Success in the CIA (Card Ideas & Art)
How to turn creativity into a positive outlet for communication, innovation, and analysis
Introduction
While Elements the Game has seen growth from its very conception, many players often find themselves dreaming the simple question: ‘What if…?’. As ideas take root and refuse to easily detach themselves from imagination, the Card Ideas and Art section acts as a humble medium to allow potential card creations take flight and (hopefully, if at all) become a reality.
The trick is, however, not chasing directly after the end goal (getting a card implemented in game); this approach may result easily in frustration, as the developers will not code a card with a quick snap of the fingers. Card design extends beyond how awesome, thematic, or powerful a card is if placed in game. Rather, design is based on the ability to communicate concepts to a general audience (the player base), and improve your and other players’ ability to understand the general mechanics of the game itself.
There are four major steps of how to succeed in the most artistic Elements-related section of the forums:
So let’s begin!
What is the ‘Leveling System’?
The Card Ideas & Art Section (or ‘CIA’ section) is one of the biggest areas in the Elements forum; the fact that there are 8 sub-sections (and even more sub-sub-sections!) stands as a testament to its ongoing adaptability and evolution. The CIA is split into two types of sub-boards: ‘Levels’, and ‘Specialty’.
There are five ‘
Levels’ of the main Card Ideas & Art Board (click on the titles to go to the board!):
Level 0 – SmithyThe main section of where the majority of all card ideas have started, grown, changed, and may still reside. Simply scrolling down upon clicking on the Card Ideas & Art Board will give you 3 major topics, the
Weekly Poll Winners topic (showing who won in what polls), the
Link Crucible Candidates Here topic (topic for card submissions), and
Elements Card Image Builder (main tool for building card ideas). Most users should get to know this area ‘the best’, as it acts as the gateway to all the other topics and is the ‘heart’ of where Card Design begins.
Level 1 – CrucibleThe first level of where cards are evaluated by the community, debated, and advertised. Cards are separated by their element (to allow diversity in the higher polls) in each poll, and voted on. Cards that ‘drop out’
will enter an archive for others to read upon why the card didn’t make it. Otherwise, winners will advance to the next level. Crucible polls are reset on a week-to-week ‘monthly’ cycle, where a set of elements is reset at a time. (Aether, Air, and Darkness polls are reset one week, then the Death, Earth, and Entropy polls are reset the next week, etc.).
Level 2 – ForgeIn this level, Cards are then separated by their type, and like the Crucible, are voted on or
archived accordingly. Forge polls are done once a month. Cards that get voted to the next stage however…
Level 3 – Armory…are immortalized. Well, not exactly. Armory cards can still be removed depending on circumstances, but otherwise, cards that make it up here are at their ‘prime’. Due to their impressive balance of theme, mechanics, and ‘fun-factor’ to users, their votes allow them to be seen forever by all members in their separate opinion polls (based on card type again). Note that the polls do not allow access to the Reliquary (they’re solely opinion based).
Level 4 – ReliquaryCards that have been implemented in-game in some form (via directly word for word or based solely on the developers’ inspiration) will be moved here and given an article about the card’s history. Very few cards have been implemented in game (only a few handfuls of cards at most), but to have one’s own card in this topic is one of the most wonderful (and lucky) achievements a card designer can accomplish in their time.
There are also 4 ‘
Specialty’ sections of the CIA:
Design TheoryA section for those who are struggled to understand concepts in card design, or simply need help tweaking their card idea from an audience well-versed in card analysis. Design Theory specifically focuses on answering player’s questions ranging from abstract concepts (“What is the definition of ‘Denial’?”) to fine details (“Do these series of cards have good costs or not?”). The Idea Guru is a staff position (held first by OldTrees) that extensively visits and assists those who post here.
Card ArtSometimes, the art we make and borrow from stock sites is just not appetizing enough for one’s own taste. Other times, card designers just don’t like making stick figures any more. In any case, the sub-board focuses on helping artists improve their skills to creating more pleasing aesthetics for their ideas, as well as providing resources to improve one’s search for art (or skill in drawing/Photoshop). In addition, those who like to showcase their pieces often place their work in this section for others to drool over constructively criticize for improvement. The Art Curator moderates this section.
Exhibition HallThe Ex-Hall is a small board dedicated to 2 other major sections;
Series and
Portfolio’s. Here, card ideas are showcased either by their underlying mechanic and/or theme (Series), or by the author who posted them (Portfolio). Card Designers are also ranked based on how many cards they have within the higher-leveled polls in the
Rankings page.
