Dominion Strategy Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Pages: 1 ... 166 167 [168] 169 170 ... 225  All

Author Topic: Interview with Donald X.  (Read 2126914 times)

0 Members and 5 Guests are viewing this topic.

samath

  • Tactician
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 403
  • Shuffle iT Username: SamE
  • Respect: +678
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4175 on: March 19, 2018, 10:24:51 am »
+2

I’m sure this has been discussed before, but the problem with positive interaction cards isn’t that helping opponents is unpopular, but that they’re tricky to balance, and cards that are nearly always strong or nearly always weak are unpopular with top players.

After all, if you help your opponent(s), you need to have a corresponding extra benefit to yourself. This means that if the positive interaction is on a card that’s only situationally useful (like Bishop or Sacred Grove), it’ll be rather weak, and if it’s a card that’s generally useful (like Governor), it’ll be so strong it’s unavoidable.
Logged

LastFootnote

  • Adventurer
  • ******
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 7495
  • Shuffle iT Username: LastFootnote
  • Respect: +10721
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4176 on: March 19, 2018, 10:41:10 am »
0

I’m sure this has been discussed before, but the problem with positive interaction cards isn’t that helping opponents is unpopular, but that they’re tricky to balance, and cards that are nearly always strong or nearly always weak are unpopular with top players.

After all, if you help your opponent(s), you need to have a corresponding extra benefit to yourself. This means that if the positive interaction is on a card that’s only situationally useful (like Bishop or Sacred Grove), it’ll be rather weak, and if it’s a card that’s generally useful (like Governor), it’ll be so strong it’s unavoidable.

No, the main problem is that helping opponents is unpopular.
Logged

weesh

  • Conspirator
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 247
  • MOAR MAGPIES
  • Respect: +351
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4177 on: March 19, 2018, 11:58:12 am »
+4

I’m sure this has been discussed before, but the problem with positive interaction cards isn’t that helping opponents is unpopular, but that they’re tricky to balance...
No, the main problem is that helping opponents is unpopular.

among top magic players, cards that help your opponents are very popular if they are powerful, and especially if there is a way to undo the help. 

For instance giving your opponent life doesn't help them if you are trying an alternative route to victory.
Such a person looks at counsel room, and seeks to combine it with militia...

There is another magic card that MIGHT help your opponent.  It's so powerful that players using it are ok because sometimes the help is meaningless.
The analog to this card is sacred grove. yeah, it's gonna help them sometimes, but also there will be times when they don't want a silver when the mountain shows up.

these powerful cards are not well liked by the casual crowd though. 

among LONGTIME casual players, cards that help your opponents are popular if they have a long history of helping the opponents.  for instance, "Slivers", were changed to remove the help for the other player, and there was major outcry because it was a defining attribute of the card type (to the players).

And then there is a TINY subset of magic players that like "Hugs" decks that intentionally help everyone, and don't worry so much about actually trying to win.

All that is to say, there should be SOME.  but not a lot of them. It's madness to try to make every card be for every person.
If you don't like a card, it will usually be correct to think "i wonder who the audience is for this card?" before "this should not have been printed".

Logged

Fuu

  • Bishop
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 114
  • Shuffle iT Username: Fuu
  • Respect: +87
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4178 on: March 19, 2018, 12:12:48 pm »
0

Donald, I'm champing at the bit to get Cornucopia/Guilds. Is there any update on the expected date this will be available for purchase? Thank you!

I looked into buying Guilds/Cornucopia and places want $70 for it! Must be out of print for some reason? I'll grab it when the price comes back down, thanks for everyones suggestions!

The next printing should be out soon, likely within the next month. That’s Donald’s latest news on BGG, anyhow.

Thanks for finding that!
Logged

Donald X.

