Alchemy

[3XXXDDD]

I think I've found my Zodiac-themed game, replacing elements with Zodiac Symbols (or subverting them into deeper sub-categories anyway) to create different attributes based on the mixtures.

Could make for pretty interesting art if nothing else.

[Kevashim]

I'm not sure about the pokemon style skill based combat, though I have not played the pokemon ccg so I have no idea how well it plays. Personally, I prefer the idea that adding more and more of certain elements will add greater levels of power/ability to a homonculus (as in the "+1 power per fire resource" salamander example). It seems a simpler method and besides, having a number of resource/energy types (like pokemon) and then having creature skill based combat (like pokemon) may make it far too similar.

I did think that additional abilities on cards could be unlocked as additional resources are added. For example:

Name: Sprite, Cost: Air/Aether, Power: 0, Text: Air:Exhaust - Draw a card and discard a card, Air/Air:Exhaust - Draw a card.

would be a 0 power creature that let's you draw and then discard a card if it has 1 air resource attached, which is upgraded to simply drawing a card with 2 air resources attached.

On a different note, I have thought further that perhaps defining 4 "alchemy array" areas for players and allowing them to play 1 resource per turn to any of these areas. Then allowing transmutation to occur in these areas. So for example, a player could stockpile fire resources in one array in the hopes that they draw a particularly fire heavy card to transmute their later on. This adds a new level of player interaction with the potential to add abilities that allow you to move your (or your opponents) resources between arrays. It also allows new abilities that are dependent on resources in an array. For example:

Lightning bolt: Target an array with at least 1 water resource, any homonculus there takes 2 damage.

Or a more complex example:

Creature: Phoenix, Cost Fire/Fire/Fire/Fire/Air/Air, Power: 5, Text: When Phoenix dies, you may immediately transmute it in any array with at least Fire/Fire instead of discarding it.

[3XXXDDD]

So for example, a player could stockpile fire resources in one array in the hopes that they draw a particularly fire heavy card to transmute their later on.

Draw a heavy fire card? So now your our Transmutation & Resource deck are combined? or we are drawing from our Resource deck?

I can understand affecting the arrays via effects and such but I don't enjoy the idea of drawing into Homunculus because that goes against the very idea of this game of giving players quite a choice based on their elemental cards on their own.

As far as Pokemon-Ability Skills go so far as being similar, it is a much less used concept than Power/Toughness (ATK/DEF) which seems a bit, I don't know basic. Not that I'm advocating either, I just want to find a battle system that seems fresher. The idea of Resource +1 is a good start too and helps what people would perceive as weaker creatures to overcome stronger ones.

Addendum: Three Types of Transmutation cards; 1 - Homunculus (Our Creatures)  2 - Permanent (Continuous Effects)  3 - Nature (Instant Effects)

Also considering shuffling isn't involved with our Transmutation Deck, we could afford to make the cards bigger to fit more onto them.