Uhm, I've been on this forum designing cards since back in 2010. I consider myself a veteran card designer as I tend get to at least to the finals almost every time I play a game at all. I've taken about a year off recently, but I am definitely not just starting out and I am clear on modern practices in development.
My frustration comes from a judgement that docked a great number of points for what was clearly a very minor issue with the card. Not only that, but I was nickled and dimed in categories where there are no logical complaints, and these fractional losses put me into a losing position. This is even one of my favorite designs that I've ever produced, and is actually a repost from my custom cube.
Even with that in mind, I would usually just shrug and go on my way. However Brave Lion has, to effect, said "check out my blogs, because I know how to design cards amazingly well, and you reading them will make you better at designing cards." So I am examining his words with increased scrutiny, and holding him to a higher standard than I otherwise would. I am expecting a genius. The fact that I found what I consider to be obvious flaws with the first review of his that I read, has made me want to express my frustration.
If you took away the text of one of Dimir Guildmage's abilities, it would become an altogether different card and you would have to change the name. Yet when you take away reminder text, it is still the same card. Supposing you judge differently on whether or not reminder text is included, then the reprint of Dimir Guildmage would score lower than the original printing of it, even though they are both the exact same card. After all, a new player would not necessarily know how hybrid mana actually works.
Well, yeah, I'd be okay for loosing points for not including reminder text, but I'd still probably be upset about it, since reminder text is meant to just be a reminder of the rules as they exist in the game, and not an actual part of the card. That is why some versions of a card include reminder text, while others don't.
Either way, even if you stubbornly stick to the idea that it is difficult to understand, it definitely not so difficult to understand that I should lose several points over it, considering that you only need one sentence to clarify how the card works.
Okay, Brave Lion. A Genius Loci is the God of a location or the overall spirit of the place and it's wishes. In media, specifically Dungeons and Dragons, it has been adapted to mean, more broadly, "a piece of terrain that is living". I am using it here as a term for a generic piece of living land, because it is naturally a ubiquitous term for a land creature.
Now then, you took off half a point for a lack of uniqueness and then expound that there is only one card in existence even remotely similar, and I will detail that this one functions in a drastically different way than that similar card. You absolutely cannot say that this is less than a perfect 3 on uniqueness.
You took off half a point for a lack of viability, then describe how there is nothing wrong with it's viability at all.
Almost all the points you subtracted said "people won't get it", to which I reply "Then add reminder text that reads (This card is affected by summoning sickness.)" If they don't know what summoning sickness is, then that's a massive issue with their understanding of the game, not the card. Reminder text is generally treated as not being there anyways, but I could understand maybe a point being taken off because I didn't include that, but when it's so easy to clear up, it's not an issue.
It is not a delayed Evolving Wilds at all. It gives you the land untapped, so you get the mana at the same time, so it instantly proves to be better than Evolving Wilds, as this thing blocks Goblin Guide, Kird Ape, and dozens of other small guys in modern and legacy until you crack him for mana, so of course he would see constructed play. Maybe not in every deck, but Sakura Tribe Elder proves that a creature that can be freely sacked for a land is a useful commodity.
Also, the flavor was because I couldn't have possibly found an artwork that fits the location, and a lot of the explanation and understanding that comes in a plane card is in the artwork.
Because we have people like GMom who have somewhere in the neighborhood of 6000 trophies. ~_^
No, trophies still get handed out, they just come from the Pro Tour now.
Well, I was aware that they pro tour hands out trophies, but I was really more wondering if there was any particular reason it was turned exclusively towards the pro tour. Like, were there too many people with trophies or was it considered that trophies should be a more difficult thing to achieve or what? Because I think, if we were wanting to make the pro tour special, we could perhaps make a special user title (like how Moderators have the word "Moderator" underneath their user name) which reads "CCC&G Pro Tour Winner". In the meantime, winners of the monthly contests could still show their badges of honor for doing so.
(On that same note, I'm sure there are competitions or other parts of MTGS. The contest-winner title could be adapted to them as well.)
As an aside: I think this month was outstandingly difficult, kudos to VikingIrishman, and congratulations to Gerrard's Mom on another in a long list of trophy-class victories.
As another aside: Why did we stop giving trophies?
Hum, I think "the deadline" is one of those few rules that shouldn't have exceptions, though I do agree that the most recent MCC thread should be stickied, along with the most recent CCL. (I do not think the DCC should be stickied, for sanity's sake, however the monthly CF games might also be candidates for being stickied)
Oh, I'm really more frustrated with myself than anything. Wasn't actually trying to gripe, just to explain why I made the mistake. It's really just my fault.
