

3)  While the synergy with other elements is increased by making it mono, doing so would make upgraded/unupgraded versions of the card mandatory.  You'd have to have unupgraded matter mage to make a gravity/air dive deck, and an upgraded matter master to make a entropy/fire maxwell's deck.  You could argue that splitting this concept into two mono card concepts would make it stronger, and I'm gimping it by attempting to balance it for a duo swap that makes sense thematically, but makes no sense when you consider gameplay.  However, you could also argument that all of those combos could be made, and rather potently, with shard of readiness.  I'm debating it right now.

Regardless, in my attempt to make a creature that switches elements on upgrades, this one is clearly a failure.  At least in it's current iteration.  I'll come back to it and move on to the next one.

[OldTrees]

@Glitch
Reason 2 is interesting and makes sense.
(1: Changing a mono card from one element to another does not necessarily fundamentally alter the card.)
(3: A mono that swaps elements would not be required to be split into 2 cards.)

I do not know if Fission and Fusion are the ideal themes or if those versions of them are the ideal mechanics for this kind of a switch card. However, I think that you have a reasonable justification for switching duos in those elements.

PS: The ability names and the element orientations are correct in the above post using the logic of reason 2.

[EmeraldTiger]

Would care to host the next Community Card, using what was learned from the last one to improve the process?

[Glitch]

I'm thinking it may be smarter to just post all 6 card ideas for the series (eventually 12?) before I make them.

Core concept:  upgrading a card changes the element.
Flaw:  I (personally) hate cards that force upgrades v. downgrades.  The best example of this is pufferfish.  If I want to make a water/life adrenaline poison rush, I have to upgrade pufferfish.  It won't work otherwise.  As such, I need to design these cards in such a way that despite changing their base element, you still use them in the same decks for the same things, upgraded or unupgraded.  My solution is to have them all being duo, and upgrading switching the ability cost and the base creature cost.  This means regardless of upgrade or downgrade they're still used in the same duo.  At this point, I began looking at the duos themselves.

 / some sort of evolution card.  Poison all creatures, when they die, bring random ones into play.  One version, death creatures turn into random life creatures, other version, dying life creatures grant random death ones.
 / Fission/Fusion idea listed above
 /   Cave bat:  unupgraded has burrow, burrowing doesn't halve it's attack.  Upgraded comes into play burrowed with dive.
 / It gets +1/+1 and suspends itself a turn.  Upgraded version is immortal while suspended.
 / When it attacks it gets it's own HP increased.  It can heal you at the cost of it's own HP.
 / No clue.

[OldTrees]

Sorry for the delay. Finals had just ended.

First I would like to highlight for new designers, how Glitch narrowed the card suggestion.
He identified his core suggestion. He noted the core suggestion had a design drawback. He identified how he could minimize the drawback. This also works with maximizing design advantages. It is a useful skill to practice. In some cases this process + a core idea is all you will need.

I'm thinking it may be smarter to just post all 6 card ideas for the series (eventually 12?) before I make them.

Core concept:  upgrading a card changes the element.
Flaw:  I (personally) hate cards that force upgrades v. downgrades.  The best example of this is pufferfish.  If I want to make a water/life adrenaline poison rush, I have to upgrade pufferfish.  It won't work otherwise.  As such, I need to design these cards in such a way that despite changing their base element, you still use them in the same decks for the same things, upgraded or unupgraded.  My solution is to have them all being duo, and upgrading switching the ability cost and the base creature cost.  This means regardless of upgrade or downgrade they're still used in the same duo.  At this point, I began looking at the duos themselves.

 / some sort of evolution card.  Poison all creatures, when they die, bring random ones into play.  One version, death creatures turn into random life creatures, other version, dying life creatures grant random death ones.
 / Fission/Fusion idea listed above
 /   Cave bat:  unupgraded has burrow, burrowing doesn't halve it's attack.  Upgraded comes into play burrowed with dive.
 / It gets +1/+1 and suspends itself a turn.  Upgraded version is immortal while suspended.
 / When it attacks it gets it's own HP increased.  It can heal you at the cost of it's own HP.
 / No clue.

The  / one makes sense as it creates Death creatures from the Life creatures by adding Death. They both have the same purpose of creature generation and anti CC. I wonder if Graveyard would be too much competition. I also am concerned that the Duo element would not be represented by an activation cost in this version. Modifying it to represent both types of quanta would be wise.

The / is good but I do not think they fill the same deck slot. Care to enlighten me?

 / Diving while Burrowed? This feels like a joke. (funny visual images) It also does not fit the previous thematic pattern of Using A to convert extreme B toward A.

 / Half growth, delayed and immaterial. I know you have more creative ideas than a slowed and sometimes immaterial Lava Golem.

 / This is a delayed Vampire effect. I do not see potential here but it is quirky enough that I might be overlooking something obvious.

 / Cool down | Heat up?

Would care to host the next Community Card, using what was learned from the last one to improve the process?

No. I would prefer to leave that opportunity available for others to contribute.
I would give this advice:
Once the idea has been narrowed, brainstorm all the variations.
Have several polls deciding major variables from the variations.
Encourage people to defend / support their suggestions.

[Zaealix]

Concerning the  / ...Perhaps, it could have a choice of Creature ability?  would be direct damage, perhaps at the cost of it's own HP/life to mimic Rage.
While  could purify a creature, either at the cost of it's own Atk power, freezing either itself or the target (think like how surgury has anesthetic to put you out while they operate.) There's also good old qaunta costs.

