I think we should change the wording on discover, because right now it seems like the result of discovering a land is in the reminder text, which doesn't make sense. I think that the effect should just be a second ability that triggers whenever you discover a land, as this gives you a kind of teamwork effect of explorers helping each other out.
For example:
Oltac Explorer1W
Creature - Human (C)
At the beginning of your upkeep, discover. (Reveal the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
Whenever you discover a land, you gain 2 life.
1/2
Huavsa Explorer1B
Creature - Human (C)
At the beginning of your upkeep, discover. (Reveal the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
Whenever you discover a land, exile target card from a graveyard.
2/1
Detaching the land matters part from the keyword is misleading if every card still cares about lands. Just looking at one or two of these cards alone, I couldn't tell you that they all cared about lands, in fact it seems specifically setup to care about different types. The generic-ness of the actual keyword is also very concerning, in that it would probably give people a bad first impression of the mechanic.
The suggestion was to use an ability word, so I don't know what you mean by being in the reminder text.
Having Discoverers stack is interesting, but sounds potentially dangerous developmentally, and more important pushes the mechanic to be more parasitic for what doesn't seem to me to be very good reasons. Besides, 'Discover' already encourages you to play multiple cards with it, so you can play a lot of setup cards and then have a lot of payoff rather than the inconsistency of sometimes not getting both.
Yes, it seems as if the ability could care about other types, but what other way do you suggest formatting the ability? Could you make a card, so I can see how you are thinking of wording it? In addition, just because an ability is parasitic doesn't mean it's bad. Infect was a parasitic mechanic, and it was great.
The current state of the project still appears quite tentative to me. We've thrown around a few variations of land-based mechanics but pretty much each one has been criticized. Other than that all we have is the setting, a loose story thesis, and the notion that it's going to have a land matters theme.
Yes, it seems as if the ability could care about other types, but what other way do you suggest formatting the ability? Could you make a card, so I can see how you are thinking of wording it?
Discover- (+ etb on creatures) reveal the top card of your library. If it's a land card, (effect). Otherwise, you may put that card on the bottom of your library.
Or the graveyard version depending on where we want to take it, which I think will probably be most importantly be about where the rest of the set is going.
example card
Explorer Guy ( )
Creature- Human Scout (C) Discover- When ~ enters the battlefield, reveal the top card of your library. If it's a land card, you gain 3 life. Otherwise, you may put that card on the bottom of your library.
2/2
Infect was a parasitic mechanic, and it was great.
Infect had a compelling reason to do so, in that it offers a choice to commit to play the game in different way. That kind of parasiticness is natural for infect, it makes sense, it's part of what it does as a mechanic that makes it fun. And even then, it was still a weakness of the mechanic. It's more tacked on and artificial on discover, and doesn't offer as much, so I fell like the negatives of pushing to be a more restrictive linear thing outweighs the potential interest in doing so. There are plenty of ways to make synergistic and explosive things happen with the mechanic already, I don't think it wants it enough.
Good version, but still leaves it open to discover other card types. Not a bad thing per se cause it just shows the vast design space, but it doesn't tie the land theme to the keyword that strongly. That's just a random thought people could have if they saw this mechanic, probably.
Anyway, Discover is so far the best mechanic in my opinion, even though I would love if we could make it more modal with Discover X and some cards with "for each land", it would be so cool! More complicated and complex, but not by that much.
To be fair, we could limit discover X to the rare and mythic rarities, without disturbing the majority of cards with the mechanic. I think we need to start looking at some other mechanics though, cause discover seems to be pretty solid now.
Thoughts on doing Uncover in addition to Discover?
To remind everyone
Uncover N (Look at the bottom N cards of your library. Put any number of them on top of your library and the rest into your graveyard.)
Twofold functioning- graveyard and library mechanic. Works as a way to support Discover as well. Fits into the exploration thematic and matches with the weird and expansive world flavour.
Might feel a little too similar though?
Ascend is also something I'd consider alongside Discover.
Ascend [cost] (You may pay [cost] and put this creature on top of your library any time you could cast a sorcery.) + effect when ascends
I like it can fit into the odd verticality of the world, representing moving between the layers to harness different powers from them.
This verticality concept I feel is probably an important one to capture mechanically, as it is core to the world.
Other ideas touching upon it:
Minor-ish flying matters theme
Toughness invert mechanic- (You may have this creature assign combat damage to creatures equal to it's toughness.)
Level up for lands flavoured as the land moving between or expending through different layers.
