Ask the New Idea Guru

[Drake_XIV]

Hm... Interesting.  I'd increase the cost a bit since it will kill Nova, Immo, etc.

How would it affect Pandemonium?  Or other AoE spells for that matter?

[MystiK_]

I'm thinking of a card that is specifically used for "Other" cards. A permanent unique to the element that uses only that quanta pool for all "Other" cards.

[Jyiber]

Hm... Interesting.  I'd increase the cost a bit since it will kill Nova, Immo, etc.

How would it affect Pandemonium?  Or other AoE spells for that matter?

Well, the easy way to answer the latter questions is to say: I want to avoid breaking the game.

Any multi-targeting card affected should either have
A) full randomness across the board or
B) the same random effect for everything.

Pandemonium's solution poses an interesting question: How do you make random more random?
I humbly suggest adding squirrels to the equation.

As for increasing the cost, yeah, that suggestion I had seen coming. I just was too lazy to change after I had finished making the card. It should go up.

[Jyiber]

Hi again.

This idea I somewhat brought up on OT's thread a while back after the update that limited the quanta pool. What if there was a card that raised it. This time I'll try to bring forth all the parts of designing such a card I foresee as problems.

1) Would a card that raises the pool produce interesting synergies? Yes or no?

2) A card with the sole purpose of raising the pool isn't good enough. Yes or No?

3) What element do you feel this card belong to. See a clear fit?

4) If raising the pool isn't good enough, and you know what element this fits, what would a fitting secondary mechanic be?

As a side note: Maybe I had my design process backwards and I should have started with the elements that have cards that are dependent on quanta pool size:        . These being Bolts and Stone Skin. Should I relate the card to an element that has synergies with each of these.

[Daguerreo]

Hi new idea guru

I have a doubt about my old new creation, could I have some opinion please?

Sea Wave | Ocean Wave

[Drake_XIV]

Oh my, I'm late, I'm late...

Hi again.

This idea I somewhat brought up on OT's thread a while back after the update that limited the quanta pool. What if there was a card that raised it. This time I'll try to bring forth all the parts of designing such a card I foresee as problems.

1) Would a card that raises the pool produce interesting synergies? Yes or no?

2) A card with the sole purpose of raising the pool isn't good enough. Yes or No?

3) What element do you feel this card belong to. See a clear fit?

4) If raising the pool isn't good enough, and you know what element this fits, what would a fitting secondary mechanic be?

As a side note: Maybe I had my design process backwards and I should have started with the elements that have cards that are dependent on quanta pool size:        . These being Bolts and Stone Skin. Should I relate the card to an element that has synergies with each of these.

1.  No, it does not necessarily seem to me that it would produce interesting synergies.  It would just resurface the bolt decks that were more viable before the quanta caps.

2.  With the current card pool and where such a card could fit, I would have to say no, it is not good enough.  A spell card that would serve only to remove or raise quanta caps seems limited only bolt decks and the occasional Fractal dragon deck.

3.  Outside of being colourless, this seems to me to be more of an or idea, since quanta can be seen as energy that can be pooled.  Definitely not fire, since it would have far too much to gain from it [Fire Bolt, Fahrenheit].

4.  Well, I'd have the secondary ability be to somehow make use of raising said cap.  It itself could be a card that raises the cap based on quanta [e.g "Raise quanta caps by 5 for every 10 you own."] or something to said effect.

5.  As of 1.32, each of these elements have their own means of amassing loads of quanta to reach said cap quickly, but I'd feel it would do best in or , if anything.  However, I am unsure at the moment how this would affect the cards as of now.  But if it were put out of element, there is simply not enough for it to see much use.

Hi new idea guru

I have a doubt about my old new creation, could I have some opinion please?

Sea Wave | Ocean Wave

It seems like a very interesting way to generate more .  However, I question the use of the unupped in the long term for both versions.

1.  Especially with the change in SoPa, the upgraded forme seems like it would see a lot of abuse despite the 0 health, and definitely overshadows Spark.

2.  This actually seems a bit more balanced to me, although, again, the in-element SoPa comes to mind...

Also, with the addition of Dessication, I can't help but feel this is overshadowed in use by both the new spell and the redone SoPa.

[laxnut90]

I saw an interesting idea for a new ability called "Chain"  http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,37282.0.html

The way this ability would work is that some other effect would come from playing two of the same spell in the same turn.

In a way, this ability already exists with the 2 Supernovas produce a Singularity effect.

I think it would be interesting if this could be used in new spells and/or added to existing ones

Here are some ideas for cards based on this effect

Cyanide [Spell] [3 Death Quantum] : Target player gets 2 poison counters.  Draw a card.  Chain: Target gets an extra poison counter for each "Cyanide" played this turn.

Cascading Lava: [Spell] [5 Fire Quantum] : Target takes 3 damage for every 10 Fire Quantum you control.  Chain: Target takes an extra damage per 10 Quantum for each "Cascading Lava" played this turn.

Steady Rejuvenation: [Spell] [4 Life Quantum] : Target gains 15 maximum health.  Draw a card.  Chain: Target gains an extra 10 maximum health for each "Steady Rejuvenation" played this turn.

Building Mass: [Spell] [4 Gravity Quantum] : Target creature gains +0/+5 and is affected by gravity pull.  Chain: Target gains an extra +0/+3 for every "Building Mass" played this turn.

Worker Ant: [Creature] [2 Earth Quantum] : 2/2 Worker ant enters the battlefield burrowed.  Chain: Worker Ant gets +2/+2 for every "Worker Ant" played this turn.  Unburrow [1 Earth Quantum]

These may obviously need some balancing, but what do you think of the "Chain" idea itself.

