Messages

46

Card Mechanics / Re: TSSSF Playtest Sheet

« on: August 16, 2016, 09:38:42 pm »

Thank you for recording this data! I'm sorry for your long game, but with this data we may find the cause (besides filling out this table, which I admit DOES add time to the game ^^;). I have uploaded some of my own results for comparison. Sorry that some information is missing; I was using an earlier version on the table at the time.

I notice that your game lasted 13 turns, which is longer than I would expect (just Core is more like 10 turns). I also notice that you are using almost every expansion. It is a common opinion that this leads to longer games, but I would like to prove or disprove it with data collected using this table.

The grid seems to be growing at a normal rate, so that's good.

I'm confused because your Goal numbers don't add up. Did you really go through 94 Goals, or was that 94-points of Goals? Either way, that is a LOT. Also, did Just Another Pony replace 5 Goals on Round 1, or was it one 5-point Goal?

You mentioned that this table is not good for recording specific card powers. Are there any you remember specifically? (Based on the number of Goals that got replaced, I'm going to guess it was Mahou Shoujo Derpy.) At any rate, it is not my intention that this table be a detailed record. My aim is to track how many cards players use to win Goals. I included the "Notes" box to record the appearance of powerful or unusual cards.

When you record the Disc column, are you recording the number of cards discarded that turn, or the total size of the discard pile? (It's supposed to be the total size). Also, what did Just Another Pony do on Round 3 to cause so many cards to be discarded?

Why do the players not have 7 cards in their hands at the beginning of Round 2?


Thanks,

N

47

Card Mechanics / TSSSF Playtest Sheet

« on: August 05, 2016, 09:19:40 pm »

For playtesting single cards, simply playing the game and observing the how the card interacts with others may be sufficient. However, for cards that have broader influence (especially Start cards), and for entire expansions, the effect these have on the game may not be easy to determine from casual play. For this reason, I developed this sheet as a structured, numerical approach to note-taking to make comparisons easier (*.ods version).

Rather than be a game record, my goal is to capture the “flow” of a game. I believe the players’ perception of “flow” is strongly tied to how often Goals are won, and how difficult it is to win them. Therefore, it is necessary to track the winning and replacement of Goals, as well as the amount of resources a player has access to at any given time. I tried to minimize the amount of data recorded so as to not hinder gameplay, but I acknowledge that there may be additional critical information required. Having a space for notes somewhat accounts for this. The data that IS recorded is as follow:

Build: List all the cards you are playing with, including the Start card.

House Rules: List any rules you are using in addition to the official rules (1 activation per turn, mulligans, alternate number of active Goals, etc).

Date: Record the date the game is played on.

No (Number): If you play multiple games in one day, indicate which game this is (1st, 2 of 3, etc).

Initial Goals: List the point value of each active Goal at the start of the game.

Hand: Record the number of cards in the player's hand at the start of their turn.

Draw: Keep a tally of the number of cards drawn by the player, even if those cards were immediately discarded. Make a note if a power besides (Draw) was used.

Srch (Search): Keep a tally of the number of cards taken from the discard pile by the player, even if those cards were put back. Make a note if a power besides (Search) was used.

End: Record the number of cards in the player's hand at the end of their turn, before redrawing/discarding to 7 total.

Used: Calculate the number of cards that passed through the player's hand during their turn (not the same thing as the number of cards played, but accounts for draw 3/discard 2 and similar abilities). Used = Hand + Draw + Search - End. This formula is built into the spreadsheet.

Grid: Record the number of cards on the grid at the end of the player's turn (don't count the Start card). If a large number of cards would be discarded, make a note of the number before discarding.

Disc (Discard): Record the number of cards in the discard pile the end of the player's turn. If a large number of cards would be discarded, make a note of the number before discarding.

Note: It is possible to double-check the numbers recorded for each player’s turn by comparing the sum of the grid and discard pile at the end of the previous player’s turn to that of the current player’s turn.  Simply put:  grid_prev + disc_prev + used - search - exile = grid + disc. This formula is built into the spreadsheet (except for exile because it happens so rarely that it wasn’t worth building in). Returning a card to the deck also counts as exile for the purposes of this equation. This equation hold true unless cards are exchanged between the discard pile and the deck, such as through reshuffling or Mahou Shoujo Derpy. Make a note of the number of cards in the discard pile before this happens.

Won: List the point value of each Goal the player won during their turn.

Replaced: List the point value of each Goal the player replaced during their turn. Make a note if a power besides (New Goal) was used.

Duds: List the point value of each Goal that was revealed, but was discarded because its requirements were already met.

Notes: note anything interesting that happened during the player's turn, such as combos, explanations of the player’s choices, and the appearance of powerful cards (especially Love Poisons).

Score: Record each player's final score.

Goals: Record the total number of Goals revealed (achieved + active + discarded) during the game. List the number of each point value.

Pony: Record the number of Pony cards that players went through in the course of the game (hands + grid + discard + exile; this isn’t the exact number, but it’s close enough). If the discard pile was reshuffled, add that number as well.

Ship: Same as above, but for Ship cards.

