Elements 1.21

[Kamietsu]

I like the new elements, when is it going to be out?? I^d like to test the new fractal card

you can test the new cards in the trainer.

[killfer8]

I meant with my score and against PvP, no sense making it in the trainer

[Laxaria]

I think a lot of people are missing something.

Mono Graboid decks need a Time mark!

While Mono-Life and Mono-Fire can survive handily without a different mark element, a graboid rush deck *NEEDS* to use a Time mark. This translates to 1 less earth Quanta per turn, unlike the other pure mono decks that can use the respective element mark.

And with using a Time Mark, a lot of Time Quanta may be wasted. You really only need 6 Time Quanta for the Graboid deck, but that 6 Quanta in a mono-fire or mono-life can make a greater difference than in a Graboid. And that's assuming the game lasts only 6 turns. If it lasts longer (6+), you essentially have *a lot of wasted quanta*, where every single quanta point counts in optimising speed with a mono deck.

[PuppyChow]

I'm at the lodge with wifi for a bit so I thought I would check up on the forums. (I'll be back tomorrow night).

Anyway, a comment about the mulligan feature: it's good and bad for me. Sometimes I get draws where I have 3 supernovas, an oty, a quint, and a few other cards. This draw is perfect for me; I'll gladly discard a card or two to be able to get a quinted oty out. In that scenario, a mulligan would suck for me.

So suggestion: Keep the same criteria for a mulligan, but make it optional.

[yaladilae]

I'm at the lodge with wifi for a bit so I thought I would check up on the forums. (I'll be back tomorrow night).

Anyway, a comment about the mulligan feature: it's good and bad for me. Sometimes I get draws where I have 3 supernovas, an oty, a quint, and a few other cards. This draw is perfect for me; I'll gladly discard a card or two to be able to get a quinted oty out. In that scenario, a mulligan would suck for me.

So suggestion: Keep the same criteria for a mulligan, but make it optional.

I 2nd that !

[vaxquis]

Q - Why can't I decide myself if I want a mulligan?
A1 - People would use it to drastically improve the chances of getting the desired card X in the initial hand.
A2 - It would force me to add an extra turn in pvp games before the game actually starts: more waiting, more questions, more clicking.
A3 - I still want bad/good initial hands in the game. What I do not want is having 8 cards in your hand and having to discard one during your first turn - just too frustrating.

seems Zanz already answered you guys.

[bojengles77]

Thanks zanz! great updates imo. I think that some issues might come up, as others have pointed out, with the mulligan feature regarding other no cost cards, but i think the idea is an amazing one i never even thought to do that. And that pulv nerf is probably for the best, 1 gravity to destroy was OP

[verbal]

good updates!

However, on the muligan feature:

Firstly, good idea. However!

1) Some decks - indeed, I would suggest many decks - will struggle with a single pillar to almost the extent they will struggle with no pillars. Perhaps you could implement a feature allowing people to set the muligan number? (IE if I have <n> or less 0 cost things, mulligan). It would also allow people with a desire never to do it to set the number to -1, if coded right.

2) Allowing player controlled mulligans does require a 'special first turn'. This may slow down multiplayer/pvp.

However, you can counteract that by adding something the game should already be using: chess clocks (or clocks, anyway). Each player starts the game with (I don't know; this is a wild guess) 30 minutes of time; time goes down during your turn. When you run out of time, game over, you die. (30 M each is probably too long, but you get the idea).

Also: And I'm not sure if this is the right place, but what the game needs, new card-wise, is not big expensive flashy spells, but rather more vanilla or french vanilla dudes in each element. More guys who are 2E 2/2s and such, to allow the filling out of various deck slots.You'll gain more increase in variety of decks that way than more or less any other. Game could also use some more medium cost dudes with abilities - the reason Otyugh gets so much play is nothing else does anything like that (except the mind flayer, and the squid, that I can think of). More guys with ddd: steal a weapon or www: gain control of target pillar for the next two turns or some such.

(PS: Is their a standard list of letter-acronyms for the elements?)

[Kamietsu]

good updates!

However, on the muligan feature:

Firstly, good idea. However!

1) Some decks - indeed, I would suggest many decks - will struggle with a single pillar to almost the extent they will struggle with no pillars. Perhaps you could implement a feature allowing people to set the muligan number? (IE if I have <n> or less 0 cost things, mulligan). It would also allow people with a desire never to do it to set the number to -1, if coded right.

2) Allowing player controlled mulligans does require a 'special first turn'. This may slow down multiplayer/pvp.

However, you can counteract that by adding something the game should already be using: chess clocks (or clocks, anyway). Each player starts the game with (I don't know; this is a wild guess) 30 minutes of time; time goes down during your turn. When you run out of time, game over, you die. (30 M each is probably too long, but you get the idea).

