Tyler Parrott
@davflamerock.bsky.social
Game designer. He/Him. Poly. I talk Star Wars Unlimited, Magic the Gathering, Halo, and social justice.
*My opinions are strictly my own*
*My opinions are strictly my own*
Designing sets with token units can sometimes feel strange, because common units have a tight complexity budget. It may feel repetitive to have similar variations on "When Played/Defeated: Create a token" but changing the numbers and aspects can make even similar cards feel very different #FFGStaff
November 12, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Designing sets with token units can sometimes feel strange, because common units have a tight complexity budget. It may feel repetitive to have similar variations on "When Played/Defeated: Create a token" but changing the numbers and aspects can make even similar cards feel very different #FFGStaff
Captain Dare got to commend four Spartans in pursuit of the Oddball, but they weren't brawny enough to fistfight a brute chieftain and an elite with an energy sword (and two other banished) 😞
November 12, 2025 at 3:16 AM
Captain Dare got to commend four Spartans in pursuit of the Oddball, but they weren't brawny enough to fistfight a brute chieftain and an elite with an energy sword (and two other banished) 😞
There was some debate as to whether her ability should cost 1 or have a big condition. It was important that this first version of this effect be simple, and there are plenty of ways to buff tokens and re-use those buffs...not to mention what future tokens we may make! #FFGStaff
November 11, 2025 at 4:43 PM
There was some debate as to whether her ability should cost 1 or have a big condition. It was important that this first version of this effect be simple, and there are plenty of ways to buff tokens and re-use those buffs...not to mention what future tokens we may make! #FFGStaff
Come join us on the livestream for Secrets of Power draft! #FFGStaff www.youtube.com/live/_IAQ70W...
November 7, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Come join us on the livestream for Secrets of Power draft! #FFGStaff www.youtube.com/live/_IAQ70W...
Leia had this ability for most of development, but you could reveal any card. We kept running into a problem: it was too easy to draft a couple neutral cards and then she'd be online the rest of the game. Disclose solved the neutral problem and also made her feel more integrated to the set #FFGStaff
November 7, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Leia had this ability for most of development, but you could reveal any card. We kept running into a problem: it was too easy to draft a couple neutral cards and then she'd be online the rest of the game. Disclose solved the neutral problem and also made her feel more integrated to the set #FFGStaff
Some of my favorite designs are the subtle ones. C-3PO was perfect at that from the beginning: on his own, he's a very straightforward repeatable +2/+2 engine (slow, but effective). But with disclose in the set, he's also a way to have a G/H card in your hand on demand #FFGStaff
November 6, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Some of my favorite designs are the subtle ones. C-3PO was perfect at that from the beginning: on his own, he's a very straightforward repeatable +2/+2 engine (slow, but effective). But with disclose in the set, he's also a way to have a G/H card in your hand on demand #FFGStaff
When we commissioned the art for Scanning Officer in SHD, Elia Kane was an unnamed background character. Ryan & I wanted to put her in SEC, since her storyline was full of intrigue, so Ryan pitched a mechanical callback to the first card that had her art. Now she can hit smuggle OR plot! #FFGStaff
November 5, 2025 at 4:16 PM
When we commissioned the art for Scanning Officer in SHD, Elia Kane was an unnamed background character. Ryan & I wanted to put her in SEC, since her storyline was full of intrigue, so Ryan pitched a mechanical callback to the first card that had her art. Now she can hit smuggle OR plot! #FFGStaff
I didn't get to finish my MESBG game tonight because we ran out of time but man it was an absolute blast, between how lethal both sides were and how much of an absolute house the Witch King got to be as he fought off waves of warg riders being thrown at him
November 5, 2025 at 5:54 AM
I didn't get to finish my MESBG game tonight because we ran out of time but man it was an absolute blast, between how lethal both sides were and how much of an absolute house the Witch King got to be as he fought off waves of warg riders being thrown at him
