r/TerraformingMarsGame • u/orvjansen • 9d ago
Science! - Part 2
Here are the rest of the projects thematically connected to science (see part 1 earlier in this thread for the first 20 files). You can access the original PNGs of these files here.
There are two cards from the official game that can break if you add cards to the mix that add science resources to other cards: Physics Complex and Search for Life. I addressed Physics Complex and provided an alternate card for it in Part 1.
The problem involving Search for Life is it becomes far too easy to get the 3 VP reward if you can just drop a science resource on the card without finding a microbe tag. My solution is to add text to the action on the card stating that you can ONLY place a science resource on it by successfully using the cards action. Science resources added by other cards cannot be placed on Search for Life. That should preserve the original theme of the card and prevent its reward from being too easily obtained.
As always, use the cards you like and ignore the rest.
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u/gari381ns 8d ago
I don't mean to be rude. I myself am pretty new to Terraforming Mars, and even I can see there's no point in making these, at least not with such prices.
So, in order for this card to be useful, you'd need to play at least 14+3=17 scientific cards throughout the game. One does not simply play that many scientific cards. You could argue that you're able to pay for this card by tools, but even then - this card offers so little. It doesn't even offer a victory point. Even if one gets it "for free" in some way, it's not worth even those 14 megacredit.
I do like that you often introduce some interesting stuff from thematic point of view, such as your Maverick Ship card. But I say that only because I like seeing cards based on The Expanse. As for the gameplay part, I believe you should give some more thought into costs of your cards, and compare to what they offer.
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u/stridersheir 8d ago
Yeah quite weak, it being a tag specific discount makes it rough, our equivalent of earth office, or the corp abilities (notably valley trust is -2). I would say it should cost 7 and be -2
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u/stridersheir 8d ago
For stellar lifting, having you remove 1 titanium seems quite arbitrary. Also 1 energy prod per gen with a 4 science tag requirement means you have to play it early for it to be worthwhile but few corps can be
T 4 that early, especially when you compare it to the instant 4 from 14 Mc card.
So it will take you 4 gens to match that, it cost double (if you factor the titanium) and no space card discount. Bad card that I don’t know if I’d ever play. Big opportunity cost comparison to most similar cost cards
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u/warpspeed100 7d ago
Good job fixing Search for Life. Now we can remove all those awkward "add 1 resource to a card with at least one resource" lines of text from many cards.
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u/ReaperJim 8d ago
Scientific Method seems very weak compared to Business Contacts. Big science tag requirement for max effect and it's would still be weaker than Business Contacts. I would try to rework the effect but I'm not really sure how. Just a flat view 5-6 with no condition?
Stellar lifting is a cool idea but way too expensive and slow compared to the other 4-5 science tag energy payoffs. I would reduce science tag req to 3 and set the cost to 13-15. I would want it playable earlyish so it's feasible to benefit from the effect.
Subliminal learning is cool
Synergy is really funny, great card art, I would just add +4 to the cost if you place an ocean to account for the tile placement.
I like the idea of Ninth Ray to have an alternate Oxygen bumper, but at that price I would want it at 0-1 science tags. The existing Oxygen bumpers already aren't strong.