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26

Goko Dominion Online / Re: Do we know when exactly it's going up?

« on: August 18, 2012, 01:06:02 am »

I'm not really feeling the same level of rage myself.  To me it looks like they wanted to launch this week for GenCon / Dark Ages and they took a gamble.  One that did not pay off, since it seems the platform was more popular than they anticipated.  I suspect that a lot more than the 6,000 or so Isotropic users were trying to get on.  They probably should have done an open beta from the start and done a stress test.  Or "sharded" from the start with named rooms, so that you can play with your friends, but things aren't screwed.

I'm glad they went back to Beta, if only so I can stop trying every 30 minutes or so to sign on.  That's really all that bothered me about this delay.  I had not invested any money yet, so I don't feel like they owe me anything.  Other than the hour or so I spent failing at Captchas, this is not any different from my perspective than if the release got delayed a month.  If I'm super excited about a movie or a new novel, and then I find out it's delayed... even if there's no good reason, I don't immediately pull a 180 and swear off that director / author / whatever.

It sounds like this Beta is open, so they'll be able to ease people into it.  Maybe even a quiet transition into live, so as to reduce the launch day load.

27

Variants and Fan Cards / Re: Clasic_Cards #29 - Viaduct

« on: August 18, 2012, 12:30:19 am »

Even without KC or TR, this card is pretty nuts at emptying piles.  In your typical Gardens rush, get even two of these going, and with $6 in hand, you just snagged 5 Gardens.  Two bridges can get 3 Gardens with $4 in hand, of course.

Viaducts need some seed money, but with the extra buys they provide, it can be very easy to empty piles if you get enough.  Even with the in play clause, KC, Viaduct, and $10 can land you 7 Gardens.  And when it's time to empty the second pile, it only takes $6 to get 7 of a 3-cost card or $3 to snag 7 Estates.

I'm worried that without some Village support though, you're never going to be able to get expensive cards, or do much of anything with this.  Using just one, it's a bit like saying +2 Buys, +$1 if you buy 2 cards this turn, +$3 if you buy three.  Woodcutter gives you $2 all the time and only costs $3.

Since the cost reduction only kicks in when you buy things, without Black Market, it's never going to have any effect with Remodel type cards.  I think it could be dropped to $4 given its current wording and effect.  It's totally useless if you only use one buy, and worse than Woodcutter if you use two.  It combos great, but so do a lot of cheap cards.

28

Variants and Fan Cards / Re: Clasic_Cards #10 - Junkyard

« on: August 18, 2012, 12:06:31 am »

Yeah, and Fortress puts itself back into your hand, not just the discard pile.  It's amazing what new cards from Donald X can do to the Fan card design space.  I think this one is a lot more viable now.  Nice call.

29

Goko Dominion Online / Re: Zaps

« on: August 17, 2012, 11:09:36 pm »

Given the generic and non-Dominion naming of Zaps, I would imagine that a similar concept will apply to all of the games they host.  I assume the campaign won't be tuned so that you need them.  I definitely want the later scenarios to be hard though, and while you and I may be willing to keep on trying until we win, somebody else who has a few bucks or coins lying around might want to give themselves a boost.  It's not much different from cheat codes in any single player computer game.  I don't care for them, but plenty of other people do.

Also, while Dominion has a whole barrel full of expansions to monetize with, some of the other games they'll be hosting might not.  Microtransactions are the way of the future, where nobody wants to pay upfront for anything.  People with more money than time keep things cheaper for the rest of us.

30

Mini-Set Design Contest / Re: Mini-Set Design Contest, Challenge #9: Terminal Silver!

« on: August 16, 2012, 03:35:47 pm »

Wow, zero?  Really?  That seems.. harsh.

If you wanted a point you could have *gasp* voted!

Does the act of voting give you a point?  Because you can't vote for yourself.  Rinkworks' scripts automatically dis-count self votes.

31

Mini-Set Design Contest / Re: Mini-Set Design Contest, Challenge #9: Terminal Silver!