Idea FactoryFor those who manage to reach 9 points in the Rankings page (or have been allowed by the Idea Guru), members may contribute to new, exciting projects for the CIA section. As the newest section, the Idea Factory consists of a small group of highly-dedicated senior designers who enjoy card creation to its fullest and often pitch in with helping newbies designers or developing new projects for the community to partake in.
Now that you know the sections, it’s time to brush up on some Curator
fundamentals… excluding the ‘fun’ part (just kidding... Kind of.).
Abiding by Curator Rules and Guidelines
Conversely to what people may assume, Curators are NOT out to get the card designers!
The guidelines laid out by Card Curators are to a) help both new and veteran card designers keep to a certain standard when submitting their cards for peer evaluation and b) keep the CIA section organized, considering the extreme amount of submissions that can be created in a single day or week (let alone an entire month).
Frustrating as it may sound, cards are often rejected all the time from pedantic reasons of misspelling a word to severe cases of the concept being completely incoherent. If your card is sent back, simply read and understand what needs to be fixed, and resubmit as necessary. After all, Crucible candidates are done on a
weekly basis, while polls are done on a
monthly basis depending on the poll in question.
That being said, the following lists should provide a general idea regarding Card Formatting and ‘Etiquette’ where due:
For those who are too lazy to read the two long lists…
FormattingKeep everything tidy. Spell/grammar/punctuation check. Match descriptions and names to the card image. Leave a section blank if it has no relevance to the card (except 0 COST). Follow the patterns of a veteran’s card topics if you’re unsure.
EtiquetteBe nice to Curators and others. Cite EVERYTHING, especially if it’s not yours. Promoting is fine, spamming is not. Your card is not a candidate for a presidential race (…I hope). Simplify mechanics and fix mistakes quickly when asked.
Spoiler for Extensive list for Formatting:
Formatting- Regarding Thread Titles: Keep them separate with a ‘Pipe’ or “Divider” Line, shown as this character, ‘|’. Sometimes, a Curator will fix it, if it’s a minor mistake when moving up otherwise correct cards.
- Keep the Series section BLANK if it’s not actually part of a Series. If it is, make sure you try to incorporate the link for that Series idea as soon as possible (create a topic for each card idea, then create a ‘Series’ topic that provides links to all of the card ideas associated). When it’s ready, Curators will move the topics in their respective sections.
- Similarly, if you wish to have a Portfolio, create a topic with at least six cards (that are/have been within the polls) you’ve created, and Curators will move your topic to that section as necessary. Keep in mind that the specific format (text colors, font, etc.) of Portfolio’s will not always be the same, but the thread title and general ‘listing’ of cards is to be expected. Players who stumble upon your portfolio shouldn’t have to dig incredibly deep to search for a card that you’ve done a week ago.
- Match. Every. Word. Description and Card Names should match within the table (capitalization, punctuation, and grammar), and likewise so should the COST (if a card has the phrase, ‘3
’, in the top right corner of the card image, the COST section should also match). Inconsistencies between the two might confuse readers (and in many cases, might make it harder for a designer to discuss their idea if the wording is completely different that the mechanic appears to differ). - Match the creature STATS as well (if the card isn’t a creature, leave it BLANK, as putting ‘N/A’ might give it ambiguous stats that interchange (see Scarab and Chimera for a in-game example that use letters/symbols)).
- Spell things as best as you can. Use spell checker if possible, or the language section if English is not your first language (grammar is harder to decipher). Curators will try their best to make accommodations as necessary, but laziness and the inability to express things properly will only amount to more stress on everyone’s end.
- Capitalize the TYPE of card (Spell, Creature, Permanent) and Element (Fire, Gravity, Time, etc.).
- If all else fails, ask a card designing veteran for assistance to see if something may be misplaced.
Spoiler for Extensive list for Etiquette:
Etiquette- Adequately space-out (separate) paragraphs in the NOTES section. It helps when layers of words don’t assault a reader’s eyes. (Pleasant emoticons are also helpful for lightening the mood).
- Be careful where you get your art from if you’re not using a generic stock image. Provide a link to your image if you didn’t draw it yourself (or if a friend in real life didn’t draw it for you and scanned it for your use…) for other members to look and decide upon. In a worst-case scenario, an artist will request the image to not be used for the card design, and if this happens, Curators are required to take down the card image immediately and send the card back to the Smithy section. Otherwise, the Curators assume that you’ve already gotten permission from them, and hope that you did not step on anyone’s toes in the process of getting the art…
- Cite the artwork if someone DOES give you permission to use their artwork. Cite the member that gave you the idea if it wasn’t originally your own. Provide as many links as necessary (Curators LOVE clicking links!)
