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Author Topic: Game problem analysis and suggestion to improve  (Read 5842 times)

LegendWing

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Game problem analysis and suggestion to improve
« on: November 26, 2012, 10:45:42 AM »
Hi, I am a game designer and I love Mage Wars very much and I hope this topic can reach the development team of Mage Wars. I would like to list out some of the problem in the game and hopefully give some good suggestions to further improve the game. Most of the suggestion I give do not change any of the rules but more on adding cards/traits. When I write the add on, I will give reason to why I think it is a good idea to do so. So lets get started  :)

Traits/Codex terms:
Siege -/+ X - When attacking a non-living corporeal conjuration, modify the attack with X dice.
(Reason: I just find it hopeless sometimes when I try to attack a spawning point, walls and some other conjuration. While this might greatly help the situation, slow trait should be added to the creature with this attack to create some balance in the game)

Recover - The recovered card will be remove from the discard pile and added back to the spellbook.
(Reason: This will be explain later)

Recoverable X - Most of the spell is lost after casting. However a spell with this trait turn into a complex matrix for a very short period right after the spell effect is resolved. The caster may quickly use additional power to recover the matrix and turn it back into cast-able spell. After the Resolve Spell Step when casting a spell with this trait, the caster may choose to pay X amount of mana and return the spell back to the owner's spellbook. However due to the nature of the this spell, it cannot be spellbind.
(Reason: While I find spellbinding is interesting, most of the time your mage wand will end up being dissolved. Besides that, when I play a game until late game, suddenly I felt that I hardly got any good spell left that I can use. But for sure this trait should be used with caution or else it might cause some imbalance. This trait should mostly be use on attack spell that are not too strong. I will provide some example later on.)

Memorisable X
This type of spell is easier to memorise. By paying X amount of mana, the mage can cast this spell as a quick spell.
(Reason: Basically this trait is use on a Full Action Spell. Player now have the option to move and cast this spell with this trait. Make the game more dynamic)

Equipment:
Boots of caster - The mage can now take a move action after casting a quick spell.
(Reason: This can come in handy in certain situation)

Necklace of purification - When this equipment is equipped, the mage must choose one of the effect for this equipment.
1. As a quick action, the mage can remove one condition within 1 zone away. As a full action, the mage can remove as many condition(s) on one target within 1 zone away.
2. The mage is immune to poison effects. Remove all poison effect.
(Reason: I find it very hard for other mage to remove condition but I do not hope to create an equipment that is useless to priestess. Besides that I believe adding the first effect to other mages will not make condition useless. Even when I am a priestess myself, I did not remove all the condition I had on the creature because there are just too many things else that I wanted to do.)

Example for Recoverable:
I believe having Recoverable traits on attack spell should not create a lot of imbalance issue. So I will leave attack spells to you guys and I only provide some other spell which can utilise this trait.

Spell Name: Creature Recreation (Incantation Spell)
Mana cost: X
Trait: Epic
Search for your discard pile and recover one creature. X is the mana cost to cast the recovered creature. If the creature is a level 1 creature, this spell gain Recoverable 2 trait during this spell cast.
(Reason: Like I said during late game, everything seems so empty in my spellbook. I understand having infinite creature is not a good idea either, so to balance things up, make the spell only recoverable if the creature is level 1. The player may still choose to recover a higher level creature but they will lost this spell)

Thats it for now, do give some feedback on what you think on this. Hope this can reach the MW team. ;)

Nihilistiskism

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Re: Game problem analysis and suggestion to improve
« Reply #1 on: November 27, 2012, 06:29:09 AM »
No offense intended, but, you call something a "problem" because you don't quite agree with the ultimate decision made by the design and development team for this game. Forgive me for calling that "arrogant."

Maybe that wasn't your intention, and it's possible I'm reading too much into it, but, damn, you sure are cocky in your assertions of what constitutes a "problem."

On conjurations: As soon as you add cards that make it easier to destroy conjurations you skew the theme of design. Conjurations were given specific armors and hitpoints based on the balancing act of numbers. Start throwing things into the game that alters how the numbers are calculated and you throw the game OFF balance.

On recovery: You are advocating for the inclusion of an entirely new mechanic, and I just have to wonder:

a) Why?
b) Do you REALLY think that the design team is so stupid that they overlooked recursion? One of the most prominent staples of CCG/TCG/LCG/BG core mechanics in existence? They didn't include it, presumably for reasons. It's possible that they just couldn't fit everything into the game that they wanted to fit in. It's also possible that they decided against it. Either way, I'm going to go out on a limb and surmise that the design team isn't completely ignorant of game design, and thought about recursion during the initial design process.

On memoriZation: Again, you are advocating for a change to the core mechanics.

On footwear: Change to core mechanics via equipment.

On jewelry of the neck: So you think that all mages should have access to equipment that allows them to completely mirror one of the core abilities of another mage?



So here's where I'm going:

From my perspective, and, again, this is just my perspective, I would say that you have found several things that you don't "like" about Mage Wars, and dubbed them "problems" that need "fixing." I'm taking this stance because most of what you're talking about would just completely rewrite how this game works on a fundamental level. To me that says you want Mage Wars to be a different game than it is, and that leads me to think that you are having trouble separating the concepts of things you don't "like" from things that are actual "problems."





-nihil
Take a shower, don't talk like a junior high dropout, and stop being such a fatty.

Shad0w

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Re: Game problem analysis and suggestion to improve
« Reply #2 on: November 27, 2012, 08:23:41 AM »
Ok was going to just ignore this thread and let it slide. My team has been working with AW for over a year now. Some of what you have talked about has versions in future sets and other things have been considered but not used in the final version of MW. Like Nihil said without being on the design team it is easy to look from the outside and pick things apart. Before we joined up with AW Bryan had several years behind the game design. I can not say why some of the early choices were made but I think the choices we made were for the best as a assistant designer, lead playtester, and a player.  :)
"Darth come prove to meet you are worthy of the fighting for your school in the arena and not just another scholar to be discarded like an worn out rag doll"


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LegendWing

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Re: Game problem analysis and suggestion to improve
« Reply #3 on: November 27, 2012, 09:32:43 AM »
I don't meant to offend anyone or anything, I love the game and just voicing out my opinion on the game. Just hoping to be able to give the team some ideas and factor to consider. I don't mind if it wasn't introduce in the game, it is still a great game overall.

I know the team know what they are doing, and are very experienced people, I am just voicing out my suggestion and idea hope that it would help  :)

Edited: For the recovery, it was intended to use for mostly attack spells. For sure this type of recursion can be break off with enchantment to balance up the effects. The reason why was because one of my friend his play style is spamming attack spells but I found out during the late game, he just cannot do so.