MArcomage

I think Aria is less complex than token based keywords. It can be used every 4th round (variant A) and that's it. Every game the rounds are the same regardless of the order of the players.

I'm curious, why this complex changes are that bad? Currently, we got only small room for something like a "pro"-area. Currently, this area is the deck building.
This game is meant to be an easy play-one, and it still is and will be. The only difference, which is appearing, is that there can be something like a learning curve ingame. Currently, after you learn how to play (what is somekind easy still, you just play the cards you want), you learn about card summoning, keywords and the tokens. After you learned about these features (most time in that order), you begin to learn how to build decks properly.

In fact, the game is still easy, you just need to learn about the different features about time. When i began MArcomage, i had no idea about tokens, keywords and whatever, and i could still play the game and have fun with it. Of course, if you want to improve your gameplay, you should learn about all features, but these are actually not needed to play the game.

In my oppinion, i would say that we can make the game as complex as we want it, as long this does not destroy the easy core-gameplay. I see that continous card effects could destroy this, but complex keywords? never...

And about the calculation of the game: Is this not the area which is set for the "pro"`s ? In open games, you can calculate multiple turns in a row, if you have the time, and this of course gives you an advantage. Why shouldn't we support the game calculation by adding keywords or cards which can be at best used for this? This would make something like proffesional-area-content, and this is needed to make the game appealing for experienced players. Believe me, without the tokens or the complex card effects, the game would become more boring, because it brings less challenge for experienced players.

Since when deck building is easy?

It's freaking hard with huge card choice.

There should be more default decks for starters, and also would be neat to have downloadable deck builder.

When I'm playing from work, on an old machine, with not so good connection - this process is painful.

upd: sorry, slightly misread your post, Earthfire.

If you want to setup MArcomage locally, it shouldn't be that difficult. See Q12 in FAQ for more information. Once you have that you can build your decks locally and upload them later when they are done.

I already played with my own marcomage at home,thank you, but I doubt it will work here, at work :)

Personally, I do not like the odd/even dynamic. There is no skill involved in divisible by 8. Certainly there have been many recommended keywords with a more logical effect than this?

There is really no add/even mechanic. The effect is usable on every 4th round. Let me explain it on example:

Here is how round numbering looks like for players in game (Player1 is the player who goes first):

Player 1: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15
Player 2: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16

The round numbers that are highlighted are the ones where aria effect can be used. As you can see from the perspective of either player, it can be used on every 4th round of the respective player.

I like this, but I think it should be separated from keywords and be more universal in the game. In the past there had been some discussion about deities or special abilities that are chosen by each player and are triggered once in a while. I don't know how easy it is to implement something like this given the shortage in your available time.

It does not look bad as a keyword also though.

Here is an updated version of the balance changes and a change log:

Air elemental (former Invisible squad) - added unliving and Aria, new card picture
Blizzard - added Aria
Breeze - added Aria
Corrosion cloud - added Aria
Dark legion - summoned cards changed
Dark pegasus - added Aria
Dark templar - can't summon rares for player anymore
Death prophet - stock reduction replaced with production x0
Devilkin - added Aria
Dragon patrol - reworked
Laputa the Flying fortress - added Aria
Master hunter - added Banish
Orc engineer - no longer raises tower above 65
Plague - reworked
Renewal - added Aria
Vulture - added Aria
Wind - added Aria

I decided to implement Variant A for the Aria keyword.

Mojko wrote:
Here is an updated version of the balance changes and a change log:

Air elemental (former Invisible squad) - added unliving and Aria, new card picture
Blizzard - added Aria
Breeze - added Aria
Corrosion cloud - added Aria
Dark legion - summoned cards changed
Dark pegasus - added Aria
Dark templar - can't summon rares for player anymore
Death prophet - stock reduction replaced with production x0
Devilkin - added Aria
Dragon patrol - reworked
Laputa the Flying fortress - added Aria
Master hunter - added Banish
Orc engineer - no longer raises tower above 65
Plague - reworked
Renewal - added Aria
Vulture - added Aria
Wind - added Aria

I decided to implement Variant A for the Aria keyword.

I think also other cards could have the Aria keyword:
crimson hawk and some other flying beasts , elemetal storm, maybe some fairy or angels, pegasus, tornado, whirlwind, wind witch, witch rider.
obviously some of them should be slightly nerfed.

I plan to add more cards to Aria eventually, but I didn't want to add too many cards in a single update.

ok, like you did with aqua.
balance changes and new cards will be avaible on the same day?
and summer is three months long, could you be more specific about the date? give us just a hint

This update will have both balance changes and new cards. The date itself is uncertain, because there is still a lot of work to be done on both balance changes and new cards. I hope I can get it done by the first week of the July.

New cards preview is available.

More rare Brigands? Nice :)

I'd like my Shadow Warrior also to be implemented. :D

I think that Steelbeard will be quite powerful (maybe OP). I think that it should cost more (~4-5R) or have production x0.

Wind dragon, Nightmare owl: I really like them.

Also I think that Shogun will be powerful enough. With normal facilities is -9 enemy tower, +9 tower, +9 wall. Quite enough for a 0-cost even for a rare.

they are all interesting: Dream waver gives a nice attack card to illusion deck but it's good in any deck; goblin emperor is what Horde deck needed but it will not be easy to draw without a Horde summoner; Sellsword is tricky maybe I'll put it in my soldier deck and use it for free triggering the keyword, anyway I'm glad to see more rare brigands; what? steelbeard is durable? at least make it "if not new" or playeble only if round is divisible for something, as it is now it's the ultimate lockdown card; I hope Shogun will be added to moon empire summoning list; I wonder why spirit of earth isn't unliving; I really like the two rare dragons, dragon deck needs also cheap rare dragons; spirit of air shoul summons non-common aria in my opinion; windmill should cost less or give more defence; Iskander rules!

Yes I agree that Horde needs one more summoner, maybe uncommon.

Steelbeard concerns me. If played consecutively, you can get to a point where the opponent has no chance to prevent its use -- should you draw an Uncommon Banish or replacement card, it would be immediately targeted for discard by Steelbeard's effect. Your only hope would be to draw a Common that can either discard it or refresh your hand. Meanwhile, your opponent is stealing 3 stock with every trigger of the Brigand keyword. At current token gain values, this could be every second play, requiring only four other Brigand cards in hand. While the wealth of Hidden treasure cards helps to offset this, it would be likely that a Brigand deck would have already created a difference in relative stock values (and possibly facilities as well) meaning that the Brigand player could conceivably turtle his way to a resource victory. This isn't even to mention how many keyword decks would be messed with just due to the number on hand being kept perpetually less than optimal.

Even without a Brigand deck, I would take this card just to cheaply and immediately discard any and every useful Rare the opponent draws.

I feel that it needs some kind of condition or limitation.

Adding Production x0 and raising its cost sounds good for Steelbeard. How about 6R?