Ok so I played SotM for the first time last week and I had a blast. We had a full team of five against Citizen Dawn in the Ruins of Atlantis and I was playing Visionary. Now, some of the first cards I pulled were Prophetic Vision and Suggestion and I thought they'd be very useful in "warning" my team of what was coming up, but the other players told me that I could look and manipulate the deck, but that I could not discuss what I saw with them.
I skimmed through the rulebook and couldn't find that rule anywhere, but I went a long with it and kept my mouth shut about what was coming up.
Is it true that when you have abilities that let you look in a deck you cannot speak about what you find with your team?
What? I've never heard that before. It's a cooperative game, why on earth would there be rules against sharing information?
Sure, you could choose to keep information to yourself if you felt like it. (I don't know why you'd decide to do that, but you could.) But there's nothing to forbid you from sharing.
The rules are online if you want to have a look at them. http://sentinelsofthemultiverse.com/system/files/downloads/Sentinels%20of%20the%20Multiverse%20Enhanced%20Edition%20Rulebook.pdf
I tend to feel as if you shouldn't completely share information, but there's no rule enforcing that; it's up to the playgroup to decide whether they want to table-talk everything to death, or keep a certain extra degree of suspense and player agency. You're also within your rights to re-decide based on who you're fighting...Baron Blade is easy enough even if you make things difficult on yourself, but against the Chairman you need every advantage you can get.
We play the same as your group wanted to. Reveals are to the player that played the card, and if they wish to share info they can, but you don't show the cards.
There is no oficial ruling either way, so I'd say if your group doesn't want to show the cards, don't.
I don't know why we do it that way, I do find it more fun, and there is never any arguing over what card went where.
We also play with our hands visible, but mostly because it saves time discussing what everyone can do.
To take this off topic, there are co-operative games that don't allow you to share information… and I happened to [url= http://youtu.be/E28W_bMBVhg?t=15m1s] watch a video[/url] on it just last night!
Back on topic, yeah, nothing in the rules against sharing information, you can tell everyone what's in your hand, what's on top of your deck (if you have seen it through using powers/cards), what's in your trash, what's in someone else's trash, what you had for dinner, what your plans are for next turn, all of those things, and more!
I'd check with your hosts to see if it's a house rule they use before pointing out it's not in the rulebook first though, just so you're all on the same page.
The nature of the game is cooperative. Not being able to share information about what you are doing is very much against the spirit of the game.
WIth that said, if your gaming group prefers to do things a certain way then roll with it. But the rational for why you shouldn't share that info is a tad suspect.
I don't see the point in playing a reveal-cards-and-decide type card unless you're going to use that info to help the group. Part of the fun is in planning what you can do together. We often have little discussions about which card to put on top and which on the bottom, taking into consideration what everyone's planning to do this turn and what cards they have. There seems to be an unwritten consensus that the person who played the card gets the final decision but the other players definitely have input.
Think about it in terms of a solo game where you're playing three heroes. If you know a particular card's coming up you'll respond to that with every hero you control, because it's impossible to un-know that information. A three-player, three-hero game should be no different.
What? I've never heard that before. It's a cooperative game, why on earth would there be rules against sharing information?
To take this off topic, there are co-operative games that don't allow you to share information... and I happened to watch a video on it just last night![/quote]
Sure, Hanabi comes to mind straight away, although the restricting of how you can give information is the entire point of that game.
I have no problem with sharing all the inormation. Just stating that there isn't an official ruling on whether revealed cards are shown to everyone or just the person that is using the effect. We don't show, but we tend to play in ways that keep the game moving, as our discussion tends to get long winded and drag games out. One of the reasons I like playing Visionary is because you get to manipulate the game and other people.
I like knowing that with a TtE on another heroes character I can change their damage to anything I want, with or without their permission.
(That has only happened once) and that I can put whatever cards I want wherever I want, It really fits the characters "MY MIND IS MORE POWERFUL THAN YOUR TEAM!" shtick.
You can play cooperativel without playing nice, or doing what the group wants. Just play how your group likes to play.
Unless it's a news post it's about the only thing I can see happening soon; you playtesters haven't seen the rulebook or the box itself, or any promo-material in the box have you.
I am expecting a fnord in the box now. Yeah, I'm editing my post to add int his prediction… at 6.00pm on the 29th (GMT)
