[Balance] Card Discussion

I don't think so. Resistant Hide is quite interesting, as it synergizes well with FS, Volcano, various fire/electric AoE spells. Making it too good could very well be a problem (and in fact the devs opted to nerf it not too long ago).

I would leave Res Hide as-is, but introduce robes coming with 2 copies of it: as things currently stand, you can have it in your deck and never see it pop up in your hand, even after several rounds have passed. And, if you draw it, chances are your opponent will remove it (assuming he can and cares about it) as soon he sees it. Res Hide is currently way too hit-or miss for it to be a card you can really rely upon, I think.

I feel like most people would probably perceive a pair of robes with 2x Res Hide as an imba item, but I would seriously doubt that would effectively be the case (mainly because such an item would be lvl 12 and cost a minor power token, at the very least).

What I would also really like to see would be a more interesting/varied armor selection for wizards. As long as the current robes selection goes, you basically just pick Resistant Hide, Arcane Aura/Arcane Shell, Reliable Mail or (very occasionally) Shimmering Aura.

It's a pity that Mystical Drakehide/Mystical Wyrmhide are very narrow and probably a bit overpriced, as those two could otherwise be valid alternatives.

It seems to me like, way more often than not, competent players pick robes depending on what other non-armor cards come on them.

 

I was messing. I think RH is fine as is. And I remember the nerf... I did it

Interesting idea, but probably wouldn't happen for another expansion or so (EttSC items are done, at least in draft form).

There're some new armor cards in the expansion, and wizards get access to a couple of them, but yeah, the new robe items will likely be picked based on the non-armor cards same as always. I think improving the dragon armors would be a step in the right direction, but don't tell Jade — he might ban me!

 

I sense another Triple Dual on the horizon. This one will be three elf warriors to a team, with the following items equipped:

3x Spear Of Dancing
3x Quinn's Buckler
3x Captain Cedric's Helm
3x Rolf's Reliable Platemail
3x Mithril Mesh Slippers
3x Novice Impaling
3x Apprentice Insight

First one to defeat a character wins. Or the first not to die from boredom.

 

I don't think there's anything that obviously needs nerfs, I think it's probably more interesting (and fun, usually) to try and raise the power curve for bad cards to playable.

Do the devs have a log of what cards and/or items get used the most and the least in single and multiplayer?

 

The thing that makes Resistant Hide so annoying is that you can do well ignoring it. Since it is a max of one per character, and only for wizards, there is a great chance you won't see it. So it makes sense not to build around it, which may result in a helpless loss when they get it. In short, the (possibly) optimal strategy resorts in occasional unfun, helpless losses.

Now, if you have all the items, this won't happen. Blue Destruction is monstrously good and ignores Resistant Hide. I guess what I'm really saying is, please let me find a Blue Destruction.

 

Oh, you guys are hilarious. Especially you, Flax.
What started off as a short, "We've already discussed this card and let's move on" turned into this mess. This is why you should never leave your laptop with your friends.
Making me sound like some jerk, grumble grumble. Oh well! You guys know me better anyways.

 

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Card of the Day: Unreliable Block
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You'd have to be stupid to try and block attacks with your FACE. I guess Humans must be, since they have this on several racial skills.

Unreliable Block should either be Block Any 5+, or Block any 6+ and draw a card. Currently it's too awful for words, even if it is one of my favorite cards to look at.
Compared to the other paper blocks... well it's pretty bad.

Flimsy Block is our special paper block. Why would you want a card that won't block any high damaging attack? The answer, is to prevent some annoying low damage effects (Entangling Roots, Brains!, Winds of War, etc) and non-damaging effects (Scouting Run, Perplexing Ray, Purging Burst). For those categories at least, Flimsy Block is reliably good.

Then we have Wounded Block. It blocks ANYTHING with twice the success rate of Unblock, and if you have low health it rolls even higher. If you look at the majority of 3+ block cards, they cost more, or have restrictions. This card always has a 1/3 chance to block anything, which you can't say for Missile Block or Acrobatic Flip.

But really, the most common paper blocks are Pushback Parry and Subtle Parry. One might argue that since they only block melee, they aren't very good, or that they are fair risk for the cost. But in truth, melee is extremely common and both of these blocks have a high success rate and potential card advantage (By moving a foe, or drawing a card, respectfully) .

Give Unreliable Blocks a chance.

 

I double-checked my calendar before posting, but as of this writing it's not April 1 yet. You're telling us that Unreliable Block, as featured on such valuable and fiendishly hard to get* items as Bare Arms, is a bad card? If the default don't-even-have-an-item-equipped-in-the-shield-slot block can't be underwhelming, it's going to be pretty hard to make the low-level common and uncommon shields enough of an improvement to be interesting.

