#s of new mechanics?

  • Thread starter Thallid Ice Cream Man
  • Start date
T

Thallid Ice Cream Man

Guest
Which of the following scenarios would you prefer in terms of set design:

a) Between 3 and 5 new game-mechanics are introduced every year in each 350-card set. They are all explored in the big set and the two sets that follow it in each block. (This was what used to be.)

b) One mechanic is introduced each expansion, large or small, and is not used in any other expansion. (This seems to be the direction things are heading.)

c) One or two mechanics are introduced every year instead of 3-5, but they are explored very thoroughly, in an attempt to deal with all possible elements of strategy that could affect them.

d) Any sort of combination of the above three

I personally would prefer c, because there would be pressure on WotC to make strategically rich mechanics and thus lots of different types of strategy could be employed.

Also, do you think mechanics from previous expert-level blocks should be used in later expert-level expansions? Obviously they would not be used to the same degree, but I don't see much harm in reprinting something with phasing if the card calls for it (although flanking would admittedly cause a problem).

Oh well, that's just me.
 
D

Duel

Guest
C. Less abilities, more exploration of them. But don't overuse them. 3 abilities is about right.

I definately approve of bringing back abilities, and hope 7th brings back buyback, among other things.
 
A

Almindhra

Guest
A...I enjoyed not having so much chaos with the new sets as they came out...Chaos in that things were more focused and spread evenly throughout the block...
 
T

Thallid Ice Cream Man

Guest
To cite an example of why I would prefer C, take what happened in the Masques block. Fading could have been explored much more than it was, but because the next designer didn't like it or something, it was ousted in the next set (Prophecy). Now I have nothing against Rhystic cards, but anyway whay couldn't they have made Fading a mechanic for the entire block? It was certainly deep enough. For one thing, they could have made cards with helpful abilities that trigger when there are no fade counters on them, or done any of a number of other things. But they had to rush and eliminate it so that they could put rhystic cards in one set, and then get rid of those for Invasion.

It doesn't seem that this will happen to kicker in Apocalypse, but they'll probably have taken out gating by then, and created something else which will appear in one set. This troubles me from a strategy standpoint, as it seems that the game could be much more strategically rich without doing this.

Obviously, something like flanking could not be explored very much, for the same reason that first strike couldn't be explored much, namely because it is a simplistic creature ability. However, phasing could have been explored well and not been put almost exclusively on blue cards.

I guess I'm just ranting... This would only be fixed if we took over R&D.
 
A

Azreal the Soulmaster

Guest
c, i agree with TICM
and they are having double kicker costs in Planeshift, so they might keep it in Apocalypse
 
R

Ransac

CPA Trash Man
All right. Here is the low down.

A mechanic is an ability that needs one word to describe it(i.e.:flying, trample, kicker, echo, etc.)

Each standalone set contains one new mechanic that has never before been seen and will never be used in any set after it's three set cycle is over.

New card ideas(i.e.:sleeper enchantments) are usually introduced so that they can see what will be popular for the new edition set(i.e.:6th, 7th)

That's all the time we have on mister wizard. join us next week when we try to blow up the planet with sodium chloride and a styrofoam cup.



Ransac, cpa trash man
 
A

Azreal the Soulmaster

Guest
yeah really, i don't think they need to write that long thing describing haste, i think we get it by now, i mean if you had left well enough alone, and kept the thinks as summon, you could have just put are not effected by summoning sickness, but nooooooooooooooooooo
 
C

Cateran Emperor

Guest
A, give us plenty of options and let us decide. Stop making sets so far in advance, and see what the players like. Boost sales by making high quality sets with mechanics that the players favor.
 
S

Spiderman

Administrator
Staff member
I'd lean towards A, although sometimes they have stuff that appears in later sets (like the Sleeper enchantments).
 
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