  • Dominion Designer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6357
  • Respect: +25671
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4179 on: March 19, 2018, 04:47:18 pm »
+2

I guess I'm saying, next time you're designing a set, I'd be sad to think that you were considering friendly interactions only as something for the casual players and that won't be appreciated by the hardcore, just because Sacred Grove hasn't gone down a storm with the latter group.
It's nothing to do with Sacred Grove or top-level players (people who post online: not all top-level players). It goes back to the beginning. I had these cards right away. For a bit there Council Room cost $4, because no-one would buy it at $5. It's not at all weak at $5.

People are stingy. Sure they'll buy Governor, since it's crazy.

It has not stopped me from making friendly interaction cards. The question was, would I do a bunch of them in one set.
Logged

Donald X.

  • Dominion Designer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6357
  • Respect: +25671
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4180 on: March 19, 2018, 04:47:50 pm »
+1

Donald, I'm champing at the bit to get Cornucopia/Guilds. Is there any update on the expected date this will be available for purchase? Thank you!
Last I heard, "March." My copies have not arrived.
Logged

spiralstaircase

  • Apprentice
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 274
  • Respect: +453
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4181 on: March 19, 2018, 04:49:39 pm »
+3

for instance, "Slivers", were changed to remove the help for the other player, and there was major outcry because it was a defining attribute of the card type (to the players).

What.

Right, that settles it.  I'm retroactively not playing M:TG for the last fifteen years in protest.
Logged

Robz888

  • Margrave
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2644
  • Shuffle iT Username: Robz888
  • Respect: +3388
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4182 on: March 19, 2018, 04:56:51 pm »
+2

Governor is great. Why do people even complain about Governor? They can't all be the most straightforward $5 card ever.
Logged
I have been forced to accept that lackluster play is a town tell for you.

weesh

  • Conspirator
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 247
  • MOAR MAGPIES
  • Respect: +351
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4183 on: March 19, 2018, 05:24:07 pm »
0

for instance, "Slivers", were changed to remove the help for the other player, and there was major outcry because it was a defining attribute of the card type (to the players).

What.

Right, that settles it.  I'm retroactively not playing M:TG for the last fifteen years in protest.

lol. you didn't see what they did to the visuals of the M14 slivers did you? wizards stands by the mechanical change, but even they have apologized for the visual change and called it a mistake.
don't look.
save yourself.

---

Donald, are all the new prints coming out at roughly the same time?  or do you know if the base cards are coming sooner or later than G/C?
Logged

LastFootnote

  • Adventurer
  • ******
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 7495
  • Shuffle iT Username: LastFootnote
  • Respect: +10721
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4184 on: March 19, 2018, 05:32:35 pm »
0

Donald, are all the new prints coming out at roughly the same time?  or do you know if the base cards are coming sooner or later than G/C?

The "second edition" updated printings are definitely not coming out at roughly the same time. They've been rolled out slowly as stock is sold out for each product.

I do not know when the updated Base Cards product is being released, but I think soon.
Logged

Donald X.

  • Dominion Designer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6357
  • Respect: +25671
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4185 on: March 19, 2018, 05:38:02 pm »
0

Donald, are all the new prints coming out at roughly the same time?  or do you know if the base cards are coming sooner or later than G/C?
I don't know the dates for Alchemy and Base Cards - everything else is out - but they're both done on our end.
Logged

pacovf

  • Cartographer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3499
  • Multiediting poster
  • Respect: +3838
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4186 on: March 19, 2018, 08:05:24 pm »
0

for instance, "Slivers", were changed to remove the help for the other player, and there was major outcry because it was a defining attribute of the card type (to the players).

What.

Right, that settles it.  I'm retroactively not playing M:TG for the last fifteen years in protest.

lol. you didn't see what they did to the visuals of the M14 slivers did you? wizards stands by the mechanical change, but even they have apologized for the visual change and called it a mistake.
don't look.
save yourself.

I google'd it. What where they thinking...
Logged
pacovf has a neopets account.  It has 999 hours logged.  All his neopets are named "Jessica".  I guess that must be his ex.

