Council Update: The Fan Set Handbook

Another update?! What can I say, we’re just on fire lately. Buckle up, it’s going to be an exciting ride!

Today’s update is all about the ‘Fantasy Set’ section of the Vssystem forums. It makes sence then that the following information comes from our Fantasty section moderator: Shadowtrooper. He announced a while back that he was working on an Official Fan Set Handbook. The very existence of this handbook was welcomed by many, but an affront to others who were worried it would stifle their creativity. I think the latter group will be very relieved to find that the Handbook does nothing of the sort. For the uninformed, the Handbook is simply a loose set of guidelines that need to be followed in order to have your Fantasty Set submitted for Council approval. A ‘Council Approved’ stamp simply means that your set is eligible for tournaments that use the community’s ranking system. We should clarify that you’re still welcome to create Fan Sets that do not conform to the Handbook guidelines, and you can still use them for online play. They will just not be eligible for the ‘Council Approved’ stamp, and therefore will not be eligible for our online ranking system.

Without further ado:

The Official Fan Set Handbook

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Section 1 – The Beginning

Part 1 – Introduction: After its cancellation by Upper Deck Entertainment (UDE), the game of Vs. was left lacking new material that is/was considered official for online play as well as for live events. As such, The Council of Vs. System Players has decided to create a process, in which fan created content can be created, evaluated, and potentially endorsed not only by The Council itself, but also by the rest of the Vs. System Community. The use of these sets for online play as well as for actual events will not be mandatory in any way, and tournament organizers, though encouraged to use them, can feel free to run events without them.

The purpose of creating this Handbook is to detail a process that can be easily duplicated so that Vs. players can have an organized guideline with which to follow. This process will prevent, among many things: duplicate or overlapping efforts among fan set creators, set discontinuity, contradicting mechanics, and/or the possibility of rules being altered or broken with or without the knowledge of the set’s creators.

Additionally, it is the intent of this Handbook to include a process that not only develops new content for play, but also a process, which will hopefully allow the Vs. community to develop in many areas, such as: the growth of the community’s membership, cross-community relationships, new creative talent, awareness of Vs. System events, and the general promotion of the game.

Section 2 – Legal Ramifications

Part 1 – Disclaimer: The following process for creating and endorsing fan made content for play is in no way affiliated with: Upper Deck Entertainment, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, or any other registered content and/or material used by fan set designers. Additionally, the content will not be created with the intent of sale. The Vs. System Community and Vs. System Council of Players are not responsible for contradicting actions to this statement by any individual member or sub-group of their respective bodies. Those individuals or sub-groups that choose to act in a contradictory manner to the express written intent of this document will be doing so of their own accord and they alone should be held accountable for their actions.

Section 3 – Material Selection

Part 1 – Companies and Universes: Because it is the intent to instill a level of realism within fan sets, it is highly recommended that only Marvel Comics and DC Comics material is used for the development of sets with the intent to be considered for approval. Though there is an abundant amount of material available for the development of sets outside the realm of these two companies, The Council has determined this is the best course of action due to Marvel and DC being the primary source of material for Vs. System throughout its lifetime. We do not negate or discard the possibility that further down the road new formats can be developed that can potentially lead to the inclusion of material outside of Marvel and DC.

Part 2 – Non-Marvel and DC material: Though we wish to keep Marvel and DC as the sole material for new sets, in order to follow UDE’s established formats, it is wise to leave a window open for additional material to be included into future approved set rotation, much like UDE’s addition of the Hellboy Essential Collection. Depending on the community’s reception to material outside of Marvel and DC we will either:

a) Leave non-Marvel/DC content out of the endorsement arena.
b) Evaluate non-Marvel/DC fan content on an individual basis and decide whether or not to include them into rotation.
c) Create a new sub-format for fan sets that are non-Marvel/DC.

Part 3 – Set Rotations: Alternating between Marvel and DC sets has been the way that sets were introduced by UDE (up to the point of DC content being discontinued), and will continue to be the way that approved sets are introduced. This will give both DC and Marvel fans an equal amount of material.

