System Down: The Customisable Hacker Card Game!

[3XXXDDD]

Probably a while yet, I'm gonna do some solo testing soon and some with my particular group of gamers with record cards.

As for emptying recycling bin, I'd should come up with some icon that would be good for Remove from game effects but can't think of anything flavourful.

Also, I was thinking I could mess around with the text box a bit more with a "filepath"

Blue Bar = Name of Card
File Path (underneath box) would be like C(for Code):Keyword/Sub-Keyword
Grey Text Box.

I was also thinking (although this may be OTT) that every card could be referred to as a "File" but that might just end up confusing. Such as "Select/Destroy/Discard File" but again may be OTT.

[3XXXDDD]

By the way, were you saying the world "Select" is good to note targeting effects or did you mean the Cursor is good for "Select" but not "Target"?

[Dabem]

I don't think that calling cards files is taking things to far. There are lots of games that call cards a thematic name.

cursor just sounds like a noun and not a verb. I think that's my problem with it. So I think select would be a great word for targeting. In what cases would you want to 'select' but not target?

So you want the 'filepath' below the blue bar? Typically it was in the blue bar.
We can even put the keywords where the 'file, edit, help' bar would normally be.

[Cyrus]

Just a warning, I've used 'select' for 'target' before and had complaints about strange sounding text. Personally I think its a good alternative term though

[3XXXDDD]

Dabem: I never suggested to use the word Cursor but the Icon of a cursor to denote Targeting.

We could base the card more so like a browser, a tab for the name, url path for keywords then not entirely sure about the actual text box.

[Dabem]

Oh. Well now I feel silly. An icon of a cursor would be interesting. We can test to see if it adds to the design or takes away from it.

The only problem I've found with replacing words with pictures is it makes your database a tad screwy, and gives players one more thing to remember. The cursor/select connection should be close to second nature, but there will always be someone who asks why does it say '> data file'.

I like the browser idea. I'm going to come up with a few different versions for you to critique tomorrow.

[Dabem]

Here's my latest version. Sorry I don't have more options to look at. I had planned on it but time took over.

I think I incorporated quite a few of your ideas. I still haven't adjusted to make it less contrasty yet. What do you think of the browser. Any comments, concerns, complaints?

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[3XXXDDD]

So I've updated my first post with some revised game play and terminology.

Also Dabem: I'm liking the over-all look of the card template. Although my main concern is the BV Box, I think we should place that somewhere within the Text Box. An idea would be instead of the Minimize, Maximize, Exit buttons we could have 3 Boxes one with a Red (Negative), a Black (Neutral), Green (Positive) and depending on which card it is, 2 of them would be 0's and that cards BV or BVC would be increased.

Green = Anti Virus (PBV)
Black = Data Input/Variable (BVC)
Red = Virus (NBV)

The green border may also could do with saying being a bit thicker, softer and rounded? You know like those tubes on that Windows Screen Savers? As a play testing template it's great though these suggestions are just for when it is refined for perfection.

[Dragoon]

Why the fancy fonts? What's wrong with normal ones

System is looking interesting though

[3XXXDDD]

Why the fancy fonts? What's wrong with normal ones

System is looking interesting though

The Fancy fonts in the OP or on the Card text on Dabem's template?

[Dabem]

I spent a weekend out of town so I haven't had designing projects as a high priority. I think I can come up with something that resembles the browser design you made in paint too so you can do a side by side comparison. I'm not sure how I feel about the RAM value ending up inside the text box, but I'll create a version like that so you'll be able to see it. I have the feeling the top bar will need to be larger.

I noticed the some major changes to the rules and objectives. I like it, I just have one question: Can you target a system with more than one card?

Why the fancy fonts? What's wrong with normal ones

I'm guessing this was directed toward my template.  Nothing is wrong with normal ones. I just like fancy ones that capture the feel better. If it's a readability concern than I understand, and I can look for another font that's both readable and fun to look at. 

[3XXXDDD]

Can you target a system with more than one card?

Not at the in the same step. Your target with one Virus/Anti-Virus and your Opponent interrupts with one Virus/Anti-Virus. Then you can target the same System with a different Virus/Anti-Virus afterwards.

