Titanomachina on Tabletop Simulator: Shuffling the Deck [of Eos Configuration #2]

 

Titanomachina is designed to have a lot of moving parts, so that players can move them around as it suits them. Which is fantastic for advanced players, but can make beginners feel out of their depths. Additionally, my technical limitations with Tabletop Simulator mean that I cannot yet implement the plug-and-play Titan parts I have for the real-life prototypes I've made. So I've set up default Titan configurations, figurines and decks in Tabletop Simulator, so that beginners can get right into the game, and advanced players can still get stuck in fine-tuning the decks for the available figurines. 

In some cases, the default decks have been found to be wanting. When I set them up I followed a few arbitrary rules that I thought would make each configuration beginner-friendly; a crew member in each of the first four draws, a limb in each of the first four draws, the weapons front-loaded into the first two draws, and maximize the options available in the first draw of 8 cards. In general it has worked.

This has not worked particularly well for the Eos configuration #2, perhaps because this Regent configuration of Eos departs considerably from the baseline Reaper configuration in mounting more limbs and weapons instead of turrets, capacitors, and jets. Moreover, the Plasma Howitzer is a serious energy hog, requiring a player to sacrifice the activation of three other systems in order to itself be activated. Having two of them in the first draw (or perhaps even the first two draws) of the game does enable this configuration of Eos to hit really, really hard on the first round. But only if a target decides to dally directly in front of the immobile Eos, and either way someone's day is going to be ruined (either by making such a rookie mistake, or not). Then the Eos is going to have to play keep-away for the next few rounds before those howitzers can recharge. Not a great introductory experience. 

I think a much more beginner-friendly ordering of the cards would be to put one of those howitzers in the third draw, and likewise more evenly spread the Eos' six limbs amongst the first four draws (currently Leg, Leg, Arm-Arm, Arm-Arm). Lacking any turret, this configuration of Eos will enable the use of Their limbs to both shoot and scoot, rather than either/or. All those limbs should make this Eos more agile, not less.

So, here's what I figure I will do: 

1. Update Eos' configuration #2 deck default order to something like:

1. Initiate 3, Plantigrade Leg 1, Plasma Howitzer 2, Extra Armour 1, Arm 3, Deflectors 1, Sensor 1, Mega Gun 2; 
2. Master 1, Buzz Saw 1, Extra Armour 3, Sensor 3, Arm 4; 
3. Initiate 4, Plantigrade Leg 2, Plasma Howitzer 1, Extra Armour 2, Arm 1; 
4. Adherent 2, Deflectors 2, Arm 2, Sensor 2 

2. Move my plans for a booklet about the cards and the default configurations available in Tabletop Simulator up my list of things to do. Maybe beginners will appreciate having something to read about and consider before throwing down in Tabletop Simulator.