I've been compelled into another full update all at once. OP has already been changed. A general improvement to the looks of each card, and some changes to what they do:
Being forced to remember exchanging
Advancing Village to Industrial Town was bad. And if it were optional, it wouldn't work. So it's this new idea, trying to bring back the +3 Actions from the old Purist with the added snag of coming with a top-decked Silver, taken off of Components. So that the village can advance, there's a when trash ability that gains a different $3-$6 back from the trash.
So it's an efficient Village hard to connect to Actions, that can be tfb if you just wanted the Silver.
Colliery could be mad with Capitalism, so it's toned down to Bank for Actions without the non-terminal option. Might need a cap on it.
Diary I hope could go down to $4, if Patron can?
Dismiss up to $3, as formerly suggested.
Diversion's vanilla is now +$3, distinguishes it from Villain and having a +$3 in the set is good. The Attack is a bit friendlier in its place, opponents can choose to delay junk but at a recurring cost to their good buys. A bit more thought involved for them.
Foreign Art up to $6, it's that strong.
Local Art up to $5, it was mad with Sculptor so that interaction calls for a bit more now with a Bridge needed.
Playwright down to $3 with no +$, as Kudasai suggested.
Complete change for Taskmaster. I do feel there's something good about Throne from discard, so I've got a variant for Dynasties. With Mountain Village it seemed weird to have it here.
So this goes back to applying Exhausted to everything, in a much cleaner way. Doesn't quite make sense to use it on Villages as you're burning a surplus of Actions with this.
Textile Mill has had its overpay moved and it's back to 2 cards on exhaust. It should be all it needs.
Trade Circle was rather strong as you trashed right down and accumulated a big pile of Coffers doing so. Now it's trying a new reaction out, when you put a card onto your deck (through these word-for-word instructions or putting them back after a reveal, but not during shuffling) you can discard this to draw it and get a Coffers. The on-play might be dubious, just something I thought might fit.
Wastelands VP trigger down to 6 or fewer non-Victories, to be even more emphatic about the intended strategy.
Components is just the Treasure Map bit, that's plenty.
Prototype takes the Treasure line down a new path, using Coffers. It's an Action Treasure now so if Spinning Mule draws it you can still play it. There are still a good number of times you'd want to play this as an Action.
Steam Engine can't Scheme itself now, rightly or wrongly, and is worded to fit the new Prototype better.
Spinning Mule adds draw to Coffers, so you draw Treasures this way and can still play them. It can't simply explode into Action with your starting Coppers anymore, like Steam Engine you need to build up a bit first.
New wording attempt for
Patent. Like this nobody can take the same Action as another player, not the combo; narrower for a stronger advantage, but it could be a bad thing. The Patent mat now has a +2 Buys side on it. Instructions are copied, but not the name and types; it can take Reaction effects and attack without being an Attack. Probably bad, it just needs to still be called Patent and to be Machine type.
Prospects:
...I now think that it's just an event that happens when you buy it; but the cube is a reminder that you've already done it; so can't do it again? If so, they aren't different than Inheritance; a regular event that happens to have a once per game restriction.
This is correct. I said it before but I feel the new type reflects Donald's thinking. If he redid Inheritance it would probably be a Project for simplicity, and Lost in the Woods an Artifact. As Prospects aren't identical in function either to (all the other) Events or Projects a new type is simplest.
Night Shift is a one-off, does it need to check the previous turn wasn't yours?
Fixed
Shady Deal at 2 Golds and Curses.
New ones:Antique - Treasure, $2* cost.
+1 Buy
While this is in play, cards cost $1 less, but not less than $0. At Clean-up, return this to the Supply.
-
This can't cost less than $2. When you buy this, +1 Buy.
A one-turn Treasure Bridge you can borrow for $2. The more you collect and play at once, the better potential payout, though a spare $2 could go on the odd one. As yet untested, but it looks promising. If it works out, then I plan to move Mail Coach to Dynasties.
Glassworks - Action, $2+ cost.
+ $2
You may take Exhausted. If you do, +1 Coffers.
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When you buy this, you may overpay for it. +1 Villager per $1 you overpaid.
Moving overpay for Villagers onto something cheap. You can play it early to use surplus Actions (or indeed Villagers) on a store of Coffers, or simply get $3. Too much for a $2? The trouble is being different from Lackeys yet being worthwhile...
Jailer - Action Attack Duration, $5 cost.
Each other player with 5 or more cards in hand reveals their hand and sets aside a card that you choose. After they draw their next hand, they put it into their hand.
At the start of your next turn, +3 Cards.
And this guy from the weekly contest I think fits very well in here.
Removed cards:
- Mail Coach, in a vote of confidence that Antique works. It did fit ok as an off theme card, but there's a tendency to buy lots of different stuff with it, and that's not what this set is about. Your buys are more careful here.
- Parade is just...awkward, not worth the chance element it adds. The on-gain it had could be salvaged onto something else; it feels like it could work well with Coffers and Villagers, you can use them to help keep Actions and Treasures in play in balance.
- Potteries was like Mail Coach, getting general stuff, so it was rather niche. Could put the Exhausted variant back in sometime, if there isn't already enough with Exhausted.
- Replica isn't necessary, just move its buy onto Patent. I did think of a variant that would Scheme a Machine every turn, but that seemed too automatic.
So, hope this is all good. It patches up the shortage of $2s.