[MidnightLich]

Hi guys!

Well, as often happens in life, the course of Will of the Collective VIII has changed. We set out to close a broken link, and you chose Gagh. We went through votes for the concept and the gametext, but the majority of you felt the card you made, while good, wasn't Gagh. And you decided to keep going with that card, which means that WotC8 isn't making a broken link any longer. And that's fine, but I want to go above and beyond for you. So I thought that I'd make you guys some Gagh, but have you help me along the way.

In this process, it will be less formal and not decided entirely by your votes. But I'm still going to ask for your input and have you help me make key decisions, because I want to deliver a Gagh card that you guys are happy with, even if it isn't' a Gagh card you made entirely yourselves. Hopefully, that makes sense.

To start, I thought I'd lay out some requirements for the card that I see. Then, you guys can weigh-in on them, let me know if you like them or not, or suggest others that I didn't consider. Then, I can use those requirements to come up with a concept and eventually a card that can be put through its paces.

Here's what I think need to be requirements for Gagh:

• It's Klingon-related, so it has Klingon or in its gametext.
• It works for most decks that can play Chef Kaga.
• It should care in some way about a chef.
• It should benefit from being special downloaded.

The first point is to make sure that Gagh works with whatever is the finished product of Will of the Collective VIII, giving some synergy. Secondly, as Chef Kaga is the one that can download it, it makes sense the card works in most decks that he can reasonably appear in. Likewise, a sticking point for many of you was the lack of chef-references, so I'd like to incorporate that here. Finally, because it's a , it should be something that benefits from that - either a card that matters during a mission attempt, or gives value being grabbed at a time of your choice. This was another complaint about the Card Formerly Known as Gagh.

What do you think? Is this is a good list of requirements for Gagh? What do you like and/or dislike about this list, and what would you add? Let me know, and together we'll get some great Gagh into the game.

-crp

[karnstein]

I think it’s a solid list, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to work with you on Gagh.

[BCSWowbagger]

I forgot to reply to this in a timely manner, so ignore if too late.

I don't think it's important or even desirable for Gagh to benefit from being a suspends-play special download. It comes into play as a , but the vast majority of do not measurably benefit from weird timing tricks.

For example, Solkar's download of Live Long And Prosper doesn't benefit because LLAP only works in a well-defined timing window (as a direct response to another action). On the other end of the spectrum, Dereth's download of Organ Theft doesn't benefit because Organ Theft merely enables you to take an action -- which you can't take during an attempt / battle anyway.

A couple years ago, I counted 504 special downloads in the game. 240 of them did not benefit in any way from suspends play timing; another 162 of them (like U.S.S. Valiant downloading Training Cruise mid-attempt to boost attributes) benefited only in small ways. 5 were broken links. (One of those was Gagh!) That left only 103 that were clearly benefiting from being downloaded rather than drawn and played (aside from the obvious benefit of being more available at lower cost).

Other criteria seem like they match the Sense of the Community, and I won't stand in their way!

[AllGoodThings203]

Card that allows situational skill add (when facing a dilemma or solving a mission).

[GalaxiaGuy]

It should care in some way about a chef.

Just to clarify, when you say "chef", do you actually mean chef, or do you mean cook?

[MattgomeryScott]

I think that's a nice set of criteria, though I also agree with BCSWowbagger that the doesn't necessarily mean it needs to be a card that takes advantage of suspending play. It just shouldn't be something that works a lot better seeded, like "Not Gagh."

All the Best,

Mattgomery Scott.

[MidnightLich]

It should care in some way about a chef.

Just to clarify, when you say "chef", do you actually mean chef, or do you mean cook?

Apologies - I meant cook. Not looking to add anything new, keyword-wise, to the game.

I think that's a nice set of criteria, though I also agree with BCSWowbagger that the doesn't necessarily mean it needs to be a card that takes advantage of suspending play. It just shouldn't be something that works a lot better seeded, like "Not Gagh."

All the Best,

Mattgomery Scott.

This is much more of what I meant. The card should be useful if seeded, or if played later via a . The actual "suspends play" timing isn't as important.

-crp

[MidnightLich]

Okay, so it seems like my list of criteria is workable. Here's what they are:

• It's Klingon-related, so it has Klingon or in its gametext.
• It works for most decks that can play Chef Kaga.
• It should care in some way about a cook.
• It should be equally useful when played as if seeded (if possible).

There was one suggestion about what the card might do:

Card that allows situational skill add (when facing a dilemma or solving a mission).

Unfortunately, I think that's a poor fit for Gagh. Obviously, it's a very powerful ability, but I'm not sure it's something that food / eating / a good meal would do. At least not in the sense of how I think you mean it - gaining any skill. However, I do think there might be a way to get it in that ballpark.

Here's my first pitch for Gagh:

Gagh
Icons: [3]
Lore: Food.
Gametext: Seeds or plays on table. Your cooks gain Biology. Your Klingon personnel and other personnel present with a cook are attributes all +1 (+2 if both). When this event leaves play, you may report a cook OR any Gagh from hand.

Here's my thinking on the different pieces of the card:

Your cooks gain Biology. As I said above, I don't think unrestricted skill gain is a good fit for Gagh. But I think it makes some sense to have food-cards give cooks different skills. In this case, you need to have some knowledge of living creatures to serve gagh, so you get Biology. This can also let you gain Biology at special download speed (with Chef Kaga), which might just help you kick a Medical Crisis in the metaphorical nuts.