« on: August 16, 2012, 12:33:19 pm »

Glad to not have to scroll too far down for mine.  Not sure if I'll win one, but it's an honor to be near the top in a close race.  Great job Nicrosil!

32

Mini-Set Design Contest / Re: Mini-Set Design Contest, Challenges #5 and #6!

« on: August 16, 2012, 12:29:48 pm »

Good memory there!  I revised it after the contest in the regular Variant thread to this, which turns the KC into a TR:

Burnt Offering
$3 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.  If it is an...
Action card, instead play it twice, then trash it.
Treasure card, +$ equal to its cost.
Victory card, +VP equal to half its cost in coins, rounded down.

This one compares well to the new Dark Ages card.  1 cheaper, but instead of gaining a new card, you get gimped Salvager on your treasure, and a gimped Bishop on your Victory cards.

Definitely right that simple is better.  My revised card is simpler than the original one and still is doing a lot.  Might have done better with this version.  The way the contest was written, I don't know if the card would have qualified if it was just a Throne Room trasher.

33

Advertisements / Re: new Donald X game - Gauntlet of Fools - on Kickstarter

« on: August 15, 2012, 11:53:31 am »

It seems odd that Steve Jackson needed to use Kickstarter for Ogre too.  A lot of the benefit is to gauge interest and becuase the Kickstarter interface doubles as a pre-order system.

When I first heard about Kickstarter, I assumed it would be to get newbies off the ground into their first project.  But established people use it too.  The people who run the site don't seem to mind.  I'll be making a note myself to make a $28 pledge next month and grab this one.  I like the Everybody Dies idea.

34

Variants and Fan Cards / Re: Clasic_Cards #24 - Factory

« on: August 09, 2012, 11:43:17 pm »

Workshop costs $3 and is gaining $4s, but of course the $3-4 jump is much smaller than the $4-5 jump.

It might work at $6 with maybe letting you gain the same card twice left in.  I mean if you're going for cheap cards anyway, Bridge is pretty darn good at getting 2 a turn anyway.  Heck, with the comparison to Workshop and the aforementioned $4-5 jump being so big, at $6 it might well work as a Gain 2 $4s card.  I'd leave them different again at that point though.

And while I typed that, Mogrim made the point that if you price it at $6 you're getting it instead of gold.  And gold is already getting you most of the way to a $5 card and is a lot more flexible.

35

Mini-Set Design Contest / Re: So Stressful!

« on: August 09, 2012, 11:35:57 pm »

Yeah, you've got Strong Water, Royal Water, and Water of Life.  I guess there's only so much liquids can do for you though... dissolve things or get you drunk.  Alchemy is one for romantic names though.

That would be a cool thing if Alchemy had come out after Dark Ages.  With the Ruins pile as a template, get a bunch of random potions that do stuff when you play them (or trash them).  Get 4-5 different effects, 8 each, and then randomly select 16 for your potion pile.  Almost have to make them face down instead of face up, since they'd all be good, rather than bad like Ruins.  They'd of course all still work like Potions but getting rid of old potions is always a concern.  Alternately, with the Hermit / Madman upgrade notion, some special brews not in the supply that potions can upgrade into.  No worries about more than one Potion card when the Potions themselves can do stuff.

36

Mini-Set Design Contest / Re: So Stressful!

« on: August 09, 2012, 09:28:33 pm »

I wanted to do something cool with Aqua Regia as a Potion cost card. An acid so named because it could dissolve the "noble" metals - Platinum and Gold).  As far as I know, there are no cards that really talk about Platinum, since they aren't always in the supply. And then whose treasure would it trash? Yours for some crazy benefit, or theirs?

Was thinking of having it trash all treasures it finds, like a Thief that you don't get to keep the loot from, but then realized that would get degenerate fast if multiple people used one.  At least with a Thief or Noble Brigand, somebody has the treasure for at least a little while.  And then of course Pirate Ships become their own Treasure-less force.

I fought with that idea for a while, but never got it close enough to even salvage an idea like zahlman did with his own.  Plus you know, with hidden names, the fact that I was using a historical potion name won't help it.  Also thought about something for Aqua Fortis (another acid that can dissolve silver but not gold) or Aqua Vitae (basically booze).

