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LCG text ability: Pseudo VS natural Language

7 replies [Last post]
Thu, 11/07/2013 - 09:51
larienna
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In order to reduce the size of the text, make the text abilities easier to see in a glance and avoid the possibility of grammar errors, I was thinking about using pseudo language instead of natural language to describe text abilities on cards. I have 2 type of notation so far which would be similar to math or SQL notation. Here are teh example:

Math: 2 ( TopDeck -> Hand )
SQL: MOVE 2 CARD TopDeck TO hand
Natural: Move 2 cards from the top of your deck to your hand.

Another more complex example

Math: X = CreatureCost; Creature -> Discard; X ( TopDeck -> Groove )
SQL: X = CreatureCost; MOVE 1 CARD Battlefield TO Discard; MOVE X CARD TopDeck -> Groove
Natural: Discard a creature, add to your groove a number of cards equal to the summoning cost of the discarded creature.

Some enhancement I could make to the langage:

1. Each card in each zone has a specific name of it's own. For example:

A card in the battlefield is called a creature, a creature cannot be in any other zone
A card in the vault is called a crystal, a crystal cannot be in any otehr zone

so I could say

MOVE 1 Creature TO Discard
instead of
MOVE 1 CARD Battlefield TO Discard

2. I could standardise the movement action with 1 keyword: For example:

Draw = put a card into your hand
Summon = Put a card into the battlefield
Boost = Put a card into your groove
Discard = Put a card into your discard

So for example

MOVE X CARD Vault -> groove
could be written as
Boost X Crystals;

MOVE 1 CARD Battlefield TO Discard
could be written as
Discard Creature

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Thu, 11/07/2013 - 10:29
#1
Kroz1776
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My Favorite Is...

larienna wrote:
In order to reduce the size of the text, make the text abilities easier to see in a glance and avoid the possibility of grammar errors, I was thinking about using pseudo language instead of natural language to describe text abilities on cards. I have 2 type of notation so far which would be similar to math or SQL notation. Here are teh example:

MOVE 1 CARD Battlefield TO Discard
could be written as
Discard Creature

This example here is my favorite. Once players learn the names (which shouldn't be hard) it simplifies the cards and makes it intuitive and fast meanwhile saving space on the card.

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Tue, 11/19/2013 - 16:09
#2
larienna
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For those who are curious

For those who are curious about what my cards would look like, here is a sample of my first prototype:

http://bgd.lariennalibrary.com/uploads/Mainsite/GameIdea/GameIdea-TitanD...

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Wed, 11/20/2013 - 19:40
#3
Gizensha
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Joined: 07/26/2008
While the pseudo language

While the pseudo language approach may be less ambiguous and speed up comprehension to players familiar with the game, it's an additional barrier to entry, and perhaps even more intimidating than the pure iconographic approach of games such as Race for the Galaxy. I don't think the reduction in ambiguity of using such pseudo language - however appealing to you as the designer of this game or me as someone who wishes english had less ambiguity baked into it - is worth the extra difficulty of learning, and teaching, the game - Ambiguity is going to occasionally slow down play due to players discussing, or looking up on BGG or in an in game glossory, what some card text means. Card text written in a way that's ambiguous is going to cost you players who'd otherwise enjoy the game.

I'd use consistent terminology (And, using discard for moving things from both the hand to the discard and the battlefield to the discard isn't consistent, unless in one case you specify and the other you don't) to reduce ambiguity rather than pseudo langauge, and not introducing terms unless you're using them often enough that the space you're saving from them (Draw and discard are pretty much freebies; anyone who's played rummy understands those) justifies the cost of learning them - If you aren't getting much creature -> discard , go with "Discard creature from battlefield," but if it's coming up a fair bit... "Destroy creature" or "Kill creature" should be fine. Same with moving from the battlefield to the hand - If it doesn't come up all that much, spell it out, but if it is, then it may be worth the player learning cost to put it as "dismiss creature" or whatever.

People are used to learning terminology, though try and keep it consistent with other games similar to yours - No one wants to have to learn that "Snuffle" means "move a card from the draw pile to your hand" in this game, however flavourful "Snuffle" is in this game, and they're going to teach it as "Draw a card" anyway if it's not on the card text. People aren't used to learning new grammars.

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Wed, 11/20/2013 - 23:27
#4
larienna
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So far, the language keywords

So far, the language keywords looks like this:

Note: I could not format better


Zone Name | Card Name | Movement Name
Deck | Card | Recover
Hand | Hand Card | Return, Draw
Vault | Crystal | Crystallize
Groove | Energy | Energize
Fortress | Tower | Fortify
Fortress | Spell | Cast
Battlefield | Creature | Summon
Trash | Trash | Trash

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Wed, 11/20/2013 - 23:58
#5
questccg
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I, personally, am lost

What are those KEYWORDS for???

Is this like "Flight" or "Trample" or "First Strike" (in MTG)???

Note: You can do like in "Serpent's Tongue" and hire a couple of dudes just to design the language of the game... Just kidding! :P (But can you imagine that???)

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Thu, 11/21/2013 - 13:03
#6
larienna
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Very simple, instead of

Very simple, instead of saying:

"Select a card from your Vault zone and add it to your groove zone"

you say

"Energise a crystal"

Because you know a crystal is in the vault zone and you know that action of energizing means to place in in the groove zone.

Trash is the best because the zone name, the action and the noun use exacltly the same word like in:

Trash a Hand card (Verb)
Crystalize a Trash (Noun)

Quote:
You can do like in "Serpent's Tongue" and hire a couple of dudes just to design the language of the game... Just kidding! :P (But can you imagine that???)

I did not have a chance to see this game, but it does look intriguing.

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Thu, 11/21/2013 - 14:38
#7
questccg
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Nice

larienna wrote:
Very simple, instead of saying:

"Select a card from your Vault zone and add it to your groove zone"

you say

"Energise a crystal"

That's pretty cool... Makes sense now that you explained it. I want to "Summon a Trash"! lol

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