MArcomage

The new change is big. One of the biggest changes is the new keyword system and its side effect. It's more complicated and luck-based, making it harder to analyze. X-X

A few quick questions:
1) How much does the new keyword system affect our old play styles?? Important??
2) Which keyword(s) become the strongest, which weakest?
3) What decks are you making now, theme-based (eg undead deck), or just generic (eg any offensive cards with mixed / no keywords)??
4) If the card has two keywords, is it possible to trigger double side effect? o.O
5) When does the effect trigger? If I play Quick > Swift > Normal, do I have 3 chances to trigger the effect?
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6) If a undead costs 1 stock to play and the side effect is triggered, how much cost is redeemed? Do you do normal rounding, rounding up, or rounding down?
7) If an Alliance which has Production X2, what happens if the side effect triggers? Production X2 or X4?

Would anyone share some experiences and thoughts?

I think it has certainly pushed the power of linear strategies (ie, theme based)but I don't like the extra randomness. It does take away from what I see as the main skill that the game tests: long term planning.

Also, I like the idea of seeing the procs happen, that would at least let you and your opponent be more aware of them.

On a side note, I don't think Flare Attack should be on a common card. That ability is just no fun. It's good on the rare, because the rare interacts with it and that card should normally finish the oppenent off in most cases. But having it for the sake of it is really annoying espesially early in the game.

1) Like Ben said, it looks like this will definitely add a lot of power to theme decks, though I'm not sure they really needed them.

2) The resource returning side effects of Unliving, Soldier, Mage, and Undead have definitely substantially increased their power, when they were solid keywords to build a deck around in the first place. Alliance definitely had a nice side effect, but not really enough cards or synergies to build a deck around yet, IMO.

3) I'm mostly enjoying making hybrid theme decks.

As for the flare attack on a common, I like it so far, but maybe that's mostly because I've been making good use of it, and haven't had anyone use it against me. The thing about it though is it doesn't really give any benefit to the person using it (except for the few burning cards that depend on burning cards in hand), it's mostly just useful to screw up an opponent's hand, especially if they're relying on mob tactics that certain keywords (undead) lend themselves to.

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It does take away from what I see as the main skill that the game tests: long term planning.
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True although the concept itself is cool. It does against the principles that they once said they want to value more about skills than luck.

So far the only thing we could do is to put as many of the same type as possible in our card deck, and so the luck will play on our favor.

This is only an example of a better realization of the concept "side effect" (but impossible now). Each keyword is point-based instead of luck-based. One undead gives 1 point per round. Two undeads give two per round and so on. Let's say it requires 15 points to trigger undead side effect. This will make the game very skill-rich. I hope the game designer will improve the side effect system so we have more controls (preferably entire controls) on side effect.

PS: Added NEW questions at the first post. Take a look. ;)

I don't like the luck-based effects either. Let's wait for Mojo to return from vacation and give his comments :)

It indeed seems a little bit too random, Id say decreasing the effects / chances is in place.

4. It might trigger both I guess.
5. If you play 3 Swift Mage's in a row it seems logical too me you have 3 times a chance to get gems back.

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It indeed seems a little bit too random, Id say decreasing the effects / chances is in place.
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I think the concept itself is brilliant but it needs improvement. I would say take out the luck part, and make it tactic/skill rich. This sorts of keyword effect are nice:
• Banish - discards one random Durable card from enemy hand (if there is one).
• Skirmisher - discards one random Charge card from enemy hand (if there is one).

I have plenty of ideas to improve the new keyword effect system. The possibilities are simply unlimited. :D

If it is changed into something like this, the game will be more challenging:
• 1 Undead = for every 10 turns you will get one third of the total cost returned. 2 undeads = 9 turns, and so on.
(Just a concept)

Adding the luck elements into the game, tactically makes the game weaker, but strategically makes the game much stronger. It makes cards you might not play still valuable.

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It makes cards you might not play still valuable.
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Agree! It involves more thinking. Cards will affect one another.

If we have good control on the trigger of side effect, the game will be both tactically and strategically stronger. :D

PS: New questions added to the first post!

Regarding amaster's questions:

1) A lot. Both themed cards and generic cards that now have a keyword have an extra effect, thus making them more desirable to play (good for us - a lot of new combinations to try out).

