Weekly Design Contest #105: Attack with ChoicesDesign a card that allows the player and/or the opponents to choose between different options.Example for a player’s choice:
Werewolf. A player can use it for drawing or for attacking the other players. This is in my opinion a clever design that combines two seemingly unrelated aspects: Helping your own play versus affecting the play of the other players.
Example for opponent’s choice:
Torturer. The attacked players have to decide whether they get junked or whether they start their next turn with a reduced number of cards in their hand. I like the English phrase “caught between a rock and a hard place” to describe the concept of Torturer, although the German phrase (literal translation) “having to choose between plaque and cholera” isn’t bad either.
Giant wouldn’t count in this contest as it doesn't give choices, but rather alternates between attacking and not attacking via the Journey token.
Criteria for judging your cardsInteraction and fun: Don’t create the most brutal attack the Dominion world has ever seen, but rather try to find a clever way that gives the players something to think about. It doesn’t matter much if your card will be dominating games as long as there is a high player interaction. Fun in connection with attack can be sort of misleading, but coming back to the official cards that I have mentioned above: It is fun (for me) to have a card that can be used as an engine component a la Werewolf, but if desired (or forced) for some reason, can be also used to interfere with the game flow of the player’s opponents. In the case of Torturer it is fun (game-wise) to see how the attacked players decide on which pill is less bitter to swallow.
Concept: Probably the major criterion of my judgement. A card that offers a clever and novel concept will score well. If for example just its cost is out of place, it will score better than a well-priced card with an apparently boring concept. Of course, in the end a clever card without flaws (if I am able to find them) will beat a clever card with some flaws, even if minor.
Balance: I try my best to evaluate your card in this respect, but I will probably only figure out whether cards are way too powerful or clearly too weak and not any subtleties. If during the (hopefully upcoming) discussion of your card, someone points out an overwhelming interaction with just one or two official cards, don’t worry. If it is however very likely that hyper-strong combos with official cards are available in a lot of games, better think about some changes of your card.
Text length: Don’t create a card with a wall of text if not necessary. Giving choices comes with a certain text length, but don’t exaggerate it. Don’t misunderstand me here. If you design a clever concept that needs 8 lines of text and every word is worth it and needed, so be it and there will be no penalty for this. However, if you just put a bunch of random options together, resulting in 7 lines of text for example, it will definitely get minus points.
Flavor: Not much to say about this. Just coming back to the examples of the official cards: Torturer has a nice flavor, fitting very well to the card instructions. Werewolf's flavor is to do something productive as a normal person (a blacksmith apparently) during the day and transforming to something evil in the Night.
Submission and deadlineThe newest version of your card should be at the top of your first entry (not counting your replies to cards of other people of course). It is helpful when you mention changes of your card in later replies that are related to your card design. If I don’t understand the mechanics of your card and nobody else asked, I will ask about this. If I think your card is not eligible for this contest, I will let you know. Don’t hesitate to ask if something is unclear about the requirements of this contest round.
Depending on the number of entries, the number of late card changes/submissions and things that happen in my real life outside of Dominion, I will give a 24 hours warning in about 6 days (Sunday, 21st February). Then I probably need quite some time for the evaluation of your cards after closure of the card submissions. As it has become a helpful habit, I will list your card submissions sometimes around the warning message for submissions. So, in your own interest, please check it in about 6 days.