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Now that I’ve updated my tier lists for the base game and prelude corporations I wanted to give you my ideas on how you could actually balance them to make the game more fair and these corps more fun to play!
Intro: (0:00)
Credicor: (1:25)
Point Luna: (2:09)
Teractor: (3:18)
Vitor: (4:43)
UNMI: (6:28)
Thorgate: (7:58)
Phobolog: (9:19)
Outro: (10:34)
source
I think the Point Luna nerf is too much. Switch the card effect as you did, but I don't think the rest needs to be done.
Thorgate also needs the discount removed for the standard project if you are going to do the +1 to energy prod.
Nice ideas. I also like that you don't go crazy. The credicor change for example I think makes perfect sense. Only for point luna you went a bit too far. Although maybe UNMI is also a bit crazy. Compared to helion it seems insane.
Ok, that is good, the last fan made cards are great, the promo card is useful, this channel is awesome, but please keep going with the rating of the base cards, it is almost a month you are not proceeding with that form.
We have an incoming tournament and we need more tips
Thanks 🙂
Honestly, I love point luna's ability. I think it could probably be okay if PL didn't start with a Titanium production. That way its economy is abysmal (38 MC and no production meens its economic situation is only better than ecoline) so its ability is balanced out. This makes luna much less flexible because you really do need eath tags to play it instead of accepting the production with the thought that Luna usually works out.
Instead of giving UNMI production, why not just make the action free?
Great ideas. Maybe Point Luna shouldn't be nerfed that harsh – the ability is enough. Terractor could steal 2MC to make it more significant ability (like for example the ability of Philares). And nerfed Vitor should at least have 3 more MC (this way the starting capital would be the same as before nerf). UNMI's production may be too much (maybe give it just one heat prod which is very few but thematically enough and doesn't outshine Helion). I like the fact that Phobolog is unique and can't buy all cards but definitely would be much stronger with this draw on the first action – the other change isn't so necessary.
I'm more interesting in balancing the game with all expansions though (and with Colonies Thorgate probably should be changed another way).
I'm a bit all over the place on these.
Credicor's nerf is simple and fair, albeit maybe just a bit too harsh – playtesting needed. Luna's is very fair in regards to the effect, but it might be too rough to also bring its economy down.
Teractor's nerf actually makes it a much more fun corporation, both to play with and against, as it influences everyone's decisionmaking both in draft and further play. I love it!
I really like the simple idea of Vitor's nerf, but the issue is that it's going to be so weak in the early stages of the game that I fail to see how to implement a successful strategy. Remember, this nerf effectively also reduces starting capital by 3. A more boring, but balanced nerf would in my opinion be to simply bring the cash-back down to 2, and game-test that.
UNMI's buff is too much. Setting as a general baseline that a corp should be valued around 65 MC (to keep merger fairly balanced as a prelude if nothing else), UNMI with your change starts, with just resources and production in mind, at 40+(5.5*2)+10=61 (or 62 with the earth tag). Priced at just 1, you can rather easily get a TR for almost nothing each generation, and with trackless TR valued in the range from 6.5-8.5, you surpass the total value of 65 from the corp extremely quickly. Our playgroup has set the price to 1 and changed nothing else, and it still sees barely any play though, so some other change might be needed to even it out. Perhaps a price of 2 for the TR and just a singular plant and heat prod instead?
Thorgate looks fun, but again, too strong. The science tag is a great addition, but adding essentially 7 MC of value (one power prod) to every single power tag seems just too disruptive for game balance. Perhaps if the rebate was also excluded? Still, this would oblige players to often deny power card because of the insane value for Thorgate, so I doubt it a bit. Perhaps throw in the ability to use energy as heat directly, alongside the science tag and an additional starting energy production, keeping the rebate as is? Or, instead get 1 energy resource every time you play an energy tag or use the SP, alongside some of the other buffs? A lot of different possibilities, for sure.
Our playgroup actually rates Phoblog higher than you, perhaps in part due to generally playing with the whole deck, excluding just Turmoil 60 % of the time. Especially with Turmoil in play, Phoblog can get a lot of value from getting Unity into power, but just with the extra space tags the other expansions offer (almost 25 % as opposed to 20 % in base+prelude) Phoblog becomes a lot more consistent. Some of the new cards are just perfect for Phoblog; the obvious like Earth elevator, 16 psych, Mining colony and Titan shuttles, but also Solar reflectors, Research colony, Ice moon colony and Trading colony are great. Still, it's a rather rarely picked corp due to the precise cards needed, so I'm all for some changes to make it more consistent and just a little stronger. I think your changes push it a bit too far though, at least in regards to the entire deck.
I would talk about Mining guild and Robinson industries, which I think both need a buff to be viable, but since you've rated them higher I'd first have to motivate them getting a buff, and this comment would just keep on growing. So for now, thanks for the video! Been thinking a lot about and trying to rebalance the corps in our playgroup, so it's nice to get some fresh ideas from you!