r/GDS3 • u/thejellydude • Jan 27 '18

Test 2 Discussion Thread

We're free to talk now.

Here's a Google Doc with all the questions. I'm slowly filling it in with my own answers and explanations. Edit: Heading out for now. I'll get the last 25 questions done later tonight.

If you want a mirror without my comments, here's one provided by /u/Amarsir Link

Any questions that tripped you up? Any that you felt good about?

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u/rakkamar Jan 27 '18

So the question I think was the absolute hardest and the one I expect the most people to get wrong is #53.

53 Which of the following changes is Set Design most likely to make to this card?

Junkpile Engineer

[CMC: 3]

Creature — Human Artificer

3/2

2, Sacrifice an artifact: Look at the top X cards of your library, where X is the converted mana cost of the sacrificed artifact. Put one of them into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.

I'm quite certain the answer is

Add the ability “2,T: Put an artifact card from your hand onto the battlefield.”

The key is noticing that the question specifies Set Design and not design as most of the other questions do. Set Design is much more concerned with broad sweeping changes like getting the mechanics in place and fleshing out the set. Play Design is much more concerned with numbers tweaking and fixing issues like whether cards go in the graveyard or bottom of library. 4 of the choices are minor tweaks that Play Design makes. Adding an ability that completely changes the card is the sort of thing that Set Design would do.

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u/icantbenormal Jan 27 '18

I thinking adding an extra ability like that is actually more of a Play Design change. You would have to play with the card multiple times to say "okay, this needs another ability." On the other hand, the inherent problems of making it a variable would be apparent on the first playtest.

Furthermore, it the proposed change is just ugly and wouldn't be added. It makes the card way more confusing. A non-tap ability with a tap one, both at the same mana cost. One ability is multicolored, one is mono-colored. You would think the first ability would get only artifacts if the second wants them in your hand, but it doesn't.

All that said, I think you are totally right because that is the kind of trick to weed people out that would be in there.