Champions of the People - Card Game Thesis

[Psychospacecow]

The name is purely filler, something that could change if someone has a better name, but let me explain.

Too often, games that have had good runs for quite a while get thrown ludicrously overpowered new decks that just ruin things by making these new amp'd up kind of decks the only viable option. There's just no indication of where the power comes from, so I figured that the only way to stop a card game from reaching this inevitable wreck was to make the supplier more important.

So, we have three main mechanics.

Prosperity - You start with 10 prosperity points. This is your current limit and can be lowered or raised with different cards. Everything you use costs prosperity points and if you can't pay the cost, you can't use the card.
At the beginning of each of your turns, your points reset, so as you start with a 10 points limit, you will have 10 points at the start of your turns.

Population - Every champion has a population cost equal to their prosperity cost. This adds up to your population limit. If you would surpass your population limit, you will not be able to summon a champion.

Fortune - Champion cards have a vita point system. Vita, being latin for life, represents a champion's current condition, like a health bar. Fortune represents how much of that health is restored to the champion on your turns.

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Champions have their cost, an attack stat, a defense stat, and a life stat (vita)
If a champion with an attack stat higher than the defense stat of what it attacks then the difference counts as damage to the opponent's life points and the life of the card.
ATK - DEF = DMG
If the attack stat is lower than the other champion's defense stat, then you subtract attack from defense to equal what the defense will be for the rest of the turn. The difference between the two is reduced from the attacker's life stat.
DEF> ATK = DEF- ATK for remainder of turn
Vita - (DEF-ATK) = New Vita Value

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There are 3 categories of cards in Champions,
Champions which act as your sword and shield and may have effects of their own,
strengths which cast an effect (like destroying attacking monsters, bolstering attack, healing monsters at the cost of prosperity),
and then there are counters, which are used in response to another action (say, a monster attacks, you pay so much prosperity and it doesn't attack)

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If anyone is interested in helping me test out the game, after hearing its basic mechanics, then please say so on this thread. If two or more people volunteer, then I will post a basic deck I designed centered around elves. I figure a mirrored match would be simple for testing.

[gamemaster1991]

This sounds like you preatty much have it worked out as a start up idea. It needs to be repolished and revamped. Add some rules and maybe improve or remove some.

The thing that stuck out to me was Prosperity, as it reminds me of Magic. In Magic, you have cards you can lay down for as sumoning tokens. The more cards you have down the more monsters and magic you can use. At the begining of your turn, you get to reset the cards you taped to start useing them agien. Your Prosperity seems to limt what your Champions can do and that might be a bit better if you also use them to do attacks or spells. That way you have to stratagize what to do each turn as you only get 10 points a turn

Population kinda confuses me. Is it that your champions have a number on them and that number effects some perdeturmend number that limits how many Champions you have out? If so, I like this as, once again, it make you think about which Champion you should use. The sentence "Every champion has a population cost equal to their prosperity cost" is what got me. Do you pick how high the number is or is it always a curtin number.

I also would like to see the game played out in like a demo for people to see and understand it a bit more. The rules can be a bit confusing and this would help us all understand. I'm willing to be a ginny pig if need be. Make up some demo cards and (if need be) a card field and I'm in to help

That's about everything I have to add. I had alot more to say before you added things so that's cool. Try to look up some other card game rules to get a better handle on the idea, or we could tell you rules of other card games.

[Psychospacecow]

It does not cover attacks, but prosperity does cover spells.

In regards to population, the champion has a predetermined cost which could differ from the cost to summon it but for simplicity's sake, it will be bunched together for now.

I've been using Yu-Gi-Oh! as a basis for design actually, changing things that I saw causing problems later on in the game and putting more importance on each card.

If you have more questions or if I had not answered one (my mistake, currently doing a few things at a time right now), let me know. I'll be listing out a demo deck when I can be sure I'll have some time.

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The field for Champions of the People consists of five spots to put champions, five spots to put strengths/counters (together).
There is a spot to put a deck, and a spot to put used cards.
More spots may be implemented, like the extra deck and field spell zone in Yu-Gi-Oh!
I'm using a Yu-Gi-Oh! playmat as reference so here is one

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Currently Typing up mock-deck using elves as focus.
Will take longer than expected, somehow accidently deleted all of text on page.

Example of a champion card:

Elf Fletcher - Cost 1 ATK (attack) 2 DEF (defense) 2 Vita (health) 5
When summoned, you can add on "Elf Archer" from your deck to your hand. If "Elf Archer" would be destroyed, destroy this card instead.

Now, to the actual deck list.

You want 3
Elf Fletcher - Cost 1 ATK (attack) 2 DEF (defense) 2 Vita (health) 5
When summoned, you can add on "Elf Archer" from your deck to your hand. If "Elf Archer" would be destroyed, destroy this card instead.

