Re: [BSE] Meta-Thread - Dear PC, Why is Rarity always a toas
by Huitzil (?) » Tue Nov 29, 2011 9:39 am
I still think Tirek is the way to go for our third CL, even if he isn't from FiM. Cylon Leader agendas tend to be grand and sweeping, they have Grand Designs, sweeping goals, Things They Want Done with the world at large. This fits with Discord (obliterate order everywhere) and Night Mare Moon (usher in eternal night, gain the recognition from ponykind she's always deserved), but not the diamond dogs, who were just in a petty scheme to get cash. Tirek, on the other hand, wants to transmute ponies into his dark servitors and shower the world in pure elemental Evil just like that stuff in the toaster at the end of "Time Bandits".
There aren't three grand, sweeping villains in FiM yet and Tirek is the best villain of previous generations by a country mile; I'd really rather have him than wedge in a more "pedestrian", low-level antagonist from a FiM episode. If other people voice a preference for a FiM villain in spot #3, then obviously we'll go with what the players prefer, but I would grumble and grouse about it the whole way.
Also, it occurred to me that A: we're three characters short if this is Pegasus version, there should be four each of military, political, and pilot characters and two support, and B: Fluttershy's "TRE counts positive" ability doesn't work in a vanilla game. Rather than make Fluttershy expansion-only, I move we change her static to be Adama's "1-strength cards always count positive on your turn", which is similar in effect and spirit and works in non-Pegasus games. Then I retroactively declare the CMC to be an expansion character, and add these three, who I made to seem "expansiony":
Come to think of it, all of them have statics that get them more skill cards conditionally. Mayor Mare has an altered version of Tory Foster's static, toned down because holy shit her static was overpowered in Exodus, Laura Roslin's OPG, and a drawback that means she breaks even on cards when XO'd at the President's Office and falls behind everywhere else -- still, not nearly as bad as Roslin's.
Trixie follows other ponies around, looking at whatever they do and saying "Feh, I could do that too," which I find hilarious, and a "has to move all the time" mechanic is easier to swallow on a military leader instead of political or pilot, and her OPG is like Ellen Tigh's and lets her put on a grand enough spectacle she can get away with anything before the smoke clears. She's able to draw a metric shitload of cards if set up right and should rarely draw less than six if she is outside the brig, but her drawback makes her worse at gunnery, scouting, Centurion sniping, FTL-activating, certain-crisis-avoiding, and nuke-firing without spending some of her extra cards on Strat Plans. Seems fair to me.
The one I am least confident on is Gilda; it was clear that if anyone was going to get Ellen Tigh's "you have Treachery cards in your normal draw" it had to be her, but she can't have the same kind of "taking cards from others" if she is a pilot because she is out in space. So instead she gets more cards for doing pilot things successfully, and even if there are no Cylon ships on the board she still breaks even on Launch Scout, but it might end up feeling like there's not much she can do. Her OPG is taken from the SA thread where they made a bunch of new characters; it originally belonged to their version of Racetrack, but is solid enough it could have been in BSG from the first set.
Anywho, those are my proposals, what do y'all think? I want to run a game or two in IRC to get testing but nobody seems to be interested when I ask; so if anyone reading WOULD be interested, you should probably respond to this thread so we can set up a time.
There aren't three grand, sweeping villains in FiM yet and Tirek is the best villain of previous generations by a country mile; I'd really rather have him than wedge in a more "pedestrian", low-level antagonist from a FiM episode. If other people voice a preference for a FiM villain in spot #3, then obviously we'll go with what the players prefer, but I would grumble and grouse about it the whole way.
