thegeneralpublic
02-02-2006, 04:20 PM
I've posted this on Mana Tap originally, but I thought it'd do some good here.
1) FORMAT YOUR CARD CORRECTLY
Okay, maybe "correctly" is too strong a word. I'm sure other people have different opinions, but I find that the easiest way to display cards is as follows:
NAME (generic):colored:
TYPE - SUBTYPE (rarity, if applicable)
CARD TEXT (replace the card's name with ~ or CARDNAME)
POWER/TOUGHNESS
ie:
Great Glob Guy
2GG
5/6
glob creature
at the start of your upkeep phase, you lose two life
becomes
Great Glob Guy :2mana::g::g:
Creature-Glob
At the start of your upkeep phase, you lose two life.
5/6
surely many people have arguments about it. Do whatever works for you, just as long as people know what you are talking about. I like this format because it is set up as if it were a card itself.
2) USE THE CLOSEST ORACLE WORDING YOU CAN
People will find your cards much easier to understand if you use oracle wording or try to get close to it. Right now, I am the only person who currently has a card shop, which is where you can submit your cards to be corrected. If you are unsure of how a card should be worded, go there or to a similar place and get help. It will help more people understand the idea and you will get more feedback.
ie:
Great Glob Guy :2mana::g::g:
Creature-Glob
At the start of your upkeep phase, you lose two life.
5/6
becomes
Great Glob Guy :2mana::g::g:
Creature-Glob
At the begining of your upkeep, you lose two life.
5/6
Using Oracle wording is simply more efficient than most other ways. Be wary of awkward situations such as bidding or setting cards aside.
3) MAKE SURE YOUR CARD IS IN THE RIGHT SLICE OF THE COLOR PIE
When you submit a card, always make sure that it is the correct color. The first thing people will notice about the card is wetehr or not it's in the right color.
ie:
Great Glob Guy :2mana::g::g:
Creature-Glob
At the begining of your upkeep, you lose two life.
5/6
becomes
Great Glob Guy :2mana::b::b:
Creature-Glob
At the begining of your upkeep, you lose two life.
5/6
This increases understanding of the card in general and will help you get more constructive feedback.
4) TRY NOT TO USE ODD TYPES OR NAMES UNLESS THE CARD CALLS FOR IT.
There are certain situations when using an original type is okay or even preferable, as in the Shrines or Cloudpost. But using one for no reason when it could easily be replaced by a more common type is something that should be avoided. On a similar note, try not to use an odd name unless A) the set is Un- style or the card is something like Discombobulate or Kaboom! where it can be done in a nice fashion.
ie:
Great Glob Guy :2mana::b::b:
Creature-Glob
At the begining of your upkeep, you lose two life.
5/6
becomes
Primordial Ooze :2mana::b::b:
Creature-Ooze
At the begining of your upkeep, you lose two life.
5/6
5) MAKE SURE THE CARD IS BALANCED
Always make sure that the card is well balanced. One place where people get hung up a lot is on power and toughness. Look at various vanilla cards for your color and you will get a general idea of what the P/T should be below at each level.
ie:
Primordial Ooze :2mana::b::b:
Creature-Ooze
At the begining of your upkeep, you lose two life.
5/6
becomes
Primordial Ooze :2mana::b::b:
Creature-Ooze
At the begining of your upkeep, you lose three life.
5/5
Card balance is key for any card design. It is what will seperate a crappy card from one that is truly awesome.
Hope this helps all of you card designers out there. If you have comments or things to add, please let me know!
:shoot:
[b]stickied ~ld56~
1) FORMAT YOUR CARD CORRECTLY
Okay, maybe "correctly" is too strong a word. I'm sure other people have different opinions, but I find that the easiest way to display cards is as follows:
NAME (generic):colored:
TYPE - SUBTYPE (rarity, if applicable)
CARD TEXT (replace the card's name with ~ or CARDNAME)
POWER/TOUGHNESS
ie:
Great Glob Guy
2GG
5/6
glob creature
at the start of your upkeep phase, you lose two life
becomes
Great Glob Guy :2mana::g::g:
Creature-Glob
At the start of your upkeep phase, you lose two life.
5/6
surely many people have arguments about it. Do whatever works for you, just as long as people know what you are talking about. I like this format because it is set up as if it were a card itself.
2) USE THE CLOSEST ORACLE WORDING YOU CAN
People will find your cards much easier to understand if you use oracle wording or try to get close to it. Right now, I am the only person who currently has a card shop, which is where you can submit your cards to be corrected. If you are unsure of how a card should be worded, go there or to a similar place and get help. It will help more people understand the idea and you will get more feedback.
ie:
Great Glob Guy :2mana::g::g:
Creature-Glob
At the start of your upkeep phase, you lose two life.
5/6
becomes
Great Glob Guy :2mana::g::g:
Creature-Glob
At the begining of your upkeep, you lose two life.
5/6
Using Oracle wording is simply more efficient than most other ways. Be wary of awkward situations such as bidding or setting cards aside.
3) MAKE SURE YOUR CARD IS IN THE RIGHT SLICE OF THE COLOR PIE
When you submit a card, always make sure that it is the correct color. The first thing people will notice about the card is wetehr or not it's in the right color.
ie:
Great Glob Guy :2mana::g::g:
Creature-Glob
At the begining of your upkeep, you lose two life.
5/6
becomes
Great Glob Guy :2mana::b::b:
Creature-Glob
At the begining of your upkeep, you lose two life.
5/6
This increases understanding of the card in general and will help you get more constructive feedback.
4) TRY NOT TO USE ODD TYPES OR NAMES UNLESS THE CARD CALLS FOR IT.
There are certain situations when using an original type is okay or even preferable, as in the Shrines or Cloudpost. But using one for no reason when it could easily be replaced by a more common type is something that should be avoided. On a similar note, try not to use an odd name unless A) the set is Un- style or the card is something like Discombobulate or Kaboom! where it can be done in a nice fashion.
ie:
Great Glob Guy :2mana::b::b:
Creature-Glob
At the begining of your upkeep, you lose two life.
5/6
becomes
Primordial Ooze :2mana::b::b:
Creature-Ooze
At the begining of your upkeep, you lose two life.
5/6
5) MAKE SURE THE CARD IS BALANCED
Always make sure that the card is well balanced. One place where people get hung up a lot is on power and toughness. Look at various vanilla cards for your color and you will get a general idea of what the P/T should be below at each level.
ie:
Primordial Ooze :2mana::b::b:
Creature-Ooze
At the begining of your upkeep, you lose two life.
5/6
becomes
Primordial Ooze :2mana::b::b:
Creature-Ooze
At the begining of your upkeep, you lose three life.
5/5
Card balance is key for any card design. It is what will seperate a crappy card from one that is truly awesome.
Hope this helps all of you card designers out there. If you have comments or things to add, please let me know!
:shoot:
[b]stickied ~ld56~