- Don’t put unnecessary blocks of text outside the table in a card topic; it becomes distracting, and even messy if done improperly. Place all text if possible in the NOTES section for details (spoilers for old cards, however, can be left below the current card idea).
- Fix errors when they are brought up, and address people’s suggestions, concerns, or criticisms with civility. Failing to do so upon resubmission won’t improve the card’s probability of entering the polls (or getting any votes, for that matter).
- Advertising cards is fine… but avoid doing it excessively and or in chat without due reason. For example, advertising a SERIES of cards in a forum signature is reasonable; spamming chat for others to click on your card topic and give it votes for a poll is not. Telling others to vote for a card in a poll topic is fine; telling others to vote for your card on a completely different forum or website is absurd and not okay. Promotion is fine in small amounts, but remember that popularity does not mean the card is necessarily balanced or highly likely to be put in game.
- Finally, please don’t harass or disrespect the Curators. You’d be surprised how intense and stressful the job can be given a high volume of work on any given day to create posts, respond to users, and/or edit topics all revolving around card ideas.
With these general guidelines set, you’re ready to wear the utility belt of card design.
Utilizing Card Creation Tools
There are two subparts to this section: Card LAYOUT and Card ART.
Card Layouts can be intimidating at first to look at, but can be easily filled in given enough patience and a little bit of experimentation to figure out what works. The following image provides what the current Card Image Builder (by Planplan and Xenocidius) looks like:
KEY:
A - Load a card image from your computer into the card layout; note that the card image will be compressed or stretched to fit the resolution of the image (approximately 256 x 256), so ensure that the image is square and closest to the resolution as possible for the least amount of pixelation.
B - Changes the card type; if it's not a creature, the 'stat' box (G) is removed and replaced with an untouchable icon.
C - Select whether you want the elemental icon to appear or not appear on the card. Nova, Animate Weapon/Flying Weapon, and Luciferase are examples of cards without costs.
D - The actual value of the card's cost. If the cost is ZERO (0), leave it blank and remove the elemental icon. In the TABLE however, place a 0 (no elemental icon still).
E - Change the card's elemental type; note that the element changes for both cards automatically. You may also choose to have a 'customized' element template.
F - Type in the Card Name. Capitalize and accent as necessary!
G - Stat box; fill in the stats accordingly. Ignore this section if the card ISN'T a creature.
H - Description area; all cards have a maximum of 4 lines to fit their text (no exceptions). If you have problems fitting your mechanic in that amount of lines, use shorter words/ability names, and ask for assistance on how to simply the mechanic if word removal fails.
I - Save the card image as a .png on your computer for later uploading. (ADD the .png extension to the file to avoid complications)
J - Upload the file to imgur. This is often used as one of the last steps to a card idea, as the image links will have to be inserted in 'L' accordingly.
K - List of icons to be used in the Description text box (H). Use carefully.
L - Post the card idea in the forums.
M - Duplicate the card idea onto the other non-upped/upgraded side; ALL attributes (name, cost, description, even the image!) are all copied. This is useful for saving up on writing twice the amount of work.
N - Load an actual table code into the text box to be used for editing the card in question (may be tricky to use)
O - Displays the artist field to fill in on the bottom left corner of the image area. (Optional)
Note: clicking on “L” in the photo will bring you up to this screen as well [below]. Each section requests the user to fill the space accordingly with corresponding text (Example: the ART section asks for the artist’s name; use your profile name instead of your birth name).
Now
Card Art, conversely, can be easy to search for, but may become hard to use; many card designers, forum artists, and various members of the community
frown and heavily disapprove of using another person’s artwork without their permission and/or
use art pieces that are heavily featured (i.e. – copyrighted/trademarked)
in other platforms (another CCG, a different video game, concept illustrations for a cartoon, etc.) unless the card is for
humor*. In any case, the following link and websites provide users:
General links and Resources:
Free Art for Card IdeasStock photos to use (certain images have a few rules that request permission/citation):
http://www.sxc.hu/http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/http://mayang.com/textures/http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/by-2.0/Tools to edit photos:
http://pixlr.com/http://www.sumopaint.com/home/Flame PainterIf all else fails; stick figures are ALWAYS appreciated.
Developing Good Design Habits
While designing a ‘good’ card can vary from person to person, there exists a four-word motto that can help anyone in a rut:
C.A.R.D. – Communicate, Analyze, Re-Design
No matter what card is being discussed, the three words above generally hold true for anyone who wants to become a recognized and ultimately successful card designer.
