Limit special summons for the first turn only,

[Kamil]

Each player now only gets two special summons during their 1st turn. Every turn after this the game proceeds as normal.

This reduces the power of going 1st. Boss monsters and "unbreakable boards" should not be built or summon in the 1st turn before your opponent can even set a card. This allows the back row to be meaningful again. Regular traps can now be a part of the game again in a meaningful way.

It gives each player time to build a defense before their opponent just combo's off. It also allows each player a little time to you know... play cards and not sit there watching. Some negates and interaction will still be favored for the player playing 1st but the 2nd player will have an additional card and a back row ready to attempt to stop their opponent from building their win condition.

This in some form should at least be tried if even just in an alternative format.

[Yerc2]

While it would be nice for traps to gain more viability, realistically, that would change the meta from:
Everyone wanting to go first to combo a board out to prevent their opponent from being able to play.
To
Everyone wanting to go second to combo a board out to prevent their opponent from being able to play, or just to attack through their opponent's limited board.

So instead of the player going second needing to open-hand multiple specific cards to be able to play the game against a meta deck, it would loop back around to and apply a similar state to the first player.
In this case, player 1 doesn't get the right trap cards and handtraps in their opening hand, they're just screwed on turn 2.

If we take a look at how the meta is doing now, people aren't too keen to invest in outs to things that counter their deck, the majority of players would still bet on the hope being the first one to remove player interaction.

IMO, the issue isn't the quantity of special summoning in and of itself, it's the powercrept cards that enable and abuse mass special summoning.
And I personally dislike those virus trap cards, I don't want to see them used more. :'(

[Juno Brier]

Notice how this doesn't negatively impact stun decks and Floowandereeze.

[Papa Shekels]

I guess it is april 1st in some parts of the world already, huh

[G3]

Ok. I'll still just go first anyway. I'll just play True Draco, Monarchs, Floo and, any other stun variant. That new Guilt Gripping Morganite card comming soon is already insane for stun.

[Tunnel Sharks Rule!!!]

This just makes Dragonmaid better

[Raven]

nine-hundred-and-first verse, same as the first.

[Soji]

Your problem isn't with special summoning, your problem is with negates and other effects that stop you from playing the game, which you ironically want to stop by preventing people from playing the game.

[Yerc2]

Originally posted by Soji:

Your problem isn't with special summoning, your problem is with negates and other effects that stop you from playing the game, which you ironically want to stop by preventing people from playing the game.

When your opponent's version of "playing the game" is first stopping you from playing the game, the only way for you to play the game is to first stop your opponent from playing the game by stopping them from stopping you from playing the game.

There really is a palpable level of nonsensicality to Yu-Gi-Oh's balance.
Even though I usually disagree with people's suggestions to improve balance, it's nice to see what other players think~

[HeraldOfOpera]

Originally posted by Yerc2:

There really is a palpable level of nonsensicality to Yu-Gi-Oh's balance.

That's not just Yugioh's balance, that's everything Konami has ever done. You know that nonsensical argument that such-and-such in a single player game is balanced because you can choose not to use it? That was invented by Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, where it was allegedly intended by the developer. And that still makes more sense than some of the other decisions they've made over the years.