MArcomage

I extracted 3 posts from the Random Game thread to separate an idea I consider to be interesting. (if 1 of the 2 ideas would not make the grade, it shouldn't be the downfall of the other ;-)

Xpoh

18:32, 20. Dec, 2009
You are both right.
Random deck is poor idea, but myschly's point is interesting too.
Instead, i can offer another way to decrease deck-building effect on gameplay:
Mirror match. Two players choose decks and play normal game, but after it they are forced to play second game using opponent's deck.
What do you think about it?

Myschly

19:31, 20. Dec, 2009
I like the concept, but isn't this mirror-match?
First game, both players play challengers deck.
Second game, both players play challenged players deck?

Another mode similar to that:
First game, both play their chosen deck.
Second game, decks are swapped.

Xpoh

20:09, 20. Dec, 2009
I thought about both options, but decided that playing same deck isn't so great, so i meant second option.

After some analysis this could be done in current system:

- new game mode will be added the "Mirror mode"

- this game mode can be used both in send challenge and create game

- when the other player accepts the challenge or joins the game, two games will be created (in Game 1 both players have the deck of player 1 and player 2 is the one who goes first, in Game 2 both players have the deck of player 2 and player 1 is the one who goes first)

- Note that player which has the advantage of using his own deck doesn't have the advantage of going first

- these two games are created only when both players have free slots needed

Thoughts?

When you're playing with your opponent's deck, are you able to examine the entire deck as you would your own by clicking View Deck? I assume yes. I wonder if some players might be too secretive about their deckbuilding choices to want to use such a feature.

Also, this would probably be the most fun with a deck that is balanced between offense and defense and using all resources rather than focusing on any particular strength, seeing as each game has both players using the same deck. Build vs. Build or Soldier vs. Soldier can be rather droll. Beast vs. Beast can prove obnoxious as well as the match would likely be decided by which player is the first to draw a card that plays off of how many Beasts are in the game (there being more than one such card).

While in game, you can always use the "view deck" feature.

Personally, I think this is a great idea. I can honestly see myself creating decks specifically with mirror mode as its main focus. I would be an interesting deck building challenge to create balanced decks that have foils of itself within it.

This sounds like an AMAZING idea! I would have so much fun coming up with decks for this mode, without having to worry about making it optimal or safe. It would be an excellent way to play around with some of the fun, lesser-used cards, and to use really weird synergies or anti-synergies.

The bad thing about playing simultaneous games would be that you can device your enemy's destruction easily by just observing the other game. So it's better to have the second game start after the first is finished. Perhaps make it a match of sets (i.e. 2 victories = victory, 1 victory-1 loss = draw, 2 losses = loss). Also the concept of sets could be applied for other game modes as well, where one could play 5 sets, and for each set they can choose the deck they'll use. Once set is finished the new one begins immediately.

In these two games players have different deck (when comparing between games). I don't see what will be revealed about opponent's strategy if he is using a different deck.

What he means:

Game 1:
Player 1 uses deck A
Player 2 uses deck B

Game 2
Player 1 uses deck B
Player 2 uses deck A

If these games run simultaneously, the players can check in Game 2 exactly what the deck his opponent is using in game 1 contains. He can use this knowledege in game 1.

Personally I don't believe this matters much. (+, both players can choose to use this)

I prefer simultaneous games above waiting for a game I already accepted.
However, in that case both players can't start a mirror match if they already have a game running against each other.

Then it's a misunderstanding. What I understand as a mirror mode is this:

Game 1:
Player 1 uses deck A
Player 2 uses deck A

Game 2
Player 1 uses deck B
Player 2 uses deck B

Yes my perception of the mirror mode was as Progressor described it. Also, the way Mojko described it appeals much better to me :) thx for the clarify

Any suggestions for Mirror mode flag picture are welcome! ;-)

After some analysis I think this should be fairly easy to implement in a way that the games will be played in a sequence not unnecessarily filling many game slots. The question is how should this game be ranked?

1 - as two normal separate games
2 - different than normal games

In case of 2 we have these possible outcomes:

- win/win
- win/loss
- loss/loss

How should this be ranked?

I believe it should be ranked as a single game, with Win/Loss counting as a Draw. Also the EXP yield should be double

We could also make Win/Loss counting as a Win for a player, depending on the type of victories that were achieved. (i.e. Major vs Minor -> the player with Major victory gets the Win/Loss as a Win)

I like Lord Ornlu's suggestion, except that it would result in a huge blowup in the number of draws we see (since they're normally a pretty rare occurrence). I was also thinking about doing a best 2 out of 3 or something, but you need an odd number for that, and an odd number would break the symmetry of the mirror match (since one deck would be played more than the other).

Maybe they should just be treated as separate games? (And maybe there could be an achievement for winning both matches of a Mirror Match x times).

Yes, I see your point and I agree with you. We could have a bonus for winning both games

Note that creating two parallel games and treating them as two games ought to be a very simple concept that can be easily implemented with existing logic - as opposed to the other suggestions which would involve some crazy wide-scale extension and modification work.

I vote for anything that results in less work for those that give us all such a great experience playing MArcomage.