* According to the wiki, it is an Uncommon item. No, seriously, look it up.

 

I think there is a certain folly in this thought (even if it is meant as tongue in cheek) as even if you don't have a 3x fire wiz build resistant hide will inevitably provide immunity to about 50%-75% of damage spells (sorry no time to count this morning) which means except for the builds most focused on no elemental (fire/electricity/acid) damage it provides immunity to a good majority of the ways a wiz can do damage. I know there are plenty of removal options and only one per wiz, which has prevented it from being OP in practice in MP, but when drawn often it can shift the balance of power in a way I can't think of for any other card. I agree that staying put makes more sense than a change, but I just wish there was more variety for wizard protection, it makes taking a robe without Res Hide a risk every time. I would love to see a less focused version in the next expansion (only fire for example) but I think the die has been cast already.
Final thought... is there a way to remove Res Hide from QD? or to make it a Gold card for QD, because while it is not always a Gold level card, when it is worth taking it might even be an Emerald in Silver clothing.

Sorry if this was after the next card was posted, please don't ban me sir

 

I just looked Unre block is Common, heck just look at the card "C"...
I have what I think would be an awesome idea for this card, but alas I don't think there is a mechanism for a function like this in the game so 99% sure it is a no-go.
Change it to Learning to Block. Starts off as-is 6+ Block all, but adds the effect each time LtB is triggered reduce the number required for it to be successful by 1. So you have a card that every time it fails it becomes more valuable. So in composite is is 1/6, 2/6, 3/6, 4/6... so on the 3rd trigger it becomes 6 in 18 instead of 3 in 18 functionally doubling the odds of it being successful. Pretty simple to understand, makes a PoS a turd that can be polished. I am not sure the programming would work and I know it is not worth creating new code for 1 card, although it could be a mechanism to consider for a 3rd expansion. Use the reverse on a armor, Call it Shoddy Plate starts a an armor 2, 2+ keep, every time it is successful the roll goes up by 1 until it is a null card, but only after blocking 10 damage (better than a no keep armor not as good as reliable). Other cards that have a roll element can be improved or weakened, including having a Priest Utility, Holy Protection reduce roll by 1 on 1 Block Card effect remains as long as card is in hand. Make a Dwarf Skill utility Blacksmith's Bargain reduce roll on target Armor needed by 1 does 2 points of unpreventable damage.
Okay my time is up have a good one y'all.

 

As an "empty slot" card, I'm pretty sure Unreliable Block is supposed to be bad. It fulfills that role.

 

Yeah. Unreliable block, cloth armor, and all those other cards that are equipped with no gear are supposed to be worse than what you get on any item. Would we really be trying to buff simple strike and little zap too?

 

I was talking about the Bare Arms item:


I guess it gets bumped up in rarity because it's so consistent.

 

I'm not sure that these "default" cards need a buff (items like Lochaber Axe or Robe Of Lightness are powerful enough), but their presence on what could otherwise be decent items do certainly make a sizeable part of the item base largely useless.

If anything, some of the cruddier items with these types of cards could have them swapped for better paper cards.

 

If unreliable was only on low level trash I wouldn't care...
It's on 25 items, most of which are low level tokenless stuff. But it is on 3 level 18, 3 level 15 and 2 level 12 items which drags down 8 good items which are befouled by the stench of Unreliable.

 

We cannot afford to buff Lochaber.

 

So on Loch keep as-is. Replace on others.
and why not I like Lochs, I HATE Unre

 

If Unreliable block were even 1 die point better, Lochaber Axe would be the old Lochaber Axe.

 

I find this very interesting. So you are saying, that Lochaber Axe is still a ridiculously strong item? Can you speak to which item(s) are used most in the game by players, or how you can say this definitively? I understand that people like to play a strategy of taking strong cards mixed with weak cards in order to increase their win rate (Obliterating Bludgeons/Nimble Strikes were popular for this), but I have never seen Lochaber or Nifty Halberd or anything besides Vibrant Pain as OP ...

EXCEPT as when they were the old , 6 damage Step 4 Nimble Strike variety.

I think that's a fair point about Unreliable Block being a starter card for blank slots, except the game gives you equipment for those slots as part of campaign.

I just want to use my Spiked Buckler. Oh, and this Hooked Chimalli too.

I suppose Long-Handled Mace and Giant's Battleaxe are considered OP as well, since they have the "Unblock" stamp of approval on them too.

Otherwise, I don't want to remove Unreliable Block from other items because it takes away some of a player's natural progression from the game. Still, Unblock is prohibitively terrible compared to even the lowliest level items.

 

Sorry, I'm still being facetious. But Lochaber Axe is definitely still good and if we buffed it too much it'd enter the realm of dominant I think.