Section 4 – Set Specifications and Inclusions

Part 1- Sets per Year: It is our belief that a schedule for Council Approved Sets is needed in order to create a continuous flow of sets that will work with the recommended set sizes to create a card pool of adequate size. At the moment, this is the schedule we believe to be the most appropriate for those goals:

a) Two (2) full-sized sets per Vs. year
b) Two (2) mini sets per Vs. year
c) One (1) starter set per Vs. year

Part 2 – Full Set Sizes: Although we do not want to limit creativity in any way, we recommend that creators work within the confines of the set sizes that have been previously established by UDE. Much like limiting content to Marvel and DC, this is another factor, which adds to the realism of fan sets while maintaining a well-balanced number of cards in the card pool. The following are the different set sizes used by UDE for full-sized sets:

a) 165
b) 220
c) 273
d) 275
e) 330

It is to note that of those set sizes, 275 cards is the most appropriate. A 275 card set size will provide an adequate number of cards per set and fits our set release schedule. Additionally, it was also the set size used by UDE when they were releasing two (2) sets per year. This in turn gives creators about seven (7) to eight (8) months for set development and release.

Part 3 – Mini-Sets and Starters: Just as with full-sized sets, UDE released mini-sets or “Collections” (an example of this was The Hellboy Essential Collection), as well as, starter decks periodically. These Collections and starters were a tool to use as a teaching mechanism and learning tool for new players. They combined easy to use effects and several of the basic mechanics available in Vs. System for an easy understanding of the basics of the game. For our intents and purposes these mini-sets will be used as:

a) A way to add a small amount of cards into the pool.
b) A tool to help teach new players how to play Vs. System.
c) A way to evaluate the skills and abilities a certain individual has in regards to designing cards.
d) A way to build experience for those who want to get their feet wet into card creating.

Just as it was the case with UDE’s Collections and starter sets, each Collection should have a fifty-five (55) card count, while starter decks should have a thirty-two (32) card count. They will be released in between full-sized set releases and should take between three (3) to four (4) months of development time.

Part 4 – Rarity Distribution: Each of the above mentioned set sizes has a predetermined number of cards per each rarity (rare, uncommon, and common). As with set sizes, following UDE’s established rarity distribution will give these sets a much more realistic feel to them. It should be noted that realism is one of the things we want to heavily promote via this Handbook so fan sets have an authentic feel for players. Aside from the basis of promoting a realistic feel, the numbers provided below are the factors that UDE chose to allow for proper booster drafting. While perhaps booster drafting won’t be the order of the day to most players out there, we will not close the door on those who do want to enjoy such a format.

Full-Sized Sets:
330 card set (MUN): 110 rares, 110 uncommons, 110 commons
275 card set (MVL, DCL, MEV): 110 rares, 55 uncommons, 110 commons
220 card set (MOR, MMK – DWF): 55 rares, 55 uncommons, 110 commons
165 card set (DOR – DSM): 55 rares, 55 uncommons, 55 commons

Collections/Mini-Sets:
55 card set (EHB): 6 rares, 16 uncommons, 33 commons

Starters:
32 card set (MFF): 2 rares, 10 uncommons, 20 commons

Part 5 – Card Reference Document (CRD): To have an easier access to card text and other relevant information, we recommend that a Card Reference Document be made available at the time of release for any fan set. Just as with many of the other aspects of a fan set, we encourage this document to be created to add to the realism of the set and the benefit of the players.

Part 6 – Frequently Asked Questions: Although not a requirement, we feel it would be wise that each set has a corresponding Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) document to discuss any text or interaction that might be new, confusing, or need additional clarification which wasn’t able to be put in a card’s game text. It is also the place where any new team icons should be introduced and explained, as well as, the definitions and examples of any new keywords that are developed for the set.

Section 5 – Research and Development Department (R&D)

Part 1 – Reason for an R&D Department: R&D Departments have been instrumental and a the foundation of the process of card designing not only in companies such as UDE, but also in non-official fan set content previously released by community members. As such, we will follow this structure in hopes of providing a solid basis with which to build our goals upon.

Part 2 – R&D Structure: The R&D Department’s basic structure consists of a group of designers and developers. The Council highly recommends this group to be from anywhere between five (5) to seven (7) members, of which one (1) will be the lead designer. An additional member that can potentially be added to this group (that does not count towards the groups total members) is encouraged to be added. See Part 7 of this Handbook for details regarding this additional member.