Asper

  • Governor
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4995
  • Respect: +5345
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4187 on: March 20, 2018, 07:53:27 am »
+1

Quote from: Secret History of Dark Ages
War was interaction-themed. Different ways for players to interact. Its cards included versions of Swindler, Trade Route, Tribute, Council Room, and Smugglers. Council Room kept the same name when I moved it to the main set; now you know how it got that name.

War was my favorite expansion, but the problem was, every expansion needed interactive non-attack cards. Every expansion needed a certain percentage of interactive cards, and attacks slow the game down, whereas non-attack interactive cards may not, and may even speed it up. So I had to spread them around. I made War more attack-themed and gave each other set at least one non-attack interactive card. Man do I need an acronym for that? Maybe I am done saying it.
Logged

JW

  • Jester
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 968
  • Shuffle iT Username: JW
  • Respect: +1781
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4188 on: March 20, 2018, 01:13:37 pm »
+1

Can you discuss the rationale for the change from "coin tokens" to the "Coffers" mat in the second edition of Guilds? http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18379.msg751151#msg751151

One potential benefit is to reduce the risk of confusion given that Pirate Ship, Trade Route, and Guilds cards use the same tokens.
Logged

Donald X.

  • Dominion Designer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6357
  • Respect: +25671
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4189 on: March 20, 2018, 05:28:42 pm »
+9

Can you discuss the rationale for the change from "coin tokens" to the "Coffers" mat in the second edition of Guilds? http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18379.msg751151#msg751151

One potential benefit is to reduce the risk of confusion given that Pirate Ship, Trade Route, and Guilds cards use the same tokens.
It made sense to have a mat. It lets you put the rule for how they work right on the mat. It keeps the tokens distinct from ones used for Pirate Ship, or from unused tokens waiting to be used.

I had "Add a token to your Coffers." Well "+1 Coffers" is way shorter. And familiar, people get it immediately. It gets to go with the other +'s. It looks nice on the cards.

As I mentioned in Discord, there is another change coming that you won't see until Alchemy, which is, Possession is now going to call out the Debt token specifically - you get the cards they would get and the Debt tokens they would get. It will have the symbol on the card, weird though that is.
Logged

pacovf

  • Cartographer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3499
  • Multiediting poster
  • Respect: +3838
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4190 on: March 20, 2018, 05:33:09 pm »
+2

So, not all tokens anymore? Just the debt tokens?
Logged
pacovf has a neopets account.  It has 999 hours logged.  All his neopets are named "Jessica".  I guess that must be his ex.

Donald X.

  • Dominion Designer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6357
  • Respect: +25671
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4191 on: March 20, 2018, 05:37:48 pm »
+6

So, not all tokens anymore? Just the debt tokens?
Yes, that's what I'm saying, just Debt tokens.
Logged

Puk

  • Baron
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 58
  • Shuffle iT Username: Puk
  • Respect: +106
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4192 on: March 20, 2018, 06:00:49 pm »
0

How do you pronounce Courtier?
Logged

Donald X.

  • Dominion Designer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6357
  • Respect: +25671
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4193 on: March 20, 2018, 06:14:22 pm »
+4

How do you pronounce Courtier?
Not always the same way, but usually like, more courty.
Logged

GendoIkari

  • Adventurer
  • ******
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9701
  • Respect: +10741
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4194 on: March 20, 2018, 06:26:40 pm »
+2

So, not all tokens anymore? Just the debt tokens?
Yes, that's what I'm saying, just Debt tokens.

So happy about this! Though I understand the awkwardness of referencing a mechanic from a different set. Is this rule change official as of a particular date? Need to make sure I get my Possession-Monument engine going at just the right time.
Logged
Check out my F.DS extension for Chrome! Card links; Dominion icons, and maybe more! http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=13363.0

Thread for Firefox version:
http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=16305.0

Neirai the Forgiven

  • Explorer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 337
  • Respect: +134
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4195 on: March 20, 2018, 06:34:16 pm »
0

Donald, you've mentioned in the past that sometime you like to play around with Magic meta-mechanics, like Split cards or double-sided cards.

