Mage-Based Card Game idea

[3XXXDDD]

Something that popped into my head and two questions about it

1. Does a game like this exist?
2. If so, where?

Each Player starts with X Cards. This is their max MP/Mana. When a Players hand/Mana is lower than the max, they draw 1 card at the start of the round.

To battle Both Players set a card face-down on the table, then flip it to play it. It somehow affects or deals damage to the other player. Only 1 card may be played a round. (round as in shared turn)

However some cards have a cool down cost of X, So when played, that player can't recover mana (draw a card each turn) for X Turns.

[yudencow]

In Magic, you are supposed to be a powerful sorcerer. That's why the cards are called spells.

There is an old board game, FFG remade called Wiz-War which is extremely fun. You might get inspirations from there.

Its rulebook:
http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/wiz-war/WizWar_Rulebook%20v1-12%20low.pdf

Its trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9p7O6j-0vU

A cool thing I think about for your game is too have a charge time for the certain spell. E.g. Ritual of the Nightmares:wait 2 turns and then inflict sleep on the opponent. as long as he asleep he loses 1 health. It coukld be cool to keep the card hidden with the counter on its back. It makes the game much more tense, much more fun.

[3XXXDDD]

I understand MTG is supposed to be like it but I what I meant more-so is any game that trys to mimic real time MMO play.

Your idea for hiding the card with the counter is also a great idea, a charge counter.

[3XXXDDD]

There was the original idea, we would still have your mana recovery but instead of cooling down, you'd just pay mana by discarding that X cards but over-all that didn't make sense.

There was also "charge" where you'd place the card face-down for X number of turns before it was activated.

Maybe a combination of the above would be feasible.

Say, When you play a card with X Mana, you put that many cards face-down from your hand and shuffle them and then draw 1 from this mini deck each turn for Mana recovery.

[yudencow]

Your idea is nice, but if you play 3-4 cards a turn, you end up with tons of minidecks, and besides, it slows down the game. I suggest using a resource row or a resource pool for mana.

In the pool version, I see your mechanics is working thet you recover 1 back every turn, or thet you recover back 1 for each effect activated/card played.

You can also have a blood pool like V:tes, but it is ttricky to balance (your mana and health are one).

[3XXXDDD]

Your only supposed to play 1 card a turn/round.

It is only 1 mini-deck available.

[yudencow]

If so do it so there are 50-60 cards in a deck but double draw to do the mini deck. This will leave enough options while supporting the mechanic.

Also, inspired from the video game magika, let few spellsto have a mixing possibilities with tohers. Meaning you can cast 2-4 spells as 1 fused spell, but the new spell is defined by their effects and synergy.

And because you can only play one card/combo per turn, I suggest either to have a second deck for permanents or not to have permanents at all. The cards on the field will be the mini-deck (give it a flavor like reagents), charging cards, temporary effectsand combo place up like starting a ritual so the next attack will have double damage or you will take half the damage next attack for example which are definately better to be kept face down like yugioh's trap cards for more tense.

You can also have character cards and artifacts for further customization and adding flavor of the wizardry.

About the sets, I hate the cycles idea. I like it more when it's just 1 big chunk of cards with different starter sets from it. This idea could really fit here, every time picking another side of magic-users: alchemists, necromancers, avatars, druids, elementals, witches & witchers, runic soothsayers, clerics & priests, warlocs, lay walkers, tarot & other fortune tellers etc. It would be cool to have a "vs." theme where one seemingly evil is fighting one seemingly good on the same scenery.

I want to see this game comes to life.

[3XXXDDD]

What we could do is have a deck be the equivelant of an MMO's "Hotbar" 9 Abilities/Items, that each have a cool-down rate to prevent abuse. Or could be Ability Hotbar and a seperate Item Hotbar.

Cycles? o.O

[yudencow]

Like the main box and 2 expanisions of the same theme called block or cycle. I never liked it, but it's away to triple the life of a game. I bet there are better ways like the LCG of fantasy flight games.

If we're gonna have a hotbar from a 50-60 card deck which you strat with none, you should have a mechanic that allows people to attck each other's hotbars.

[Cyrus]

You could start with your hotbar in play based on some sort of point or level system (so you can't just have the best stuff always) and only allow players 3 card hands are something that can be little tricks they can use during battle. There could be some sort of leveling system in the game to allow players to play more skills but it would be difficult...? Items could be played to the hotbar and used as well, so maybe there should be a maximum number of slots, like 9, to force players to think before laying down a huge pile of low-level skills at the beginning of the game.

Oooh... maybe your deck could contain monster cards as well that can be played against an opponent to hinder them OR you could fight them yourself to gain levels, allowing you to play better skills to your hotbar. Then maybe a 5 card hand would be more appropriate, or larger depending on how you want the game to play out. Seems like it could be fun though!

[3XXXDDD]

So basically have mobs in your deck that you can chase to level up for exp?

All sorts of ideas flowing out here.

[Cyrus]

Basically, but you can also use the mobs against your opponent. They'd have to cost something... maybe playing a monster costs your attack for the turn?

[yudencow]

I think it''s better to have quest cards like in wowtcg to gain levels. Missions like draw 3 cards or destroy enemy monsters or inflict 5 damage to gain XP/rewards.

Try writing a rulebook, everything that dosen't stick stays out.