Being a look back at cards from the Star Trek CCG, and what I thought of them back when they were fresh and new... in EPISODE order. Starting our look at cards pulled from Justice...
PICTURE: Pink isn't a particularly dramatic color, but that's what dominates this card. The transparent subject certainly isn't strong enough an image to take over the composition. There's some interest generated by the lights inside the probe, but not enough to bring the score higher than 1.9.
LORE: Lots to like. Tells the story just fine, but adds a lot of color (which the picture lacks) as well. The term "ship-shuddering tones" used to describe the Edo Probe's communications is very apt. And the quote is unusual for a dilemma, but just great. It's a good storytelling aid when playing. I really like saying "STATE THE PURPOSE!" in my most portentous voice. I would have liked the words "Edo Probe" in the lore to be replaced with something explaining what the Edo God is though. The use of the term here is redundant and useless. A 4.5!
TREK SENSE: Let's see... First, how valid is it for Edo Probe to be a dilemma that you can encounter over and over in the course of a game? Is the Edo God now protecting every race out there? It might have been unique at the very least. Another question: why isn't it AU like the Edo Vessel? If the ship is, and the Edo God is, why not its probe? As for the effect itself, it has some merit (conceptually). Either you obey the Probe's command to stay out of things, or you don't. If you don't, you stand to lose points if you screw things up any more. The points are conceptually that screw-up which more or less undoes the unwritten mission "expansion" which each affiliation is pursuing in its own fashion. If you do abandon the mission, you can nonsensically return to it later. The condition scarcely makes sense. If YOU are the one solving the other mission, that would be one thing. You might prove yourself worthy in the eyes of the Edo God. But if another player solves one, that's okay too? Can't the Edo God discern between one race and another? A lot of problems keep this one at 0.9.
SEEDABILITY: This is a great part of many wall combos. If you count on your opponent going on with the mission, you can make him lose 10 points quite easily. All you need is a good stopper like Radioactive Garbage Scow or enough filters/killers to make the mission impossible. How to force your opponent's hand? Seed one under all their missions, and watch them abandon each one in turn while you bide your time and not solve anything. At some point, said opponent panics and tries one, doesn't succeed and loses points. If a few of these hit, they'll find themselves in the gutter, point-wise, potentially giving you up to a whole mission's advance. Keep them in total disarray by scoring bonus points only (except maybe for your final mission). If you can keep them from successfully completing even one mission, all the early abandons will stay off limits for good. Can be pulled off, but of course not as easy as I make it sound since once the dilemma has cost them 10 points, the mission CAN then be solved, freeing the others. A 3.9.
TOTAL: 11.2 (56%) A couple of good scores totally offset by some terrible ones. Result: not the perfect card.
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