Did they state specifically that they aren't doing SCC, or just that they won't necessarily do anything that happened in the old canon? It's all the same to me either way, though ronin Toturi is still my favorite Toturi.

I understand the logic there, but my thinking is that if so, wouldn't there be no need to add a further statement specifically barring playing characters from your hand? Now it's possible that what is going on here is that the extra effect of the spell is specifically designed to disallow playing conflict characters to home during the conflict as well, which is not out of the question. At any rate, in the absence of a rulebook, I think we'll just have to ask on L5R Live to get clarification.

If playing from a province is considered mechanically to be "played from hand," yes, but if those are distinct it looks like a strict reading of the spell still might allow Charge to bring a personality in, as the spell only limits movement and "play from hand" effects. Incidentally, it looks like Kitsu Spiritcaller gets around this, as well? I feel like both plays are against the intention of the card, but if that's how the rules are set up then...

Nice nod back to spell scrolls, pretty solid card all around. Cautiously optimistic for this design direction. So we're still waiting for an air spell and a water spell, right?

For Japanese katana, the curve depth (is that the correct term?) and the position of the deepest part of the curve along the blade change depend on smithing school / lineage as well as period. It's not something you really notice until you are shown two katana with very different curves next to each other, but there is actually a lot of variance. I assumed when I read the fiction that "drastic" was being used for comparison between two curved blades rather than to say all such blades were drastically curved. But "drastic" is vague enough that what is or isn't considered drastic depends on the speaker.

I think that might have been what the author was aiming at, but this line using the qualifier "drastic": made me wonder if the intention was to say it is a straight blade or a curved (but not drastically so) blade. I wasn't aware that it was the Agasha that were credited with adding the curves to Rokugani katana, but I suppose it makes sense now that you mention it. The references to smithing techniques and sword styles changing over time is a cool thing to add as a detail.

Also, as a recovering katana-nerd, the reference to how Ofushikai's curve is less pronounced than modern Rokugani swords styles was kind of a cool touch.

All this tsukune talk has gotten me hungry, though. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsukune

Overall (and I say this as a Phoenix player and fan,) while I on the whole enjoyed the Dragon fiction better, this was pretty good. There's lots of little stuff going on here, which I like. The subtle nod to Tsukune's Akodo training, elemental council politics, something with the death of her brother, Shiba Tetsu a rival now?, etc. etc. I'm interested in seeing what gets developed from this. It sounds like they might be setting up a "multiple suitor" sort of plot with Tsukune, what with Sukazu casting glances at her and Tadaka apparently already assuming they were going to get married. Does Shiba Kanjiro show up eventually? Who knows? The person who told us the apprentice took the blame was Tsuke... hm... I know it's just Old5R prejudice, but the whole thing seems a bit suspicious to me. Did Tsuke cause some mischief and make his apprentice the fall guy / pressure him into taking the blame? Also, yay for Shiba-focused fictions, though I do feel bad for the Asako family as there were zero Asako's. Sad that Ujimitsu is dead, but I get the feeling he'll show up in more fictions as cool-ghost-body Obi Wan Ujimitsu, and I'm okay with that. I'm curious how he died ("before his time.") Actually, I don't know, this fiction might have been better than the Dragon. I'm undecided.

No need to apologize, dude. Internet discussions often suffer from a lack if intonation/emotion/ability to see a person that lends to things sounding hostile when no one really intends to be so. Good discussion, game on! (Re: Episodes 1-3: Yeah, they collectively get a worse reputation than they may deserve, but now we're veering way off topic.)

I would like to point out that 1) that wasn't my logic and 2) that logic was about defining what is not a name, not what is a name. Let's not go down that road. If there is anything I hate, it's philosophy. Talking about philosophy on the internet: no thank you. Quibbling about names on the internet, and what they do or don't add to a game: sign me right up! I can respect that stance. After all, I personally only recognize five Star Wars movies. (Hint: I'm not a fan of Episodes 1-3.) (EDIT: But if you haven't seen Sanjuro yet, it's really good and I highly recommend you do, though it has a different feel from Yojimbo.) If there is anything I regret from this thread, it's that I haven't used the word "nomenclature" at any point so far.

Good point.

