Combat-less Torch Contest Idea

Jester · July 11, 2015

Summary

This idea would use resources, items, and totems for its “combat” rather than creatures. Each land would try to defend it's borders, build totems to increase its power, and attack other lands.

Totems

This idea is central to this new contest idea. Totems would be able to be built by land citizens and knocked down by citizens of other lands. They would have multiple stages each, with each stage giving progressively higher benefits. Examples of benefits are increased resource regeneration or torch stat growth, access to higher level cauldrons for better items, better resource gatherers and so on. A special Totem would be the land gates, which when built would deny access to any outsiders holding torches until they were knocked down.

Resources

Resources would be the same in every land but with a different prefix. Resources need to be balanced and that is impossible with the way they are currently. Only members of that land would be able to harvest that land's resources. However, each land would also be given a resource incinerator, which destroys a resource without gathering it, allowing enemies to deplete another land's resources and prevent building and item creation. Two types of resources would exist, building and items. Building resources for creating totems, and items to influence the item-less combat.

(Clarification: I mean entirely new resources would be created. If resources that already existed were used players who have stockpiled thousands would have a hugely unfair advantage, and with the way the resources are set up certain lands with their guilds would have this weighted unfairly in their favor. If lumber was used for this scenario it would be Necrovion Lumber and Golemus Lumber with a Necrovion Axe used to specifically harvest the lumber from their land. The Golemus Incinerator would destroy one unit of that Necrovion Lumber.)

Cauldrons

Torch-specific cauldrons would allow for the creation of items that could help or hinder a player. Examples include a higher level “death” item, which sends the player back to their capital and prevents movement and gathering, and a revival item which would need to be used on them before they could continue participating, as well as lower level items that damage totems or boost or lower a player's capabilities.

Torch Stats

Stats specific to Torches, such as resource gathering, demolition and construction, would be reset after each contest to prevent one land's citizens from getting too far ahead and discouraging people from participating in the contest. One central stat which increased every time the related stats increased and gave small bonuses to the other stats growth could possibly remain, however. Example is a Torch resource gathering stat which slightly increased the rate you gain other resource gathering stats and carries over from contest to contest, giving dedicated players a mild boost compared to new ones.

Torch Points

Upon successfully taking a torch to another capital, the land would be given a Torch Point. Once the contest has been concluded for that month, the land's Ruler would be able to give out the land's points to the people who participated in the contest (or it could be partly automatic to prevent the Ruler having to choose and possibly offend some of their citizens). These points would be used in a Torch Points shop, which would have an interface similar to the Wish Point shop.

Conclusion

I believe this would provide much-needed entertainment, as well as bringing in quite a few more people to MagicDuel. The players who participate in contests like this also seem to be the ones most prone to spending real money in the MD shop, so it could provide essential revenue as well. Additionally this would make land loyalties much more important and provide some sparring opportunities between them.

Feedback

I'm curious if people are interested in this idea, how hard it would be to create, whether its possible or not, etc. Comments are appreciated.

Edited July 12, 2015 by Jester