Also, it occurred to me that A: we're three characters short if this is Pegasus version, there should be four each of military, political, and pilot characters and two support, and B: Fluttershy's "TRE counts positive" ability doesn't work in a vanilla game. Rather than make Fluttershy expansion-only, I move we change her static to be Adama's "1-strength cards always count positive on your turn", which is similar in effect and spirit and works in non-Pegasus games. Then I retroactively declare the CMC to be an expansion character, and add these three, who I made to seem "expansiony":
Mayor Mare is #1 in line for Presidency, Trixie and Gilda are #4 and #5 for Admiral, Gilda's #2 for CAG, and the rest of the placements are "bad".MILITARY:
The Great And Powerful Trixie - (LEA 2 - TAC 2 - ENG 1) - Setup: Press Room
Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better -- Any time a character at your location draws one or more Skill Cards for any reason, draw one Skill Card of one of the types drawn (even if it is not within your skill set).
Show-Stopping Spectacle -- Once per game, during your turn, take all title cards from their current holders. Return them to their original holders, if possible, at the end of the turn.
All Talk -- Any time you roll a die, subtract 1 from the result.
(FAQ: No, this doesn't apply to Cylon ships attacking on your turn.)
POLITICAL:
Mayor Mare - (POL 2 - LEA 2 - POL/TAC 1) - Setup: President's Office
Political Talent -- When the President draws a Quorum Card, draw a Skill Card (limit twice per turn).
Official Proclamation -- Action: Once per game, even if you are not the President, look at the top four Quorum Cards of the deck, play one, and place the rest on the top or bottom of the deck in any order you choose.
Behind Schedule -- You must discard a Skill Card to take an action when it isn't your turn.
PILOT:
Gilda - (TAC 2 - PIL/LEA 2 - TRE 1) Setup: Armory
Half Eagle, Half Lion, All Awesome -- Each time you hit an enemy craft or Centurion, or successfully play the Launch Scout Skill Card, draw an additional Skill Card (up to twice per turn).
Keeping An Eye Out -- Once per game, when the Admiral would draw two locations and pick one, instead you draw three locations and pick one.
Poisonous Friendship -- Your skill set includes Treachery cards.
Come to think of it, all of them have statics that get them more skill cards conditionally. Mayor Mare has an altered version of Tory Foster's static, toned down because holy shit her static was overpowered in Exodus, Laura Roslin's OPG, and a drawback that means she breaks even on cards when XO'd at the President's Office and falls behind everywhere else -- still, not nearly as bad as Roslin's.
Trixie follows other ponies around, looking at whatever they do and saying "Feh, I could do that too," which I find hilarious, and a "has to move all the time" mechanic is easier to swallow on a military leader instead of political or pilot, and her OPG is like Ellen Tigh's and lets her put on a grand enough spectacle she can get away with anything before the smoke clears. She's able to draw a metric shitload of cards if set up right and should rarely draw less than six if she is outside the brig, but her drawback makes her worse at gunnery, scouting, Centurion sniping, FTL-activating, certain-crisis-avoiding, and nuke-firing without spending some of her extra cards on Strat Plans. Seems fair to me.
The one I am least confident on is Gilda; it was clear that if anyone was going to get Ellen Tigh's "you have Treachery cards in your normal draw" it had to be her, but she can't have the same kind of "taking cards from others" if she is a pilot because she is out in space. So instead she gets more cards for doing pilot things successfully, and even if there are no Cylon ships on the board she still breaks even on Launch Scout, but it might end up feeling like there's not much she can do. Her OPG is taken from the SA thread where they made a bunch of new characters; it originally belonged to their version of Racetrack, but is solid enough it could have been in BSG from the first set.
Anywho, those are my proposals, what do y'all think? I want to run a game or two in IRC to get testing but nobody seems to be interested when I ask; so if anyone reading WOULD be interested, you should probably respond to this thread so we can set up a time.
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Huitzil
- Joined: Mar 22, 2011
. I haven't played Exodus, but Mayor Mare's static still seems pretty powerful. Also I'd suggest keeping my original names for the abilities; I don't recall Mayor Mare ever seeming particularly politically adept or making a proclamation, but she's specifically mentioned her inspiring speeches and apparently has enough connections to get Celestia to drop everything for an audience.