37

Mini-Set Design Contest / So Stressful!

« on: August 09, 2012, 09:09:42 pm »

I doubt I'm the only one who just scrolls down to his cards when people start commenting on the contest submissions.  One of my two cards is getting mostly good comments, and the other... is not.  I'm already composing rebuttals in my head for a post-contest post.  Briefly toyed with trying to reply about it anyway, but then I'd have to add in a bunch of other comments as camouflage, and might not be convincing enough.  Plus now this post is here.

Anybody else feel the same way?

38

Mini-Set Design Contest / Re: Mini-Set Design Contest, Challenge #8: Non-Attack Interaction!

« on: August 06, 2012, 08:06:53 pm »

Grats Kirian!  Considering nobody was even close to you, I'm pretty pleased with my 2nd place tie on this one.  On the other hand, other than Kirian, the spread is pretty thin for the rest of the cards.  Wonder if any of these ideas will show up in the Dark Ages previews.

I think WW might have touched upon the main thing I was going for with World's Fair / Banana - divergent strategies.  If you are going for cards your opponent doesn't want, then he might take one to keep you from getting them all, but if he's not planning to use that card, it's not great for him.

It's also useful for you to grab a gold on your deck while your opponents get a gold in their discard.  Used like that it accelerates the game, which I think is fun.  Sort of like how Bishops can get everybody very trim decks quickly.

A few other people mentioned the risk of using World's Fairs to get more World's Fairs to end a pile quickly.  But you can't force your opponents to take one.  So early on you probably don't want to waste your terminal $3 to get another terminal $3 (at this point your opponents might want it).  If you're actively trying to 3-pile, they definitely won't be helping you.

39

Dominion General Discussion / Re: Homage to the Best Card

« on: July 31, 2012, 09:01:39 pm »

Love that movie.  Too lazy/poor to read the graphic novels though.

40

Mini-Set Design Contest / Re: Mini-Set Design Contest, Challenge #7: Village!

« on: July 30, 2012, 07:50:37 pm »

Cinnamon
$4 - Action-Reaction
+1 Card
+2 Actions
--
When a player gains a Victory card, you may set this aside. If you do, gain a Silver in hand. Return this to your hand at the start of your next turn.

Expensive village in the early game, and in the late game, the cash is good for catching up.


Basil
$4 - Action
+2 Actions
+$1 for each differently named card you have in play (including this).
--
When you buy this, you may gain a [This Card].

Like the action version of HoP, but you can keep gaining Victory Points with it.  Can't drop a rainbow of coins to boost its effect but the actions makes it eaiser to.  The clause of letting you get 2 for one is a bid odd.  With lots of (effectively $2) villages you can afford lots of different terminals as well.  Any buy on the board and it's over.


Anise
$3 - Action
+2 Actions
+$1
+$1 for every three actions in play, including this.

Reminds me a bit of a Conspirator in reverse.  Always spammable, but only worth he $2 if it's the third action you have in play.  Can get huge with a source of draw and buy.  Like Conspirator, cantrips to start the chain with are ideal.

Parsley
$3 - Action
+2 Actions
If you have played [This Card] at least...
2 times: +1 Card
3 times: +$1
4 times: +1 Buy
5 times: +1 VP

It would be a fun pile to rush.  If you ignore it in a 2 player game though, the guy with all 10 is going to run away with a victory.  Even a 6/4 split heavily favors the person with the win.  And in a 3-4 player game, it won't get much better than a Festival.

Cardamom
$5 - Action
+1 Card
+2 Actions
You may discard a Victory card from your hand.  If you do, +$ equal to one third its cost in coins, rounded up.

Starts off as a conditional festival, and improves from there.  Definitely takes the sting out of greening early.


Fennel
$2 - Action
+2 Actions
Place any number of cards on the bottom of your deck.
For each card you do, +1 Card.
Place any number of cards on top of your deck.
For each card you do, +$1.