I like the term "Explore" more than "Discover" because the flavor is that when you explore, you might discover (a land).
Agreed, I have had a nagging feeling about that since a few pages back. While what we've been calling Discover is better mechanically than what I originally proposed as Explore, the land favor is better suited by the term Explore.
Thoughts on doing Uncover in addition to Discover?
To remind everyone
Uncover N (Look at the bottom N cards of your library. Put any number of them on top of your library and the rest into your graveyard.)
I like this inverted possibility. But to continue with flavor suggestions, Excavate may sound better.
I like the idea of an aura subtheme, but I think it would be difficult to fit it into the flavour we've got going so far. I'm not saying it won't work, but I'd want to see an explanation before we use it. Excavate sounds cool, and I really like ascend, however it is a bit of a no-bo with explore/discover.
I've been toying around with the stalk mechanic someone suggested, and what about this? Condition (like etb, or an activated ability, etc): ~ stalks target creature you don't control. When that creature dies, [effect].
I like the idea of an aura subtheme, but I think it would be difficult to fit it into the flavour we've got going so far. I'm not saying it won't work, but I'd want to see an explanation before we use it.
Perhaps with the equip/enchant matters, it could be flavoured as improvisation, being able to make the best of what you have and such. That is pushing in the Zendikar direction though.
Excavate sounds cool, and I really like ascend, however it is a bit of a no-bo with explore/discover.
Excavate doesn't sound right to me. Too sort of archaeological. Uncover is broader and more mysterious/ominous which I like here. I think the mechanic makes more sense with Explore/Discover than Ascend though, yes.
I've been toying around with the stalk mechanic someone suggested, and what about this? Condition (like etb, or an activated ability, etc): ~ stalks target creature you don't control. When that creature dies, [effect].
The rules about this seem unclear.
Also, how does this contribute to creating the sense of the world we are using? Sure, wild predator stuff is part of the world, but I don't see why it's something we want to play up this much.
-
Thoughts on these from before though?
Minor-ish flying matters theme
Toughness invert mechanic- (You may have this creature assign combat damage to creatures equal to it's toughness.)
Level up for lands flavoured as the land moving between or expending through different layers.
Hi, I have read up on the way this set came about recently and have been waiting to see where the fluff and flavor would develop into since I'm generally interested in a community set, but I'm not certain there is really any cohesion in this set. There is basically one theme: Exploration. And while there is a strong idea about this being not Zendikar there needs to be a really gripping catch to this plane that gives it a unique personality.
Right now there are very many individual ideas, but no common core.
What I want to say is: If this set was an idea for GDS 2, then it would not pass on into even round 1 because the setting has no identity of its own. It's not prison world, its not underground world, its not western world, and obviously you don't want it to be adventure world (because that's Zendikar's thing). But what will it be? What tropes will be important for this set except exploring? What is the common theme between Exploration, Maya/Inca and legendary matters?
I'm not good keeping my native american cultures apart, so I really don't know what to expect, but I think maybe you need to make yourself a logline to remind yourself what it is that sells the set - and figure out where the common ground is. Right now I'm not certain the people excited for one winner of the polls are also excited for the other (e. g. is Pyrulea really predestined as a Maya/Inca world? do legendary matters and exploration belong into the same set?). I'm just wondering whether you are setting yourself up for disappointment because the setting is planned as a mixture of irreconcilable ideas - and you focus on only one that really does not sound like the thing that distinguishes this set from "adventure plane" Zendikar.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Planar Chaos was not a mistake neither was it random. You might want to look at it again.
[thread=239793][Game] Level Up - Creature[/thread]
Hi, I have read up on the way this set came about recently and have been waiting to see where the fluff and flavor would develop into since I'm generally interested in a community set, but I'm not certain there is really any cohesion in this set. There is basically one theme: Exploration. And while there is a strong idea about this being not Zendikar there needs to be a really gripping catch to this plane that gives it a unique personality.
Well, that's something we have been looking at and are getting toward. In terms of what makes the world unique and interesting- that's down to the unique structure of the world itself. And we are moving toward different themes that convey this aspect.
One thing I particularly like about Uncover (or Excavate) here is that it more clearly conveys the inside out world.
The general feel and tone of the set I think should be more strange and expansive as opposed Zendikar's adventure survival world. I think we should commit to a clear premise of the set now, so what is everyone else's thoughts?
The logline for my suggestion then would be something like 'a world turned on it's head, filled with mystery, wonder and unbound imagination'.
