Cactus Game Design Message Boards

Quote from: Lamborghini_diablo on August 25, 2011, 02:01:18 PM

Speed is still the biggest problem. If one player is playing a fast deck, then his opponent needs a fast deck to stand a chance. It's a vicious cycle.

I'm almost in agreement on this, except I actually think (just my opinion) that Dominants are the biggest problem.  An unstoppable game changing card with absolutely no cost that can be played at any time in any deck.  So yes, the first person to draw those cards will always have the advantage.  Take dominants out of your/our decks (like most booster draft), and watch how much more fun the game becomes.

Incidentally, what was the least amount of dominants in the top decks this year?  (Serious question - I have not looked.)  Is it even remotely possible for a non-dominant deck to compete?

If you consider a 'standard' compliment of Dominants to be 11 (Son of God, New Jerusalem, Grapes of Wrath, Angel of the Lord, Harvest Time, Guardian of Your Souls, Destruction of Nehustan, Burial, Christian Martyr, Falling Away and Mayhem)

Then Matt was running the full 11.
I was running with 9 (No Grapes, No Mayhem)
Andrew played two decks, one of which I believe contained a full set, his other main deck had significantly less, I belive no NJ, Burial, Falling Away or Guardian.

You are kidding right? A fast defense would break the game. If Pharisees had more power, they would absolutely break the game. Their speed is balanced by their relative long game weakness.

I don't mean deck out in 4 turns. I just mean a few more drawing power to the slower defenses.

Quote from: Alex_Olijar on August 25, 2011, 02:32:54 PM

You are kidding right? A fast defense would break the game. If Pharisees had more power, they would absolutely break the game. Their speed is balanced by their relative long game weakness.

I don't mean deck out in 4 turns. I just mean a few more drawing power to the slower defenses.

Defenses already have some speed. Egyptians have several draw characters and two draw enhancements. Babs have two draw enhancements. Brown has a draw enhancement. Almost every defense has some form of search.

It would be interesting to play a test game, where someone uses a deck that took top 10 at nats, except you just ignore all draw abilities on cards for the game... See how well that deck does without drawing.

It would be interesting to play a test game, where someone uses a deck that took top 10 at nats, except you just ignore all draw abilities on cards for the game... See how well that deck does without drawing.

Draw abilities? Or Abilities that add cards to my hand after the draw phase? Susanna is still a top notch troll for speed if you only take out drawing.

It would be interesting to play a test game, where someone uses a deck that took top 10 at nats, except you just ignore all draw abilities on cards for the game... See how well that deck does without drawing.

What happens if I have Hur? You have to draw back up to 8...

So Mayhem's a dead card?

It would just be a more drastic test to see how different the game is without speed.

If you want an accurate test then let two players build decks without draw cards. To make one player use a deck full of draw cards but not allow them to work is grossly unfair to that player. It's not very hard to beat anyone who has several dead cards in their deck.