City of Black: My new CCG and a discussion on multiplayer mechanics

[Wisp]

Thanks for that. You make a very good point.

Considering what you've said, I may add the ability for characters to steal Influence if they destroy a location but only on a small number of cards. I think this mechanic doesn't shift the focus the game away from protecting territories, since they way you stop them stealing is also the way you protect your territories. I probably wont add them at the beginning.

[yudencow]

I still think there shouldn't be any influence stealing abilities, but there can be mechanics to gain influence no through territories.

[Wisp]

Right, I'm happy enough with the rules (minor updates int he first post) to start doing more extensive play-testing. Anyone any good at making templates?

[Dragoon]

*raises hand*

Just give me a few sketches on how you would like it to be done and what style. Don't expect them before the next week though.

[Wisp]

Thanks man, i'll have the sketches for you later today

[Wisp]

Would you like any additional lore information?

[Wisp]

Name at the top
Yellow - Resource cost
Black - Faction symbol

And for character cards
Red - Strength
Blue - HP
Purple - Initiative

Strongholds wouldn't have a resource cost, and instead of the character stats would have a stat for resource production and territory hp.

The colours are just there as placeholder, it would be cool to have actually symbols instead of blobs of colour. These are some templates i like:


I like the elegance of the L5R template. Its what gave me the idea for putting stats in the middle of the card. I also like the watermark styling of the clan symbol and the layout of the text box. The spoils i like the style generally, the art direction, because it isn't distinctly any particular kind of sci fi or fantasy. However i don't like the stata being bunched up in the top right corner. Generally I'd like to stay away from stats being on the right hand side, as that's where it's hardest to see them when holding cards in your hand. The game of thrones one is just very clean and elegant, and all the stats are on the the left, which makes it easy to see what's what when the cards are in your hand. However, the stats also take up a lot of space in the text box, which is something I want to avoid.

L5R and Game of Thrones both have subtle differences in the card layout for different card types.

Here's some stats if you want to make a sample card:

Name: Shadowy Tactician
Faction: Lotus
Type: Lotus Character | Tactician | Assassin
Cost: 6
Strength: 5
HP: 3
Initiative: 5
Text: "Exhaust this card:: For every territory you control, change the location of a target character to any other legal location"

Experiment as much as you like.

[Dragoon]

Is this a bit how you would like the style (Heavy cyberpunk-style) Not definitive yet, but just to see if I'm taking the right direction.

[Wisp]

I like the pattern of the background, but I'm not too keen on the angularness of the text boxes. I'd prefer something more subtle. Even though the setting is sci-fi, I don't want extremely stylised cards. I do like your currency symbol though.

In fact, thinking about it, I'm not even such a fan of the Spoils template from a style sense, more from a gameplay sense (abilities are explained very clearly, which makes it important to have a full sized text box), so I'm going to delete it.

On the AGoT and L5R templates, it's the icons that give you a clue as to the setting of the game (a gold coin, a crown, an axe or a fan etc) and small details (the edge of the text box being the ends of a scroll).

In general I'm still not 100% sure where I'm going with the setting. It might get more or less cyberpunky, more or less steampunky, more or less standard sci-fi, I just don't know yet. I'm going to stick with whatever leads to the coolest cards in the end. Having said that these things are the core of the setting:
- At the bottom level, an ancient canal city which has been turned into a slum.
- A modern city has been built on top of the old city, which has skyscrapers and walkways connecting its buildings, so those who live up there don't have to ever go down to the bottom level.
- Enough technology for guns and airships

I have a bunch of wallpapers i downloaded from wallpaper sharing sites that I've been using as concept art, should I share some of them?

[Dragoon]

I like the pattern of the background, but I'm not too keen on the angularness of the text boxes. I'd prefer something more subtle. Even though the setting is sci-fi, I don't want extremely stylised cards. I do like your currency symbol though.

In fact, thinking about it, I'm not even such a fan of the Spoils template from a style sense, more from a gameplay sense (abilities are explained very clearly, which makes it important to have a full sized text box), so I'm going to delete it.

On the AGoT and L5R templates, it's the icons that give you a clue as to the setting of the game (a gold coin, a crown, an axe or a fan etc) and small details (the edge of the text box being the ends of a scroll).

In general I'm still not 100% sure where I'm going with the setting. It might get more or less cyberpunky, more or less steampunky, more or less standard sci-fi, I just don't know yet. I'm going to stick with whatever leads to the coolest cards in the end. Having said that these things are the core of the setting:
- At the bottom level, an ancient canal city which has been turned into a slum.
- A modern city has been built on top of the old city, which has skyscrapers and walkways connecting its buildings, so those who live up there don't have to ever go down to the bottom level.
- Enough technology for guns and airships

I have a bunch of wallpapers i downloaded from wallpaper sharing sites that I've been using as concept art, should I share some of them?

Please do, that will help a lot to share your vision on it.

[Wisp]

Lower level:
http://www.desktopwallpaperhd.net/wallpapers/0/8/wallpaper-web-henryca-citra-group-kupiaxy-2152.jpg This picture really defines the lower level for me.
http://cghub.com/files/Image/165001-166000/165826/572_max.jpg

Upper level:
http://features.cgsociety.org/newgallerycrits/g83/120283/120283_1153906237_submedium.jpg
http://www.infernodevelopment.com/Article_futurecity/Concept_Irontown.jpg
http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/assets/140082/Steampunk-City-840x630.jpg
http://coolvibe.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/steampunkcity.jpg

Take Venice, make it massive, turn it into a slum and build a wealthy futuristic city on top of it. When I think about it, the level of technology is more steampunk than cyberpunk. My ideas changed without me realising it. But that doesn't mean i want lots of rivets, cogs, pipes and silly goggles 

[Wisp]

I quite like this template too, from our very own malagar and his game "Archons of War"

[Wisp]

I forgot to mention, while researching card backs a long time ago i came across this:

If that helps with the aesthetic at all. A normal looking playing card back with a unique logo and a dark aesthetic.

Oh and i did something more research to help me pin down my theme, and apparently what I'm going for is very similar to diesel-punk.

[Dragoon]

Diesel Punk! Thanks, now I know what aesthic you are aiming at.

[Wisp]

No problem.

Another nice picture I stumbled upon

http://th05.deviantart.net/fs30/PRE/i/2008/182/7/2/A_Steampunk_Fairytale_by_frankhong.jpg