Tactics -- A classical fantasy CCG

[Dai_Gong]

Hi, I'm new to this forum.
A while ago, I came up with a CCG concept, which I'd like to show you.

Said concept has been named "Tactics" (for now, at least).
In several ways, it resembles MTG and other "classic" combat- and resource-oriented card games.
The basic concept is as follows:
- Use a 30 to 60 card deck.
- You share a single turn with all other players. Who goes first each turn is influenced by a betting system.
- Defend your five Domain cards against your opponents by summoning units using the casting points (CP) provided to you each turn by your Domains.
- Cast spells to influence gameplay.
- Use a mighty champion unit, a warrior or beast of extraordinary power and skill, to turn the tables.

- All cards can be divided into five factions (alignments): Passion, Strength, Will, Mind, and Life.
- Each faction has its own characteristics.
- Depending on your cards' faction, you need different domains to use them.

- Follow a new fantasy tale with each released block.
- Each block consists of one main set and three expansion sets.

- Win the game by being the first player to gather three Victory Points, or by being the last player left with a face-up domain card.

Cards to be posted soon.

Does this (basic) concept sound intriguing, or repetitive and trite. Please tell me

[3XXXDDD]

It sounds basically like Magic/Kaijudo.

Although the betting system seems different, care to expand on that?

[Dai_Gong]

Thanks for the quick reply

You are right, my game goes into a very similar direction as the games you mentioned. There are, however, (at least I hope so) some significant differences. Allow me to explain the rules.

THE PREMISE OF THE GAME:
The players are commanders of mighty armies, themselves represented in-game via so-called champion cards. They use their forces to overrun each other, battling for the precious domains and treasures of their enemies.
The game is very focused on fighting, maybe even moreso than most CCGs, and usually picks up at a slower pace than games like Kaijudo or MTG.

THE GOAL OF THE GAME:
A player wins if he or she manages to gather three victory points by destroying domains of their opponents. Alternatively, a player wins if he or she is left as the last one standing. A player loses the game as soon as he or she doesn't control a face-up domain card.

THE DIFFERENT CARD TYPES:

Unit
The most common card type next to spell.
A unit has an ATK, a DEF, LIF, and SPE.
They represent different fantasy creatures, as well as anything else more or less alive.

Spell
A spell represents an action or magic conjuration.
There are some specifications as to when a spell may be played. When it is playable is usually printed right under its name.
The different circumstances under which a spell is playable are as follows:
Beginning/end of turn
Spell phase
Combat
Response (A response to a certain event. What the spell responds to is explained in the card text.)
Anytime (Can be played during any of the above, except for Response.)

After a spell's effect finishes, it is put into the player's discard pile.

Hex
A hex is a permanent card that is attached to another card, much like equipment in YuGiOh and auras in MTG. It may represent both weaponry and general attributes associated with the card it is attached to.

Constant
A constant is a permanent card that is placed in a separate zone, the constant zone, from all other cards. It usually influences the general gameplay.

Domain
One of the core card types of the game. Domains provide players with CP which can be used to summon units and spells. They stay hidden until their controler flips them face-up. Many domains have additional abilities beside their CP-creating function.

THE SETUP:
Each player begins the game with a deck of 30-60 cards. Said deck may contain up to four copies of a single card, except for so-called basic cards, which can be present indefinitely (basic cards make up the rank and file of a player's army).
In addition to that, each player starts with one face-up and five face-down domain cards in front of him or her. One such domain card has to be a treasure domain card, next to which a face-down champion card has to be placed.
Then, to start the game, each player draws a hand of four cards.

A TURN'S STRUCTURE:
All players share a single turn, there is no individual "player 1 turn" or "player 2 turn". Now this might arouse some scepticism. After all, if everybody shares a single turn, how are they to determine who has priority over whom when it comes to, let's say, attacking.

To avoid such confusion, a priority order is determined at the very beginning of each turn, during the so-called pledge phase. During said phase, each player estimates the cost (C) of the top card of his or her deck. Then, after everyone has made their call, the cards are revealed. Now, the closer a player's estimation is to the real C of the revealed card, the higher his or her priority becomes. For example:
Player 1 estimates that his card has a C of 3, while Player 2 believes that his own card has a C of 7. Player 1 reveals a card with a C of 2, while Player 2 reveals a card with a C of 5. Thus, Player 1 gains priority over Player 2 due to having a smaller difference (1) between his estimation and the real result.
If two or more players tie, those players put the revealed cards into their discard piles (this game's graveyard) and repeat this process until there is a clear order. Then, each player puts all revealed cards into his or her discard pile.
The order determined this way counts for the rest of the turn. Whenever an event might occur where multiple players want to perform actions at the same time, it is always the player with the highest priority who gets to act first.
Also, if several cards controled by different players have the same speed (SPE), it is the player with the highest priority whose cards are allowed to act first.

