System Down: The Customisable Hacker Card Game!

[3XXXDDD]

Meta-Ware

A Piece of Software created to be Dynamic and ever-evolving as it scoured the Web. It grew and eventually after it absorbed enough information, it became what we call conciousness and now it seeks with the help of the other inhabitents of Cyber-Space to break free from this world and onto what it believes to be it's heaven but which we know as our world, It seeks first to drag the unsuspecting humans into it's own world to learn more about them and then eventually to infect not a program, not a computer but a human, to gain a body that it can control outside of Cyber Space and within reality.

Meta-Ware is essentially a "God" or "Devil" depending how you see it overall and it will be the driving force for creating expansions and non-existent virus/anti-virus. It is also a pun on the words Ware as regarding software, Meta as regarding All and on Aware as being consciousness of. Simply some could read it as Meta-Ware or MetAWARE.

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Anyway, yes, it probably is. It requires me to create a couple of effects as well though. If you have any ideas already, it might be handy to help this stage along.

There will be one way to directly kill Virus'es via effects but of course that requires some patience.

[3XXXDDD]

To help this game grow I need some ideas to help play test with.

This is what I've got so far but other ideas are welcome. Try to stay in line of the BV from -5 to +5. Try to avoid null valued cards.

Synchronized Fire (or Parallel Circuitry)
Data Input
3
This attack is an additional -1 for each bot attacking.

In the clouds
Data input
2
You may move a file from the desktop to it's owner's archive.

Abort
Data Input
3
Target opponent skips their system phase.

Retry
Data Input
4
You may move a card from your recycle bin into your hand

Y/N
Data Input
2
Your opponent chooses: You may draw a card, OR they must delete (discard) a card from their hand.

Refresh
Data Input
1
Return 1 Card on the field to it's owner's hand.

Buffering
Data Input
3
Search your Directory for 1 Card and add it to your Archive. During the start of your next turn add that card to your hand.

Cancel
Data Input
5
Cancel 1 Card your opponent attempts to activate or upload and terminate that card.

Delete
Data Input
4
Terminate 1 Program.

Version Variation
Anti-Virus/Updater
+3
If a System was not de-activated during the turn this card terminated a Virus, you may draw 1 card during this turn's end phase.

Seeker
Anti-Virus/Scanner
+3
Scan: During your System Phase, you may select 1 Virus with a RAM of 3 or less and terminate that program.

Alpha Test
Anti-Virus/Updater
+1
When you upload this Card, you may search your directory for 1 ?Beta Test? and place it on top of your directory (after you shuffle your directory)

Beta Test
Anti-Virus/Updater
+2
When you upload this Card, you may search your directory for 1 ?Pilot Test? and place it on top of your directory (after you shuffle your directory)

Pilot Test
Anti-Virus/Updater
+3
Once per turn, when you upload an ?Alpha Test? or ?Beta Test?, you may draw 1 Card. You may only control 1 ?Pilot Test? at a time. You can discard this card from your hand to add 1 ?Alpha Test? from your directory to your hand.

TOBOR [which is robot backwards](or a much better name)
Anti-Virus/Firewall
1
If this file is defending a system bot files do no damage.

CVC [Center for Virus Control] (or some better name)
Anti-virus/Quarantine
+3
Quarantine: Each time this antivirus successfully defends a system you may choose a virus file and flip it face down. If this file leaves play all virus files that it affected face up.

Internet Virus-Scan
Anti-Virus/Suspicious
+3
When you play this file you may search your deck for virus file with the suspicious keyword

Key
Virus/Data Logger
-3
When this card attacks and is not terminated by an Anti-Virus, you may select 1 random card in your opponent's hand and look at it.

Corrupting File
Virus/Datalogger
-2
When this Virus de-activates a System, Your opponent must discard a card from their hand.

Persistent Pop Up
Virus/Datalogger
-1
When this card is terminated, draw a card.

Trojan Horse
Virus/Hidden (or Trojan depending on what you prefer the keyword to be)
-3
This file is played into your archive instead of the desktop. If this file is in your archive during the system phase you may attack with it. If you do it is moved to the desktop.

System Shut-Down Sleeper
Virus/Malware
-5

Noticed Threat
Virus/Malware
-1

Domo.Arigato
Virus/Bot
-1
This file cannot attack a system unless another bot file is too. (The wording seems clunky but you get the point.)

Asimov
Virus/Bot
-1
This Virus must attack if another bot file is attacking.

Thank you for any and all help!

[3XXXDDD]

Keyword Post:

Scan: An Anti-Virus with the ability Scan may declare a Target Virus during your turn and attack it. Other Anti-Virus or Virus programs may not interrupt it.

Quarantine: Each Time an Anti-Virus blocks a number of Viruses it can destroy one of the blocked Virus'es. If it has the ability Quarantine, then you can select another blocked Virus and turn it upside down. That Virus may not attack until the Anti-Virus that Quarantined thing it is removed from the field.

[Dabem]

I had an idea for a corrupt keyword that would enable you to take control of an opponents files.