[OldTrees]

Concerning the  / ...Perhaps, it could have a choice of Creature ability?  would be direct damage, perhaps at the cost of it's own HP/life to mimic Rage.
While  could purify a creature, either at the cost of it's own Atk power, freezing either itself or the target (think like how surgury has anesthetic to put you out while they operate.) There's also good old qaunta costs.

Ideally both effects would be used in the same deck slot. CC and anti-CC do not fill the same slot.
Also purify only works against Infection, Snipe and Gravity Pull.

[Glitch]

The  / one makes sense as it creates Death creatures from the Life creatures by adding Death. They both have the same purpose of creature generation and anti CC. I wonder if Graveyard would be too much competition. I also am concerned that the Duo element would not be represented by an activation cost in this version. Modifying it to represent both types of quanta would be wise.

The / is good but I do not think they fill the same deck slot. Care to enlighten me?

 / Diving while Burrowed? This feels like a joke. (funny visual images) It also does not fit the previous thematic pattern of Using A to convert extreme B toward A.

 / Half growth, delayed and immaterial. I know you have more creative ideas than a slowed and sometimes immaterial Lava Golem.

 / This is a delayed Vampire effect. I do not see potential here but it is quirky enough that I might be overlooking something obvious.

 / Cool down | Heat up?

The / one works as a duo because it brings creatures to the base cost.  The life card grants life creatures when death creatures you control die, and vice versa.  It's a forced duo because you're required to have creatures of one type and quanta of the other.  I'm thinking of calling it "raise the dead/raise the living".  Unupgraded, the card says "Attacking creatures have a 25% chance to get poisoned.  When a life creature dies, bring a random death creature into play".  Upgraded, the card says "Attacking creatures have a 50% chance to get poisoned, when a death creature dies, bring a random life creature into play".  At least, at this point in the design.
The idea for both is a life/death synergy with thornshield, however, there are a couple key flaws.  For instance, I am still undecided as to whether the card should affect both players, or just one.  The concept in and of itself is broken if you have both unupgraded and upgraded versions of the card in play.  However, I feel like it's closest to being ready.

You keyed in on the main flaw with the / card.  Looking at both elements, they're about sturdiness versus chaos.  The idea was to have a card that converts one into the other.  (The other potential direction to take this card is the discord/blackhole route).  However, the main goal was to make sure no matter what, the card would benefit otyugh/maxwell's demons.  This meant it had to affect attack power and defense at differing rates, so targeting enemies will eventually kill them with the two.  Perhaps this card would be better:
Unupgraded, this card gets -2/-1, target creatures gets +2/+1.
Upgraded, a random creatures gets -2/-1, target creature gets +2/+1.

The / one is getting a complete rework.  I'm thinking of instead making it great wurm, a creature who may unborrow itself in order to dive, remaining unburrowed until the start of your turn, when you burrow it again.  The upgraded version of this card would make target creature dive, and then make it burrowed after it dives.
Unupgraded, it plays with burrow's ability to do large damage when an opportunity presents itself, and then stay hidden when it's not safe.  Upgraded it still does this, but suddenly it's also a lobotomize effect.

 / is a difficult card to design.  Growth is the most obvious example of turning time into damage.  Perhaps "Harbinger", which gets +3/+0 for every turn it's in stasis, and then drops to it's base stats after attacking?  Upgraded the card is immortal while in stasis.

/ is also getting a full rework.  thematically it's one of the harder to design, as light and darkness, unlike the rest, physically can't coexist.  Maybe a creature that flickers into play, and returns to your hand after combat?
EDIT:  Just thought of something
Traitor/traitor.
The effect is simple, killing it makes it switch teams.  Unupgraded it costs darkness and it on the enemy's side of the field, upgraded it costs light and is on your side of the field.  At any point either player may pay the opposite mana cost, (darkness if it's a light creature, and vice versa) to steal it.   The switching sides upon dying would be a passive effect, and not lobotomizable.  The active, paying quanta to kill it, could be lobo'd.  This adds synergy with liquid shadow.

/ has been giving me trouble because steam machine already exists.  Element wise, fire is the most complete element, there's no really niche "thing" it needs, and giving it more CC, PC, or creatures feels redundant.  I'm really drawing a blank mechanically.

[OldTrees]

 / You are right. I missed the creature's casting cost.

 / Your new version would solve this problem. Here the random one would be drawing stats from the many to the one [Gravity activation cost].

 / The Great Worm theme does help explain the combination of Burrow and Dive. However I think there will be too little difference between unupped and upgraded versions if you go with this mechanic. There might not be enough reason to swap elements on the upgrade.

 / This uses a similar mechanic to Water Golem | Ice Golem.

 / Since Fire is complete, look to where Water is incomplete. However the duo nature means this card will not contribute to mono completeness.

 / Based on the thematic pattern. You want a mechanical representation of what happens when you start to convert portions of Large amounts of (Time/Space) into the other.

[EmeraldTiger]

thoughts? http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,40076.0.html

[OldTrees]

thoughts? http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,40076.0.html

Diminishing Returns
Target creature gains the passive Diminish: This creature gains -1|-1 when a creature dies.

Misnamed.

It would give Death a powerful lethal CC powered by death triggers.

It would be used as Damage Reduction followed by CC. Rarely it might also heal. It might be better as an activated ability.
I think it is about as powerful as Snipe or Lightning.