Poll

As a tournament host or Teams player, what is your opinion on Intro Prep for Teams?

We should keep it.
We should eliminate it.
We should change it.

Author Topic: Intro Prep in Teams  (Read 16500 times)

Offline Josh

  • Trade Count: (+46)
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3187
    • -
    • East Central Region
Re: Intro Prep in Teams
« Reply #75 on: June 25, 2015, 12:30:21 PM »
0
Prof A and I were discussing this a bit last night, and here is a potential solution that we came up with:

The term intro-prep is eliminated and instead there is just a rule for TEAMS that you cannot make an attack during the first round (as Polarius suggested earlier). This keeps Mayhem from being an issue and doesn't create fuzziness with a "turn" that isn't really a turn. It also maintains the balance of power between getting to play cards first (except attacking) for the first team and getting the opportunity to counter for the second team.

For example--the first player goes first and plays down Samuel and Wheel within a Wheel to grab AutO. He can't attack this first round, but he's all set up to make a strong opening rescue on his second turn. The opposing players can now see that and get an opportunity to play a counter card (say RBD or Golden Cherubim) during their first turn. Assuming they drew a counter (which I grant is not a given) they now have the upper hand because they had the opportunity to react before a rescue was made. Consequently we have pros and cons both for going first and for going second.

With that in place, I feel we could also eliminate the "first player doesn't draw" rule so that the player who goes first will draw first. This makes TEAMS consistent with other multi-player categories. It does shift the balance towards the team that goes first, but since the team with the most souls on the table determines who goes first, that advantage is controlled by them.

I agree with everything here, except the first player drawing.  The first player gets the only guaranteed uninhibited shot at doing anything he/she wants without any counters on the board.  The first player also gets to attack first.  I think these combined benefits are strong enough that they need to be balanced with the first player not drawing on their first turn. 

I think this would be ideal:

Player 1 doesn't draw, takes a turn (can't attack)
Player 2 draws 3, takes a turn (can't attack)
Player 3 draws 3, takes a turn (can't attack)
Player 4 draws 3, takes a turn (can't attack)
Player 1 draws 3, takes a normal turn
...and so on.

Under this scenario, by the time player 1 gets to attack, he still has drawn just as many cards by game rule as everyone else.  I think it would be too much if player 1 would get to attack first, AND have drawn 3 more cards by game rule than either of his opponents.
If creation sings Your praises so will I
If You gave Your life to love them so will I

Offline Professoralstad

  • Tournament Host, Redemption Elder
  • Trade Count: (+47)
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10841
  • Everything is Awesome!
    • -
    • North Central Region
Re: Intro Prep in Teams
« Reply #76 on: June 25, 2015, 12:37:35 PM »
0
One other advantage that the 2nd player/team has is the potential last turn when time is called. With the current system, I don't see anyone ever choose their own team to go first, but I'm not sure what that is like in other areas. I think that removing it would tip the scales in favor of going first (so it would be like every other multi category in that sense) but there would still be some potential advantages as Justin mentioned, in addition to the last chance turn, so I don't think it would be quite 100% choosing yourself/team, like it essentially is in other multi categories.
Press 1 for more options.

TheHobbit13

  • Guest
  • Trade Count: (0)
Re: Intro Prep in Teams
« Reply #77 on: June 25, 2015, 12:48:26 PM »
0
I think first player draws is too much advantage in a category where Land of Redemption is pooled.  Basically you get one attack where no opponent has drawn a card and you're up 3, not to mention you always get a shot at the lead if you don't fall behind. So yes, everyone would choose their team to go first. And if you say second player, third, and fourth player draw then its just a more complicated intro prep phase.

Offline Josh

  • Trade Count: (+46)
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3187
    • -
    • East Central Region
Re: Intro Prep in Teams
« Reply #78 on: June 25, 2015, 12:51:37 PM »
0
One other advantage that the 2nd player/team has is the potential last turn when time is called.

But that only matters if neither team can get to 5.  In a race to 5 where the game could end by the first player's second turn (I'm only counting turns where a player can attack), going first is monumentally more important than going second.

And going last doesn't really get teammates 2/4 much.  It only guarantees that they get the same number of turns as teammates 1/3, which is the most they ever have a chance at anyways.  If they win by getting to 5, they took the same number of turns as their opponents, and if their opponents get to 5, then their opponents took one additional turn.
If creation sings Your praises so will I
If You gave Your life to love them so will I

Offline galadgawyn

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 936
    • -
    • Midwest Region
Re: Intro Prep in Teams
« Reply #79 on: June 25, 2015, 11:14:25 PM »
0
I agree with jmhartz.

If it would help to have a rule "players can't attack on their first turn" instead of intro prep then I'm fine with that. 

Is there any practical rule difference between the two?  I don't see any difference but if that change in terminology would help clarify things for players, then great.

P.S. on second thought, the no attack first turn rule might actually help decks even more with setup, so I'm fine with that. 

 


SimplePortal 2.3.3 © 2008-2010, SimplePortal