Toughness invert mechanic- (You may have this creature assign combat damage to creatures equal to it's toughness.)
I don't know, doesn't seem that relevant. I guess I'm still focused on coming up with more mechanics that are relevant to land and library.
Level up for lands flavoured as the land moving between or expending through different layers.
This was the idea that I found most interesting and relevant. I'd be curious to see how that'd be implemented before being sure though. But I do think it'd be nice to have some kind of new thing for land cards, and this is one possibility. The other possibilities I'd be interested in is a cycle of DFC lands that represent different levels or maybe portals or perhaps creature lands where the 2nd side represents the land coming to life.
Toughness invert mechanic- (You may have this creature assign combat damage to creatures equal to it's toughness.)
I don't know, doesn't seem that relevant. I guess I'm still focused on coming up with more mechanicd that are relevant to land and library.
The idea was capturing the inverted world idea by having a mechanic that inverts things.
Level up for lands flavoured as the land moving between or expending through different layers.
This was the idea that I found most interesting and relevant. I'd be curious to see how that'd be implemented before being sure though. But I do think it'd be nice to have some kind of new thing for land cards, and this is one possibility. The other possibilities I'd be interested in is a cycle of DFC lands that represent different levels or maybe portals or perhaps creature lands where the 2nd side represents the land coming to life.
DFC lands is another cool idea. I'd want to do a cycle and then a color neutral one as well. If we end up doing DFC lands, we might as well as do them elsewhere.
DFC are easier for us to do than WotC because we don't have the same printing restraints .
Even though I like the level up lands mechanic ever since I saw them first in another set, we probably should go with DFC Lands since they are better to make and easier to balance. Lands in general are probably the hardest to deal with, so a level up land could possibly not be dealt with, which makes it kinda bad design. Same goes for DFC lands of course, but I think the flip condition can be priced much more fairly than a level up mana sink.
Yeah, cycle is a given, also still would want more sacrifice lands, Horizon Canopy can't stay the only one in that set.
DFC lands seem great to me as, like Gustostueckerl said, the flip condition can easily be designed to be playable.
Another way to "explore", if I may say so, the land-matters mechanic is to focus on the lands your opponents control, with a kind of "scout" ability. Something like:
When ~ ETB, if an opponent controls a land you don't control,...
Or
When ~ attacks, if an opponent controls an untapped land or more,...
I think we need to change the current Explore/Discover frontrunner. It's just too wordy. I've attached mockups of two basic common designs. The spell has seven lines of text and the creature has six. Granted, a lot of that is the Explore/Discover general text alone, so they are equivalent to more like 4 or 5 lines of unique text, but that's still too much.
The reveal two check if you get a land version cuts them down to barely six lines of text and four, which is more appropriate, but I dislike how inelegant this version is in revealing two which feels like a much more arbitrary number than only one. The percentage chance of getting a land without using any manipulation is also a little too high for my liking, taking away from the drive to play synergy cards. Most importantly perhaps, revealing two cards and having to put them back in the exact same order is concerning because of the amount of information being given away at once but also because it could encourage cheating. Adding text to bottom the cards would make this ability too long then.
Possible solutions to this problem-
Explore- Reveal the top card of your library. If it's an artifact or land card, (effect).
Advantages- Simple and short, but with higher chances of success without manipulation. Artifacs make sense to explore to find.
Concerns- Perhaps too easy to hit with. Muddies the waters of land matters and necessitates having a considerable amount of playable artifacts. Pushes the mechanic even more toward Zendikar flavour.
Explore- Reveal the top card of your library. If it's an enchantment or land card, (effect).
Advantages- Enchantments are probably a more interesting choice than artifacts. Enchantments help push the mechanic away from Zendikar flavour with more of a strange worlds theme
Concerns- Perhaps too easy to hit with. Muddies the waters of land matters and necessitates having a considerable amount of playable enchantments. The flavour might not be clear enough to people.
DFC lands seem great to me as, like Gustostueckerl said, the flip condition can easily be designed to be playable.
Another way to "explore", if I may say so, the land-matters mechanic is to focus on the lands your opponents control, with a kind of "scout" ability. Something like:
When ~ ETB, if an opponent controls a land you don't control,...
Or
When ~ attacks, if an opponent controls an untapped land or more,...
As soon as I saw the line 'focus on the lands your opponents control' alarm bells went off in my head. The opponents-matter-mechanics return with a vengeance.
