We've been focused on capturing the overarching feelings of progress and anticipation for Tesla. But within these big-picture themes individual elements impose their own restrictions.In particular, many of our visions have involved machines acting on their own, whether that means an assembly line that just chugs along or full-fledged artificial intelligence. Your challenge is to design something to capture this feeling of agency.
Wizards has already spent some time looking at this space for Planeswalkers. Having the cards follow a prescribed pattern of actions made them feel dumb. That's not okay for your badass ally; whether it's okay for the manufacturing plant is another question. Whatever your answer, your submission should play like it has a plan.
That's an interesting question!
ReplyDeleteI think, like with planeswalkers, it may be that you don't need things to actually act on their own to feel like it, if they naturally go together in a certain way. Like the various designs for artifacts which untap/combo with other artifacts in a chain -- to me that has a very much "working by itself" feel even though technically you can choose not to activate them.
However, it's worth considering if we can have something that feels like a runaway assembly line or runaway AI, I'll see if I can come back with more ideas.
A previous mechanic I felt evoked some of this was "Feed the Machine" (sac this unless you exile an artifact from your graveyard).
DeleteThat gives a sense of "you have to serve the machine, not the machine serving you" even though theoretically its for your benefit.
It occurs to me, you might be able to avoid the downsides by combining that with Geared ("doesn't untap; untap when you play an artifact"). Something like, "return to hand unless you played an artifact this turn"? Or even, have an activation cost, and have it return to hand unless you pay the cost? Something to give it a feeling of inevitability.
Interesting take. I'm a little skittish about having a central mechanic read like a downside. How would people feel if they did something small and positive repeatedly which you have to fulfill a condition to upgrade?
DeleteE.g. "At the beginning of your end step, untap target creature you control. Put a +1/+1 counter on it if an artifact entered the battlefield under your control this turn."
Something like an artifact version of Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder could nicely capture the feeling of runaway uncontrolled processes.
ReplyDeleteBut I think the feeling of "automation" could be nicely served by things as simple as
Walker Foundry
Artifact, {5}
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a 1/1 colourless Construct artifact creature token onto the battlefield.
I like both of those ideas.
DeleteMy first thought as well. Mandatory upkeep triggers seems like a good way of implementing it. Plague Boiler or Goblin Boom Keg.
DeleteIt could also be where each has a mandatory cost like:
Bone Grinder 3
Artifact
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice a creature. If you do, put a 1/1 colorless Construct artifact creature token onto the battlefield.
riffs
DeleteWalker Foundry
Artifact, 5
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a 1/1 colorless Construct artifact creature token onto the battlefield. If you control 5 or more artifact creatures, sacrifice a non-artifact creature.
Bone Grinder 3
Artifact
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice a creature. If you do, put a 3/3 colorless Golem artifact creature token onto the battlefield.
Great ideas here. I agree that something with an obvious cost like Jay's Walker Foundry and Bone Grinder are fine, but I think even AlexC's Walker Foundry is fine. We just need to hint at the flavor of Automation, not really capture it 100%.
DeleteIn addition, we can capture the feeling of rebellion in other ways - they don't have to rebel against you. If you're the player making all the robots, then perhaps you could also be the player that leads them in their rebellion, flavorfully - right? So we could see:
Walker Foundry, Inanimate Version {7}
Artifact
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a 1/1 colorless Construct artifact creature token onto the battlefield.
Tap five artifact creatures you control: Each opponent sacrifices a non-artifact creature.
Very good point, which I overlooked completely.
DeleteAgreed. To me this version feels something like "harnessing the machines' potential".
DeleteI don't think this works as is, but I hoped it might give some more ideas.
ReplyDeleteGalvanic Rummager
1
{1}, {T}: Draw a card, then discard a card.
Rise of the Machines (If you control five or more artifacts when you activate an ability of this card, sacrifice it and put a 5/5 construct artifact creature token OTB.)
The idea is, you reach a threshold where your cards suddenly get more powerful but also don't do what you used to want any more.
