CCG Combat and Simplicity

Welcome back dear reader. Today I want to cover not only Combat in a bit more depth, but a few words on combat simplicity and its impact on a game.

CCG Combat and Simplicity

So with the awful definition of avatars comparing stats, let’s take a basic example of how most combat is dealt with:

Joe Bob has 2 strength and 3 defense

Bubba Gump has 5 strength and 1 defense

Now based on these figures, let’s see how different games might handle it:

In Magic, both characters are dead because without any other cards affecting the characters, nor any traits that lets one deal damage first (ie, First Strike).

In VS, both characters would be “Stunned” (that is to say, tapped and then turned upside down). This represents characters that are no longer in play. You also lose life points (called Endurance) equal to the amount of Breakthrough (ie, Trample) damage. For example, Bubba did 2 Breakthrough damage, because Joe Bob’s defense is 3 and Bubba’s power is 5.

In the defunct Doom Trooper CCG, both characters would get a Wound. After the second wound counter is placed, the character dies.

So what does this tell us? One, that I believe a two-stat system is the simplest solution. For example, let’s take a look at this card:

Now, allow me to say here: Goddamn that’s a lot of stats, numbers, abilities, and symbols. There are no less than nine different properties for this character, not counting her abilities!

Now this card comes from the Allegiance: War of Factions CCG, sort of like a moderately tough to learn RPG made into a pretty damn complex card game. Now I’ve not played Allegiance, so I’m not dishing the game, but what I do have issues with is its awful layout and lack of any sort of explanation.

For example: I can see that 3 is this character’s attack value. At least, I think it is, based on the swords behind the graphic. But…what in the hell is the rest of this? What is that weird L symbol that activates the ability? I’m guessing this is their tap symbol. I’ll give them that.

Allow me to show you another card from their upcoming expansion. Just when you thought 9 different stats were too many…

Okay, now this a bit better layout-wise, in that I can definitely see the attack and defense of the character. But damn. The numbers, color-coded, the symbols in the bottom left and bottom right corners (complete with keyword next to them)…its ridiculous. There is a lesson to be learned here.

That lesson, that secret to combat is simplicity. This game lacks it. When you have Joe Bob as a 2/3, and Bubba Gump as a 5/1, you immediately began to compare those stats and can instantly do the math in your head. When I look at an Allegiance card, my eyes glaze over. There is just so much information there. Talk about a newbie killer…

Here’s another simplicity-is-best factoid: When you have new mechanics, such as “Sabotage” on the latter card I have here, for the love of God, Explain them on the card. If you do not, you alienate new players and old ones alike.

This is a rule (ie, explaining mechanics) that Magic adopted a long time ago, yet I find myself hard pressed to find it anywhere else. VS. System is finally adapting something similar in terms of their new Concealement mechanic, but in older sets they have not. This is a mistake. Card games need to be simple with splashes of strategic complexity, not forcing the player to run around the most recent rulebook looking up the latest mechanic that a player may never see again.

Case in point:

Any idea what Cosmic is? What it does, how it works, and did you know it was a counter? Yeah, me neither when I first saw it. Here’s how that card should read:

“Cosmic (This comes into play with a Cosmic counter. While this has one, it has the following ability. If stunned, this character loses its Cosmic counter.): Activate, remove Strange Visitor from the game..”

Etc. Now does it make a bit more sense? I thought so.