There will likely never be a better time to make a Law-matters card than Secrets of Power, so I tried very hard to get one into the set. Thank goodness Orn Free Taa's previous design didn't work out so I could give him this one! Also what a perfect character for a deck full of Laws #FFGStaff
November 4, 2025 at 5:09 PM
There will likely never be a better time to make a Law-matters card than Secrets of Power, so I tried very hard to get one into the set. Thank goodness Orn Free Taa's previous design didn't work out so I could give him this one! Also what a perfect character for a deck full of Laws #FFGStaff
We wanted most of our Official-matters cards at lower rarities to support the archetype in draft. So we went looking for characters that we liked who would make sense in a mostly-political setting, which gave us the perfect opportunity to finally make a card for Senator Chuchi! #FFGStaff
October 29, 2025 at 4:02 PM
We wanted most of our Official-matters cards at lower rarities to support the archetype in draft. So we went looking for characters that we liked who would make sense in a mostly-political setting, which gave us the perfect opportunity to finally make a card for Senator Chuchi! #FFGStaff
We hadn't tried an "ignore aspect" draft leader before, so we wanted to try in this set. It was interesting seeing how much Mothma's power level fluctuated as the cards around her changed, and we intentionally put larger Officials in other colors so she'd have ample finishing power #FFGStaff
October 28, 2025 at 7:59 PM
We hadn't tried an "ignore aspect" draft leader before, so we wanted to try in this set. It was interesting seeing how much Mothma's power level fluctuated as the cards around her changed, and we intentionally put larger Officials in other colors so she'd have ample finishing power #FFGStaff
Got to play (most of) a full game of Halo: Flashpoint this afternoon with a friend from discord; we played at the Mantic booth at Spiel and OMG you guys won't believe the 3D game board one of the Mantic employees has been making. It's got internal LED lights as well as motorized fans and doors 🤯
October 25, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Got to play (most of) a full game of Halo: Flashpoint this afternoon with a friend from discord; we played at the Mantic booth at Spiel and OMG you guys won't believe the 3D game board one of the Mantic employees has been making. It's got internal LED lights as well as motorized fans and doors 🤯
We needed C-3PO to be a draft leader (Padmé was S and Sabé needed to be R), so how to design a support leader for a format full of haymakers? The most effective answer was exhaust, to counter opposing threats. But a specific condition was tough—we didn't want him miserable to play against #FFGStaff
October 25, 2025 at 6:27 AM
We needed C-3PO to be a draft leader (Padmé was S and Sabé needed to be R), so how to design a support leader for a format full of haymakers? The most effective answer was exhaust, to counter opposing threats. But a specific condition was tough—we didn't want him miserable to play against #FFGStaff
Aaahhh Secrets of Power is coming out soon! We brought some decks with the new cards to show off at Essen Spiel; come by the Unlimited booth between 1 and 4pm to get in games against me or Danny (we also have current Premier decks) #FFGStaff
October 24, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Aaahhh Secrets of Power is coming out soon! We brought some decks with the new cards to show off at Essen Spiel; come by the Unlimited booth between 1 and 4pm to get in games against me or Danny (we also have current Premier decks) #FFGStaff
One of the goals for this set was to provide ample and effective finishers for games that go to 6+ resources. This is especially true for draft, as this set is more about late-game haymakers than other sets. We made sure to design several expensive uncommon units that can end the game fast #FFGStaff
October 22, 2025 at 8:15 PM
One of the goals for this set was to provide ample and effective finishers for games that go to 6+ resources. This is especially true for draft, as this set is more about late-game haymakers than other sets. We made sure to design several expensive uncommon units that can end the game fast #FFGStaff
I expected more pushback on Regulation Bureaucrat than I got, given its resource denial mechanic. Instead, my instincts were proven correct that resource denial is far more palatable when it's not a surprise (unit enters exhausted) and the opponent can do something about it (by attacking). #FFGStaff
October 20, 2025 at 6:18 PM
