Stealing Cards

[RoyalApe]

Can we change mechanics from clicking on cards in hand to steal to pure randomization of which card to steal. Just have us choose the player - and not the specific card in hand.

It seems that mermaids are always on right hand side of a hand - so if a player has one, you can always steal it.

Maybe I'm just paranoid about it.

[thoun]

It's just a visual thing, but it's exactly the same as just choosing a name. In fact it was choosing the name during the alpha, but the publisher asked for this change to make it more like the physical game.
Yet I just changed the visual, and no matter which card you click, it just sends the server which player you chose. So, totally random, even if it doesn't seem so (read the lots of forum post about random and human bias if youwant to learn more). The source code is available if you want to double-check

[PichAl]

Interesting...
And do you think that it would be possible to see a bit the card stolen. Often I do not remember which card disappeared in my hand

[Boulderdash86]

So it's completely random? Why not be able to choose which card you want to steal? That would add a nice layer of strategy in terms of timing and a memory aspect to the game to remember where in someone's hand a card was placed. For instance one scenario where this would add strategy is to let a high value card go to the discard that you want and let your opponent take it, only because you know on your next turn you can take it from them. What is the reasoning for making this random? Thanks

[JohnnyCyclops]

So it's completely random? Why not be able to choose which card you want to steal? That would add a nice layer of strategy in terms of timing and a memory aspect to the game to remember where in someone's hand a card was placed. For instance one scenario where this would add strategy is to let a high value card go to the discard that you want and let your opponent take it, only because you know on your next turn you can take it from them. What is the reasoning for making this random? Thanks

You would then need the ability for players to rearrange their hands.

[thoun]

Because the rule is :
"Effect: The player steals a random card from another player and adds it to their hand."

[Boulderdash86]

Ok thanks all, it makes more sense now. I appreciate the feedback!

[Boulderdash86]

Because the rule is :
"Effect: The player steals a random card from another player and adds it to their hand."

It is confusing though that it says the player 'must choose a card to steal'. Really makes you feel like you have agency when it could just be done w/o having to click on a card.

[Strode]

Because the rule is :
"Effect: The player steals a random card from another player and adds it to their hand."

It is confusing though that it says the player 'must choose a card to steal'. Really makes you feel like you have agency when it could just be done w/o having to click on a card.

The rules are written for the hard copy of the game.

Online, it's no big deal to click the cards and it feels right. It's like rolling dice on BGA: you have no control over the outcome of the roll. Why should I even click anything? Just show me the number! But that wouldn't feel right.

[robinzig]

It's like rolling dice on BGA: you have no control over the outcome of the roll. Why should I even click anything? Just show me the number! But that wouldn't feel right.

Aside - but on every game I've played on BGA involving dice rolls (which is quite a lot, even though it's probably under 10% of all the games with dice on BGA), the interface does indeed "just show me the number". There's never an option to click a die to have it roll it for you (which would feel pretty pointless to me).