tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post4984709005858481708..comments2024-03-11T02:32:15.295-04:00Comments on Goblin Artisans: Tesla: Iteration AgainUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-21357618912203264002015-01-19T16:25:04.099-05:002015-01-19T16:25:04.099-05:00I like experience pretty well as another offshoot ...I like experience pretty well as another offshoot of Chroma. In particular, you get some of the Morbid gameplay with players not always wanting to keep their own things alive and kill their opponents'. That said, it's somewhat harder to track than devotion, so I prefer it in one-shot bursts rather than continually checking. Given the issues you've mentioned with spells on the stack, we could try wording it as "on other cards" or just limit it to etb and death triggers at common.Juleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13784920130399590671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-25577603593631795222015-01-16T17:15:39.342-05:002015-01-16T17:15:39.342-05:00Strike that. Reverse it.
Cloaking Technician {4}{...Strike that. Reverse it.<br /><br />Cloaking Technician {4}{U}<br />Creature—Rogue Advisor (unc)<br />Spells your opponents control that target ~ cost X more to cast, where X is your experience with blue. <i>(Each {U} in the mana costs of cards in your graveyard counts toward your experience with black.)</i><br />2/5<br /><br />or<br /><br />Soul Seep {3}{B}<br />Sorcery (unc)<br />Target player loses X life and you gain X life.<br />Science <i>(X is the number of cards you control or in your graveyard that cost as much as this one.)</i><br /><br />Better.<br />(But this science is still too much work.)Jay Treathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09428861685923241850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-55300236386427539042015-01-16T17:05:55.920-05:002015-01-16T17:05:55.920-05:00Non-parasitic:
Cloaking Technician {4}{U}
Creatur...Non-parasitic:<br /><br />Cloaking Technician {4}{U}<br />Creature—Rogue Advisor (unc)<br />Spells your opponents control that target ~ cost {X} more to cast.<br />Science <i>(X is the number of cards you control or in your graveyard that cost as much as this one.)</i><br />3/3<br /><br />(but that's a <i>lot</i> of work to track)<br /><br />or<br /><br />Soul Seep {2}{B}<br />Sorcery (unc)<br />Target player loses X life and you gain X life, where X is your experience with black. <i>(Each {B} in the mana costs of cards in your graveyard counts toward your experience with black.)</i><br /><br />(but it doesn't count itself)Jay Treathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09428861685923241850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-27402645107016988252015-01-16T16:03:07.399-05:002015-01-16T16:03:07.399-05:00Most blocks want one good linear mechanic.Most blocks want one good linear mechanic.Jay Treathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09428861685923241850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-82306043603663901212015-01-16T16:01:39.371-05:002015-01-16T16:01:39.371-05:00FWIW, the progress I see in these designs is:
You ...FWIW, the progress I see in these designs is:<br />You start with a 0% chance of getting the awesome version. You play an artifact and now you've got a 20% chance. You play two more and now you've got a 60% chance.<br />It's like medical progress. The more hospitals you build, the more likely you are to cure measles.<br /><br />But I certainly concede it's not AS progress-y as Engineer, Mechanize or Science.<br />Jay Treathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09428861685923241850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-84366309291776041892015-01-16T15:44:09.942-05:002015-01-16T15:44:09.942-05:00Clearly very parasitic, but we get to do that once...Clearly very parasitic, but we get to do that once in a while. Science isn't texty, but it hits the feel we're looking for spot on. I'm a little bit concerned about how many simple options we have (especially because X is already so confusing), but I'm certainly willing to try designing a bunch of commons to see how far we can get.Juleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13784920130399590671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-5021978364146380742015-01-16T15:01:35.739-05:002015-01-16T15:01:35.739-05:00Alternately
Scientician 2C
Creature—Rogue Advisor...Alternately<br /><br />Scientician 2C<br />Creature—Rogue Advisor (unc)<br />~ ETB with X +1/+1 counters on it.<br />Science (X is the number of cards you control or in your graveyard with Science)<br />0/0<br /><br />Note that you control a spell on the stack that you've cast, though it won't be crystal clear to everyone initially that Science sorceries and instants will count themselves.Jay Treathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09428861685923241850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-38325551862063728052015-01-16T14:56:46.709-05:002015-01-16T14:56:46.709-05:00Steroids {G}