Interesting take on Cellar, though the bottom of the deck is not where I want my bad cards to be.  And if they're good cards I want next turn, they may be worth more than $1 to me.  Plus, with all those cards I just got rid of, what am I using the actions on?  Though in a nice draw your deck engine, it's all gravy anyway, and moving them to the bottom helps take care of variance.

Dill
$5 - Action
+1 Card
+2 Actions
--
While this is in play, when you gain a card worth $3 or more, +1 VP.

Spammable Goons effect and so it needs the $3 restriction.  Would combo very nicely with Workshops.


Cilantro
$4 - Action-Reaction
+1 Card
+2 Actions
--
When another player plays an Attack card, or during your Buy phrase, you may reveal this together with any number of Action cards from your hand. Put all revealed cards on top of your deck in any order.

The first reaction is an interesting way to avoid Militias and other card-draw, though it doesn't stop Ghost Ships, and doesn't seem to do much to other attacks.  If you're loading up on villages though, you should probably be playing actions instead of saving them in your Buy phase.  Does avoid the dead half of a Smithy/Village style engine...


Ginger
$1 - Action
+1 Card
+2 Actions
If you have 2 or more unused actions left at the end of your turn, during the clean-up phase, draw 7 cards instead of 5.
--
This card cannot be bought if you have any treasures in play.

This card can't be gained at all in some kingdoms without +$ or gainers, and is basically a gimmie if Market or another +$ +buy is in play.  Drawing up to 7 is interesting, though vulnerable to Milita.  Easy enough to get though, if you just pretend the last one you played didn't have +Actions on it.  The cost gives it a strange interaction with the exactly $1 more trashers.

Paprika
$5 - Action
+2 Actions
Put a card in play other than a [This Card] into your hand.

Interesting take on Throne room, but would be a pain to keep track of in real life.  I would lose track of my King's Courts and Throne Rooms so fast.

Nutmeg
$3 - Action
+3 Actions
--
At the beginning of your Buy phase, if you did not play any actions after this card, gain an Action card costing up to $4.

Interesting card.  The workshop effect is fun, though I'm not sure why you decided to keep Gardens out of it.


Turmeric
$4 - Action
+1 Card
You may trash or discard 1 card from your hand. If you do, pick one: +2 Actions, +2 Cards, +$2.

Reminds me of Spice Merchant.  Gives you Smithy or Village, instead of Woodcutter or Lab.  I think I'd run out of fuel for it pretty fast though.


Rosemary
$7 - Action-Duration
At the start of each of your turns, choose two: +1 Action; +1 Buy; put a [This Card] token on this card; +$1 per token on this card, then trash this card. (The choices must be different.)

Once you get this going it's like you played a village every turn.  Then, when the game is almost over, cash them in for Provinces or Duchies.  Interesting concept, though the time bomb purchase might be more fun without the actions.  Would disqualify it for this contest though.


Thyme
$3 - Action-Reaction
Choose one: +2 Cards or +3 Actions.
--
When you discard this from play, you may put it on top of your deck.
--
When you discard this other than during a Clean-Up phase, you may reveal it. If you do, set this aside, then at the start of your next turn, return it to your hand.

It's like a cheaper Alchemist stack that you can never ever lose.  As long as you remember to play every 3rd one as +3 Actions.  The second reaction is a fun idea but much too strong on this effectively permanent card.


Mace
$2 - Action
Choose one: +2 Cards; or +2 Actions; or +$2; or +2 Buys.

I don't think I like any of those choices.  A bit like a cheaper steward, but I tend to use him for his trashing anyway.


Clove
$2 - Action
+2 Actions
You may gain a Copper in hand.

Interesting in decks that want copper.  I don't see that I'd buy it otherwise though.

Oregano
$4 - Action
+2 Actions
Draw until you have 5 cards in your hand.

Lends itself very well to a draw your deck engine.  Non-terminal mini-library.  I hope it's called Bookmobile.

Saffron
$2 - Action
+1 Card
You may discard a card; if you do, +1 Action.  You may trash a card; if you do, +2 Actions.

With the first ability, you're discarding a card for a cantrip.  Could make it stronger.  I do like cheap non-terminal trashers, but again I think it needs more.  I'd boost both abilities and its cost.


