New action words! (Modnation675, March 2018)

Hello fellow cardsmiths, I've noticed that in the new Dominaria set a lot of things are being simplified. As such, I thought we could make searching libraries and other zones for cards easier. Please tell us what you think about the following action words!

Note: If you put the reminder text on your cards, replace the specified with what you are searching for or from.
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Action words set #1 (Searching):
Beckon __ from __ (Search {the specified zone} for {the specified card}, reveal it, and put it into your hand. If a library is searched this way, its owner shuffles it.)

Summon __ from __ (Search {the specified zone} for {the specified card} and put it onto the battlefield under your control. If a library is searched this way, its owner shuffles it.)

Banish __ from __ (Search {the specified zone} for {the specified card} and exile it. If a library is searched this way, its owner shuffles it.)

Scrounge __ from __ (Search {the specified zone} for {the specified card} and put it into its owner's graveyard. If a library is searched this way, its owner shuffles it.)

Action words set #2 (Revealing):
Call __ from your library. (Reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a card of {the specified kind}.)

Call each of __, __ and __ from your library. (Reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a card of each of {the specified kinds}.)
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Please leave feedback below, it would help greatly.

Happy smithing everyone!

Comments

  • Any names are up and able to change if you have alternatives.
  • edited April 2018
    Those seem very useful!
    I'll make a card in TheMechanix for each action!
  • @Tomigon
    Thanks for the support. :)
  • edited April 2018
    @Tomigon
    Changed the reminder text slightly, so I thought I'd warn you.

    Change "If a library is searched this way, its owner shuffles it."
  • These look awesome! I may try these in some cards, if you want.
  • @TenebrisNemo
    Sweet, feel free to do so.
  • edited April 2018
    You call it simplified. I call it newspeak.
  • @Gelectrode
    I'll have to work on that when I get home then.
  • edited April 2018
    Without keyword
    image

    Using "summon"
    image
    ^The texts are way shorter!
  • Sweet. I knew that it would make designs a little easier.

    Only thing is that people should link to this page so people know the abilities.
  • This seems like an excellent shorthand for cards. Good idea!
  • edited April 2018
    @Arceus8523 @Tomigon
    Thanks I thought it would help a bit.

    Only thing is the reminder text means to replace the specified for whatever you're searching for (or from), if you use reminder text. (Edited main post to mention this!)
  • edited April 2018
    @Gelectrode
    Is there anything I can improve on? (To make it more preferable.)

    ... like replace "the specified card" with "____".
  • edited April 2018
    @modnation675 ,

    The thing about action keywords and new names for common effects, as I think @Gelectrode points out, is that they give you design space, but they reduce clarity for new players. We're all enfranchised players, so it's easy to forget, but there was a time when you had to learn that "destroy target creature" really means "move target creature from the battlefield to the graveyard" which really means "take the specified card or token with the word 'creature' in the type line and move it from the active play space to the discard pile". Destroy, target, creature, graveyard, and library are all words that have to be defined within the context of the game.

    Every time we change the language with new jargon, we create another obstacle for a new player to overcome before they can understand enough to play and enjoy Magic. Sometimes it's worth it because the idea is intuitive enough that people grok it easily (e.g. 'dies'), but it's a balancing act.

    Of course, when the game goes 100% digital in 20XX and we can hover our cursors over actions words to have a little window pop up with a full explanation of what they do, then we can cut loose and go nuts.
  • @Platypusburger @Tomigon @Gelectrode @Arceus8523 @TenebrisNemo
    Fair enough. I just wasn't sure what newspeak meant at first since I've never heard it before. Which goes along with what you are saying.

    Although I do believe the wording format for these action keywords make it easier to understand.

    -----

    Do you think I should just keep the following versions for clarity purposes.

    Action words set #1 (Searching):
    Beckon __ from __ (Search the specified zone for the specified card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. If a library is searched this way, its owner shuffles it.)

    Summon __ from __ (Search the specified zone for the specified card and put it onto the battlefield under your control. If a library is searched this way, its owner shuffles it.)

    Banish __ from __ (Search the specified zone for the specified card and exile it. If a library is searched this way, its owner shuffles it.)

    Scrounge __ from __ (Search the specified zone for the specified card and put it into its owner's graveyard. If a library is searched this way, its owner shuffles it.)
  • edited April 2018
    @modnation675 ,

    I do like the 'X from Y' formatting, although it could be clunky with combinations or variations on effects. For example how would you word Cultivate?

    Newspeak is a reference to the novel 1984, where an oppressive government has created a new language that is as simple as possible (for example, instead of 'good and bad', newspeak has 'good and un-good', so that you only need to know one word instead of two). It's generally referred to today as a negative term referencing propaganda, anti-intellectualism, and 'dumbing down' of language.
  • edited April 2018
    @Platypusburger
    I'd say that there are always instances where you could use alternate wording. This just helps with general versions.

    For your example, you would have to summon and beckon separately. Which is still shorter than the original.
  • Would you say that it would be best to make the changes I mentioned though.
  • Which change, exactly? Swapping the words 'the specified zone' for the actual zone you're specifying, in-context? I'd agree with that.
  • edited April 2018
    @Platypusburger
    I meant the following, click here.
  • I must be missing something, but it's not clear to me what you've changed. Aren't you just excluding the versions where you didn't specify zones?
  • Well I'll make the revisions, anyways then.
  • @modnation675, newspeak is the language of the fictional dystopia of Oceania, renowned for its reduced grammar and vocabulary that makes it difficult to users to express free thought. Every year the newspeak language is reduced, with the intent of boiling down everything into a single word that can express everything that can be - or whatever the controller of the language wants to be expressed.

    If you both have the chance, I highly suggest reading the book 1984 by George Orwell to learn more.
  • I'll second that. It's a good book, if depressing.
  • I'll have to take a peek at that. If I can handle it! XD
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