[Drake_XIV]

I saw an interesting idea for a new ability called "Chain"  http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,37282.0.html

The way this ability would work is that some other effect would come from playing two of the same spell in the same turn.

In a way, this ability already exists with the 2 Supernovas produce a Singularity effect.

I think it would be interesting if this could be used in new spells and/or added to existing ones

If I recall properly, this was also pursued by odideph.
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,42289.0.html

Here are some ideas for cards based on this effect

Cyanide [Spell] [3 Death Quantum] : Target player gets 2 poison counters.  Draw a card.  Chain: Target gets an extra poison counter for each "Cyanide" played this turn.

Cascading Lava: [Spell] [5 Fire Quantum] : Target takes 3 damage for every 10 Fire Quantum you control.  Chain: Target takes an extra damage per 10 Quantum for each "Cascading Lava" played this turn.

Steady Rejuvenation: [Spell] [4 Life Quantum] : Target gains 15 maximum health.  Draw a card.  Chain: Target gains an extra 10 maximum health for each "Steady Rejuvenation" played this turn.

Building Mass: [Spell] [4 Gravity Quantum] : Target creature gains +0/+5 and is affected by gravity pull.  Chain: Target gains an extra +0/+3 for every "Building Mass" played this turn.

Worker Ant: [Creature] [2 Earth Quantum] : 2/2 Worker ant enters the battlefield burrowed.  Chain: Worker Ant gets +2/+2 for every "Worker Ant" played this turn.  Unburrow [1 Earth Quantum]

These may obviously need some balancing, but what do you think of the "Chain" idea itself.

Who draws the card?  The affected player or the one who plays the card?

Building Mass seems to heavily overshadow Gravity Force and Basilisk Blood and their obvious combination.

Worker Ant seems to me to be the most abusable in the stat-cost ratio as well as being prime target for Fractal.

[laxnut90]

I saw an interesting idea for a new ability called "Chain"  http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,37282.0.html

The way this ability would work is that some other effect would come from playing two of the same spell in the same turn.

In a way, this ability already exists with the 2 Supernovas produce a Singularity effect.

I think it would be interesting if this could be used in new spells and/or added to existing ones

If I recall properly, this was also pursued by odideph.
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,42289.0.html

Here are some ideas for cards based on this effect

Cyanide [Spell] [3 Death Quantum] : Target player gets 2 poison counters.  Draw a card.  Chain: Target gets an extra poison counter for each "Cyanide" played this turn.

Cascading Lava: [Spell] [5 Fire Quantum] : Target takes 3 damage for every 10 Fire Quantum you control.  Chain: Target takes an extra damage per 10 Quantum for each "Cascading Lava" played this turn.

Steady Rejuvenation: [Spell] [4 Life Quantum] : Target gains 15 maximum health.  Draw a card.  Chain: Target gains an extra 10 maximum health for each "Steady Rejuvenation" played this turn.

Building Mass: [Spell] [4 Gravity Quantum] : Target creature gains +0/+5 and is affected by gravity pull.  Chain: Target gains an extra +0/+3 for every "Building Mass" played this turn.

Worker Ant: [Creature] [2 Earth Quantum] : 2/2 Worker ant enters the battlefield burrowed.  Chain: Worker Ant gets +2/+2 for every "Worker Ant" played this turn.  Unburrow [1 Earth Quantum]

These may obviously need some balancing, but what do you think of the "Chain" idea itself.

Who draws the card?  The affected player or the one who plays the card?

Building Mass seems to heavily overshadow Gravity Force and Basilisk Blood and their obvious combination.

Worker Ant seems to me to be the most abusable in the stat-cost ratio as well as being prime target for Fractal.

For the card Cyanide, I figured that the player who played the card should draw a card.  This would add some synergy to the Chain mechanic, but drawing a card might make it too overpowered.

Now that I think about it, Building mass seems to be too overpowered especially if used with Voodoo doll.

I did consider the Fractal idea for Worker Ant and felt that having it enter the battlefield burrowed would offset this advantage.  (i.e. the Fractaling player would have to wait a turn and unburrow before playing).  If someone were to make a Fractal deck around it, the maximum they could possibly play in one turn is 8.  This means that the largest worker ant would be an 18/18 if and only if the Fractal were played on an empty hand.  Secondly, the Fractaling player would need 17 Earth Quantum (1 to unburrow and the rest to play the ants) and 9 Aether Quantum for this combo to work.  Lastly, even if you managed to Fractal on an empty hand and play all the ants in the same turn, the Fractaled ants would enter burrowed, meaning that the largest of the ants (18/18) would enter as a 9/18. 

I agree with you that Fractaling the ants would be a very strong combination, however I do not think it would be overpowered.

[Marsu]

Hello, I've been wanting to pose a certain question ever since I decided to submit my first card, but I figured an own thread would be too much.
How important would you say is it that new card ideas "fill a hole"/are actually needed by the Element they belong to? My personal philosophy is that it does not really matter - a new card may not be OP and should fit the games thematic background in general and that of its respective Element in particular. If that is given, it is an enrichment to the game anyway simply because it increases the options and variations of decks.
(Obivously, it is important that cards that fill a hole are also added to the game.)
I see a hint of Zanzarino maybe thinking alike in the latest patch - none of the card where actually needed. I still liked the patch.

[Drake_XIV]

Ah, I apologize for not answering any questions previously and I hope that they had already been answered.  With some more freedom in my schedule, I hope to be able to answer any other questions that may be posed by both new and well-versed designers alike.

[ZephyrPhantom]

If you had to make a new element, what would it's theme be? What would be it's central mechanics?