Coriander
$3 - Action-Duration
Now and during your next turn: +1 Action, and you may play Victory cards as though they are Treasure cards.  Victory cards played in this manner provide $1, plus $(1/3 of the printed VP on the Victory card, rounded down).
--
(Rules clarifications: The "printed VP" refers to the victory points provided by the card, e.g. Estate = 1 VP, Duchy = 3 VP, etc.  Victory cards with no printed VP total on them, e.g. Gardens, Silk Road, and Fairgrounds, provide just the flat $1.  Victory cards played in this way are not Treasure cards and do not count for cards which look at Treasure cards, like Bank, Venture, and Loan.)

Looks a bit like Cardamon above but cheaper.  Not as good on the turn you play it (since it's only one action and gives no draw) but very nice on your next turn.


Garlic
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
You may trash this card immediately. If you do, +1 Action.
--
When you buy this card, gain two copies of it.
--
Special rule: The supply pile for [This Card] has 30 copies of it.

Interesting concept.  Not sure if variable Kingdom pile sizes has been explored.  Ridiculous in Gardens or Philosopher Stone games though.


Caraway
$3 - Action-Attack
+1 Card
Discard any number of cards.  +1 Action per card discarded.
Each other player gains an Estate, putting it into their hand.

Strange attack.  Will work 8 times in 2-player, 6 times in 3-player, and 4 times in 3-player.  Other than that it's like the opposite of Cellar.

Tarragon
$5 - Action
+2 Actions
Trash up to 2 cards from your hand.  +1 Card for every card trashed this way.

Too expensive to buy when I actually want to trash 2 cards from my hand.  I think I prefer Trading Post.

Lemongrass
$4 - Action
+1 Card
+2 Actions
--
When you discard this from play, you may put it on top of your deck if you bought a Treasure this turn.

Reminds me of Treasure Room, but anti-synergizes with itself.


Marjoram
$4 - Action-Duration
+2 Cards
At the start of your next turn, +2 Actions.

1 Action is enough to make it a village your next turn.  So a next-turn Crossroads with a reactionless Moat this turn.  Does half the job of 2 $2 cards.  Needs more or a cost reduction.

Cumin
$3 - Action-Victory
+2 Actions
+1 Buy
--
1 VP

Comparable to Great Hall, though filling a different niche.  2 Actions and 1 Buy is odd, but of course with 1 Card it would be strictly better than Great Hall.


Sage
$6 - Action-Duration
At the beginning of every one of your turns, +1 Action, +1 Buy.
--
While this card is in play, during your turn, Victory cards cost $2 more and non-Victory cards cost $1 more.

This is one of those forever cards, eh?  You'd never want more than one.  Seems like a good concept for one of those Dominion Variants where you choose a power at the start of the game.  Can't see ever needing 10 in the Kingdom.


Mustard
$4 - Action
+1 Card
+2 Actions
You may put a Victory card from your hand on top of your deck. If you do, +1 Buy, +$2.

More than one in hand and they can juggle the same victory card.

Sesame
$4 - Action
Choose one: Draw until you have 6 cards in hand; or: +2 Actions, +$1, +1 Buy.

A stack of these would be pretty good.  Lots of actions, buys, and $ and then draw to 6 to keep it going.  May be too strong.

Allspice
$4 - Action-Reaction
+1 Card
+2 Actions
If any Supply Victory card pile is empty, +1 Card.
--
When an opponent plays an attack card, you may reveal and set this aside from your hand.  If you do, +1 VP.  Restore this to your hand at the start of your turn.

In a Kindgom with no alt-victory cards or attacks it's an expensive village.  The Reaction may be too strong, though I may be over-afraid of victory chips.


Borage
$5 - Action
+4 Cards
+2 Actions
Put 4 cards on top of your deck in any order.

Well you can't spam it.  I think this could be cheaper when compared to Warehouse.

Chervil
$5 - Action
If played for the first time this turn: +2 Cards, +2 actions, +$1.
All other plays: +$1, +2 Actions.