3
Elf Archer - Cost 2 ATK 4 DEF 1 Vita 4

3
Elf Charmer - Cost 2 ATK 1 DEF 2 Vita 6
While this card is on the field, all "Elf" champions gain 1 more defense than they normally would have.

1
Elf Falconer - Cost 5 ATK 2 DEF 0 Vita 10
This card can attack once for each "elf" on the field.

3
Elf Herbalist - Cost 2 ATK 1 DEF 2 Vita 5
While this card is on the field, increase your fortune by 1. This is canceled when "Elf Herbalist" leaves the field.

2 (note, Elven not Elf. This is to prevent obvious loops and OP'ness)
Elven Spirit - Cost 2 ATK 1 DEF 1 Vita 1
This card cannot be attacked if another "elf" champion is out on the field. This card can attack directly, ignoring other monsters.

2
Elf Tribe - Cost 5 ATK 0 DEF 10 Vita 4
This card's ATK is half the total ATK of all "elf" cards on the field when it is summoned.

2
Elven Shadow - Cost 2 ATK 3 DEF 1 Vita 1
When this champion is attacked, if you control an "Elf" champion, you can redirect the attack to one of your "elf" champions.

Strengths

2
Elven Secrets - At cost of 2 prosperity, add 1 "elf" or "elven" champion to your hand.

1
Eyes of the Elven Spirit - At cost of 3 prosperity to the owner of this card, both players reveal 1 card in their hand at random for each "elf" card on the field. Both player can then pay 2 prosperity to discard 1 of the revealed cards to the crypt (grave in Yu-Gi-Oh)

2
Remedy for Magic Malaria - At cost of 5 prosperity, increase your fortune by 2.

2
Large Investment - Pay 2 Prosperity. On your next turn, flip a coin. If it is heads, increase prosperity limit by 2. If it is tails, decrease prosperity limit by 1.

1
Northern Raiders - Decrease population by 1 and prosperity by 1. Decrease enemy prosperity by 1.

1
Ward of Defense - Increase all of your monster's DEF by 2 at cost of 3 prosperity.

2 (couldn't think of any non-cheesy population increasing names)
Art of Love: Pay 4 prosperity points. Increase population limit by 2.

2
Holy Grove - This card stays on the field. Every 4 turns, increase fortune by 1. After the eighth turn since this card was activated, destroy this card.

3
Heart of the people - Pay 2 prosperity. This card stays on the field. Return 1 champion to your hand. Increase all other champion's attack by half the returned champion's attack until the end of your turn. Pay 2 prosperity and return 1 champion to your hand at draw for the same effect or destroy this card.

Counters

3
Barrage - When an opponent's monster declares an attack, destroy the monster at the cost of 1 prosperity.

2
Magic Malaria - Pay 3 prosperity. Decrease both player's fortune by 2.


If I counted correctly, this should be forty cards. The number I put above the card name should be how many of that card there should be.

[Psychospacecow]

I'll see about designing an actual card field soon. I do not think I'd be able to post a demo video but that's something liable to change.

[Psychospacecow]

So, any takers?

[Arjahn]

[Psychospacecow]

What's wrong with it then?

[Psychospacecow]

I figured out a playmat.


Spot for a slider or counter of some sort or another for the points on very left, taking up the whole very left slot.

5 slots for champions in front and 5 for strengths/counters together.
Very right has a spot for the grave up front and a spot for your deck in the back.

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Seriously though people, I'm posting all this to hear what you guys think. Even if you don't like the idea, tell me why, that feedback helps me.

[SERIOUSLY THOUGH*]

I have no idea what I'm reading but wish you all the best :)

[Psychospacecow]

I have no idea what I'm reading but wish you all the best :)

I'll see about trying to make it clearer later then.

[Psychospacecow]

Here's the words written up.

[gamemaster1991]

I'll read later when I feel better/have the time.

[Psychospacecow]

Its just some of the stuff I had written up. The concepts are really simple honestly but I'm having a hard time explaining them.

Its meant to be digital so its got a bit more when it comes to number tracking then a normal card game would, and that's what I figure why that is.

[Psychospacecow]

Well, I've posted it up on gamesprout now.
http://www.gamesprout.com/ideas/52226720...fd4b00005c
If you guys don't mind, please give me some feedback. If you have an account, help me out there.
If anything and I mean ANYTHING is unclear to you, let me know.
I'm trying to work out a time with a friend of mine to playtest the game analog, and I'm honestly scared because its meant to be digital so it might not reflect the actual game.

[Psychospacecow]

I've updated the Gamesprout page pretty extensively. If you guys are interested at all, please look at it and give me feedback. I just really want this to do well.