Part 3 – Lead Designer: The lead designer of a set should be able to provide credentials, such as: previous experience working with fan sets, an above average understanding of the rules of Vs., knowledge of characters and any storylines to be represented in the proposed set, the ability to work well and coordinate with others, patience, and most importantly, the time available to dedicate to such a project. A lead designer, while first among individual members of the R&D team, is not above the goals of the design team as a group and should always be respectful to the other members of the group. The lead designer will be responsible in keeping the rest of the team organized, focused, and united towards their goal. In addition to this, the lead designer will be responsible for the distribution of the workload to each member of the group, which includes, but is not limited in to: who will work on what team(s) featured in the set, searching for images, assigning card details (costs, versions, rarity distribution), card image creation, and other aspects associated with set creation. The lead designer can and should be responsible for some or part of any of these items. Additionally, setting-up dates to meet via chat, through an agreed upon method to discuss set development will be their responsibility. A very important aspect in a lead designer that The Council wishes to see incorporated will be mentorship. For more details on this subject please reference Part 7 of this Handbook. Last but not least, the lead designer will also be responsible for keeping The Council, and the community at large informed of the progress of the set. This means keeping an open dialog with a representative of The Council, as well as, releasing information through various channels to keep players excited and appraised of the upcoming set. This information is to be shared not only at VsSystem.org, but also at TCGPlayer.com, and any other website or forum they wish to do so. This part of the process will be done in the hopes of helping our community to grow, which is one of our primary goals as a community. Each lead designer has the freedom to work differently, but we recommend that the lead designer has the final say, within his design group, regarding the set in all aspects.

Part 4 – Design Team: The design team will be the remaining members of the R&D group for the development of a set. The Council suggests that a design team should not have less than five (5) members (including the lead designer), and while The Council recommends the design team doesn’t exceed seven (7) members (including the lead designer and excluding a possible additional member detailed in Part 7), the lead designer can choose to work with a larger group. Foremost, a member of the design team he must be able to follow direction well. Just like the lead designer, a member of the design team must have basic knowledge of the characters and storyline to be worked with, must work well with others, have some card designing experience (even if not extensive), and have the free time needed to work with the project. Any R&D members who do not following the instructions of the lead designer, do not participate as expected, or are otherwise determined to be a detriment to the team, can be removed from the team by majority decision only, and can be replaced if needed. This decision should never be left to the lead designer alone, but rather a vote. If an R&D team member is replaced, or simply removed from the project, The Council should be notified of which member it was and the reasons behind it. Depending on the reasons of the removal the member may confront difficulties in the future regarding approval as a lead designer or R&D member for another set.

Part 5 – General Aspects of R&D Department: The R&D Department is not, and will not be an unchanging group. Each set seeking approval for endorsement should have a different R&D Department that consists of at least a different lead designer. Though we encourage a new design team altogether, it is perfectly acceptable if a member of a current design team is considered for participation in the next R&D group. Depending on time constraints, and availability of potential designers, this can be ignored, but in general it should be adhered to.

Part 6 – Lead Designer Selection: Those interested in assuming the role of lead designer of a proposed set should contact The Council with a notice of their intentions after they have done prior research into ensuring enough material can be found to account for the needs of the set depending on the chosen set size. When contacting The Council, the following information must be included:

a) Potential members for their R&D team. (These members will be evaluated and may be rejected depending on any problems they may have had on a previous design team, etc. The potential lead designer must make sure that at least one member of his design team has access to photoshop.)
b) Affiliations, storyline, and mechanics to be used for the proposed set. (These can be slightly altered once the R&D Team is complete and the lead designer can discuss his initial ideas with the rest of his group.)
c) Legends to be represented in the set, if any. (A “Legend” is an iconic character that receives support cards based on their name.)
d) Chosen set size and expected time of completion.

In the event that three (3) or more community members want to serve as lead designer for the next scheduled set, The Council will evaluate all those interested and take into consideration the following criteria:

a) That the member is not an active member of The Council.
b) That the member is not the lead designer of the current full-sized set in development. (This can be overlooked if no other members are interested or able to be the lead designer of the next set based on the criteria detailed above in the first section of Part 6.)
c) The quality of the work they have done in the past. (Although each individual can see quality differently, a general consensus of the work among The Council and the community is what will factor in here.)
d) How well the member represents their proposed set and it satisfies the criteria described in Section 3 of this Handbook.

Once all these points have been taken into consideration, The Council will post and advertise a poll with the top three (3) candidates selected for lead designer and their proposals for fellow members of the community to vote on. If three (3) or less members contact The Council with the intention of being a lead designer for the next set, then the above mentioned steps will be skipped and The Council will proceed directly to the poll. Although it has frequently been mentioned that polls aren’t the best way to represent the wishes of the community, it is the best method we currently have available to reach a final consensus.

