Group Set Creation is the YMTC of sets!
Each week we will work on a different part of a set. I will make a poll towards the end of the week with the suggestions I like the best. When the details are made, we will have a week to post cards for the set, then we will start a new set.
The rules are the same as most custom card leagues. Just keep it appropriate guys.
If you want to get any kind of quality sets made, that sadly isn't going to work. It takes Wizards months and months to just design a set - much less develop one - and it's their job.
thanks and yes, we will work on a different part of the set each week. They will probably only take a month or to to make and will not be amazing, but they will be thought out and have the major components.
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"One death is a tragedy; one million is a statistic."
That makes a bit more sense. When it was said we will "each" make a different part of the set, have a week to post cards, then start a new set - I assumed everyone had a week to finish their part of a complete set.
This is a project that comes up again and again. It never really works out, but I'm always willing to help just in case it actually happens this time.
I have to say though, why are we starting with a name? Seems like an incredibly random jumping-off point. Most real magic sets aren't even named until after most of development is done.
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"In the beginning, MTG Salvation switched to a new forum format.
This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."
It was at that moment that I realized: I'm kinda just making these things up. We can just write the rules the way we want them to work. People will have fun, and people will get it.
I have to say though, why are we starting with a name? Seems like an incredibly random jumping-off point. Most real magic sets aren't even named until after most of development is done.
Good point. Didnt think of that. What should we start with. I thought we could build up around the name but I dont know how its usually done. If you could help me out by posting a list of the order it should go in I would be very grateful
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"One death is a tragedy; one million is a statistic."
This could work and having a random jumping off point will make it more interesting and different. That said, it will take more than a month and we will need to make a design skeleton before we start submitting cards.
I have to say though, why are we starting with a name? Seems like an incredibly random jumping-off point. Most real magic sets aren't even named until after most of development is done.
Good point. Didnt think of that. What should we start with. I thought we could build up around the name but I dont know how its usually done. If you could help me out by posting a list of the order it should go in I would be very grateful
Most real magic sets begin by deciding whether to do Top-Down or Bottom-Up. In case you aren't familiar with the terminology, though I expect you are, Top-Down design begins starting with the creative. Innistrad was top-down and began with the idea "Gothic Horror Set". Theros was topdown and began with "Greek Mythology Set". Champions of Kamigawa was top down and began with "Japanese Mythology Set". A creative element is chosen that informs the designers by capturing the nature of the setting and the things that would exist in it.
Bottom-Up design begins by starting with a mechanical jumping-off point, which is then given a setting that fits it later. Mirrodin was bottom-up, starting with a "Artifacts Matter" space. Shards of Alara was bottom up, starting with a "Three-Color-Combinations Matter" space. Khans of Tarkir has the unique Bottom-Up inspiration of being inspired by a draft structure. Maro wanted to try a particular draft structure and design a set that would make sure a strange drafting structure make sense. Creative later gets their hands on the mechanics and helps figure out what kind of world makes sense for these mechanical decisions.
From these initial points, more decisions get made. Once "Greek mythology world" was chosen, the people brainstormed trying to figure out the core feeling of greek mythology. They decided to go with the sense of "building up" as heroic creatures became more powerful, the gifts of the gods (enchantments) made creatures stronger and the devotion built up great power as your board expanded. The Ordeals also had the same build-up theme as did many other mechanics. Innistrad was meanto to create a sense of suspense and fear, and the morbid mechanic was designed to make sure something dying felt frightening. The werewolf mechanic was designed to create tension, worrying when the wolf would flip and so on.
Bottom-Up designs tend to spend a while palying with the mechanics to make sure they work, unless the question (like khans of tarkir) needs to be solved immediately about what's going on. Conspiracy was a bottom-up design, with vague ideas of being a grand-melee flavor, until a member of the creative team watched a playtest and gave it the flavor of being conspiratorial intrigue.
No design ever starts with Cards or a Name, because the cards work together to create an overall experience and the name exists to sell the set. You can have a working title, that's fine, but starting there doesn't accomplish anything.
Also, when soliciting ideas for starting points of design, you should encourage people to make an argument for why their idea works. A name-in-a-vacuum is empty, it has no inherent meaning without context. People could make great arguments about why certain top-down or bottom-up starting points could create a great project.