Example: A game I played against myself

There is much I hope to learn with data collected using this sheet. I would like determine what a typical game with Core deck looks like, and how it changes depending on the number of players. I would like to determine the effects of adding each of the official expansions to Core deck, and what happens when they are all played at once. I would like to determine what the ideal expansion looks like (if there is such a thing), and use it as a benchmark for designing other expansions. I wonder if there is a direct correlation between cards used and Goal point-value, and if it can be determined with the data collect using this sheet. Also, it may be possible to evaluate different play strategies using this sheet (win one Goal at a time, win as many as you can, replace the small Goals vs the big ones, play your whole hand, play as little as possible, etc).

Please try this sheet out with your own games and let me know how useful it is. Please suggest changes, or make your own version of the sheet and post that. And most of all, please post your results! I don’t have a way to sort or organize them, so just link them in this thread.


Thanks and good luck,

N

48

Showcase / Inconvenient Trixie

« on: August 01, 2016, 08:09:13 pm »

I've had this idea for quite a while now, and it's great to finally share it with you all! Thanks again to Egophiliac (http://egophiliac.deviantart.com/) for letting me use her character and making this amazing artwork! If you want a physical copy of this card, come find me (@N_A_Larson) at a convention! Also, you're welcome to print your own for non-commercial purposes.

49

Card Mechanics / Re: Get rid of modifiers to goal values

« on: July 11, 2016, 11:31:30 pm »

90 degrees is how I keep track when I play. Mistress of Equality Starlight Glimmer is a bit trickier, tho. You might be able to work out a similar scheme, or else use dice or a score pad.

50

General Discussion / Re: LF Twilight's Secret Shipping Stable

« on: June 07, 2016, 01:24:53 pm »

I don't think it was ever finished, and siresword dropped off Twitter. This is the only Fallout Equestria set I know of: https://squareup.com/store/boiler3/item/fo-e-shipfic-expansion

51

Making Cards / Re: Making THE MOTHERLOAD of TSSSF cards

« on: June 02, 2016, 07:31:24 pm »

Gotcha.

52

Making Cards / Re: Making THE MOTHERLOAD of TSSSF cards

« on: May 27, 2016, 08:32:25 pm »

When you say, "convention-made exclusives", are you talking about the cards that were sold at cons with the con expansion symbol, or the cards that were designed at the make-a-card panels?

53

Showcase / WHY IS EVERYTHING GLOWING?? 3-Point Version

« on: April 27, 2016, 11:12:05 pm »

If you don't play with a lot of OCs, try this version instead.

54

Showcase / Druid Fluttershy (Alternate Artwork)

« on: April 12, 2016, 10:11:41 pm »

I found this art in the GitHub repo and HAD to put it on a card:

55

Showcase / Re: A Panel Of Ponies Completed! (1.0.6)

« on: March 19, 2016, 12:57:48 pm »

Welcome! It’s great to have more people interested in continuing TSSSF!

Actually, Printer Studio makes you agree that you own the copyrights or have permission to use what you get printed, which is unfortunately not the case for the IDW artwork.

I try not to nitpick people’s rules-wording, unless they ask me to, but I noticed two things worth mentioning: The last line of rules text on King Aspen is missing, and the wording on CMC Discord is pretty non-standard. Mahou Shoujo Derpy is a good example, as part of her power is similar to CMC Discord’s (although it should be “active Goals” instead “active Goal cards”; we have that in our errata).

If I had to guess, I'd say “Subverting the Regime” may have been a reference to Discord messing with Anubis in ancient Egypt.

56

Showcase / Re: [DL] Horrible Translator Resource Pack

« on: March 19, 2016, 12:21:37 pm »

Originally, the hourglass symbol was meant to refer specifically to the Of Ponies and Peril fanfic/timeline, but it is often taken to mean any dystopian future in general.

57

Showcase / Re: BronyBrewer's Newly Designed cards

« on: February 24, 2016, 04:44:08 am »

I like the idea of having Applejack in the artwork for Why is the Cider Gone?. Helps explain the mechanic.

58

Matchmaker / MOVED: Tabletop Simulator Online Lobby

« on: February 23, 2016, 02:36:08 pm »

This topic has been moved to Showcase.

https://forums.childrenofkefentse.com/index.php?topic=14.0

59

Showcase / Re: BronyBrewer's Newly Designed cards

« on: February 23, 2016, 02:33:51 pm »

Yay! I love talking about Shipfic cards!


A Little Holiday Chaos

-I recommend you use the most recent rules-wording for Timeline Change Ship (3.8.1 in the Style Guide)

-If your flavor text is a character talking, it should be in quotes.

-I believe -- is the usual stand-in for —, but you may be able to use —.

-You should keep the title of your ficlet together on one line.


Why is the Cider Gone?

-Berry Punch looks kind of pixelated; I don't know how well that will print.

-Does Applejack say "partner?"

-The usual meaning of "Coyote Ugly" involves trying to escape after a one-night-stand, so I don't get the connection here.

-The last character in the flavor text is cut off.


Alcoholicorn Berry Punch

-I suggest making the title simply "Alcoholicorn". Having more words muddies the joke.

-the picture got squished

-I don't know the backstory of this character, so I question the use of the "Elder" keyword.

-Draw is fine, since a card's mechanic does not usually reflect a character's power level (see any of the Alicorns in Core Deck), but since this is an ascended form of a character already in the game (again, I'm guessing on flavor), and since this is a promo, I'd say go for something with more pizazz, especially with a power named "Join the Party".

-the flavor text is clipped on both ends

60

Conventions / Re: PonyCon NYC

« on: February 02, 2016, 07:55:22 pm »

Dude, no waaaay! I sure hope so!