Next up is the setup phase. During this phase, all abilities that trigger "at the beginning of turn" are activated, as well as spells that can only be played "at the beginning of turn". Then, each player draws a card.

After that comes the so-called choice phase. Here, each player may choose to put two action counters on each card he or she controls (those are required for cards to be able to perform actions). All players who do NOT do so then flip a face-down domain card they control face-up.

Now comes the unit phase. During this phase, each player may spend the Casting Points (CP) provided by him or her on units in his or her hand. Each face-up domain provides a certain number of such points per turn, while at the end of each turn, each player loses all CP he or she still owns. Units (as well as spells, as we shall later see) may only be played if you control a domain of their alignment. For example, a Darkpyre Paladin (a Passion unit) can only be played if you control a Passion domain. Units do not enter play with action counters on them.
Each unit you play is put near a face-up domain card you control. It now defends said domain, meaning that if your opponent wants to attack that domain, he or she will have to overcome your unit first.
Normal units may however not defend treasure domains. As soon as such a domain is turned face-up, the champion unit card right next to it is turned face-up as well. Champions are the only ones capable of defending treasures. Also, a champion may only defend a treasure whose position in the order of domains a player controls correlates with their C. For example: A champion with a C of 3 may only defend a treasure which is the third face-down domain its owner controls.

After that comes the spell phase. Here, spells with the "spell phase" distinction may be cast, as well as hexes and constants, two other magic-related card types.

Now, the most important and drawn out phase of the turn begins: the action phase. As the name implies, this phase is where all the action goes down. Units may attack, perform actions, or do other stuff.
Most units have abilities, some of which are activated by meeting certain conditions, such as "Discard a card: This unit gains 1 LIF." Each such "performance" ability may only be used once each action phase. Some of them, for example "2 Actions: Draw a card.", require the removal of action counters from the respective cards. As soon as a unit has no action counters left attached, it becomes incapable of using abilities that require them. A unit may also perform the so-called "skip" action, which is avaliable to all of them regardless of their abilities. If a unit does so, it simply loses an action counter. As soon as all units have performed one ability or skip action, the action phase ends... and begins anew.
The action phase repeats itself until there are no action counters left on any units or other permanent cards. Thus, if a unit gains an extra action, it may end up being the only one during an "extra" action phase capable of performing it.
Units with a higher SPE may always act first. If two units have the same SPE, the one controled by the player with the higher priority gets to act first. Units may also act as if their SPE was lower than it actually is. For example: A SPE 5-unit may attack as if it was a SPE-3 unit if it wants to.

During the action phase, we also come down to the most important and central aspect of the game: the combat. Attacking requires a unit to lose one of its action counters, being attacked doesn't. Several units may also team up to attack a single unit. The fight goes as follows. First is the combat spell step. Here, spells with the "combat step" distinction may be played. Then follows the actual damage calculation. An combatant always deals damage equal to the difference between its ATK and its opponent's DEF. Said damage is then substracted from its opponent's LIF. If the damage is larger than the opponent's LIF, the opponent is destroyed. Which unit deals damage first is determined by said unit's SPE. If a unit with a higher SPE than its opponent manages to destroy its opponent, all damage that would be dealt to it by said opponent is prevented. If multiple units gang up on a single unit, they deal damage equal to the difference of their added ATK and the defender's DEF, while the defender deals damage to each of them individually. The SPE of all units in a group becomes equal to the lowest SPE among them.
For example: A bunch of three Goblin Recruits (ATK: 5, DEF: 1) teams up on a single Dwarven Bulwark (ATK: 3, DEF: 7). They deal damage equal to their added ATK (15) minus the Bulwark's DEF (7). Meanwhile, the Bulwark deals damage to each of them equal to its ATK (3) minus their DEF (1). If the Goblins weren't much faster than the Bulwark, each of them would be destroyed. thus, however, the Bulwark gets overrun before it can react.
The same is essentially true for domains, which can be attacked directly if there is no unit there to defend them. If a domain is destroyed, the player due to which it was destroyed gains a victory point and the domain is removed from the game. If a treasure is destroyed, two victory points are gained instead.