Trying the more unusual ideas first is always a good place to start. They usually either fail quickly (not much lost) or give you something brand new and cool you discovered. Hope it works well.
Each week we will work on a different part of a set. I will make a poll towards the end of the week with the suggestions I like the best. When the details are made, we will have a week to post cards for the set, then we will start a new set.
The rules are the same as most custom card leagues. Just keep it appropriate guys.
Here is the link to the current set
If you want to get any kind of quality sets made, that sadly isn't going to work. It takes Wizards months and months to just design a set - much less develop one - and it's their job.
Remaking Magic - A Podcast for those that love MTG and Game Design
The Dungeon Master's Guide - A Podcast for those that love RPGs and Game Design
Sig-Heroes of the Plane
Speaking of which, I'll probably not add much beyond the first couple weeks, but I'll certainly help get it started.
Avant Block: Avant -- Stormfront
Remaking Magic - A Podcast for those that love MTG and Game Design
The Dungeon Master's Guide - A Podcast for those that love RPGs and Game Design
Sig-Heroes of the Plane
This is a project that comes up again and again. It never really works out, but I'm always willing to help just in case it actually happens this time.
I have to say though, why are we starting with a name? Seems like an incredibly random jumping-off point. Most real magic sets aren't even named until after most of development is done.
This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."
Comic Book Set
Archester: Frontier of Steam (A steampunk set!)
A Good Place to Start Designing
Good point. Didnt think of that. What should we start with. I thought we could build up around the name but I dont know how its usually done. If you could help me out by posting a list of the order it should go in I would be very grateful
Theme
Story(if that's a part)
Different groups(if necessary)
Cards
Name
anything else necessary
Most real magic sets begin by deciding whether to do Top-Down or Bottom-Up. In case you aren't familiar with the terminology, though I expect you are, Top-Down design begins starting with the creative. Innistrad was top-down and began with the idea "Gothic Horror Set". Theros was topdown and began with "Greek Mythology Set". Champions of Kamigawa was top down and began with "Japanese Mythology Set". A creative element is chosen that informs the designers by capturing the nature of the setting and the things that would exist in it.
Bottom-Up design begins by starting with a mechanical jumping-off point, which is then given a setting that fits it later. Mirrodin was bottom-up, starting with a "Artifacts Matter" space. Shards of Alara was bottom up, starting with a "Three-Color-Combinations Matter" space. Khans of Tarkir has the unique Bottom-Up inspiration of being inspired by a draft structure. Maro wanted to try a particular draft structure and design a set that would make sure a strange drafting structure make sense. Creative later gets their hands on the mechanics and helps figure out what kind of world makes sense for these mechanical decisions.
From these initial points, more decisions get made. Once "Greek mythology world" was chosen, the people brainstormed trying to figure out the core feeling of greek mythology. They decided to go with the sense of "building up" as heroic creatures became more powerful, the gifts of the gods (enchantments) made creatures stronger and the devotion built up great power as your board expanded. The Ordeals also had the same build-up theme as did many other mechanics. Innistrad was meanto to create a sense of suspense and fear, and the morbid mechanic was designed to make sure something dying felt frightening. The werewolf mechanic was designed to create tension, worrying when the wolf would flip and so on.
Bottom-Up designs tend to spend a while palying with the mechanics to make sure they work, unless the question (like khans of tarkir) needs to be solved immediately about what's going on. Conspiracy was a bottom-up design, with vague ideas of being a grand-melee flavor, until a member of the creative team watched a playtest and gave it the flavor of being conspiratorial intrigue.
No design ever starts with Cards or a Name, because the cards work together to create an overall experience and the name exists to sell the set. You can have a working title, that's fine, but starting there doesn't accomplish anything.
Also, when soliciting ideas for starting points of design, you should encourage people to make an argument for why their idea works. A name-in-a-vacuum is empty, it has no inherent meaning without context. People could make great arguments about why certain top-down or bottom-up starting points could create a great project.
Remaking Magic - A Podcast for those that love MTG and Game Design
The Dungeon Master's Guide - A Podcast for those that love RPGs and Game Design
Sig-Heroes of the Plane
Remaking Magic - A Podcast for those that love MTG and Game Design
The Dungeon Master's Guide - A Podcast for those that love RPGs and Game Design
Sig-Heroes of the Plane