Communication is absolutely vital when starting out. A lack thereof will often push a card down off the first page, or simply create mass misunderstanding for those who cannot figure out what a card is trying to accomplish. Remember; as a card designer,
feedback is a required component in order for your card to not only get noticed, but for you to also hone your skills as an inventor, or else your cards will be merely 'passed on' from level to level (and in a forum, a lack of posts in a idea topic often indicates that the card was executed awkwardly or simply brushed aside). And ignoring the occasional grammar or spelling typo, there are 2 quick 'C's to initiate a conversation between the
creator and the critics.
Comparisons allow cards to be detailed according to cards already in-game. Note that it's not always possible to draw a comparison between two cards, but this is one of the most simplest ways to gain feedback. Sometimes, comparisons can be used to draw up a distinguishing point between two cards that may appear to have similar mechanics (for example, two PC cards that appear to 'lobotomize permanents', but one actually grants an ability (Liquid Shadow), while the other simply removes the ability in question (Lobotomizer)).
Controversy, on the other hand, brings up a different tactic; instead of providing a card that can be easily compared to another, the card becomes extremely radical in its design that it grabs a lot of attention quickly. In a
few cases, the controversy can be based on the strength of the card, the card's theme breaking a pattern, or simply the theme it suggests (Note: please don't use inappropriate/NSFW photos for card art as a way of generating controversy). However, this does not always provide good analysis on a card, and may provide temporary boosts in viewings rather than a well-detailed argument on what works/fails with the concept.
Most members of the forum are capable of providing feedback and communicating with other card designers at ease once they get used to the settings. Analysis, however, is next.
Analysis is, for the most part, being able to comprehend what the card idea is trying to set forth in the meta and figuring out whether it succeeds, fails, or does something completely different with its mechanic. While analysis can also be based on the thematic/aesthetic value of the card, mathematical cost-efficiency ratios, or even the general 'balance' of the card, every person is entitled to their own analysis of a card idea. Thus, it's very difficult to explain any major tactic of attacking (or approving) an idea.
Generally though,
the more you read upon how others critique ideas (or defend their own stances on a card), the more likely you'll be able to understand and think what they're thinking (in terms of card costs, elemental themes, mechanics in regards to denial, rush, etc.). And no matter who the person is, simply posing a question ("Could you clarify what you mean by X & Y when you're talking about creature control?") can often integrate your knowledge into their world, and improve your critical thinking skills when it comes to card design.
Finally,
Re-Design. Repetition and recycling card mechanics occurs more often than one would think; in a sea of thoughts, it's still likely that many cards will share SOME form of resemblance to each other. In these cases, tweaking a mechanic is necessary to give it distinction in the polls. For those who manage to come up with an original concept (if there is such a thing), remember: at some point, you will have to make a major choice if faced with intense examination:
Delete the problems that exist with the card brought up by the others, and possibly
replace them with a solution in order to keep the card to your standards before calling up for more review. ("I changed the element from Darkness to Death, and removed its ability to summon a Skeleton via poison. Thoughts?")
Retain the attributes that keep your card unique despite the opposition, and
defend your card by bringing up counterpoints ("The mechanic isn't as strong as Nymph's Tears because the cost is lower for summoning this creature type") or by discussing if another piece of the card can be repaired.
In either case, many card designers are generally used to the pattern of having to re-design a card... over and over again before it can be sent up into the polls to have a shot at getting to the 'top'. Statistically, cards that do this tend to fall in a camel-hump-shaped curve of success; the card idea was either too complex to begin with and simply never had a chance (the lower hump), or succeed greatly due to the amount of positive changes reinforced over time.
And again, no matter what stage you're at with a card, all three of these skills (communicating, analyzing, and re-designing a concept) are necessary in order to thrive within the CIA.
Conclusion
This tutorial may not be comprehensive enough to answer all your questions. It may not fix the bug in the card builder that occurs every time you open it while running that alternate java application. It won't be enough to keep the occasional card-troll at bay from rating your idea. And it definitely won't make all of your cards appear in the Reliquary overnight even when given fabulous comments, art pieces from supreme artists, and a personal spot in the Elements newsletter. But what you should know is that having the basic ideas down of:
Where to go in the CIA section to... (obtain help, post a card idea, improve one's design skills, etc.)
Knowing what is expected of... (a card designer, a Curator, etc.)
How to use... (Card Image Builder, stock photo websites, image manipulators, etc.)
and When to... (Communicate, Analyze, and Re-Design)
...will put you at a bigger advantages than most other non-designers who think they know more than they do and begin designing right away posting questions in the wrong section while using illegal art and ignoring the comments of others. Most importantly,
breathe,
have fun, and
thank you for reading this (hopefully to be edited soon) guide for how to be successful in the CIA board.
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