@ManaChrome Now the epitome just seems a bit confusing to me. I'm usually not a fan of informal wording, but "ManaChrome deals you three custom cards at random" actually felt pretty smooth given the way you intended the effect to work. I feel like players should have the choice to cast the card they pick in turns after it is pulled by the tome. This is especially true for things like lands and instants, that you either can't play (it should be also noted that right now lands cannot be played with the wording of the tome) or want to hold off for the surprise value an instant is supposed to have. The last part of the effect also confuses me. Do the cards "removed from the game" (a retired term for exile) go back into the pool of custom cards that can be pulled or do they just cease to be able to be in the pool of custom cards?
I might come off as a bit harsh here and if so, I apologize, that's not how I wanted this to come off. ^^; I'm just trying to figure out what to do with the tome to make both the contest and the game fun and enjoyable for all participants.
@Arceus8523 that wasn't harsh at all man. At least now is the best time to get any bugs out of cards before trying them out in gameplay, right? If there was any I'd be happy someone caught any messups for me personally lol. (not saying there is btw it's just generally speaking)
@sorinjace@ManaChrome See, I want three things to be relevant when players are casting the custom cards they get 1. The CMC of the card 2. The colors of the card. 3. The "speed" (instant vs. sorcery) at which the card can be played. As it stands, the tome cares about the first, but disregards the second and third.
Here's my suggestions for the tome 1. Have the tome let a player pull one card from a choice of three, then send the other two back to the custom card pool 2. Allow the pulled card to be cast as long as it remains exiled, but only the turn it's pulled can it be cast for any type of mana. 3. Allow the pulled card to be played it it's a land. If you didn't see it before, this is the wording I think it should use. Though, this is ultimately your format so you get the final say in everything.
@Arceus8523 I understand ^-^ I know that the tome itself is a cardsmith's riddle and a judge's headache. I'll try my best and answer the questions you asked and tweak the tome accordingly.
1.) I totally agree with you on the "ManaChrome deals you three custom cards from outside the game," clause. It just feels more smooth in a way, and it embraces the fact that it's a custom card.
2.) On the topic of instants. cards with flash, and lands (which I am currently thinking of rewording it from "cast" to "play"), I truly am wishing that I could have the punchy effect of surprising instants come out of nowhere, it's just that I'm weary of players "stockpiling" custom cards, basically taking an extra hand, and the fact that it would kind of be confusing for players to keep track of the cards they have. I'm probably going to be more open to this if I change the cost of the ability to something more expensive, where the least I could cost it is 3 and the most I could cost the ability is 5.
3.) The term "removed from the game" is what I used because the original card said "ManaChrome deals you three cards from outside the game." I guess it is kind of confusing in its own right, but I feel that the wording is right at home. I guess the term "put back into the face-down pile" is somewhat the same effect, it's just that "face-down pile" isn't what I used and that this term is a bit too long.
Hope this answers your questions for you! You can ask further if needed!
@ManaChrome 1. I'd say go back to using it. 2. Changing "cast" to "play" does indeed fix the land issue. If you;re worried about stockpiling, uping the ability to 3 is acceptable. 3. I'd honestly just say "put the rest back into ManaChrome's pile" (or "the custom card pile") if you're worried about where the other two go.
Alright, I'm currently working on some other things but @Arceus8523, could you send me a link if able for the promotional M15 border? Currently having problems with that.
Hey @ManaChrome, I made a new format called Community Playbox. The name is up for change. Hopefully you enjoy the idea. If you have any questions please message us.
Note: Custom cards would have a separate sleeve for them.
--- --- Additional Requirements --- --- Construct a 30 card singleton deck of approved custom MTG cards. This will be your custom deck.
--- --- Basic rules --- --- You may look at the top card of your library and your laid out custom cards.
You may choose to draw from your library or from your laid out custom cards.
If a custom card would move to a library, put it on the bottom of it's owner's custom deck instead.
--- --- Turn rules --- --- At the beginning of the game, lay out three custom cards from your custom deck face down.