Instant cmn
Target creature gets +X/+...Steroids {G}<br />Instant cmn<br />Target creature gets +X/+X until EOT.<br />Science <i>(X is 1 plus the number of cards in your graveyard with Science)</i><br /><br />Penicillin {1}{W}<br />Sorcery cmn<br />Draw a card and gain X life.<br />Science <i>(X is 1 plus the number of cards in your graveyard with Science)</i><br /><br />Magnesium {1}{R}<br />Instant cmn<br />~ deals X damage to target creature or player.<br />Science <i>(X is 1 plus the number of cards in your graveyard with Science)</i><br /><br />Ritalin {2}{U}<br />Sorcery rare<br />Draw X cards, then discard a card.<br />Science <i>(X is 1 plus the number of cards in your graveyard with Science)</i>Jay Treathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09428861685923241850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-72245399244517481012015-01-16T12:33:34.695-05:002015-01-16T12:33:34.695-05:00Inspired, Tech, Powered, and Automate all fall int...Inspired, Tech, Powered, and Automate all fall into the camp of things that don't quite feel like progress to me with their on/off states. I want to see the cards improve over time. I'm not sure how pervasive that feeling is, but I'm pretty certain that even for people who read the on/off cards as a progression, something like Evolve or Level Up still feels <i>more</i> like progress, so I'd like to start there.<br /><br />Iteration was triggering a little more frequently than might be ideal, so Engineer/Mechanize are good places to look. I suspect they'll naturally trigger a bit too infrequently, but with a high enough artifact density, I'm hopeful that we can strike the right balance.Juleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13784920130399590671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-8973632427670203792015-01-16T12:19:04.040-05:002015-01-16T12:19:04.040-05:00I like Sample, but not as a progress mechanic. The...I like Sample, but not as a progress mechanic. There's an upgrade from the first to the second, but unless you're curving out (which is rare for non-creature spells), the third is about as rewarding as the second, and so on.Juleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13784920130399590671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-16945521859207053502015-01-16T10:53:26.330-05:002015-01-16T10:53:26.330-05:00Engineer's worth considering.
Merging it with...Engineer's worth considering.<br /><br />Merging it with Iterate:<br /><br />Cybearg {1}{G}<br />Creature-Bear (cmn)<br />Mechanize <i>(Whenever you cast an artifact spell that costs more than ~'s power, put a +1/+1 counter on ~.)</i><br />2/2Jay Treathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09428861685923241850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-29025130693969551552015-01-16T10:49:08.675-05:002015-01-16T10:49:08.675-05:00Inspired inspired 3 riffs:
Laser {3}{R}
Instant (...Inspired inspired 3 riffs:<br /><br />Laser {3}{R}<br />Instant (cmn)<br />~ deals 4 damage to target creature.<br /><i>Tech</i> — If you control a permanent with the same CMC as ~, it also deals 4 damage to that creature's control.<br /><br />Sonar {1}{U}<br />Sorcery (cmn)<br /><i>Powered</i> — Draw two cards. Then discard a card unless you control an artifact that costs more than ~.<br /><br />Armor {W}<br />Instant<br />Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.<br />Automate <i>(As you cast this spell, you may tap two untapped artifacts you control. When you do, copy it and you may choose a new target for the copy.)</i>Jay Treathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09428861685923241850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-26379124488497484542015-01-16T03:18:40.599-05:002015-01-16T03:18:40.599-05:00Rather than 3, 4, or 5, one could just say "3...Rather than 3, 4, or 5, one could just say "3 or greater". The incidence of that compared to just "if you control an artifact" has to depend on the set it's in, though. "If you control an artifact with mana cost 3 or greater" could also work pretty well unkeyworded as a kicker-threshold on a cycle of instants/sorceries.<br /><br />Pushing that to mean "inspiration" or "progress" and not "control a big mech" is down to execution, though.Pasteurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02058331124653341978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-91236330622449291682015-01-15T21:09:17.578-05:002015-01-15T21:09:17.578-05:00One option is a threshold-one effect that cares ab...One option is a threshold-one effect that cares about you controlling a sophisticated permanent. I'm going with artifacts to keep in theme with our set and to avoid CMC. 3, 4 or 5 may be too specific, but it's super grokable.