Part 7 – Training New Talent: Not all members of the community have the same skills and experience as others in regards to designing fan sets and the process in which they are created. With not only the intent of developing new talent, but to also further educate community designers that have some experience and who wish to learn more, it is recommended that each R&D team and lead designer select a designer to join their team and receive mentorship in card and set design from the lead designer. This member will be able to learn by being able to observe and have limited participation in the design of the set, so they can gain an understanding of the work required of and expected from an R&D team and lead designers. This process will be beneficial for adding to the credentials a member has for future inclusion on an R&D team. It is not required that a lead designer put the new talent to work on the current set design, but it will be beneficial for that member’s development if they are able to get hands-on experience.

Part 8 – Selecting New Talent to be Trained: It is not the place of The Council or of the lead designer to identify which members of the community are those who:

a) Need to polish their card creating abilities.
b) Are lacking in card creating abilities.
c) Should gain or deserve their first card creating experience.

To avoid the selection of a member that either: doesn’t want to be a part of this process, feels offended or ashamed of being selected, believes they don’t need any help as a designer, or has any other reason to decline the invitation, it is suggested that the lead designer creates a thread and that those interested in participating in the process submit their requests for the opportunity there. In the event that more than one person responds to this thread, then the lead designer will choose one among them. Any member of the community, including members of The Council, may participate in this process, since it isn’t mandatory for this member of the creative team to actually participate in the development of the set.

Part 9 –The Next Lead Designer: When the current set is about to be completed (about a month and a half before release), the process of choosing a new lead designer, and R&D team as explained above will begin anew. However, there will be a difference in that the next lead designer will be required to contact the current lead designer to get all relevant info about the current set. This is to be done so that the new lead designer can incorporate (should he wish to) any new mechanics or keywords that will be introduced once the set currently in development is released. This also gives the next lead designer useful information about what to be mindful of when designing cards that can reinforce or combat mechanics and themes in the previous set. As well as anticipate top strategies or decks in the current or upcoming format(s).

Section 6 – Official Sets, Legality and Community Ranking System

Part 1 – UDE: Any and all sets, Collections and/or starters that were developed by UDE are official. There are no exceptions to this whatsoever. House rules can remove a certain set from legality for an event, but it will not change the set’s status as an official UDE release.

Part 2 – Council Approved Sets: Each fan set that was created using the guidelines that this Handbook provides, but was created outside of the R&D aspect of this Handbook will be evaluated by The Council. If both the community and The Council approve the set, then that set will be worked into the upcoming set schedule receive the title of Council Approved Set after it goes through an additional pass through R&D lead designed by the set’s creator.

Part 3 – General Formats: There will be three (3) general formats which will serve as the base for Council Sanction Events. These general formats will have sub-formats, which will be based on pre-existing formats. The three (3) general formats will be:

a) UDE Format – This first general format will work in the same way things have always been since the introduction of Vs. Within this format you will find Modern Age, Silver Age, Golden Age, Clone Saga, Bring Your Own Team and other established variants.
b) Creator’s Format – This will be the first new general format to be incorporated into online play, as well as, for those who wish to print out the cards or text for them, for traditional play. In this format, only cards from Council Approved Sets will be allowed for play. As soon as enough sets are approved and released we there will be just as many sub-formats as the UDE Format has.
c) Amalgam Format – This is the second new general format to be incorporated into what we already posses. In this format cards from both the UDE and Creator’s Format will be allowed. Some sub-formats found here will incorporate the Creator’s Format sets into the already established UDE Format sub-formats like Modern Age and Silver Age. Other sub-formats will be created accordingly to based on the wishes of the community.

Part 4 – Community Ranking System (CRS):  This section is designed to explain in detail how your ranking will be entered and kept in the Community Ranking System. Rankings for real life tournaments will be kept separate from your ranking for online tournaments. The Community Ranking System – Real Life / CRS-RL and Community Ranking System – Online / CRS-O will be the place to check in on your ranking once you have played in one or more Council Sanctioned Events. In order for a tournament to be deemed a Council Sanctioned Event, it must abide by the following three rules:

1) In order for a TO’s tournament or event results to be incorporated into the Community Ranking System, they must abide by one of the three (3) general formats suggested and encouraged by The Council. These three formats are outlined in Section 6, Part 3 of the Handbook.

2) Said tournament/event will have to abide by the Council’s suggestions on bans and errata. Failure to do so will automatically make your tournament/event results ineligible for the Community Ranking System. For all info on The Council’s suggestions on bans and errata, see the Official Council Document on Bans and Errata.