A Super-lab with the caveat that it doesn't stack well.  Pretty insane with Smithys or another Terminal draw card.


Lavender
$4 - Action-Reaction
+1 Card
+2 Actions
--
When another player gains a Treasure, you may discard this card from your hand and gain a copy of the Treasure card they gained.

Be a fun game of chicken in a Colony game.  Gold is my favorite thing to gain from Smugglers anyway.

Mint
$5 - Action
+2 Cards
+2 Actions
--
When at least one [This Card] is in play and you gain a Province or Colony, every other player gains a gold, putting it into their hand.

Be very nice with some TFB cards or something that enables a megaturn.  Use this to accelerate your engine building and then either start trashing them, or end so fast they don't get to use all those golds.  Also great for Alt-VP strats.

Patchouli
$5 - Action
Gain a Copper, Silver, or Gold in hand.
If you gain a Copper, +2 Cards, +2 Actions.
If you gain a Silver, +1 Action.
If you gain a Gold, discard two cards.

Any sort of trasher and that is a huge benefit for taking Coppers.  Late game you probably have the greens to discard.


Stevia
$3 - Action
Choose one: +2 Actions, or all players draw up to 6 cards in hand. You may set aside any Treasure cards drawn this way, as you draw them; discard the set aside cards after you finish drawing.
--
(Rules clarification: If the draw option is exercised, only the player who played the card may set aside Treasure cards as he draws up to 6 cards in hand; all other players simply draw up to 6 cards in hand.)

Interesting way to make sure Coppers don't junk up your engine.  Of course you need to play it twice for there to be an engine.  For the perk it gives opponents, I'd rather have a Council Room.


Cayenne
$3P - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Choose one: +1 Card, +1 Action, +$1, +1 Buy.

I almost missed the P.  It can't be cheaper because of Alchemist, but +Card is the only perk I'd take most of the time, and it doesn't topdeck itself.


Juniper
$4 - Action
+1 Card
+2 Actions
You may discard an Province. If you do, +1 Card.
--
In games using this, when you gain an Estate, you may gain a [This Card].

Great 2nd target for a Gardens game.

Fenugreek
$5 - Action
+1 Card
+2 Actions
If you have played [This Card] two or more times this turn, +1 Buy.
If you have played it three or more times this turn, +$1.
If you have played it four or more times this turn, +1 Card.
If you have played it five or more times this turn, +1 VP.

Almost the same as Parsley.  Slightly more sense in the rode of its benefits, but same problems apply.


Arrowroot
$5 - Action
+1 Card
+2 Actions
--
When you gain this, gain a [This Card] token.
--
At the start of any turn, you may return one [This Card] token before you play your first action. If you do, +1 Action.

I prefer Fishing Villages.  I'm spamming those anyway.  This of course gives a card.  Probably makes more sense at $4.


Poppy
$4 - Action
+1 Card
+2 Actions
Choose one: +1 Card, +$1, or trash a card from your hand.  If you choose...
+1 Card, each other player draws a card.
+$1, each other player gains a Copper in hand.
Trash a card, +1 VP, and each other player may trash a card from his hand.

First option is to Super-lab yourself to Lab your opponents. That second option is basically an attack since you rarely want coppers.  Third option is great for trimming.  The second one is the most problematic.


Savory
$4 - Action-Attack
+2 Actions
+$1
Each other player may discard a Treasure card.  If he doesn't, he gains a Copper.

Reminds me of Noble Brigand thematically.  Except he mildly inconveniences the rich, instead of robbing them.


Vanilla
$4 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Choose one: +1 Action, or discard your hand and draw 4 cards.

Love the name.  Not as strong as some of the Draw up to X variants above.  Functions like a friendly Minion but entirely dependent on outside +$

------

My god that was a long way to do things.  Too many of us in here.

41

Variants and Fan Cards / Re: Revising my TFB Contest Card

« on: July 28, 2012, 12:53:00 am »

Modified the wording as Lhurgoyf suggests.  I agree that without the perks it's definitely enough weaker than its $4 parents that it is safe at $3.  I don't believe it's weak enough that it needs to be a $2 though.