After the action phase has ended for the final time, the so-called shutdown phase starts. All cards from the discard pile are put on the bottom of the deck, while the "end of turn" spell cards can be played. After that, each player's CP pool is emptied, and a new turn begins.

THE CONCEPT OF SPEED:
Each card has a SPE value. This value determines how "fast" a card is.
A card with a high SPE gets to act before others do. Even if another player has a higher priority than player1, for example, player1 still gets to attack first if he controls a unit with a SPE higher than any other player's unit's SPE. However, each card may act as if its SPE was smaller than its printed SPE. For example, a spell with a SPE of 4 may be played AFTER a spell with a SPE of 2 if its controler wishes to do so. Thus SPE, in conjunction with priority, determines the order in which things happen.

THE VARYING ALIGNMENTS:
Alignments represent the different factions the game world is split up into. Each of them is a different aspect of the human psyche, and as such follows many traits associated with this aspect.
Each alignment is also associated with several elemental powers, as well as certain races of units. Their strategy is usually synonimous with their name, although each of them can initiate all kinds of plans.
I took their basic concept from the five elements of Daoist mysticism. Just like in Daoism, each of the five alignments has two allies and two enemies (which, as I am well aware of, greatly resembles the color pie in mtg).
The different alignments are as follows:

Passion
Passion is all about following one's primal desires and instincts. As such, Passion units will usually be very proactive and aggressive in their approach, valuing speed and offense over vitality and defense. Your average Passion unit is able to deal some tremendous blows, but can be toppled quite easily once it hits something it can't finish in one hit. To prevent this from happening, Passion features a lot of destructive spells, many of which cause units to lose LIF or even destroy them entirely. The basic goal of a Passion player should be to lash out with a multitude of small, quick units and devastate the opponent before he or she gets time to react. In the late game, Passion is able to destroy whole slews of the enemy army with gigantic fireballs and furious charges, while airborne dragons menace the foe directly.
The element most closely related to Passion is fire, being just as volatile and destructive as the alignment's nature. Sand and basalt have also been closely associated with it.
Its units consist of small hitters like Goblins and Lizardmen, but also stronger Barbarian fighters and even big beasts like Dragons and Angels.

Strength
Strength may be one of the most simplistic of alignments. Being both an ally and the polar opposite to Passion, Strength uses its forces to form an impenetrable barrier. Its cards often have defensive effects, warding off enemies and stopping them in their tracks. Strength values the simple things in life, such as hard work and good food, and as such is quite capable of storing lots of energy, be it via LIF-regeneration or domain control. Strength is, however, also capable of making the earth shake and the heavens tremble, utilizing its mightier spells to cause direct damage to enemy domains. The goal of a Strength player is to build up an invulnerable defense and to use various bigger late-game units and spells to crush the enemy domains.
The element most closely related to Strength is earth, being both simple and strong, yet also surprisingly flexible when it comes to changing paces. The energy of Strength does however also come from swamps and farmlands.
Smaller Strength units consist of Dwarves, Humans and other common folk. Later on, it prefers Golems, the Undead, as well as mighty Giants.

Will
Will is the alignment of civilization and development. It is representative both of humanity's ongoing ambitions as well as the developments and ideas of science. As such, it features lots of small gears that serve to make a contribution to the greater good. Will uses its large pool of resources to build up a nigh unstoppable army of smaller units, which drown the enemy with their ongoing attacks. To preserve its valuable soldiers, it utilizes military strategy as well as divine intervention and the power of comradery to keep them on the battlefield. It is, however, also the alignment of greed and commerce, which is represented in its late-game spells which often allow the player to uncover their domains and take control of enemy units.
The element most closely related to Will is metal, being as formable and adaptive as the alignment. Holiness as well as electricity have also been associated with the alignment.
The majority of Will units is rather small, making use of the strength in numbers rather than brute power, and as such features mainly Soldiers, Knights, and similar fighters. Later on, however, Will is capable of actually hitting hard with the aid of big critters such as Mechanical Beasts and Angels.