That certainly tells a good story! It gives a lot of anticipation. Five will be a hard number to reach (witness metalcraft's 3 being on about 50% of the time), but that's fine because you're getting a hefty payoff when you get there - 10, 15, maybe even 25 power of sudden beatstick, depending on how many of those artifacts have Rise.
DeleteThis is interesting. It's simultaneously an upgrade and a downgrade. You lose access to the ability, but you gain a powerful creature.
DeleteI worry about the times players really need their abilities and are stuck with vanilla 5/5s instead. But, for the most part, this has the story of a downside while it plays like an upside - which is EXACTLY what we're looking for. Interesting mechanic!
Ditto to what Inanimate said. Good job!
DeleteMaybe we can split the difference, cards that feel like they're building something on their own, but you don't take it until you need it.
ReplyDeleteGolem factory 3
Artifact uncommon
Automated (At the begging of your upkeep, put a charge counter on this)
2, Remove 3 charge counters from Golem Factory: Put a 3/3 Golem artifact creature into play.
Does the activation cost hurt the flavor a bit? We can also modify it pretty easily for Edison:
Drone assembly 2
Artifact uncommon
Automated (At the beginning of your upkeep, put a charge counter on this)
Whenever Drone assembly has 2 or more charge counters on it, remove 2 charge counters and put a 2/2 drone artifact creature into play.
I think something like this is the best idea. It feels like it's doing its own thing, but its still relatively under your control.
DeleteI especially like Drone Assembly.
In the same vein, take a look at Lightning Coils. It doesn't always do what you would choose, but it's always on your side.
DeleteJules: Handily, it keys off a bad thing for you, which can make it feel like its 'profiting from your loss'.
DeleteThis subthread reminds me of Chris Howlett's WIP custom set Arcunda, and especially the cards with Accumulate such as Collegium Loreseeker and Cisaean Windcaller. Playtesting that set led to changing Accumulate from "(At the beginning of your upkeep, put a charge counter on this)" to "(When this enters the battlefield and at the beginning of your upkeep, put a charge counter on it.)"
DeleteSelf-Aware
ReplyDeleteI'd forgotten that one! Definitely needs some iteration, but it hits the feeling on the nose.
DeleteArmorous Flywheel
ReplyDeleteArtifact
Put a charge counter on ~, {T}: Target creature gets +1/+1 until EOT for each charge counter on ~. You lose 1 life.
Unstoppable (At the beginning of your upkeep, if this has 3 or more charge counters on it, activate one of its activated abilities, if possible.)
This is interesting. I like the fact that it only becomes 'runaway' when you let it, and that there's no inherent downside in the mechanic itself. (I think that's important.) Very nice!
DeleteI'd look at self-mill for our common downside. It takes longer to get out of hand, which gives it a lot more potential for the whole "we didn't realize until it was too late" dynamic.
DeleteJules: I see a downside and two more upsides to self-mill:
DeleteDownside: "We didn't realize until it was too late" is also a negative - players should be able to keenly feel the cost. Milling is kinda an 'invisible loss' until you realize, oops, I only have 10 cards left in my library. Still, since newbies fear it a lot more than they should, and more experienced players understand the 'cost', I don't think this is a serious downside. Just something to check carefully in playtesting with LSPs.
Two upsides:
1.) It serves as a great cost, since it only becomes a serious detriment if you let it sit there for a long time, or if you go all-in on the rogue AI strategy. This is good, since it means more players can play a few rogue AIs in their decks and experience the fun, without worrying about killing themselves!
2.) Laboratory Maniac will become a super-amazing reprint. :D
Maniacal Librarion {2}
ReplyDeleteArtifact (unc)
2, T, Exile the top two cards of your library: Draw a card.
Demanding (At the end of your turn, if this artifact is untapped, tap all permanents you control.)
I feel like this drawback mechanic has a really clever idea, but being mandatory makes it really un-fun. Could we perhaps do something like this:
DeleteAware (At any time, if this permanent doesn't have a charge counter on it, you may put a charge counter on it and it becomes aware. When your turn ends, if this is aware and untapped, tap all permanents you control.)