The loss of the buy definitely hurts the salvager portion, but it still can turn a $5 hand into a province in the late game.  In that circumstance it's acting more like Remodel, though without the option to buy an Estate with your extra $2.  Similarly, the loss of the VP and $1 makes it a lot harder to pull off a good Golden Deck with it, but can still be done.

It works well any dual type cards.  Burn that Harem to get $6 that will probably land a province, along with 3 VP.  Great Hall becomes +2 Cards, +2 Actions, and 1 VP.  Nobles can turn into +3 Cards, +2 Actions, and 3 VP.

It's also good with self-trashers, or cursers you might not want anymore when the curse pile is down to 2.  Get a Double Sea Hag or Familiar to empty the pile and then the card isn't taking up space anymore.  Plus, if you're pretty sure it's your last time through the deck, might as well play that action twice.  And for self-trashers like Feast (expecting at least one more in Dark Ages), it does the same thing as Throne Room, but is cheaper to set up.  It works as well as Throne Room with Island too, since you'll still set aside 2 cards, and will get 2 VP in tokens.

So I think $3 still works.  As for Steward, I think the main reason it's priced at $3 is that you have to take its best option into account.  It's a terminal silver with flexibility to do other things, and so would never fly at $2, since the other $2 terminal silvers need to be trashed or benefit your opponent. Even though the other two options are a reaction-less moat or a half-Chapel.  Plus as we all know, Chapel would be a good buy at $4.

42

Other Games / Re: Stock Market Game I'm trying to create!

« on: July 27, 2012, 02:48:44 pm »

That helps a lot, thanks.  So although all the shares do things, if you're hoping for a boom to sell in, you might want to hold on to them.  I notice that TRADE and CONSOLIDATE all have you draw a new 5-card hand, but EVENT does not.  If you had already played some shares as actions on a turn that you pass an event, do you draw up to 5 at the end?  Also, what does +$X to discard refer to?

I'm a huge fan of deckbuilding games (no surprise), and though I don't have the resources to do a demo, it's interesting.

43

Other Games / Re: Stock Market Game I'm trying to create!

« on: July 27, 2012, 01:00:31 am »

Other than the Dominion inspiration, I'm wondering why the Share themselves do anything.  It seems like you might have enough meat in the game with the Events and Pensions.  Limit the number of trades you can make in a turn rather than the cards in hand.  Maybe pay out dividends on some stocks if they're kept during a boom.  Or events that affect multiple industries.

That may be a bit too many changes, of course.  I think an example hand or two might help me follow it more, since I may just be missing something on the Shares as Actions concept.  With the trading option, it seems that every share is like Treasure/Action, and money is like Treasure/Victory, with as much TFB as you need.

I love the contrast with Dominion on the tie rule though.  Instead of rejoicing in a shared victory, you spitefully congratulate each other.

44

Variants and Fan Cards / Re: Fan card logistics

« on: July 27, 2012, 12:50:00 am »

Mostly, people just use substitute cards when they're playing. Like represent your card with Village (put some kind of token on it to remind you). It does depend how many cards you want to use, though. With just one fan card, Blanks work well - can't get those mixed up! With 4+, it can get confusing, but there's not much else you can use.

If you have a few sets of blanks, you can just write letters on them.  So put A on one set, B on a second set, and so on.  Then you just have to write down somewhere what A and B represent for any given Kingdom.  I think BGG still sells the double blank packs for shipping.

45

Variants and Fan Cards / Revising my TFB Contest Card

« on: July 27, 2012, 12:45:55 am »

The card as submitted was

#19 (tie) - Burnt Offering by Mecherath with 5 points (Theda)
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
+$1
+1 VP
Trash a card from your hand.  If it is an...
Action card, play it three times.
Treasure card, +$ equal to its cost.
Victory card, +VP equal to half its cost in coins, rounded down.

When I made it, it was trying to do too much.  Since it cost more than both Bishop and Salvager, I wanted to make sure it was strictly better than each, which is how the Buy, $1, and 1VP got added on.  That made the card too busy, and as at least one person said, trashing a card you're done with anyway, like a curser, makes the KC benefit extremely good.

