Something we haven't done yet...

[Birdbrain]

Eco-bound-
If you control 3 or more creature types -insert effect here-

That's my mechanic. I think it works for green and definitely for white. And could work for red, you would have to look at it from a point of view as many creatures causing chaos, or a stampede

Edit: or many different viewpoints from blue

Edit, edit: we should vote on which mechanics we think fits the world most when we decide on a story

Well having been out do to a busy day I not back till I sleep. Having caught up I can offer this to the story. Explore the more savage sides of each color in the opening set.
Green=easy, big beasts, ramp, and destruction for growth
Red= wild savage creatures and uncontrolled fire and destruction (lots of random and wrath burn)
Black= big bang for big price, necromancy, pay life, sac dudes, or discard cards to do big things
Blue=seemingly difficult, but think of krakens of leviathans and things like {devastation tide} and other effects that hit both players eaqually in their savage and reckless prosute of knowledge
White= similar to blue in design, but easy to tweak in the nature of the cards. Smaller creatures more effects. Wrath, exile, and vengeful spirits

These could be the dominating forces in the beginning set with hints at lingering civilization and order. Outside forces could better explain the change for sure, but I feel truly diving into the primal side of each color will make for better flavor, design, and a more dramatic change through the block.

i thought white is the good of the group over the good of the individual. Or at least according to MaRo, but I could be wrong

Edit: here is MaRo's article on white

http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr57

[Zman47]

My other gives to much power to creatures

[Birdbrain]

My other gives to much power to creatures

post it anyway. We might be able to balance it

[All-Mana Mania]

Evergreen- whenever this card attacks, a {G} to your mana pool for each creature type you control.

[FlickerYourOwnIdentity]

This is set 2 when progress loses, and nature wins, tell me what you think.

Nature prevails with it's old traditions,  defeating the inventors and their machines.  Although their leader lost their life, they still celebrated with a great feast.  Soon after their defeat, their leader was executed, by beheading.  Although this greatly angered the humans, they stayed calm during his public execution.  There was no struggle, no fight, the planeswalker even died with a smile on his face.  One that was almost sinister.
Soon after the execution, the Council of the Elves and Dryads demanded the carverns of technology be overrun with plants, plants that would never go away, that would creep through every crack and crevice, plants that would render every machine useless.  The plants went in and decimated everything.  Items were rendered useless, as the walls were caked with vegetation.  Everything was covered, except for a door...
It was a magnificent door, made of solid steel.  It baffled the Council, as their creeping vines never were able to get bast this large door.  In fact, the vines wouldn't even touch the door.  This arose a mystery among the council, and even the humans.  Nobody knew how to open the door, or what was on the other side.  The council released beasts inside to knock the door down, but to no avail.  The Council grew impatient, and demanded the humans tell what was on the other side, and how to open it.  Though the humans wouldn't speak, for their knowledge could not help.  Nobody knew.  Soon the Council ordered the execution of these humans until somebody informed them of the mysterious door.  Nobody was slaughtered though, for a woman stepped up to the plate.  To the Council she was just a human, who was an asset and a nusance at the moment.  But to the humans, she was <insert set 2 progress planeswalker's name here>, their former leader's apprentice.
She told the Council she would only open the door, but not inform them of the contents.  This angered the Council, but they had to take what they could get.
She led the Council down the dark caverns, as 2 warriors pointed a spear at her back as they walked.  She was calm though as they were navigated through the maze of vines.  Soon they had arrived at the door, still pristine, and untouched by the still growing plants.  The woman approached the door and placed her hand on it.  Blue energy shot from her arm, and onto the door.  The energy spread until it reached the ends of the door.  A booming click sounded through the cavern,  and air released from the room guarded by the door, with such force it almost knocked everyone off their feet.  The door began to open, a light emanating the the mystery room.  Everyone's neck cranes to see what was behind the door.
What they saw, surprised them...

Find out what's behind the door, and will the humans ever use it, or will the Council get rid of it in time.  Set three storyline coming up soon.

Tell me where you think the nature planeswalker should go in this story...