Also: And I'm not sure if this is the right place, but what the game needs, new card-wise, is not big expensive flashy spells, but rather more vanilla or french vanilla dudes in each element. More guys who are 2E 2/2s and such, to allow the filling out of various deck slots.You'll gain more increase in variety of decks that way than more or less any other. Game could also use some more medium cost dudes with abilities - the reason Otyugh gets so much play is nothing else does anything like that (except the mind flayer, and the squid, that I can think of). More guys with ddd: steal a weapon or www: gain control of target pillar for the next two turns or some such.

(PS: Is their a standard list of letter-acronyms for the elements?)

The way you propose the mulligan feature to work completely ruins how a card game is supposed to be. It's not a feature that is supposed to always give you x amount of playable cards or more. It's a feature that makes it so you can have a higher chance of playing something, anything, your first turn, so you don't have to discard.

The time method you said is a bad idea. PvP has enough time restriction, restricting time on duels against the computer isn't good. Sometimes I take over an hour to complete a duel because I am busy doing other things online, or have to go away from the computer for awhile and I don't want to exit the duel because I am winning.

And the game needs new cards, period. But people aren't too as much fans of vanilla creatures as they are for creatures with abilities. Granted, some more vanilla creatures would be nice to have, I prefer creatures that have an extra layer of help.

Scarabs also have the Devour ability, and with the new Pharaoh card coming out, scarabs will be a much better card. And creatures with the ability to steal are very OP. That's why they don't, and never will exist. The only way to get them are to get lucky with a Fallen Elf/Druid to mutate a creature that has the steal ability.

[killsdazombies]

I cant wait for this patch to come out, all the cards are awesome in the trainer.

[verbal]

The way you propose the mulligan feature to work completely ruins how a card game is supposed to be. It's not a feature that is supposed to always give you x amount of playable cards or more. It's a feature that makes it so you can have a higher chance of playing something, anything, your first turn, so you don't have to discard.

The time method you said is a bad idea. PvP has enough time restriction, restricting time on duels against the computer isn't good. Sometimes I take over an hour to complete a duel because I am busy doing other things online, or have to go away from the computer for awhile and I don't want to exit the duel because I am winning.

I think 'completely ruins the way a card game is supposed to work' is something of an overstatement. Is excessive hyperbole the standard around here? If so, you'll have to excuse my newness - I'll work my way up to it.

Yes, I understand that such a mulligan feature would need to be carefully managed. However, as a one-shot that always happens - it's hardly overpowered. Does it improve the average hand? Well, yes - but that is, one suspects, the reason for a mulligan to exist.

As for the time feature: I agree, it would not need to be implemented for playing VS the computer, just for PVP (which I believe was implied by my post?).

As for cards to be created: Sure, a creature with <x mana, steal> would be pretty powerful. However, suggesting it is impossible to come up with a balanced such card is, well, defeatest at best. I mean, would 10 cost, 1/1, 3 mana + return it to your hand: steal be overpowered? I could be wrong, but it seems pretty weak to me. (or even sacrifice: steal). Sure, steal is probably a poor example, as it is very powerful, but there are plenty of similar abilities you could have (even targeted stealing: IE just weapons or just shields or some such). Fact remains: Game needs more stuff, with a preference for interactive, simple stuff.

And the game needs new cards, period. But people aren't too as much fans of vanilla creatures as they are for creatures with abilities. Granted, some more vanilla creatures would be nice to have, I prefer creatures that have an extra layer of help.

Scarabs also have the Devour ability, and with the new Pharaoh card coming out, scarabs will be a much better card. And creatures with the ability to steal are very OP. That's why they don't, and never will exist. The only way to get them are to get lucky with a Fallen Elf/Druid to mutate a creature that has the steal ability.
[/quote]

[Kamietsu]

The way you propose the mulligan feature to work completely ruins how a card game is supposed to be. It's not a feature that is supposed to always give you x amount of playable cards or more. It's a feature that makes it so you can have a higher chance of playing something, anything, your first turn, so you don't have to discard.

The time method you said is a bad idea. PvP has enough time restriction, restricting time on duels against the computer isn't good. Sometimes I take over an hour to complete a duel because I am busy doing other things online, or have to go away from the computer for awhile and I don't want to exit the duel because I am winning.

I think 'completely ruins the way a card game is supposed to work' is something of an overstatement. Is excessive hyperbole the standard around here? If so, you'll have to excuse my newness - I'll work my way up to it.

Yes, I understand that such a mulligan feature would need to be carefully managed. However, as a one-shot that always happens - it's hardly overpowered. Does it improve the average hand? Well, yes - but that is, one suspects, the reason for a mulligan to exist.

It's not a hyperbole at all. It does ruin how the game is supposed to work. With your proposes way mulligan should work, it eliminates bad draws completely, which ruins how card games work. Card games have a layer of luck to them. The way you proposed almost eliminates the need for luck. Why not just pick your opening hand then?

Most card games have a mulligan, some are more intense than others, some having you discard your entire hand to draw again, some just shuffling back into your deck and being able to draw one less card. They are meant to give a little boost, make things a little better, not give you a 100% sure hand that doesn't fail at all.