Druid Boon Selection

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007Bistromath

I'd like to be able to pick which boons the Druid gets at setup. It's taking me a really long time to get sky, field, and sea.

Edit: 1/1320, ez game, ez life 8)

Ingix

The online game follows whats written on the cards more or less to the letter. Druid gets the top 3 Boons from the Boon pile, and since those are supposed to be random, the Druid boons are random.

AdamH

No no no, that's not how it works. Why would you not allow people to select the kingdom they play with? The Druid boons are an extremely important part of that.

Young Witch has a setup clause, same with Way of the Mouse. We can select those things as part of the kingdom even though technically they are supposed to be random as well. All of the kingdom cards are supposed to be random!

It's one thing to say that you don't want to take the time to develop it -- that's gotten Shuffleit out of developing a number of extremely important features that would make the client a lot better. But this line of reasoning doesn't hold up.

I can't playtest designed kingdoms with these cards online, this matters for my IRL tournaments, the podcast, or any discussion on any kingdom anywhere with any of these cards.

Ingix

As I said, the online game follows (mostly) what's written on the cards.

QuoteYoung Witch has a setup clause, same with Way of the Mouse. We can select those things as part of the kingdom even though technically they are supposed to be random as well.

Young Witch: Setup: Add an extra Kingdom card pile costing $2 or $3 to the Supply...

Way of the Mouse: Setup: Set aside an unused Action costing $2 or $3.

No mention of randomness. Can be chosen by the player online, if they want to.

Oblisk: Setup: Choose a random Action Supply pile.

Mentioned randomness, cannot be chosen by the player.

Druid: Setup: Set aside the top 3 Boons face up.

Not "Choose 3 boons" or "Set aside 3 boons."
You have to take the top 3 Boons of the Boon pile, which is shuffled, so in random order.

QuoteIt's one thing to say that you don't want to take the time to develop it -- that's gotten Shuffleit out of developing a number of extremely important features that would make the client a lot better. But this line of reasoning doesn't hold up.

I agree allowing it wouldn't be problematic, like deciding, if you want to, which pile is the Obelisk pile, wouldn't be problematic.

AdamH

All I have to say is that if Shuffleit thinks the literal reading of these cards is justification for not allowing a feature that people obviously want and hurts nobody, then this is yet another demonstration of how out-of-touch Shuffleit is with the people who use their software.

Is there anyone other than the people who would have to put in the work to make this happen who thinks it's a bad idea to have this in the client?

blamelewis

Me. Well, ok, there'd be no harm. But I'd *much* rather development time was spent on other things than implementing house rules some of us would quite like. When randomness is in the rulebook, that's what's implemented in the client - anything else is beyond the ruleset and should definitely be low on the wish list.

AdamH

Quote from: blamelewis on 10 April 2020, 06:31:23 PM
I'd *much* rather development time was spent on other things than implementing house rules some of us would quite like.

This has been the argument for just not putting all kinds of features that people actually want on any kind of backlog. Several items from a backlog posted on the initial release day for Shuffleit have still not been implemented, so I don't necessarily have faith in any feature getting implemented ever, regardless of how desperately it's needed.

But that's not what I'm saying. I'm not saying that this is the most important feature to implement. I'm saying that it should be implemented. It should be put on a backlog, that's what backlogs are for. There is no good reason at all that this should just disappear and never be implemented.

007Bistromath

The officially recommended setups include selected Druid boons. That's a pretty good sign you're supposed to be able to do that if you want to.

scottydeux

I like to second the previous replies sentiment. A friend and I are spending quarantine doing every recommended set up possible. There are four or five in Nocturne that cannot be done here. That's something featured on the the pages of the rules for the game.

This really is such a wonderful site you've put together and within a day of finding out about it I subscribed for the whole enchilada for a year. This has brought much joy to those stuck in all day. And I even found out a couple cards my friends and I have been playing wrong this whole time. So understand there is a great appreciation coming from me, but I have to agree with 007Bistromath, the official material really points in the direction that the Druid's Boons may be picked. And with such an official concept being writ, there is also the spirit of the game as follows.

I'm the architect of games with my friends. Picking just the right Way, Project, etc. (especially from expansions we don't own physically but soon will I'm sure) to cause for monkey wrenches in certain engines and such is a big part of my card choices. For example, in a game desperate for trash opportunities, it sucks to have the Bot choose a Boon with the ability to trash to be one of the three Druid choices, rather than having to use another Fate card. It's far more fun to have everyone's fingers crossed that the one in eight chance to get it happens for them.