Flavor Words

Destroy Target Player Concept

Could destroy target player be flavor words dor a target player loses the game effect!

Theoretically, but I doubt we’d do it.

Destroy Flavor Words

Opinions about Flavor Words

I just want to say I absolutely adore flavour words, probably my second favourite "mechanic" to come from AFR, after dungeons. (Also a big fan of classes).I love that flavour words can recontextualise the flavour of abilities we see super often, and I definitely think they add flavour

How do others feel about flavor words (italicized words that have new mechanical implications, they just add flavor texture)?

Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Dungeons Flavor Flavor Words Mechanics

Critique of Flavor Words

Hey, Mark, I'm not to make another UB-related request. This isn't coming from an anti-UB place, and it's just one Goose's opinion, but I'm sure there are others who feel this way.Can we get rid of flavor words, please? I haven't seen a single upside to them presented, just downsides:

For decades, one of MtG's biggest strengths was capturing the ludonarrative. Having to spell it out makes it seem like you all have lost confidence in your ability to make card design that makes sense with the captured flavor.
If a design is intended to be funny (the Street Fighter cards come to mind), it feels like you're pointing at the "joke" and saying "See? Please laugh." As a person who has a comedy background, I'm sure you understand why killing the frog is bad.
Death of the epithet: The most minor of the criticisms, but I really think "Ian Chester, Science Teacher" reads better than "Ian Chester" and then calling his ability "science teacher." (I may be mixing up the WHO teachers, but this applies to both, luckily.) Epithets also make it easier to depict multiple "moments" of a character without giving a card up as the "definitive" version of that character.
It feels like you don't trust players to get why the card text is what it is. Telling your audience you don't expect them to be smart (or rather, literate) enough to "get" it doesn't really help. I've seen people say they add flavor to the cards, but the flavor isn't diminished by removing the flavor words (flavor is when things are fleshed out and living, not when things are spelled out). If it's for fans of the IP, then they already get it (Oh, the activated ability that grants flying is referencing this character's rocket propulsion). Non-fans of the IP aren't benefited either, as they will sus out said character has rocket propulsion or be left completely in the dark (see Cult of Skaro: These words do nothing to tell me about the ability. If you were to leave them out, I'd still be able to sus out that each ability corresponds to one of the four Daleks depicted).
Lastly, they make cards harder to read. When trying to grok a card, there should be as few words as possible I'm supposed to ignore.

I understand some people will go "I recognize the thing" and a bulb in their brain will light up, but something being easy like this doesn't mean it's better or that we actually like it more.I guess there's the potential upside that you could slot in numerals to power up my Baron von Count deck, but I don't see any real tangible upside to them. Obviously I'm missing something. Can you say what it is?
(Also, even if you don't answer it,thank you for taking the time to answer this book of an ask. These are feelings I've been sitting on since AFR and keeping an open mind on in case I changed how I felt from my initial reaction.)

Flavor words can do some things that we can’t replicate elsewhere. I agree they can be overused, and are not always used optimally, but I don’t think we want to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Appreciation Baron Von Count Cult of Skaro Daleks Epithets Epithets Flavor Flavor Words Flying Frogs Humor Replicate

Marvel Card Design Query

Is marvel going to do the thing where you out the name of the attack on the card? What do you call that and is it popular? I liked its use in universes beyond properties as flavor.

They’re called flavor words. I can’t comment yet if the Marvel sets will use them.

Flavor Flavor Words Marvel Universes Beyond

Mechanic Naming Challenges

Has a mechanic ever been scrapped becuase a good flavor word for it was already used?

No, we just find the next best word.

Flavor Words Mechanics

Gripe About Batching

Mark, I've given myself time to think on it, and this one Goose's opinion is that we shouldn't do more creature type batches. I'm going to use a fictional card called "Dr. Marten, Herpetologist" as a framing device. I understand how "Reptiles you control have [the curiosity effect]" may ring as flavorful and also save space. However, I feel like saying "Reptiles (Lizards, Snakes, and Crocodiles are reptiles)" rather than "Lizards, Snakes, and Crocodiles you control have [the curiosity effect]" makes it seem like the team has little confidence in our ability to make the connection. Given how many context clues Magic cards provide, I think you should have more faith (a gripe I share with flavor words).That being said, happy Earth Day! and do you have any research that shows players aren't able to make the connection as well as I think?

Batching came about in Dominaria. We were tying artifacts, legendary cards, and Sagas together as things that represented the past. We tried numerous templates and the playtesters just didn’t get it. Backed into a corner (Bill, our VP, told me he was going to force me to cut the mechanic if people weren’t getting it), I tried something new, giving the combined items a flavor word and then listing them in reminder text. It worked. Playtesters finally got it. So yes, I have little confidence in the audience making the connection, but that’s because I tried the alternative, many alternatives actually, and the audience didn’t get it.