That first version's text needs some work. As is, it sounds a LOT like it just means 'if an opponent controls a land'. I presume you mean to check if your opponent controls a land with a name none of your lands share. I see two problems. One is that that looks to be difficult to word elegantly and shortly. And two, which is that mechanic is basically running straight into the landwalk problem- it's not really fun gameplay to have the power of your cards be directly affected by what deck your opponent is playing in a manner not related to interesting strategical dynamics, especially when this is supposed to be a major theme people are supposed to build to support.
For the second, the wording is probably better as '...if an opponent controls one or more untapped lands'. I see a very similar problem with the previous, I really don't think the gameplay of when my opponent is not tapped out my cards are better will prove to be fun, especially when, again, set mechanics are inherently set up to be build around.
About your ideas of Explore checking lands and atifacts/enchantment, I also two difficulties. First of all, as you mentionned it, maybe it's too easy to come across one of these two types of cards. Besides, I think that using artifacts fits he mechanic better as it's like hunting for a treasure or something like that, thus resembling Zendikar more than with echantments. In another hand, even if using enchantments works well with the flavour, I find it strange to discover enchantments, like running into an enchantment into the wild looks kinda awkward to me.
My only issue with the two new suggestions for Explore is that they take away from the land theme and broaden it to either artifacts or enchantments. Maybe this makes it technically easier to pull off, but I'd rather it just be triggered by revealing a land. Focus on artifacts also doesn't make much sense to me for a sort of nature-based setting. It would seem the simplest and least wordy route would be:
Explore - Reveal the top card of your library. If it's a land card, (effect).
The limitation is that this would seem kind of inherently dependent on scrying, cycling and similar effects to maximize its potential. It's no longer serving any deck-cycling function by itself. Perhaps that could be compensated for by having Scry or something similar a prominent mechanic as well. Otherwise, while simple and less wordy, by itself I don't see it being very effective with likely little more than a 1/3 chance to trigger.
My only issue with the two new suggestions for Explore is that they take away from the land theme and broaden it to either artifacts or enchantments. Maybe this makes it technically easier to pull off, but I'd rather it just be triggered by revealing a land. Focus on artifacts also doesn't make much sense to me for a sort of nature-based setting. It would seem the simplest and least wordy route would be:
Explore - Reveal the top card of your library. If it's a land card, (effect).
The limitation is that this would seem kind of inherently dependent on scrying, cycling and similar effects to maximize its potential. It's no longer serving any deck-cycling function by itself. Perhaps that could be compensated for by having Scry or something similar a prominent mechanic as well. Otherwise, while simple and less wordy, by itself I don't see it being very effective with likely little more than a 1/3 chance to trigger.
Yes, this was the original version. Why it changed was the reasons you touch on at the end- the chances of hitting without any support are a little too low. if playing 35-37 lands in your 60 was standard, this mechanic would be great.
I'm starting to favour Explore (Reveal cards from the top of your library until your reveal a land card, put that card into your hand, then put the rest on the bottom in any order.). The effect is definitely worth a bunch, so you can't just throw it around, but, I figure, so's Proliferate.
Detaching the land matters part from the keyword is misleading if every card still cares about lands. Just looking at one or two of these cards alone, I couldn't tell you that they all cared about lands, in fact it seems specifically setup to care about different types. The generic-ness of the actual keyword is also very concerning, in that it would probably give people a bad first impression of the mechanic.
The suggestion was to use an ability word, so I don't know what you mean by being in the reminder text.
Having Discoverers stack is interesting, but sounds potentially dangerous developmentally, and more important pushes the mechanic to be more parasitic for what doesn't seem to me to be very good reasons. Besides, 'Discover' already encourages you to play multiple cards with it, so you can play a lot of setup cards and then have a lot of payoff rather than the inconsistency of sometimes not getting both.
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice
Also, where did everyone go?
Basically, we've barely truly begun.
Discover- (+ etb on creatures) reveal the top card of your library. If it's a land card, (effect). Otherwise, you may put that card on the bottom of your library.
Or the graveyard version depending on where we want to take it, which I think will probably be most importantly be about where the rest of the set is going.
example card
Explorer Guy ( )
Creature- Human Scout (C)
Discover- When ~ enters the battlefield, reveal the top card of your library. If it's a land card, you gain 3 life. Otherwise, you may put that card on the bottom of your library.