I'm thinking of a version where the card is cheaper, but also has toned down abilities.  It would be:

Burnt Offering
$3 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.  If it is an...
Action card, instead play it twice, then trash it.
Treasure card, +$ equal to its cost.
Victory card, +VP equal to half its cost in coins, rounded down.

Knock the action down to Throne Room, and remove the extra stuff.  It imitates 3 different 4-cost cards but is weaker than any of them, except when dealing with multi-type cards.  It's missing the +Buy of Salvager, the +$1/VP of Bishop (though also its benefit to your opponents), and the ability to keep the card from Throne room.  It also can't do anything with Curses.

You can still make a Golden Deck out of it, though you need Gold, Gold, Silver to do it, and wouldn't be able to trash a gold on the final turn to keep the last Province.

Not sure if these changes would have made it do better in the challenge, but I think the sheer number of things it was doing made it harder to judge.  Thoughts?

46

Variants and Fan Cards / Re: Clasic_Cards #10 - Junkyard

« on: July 25, 2012, 08:18:58 pm »

To chime in a little, the +2 VP +$1 you get from a Bishop + Junkyard combo doesn't seem much more risky for a degenerative state than the +1VP +$2 that monument gives you.  It takes two cards to set up, and your opponent surely trimming their deck down.  Could be trouble with a mirror, but with Bishop around, a golden deck would be faster I think.  Since discarding the Junkyard is optional, you could even switch gears partway.

47

Variants and Fan Cards / Re: Clasic_Cards #8 - Hanging Gardens

« on: July 23, 2012, 11:20:27 pm »

I love University to the extent that I severely overplay it, but Hanging Gardens would make up for it.  Use the Universities for power 5's and the money for Hanging Gardens.  Horde becomes another great support card for it.  Not only do the Golds help you keep buying Hanging Gardens, they also help make the Hanging Gardens more valuable.  But then again, any buy spent on a Horde isn't getting a Hanging Garden.

I wonder if the number of $5's for a VP needs to increase, but playtesting would clear that up quickly.  Really, without University support, you probably aren't getting more than one $5 card per turn anyway, since you'll be greening early to pick up your share of Hanging Gardens.  But they'll get up to Duchy value pretty quick.  Probably surpass it in most games with at least one or two good $5's.

If you find they are too good at 3 per VP, they can either stop counting each other, or bump it up to 4 per VP.  Then you might have the sad problem of them being worth less than Duchies though

48

Mini-Set Design Contest / Re: Mini-Set Design Contest, Challenges #5 and #6!

« on: July 23, 2012, 09:56:56 pm »

Personally, I only read the discussions to see what people say about my card  .

Same here.  The contest is the main reason I stopped lurking.  I've already got feedback I want to use to rework my cards.

49

Mini-Set Design Contest / Re: Mini-Set Design Contest, Challenges #5 and #6!

« on: July 22, 2012, 11:06:55 am »

A simple solution to replacement cards exhausting piles is to Return to the Supply instead of Trash.  They don't fit the contest anymore, but the impact to your deck is the same.  I think of Ambassador as trashing, even though it's not.

Doesn't help you get to the 3-pile ending anymore, but if there's a lot of Power-5s, the substitution effect is enough.

50

Variants and Fan Cards / Re: Clasic_Cards #6 - Scarecrow

« on: July 22, 2012, 10:59:42 am »

Mecherath, I'm not sure which version you are responding to, but keep in mind that reactions are resolved before attacks.  If the reaction lets you draw cards immediately, it does not counter discard attacks, because you draw with the reaction and then discard to the attack afterwards.

It should be noted that the card draw here is based on having victory cards in hand, so it's likely not going to be useful at all during the mid-game, before you start greening.

That's just me forgetting how most discard attacks work.  I just played with Torturer in real life recently, which is Discard 2 instead of the more common Discard Down to 3 like Militia has.  So yeah, back to bad against discard attacks.  But I still like the synergy with crossroads and the multi-type Victory cards.