3) The use of Mantis or any other random pairing system to do your pairings is a requirement. This will guarantee a smooth running event and will help eliminate foul play. While doing match-ups and keeping results for tournaments, please use handles/screen names from VsSystem.org to reference players. If you have a player who is not a member of VsSystem.org, his handle/screen name from any other Vs. related site, such as VsRealms or TCGPlayer can be used. If a player doesn’t have a handles/screen names from any site, use their first and last name when submitting the information.

It is asked that the T.O of the tournament keep up with wins and losses in Constructed events (Real Life or Online) and if you play Sealed/Draft, to keep up with the wins and loses separately. Once the tournament has finished it is asked that you submit the results to KardKrazy within 48 hours via PM on www.vssystemonline.org. KardKrazy will do the math and implement the results into the CRS-RL. KardKrazy will be the sole keeper of rankings so there is no confusion with multiple Council Members trying to upkeep the rankings resulting in corrupted rankings. KardKrazy will be using a formula called the Win-Lose Percentage Formula to keep up with the overall and swiss tournament rankings. Tournaments that are done in a single elimination style will not require the Win-Lose Percentage Formula as they are straight forward where a single loss equals no more matches for you in that particular tournament.

Part 5 – Legality of Council Approved Sets: Council Approved Sets can be used for any tournament/event. This includes Council Sanction Events and non-Council Sanction Events. It will be up to the tournament organizers’ discretion to include them or not. However as previously mentioned, non-Council Sanction Events will not count towards a player’s Community Ranking System total.

Section 7 – Templates

Part 1 – Official Council Approved Template: Of the reasons for this Handbook creating a high standard of quality was one of The Council’s goals as The Community of Players deserves the best we can provide for them in every single aspect. If we are to set a standard of quality it should be done in every single aspect, and since a card’s appearance is just as important as the card’s text, power, abilities and images The Council highly recommends that the Official Council Approved Template be used in the photoshop program. The Official Council Approved Template can be found for download HERE.

Section 8 – Obvious points that still need to be mentioned

Part 1 – Art: The Council understands that the availability of good quality art is somewhat limited and there must be a method for the use of artwork within Council approved sets. As such, once a set is Council approved, all other future sets that wish to be considered for approval, must refrain from using the same art used on a card in a UDE or Council approved set unless that card is a reprint. To avoid exhaustion of the art available, we highly recommend that UDE reprinted cards use the same art as their original versions, unless it is a card that will change “universes” (examples: Mobilize and Blind Sided).

As seen throughout this handbook quality is something we want to ensure, and again while knowing full well that in some cases art is limited we encourage you not to stretch art, or use low quality resolution pictures. Here are a few links of the most commonly used sites to gather images:

www.deviantart.com
www.comicvine.com
www.comic-covers.com
www.comic-images.com

Part 2 – Versions: As with art, once a set is approved as official, all other sets that wish to be considered for approval in the future, must refrain from using the same version as a character card in an official set unless that card is in fact a reprint. This does not limit a the design of a card of a character using a version that has been used on a character with a different name.

Part 3 – Reprints: As previously stated, reprints should use the same art as their original incarnations. In addition, they must also use the same name, identity, version, cost, ATK and DEF values, recruitment cost, affiliations, keywords, power and abilities, rarity, and art. Although UDE did reprint a card that added an extra affiliation, which the original version did not have (Captain Boomerang, George Harkness originally printed in DJL and received the addition of The Rogues affiliation in DCL), The Council requests that for future sets card designers refrain from doing this. The only changes acceptable on reprints are those that follow a change in wording based on updated card templating formats (Example: Bat-Signal, originally printed in DOR and reprinted with updated templating in DWF).

