How many cards should a CCG have?

[yudencow]

How many cards should a CCG have? What are the factors that should be put in the decision?

I am working on a game that has 3 faction that can't mix, there are also 9 elements to the cards and you have to have a dominent one of at least a third f your deck (20 cards). I think to end around 2600~ cards. Is it too much, too little or okay?

[Cyrus]

At what point in the game? 2600 is way way way way way way way too many to start, or even after several years of releases. Most games put out a big first set of about 300-400 cards, and then release expansions of about 180-250 cards.

[yudencow]

I'm talking total number in the end is 2600~, meanining 2600~ in the meta-game. I thought to start with 150~.

[Cyrus]

Are you trying to design every card before the initial release? That seems like a huge undertaking, especially if for whatever reason the game doesn't end up being popular. If it does end up being popular, though, I don't think there's any reason to cap the number of cards that will ever be released, just keep making cards as long as people want more cards!

[yudencow]

I really want all the cards I'm making in the metagame. Magic has around 1300, so is mine in the groundswork. I thought to do for the more ideas to have different special decks like raid deck of Wow and some other original ideas.