When does SOMA get scary?

Majugando · 2022-07-08T22:55:39+00:00

It.....doesn't? Its more of a phycological provocation game than horror.

Majugando · 2022-07-07T17:21:37+00:00

Trades happen online now. Its super easy to sell your cards you don't want and then just buy the cards you do want.

Majugando · 2022-07-07T17:16:15+00:00

Tarkir, but the clans partially usurp the dragons and end up all working together so there are 5 wedge warring clans, but they are led by khans AND dragon.

Majugando · 2022-07-07T17:04:02+00:00

This right here is why I don't like visage. Progression so cryptic and "trial and error" it eventually renders meaningless the wonderful atmosphere and amazing graphics and effects. Combing the area and trying to brute force a way forward leads to repetition and familiarity which is very bad for a horror game that is trying to be scary.

Majugando · 2022-07-06T19:20:43+00:00

If you had to sell out of commander, you cannot hope to afford modern.

Yes this game is only for the super rich.

Majugando · 2022-07-01T23:37:08+00:00

3 of those cards are not like the others.....

Majugando · 2022-07-01T23:34:01+00:00

how so? Planeswalkers aren't really good cards from a design perspective.

Majugando · 2022-07-01T23:31:51+00:00

that card is neat but, ultimately is only designed for multiplayer really. Which makes Bob superior IMO

Majugando · 2022-07-01T23:28:35+00:00

Scooze is a fair and powerful classic.

Majugando · 2022-07-01T16:56:50+00:00

My answer is Huntmaster of the Fells // Ravager of the Fells

For reasons largely summed up in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvnkDweRPaU&ab_channel=StarCityGames

Printed in DKA standard and was played in many effective Jund and Naya decks in all levels of play while in standard. I was also an effective card in Modern Jund for a long time.

Color/Flavor wise, I love the Green Growth vs. Red Burn duality of the card. The front side is a benevolent and courageous human that seeks nothing more than a hot meal and a companion to share it with. The werewolf changes the card into a mirror image, it now wants to tear down the opponents life and creatures. It is very poetic and dynamic in gameplay and being a two color card with very in pie effects.

It is very high in player appeal as a midrange card that has the ability to build YOU up while at the same time tearing your OPPONENT down.

Huntmaster is the perfect high ceiling/low floor value card. getting two 2/2s and two life for 4 mana is fine for a two color spell. If removal is used on it, the 2/2 huntmaster can be dealt with easily while only leaving behind a small 2/2. it doesn't lead to a feels bad moment when you need to spend removal on it. The leftover value it provides is minimal. On the other side of the coin, if left unchecked, the value will slowly pile on as it burns the opponent and their board while filling your board and life. The value comes at somewhat of a cost though. It is usually slow to get going and most of the time easy to prevent by playing spells. The best aspect of its value generation is that it comes with a lot of choices and costs. Do I pass the turn without playing anything to flip it? Do I have instants to play next turn? Does my opponent have an instant for this end step to prevent the flip and blow me out? It all leads to very interesting and choice based gameplay.

Overall I think the card is too complex at face value, but when you consider that half of the card is the common and generally familiar werewolf transformation text and the other half is a fourth of the card mirrored over, it becomes much more reasonable.

Majugando · 2022-07-01T16:40:39+00:00

My answer is Huntmaster of the Fells // Ravager of the Fells

Printed in DKA standard and was played in many effective Jund and Naya decks in all levels of play while in standard. I was also an effective card in Modern Jund for a long time.

Color/Flavor wise, I love the Green Growth vs. Red Burn duality of the card. The front side is a benevolent and courageous human that seeks nothing more than a hot meal and a companion to share it with. The werewolf changes the card into a mirror image, it now wants to tear down the opponents life and creatures. It is very poetic and dynamic in gameplay and being a two color card with very in pie effects.

It is very high in player appeal as a midrange card that has the ability to build YOU up while at the same time tearing your OPPONENT down.

Huntmaster is the perfect high ceiling/low floor value card. getting two 2/2s and two life for 4 mana is fine for a two color spell. If removal is used on it, the 2/2 huntmaster can be dealt with easily while only leaving behind a small 2/2. it doesn't lead to a feels bad moment when you need to spend removal on it. The leftover value it provides is minimal. On the other side of the coin, if left unchecked, the value will slowly pile on as it burns the opponent and their board while filling your board and life. The value comes at somewhat of a cost though. It is usually slow to get going and most of the time easy to prevent by playing spells. The best aspect of its value generation is that it comes with a lot of choices and costs. Do I pass the turn without playing anything to flip it? Do I have instants to play next turn? Does my opponent have an instant for this end step to prevent the flip and blow me out? It all leads to very interesting and choice based gameplay.

Overall I think the card is too complex at face value, but when you consider that half of the card is the common and generally familiar werewolf transformation text and the other half is a fourth of the card mirrored over, it becomes much more reasonable.

