How to fix up Terminator: Part 1: Missions.

[Axlotl]

I've been thinking about this a little recently. We all know Terminator has some big mechanical problems - namely Missions and Production. Can we fix these problems without errata, simply by altering the game's rules?


Lets first look at how to fix Mission cards.

The core problem with Missions:
They require very specific criteria most of the time, and usually offer no reward beyond Mission Points (MP). This means if you are trying a Mission win, you need to clog your deck AND hand with cards that are going to be very hard to trigger in enough volume to actually win with. This is bad and not fun.


I propose this is a solution: The Command Deck, and an associated additional rule for Mission cards.

The Command Deck is another, small, deck that is NOT randomized during the game, but is hidden from the opponent. The size and contents vary by scenario. In Termination (the Past scenario), the Command Deck consists solely of 7 (maybe more or less depending on playtesting) Mission cards. The Command Deck cards combined with your draw deck cannot exceed the number of copies of a card you may use. (IE 1 Reconnaissance in Command, 2 in draw is the max - or a similar combination.) You may look at and reorder your Command Deck freely.

Missions can now be played directly from Command as if they were in Hand.



Now, I don't like having a third deck, but like I said, trying to salvage the mechanic using only Premiere cards is pretty limiting. At least you don't need to shuffle it. This does feel a bit more thematic, with having Missions laid out for your character beforehand, as opposed to picking them up randomly. I'd prefer to implement this fix in conjunction with making all Missions Command only, and not allow repeat Missions, but Premiere's Mission pool is too small and specific for that to work. I think even with these changes Missions will be pretty janky in Termination, but it will be much more viable to build around Missions.

Any feedback and playtesting of the concept would be greatly appreciated.

[nynax]

I've tried out Termination with the objective being a combined 10 Importance and/or Mission Points, and that seemed to work out, though I wasn't trying to cheese.

I do like the idea of having a set of "hidden agendas" that you don't have to draw into. I imagine Counterintelligence will be pretty strong. Players would avoid trying to complete a Mission while their opponent has a character at their Starting location. Maybe Counterintelligence can't be in the Command Deck?

What happens if a Command Deck Mission is canceled? Where does it go, back to the Command deck?

[Axlotl]

Back to the Command deck.

Counterintelligence would need testing.

[whiteumbrella]

Honestly, I think the game could benefit from Missions being split into two distinct types: Those worth Mission Points, and those with some sort of mechanical benefit. The MP ones could be toned down severely to make them more accessible and, combined with having a Command Deck for them, would make Missions a viable victory condition. Most of the ones that are out are either pointless because the actions that caused them promote victory to a greater extent (Destiny's Child, Disrupt C&C, Forward Offensive, etc), or because they are simply not worth the effort involved in completing them (Compromised Stronghold, Prime Directive, Reconnaissance, Victory Through Attrition). Something like Counterintelligence would almost be better suited as an Event without the Mission Points under such a system...now that I think about it, the non-MP Missions would just be your existing Objective cards anyways...

[Axlotl]

Maybe, although Missions with secondary bonuses other than MP could make the Command Deck setup more interesting as well, if there were more of them.

[Axlotl]

Playtested a few games, seems to have potential. Counter-intelligence was... interesting. One of the other players and I had 2 each. He completed Maximum Production, I CId, he CId, I CId, He CId, netting all 3 of his missions. I was Resistance, and had Hannum camping base to CI or generate CP, depending - until a terminator snuck past my frontline, into my firebase, and smoked him.

It was interesting gameplay, so I'm inclined to allow CI in command decks. Its pretty limiting in Past - more useful in Future, but a Mission win is still pretty much out of reach, even with changes. It does add pressure though, which I like. The maximum Mission points I've seen so far was ~8. I rushed the TDL with Covert Ops to try and use Time Lab Discoveries or w/ever that mission is called, and ended up getting smoked by 3 HK Tanks. lol.

oh, also, Future War should be 8 Missions in command. For other scenarios, for every 2 MP above 10 add a Mission card to command.

[hent0076]

Apr 12, 2019 14:56:34 GMT -5 nynax said:

I've tried out Termination with the objective being a combined 10 Importance and/or Mission Points, and that seemed to work out, though I wasn't trying to cheese.

I do like the idea of having a set of "hidden agendas" that you don't have to draw into. I imagine Counterintelligence will be pretty strong. Players would avoid trying to complete a Mission while their opponent has a character at their Starting location. Maybe Counterintelligence can't be in the Command Deck?

What happens if a Command Deck Mission is canceled? Where does it go, back to the Command deck?

When I first saw mission points I thought they were the same as Importance points, and you got importance by saving important people or doing important things. I'd be curious to hear how this playtesting went.