I expected more pushback on Regulation Bureaucrat than I got, given its resource denial mechanic. Instead, my instincts were proven correct that resource denial is far more palatable when it's not a surprise (unit enters exhausted) and the opponent can do something about it (by attacking). #FFGStaff
Ryan was invested in making a Grievous card that highlights his eagerness to retreat, so we worked together to come up with this "run away when attacked" design. Since it had interesting implications on disclose in this set, we then made Soulless One use disclose to get him back in play #FFGStaff
October 17, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Ryan was invested in making a Grievous card that highlights his eagerness to retreat, so we worked together to come up with this "run away when attacked" design. Since it had interesting implications on disclose in this set, we then made Soulless One use disclose to get him back in play #FFGStaff
Kittenssss (they are no longer kittens)
October 16, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Kittenssss (they are no longer kittens)
When I first saw Yularen's design, I thought it would be way stronger than SOR Leia. Instead, I discovered that it can be hard to stick two units with different costs unless you're using token units (which is an intended synergy). Easier deckbuilding, but more difficult gameplay! #FFGStaff
October 15, 2025 at 3:42 PM
When I first saw Yularen's design, I thought it would be way stronger than SOR Leia. Instead, I discovered that it can be hard to stick two units with different costs unless you're using token units (which is an intended synergy). Easier deckbuilding, but more difficult gameplay! #FFGStaff
We try to distribute a set's characters at a variety of rarities. On one hand, the R/L cards get the most pack-opening excitement so you want those cards to be fan-favorites. On the other hand, you don't want the draft experience to lack recognition either, so simple U cards are important #FFGStaff
October 13, 2025 at 5:57 PM
We try to distribute a set's characters at a variety of rarities. On one hand, the R/L cards get the most pack-opening excitement so you want those cards to be fan-favorites. On the other hand, you don't want the draft experience to lack recognition either, so simple U cards are important #FFGStaff
One of the things about designing common leaders is that you want their support cards to be common, & therefore they need to be fairly simple. How could we make a common unit to sacrifice with Luthen and that your opponent wouldn't be able to easily disrupt? Hidden was the perfect answer #FFGStaff
October 10, 2025 at 2:36 PM
One of the things about designing common leaders is that you want their support cards to be common, & therefore they need to be fairly simple. How could we make a common unit to sacrifice with Luthen and that your opponent wouldn't be able to easily disrupt? Hidden was the perfect answer #FFGStaff
We never deviated from Ryan's initial vision for Luthen, which was both top-down "send your agents into danger" & also supported an initiative subtheme in red in the set. What did change in design was the addition of "or base" to the ability, which made him easier to use and thus more fun #FFGStaff
October 8, 2025 at 5:23 PM
We never deviated from Ryan's initial vision for Luthen, which was both top-down "send your agents into danger" & also supported an initiative subtheme in red in the set. What did change in design was the addition of "or base" to the ability, which made him easier to use and thus more fun #FFGStaff
We wanted all our Plots to fill different niches for what you might want to do with your leader, one of which is "protect the leader." Tala's role, therefore, is to be cheap leader protection...even if it means she takes the attack in place of your leader #FFGStaff
October 6, 2025 at 3:57 PM
We wanted all our Plots to fill different niches for what you might want to do with your leader, one of which is "protect the leader." Tala's role, therefore, is to be cheap leader protection...even if it means she takes the attack in place of your leader #FFGStaff
Early drafts of Sly Moore were easier to trigger, and easy Spy creation led to extremely effective snowballing advantages. We needed to rein her in, but in a way that made her still playable in draft (her primary format). It took a while, but lots of units lying around was the answer #FFGStaff
October 3, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Early drafts of Sly Moore were easier to trigger, and easy Spy creation led to extremely effective snowballing advantages. We needed to rein her in, but in a way that made her still playable in draft (her primary format). It took a while, but lots of units lying around was the answer #FFGStaff