What would you do with something like Vehicles?
Logged

Donald X.

  • Dominion Designer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6357
  • Respect: +25671
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4196 on: March 20, 2018, 06:47:53 pm »
0

So happy about this! Though I understand the awkwardness of referencing a mechanic from a different set. Is this rule change official as of a particular date? Need to make sure I get my Possession-Monument engine going at just the right time.
IRL, whenever people can get new copies of Alchemy. Online, whenever Stef puts it in.
Logged

Donald X.

  • Dominion Designer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6357
  • Respect: +25671
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4197 on: March 20, 2018, 07:06:37 pm »
+1

Donald, you've mentioned in the past that sometime you like to play around with Magic meta-mechanics, like Split cards or double-sided cards.

What would you do with something like Vehicles?
I'm not sure what you're remembering; you haven't put that a way that makes any sense to me. I haven't "played around" with those mechanics. Aside from the layout, Split cards go back to Alpha, so I can't say if they inspired anything for me or not. I mean Magic got me to pursue seriously designing games, so I knew things like "choose one" were possible before I got going. So I've done plenty of that stuff, but it doesn't feel like "playing around with Split cards" to me. It predates Split cards. Double-sided cards, again aside from layout, I've been doing cards that changed form since the beginning.

I hated Vehicles! Hated them so much. I don't think there's a Magic mechanic I've liked less.
- They're creatures that lots of removal doesn't work on. So much for playing with those cards! The new Rabid Bite looks cool; hey it's there for your vehicle-less cube.
- You can't kill off all of their creatures to stop them. Somehow, Equipment, which I like fine, doesn't always grant haste!
- They made some awful pushed ones, including the one they banned. Goes in every deck!

Their public comments were sad too. "We've gotta push some cards" and "this is why we don't make so many artifact blocks" and "we should have tied the Mirrodin artifacts to colors" (thus getting rid of the whole point to having artifacts). Man color is one way to stop a card from going into every deck; it isn't the only way! If the pushed artifacts are a millstone, a thing that likes enchantments, a graveyard recursion thing, etc., they don't just go in every deck. Only "just a generic thing, but pushed" goes in every deck. Give me colorless artifacts and just tie the pushed ones to different kinds of decks. Man.

I don't know if I wouldn't have hated Vehicles, if sick creatures couldn't pilot them, and they were creatures all the time so you could use your Rabid Bite or whatever (but obv. still requiring piloting to attack/block), and they hadn't made broken ones. I hated them though.

The move is for them to change the rule that lets sick creatures use tap abilities that don't have the tap symbol - a crazy confusing thing that needs fixing anyway - and then make a new keyword for vehicles so that they can be creatures all the time. Good luck, Wizards!
Logged

Dingan

  • Saboteur
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1154
  • Shuffle iT Username: Dingan
  • Respect: +1728
    • View Profile
    • Website title
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4198 on: March 20, 2018, 07:40:22 pm »
+15

And familiar, people get it immediately.

Good for them - it usually takes me at least a few shuffles.
Logged

singletee

  • Jester
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 915
  • Shuffle iT Username: singletee
  • Gold, Silver, Copper, Let's Jam!
  • Respect: +1606
    • View Profile
Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4199 on: March 20, 2018, 08:46:13 pm »
+2

So, not all tokens anymore? Just the debt tokens?
Yes, that's what I'm saying, just Debt tokens.

So happy about this! Though I understand the awkwardness of referencing a mechanic from a different set. Is this rule change official as of a particular date? Need to make sure I get my Possession-Monument engine going at just the right time.

Pedantry time! Technically, "tokens" are from different sets already. There are no tokens at all in Alchemy.
Pages: 1 ... 166 167 [168] 169 170 ... 225  All
 

Page created in 0.06 seconds with 20 queries.