I like quarantine. It seems like it'd be a tad overpowered if it was on a powerful anti-virus, but it's a cool concept. There should be a way for the player with the virus to make sure that the anti-virus with this keyword bounces.

looks like you have about 14 cards so far. How many would you like for the first round of playtesting? I can already see some strategies emerging from what you already have out there.

I didn't quite get the Meta-ware thing. It sounded like a cool concept and story to add to the game. I just didn't understand this sentence.

Meta-Ware is essentially a "God" or "Devil" depending how you see it overall and it will be the driving force for creating expansions and non-existent virus/anti-virus.

So is one player taking on the role of meta-ware? I don't get how the virus/anti-virus relates.

[3XXXDDD]

Well I haven't finished it over-all but basically MetaAware creates a Cult within Cyber Space and speaks of "Ascending into heaven" (our world) and some programs try to get out and follow him whereas others do their duty and try to stop him. Something like this, basically he's one of those "Gods" that pit "people" against each other.

Corrupt for stealing files is pretty good. Anyway, say I'd need up to 20-25 total cards for some flexibility. Will be making a deck of 40 cards (30 seems too small after the games updating) and I want to say 4 copies of a card. Just seems to make sense to me.

[Dabem]

Here's some ideas:

Abort
Data Input
3
Target opponent skips their system phase.

Retry
Data Input
4
You may move a card from your recycle bin into your hand

Y/N
Data Input
2
Your opponent chooses: You may draw a card, OR they must delete (discard) a card from their hand.

Trojan Horse
Virus/Hidden (or Trojan depending on what you prefer the keyword to be)
-3
This file is played into your archive instead of the desktop. If this file is in your archive during the system phase you may attack with it. If you do it is moved to the desktop.

CVC [Center for Virus Control] (or some better name)
Anti-virus/Quarantine
+3
Quarantine: Each time this antivirus successfully defends a system you may choose a virus file and flip it face down. If this file leaves play all virus files that it affected face up.

Internet Virus-Scan
Anti-Virus/Suspicious
+3
When you play this file you may search your deck for virus file with the suspicious keyword

UndercoverWare
Virus/Suspicious
-3

In the clouds
Data input
2
You may move a file from the desktop to it's owner's archive.

Domo.Arigato
Virus/Bot
-1
This file cannot attack a system unless another bot file is too. (The wording seems clunky but you get the point.)

Asimov
Virus/Bot
-1
This Virus must attack if another bot file is attacking.

Synchronized Fire (or Parallel Circuitry)
Data Input
3
This attack is an additional -1 for each bot attacking.

TOBOR [which is robot backwards](or a much better name)
Anti-Virus/Firewall
1
If this file is defending a system bot files do no damage.

[3XXXDDD]

Looks good! You make those cards with the thing while I attempt to work on a Lackey Plugin.

[3XXXDDD]

Various aesthetic changes

Instead of bouncing cards back for things like Anti-Virus, we start "buffering" them by which I mean we play them face-down. Not sure if the same should apply to Data Input costs but it would make sense, essentially when we input data into a computer, it uses some RAM to perform that action (as far as I know) and in turn, without risking some damage to the system, we can't input too much data at one time. This also creates uploading too many cards at once as a risky situation and much more punishable as it would if we returned them instead.

Cards are then Re-loaded during our Upload (or maybe just Load phase).

Forgot to post this too, considering name change to Meta-Ware which is an amalgamation of

Meta (as in Metaphysics) and Ware (as in Software). With A from the meta prefixed onto the ware to be "Aware" as well.

[Dabem]

I like system better. It'll ring clear what the game is about better. Meta-Ware or rather MetAware is a good booster name, but not quite system name.

I still don't understand meta-ware's place in the game concept. To me it seems more user vs. user rather than entity vs. a user.

Meta-Ware will be a good keyword for sure. Perhaps you can have 10-15 cards connected to it.

I liked the returning the cards to the hand thing just because that made the action seem different than when you tapped or flipped cards in other games. As far as I understood it that was still a risky situation because you could only play a data input card after the Load phase so you wouldn't be able to drop the anti-virus back down until your next turn. So uploading too many cards at once could still turn out to be a really bad idea. Flipping is the essentially the same thing I guess, but more things are out on the field. It's your call, but i liked the 'recall' concept because to me it seemed new and different.

[3XXXDDD]

Well yeah, it's just something I'm considering.

Keyword is going to be buffering anyway.

System has it's own problems, such as Vs System connotations and it just seems a bit too straight-forward too me. I'd like if it could be a bit more...exotic.

[Cyrus]

Motherboard: System Overload CCG

People'd call it Motherboard for short... MSO doesn't have the best ring to it buuuut can't win 'em all

[Dabem]

I thought the "System" system had a nice ring to it but that was just me.
I can see why you'd want to avoid the confusion there.

I like the name Motherboard: System overload. MSO is even the abbreviation for microsoft office.
Or perhaps Motherboard System Sabotage?

I have a great idea on the tip of my tongue it just isn't coming out just yet. I'll let you know when it decides it's done hiding.

[3XXXDDD]

lol Motherboard would be a pun if this game was a Board game.

[Cyrus]

lol Motherboard would be a pun if this game was a Board game.

[Dabem]

Maybe we should call it mothercards?