[Zman47]

Destruction- all damage delt to this creature is also delt to target creature and its owner

[Birdbrain]

Evergreen- whenever this card attacks, a {G} to your mana pool for each creature type you control.

this is basically what I thought up earlier

Rewarding creature types rewards creature combat, and also - what if those types don't turn out well? How about as a simple exercise, you know - to get it out of the way - you make the first set in the block something easy? All 5 colors, simple mechanics and simple cards.

We can get into more complex color philosophy and what makes the game enjoyable - and what makes a "good" card after the first set?

theres more design space than creature combat. You could do something like

{R}{R}

Deal X damage to target creature or player were X is the number of creature types you control.

Or
{U}{2}
Draw X cards were X is the number of creature types you control

I've always wanted to see cards that did stuff depending on the number of creature types you control. Sort of a chaotic twist on the tribal theme.

[Langku]

Theme: Nature vs Progress

I've got no ideas for a name, but this idea is from what threatens our own world right now. Nature and civilisation clash in a world where each threatens to override the other. What do you think?

Not to be rude because it seems quite a few people like this one, but it seems to me that this would be a better duel decks than a block, my reasoning mainly being that we have nature (which is mainly characterized by green) vs progress which sounds like it would have lots of machines (colourless artifacts) and the other colours would hardly be there

Edit: just to clarify, I do like the idea, just not as a block

It might be easier to try crafting a duel deck before tackling an entire block. It could help to iron out any challenges in this creative process.

That said, I love this idea!

[Birdbrain]

And anyway. It would take a delicate balance to make the mechanic work anyway. You couldn't just willy nilly do it. Read what dudecore said. Although I'm not sure about mana boost. Ill make demo templates for my mechanic and see if they work well

{G}{G}{2}

If you control 3 or more creature types, attacking creatures gain +2/+2

2/2
-------------------------------------
{R}{R}{1}
If you control 3 or more creature types, creatures you control gain haste
3/1
-------------------------------------
{G}{2}
I you control 3 or more creature types, this creature gains hexproof.
3/3
-------------------------------------
{W}
If you control 3 or more creature types, this creature gains +2/+2
1/1
-------------------------------------
{W}{2}
When this creature attacks, if you control 3 or more creature types, tap target creature
2/2
-------------------------------------
{R}{2}
When this creature attacks, if you control 3 or more creature types, deal 1 damage to target creature, and 1 damage to target player.
2/1
-------------------------------------

[Birdbrain]

Evergreen- whenever this card attacks, a {G} to your mana pool for each creature type you control.

and barbarian ism does almost the same thing. Why do we need many different mechanics with different names? If you insist on doin this. You could bring them all under one name, like battalian

[All-Mana Mania]

Evergreen- whenever this card attacks, a {G} to your mana pool for each creature type you control.

and barbarian ism does almost the same thing. Why do we need many different mechanics with different names? If you insist on doin this. You could bring them all under one name, like battalian

Well then, i guess we can call it something

[FlickerYourOwnIdentity]

These are some Progress mechanic ideas:

Progress

Thought Cast - {U}; reveal a card from your hand, then draw a card.  You may only use this ability once per turn.

Progress

Progress - {U}: Discard a card, then draw a card.  Activate this ability only once per turn.

What do you think.

Btw ratios for mana cost, amount of cards revealed, discard amount, and drawing amount can be changed.

[FlickerYourOwnIdentity]

Ok guys a few things,

1. Please let's try to get this topic stickied to the top, so let's see what we can do.

2. If you want to we can see if we can get a skype chat up so we can talk about the set more directly.  If you don't have one, please see If you can get one, if you can't get one that's ok, then send you skype number to people YOU TRUST!  Please understand that because you don't want your number to fall into the wrong hands.  You don't have to do this if you don't want to.

3.  Please check out plane discussion, and plane vote to vote and check out plane ideas and storylines.  This will help in the set making process.

4. Have fun!

[ntheawsome]

Aren't we trying not to make this blue vs green? Try to avoid colored mana in keyword costs

[FlickerYourOwnIdentity]

Btw ratios and colors for mana cost.

Does this help?