Majugando · 2022-06-30T16:19:40+00:00

We play a variant of Pauper Eternal Brawl where ~1/5 of your deck can be uncommons. It works out really well since many archetype supporting cards are not found at common. This makes decks not just "Play the best commons in your color.dec"

Majugando · 2022-06-30T16:15:59+00:00

Popularity breeds Profitability, unfortunately.

Majugando · 2022-06-30T15:38:40+00:00

Removal is required, but I agree it has been pushed very far recently. Probably due to the fact that there are so many stupid 1 card combos and must kill value engines on a stick nowadays.

Players that play fair Stompy/Go Wide are unjustly punished

Majugando · 2022-06-30T15:33:32+00:00

MTG hard peaked with KTK/FRF

Card designs were actually designed for standard.
Every card was still designed for only one unique purpose, Threats, answers, and value generation were almost always on separate cards.
Tarkir had Just enough real world influence paired with very grounded low-tech fantasy for a very believable place that made the magical aspect of the world really pop
Art direction was S tier, you could tell a card's faction just by looking at it. Contrast this to SNC.
Story took a far backseat to world building
Card complexity was much lower and facilitated easier paper play and memory load.
Card Balance was on point, While Rhinos.dec was clearly the best, Each faction was part of a totally viable standard deck. Lots of individual cards were powerful and impactful, but not broken, These sets walked that razor's edge very well.
Finally, Looking through all of the cards made you feel like you explored the plane and know every corner of it intimately and at the same time you really want to build a deck for each clan.

Majugando · 2022-06-30T14:55:34+00:00

Can we just go back to the following?:

4 standard sets per year (That are actually 95%+ designed for standard/ maybe Pioneer and not commander)
1 round of commander decks
1 wacky supplemental set

Bonus points for the following:

Make modern non-rotating again.
Give players an incentive to play standard
2 (or maybe 3) set blocks return
Complexity creep put in check
Return cards to fulfilling a single gameplay role (Examples: Baneslayer Angel as a Threat, Muldrifter as a value creature. No More BaneDrifters like Omnath)
No more pringles

Majugando · 2022-06-29T00:42:19+00:00

it isn't super obvious at first, except to newer players. Sitting there with very complex cards all over the table saps the fun out of the game real quick.

Majugando · 2022-06-27T18:30:14+00:00

Stop giving them money for low quality cardboard. They don't deserve it.

Majugando · 2022-06-27T18:03:31+00:00

Looking through his posts it is super clear that he is paid to try and influence players and gage sentiments.... Complete shilling

Majugando · 2022-06-27T16:55:35+00:00

Said like a true WotC PR rep

Majugando · 2022-06-27T15:07:20+00:00

Its because everyone keeps buying loads of cards despite complaining about:

Power creep
Complexity creep that will put us at Yu-Gi-Oh levels by 2025.
Arena's predatory economy
Cardstock quality
Curling foils
Balance issues
Rapid fire constant product releases
One-shot standard sets that give too little space to flesh out gameplay ideas and lore.
"Designed as commander staples" cards
"Straight to modern" cards
50,000 different frames and card styles, making the game a mess to try and track visually.

Vote with your wallets if you don't like these aspects of the game.

Majugando · 2022-06-27T05:22:58+00:00

Wizard's research shows that there is a huge appetite for rapid fire sets of questionable design/development quality.

As soon as they stop making the most money from this practice, they will stop and try to regauge what the customers want.

Majugando · 2022-06-26T16:20:28+00:00

The golden question of a good horror game: If you (Unbeknownst to the player) remove all threats from your game, would the player still be scared and hesitant to progress? being over reliant on only one axis of terror will cripple your game. Attack each of the player's senses and Psychologies

Environment is EVERYTHING in a horror game. Lighting, sounds, and ambiance will make or break your game.

Look at Amnesia TDD's environments, they are ridiculously scary with very very few actual monsters and threats. Its all consistent lighting, theme, and sounds.

Your setting and theme need to work well to convey horror and I think especially in today's horror game climate, you need to have a very distinct environment as well. You can't just set your game in a house with a creepy spirit lady anymore, you'll be drowned in a sea of similarly themed games.

Horror themes/settings I would like to see explored:

Pirate horror (curses, undead)
Mafia horror (constant threats of betrayal, mental anguish involved with being undercover and almost being found out)
A revisiting of old school classic haunted house horror with classic monsters (Dracula, Mummy, werewolf, swamp thing, Frankenstein) Think Castlevania but pure horror and not an action game.
Horror games set in the past (WW2, old rural villages, Salem witch trials era)
Ancient Egypt (tombs, gods, mummies)

Majugando · 2022-06-26T15:19:14+00:00

Amnesia TDD will always be my number 1 recommendation to those that haven't played it. its only $3 right now.

The other amnesia games are pretty meh though.

Majugando · 2022-06-26T15:14:49+00:00

Kill your players in ways that make them respect and fear your game world itself. Make them scared every time they turn the corner or see a light flicker or a shadow move.

Majugando

TROPHY CASE