Artifacts Batches Creatures Crocodile Dominaria Flavor Flavor Words Lizard Mechanics Sagas Snake Templating

Flavor vs Wordiness

Hey Mark! In your handoff part 2 you note that you found that "spree cards are already wordy and the flavor words weren't worth the space they took up." I must register my intense disagreement. I ADORE the added flavor of things like Forgotten Realms, and I think I would have gotten a lot more into the feel of spree if I'd been able to choose between attacking stealthily and charging in. I'm curious if I'm alone or if others would have also really enjoyed that.

You’re glossing over the “already wordy” part. Flavor words often didn’t fit, and we didn’t want to be inconsistent with them.

Attacking Flavor Flavor Words Spree

Flavor Words Opinion

Long overdue feedback on flavor words in the text box: I'm a huge fan on 'show, dont tell' storytelling and world building so having the card literally tell me what its referencing feels hollow. If Shivan Dragon had the word firebreathing on it, it would feel less rewarding for the first time reader than it was for us. Thanks in advance.

We tend to lean into it more in Universes Beyond than Magic IP sets. The reason is there is language we want to reference to make fans of the property happy, and sometimes flavor words are the best place to do them. There are players on both sides of the issue, so it’s a balance.

Dragon Firebreathing Flavor Words Shivan Dragon Universes Beyond

Vorthos' Flavor Rules

Hey Mark

Does Vorthos, Steward of Myth see flavour words, which is in the rules text, as flavour text for the purpose of Vorthos' ability?

It doesn’t care about rules text even if proper names are in it.

Flavor Flavor Words Rules Vorthos Vorthos, Steward of Myth

Reprint Flavor Words Potential

Could a reprinted card get a description ability? Like if you reprint Borborygmos Enraged could his second ability where you discard a land to deal damage get the description of “throw rocks” or something like that?

In theory, flavor words can be added or removed, as they have no actual mechanical relevance.

Borborygmos Enraged Card Printing Deal Damage Discard Flavor Words Lands Reprints

Flavor Text Query

I love the flavor words in the UB sets, and the flavor text basics from the d&d set, how likely is it we get main magic sets with flavor text in more places?

We use flavor words in specific places like anchor words. (“Choose one —“)

Basics Dungeons & Dragons Flavor Text Flavor Words

No Flavour Words Needed

Why no flavour words in this set? (LotR)

They weren’t needed.

Flavor Words

Un-set Modal Cards

If/When: An un-set modal card with flavor words of "If" or "When"? A little easter eggs for the question marks.

A Blogatog Un-set would be fun (but far too small an audience to make it financially feasible).Suggest some card titles for the Blogatog Un-set.

Egg Flavor Words If/When Question Marks Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Meet & Greet Text

Un-Rules Q: does Meet & Greet "Sisay" count the lines with flavor words/phrases on the modal AFR cards?

No, as it’s not flavor text.

Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Flavor Text Flavor Words Sisay Un-sets

Squirrellink Keyword

If you can't make squirrellink as a single keyword within the rules, could you use "squirrellink" as a flavor word and write the ability after the dash? I know not equally funny, but could work within the rules.

The worry is the name implies rules interaction that isn’t true.

Dash Flavor Words Humor Keywords Rules

Understanding of Anchor Words

Hi Mark, you seem to count flavor words as anchor words. Is that correct?

Anchor words involve flavor words, but not all flavor words are anchor words. Anchor words require a modal choice with a different word or phrase for each mode.

Flavor Words

Appreciation for Card Flavor

You have a lot of tools for helping develop the flavor of a card including: ability words, art, flavor text, trinket text, and flavor words. You've even used reminder text to do this. I just want to say that I live it all. If I wanted to play a bland game, they are a dime a dozen, but Magic really slathers the flavor on and I'm here for it. Thank you!

Glad you savor the flavor. : )

Ability Words Appreciation Art Flavor Flavor Text Flavor Words Humor

Liking Flavor Words

Just to throw my hat in the ring, I absolutely love Flavor Words. It helps with the question “why does this creature have this ability” and adds to the flavor of the game. And I’m not crazy about flavor, just mechanics. I’d love to see Flavor Words everywhere.

There is a wide range of responses to flavor words.

Creatures Flavor Flavor Words Mechanics

Flavor words Distinction

About Flavor word... I hate em. I do get that it is exactly the type of thing DND does. I personally love how rigid the MTG rules system is and how CLEAR it is with it rules being sperate from flavor text. Flavor words to me mix rules and flavor text in a way that feels way more "Not Magic" than any of the Motorcycles/Mechs/Sci-Fi of Kamigawa. How DND is unclear with its rules, at least in certain editions, really put me off it, but I understand I'm in the minority on that.

Do you like ability words? There is a pretty thin difference between ability words and flavor words.

Ability Words Dungeons & Dragons Flavor Text Flavor Words Rules

Absence of Flavor Words

I did not see amy flavor words on the Brass Dragon, Wand of Wonder, or Elder Brain. Were flavor words less popular than I thought and thus abandoned, deemed too confusing and thus abandoned, or used more sparingly than in Adventures in the Forgotten Realms and therefore exist, but in smaller amounts?

The Battle for Baldur’s Gate has flavor words. The preview cards were just a little text heavy.

Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Baldur's Gate Battles Dragon Elder Elder Brain Flavor Words Gates Spoilers Wand of Wonder