Yeah, I know what color identity is, but the overall statement of the challenge would lead someone to thinking that you wanted a color identity of at least those colors, and thus a black/blue/white card would logically fill both requirements, but then, looking at the explanation, it gives the impression that you are defining the color identity more via what colors must be absent, because the clarifications say nothing about any color being required, just that certain colors must not be there. Hence, a colorless card would fill both requirements in that reading. These two viewpoints are mutually exclusive, though, so I went with the version labelled 'clarifications', as I thought it was there because you had thought ahead and were clearing up the potential for misunderstanding.
Oh well, Karn, if you win next round, your welcome.
My frustration comes from a judgement that docked a great number of points for what was clearly a very minor issue with the card. Not only that, but I was nickled and dimed in categories where there are no logical complaints, and these fractional losses put me into a losing position. This is even one of my favorite designs that I've ever produced, and is actually a repost from my custom cube.
Even with that in mind, I would usually just shrug and go on my way. However Brave Lion has, to effect, said "check out my blogs, because I know how to design cards amazingly well, and you reading them will make you better at designing cards." So I am examining his words with increased scrutiny, and holding him to a higher standard than I otherwise would. I am expecting a genius. The fact that I found what I consider to be obvious flaws with the first review of his that I read, has made me want to express my frustration.
Dryad Arbor (Future Sight)
Dimir Guildmage (Ravinca: City of Guilds)
Dimir Guildmage (Modern Masters)
If you took away the text of one of Dimir Guildmage's abilities, it would become an altogether different card and you would have to change the name. Yet when you take away reminder text, it is still the same card. Supposing you judge differently on whether or not reminder text is included, then the reprint of Dimir Guildmage would score lower than the original printing of it, even though they are both the exact same card. After all, a new player would not necessarily know how hybrid mana actually works.
Example:
Duskdale Wurm (Eventide)
Duskdale Wurm (2013)
Either way, even if you stubbornly stick to the idea that it is difficult to understand, it definitely not so difficult to understand that I should lose several points over it, considering that you only need one sentence to clarify how the card works.
Now then, you took off half a point for a lack of uniqueness and then expound that there is only one card in existence even remotely similar, and I will detail that this one functions in a drastically different way than that similar card. You absolutely cannot say that this is less than a perfect 3 on uniqueness.
You took off half a point for a lack of viability, then describe how there is nothing wrong with it's viability at all.
Almost all the points you subtracted said "people won't get it", to which I reply "Then add reminder text that reads (This card is affected by summoning sickness.)" If they don't know what summoning sickness is, then that's a massive issue with their understanding of the game, not the card. Reminder text is generally treated as not being there anyways, but I could understand maybe a point being taken off because I didn't include that, but when it's so easy to clear up, it's not an issue.
It is not a delayed Evolving Wilds at all. It gives you the land untapped, so you get the mana at the same time, so it instantly proves to be better than Evolving Wilds, as this thing blocks Goblin Guide, Kird Ape, and dozens of other small guys in modern and legacy until you crack him for mana, so of course he would see constructed play. Maybe not in every deck, but Sakura Tribe Elder proves that a creature that can be freely sacked for a land is a useful commodity.
You didn't award me a 26/25 for merit of being Rithaniel?
Is this an oversight? I think it must be an oversight.
Also, the flavor was because I couldn't have possibly found an artwork that fits the location, and a lot of the explanation and understanding that comes in a plane card is in the artwork.
Well, I was aware that they pro tour hands out trophies, but I was really more wondering if there was any particular reason it was turned exclusively towards the pro tour. Like, were there too many people with trophies or was it considered that trophies should be a more difficult thing to achieve or what? Because I think, if we were wanting to make the pro tour special, we could perhaps make a special user title (like how Moderators have the word "Moderator" underneath their user name) which reads "CCC&G Pro Tour Winner". In the meantime, winners of the monthly contests could still show their badges of honor for doing so.
(On that same note, I'm sure there are competitions or other parts of MTGS. The contest-winner title could be adapted to them as well.)
Clockwork Gamer: 19.5 + 16 + 22 + 19 + 22 + 20 = 118.5
Vertain: 23.5 + 20.5 + 18 + 20 + 19.5 + 17 = 118.5
Gerrard's Mom: 21.5 + 18 + 18.5 + 21 + 22 + 19.5 = 120.5
Rithaniel: 16.5 + 15 + 15 +20 + 17 + 15.5 = 99
Drat, only 22 points away.
As an aside: I think this month was outstandingly difficult, kudos to VikingIrishman, and congratulations to Gerrard's Mom on another in a long list of trophy-class victories.
As another aside: Why did we stop giving trophies?
And rules can be changed.
It's still a freaking bummer, of course.
Oh well, Karn, if you win next round, your welcome.