Part 4 – Keywords: New keywords are always a welcomed addition to new sets. They add another level of creativity, fun and mechanics into play thus keeping the game new, fresh and exiting. There are a few issues that The Council does wish to address regarding keywords. The following are guideline questions that will help any creators with any difficulties they encounter.

a) Is the new mechanic used enough in the set so that it needs to be converted into a keyword? Sometimes a specific mechanic in a set isn’t used heavily and therefore there is no need to create a keyword. Simplicity is key and adding unnecessary keywords to clutter up the players vocabulary isn’t very helpful.
b) Is the keyword too complex if reminder text is not available? An overly complicated keyword will often create confusion among and certain interactions and plays. Again simplicity is key here.
c) Are there other keywords that resemble or work pretty much in the same manner as yours? It is probably best to either avoid using a keyword if it’s in essence the same as an existing one. Do not try to justify a copy of a keyword because of things like flavor. For example, if your character isn’t a cosmic powered one and his powers on the card work just like they do with the Cosmic keyword it’s better if you just use Cosmic instead of creating another keyword that works identically to Cosmic. Remember simplicity is key and overcomplicating things or the keyword dictionary is not a good idea.
d) Does the keyword require too much bookkeeping? Staying with simplicity as a theme, you will want to avoid creating or using keywords that use too much bookkeeping. In this case bookkeeping refers to having to take extra steps to accommodate for a keyword like for example the addition or removal of various counters rather than of just one, entering and leaving play during the various game phases, and things of the sort.

Part 5 – Grammar: When we are talking about Vs. System grammar we are essentially speaking about two things. The first one is spelling. We all have to admit that from time to time we make mistakes in the way we spell certain words or sentences, but at the same time we have to admit that a set presented for Council approval will look sloppy and rushed if these mistakes are seen throughout the set. In short it will not speak highly of your set. A set will not be rejected because of grammar mistakes, however at the same time a set will not be approved if it contains grammar errors. The second thing we refer to in Vs when we talk about grammar is the proper wording of cards and the use of game terms. Many mistakes seen in a cards text come from the fact that many players enjoy a wide variety of card games and unintentionally use certain terms like graveyard when referring to the KO Pile. Other mistakes commonly seen are: not bolding keywords like leader or evasion, and even terms like ongoing. Among a few other mistakes that can be found are the use of payment power arrows in non-ongoing plot twists, or in a characters text when they are not needed. These things will only set the proposed set back and will not show commitment to quality.

Section 9 – Set’s Approval

Part 1 – Preliminary Evaluation: Once a set is complete and released to The Council for approval, the whole council will evaluate the set utilizing this handbook. After the initial or preliminary evaluation the council will provide a set’s lead designer with any and all suggestions about a set. This will include any fixes on possible mistakes of things that were overlooked when developing it. Possible mistakes will be: used art, versions, grammar mistakes, mechanic problems, loopholes, and so forth. After that evaluation is given the lead designer along with his design team will oversee any and all fixes and suggestions for change that came from The Council in a two week period, and present it back to The Council for Final Evaluation. Depending on the severity and amount of suggestions The Council makes this two week period may be prolonged.

Part 2 – Final Evaluation: Lead designers and design teams must be aware that just because a set follows as many as the council suggestions as possible stated in this handbook it does not guarantee that a set will be approved. An overpowered set, to weak of a set, too complicated of a mechanic or keyword and things of this manner will be some of the more critical aspects that The Council will use as a means to deny a set approval. Hopefully by this time all of the issues and comments made from The Council after the preliminary evaluation have been resolved and the set will receive approval.

Section 10 – Set’s Release

Part 1 – Community Release: A set can be released for the community regardless of receiving approval or not. This process will be left entirely up to the lead designer and design team, however we do encourage that the release of a set is announced on as many means as possible so that we get as many players as possible informed about it.

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We understand that this seems like a lot to take in, but most of it is common sense, and will help keep our sets consistent with UDE’s releases.  We all look forward to seeing what this community can come up with!  Got the itch to start designing a set of your own, but have little experience?  I suggest you start by looking at what others have done in our Fan Creations section of the forums:

 

http://s11.zetaboards.com/vssystem/forum/3003300/

 

Also, a prominent community member named CaptainSpud has written an excellent article series about card creation.  Be sure to check his series out over at Lost Hemisphere:

 

Episode 1: General design & difficult characters
Episode 2: Designing a tweaked refeature
Episode 3: Designing a completely overhauled refeature
Episode 4: Keywords
Episode 5: Quick random card showcase (not a full article)
Episode 6: Designing a Giant-Size set
Episode 7: Balance
Episode 8: Legacy
Episode 9: Building a full Essential Collection (part 1)
Episode 10: Building a full Essential Collection (part 2)
Episode 11: MEV Alpha Flight Preview (not a full article)
Episode 12: Building a full Essential Collection (part 3)
Episode 13: Team theme
Essay on team inclusion considerations (not a full article)

 

And while you’re busy creating fan sets this week, we assure you that you’ll be constructing decks after next week’s update.  Stay tuned!