I'm not sure about the RAM Box either but just in general, I think if we could have the main card area contained to the Image Part and the Text Part boxes.

Also I'm going to post those templates (crediting you of course) to other Sites where the game info is located, just wondering if that is cool with you?

Also I hope your Browser variant comes out much better than mine

[Dabem]

I'll let you be the judge.

This of course is not where things must be but rather where they can be. I didn't quite figure out where to put the RAM on here. I was thinking about where the  _ []X boxes are like you said. I just think the boxes add a good bit to the design and recognition of the theme.

Let me know if you'd prefer something to be in a different place, as in keywords where the subtitle is or something. I like the keywords as browser shortcuts though, it makes it to where we can make an icon to put next to them too.

I can also remove or change the back/forward icons and the refresh icon to be something else if you'd like.

I made a safari variant too. I can also make one that seems more apple-esqe if you'd like I just figured more people know what browsers look like in windows.

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[3XXXDDD]

Getting lots of feed back on the first design (with the tab.)

I'm thinking over it and should be able to get back to you with a few more ideas soon enough.

While waiting, would anyone like to suggest any archetypes or sub-themes they would like to see for the starter kit? (Tron, Matrix, Classic Arcade Games, Social Networking, MMORPGs Characters lost in Cyberspace, SOPA/PIPA/ACTA vs Republic of the Internet?)

Generally looking for two themes that have some opposition towards each other for the first round.

[3XXXDDD]

Okay, first of all I like what you did with the Tabbed-Browser and this following reply will be for that variation, I'm actually looking for two variations of what I'm about to suggest. Before I go any further though, I'm going to list what information would be needed to display on the card itself just to refer back to so I won't miss a step.

Functional Information
Name
Type
Sub-Type
Value
Image
Effect Text

General Information
Set Name & Number
Edition
Rarity
Illustrator's Name
Copyright Info
Flavour Text

Now before I go further on the listed items, back to the two variations, basically with one variation of the image I'd like these things to be changed

1. The Mini, Maxi, Close buttons in the top-right hand corner gone and just replaced by the general colour of that area
2. The X by the card name (and any other tabs) gone.
3. The Open New Tab button gone

Onto the general design, going to work from a top-bottom basis;

Tabs
3 Tabs with Card Type Symbol, Card Name, Card Value/Cost in that order.

There are 3 Card Type Symbols; Anti-Virus is a Bold Green Up Arrow, Virus is a Bold Red Down Arrow and Data Input is as of yet undefined but I'm leaning towards the Enter Key Symbol (coloured black).

Back/Forward/Refresh
I would like to replace the Back/forward keys with the Set Code, 2 Characters per box (eg. SK in the back tab and 01 in the forward tab) as for the refresh tab I'd suggest to use it for edition (1st or Unlimited). We could probably just colour the refresh symbol for this, Gold for 1st, Black for Unlimited)

Address Bar
At the start of this we have that Star for the Bookmark, we could use this symbol area to denote the card's rarity if it has one. If no rarity exists in the card, could get rid of it all together. If we do keep it though, I'd change the Star Symbol to something more unique (e.g Rarity depicted by forms of media sharing, the older media such as floppys being commons and MP3s being rare or vice versa, maybe could also do it in forms of upgraded technology from PC ? Common, Laptop ? Uncommon, SmartPhone ? Rare)

As for the address bar, leave it as is, with the Subtitle being the main Archetype Keyword(s) for the main card, different keywords seperated by Slash or Period characters.

Bookmarks Bar
Your currently have they key words listed here but since they've moved to the address bar, we have some space and I would suggesting using these area for Illustration Credit on one side and Copyright info on the other side. Also if the game were to be published, space somewhere here could be made to create small holographic patterns to determine authencity (or QR codes if it's possible?)


The rest is pretty straight forward, Image in the middle, Effect text in the box, flavour text double spaced under it.

As per your earlier suggestions of fonts, I'd avoid using it for the effect text (for clarity sake) but I believe we could have the flavour text in Courier and the name in Orc-A.

So yeah, that's my heavy-suggestion based reply.