2/2
EDIT:
Infect had a compelling reason to do so, in that it offers a choice to commit to play the game in different way. That kind of parasiticness is natural for infect, it makes sense, it's part of what it does as a mechanic that makes it fun. And even then, it was still a weakness of the mechanic. It's more tacked on and artificial on discover, and doesn't offer as much, so I fell like the negatives of pushing to be a more restrictive linear thing outweighs the potential interest in doing so. There are plenty of ways to make synergistic and explosive things happen with the mechanic already, I don't think it wants it enough.
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice
Anyway, Discover is so far the best mechanic in my opinion, even though I would love if we could make it more modal with Discover X and some cards with "for each land", it would be so cool! More complicated and complex, but not by that much.
To remind everyone
Uncover N (Look at the bottom N cards of your library. Put any number of them on top of your library and the rest into your graveyard.)
Twofold functioning- graveyard and library mechanic. Works as a way to support Discover as well. Fits into the exploration thematic and matches with the weird and expansive world flavour.
Might feel a little too similar though?
Ascend is also something I'd consider alongside Discover.
Ascend [cost] (You may pay [cost] and put this creature on top of your library any time you could cast a sorcery.) + effect when ascends
I like it can fit into the odd verticality of the world, representing moving between the layers to harness different powers from them.
This verticality concept I feel is probably an important one to capture mechanically, as it is core to the world.
Other ideas touching upon it:
Minor-ish flying matters theme
Toughness invert mechanic- (You may have this creature assign combat damage to creatures equal to it's toughness.)
Level up for lands flavoured as the land moving between or expending through different layers.
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice
Agreed, I have had a nagging feeling about that since a few pages back. While what we've been calling Discover is better mechanically than what I originally proposed as Explore, the land favor is better suited by the term Explore.
I like this inverted possibility. But to continue with flavor suggestions, Excavate may sound better.
To stay on this idea, maybe something based on auras and equipments could fit well too, as you have to stack cards to enchant or equip them, like:
Quite basic, but there are a lot of things to do around that, with ingenious combinations and clever equipments and auras
I've been toying around with the stalk mechanic someone suggested, and what about this? Condition (like etb, or an activated ability, etc): ~ stalks target creature you don't control. When that creature dies, [effect].
I could go for Explore as the name.
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice
Perhaps with the equip/enchant matters, it could be flavoured as improvisation, being able to make the best of what you have and such. That is pushing in the Zendikar direction though.
Excavate doesn't sound right to me. Too sort of archaeological. Uncover is broader and more mysterious/ominous which I like here. I think the mechanic makes more sense with Explore/Discover than Ascend though, yes.
The rules about this seem unclear.
Also, how does this contribute to creating the sense of the world we are using? Sure, wild predator stuff is part of the world, but I don't see why it's something we want to play up this much.
-
Thoughts on these from before though?
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice
Right now there are very many individual ideas, but no common core.
What I want to say is: If this set was an idea for GDS 2, then it would not pass on into even round 1 because the setting has no identity of its own. It's not prison world, its not underground world, its not western world, and obviously you don't want it to be adventure world (because that's Zendikar's thing). But what will it be? What tropes will be important for this set except exploring? What is the common theme between Exploration, Maya/Inca and legendary matters?
I'm not good keeping my native american cultures apart, so I really don't know what to expect, but I think maybe you need to make yourself a logline to remind yourself what it is that sells the set - and figure out where the common ground is. Right now I'm not certain the people excited for one winner of the polls are also excited for the other (e. g. is Pyrulea really predestined as a Maya/Inca world? do legendary matters and exploration belong into the same set?). I'm just wondering whether you are setting yourself up for disappointment because the setting is planned as a mixture of irreconcilable ideas - and you focus on only one that really does not sound like the thing that distinguishes this set from "adventure plane" Zendikar.
Finally a good white villain quote: "So, do I ever re-evaluate my life choices? Never, because I know what I'm doing is a righteous cause."
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Well, that's something we have been looking at and are getting toward. In terms of what makes the world unique and interesting- that's down to the unique structure of the world itself. And we are moving toward different themes that convey this aspect.
One thing I particularly like about Uncover (or Excavate) here is that it more clearly conveys the inside out world.
The general feel and tone of the set I think should be more strange and expansive as opposed Zendikar's adventure survival world. I think we should commit to a clear premise of the set now, so what is everyone else's thoughts?
The logline for my suggestion then would be something like 'a world turned on it's head, filled with mystery, wonder and unbound imagination'.