<br /><br />Inspired 1R (You may cast this for its progress cost if you control an artifact with mana cost 3, 4 or 5.)<br /><br />Another simple option is a take on Extort, also caring about artifacts.<br /><br />Engineer (Whenever you cast an artifact spell, you may pay 1. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.)<br />Nich Graysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08686832423418814443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-71927875041237742672015-01-15T14:52:57.104-05:002015-01-15T14:52:57.104-05:00I love improve in theory, but my intuition is that...I love improve in theory, but my intuition is that it's undevelopable as-is.<br />For instance, "Improve. Draw a card" needs to cost ~6.<br /><br />Maybe<br />Sample <i>(As you cast ~, exile a card with Sample from your graveyard. Add its effects to ~.)</i><br /><br />Cheaper but harder to use than Flashback. Easier than splice. Jay Treathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09428861685923241850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-53826009590737322812015-01-15T13:43:05.197-05:002015-01-15T13:43:05.197-05:00Evolve needed its present wording for adequate var...Evolve needed its present wording for adequate variety among creatures that will trigger frequently enough. Iteration is arguably a little bit too easy to trigger already. I understand the impetus to make it symmetrical, but the same argument could apply to Ferocious and Scavenge.Juleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13784920130399590671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-53425219679155712562015-01-15T11:03:26.355-05:002015-01-15T11:03:26.355-05:00You could argue Evolve checks both because we'...You could argue Evolve checks both because we're comparing creatures and creatures are defined by both stats, whereas improve is comparing with a spell which only has the one number.<br /><br />But you're comparing the spell with a creature, so it could arguably go that way too. Maybe that's an argument for patch?Jay Treathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09428861685923241850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-15804723189150649992015-01-15T11:01:31.474-05:002015-01-15T11:01:31.474-05:00In the same way that you want some of your mechani...In the same way that you want some of your mechanics to synergize (and none of them to contradict each other) without overlapping to the point of confusion or where they erode each other's identity, you don't want to represent the same thematic concept with multiple mechanics.<br /><br />Mechanically, improve could live alongside any of these other keywords, but we definitely couldn't use any two of the other keywords—they're all representing the same idea. Would the permanent keywords' flavor muddy the game's narrative next to improve's flavor? No? IDK.<br /><br />There's no problem with multiple mechanics pushing toward the same overarching <i>theme</i>. Most of Innistrad's mechanics pushed toward Horror. Most of Theros' mechanics pushed toward Heroism. Tesla's mechanics could mostly push toward Progress.Jay Treathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09428861685923241850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-10886995778380267802015-01-15T08:43:56.052-05:002015-01-15T08:43:56.052-05:00I agree - Improve seems a very different mechanic ...I agree - Improve seems a very different mechanic to Progress. Especially since Improve is best/simplest as a spell mechanic and Progress is a creature mechanic, I see no reason why we shouldn't at least playtest with both.AlexChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05674122775216494431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-79191466064936926962015-01-14T18:56:19.784-05:002015-01-14T18:56:19.784-05:00Both Patch and Improve are excellent evolutions of...Both Patch and Improve are excellent evolutions of a troublesome mechanic.<br /><br />A hypothetical question for designers to ponder: Would it be possible to do both in the same set, or are they too similar? How similar/different do you want your themed mechanics to be?Inanimatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00440653491352410437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-17655652170482243612015-01-14T18:51:46.343-05:002015-01-14T18:51:46.343-05:00For Iteration why not either power or toughness?
I...For Iteration why not either power or toughness?<br />Iterate v2 (Whenever you cast a spell that costs more than this creature's power or toughness, put a +1/+1 counter on it.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com