posted
Maybe complete a mission (new recruit, close an old stargate, rescue a teammate stranded on a planet, etc) and also establish a threshold in a non-UP area. Make sure that some of the locations cards are outside of UP space maybe?
From: Utah | Registered: Jul 2003
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Okay, here are some intial thoughts. Please keep in mind that, although I think the idea of a Legion card game would be tres cool, I have never ever actually played a Magic or Overpower type card game, so some of these ideas my be impractical, or otherwise way off the mark for how these things work.
1. I like the idea of a game that can be played either one on one, as Overpower seems to be done, or else can involve several players simultaniously. I envision one of out periodically threatened group meetings involving a game with four to eight players at a time.
2. I like the idea that there should be a mission, or other goal, as the main objective for winning the game. However, I also like players being able to attack each other. I liken in to Hearts, where a certain score is the ultimate goal but it is always fun sticking somebody with the Queen. So, someone should have the choice of spending their turn either scoreing points working towards finishing the mission, or attacking opponents to weaken that players chances. Say the mission is to steal something and some player has Invisible Kid on their team, it might be in my interest to KO Lyle before trying to work towards the mission myself.
2. I like the idea of having some randomness to the game. It seems that in Overpower one gets to choose their team. I think I prefer having to draw cards and play the team you draw. This way, you never really know if you will start with M'Onel or Double-Header on your team. Then there could be some system for adding to, or swapping out characters on your team, so that you can eventually build your team.
3. Play should start with a three character "founders" team.
4. There has been talk of duplications of characters, what reality to play, or whether to play hereoes of villians. I should think that the Legion Universe is large enough that DC, or whomever is licensed to create and distribute the game, could sell pack of 52 cards based on several different realities. Each deck might contain 25 character cards unique to that set, although one may well need to buy several packs to get a particular character. There could be hero sets, villian sets, preboot and postboot sets, 5YG sets, etc etc. A player could build a build a 52 card deck from various packs but could only have 25 characters, no duplication of characers, and only characters from a common set, or reality, or multiverse, whatever. The remainder of the 52 card deck could be cards for settings, missions, technology, artifacts, attacks, defences, etc. that could be common to all sets.
5. Another thing that I like about having a random draw from your deck to play is that you never know what can happen. You could be getting you but completely kicked when you suddenly draw that Miricle Machine card. That said, some cards should be significantly rarer than others. Say one Miricle Machine card to 1000+ packs.
6. Just as in Hearts or Uno one can change the flow of the game by changing the suit, I think that someone should be able to play a setting card to change the field of play for their turn. Oh look, we're now on a red sun world, guess all your Daxamite & Kryptonian characters lose 8 points from their strength.
7. I caught on from skimming through the Overpower rules how players attack each other and KO opponents characters, but I am less clear on how one might play towards completing a mission, or score points towards a goal. Any thoughts?
From: Sumner, ME | Registered: Jul 2003
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The old Decipher Star Trek CCG was ALL about scoring missions. It really had a cool game mechanic. The different characters all brought attributes to the table which worked toward scoring different missions. For example, say you had a mission that required lots of archaeology. You wanted Picard and Vash on that Away Team, to be sure.
Scott and I are doing some brainstorming on this subject, and I think we're in agreement with a lot of your sentiments, PB.
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From: Birmingham, AL | Registered: Jul 2003
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The problem with CCG's is that they inevitably get too complex.
I think Magic is a good model in that, while they keep on putting out cards, the base game is still the same, elegant mechanic. I'd like to see a Legion game not get too complex but still have lots of room for RPGlike fun and action.
-------------------- White. A blank page or canvas. His favorite. So... many... possibilities.
From: Birmingham, AL | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
So should we start by setting some character sets?
Say: Silver Age Heroes Silver Age Villains (and say both heroes and villains would have supporting characters that would be common to both sets, although not usable in other character sets?)
Five Year Gap/TMK Heroes Five Year Gap/TMK Villains
Mordruverse Heroes Mordruverse Villains
Modern Era Heroes Modern Era Villains
others?
Another thought.
Let's say I commit to playing Silver Age Villains. I have to have 25 character cards in my deck, but I don't have 25 villain and supporting character cards, so I toss in a few heroes cards to complete mt deck. (Again, I really don't know how these games work so I am just brainstorming off assumptions.)
So let's say I draw the hero from my deck. I have to either discard and redraw a new card, or I can hold in my hand but not use. I can only use if I have an Artifact or a Technology card (like say an Emerald Eye) that I can use to control the Hero and make him play for me.
Or I can use the Hero if I have a Villain with mind control powers, like say Universo. I can only control the hero if the Villain with mental powers has a higher intellect score. Let's say Universo with an Intellect score of 9 could control Ultra Boy with an Intelect score of 4. However, and here's the kicker, controlling a hero and making him work for you reduces your contolling villains intellect score be the heroes intellect score. So Universo's 9 would be reduced by Ultra Boy's 4, for a score of 5.
So, to control and use a hero, I, if playing villains, would have to choose to either dedicate an artifact card to that purpose, or leave one of my villains with mental powers vulnerable.
Another cool aspect of this would mean that, if I am using a Villain to control and play the hero, my opponent can attack me and, if KO'ing, or at least reducing my intellect score below the heroes intellect score, break the hero free of control. The Opponent could then, if playing heroes, take the hero card.
Too complicated?
I do sort of like the ide aof adding some marbles like aspect that would enable me to win some of my opponents cards.
From: Sumner, ME | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
In the Universo exmple, I would make any mind-control a special ability.
As far as sets and so forth, the idea in a CCG is that ALL cards are playable, but that certain cards work better with each other than others. So as a game designer, I would want to make sure that Silver Age cards worked best with Silver Age cards, and so forth, while keeping the possibility open that they could work with other cards, either through linking cards or just through the game mechanic.
Winning a card from your opponent's deck used to be mandatory in Magic. Then, once cards like Black Lotus became worth hundreds of dollars, TPTB considered that maybe that wasn't the greatest idea. There was also a card in the Star Trek CCG (Raise the Stakes) that allowed you to make your opponent either forfeit or risk losing one of his cards. It was banned from tournament play.
I have some ideas rolling around in my head. Generally, you want the cards to create the rules themselves, rather than having the rules set aside in a rulebook.
As far as playing villains and using abilities or artifact cards to control the heroes in your deck, I'm actually thinking of a game mechanic which would have everyone playing cooperatively/competitively (basically, everyone playing the Legion.)
This is still in the early formulating stages, though.
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From: Birmingham, AL | Registered: Jul 2003
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You don't know how much I'm loving this Jeff. Can't wait until we can talk some more about it. Hopefully my weekend will have some free time after we get Caroline's parents moved in tomorrow.
From: Utah | Registered: Jul 2003
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We usually chat on AIM and you are more than welcome to join us. Not sure, though, when it will be but I'll post here when I'm available.
From: Utah | Registered: Jul 2003
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Jeff had some great ideas and I'm still waiting to hear some of them. We just need to get our schedules aligned so we can chat some more. I'd love to start designing some of the cards but realize its a project that may wait. I've got employee evaluations this week as well as an exit review for one going back to school who I then have to start writing the job description for to hire his replacement. First of the year and busy as heck already.
From: Utah | Registered: Jul 2003
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