And abilities could power-up if the artifact is aware. My intended flavor here was that you could choose to 'imprison' the artifact, shutting off its developing AI by force, but in doing so get a weaker artifact as a result. But I couldn't find a clean way to capture that flavor, so I went for this one, where you get to witness the moment an artifact 'becomes aware'.
Also, in my proposed Aware mechanic, we can put the downside outside of the keyword itself, and have it be unique to each card with Aware.
DeleteManiacal Librarion {2}
DeleteArtifact (unc)
{2}, {T}: Exile the top two cards of your library, then draw a card.
Awaken {4} ({4}: You can no longer activate abilities of ~. At the beginning of your upkeep, ~ activates its own abilities.)
Maniacal Librarion {3}
DeleteArtifact (unc)
{2}, {T}: Exile the top two cards of your library, then draw a card.
Robot Rule (As long as you control a creature, and all creatures you control are artifacts, you can't activate abilities of ~ and it activates its own abilities at the beginning of your upkeep.)
Robot Rule feels too complex but its flavor is super cute.
DeleteAwaken is AMAZING. One of my favorite things in Magic are lines of text that make you shudder - "End the turn", "The land continues to burn", and so on. And I think "this artifact activates its own abilities" is a beautiful line of text.
I love Awaken. I assume you don't have to pay any mana for something that's Awakened. Amusing implausible Jenny combos with things like Cytoshape plus Door to Nothingness.
Delete(I don't love how much better this particular example is than Jayemdae Tome and Urza's Blueprints, but those are details that dev can easily tweak.)
Robot Rule is an intriguing take on the same idea but annoyingly complex. In most cases it won't actually be worth avoiding casting your coloured creatures for it, or if it is then that might be somewhat feel-bad.
Awaken is beautiful. Can the reminder text say "without you paying for them" or something to that effect?
DeleteI echo the rest; I think Awaken is excellent and should be playtested with various downside/upside activations:
DeleteSac a creature, get a Golem
Exile cards from hand, draw a card
Pay life, target player loses life
-1/-1 counter on your creature, pump a creature for a turn
Discard 2 cards, return one from the yard
Exile library cards, mill another player
Exile graveyard cards, search for basic lands and put in hand/gain life
I do think there should be reminder text if, as I suspect, you don't have to pay mana when an awakened ai activates itself.
I expect, like manifest almost always used top of library, there will be a significantly better way to have an activation cost (Like most abilities would exile cards from your library as a cost or something)
Ben: EXCELLENT ideas here! Love 'em all.
DeleteI agree that a unified activation cost is a good idea.
I was thinking you wouldn't pay mana when an artifact activates itself, which is why I didn't say "you must activate it" or something. Debatable.
DeleteLift Dynamo {2}{U}
ReplyDeleteArtifact Creature—Rebel Construct (rare)
As long as your progress is less than five, ~ isn't a creature. (Your progress is equal to the highest generic cost among mana costs of permanents you control.)
Flying. ~ must attack if able.
At the beginning of combat, target creature gains flying until EOT.
4/4
This is a very clever way to use progress!
DeleteI like the card a lot, and it's a perfect template to use for other cards in a cycle. It doesn't feel as bad as a downside mechanic, and that's good.
The 'target creature gains flying' part is interesting, because sometimes it'll give your opponent's creatures flying. I'm going to assume that was intentional?
Turns out that anytime you're forced to give an opposing creature flying, it doesn't matter, because you don't have any creatures to block it anyhow.
DeleteNot if, say, I wanted to attack with Serra Angel wearing Lightning Greaves. But that's a pretty silly edge case.
DeleteI could see this on a cycle of rares in Tesla hinting at what's to come in Edison, but as Jay saw in making this rare, it's hard to hang the design's hat on it.
DeleteWalking Bellows 4
ReplyDeleteArtifact Creature - Construct
When ~ attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on target artifact creature you control.
Artifact creatures with +1/+1 counters on them attack each turn if able.
2/2