Your Klingon personnel and other personnel present with a cook are attributes all +1 (+2 if both). I like the idea that food helps personnel, either because it keeps them alive or fills them up with tasty nutrients. I've interpreted that here as an attribute boost. The cook can serve the food, so everyone with them gets a boost; Klingons love gagh, so they get a boost. If you're a Klingon with a cook, you get the double boost.

When this event leaves play, you may report a cook OR any Gagh from hand. I like the idea that Gagh is best fresh, so it has an expiration date: a countdown icon of three. You can seed it, but it starts counting down right away. But not all is lost, and cooks stay busy: when this Gagh is eaten (destroyed) or not-so-fresh (counts down), you get to report a new cook or a new Gagh (or Gagh Tek Or?) from hand. Not only is this an interesting deck building choice, it works nicely with Not Gagh from WotC8.

What do you think? Do you like this idea? Or am I on the wrong track? Let me know, because I want your help. There are some dials we can change here (and we will during testing anyway), or we can look for different options. Your feedback is invaluable.

-crp

[Armus]

Quick reax:

Attributes is too much... using your own logic, maybe just a strength boost?

This card feels like it's trying to do too many things.

If you're going to create a whole new chain-play food mechanic, you need more than one card to do it with and it probably needs to be more fully fleshed out in concept before you start cranking out specific card text.

I don't hate the specific skill-gain, but I'm not sure Biology is the best - or at least only - choice.


Here's a counter-pitch:

Gagh
[Countdown 3]
Plays on table (for free if you have a cook in play). Your personnel are Strength +1 (+2 if ) and gain Biology (and Anthropology if non- ).

Something for everyone! Klingons get beefy, non-Klingons gain an appreciation of another culture's culinary delights (and it comes in handy if you're on stakeout duty at the Duck Blind). I didn't make it seedable, but it could probably be made so if necessary.

Thoughts?

[winterflames]

I like Charlie's better.

On yours, The anthro feels like Gagh would be better in an all logo fed duck blind deck than the extra klingon st bonus would make it in a Ds9 klingon deck.

[Orbin]

Charlie, you mentioned "food" cards in part of your description of the proposed Gagh. Did you consider that we have a "drink" card with Raktajino? It's a single target booster (a Unique person drinks it) OR it lets you get back things from the discard pile. The currently proposed Gagh is a pretty big effect that is broadcast across the game board (you play it and all your Klingons in play get the benefit).

- James M

[AllGoodThings203]

First card is a good one, but I think it should be play (or seed) on a facility, ship (or a site) and require to "stop" a personnel (eg. Gagh [3 ]Seeds or play on a facility, Ship or any site. Once per turn, you may "stop" a personnel here to make all your personnel and personnel present with a cook attributes all +1 (+2 if both) and all your cooks gain Biology. Effect last until start of your next turn. When coundown expires, you may download to hand any cook OR any Gagh OR "Not Gagh card")

[MidnightLich]

I come back to you, at the turn of the tide with another draft of Gagh for your consideration. I took a break for the holidays, but I did spend time considering your feedback and have made a revision for your consideration:

Gagh
Icons: [3]
Lore: Food.
Gametext: Plays on your cook (for free if ); personnel gains Biology. Your other personnel present are STRENGTH +1 (+2 if Klingon).

This revision addresses a lot of your comments, but the downside is that it's no longer a seedable card. It can be played from the Q's Tent with Sowee TAH, and it can be downloaded with Chef Kaga.

My question to you know is, is this playable? I keep going back and forth on it. Klingons can already stack up their STRENGTH quite high, but this does so with an event instead of most existing boosters, which are equipment.

What do you think? Am I in the ballpark? Or is it back to the drawing board?

-crp

[Armus]

I like it more than the previous version. It's a lot cleaner and doesn't try to do too many things. It's a card, but it's not JUST a card. Though with the free play, the Sowee TAH synergy, and the extra attribute bonus all being Klingon-centric, I don't see a lot of utility for non- decks.

Maybe expand the free play to Anthropology personnel (or Anthropology cooks?) - give it a "try new things" vibe for the non- crowd...

[Takket]

I come back to you, at the turn of the tide with another draft of Gagh for your consideration. I took a break for the holidays, but I did spend time considering your feedback and have made a revision for your consideration:

Gagh
Icons: [3]
Lore: Food.
Gametext: Plays on your cook (for free if ); personnel gains Biology. Your other personnel present are STRENGTH +1 (+2 if Klingon).

This revision addresses a lot of your comments, but the downside is that it's no longer a seedable card. It can be played from the Q's Tent with Sowee TAH, and it can be downloaded with Chef Kaga.

My question to you know is, is this playable? I keep going back and forth on it. Klingons can already stack up their STRENGTH quite high, but this does so with an event instead of most existing boosters, which are equipment.

What do you think? Am I in the ballpark? Or is it back to the drawing board?

-crp

okay i'll be honest........... it is a phaser that gives you Biology. I would never stock this even if it didn't have a countdown icon. Klingons have a zillion ways to boost strength already and i'm not putting this in a deck just to get Biology. Could be of use since Sowee lets me play it from a tent if i get hung up on a Medical Crisis but other than that, doesn't look that useful.