Mind
If Will represents the clever use of intellect and technology, Mind represents the origins of the same. Mind focuses on manipulating the game in such a way as to give the player an unfair advantage over their opponents, usually by being capable to adapt to just about every situation. Just like the human mind itself, Mind can be both creative as well as destructive; it utilizes both of these aspects to take the reins of the game. Due to being focused on the inner workings of the player's strategy, it contains lots of spells of varying capabilities, using the spontaneous and unexpected nature thereof to strike the enemy when they last expect it. A Mind player will fill their hand with powerful spells while controling the field with a few expensive but flexible units and then completely drown their opponent when the time is right.
The element most closely associated with Mind is water, being just as creative and destructive. Other closely associated elements are air and electricity.
Mind units are usually expensive but powerful. The smaller ones consist of Merpeople and Wizards, while the late-game can be dominated via powerful Leviathans and Nature Spirits.

Life
Life is, as the name implies, all about keeping going. It represents both the beginning and end of all living beings, granting vitality to some and taking it away from others. Life thus focuses both on making sure that the own units stay alive and that all who oppose them die quick and merciless deaths. Many life cards aim to rob the opponents of all possibilities to retaliate, literally overgrowing them with continuous destructive effects. The Life units, meanwhile, constantly regenerate or feed on the corpses of their enemies to be able to strike another time. A Life player's goal is to cleanse the board of enemy units so that the giant late-game beasts of his or her alignment are unstopped in their approach.
The element most closely associated with Life is wood, being a symbol both for the eternal circle and just as robust and unsubduable as the alignment it is part of. Nighttime and swamps are also associated with Life.
Life units usually excel in terms of LIF while lacking in speed. Many of the smaller ones, such as Elf or Canines, are however capable of gaining SPE in unorthodox ways. Larger Beasts or Serpents make up the late-game forces of the alignment.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

- A unit with a LIF of 0 is immediately destroyed unless there is an effect preventing this from happening.
- A card "is played" when it put onto the field from the player's hand and its C is paid. This is not synonimous with "put into play".
- SPE is a very central aspect of unit cards. Thus, unit cards with a high SPE will naturally be a bit lacking in other areas.
- The highest possible SPE is 6. If a card's SPE would become greater than 6, it becomes 6 instead.


I am really trying to make this different from MTG in as many ways as possible, however, I also don't want my original idea to be changed too much. Now that you know the general rules, please make as many suggestions as possible. I'd be grateful for any kind of constructive criticism.

Here are some cards, by the way (I'll try to get over the whole "stolen art" thing as quickly as possible):


A Passion card


A Mind card


A Life card


A Will card


A Strength card

[3XXXDDD]

Just curious, is this the first game you're attempting to design?

[Dai_Gong]

Just curious, is this the first game you're attempting to design?

Well, it's the first one I have put this amount of work into. From time to time, I used to come up with cheap MTG clones as a kid. Maybe that's why this, the first game where I seriously tried to be innovative, still looks like MTG 

[3XXXDDD]

I think the betting system actually makes this worse than MTG honestly. People shouldn't really be guessing who is going first because it creates various imbalances. I also found myself a bit bored reading the rules, mainly because I could replace everything with Magic Terms.

I think, before you start making something, you would have to ask yourself What is your objective here? What "idea" are you trying to capture in this game? For example, MTG was supposed to capture the idea of being a Mage whereas Cardfight!! Vanguard was supposed to capture the idea of being a Commander.

Don't worry though, you're still in a growing step. I've had a number of games be typical and boring before I found my inspiration that I'm confident on.

[Dan55]

While it does seem to follow the basic gaming ideas of Magic (head to head conflict) it does have a slightly different slant - army vs army.  Have you looked into the wargaming hobby for some possible ideas?

[Dai_Gong]

While it does seem to follow the basic gaming ideas of Magic (head to head conflict) it does have a slightly different slant - army vs army.  Have you looked into the wargaming hobby for some possible ideas?

Indeed, I did Originally, this was going to be a board game, but I moved away from that idea because I was afraid it would be too complicated. So instead, I went with the card game idea

I think the betting system actually makes this worse than MTG honestly. People shouldn't really be guessing who is going first because it creates various imbalances. I also found myself a bit bored reading the rules, mainly because I could replace everything with Magic Terms.

I think, before you start making something, you would have to ask yourself What is your objective here? What "idea" are you trying to capture in this game? For example, MTG was supposed to capture the idea of being a Mage whereas Cardfight!! Vanguard was supposed to capture the idea of being a Commander.

Don't worry though, you're still in a growing step. I've had a number of games be typical and boring before I found my inspiration that I'm confident on.

Thanks for your quick replies
You are right, I pretty much started designing this without giving it much of a second thought. I'm considering keeping a few of the rules as well as the general design scheme and going more into the wargame territory Dan55 suggested. I think I can exploit in that department.