My Final Paper

Ranshi

Hey everyone!

Yesterday I mentioned my long history as a Cardsmith to one of my professors, who teaches a course on game design, and he requested that I make an analysis of the 51 Lens of Game Design and of Cardsmith/Magic the topic for my final paper. I am primarily going to be covering my own work because I can better speak on the thoughts put into any given design than should I be analyzing others' work, but I do want to cover more than just my own stuff. 

As such, I'd like to pose an open invite over the next few days for people to please submit up to 2 designs of theirs. My only request be that they either be designs that you'd consider to be among your best, or that they be something you're unsure of and would like my analysis of. The latter category could include things such as controversial designs, experimental ones, or even just something that you're unsure of and would like me to cover in my paper. These designs don't necessarily need to be posted here on CS, but if possible, please have a copy up here as it will make citing sources easier!

Thanks!

LvB

Stand your ground: I think this card is great cause its so versatile. It can be used on own creatures and on opponents creatures and its overload ability is a real gamechanger and especially fun in multiplayer games like commander xD

Acid Cube: Idea behind that is the infamous Gelatinous Cube from Dungeons & Dragons. A cube in a dungeon that devours everything it can get.

TheDarkKnight1234567

Fascinating that you're doing MTGCardsmith as your topic!


https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/a-pitiful-attempt-to-defy-fate?list=user


https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/invoke-the-mists?list=user

Good luck!

jaceberlin

These aren't my best, but they are some of my stranger and rule-bendy-er cards

https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/seize-the-moment-5?list=user


https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/suggestion-20?list=user

jpastor

https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/goldmanticore?list=user


https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/godzilla-winters-calamity?list=user

FireOfGolden

I am well known for experimenting with a new creature type and that's called Figures. Figures mainly depends on the color of themselves and can lose colors just to be cheaper. While I made another Inkling before that was even a thing. Inkling is mainly black that favors in working together while try to consume the battlefield.


https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/affected-stickman


https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/extended-stickman

While they may be not my best, but they sums my works up. (I am pretty proud of Extended Stickman lol)

theirintheattic

I haven't done anything here or on cardsmith for what feels like ages, but I'll add my two cents. Good luck on your paper!


https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/perplexing-automaton


https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/ambulating-farmstead

cadstar369

I'll toss these your way. I hope all goes well for you!

TheKeefMan

Heres my 2 cards that I personally like the best, and I find to be some of my best work.

Jadefire

How interesting that you get to take a deep dive into analyzing the intention and thought behind card design.  For the purpose of your paper, I assume you'll be focusing more on things like game mechanics, balance, and novelty/innovation rather than aesthetics, story, and flavour.  Otherwise, I have an alternate card that I think hits more in each category across the board and, to me, feels like a more well-rounded card than Zufina.

I have my card collection split into cards that I've made for contests and tournaments and those that resulted purely from having a spontaneous idea or that came out of a thought experiment on how much I could bend a rule or push a boundary.  Not surprisingly, the majority of my favourite cards were the result of fully free thinking rather than trying to contort a design around externally imposed requirements.

https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/sissibelle-truth-masker


https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/zufina-the-rising-tempest

TheGamingBolasChannel

Depending on if you have the room/time to do it in your paper, mention how some users construct full sized custom magic sets.

https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/julius-death-spreader?list=set&set=65246

Next two links is to a transforming card
Front:https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/zelphinas-fortress?list=set&set=72458
back: https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/zelphina-arleton?list=set&set=72458

(I'm including the flip card as a lot of people don't make them on this site since it has to be made as two different cards.  As a result, the means of making the back side work can be tricky)

StuffnSuch

 

https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/war-of-casualties
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/wandering-automaton


Once you've finished the paper, I'd love to read through what you came up with.  I imagine most of us Cardsmiths are at least a little into game design.  You should definitely share it if you can.  Either way, good luck on the paper.

TenebrisNemo

smax765

I am also helping:

https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/gryff-the-gravekeeper

https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/drogskol-chivalry

I would also like to read the paper you made.

Mila

I don't know, if stuff like this is interesting. If not, just ignore it. I made this card with a concept and flavor in mind:

https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/wuthathrax-the-terrifying

I started with the artwork and wanted to incorporate the fact, that the tiny human faces the fight with the gargantuan dragon. So I thought of a mechanical way to explain, why the human doesn't just run and wanted to give the dragon a powerful ability. It took me a while to come up with this card, but I didn't realize, that it doesn't work ruleswise, no matter how much I like it flavorwise.