So in a card-based game that I've created, I've got a problem with the over-use of the word "action".
You can take three actions per turn.
There are action cards in the game.
There are actions you can use on items in play.
But playing an item is an action you can take, and making an attack is also an action you can take.
Changing the wording on the items to be "ability" or "use" seems obvious/easy enough, but the rest I'm a little stumped on at the moment.
3 "actions" per turn -
Items have "abilities"
And you can call them "Event" Cards
Define actions as a cost for effects:
1 Action: Play an Item
1 Action: Make an attack
1 Action: Play an Event card
This turns "actions" into a resource that is managed, which may open up design space as well.
Some games term them action points which you spend on available action choices. In Mythic Migration, you have two action points each turn to spend on moving pieces, moving tiles, or a combination of both.
I would say 1 Action to Use an Item (or consume if it is a one use item) Just some thoughts
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamemechanic/2001/action-point-allowance-s...
You do want a clear difference in the words you use and what they refer to. Any amount of confusion can ruin comprehension. Call your three actions actions as that is common nomenclature. Call your card actions either events or powers, and say players are either using them or activating them. Dont use the same word for two different things.
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Some good feedback, my one comment is that "event" is not the same as "action" when you're referring to single characters, as in this case, and that's probably my biggest issue.
The item fix is easy, it's really the action cards, and having 3 actions per turn.