Thursday 13 November 2014

Bale of Hay - Triggers

 I am going to disrupt my normal follow up blog post of 'what I learned' with a post from Chris about triggers. Yesterday episode 99 of Malifools got broadcast and this is one of the topics that came up, so it seemed important to time this as close as possible with the show.

 Anyway, enough rambling from me, here's Chris:

 So I was just wondering what peoples views are with regards to etiquette when divulging triggers to your opponent. Now I know according to the rules you may just have to declare triggers after winning a duel but for some reason that doesn't sit right with me.

 For me, the trigger someone has usually plays a big part in my decision on whether to cheat or not so I am sure that goes for others too. There have been millions of times where I could have cheated, but didn't, only to find out they have a trigger that will paralyse me or some such disaster. So is it up to me to ask my opponent in every attack if they currently have a trigger and what they all are in case they then cheat fate after. I would imagine this would get quite annoying for my opponent and it is also not their fault about my lack if knowledge.

 I have had a few times myself where I have won a duel, declared a trigger and then my opponent say they would have cheated fate if they had known (I have even once not used the trigger because of it). That makes me feel bad and I hate thinking I have won or got one up on someone just because of their lack of knowledge. So with that in mind I always tell my opponent what trigger I have BEFORE either of us have decided to cheat fate so they can make an informed decision. Is that just naive of me and putting me at a disadvantage? I would be interested to see how it is done at the top tables and if it varies between person like opponents I have played so far.

 One other benefit I have also found with my approach is that it often means my opponent follows suit which makes things open and transparent all round so thanks for those that applies to.

 Finally what are people thoughts on allowing opponents to use triggers they have not declared or retrospectively go back and apply a trigger? I don't want to sound gamey but it really makes me uncomfortable as it often would have changed my own actions if they had said at the time. This happens more often with those triggers that have the suit already built in so usually go off whatever. I just don't feel it is fair when a duel is finished and I take the required damage and then someone says, "oh by the way my trigger has killed you as you have no cards, and I draw a billion soulstones and I have assassinate in the pool etc etc". Would you call someone out for that and not allow them to do it as they didn't declare the trigger at the right time? Again how is it done on the top tables? Would the likes of Joel, James, Greg, Mark allow this (only names those I know so others up their don't take offence!)?

 Just been thinking. Toodles.

Chris Hay @cdhay

2 comments:

  1. I think that it is very good form to declare what Triggers are possible after a flip if you are winning at the time.

    I also think that allowing for no-brainer (i.e., not Dumb Luck!) triggers to be applied after the fact if done before the next Activation but I'm all in all not comfortable winning due to such a mistake by an opponent (I wish to be outplayed, not win due to someone remembering a crucial thing two seconds too late when no decisions have been made in between).

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  2. I always tell my opponent what trigger I currently have to allow him to decide what to do, I think it makes for a nice, fun game where everyone gets along.

    I have witnessed games where triggers aren't declared and then the outcome is told without saying "I'm declaring x, which means..." and it was a very uncomfortable game to watch. This may also have had something to do with the people who were playing though...

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