2) Strongest: Correct me if I'm wrong but I think that Undead rule the day once again. Having a lot of Undead cards was hard to deal with till now, but at the moment almost nothing phases them - discarding will just let in more undead; strict offence and defence are almost useles due to cards such as Vampire and Unholy Shrine respectively. Resource control was an OK tactic but with the new cards it has also been hindered.

2) Weakest - Alliance (they cards here are somewhat sporadric and it's still hard to have a good deck based around them; I think that this is a Work-In-Progress zone and that it will be ballanced later on).
- Flare Attack - yes, as others already pointed out this card's rarity and chaos effect make it undesirable;
- Spell types (Nature, Illusion, etc.) - Chain Lightning is a good step towards improving them but since having such cards doesn't benefit the player they can be left out in favor of other themed cards due to their interacion effects.
3) I'm making themed decks for the fun of it (fun = Keeper of Souls, Dragon Patrol, etc.) but generic decks are also ok because they involve more thought and planning in order to be able to stand up to the themed decks.

4) I think it's possible although I haven't confirmed such a thing yet.

5) Good question :D. I would bet during Normal and Swift turns since they count as 'full turns'.

6) The new 'percentage' system really isn't that good - more control over the side effects is required. However, this could be another WIP thing so we can open a new ticket in the Wiki and let the designers know that we don't like it and that there are suggestions for recreating the 'theme effect' mechanic.

7) Good question - should take a look at the code :D. No, seriously - it's hard to guess at this point - some experiments are in order.

6. I hope It's 4X, else Its a bit pity for the Elf enchantres (Only card for which it applies, I believe)

7. With scientific rounding Id round it up. What the game does I don't know. Ive seen cards round up in such a case. (Benediction being the only holy card in my hand.)

Do we have to play a certain keyword card + have others in hand to get it's effect?
Or as long as you have some keyword card in your hand it can be triggered?
For example I have Alliance cards in my hand and I played a no keyword card, will the keyword effect be triggered?
I'm still trying myself. Anyone done it?

You have to play an Alliance card to get the chance for the alliance effect, from what I've seen.

When Barbarian's keyword takes action, the extra damage on the wall is unleashed upon opponent before the actual card is played?
I think this is the case, I lost a game because of this O_O

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6. I hope It's 4X, else Its a bit pity for the Elf enchantres (Only card for which it applies, I believe)
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The final answer is Production X3.
It appears the code simply add one extra production bonus (for X2), two extra (for X3), although it's written as X2, X3 in text description.

X2 = +1
X3 = +2
X2 & X2 = +1 + 1 = +2

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Do we have to play a certain keyword card + have others in hand to get it's effect?
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AFAIK it's how it works:
- Play a keyword card to trigger the side effect system
- Roll dice based on numbers of the same keyword cards in hand (not counting the played one)

So answer is yes.

I'll say this regarding Undead decks and Flare attacks:

Phoenix decks have severely blocked me in games where I've used my Undead deck since the changes came into play. If anything, Flare attack is proving the undoing of Undead supremacy.

Don't overcomplicate things :D... Look at Q5 in FAQ and you will see how turn works and when the side-effect happens.

The side-effect happens after the card effect and happens for each keyword separately every time a card is played (even when playing more cards with quick or swift).

This new side-effect isn't so random as it may seem, because it depends on how many cards with same keyword as the played card had, are in your hand (not counting the played card). Because we have anti-flood system, it can be done only by putting many cards with same keyword into a deck, thus creating a theme deck.

Side-effects are meant to be small bonuses that only theme decks have. It's a balancing benefit vs general decks and a motivation to play some weaker cards. When you construct a general deck you can put any cards in it. On the other hand when you want to construct a theme deck, you have less options to choose from, because you need lot of cards with theme keyword, thus making you take even not so powerful cards.

Since the played card isn't counted the side-effect benefit for general decks is minimal.

The side-effect itself is a minor bonus and is interesting only when you can get it many times in a game and that can happen only when you are playing a theme deck.

I'm open to any new ideas to side-effects, but keep in mind that the game has very limited view back into the history, so the Amaster's point system is very likely unimplementable (in current game engine, maybe with history module?).