Whenever you draw a custom card from those laid out, replace it with one from the top of it's owner's custom deck. --- --- --- ---
@ManaChrome How do you choose three cards from outside the game at random? I know current version of Untap.in can get you any card from outside the game, but you need to type the card name to find the card you want. Isn't it a little awkward to say "Hold on, I'm choosing 3 custom cards' names at random right now.."? They might think you are cheating. How about something like.. ----------- {4} Legendary, Indestructible, shroud {3}, {t}, Discard a nonland card: Choose five cards with different names from outside the game, then choose one card from among them at random. You may exile that card. If you do, you may play that card this turn. ----------- This way I think everything works within the system of Untap.in. I made it say 5 cards with different names so that you can't always get what you want. I added "Discard a nonland card" because repeatable Wish ability seems a bit annoying.. It takes time to do the process, so other players will be bored if you could use that ability every turn so easily.
@Tomigon there's a "face down pile" on Untap.in that can be reshuffled and picked randomly from. Oddly enough, you currently aren't able to look at the face down pile and look for specific cards. Hope this clears things up!
Looking forward to your entries if you decide to enter! ^-^
@ManaChrome I just went to Untap and knew we can start games with cards in face down pile. That seems useful! I'll post some cards later.
Btw, I made a community core set out of many cardsmiths' cards 2 years ago. https://mtgcardsmith.com/user/Tomigon/sets/12382 (*Cards made in the account named senbonzakura is not my original card.) They all allowed me to add these cards to Untap. So I did and played those cards with many cardsmiths. But now they seem to be deleted from Untap for some reason. You can use any cards in this set if you want.
It's currently in the works @Fallen_Lord_Vulganos XD Currently just talking about balance and design with Faiths_Guide and Arceus. Or are you referring to the image being broken?
@ManaChrome I still really think the time should allow you to cast the cards on opponent’s turns, because otherwise there is really no point to making instants and flash cards for this contest.
@ManaChrome I think I’ve got a fix: Let them hold their chosen card until they pull another card with atlas. That way they can hold a card as long as they want without building up a pile they need to keep track of.
@Arceus8523@modnation675 ^-^ Ah, I forgot to point it out. Since the artifact can be activated as an instant, instant and flash cards can be played! It's just that it will cost you 2 extra mana and giving up your chance to play your sorcery-speed cards the turn you activate it.
@ManaChrome I still think you should go back and review My Comment for insight on how it would be possible for this idea to work within the confines of Untap.in.
Additionally, wording of your card should never include something like "ManaChrome deals you..." etc. Were I to join such a custom card match on Untap, I would immediately leave after reading its wording for fear there'd be other such concessions among the customs (which there likely will be, but, hey, why show that on the card they start with).
Comments
Now the epitome just seems a bit confusing to me. I'm usually not a fan of informal wording, but "ManaChrome deals you three custom cards at random" actually felt pretty smooth given the way you intended the effect to work. I feel like players should have the choice to cast the card they pick in turns after it is pulled by the tome. This is especially true for things like lands and instants, that you either can't play (it should be also noted that right now lands cannot be played with the wording of the tome) or want to hold off for the surprise value an instant is supposed to have. The last part of the effect also confuses me. Do the cards "removed from the game" (a retired term for exile) go back into the pool of custom cards that can be pulled or do they just cease to be able to be in the pool of custom cards?
I might come off as a bit harsh here and if so, I apologize, that's not how I wanted this to come off. ^^; I'm just trying to figure out what to do with the tome to make both the contest and the game fun and enjoyable for all participants.
See, I want three things to be relevant when players are casting the custom cards they get
1. The CMC of the card
2. The colors of the card.
3. The "speed" (instant vs. sorcery) at which the card can be played.
As it stands, the tome cares about the first, but disregards the second and third.
Here's my suggestions for the tome
1. Have the tome let a player pull one card from a choice of three, then send the other two back to the custom card pool
2. Allow the pulled card to be cast as long as it remains exiled, but only the turn it's pulled can it be cast for any type of mana.
3. Allow the pulled card to be played it it's a land.
If you didn't see it before, this is the wording I think it should use. Though, this is ultimately your format so you get the final say in everything.
1.) I totally agree with you on the "ManaChrome deals you three custom cards from outside the game," clause. It just feels more smooth in a way, and it embraces the fact that it's a custom card.
2.) On the topic of instants. cards with flash, and lands (which I am currently thinking of rewording it from "cast" to "play"), I truly am wishing that I could have the punchy effect of surprising instants come out of nowhere, it's just that I'm weary of players "stockpiling" custom cards, basically taking an extra hand, and the fact that it would kind of be confusing for players to keep track of the cards they have. I'm probably going to be more open to this if I change the cost of the ability to something more expensive, where the least I could cost it is 3 and the most I could cost the ability is 5.