There is a interesting philosophical debate to be had about this statement, but if we follow this logic then the former storm trooper character from The Force Awakens isn't actually named "Finn", that's just something to call him. I would say that then becomes a name for him, but your mileage may vary. ... is it a name or is it not? I understand we don't learn the character's birth name or any official name at any point, and I understand the on the spot way he comes up with the Sanjuro name, but he is consistent in calling himself Sanjuro (and yes he's clearly being cheeky when he does so.) They even go so far as to call the follow up movie (Tsubaki) Sanjuro based on that name, where he again calls himself Sanjuro (though he changes his family name to be whatever plant enters his field of vision at the time he's asked for it.) I would say it's pretty clear that it is a name for the character in those movies, even if it's not the character's "real" name. I understand that your point is that he didn't need a name to be a memorable character; that I won't disagree with you on. (I personally like the "Sanjuro/Shijuro" joke for a bit of a humor.) But he has a name, if not one really relevant to or used in the plot.

On a point of order, he does have a name, though it's likely something he made up as a pun on the spot and ultimately has no bearing on the story. Incidentally, the title of the next movie starting the same character is titled after his name.

On the subject of naming people, the above comic reminds me of this scene from the Venture Bros.

I'm still kind of holding out for some way to splash characters out of clan dynasty-side. I wonder if the roles let you add characters from other clans with certain traits (like shugenja or magistrate, etc.) Just wild speculation.

But I don't. Maybe my concept of followers is shaped by when I started back in Crimson and Jade, but I always viewed followers as a collective group of generics (Heavy Infantry, Spearmen, etc.) lead by a named hero. And I realize this may he Old5R baggage, but I feel like the difference between a follower and a personality was generic nobodies vs. persons of merit. But we're definitely in a new paradigm now. And while we've only seen one so far, the Crab do have a follower: Watch Commander. But since we are doing generic names for characters, too, this raises the question of what makes him different than, say, Stoic Gunso (other than mechanical concerns.) Clan-themed conflict cards being a staple of the game was something that I was wary of at first, but have come to like. I just wish there was a way to officially splash dynasty characters, too. PS: I think this entire discussion is one of my favorite ones to have, even though I know neither side will ever change the other's mind.

I don't play any other LCGs, but it sounds like that's how it works in those games: as long as the cards have the same title they count as the same for deck-building and uniqueness (though correct me if I'm wrong.) And it seems like an eloquent way to handle it. You would be able to run three of the version you like, or two of one and one of the other, or one of three different versions if you'd like. Now what becomes tricky is a situation like in L5R where characters change names as the story progresses. What happens if Akodo Toturi becomes the ronin Toturi again? I guess some "Counts as Akodo Toturi for uniqueness" text, but it's a bit less eloquent.

Well I'm sure they'll find some sort of conflict for us to play out, it just may not be the Clan Wars we know and love.

Actually, he's a really good example of the point I'm trying to make; his ability only works during Fire conflicts. I'd rather a personality I can use in any conflict. (Though we haven't seen all of the ring manipulation available to the Phoenix yet, so who knows, maybe FFG will get it right.) And again, in theory I like the idea of cards that have good abilities that become great abilities if they match the conflict element, but it my experience what you see more of is a very underwhelming ability that becomes merely very average when the element condition is met. As a Phoenix player back in the day I just found myself looking wistfully across the table at all my opponents personalities that just straight up had good abilities from the start.

We don't know what this era will end up being called yet, but I understand what you're staying. However, it's possible there won't be any Clan Wars (though I kind of hope there are.) It's a brave new world.

I wish there was a way to like single phrases in posts, but this basically sums up this entire thread. I.e. objectively it's hard to say one system is "better" than the other. Let's stick with the spirit of the thread and stump for our favorite system in a good-natured manner, but allow that other people might like it the other way, and that's fine.

Yes, but those generic personalities were, as a percentage of the total number of personalities, very few in number. I would consider a non-named personality to be an exception in Old5r.

Personally, I would not. It's a great idea in theory, but (at least how AEG did it with elemental key words) in practice you end up with cards that are only good sometimes. I'd rather get cards that are good all of the time.

You have to admit, though, it is a good way for FFG to motivate people to buy the new packs and hold out for later updates.