As the submitter of the regular text on Options 1, I feel like I should probably take some time pointing out why I think it is the better option.
First of all, I'd would like to say that I am pleased that both versions presented here have text that places itself on top of its owner's dilemma pile for easy and reliable set-up/comboing with a Consume dilemma placed just after in the stack, rather than having to just be consumed by luck given the general lack of dilemma manipulation of one's own pile. In fact the only difference between the two options in that Option 2 has text for a conditional stop of of a single low-cost personnel while Option 1, does not have this text. However, I think Version 1 is the better choice for two primary reasons: 1) cost; 2) elegance.
With respect to cost, I think the important thing to remember about Consume Me is that it has its primary effect only if one gets lucky (the dilemma happens to be on top of one's pile when a Consume dilemma is used), or, through the "self-placing" text, in combination with a Consume dilemma in the same stack. Thus an important feature of the dilemma is that its eventual cost need be low enough to be effectively used in combination with other dilemmas that also have costs of their own. Otherwise (if the cost is too high) it will not see very much play because it becomes too expensive to both include the dilemma in the stack and play other dilemmas that will actually stop the mission attempt. In my opinion, this is the reason why the otherwise powerful dilemma
Overwhelmed seems to see little to no play these days; at a cost of 4, it is simply too expensive to consistently use in combination with other dilemmas. Although I am not on the Design Team, I feel that the reliability that the self-placing text will lend to Consume Me's skill-targeted kill (that is immune to certain forms of death-prevention) will cause the dilemma to cost about 2 (give or take 1, IMO) alone, a cost I feel will be sufficiently low to be used in combination with the necessary consume dilemma and perhaps one more dilemma as an additional set-up or wall. The additional stopping text on Option 2, I feel, will increase the base cost of Option 1 by 1 or 2 counters, resulting in a dilemma cost that I predict will be 3, 4, or perhaps a little more (depending on how conservatively the Design team base-costs a dilemma like Version 1). In that scenario I feel the cost of Consume Me will be dangerously approaching a cost-benefit threshold that appears to have been crossed by Overwhelmed and would therefore be less likely to see widespread play. As a general principle, until the value of when-Consumed text like Consume Me's primary effect has been evaluated by widespread play, I feel it is probably safer to go with a cheaper option.
With regard to elegance, I am not refering to beauty or luxury; I am refering of the quality of being concise, simple, and succinct. Consume Me is the first of what can later become a new class of dilemmas that have their primary effects when Consumed. I feel that that particular inovation should be the focus of the dilemma. For my part, I felt like the self-placing text was essential to providing much needed reliability and playability to that class of dilemma in general. On the other hand, Option 2 includes additional text which is not particularly related to the primary effect of Consume Me; it is different, focuses on a different design goal (addressing "weenie" decks), and tacked on in addition to the primary effect. Essentialy it is two different dilemmas printed concurrently. In my opinion, while it may have certain play value and my make the dilemma more "interesting," I feel that it distracts from the primary focus of the innovation of Consume Me's primary text. And this is what I mean if I say I believe that Version 1 is a more elegant deisgn than Option 2.
Thank you for listening.
C'est ta faute... mais on t'aime quand même,
Alizée!
Tu m'as pris dès le premier "moi."
Moderator:
Alizée America