3.) The term "removed from the game" is what I used because the original card said "ManaChrome deals you three cards from outside the game." I guess it is kind of confusing in its own right, but I feel that the wording is right at home. I guess the term "put back into the face-down pile" is somewhat the same effect, it's just that "face-down pile" isn't what I used and that this term is a bit too long.
Hope this answers your questions for you! You can ask further if needed!
1. I'd say go back to using it.
2. Changing "cast" to "play" does indeed fix the land issue. If you;re worried about stockpiling, uping the ability to 3 is acceptable.
3. I'd honestly just say "put the rest back into ManaChrome's pile" (or "the custom card pile") if you're worried about where the other two go.
I think this can help with a reference to the wording @ManaChrome.
I couldn't find the original upload for the life of me, but here, I believe, is all the files you need
http://www.mediafire.com/file/0sg4zt9a7dh881u/magic-m15-textless.mse-style.zip/file
Note: Custom cards would have a separate sleeve for them.
--- --- Additional Requirements --- ---
Construct a 30 card singleton deck of approved custom MTG cards. This will be your custom deck.
--- --- Basic rules --- ---
You may look at the top card of your library and your laid out custom cards.
You may choose to draw from your library or from your laid out custom cards.
If a custom card would move to a library, put it on the bottom of it's owner's custom deck instead.
--- --- Turn rules --- ---
At the beginning of the game, lay out three custom cards from your custom deck face down.
Whenever you draw a custom card from those laid out, replace it with one from the top of it's owner's custom deck.
--- --- --- ---
What do you all think of this version? At least this way, you can only ever cast custom spells in a turn if you activate the tome.
Make sure to check out the game mode above!
Thanks, I was hoping you'd like it.
@Saveria201
@Fallen_Lord_Vulganos
@Leaf_Juggernaut
@Megalomalice
@Teacup
@TheFriendlyGeek
@TenebrisNemo
Come one come all! Come take your hand at telling a tale never told! (Please put in an entry if you have the time )
May I reccommend changing the mana fixing to be more often usable given they don't decide the cards that can be dealt.
How do you choose three cards from outside the game at random? I know current version of Untap.in can get you any card from outside the game, but you need to type the card name to find the card you want. Isn't it a little awkward to say "Hold on, I'm choosing 3 custom cards' names at random right now.."? They might think you are cheating. How about something like..
-----------
{4} Legendary,
Indestructible, shroud
{3}, {t}, Discard a nonland card: Choose five cards with different names from outside the game, then choose one card from among them at random. You may exile that card. If you do, you may play that card this turn.
-----------
This way I think everything works within the system of Untap.in. I made it say 5 cards with different names so that you can't always get what you want. I added "Discard a nonland card" because repeatable Wish ability seems a bit annoying.. It takes time to do the process, so other players will be bored if you could use that ability every turn so easily.
Looking forward to your entries if you decide to enter! ^-^
I just went to Untap and knew we can start games with cards in face down pile. That seems useful! I'll post some cards later.
Btw, I made a community core set out of many cardsmiths' cards 2 years ago.
https://mtgcardsmith.com/user/Tomigon/sets/12382
(*Cards made in the account named senbonzakura is not my original card.) They all allowed me to add these cards to Untap. So I did and played those cards with many cardsmiths. But now they seem to be deleted from Untap for some reason.
You can use any cards in this set if you want.
And no the image is fine.
I still really think the time should allow you to cast the cards on opponent’s turns, because otherwise there is really no point to making instants and flash cards for this contest.
I think I’ve got a fix: Let them hold their chosen card until they pull another card with atlas. That way they can hold a card as long as they want without building up a pile they need to keep track of.
Yes but you don’t know what instant you’ll get. The key to an instant is knowing you have it and controlling when you cast it.
I still think you should go back and review My Comment for insight on how it would be possible for this idea to work within the confines of Untap.in.
Additionally, wording of your card should never include something like "ManaChrome deals you..." etc. Were I to join such a custom card match on Untap, I would immediately leave after reading its wording for fear there'd be other such concessions among the customs (which there likely will be, but, hey, why show that on the card they start with).