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice
I don't know, doesn't seem that relevant. I guess I'm still focused on coming up with more mechanics that are relevant to land and library.
This was the idea that I found most interesting and relevant. I'd be curious to see how that'd be implemented before being sure though. But I do think it'd be nice to have some kind of new thing for land cards, and this is one possibility. The other possibilities I'd be interested in is a cycle of DFC lands that represent different levels or maybe portals or perhaps creature lands where the 2nd side represents the land coming to life.
The idea was capturing the inverted world idea by having a mechanic that inverts things.
DFC lands is another cool idea. I'd want to do a cycle and then a color neutral one as well. If we end up doing DFC lands, we might as well as do them elsewhere.
DFC are easier for us to do than WotC because we don't have the same printing restraints .
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice
Yeah, cycle is a given, also still would want more sacrifice lands, Horizon Canopy can't stay the only one in that set.
Another way to "explore", if I may say so, the land-matters mechanic is to focus on the lands your opponents control, with a kind of "scout" ability. Something like:
Or
The reveal two check if you get a land version cuts them down to barely six lines of text and four, which is more appropriate, but I dislike how inelegant this version is in revealing two which feels like a much more arbitrary number than only one. The percentage chance of getting a land without using any manipulation is also a little too high for my liking, taking away from the drive to play synergy cards. Most importantly perhaps, revealing two cards and having to put them back in the exact same order is concerning because of the amount of information being given away at once but also because it could encourage cheating. Adding text to bottom the cards would make this ability too long then.
Possible solutions to this problem-
Explore- Reveal the top card of your library. If it's an artifact or land card, (effect).
Advantages- Simple and short, but with higher chances of success without manipulation. Artifacs make sense to explore to find.
Concerns- Perhaps too easy to hit with. Muddies the waters of land matters and necessitates having a considerable amount of playable artifacts. Pushes the mechanic even more toward Zendikar flavour.
Explore- Reveal the top card of your library. If it's an enchantment or land card, (effect).
Advantages- Enchantments are probably a more interesting choice than artifacts. Enchantments help push the mechanic away from Zendikar flavour with more of a strange worlds theme
Concerns- Perhaps too easy to hit with. Muddies the waters of land matters and necessitates having a considerable amount of playable enchantments. The flavour might not be clear enough to people.
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice
As soon as I saw the line 'focus on the lands your opponents control' alarm bells went off in my head. The opponents-matter-mechanics return with a vengeance.
That first version's text needs some work. As is, it sounds a LOT like it just means 'if an opponent controls a land'. I presume you mean to check if your opponent controls a land with a name none of your lands share. I see two problems. One is that that looks to be difficult to word elegantly and shortly. And two, which is that mechanic is basically running straight into the landwalk problem- it's not really fun gameplay to have the power of your cards be directly affected by what deck your opponent is playing in a manner not related to interesting strategical dynamics, especially when this is supposed to be a major theme people are supposed to build to support.
For the second, the wording is probably better as '...if an opponent controls one or more untapped lands'. I see a very similar problem with the previous, I really don't think the gameplay of when my opponent is not tapped out my cards are better will prove to be fun, especially when, again, set mechanics are inherently set up to be build around.
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice
About your ideas of Explore checking lands and atifacts/enchantment, I also two difficulties. First of all, as you mentionned it, maybe it's too easy to come across one of these two types of cards. Besides, I think that using artifacts fits he mechanic better as it's like hunting for a treasure or something like that, thus resembling Zendikar more than with echantments. In another hand, even if using enchantments works well with the flavour, I find it strange to discover enchantments, like running into an enchantment into the wild looks kinda awkward to me.
Explore - Reveal the top card of your library. If it's a land card, (effect).
The limitation is that this would seem kind of inherently dependent on scrying, cycling and similar effects to maximize its potential. It's no longer serving any deck-cycling function by itself. Perhaps that could be compensated for by having Scry or something similar a prominent mechanic as well. Otherwise, while simple and less wordy, by itself I don't see it being very effective with likely little more than a 1/3 chance to trigger.
Yes, this was the original version. Why it changed was the reasons you touch on at the end- the chances of hitting without any support are a little too low. if playing 35-37 lands in your 60 was standard, this mechanic would be great.
I'm starting to favour Explore (Reveal cards from the top of your library until your reveal a land card, put that card into your hand, then put the rest on the bottom in any order.). The effect is definitely worth a bunch, so you can't just throw it around, but, I figure, so's Proliferate.
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice