[Old] How to Post A Card Idea

[Scaredgirl]

You can steal ideas from other games as much as you want because ideas cannot be copyrighted.

Actually Ideas can be Copyrighted especially once Published. Mechanics can be Copyrighted also.

You are wrong about that. Game mechanics cannot be copyrighted.

Wizards of the Coast has patented the word "tapping" when used in CCG's. However they do not have a patent on the mechanic. Many CCG's that came after MtG have used the same exact method, but only with a different name. They can do that without any legal problems, they just cannot call it "tapping".

I could take any card in MtG, copy the game mechanic, and there would be nothing WotC could legally do about it.

If game mechanics could be copyrighted, the first CCG that came up with a "Draw a new card" -card, would sue everyone else using it. That's not the case. Many CCG's have mechanically identical cards.

[Kael Hate]

You can steal ideas from other games as much as you want because ideas cannot be copyrighted.

Actually Ideas can be Copyrighted especially once Published. Mechanics can be Copyrighted also.

You are wrong about that. Game mechanics cannot be copyrighted.

Wizards of the Coast has patented the word "tapping" when used in CCG's. However they do not have a patent on the mechanic. Many CCG's that came after MtG have used the same exact method, but only with a different name. They can do that without any legal problems, they just cannot call it "tapping".

I could take any card in MtG, copy the game mechanic, and there would be nothing WotC could legally do about it.

If game mechanics could be copyrighted, the first CCG that came up with a "Draw a new card" -card, would sue everyone else using it. That's not the case. Many CCG's have mechanically identical cards.

See my post above regarding constraints of copyright.

If you were to take the Morph mechanic from Magic and add it to Elements with the same function then you be sued. Wizards and Hasbro already took that to court with another game.

The same Copyright law that protects you if I were to take your Book or artwork and duplicate it is the same law that protects a game designers game.

If what you are saying is true, I can take Zanzarinos game and change the artwork and its now mine to sell and profit from?

[Scaredgirl]

If what you are saying is true, I can take Zanzarinos game and change the artwork and its now mine to sell and profit from?

Yes, you could in copy-paste Elements, change code, images and names, publish it as your own game, and nobody could do anything about it.

Zanz has a copyright over these things:
- images
- graphics
- texts
- code

Zanz does not have a copyright over these things:
- game mechanics

This "stealing" of game mechanics is very common with board games and it's perfectly legal. It would be pretty dumb if it wasn't.

What Zanz would need to do is file a patent. If he had that, then we couldn't copy that part the game. However I don't think Elements is unique enough to even get a patent and there's not much point really. Only big players like MtG file patents (like with that "tapping" example). Also I think some parts of Monopoly are patented.


Like I said before, anyone can use any idea from any CCG as long as they change the name. There are piles of identical cards from different CCG's as proof of how it's legal.

[Boingo]

Is there any system in place for card review in promoting cards to the Lvl1 Crucible section?  That is to say, if your card meets the posting format standards and has received community and curator review, how will you know if your card is not being promoted (A) because it hasn't been reviewed by "the promoters" (those who bump the threads up) or (B) because though the promoters have reviewed it, they haven't deemed it worthy of promotion and may need further tweaking or (C) because the promoters feel the card will never be worthy of promotion.

[Kael Hate]

Is there any system in place for card review in promoting cards to the Lvl1 Crucible section?  That is to say, if your card meets the posting format standards and has received community and curator review, how will you know if your card is not being promoted (A) because it hasn't been reviewed by "the promoters" (those who bump the threads up) or (B) because though the promoters have reviewed it, they haven't deemed it worthy of promotion and may need further tweaking or (C) because the promoters feel the card will never be worthy of promotion.

If a Card Idea meets the base Criteria of:
- An Image
- A Table

Then it will be considered by me to be moved.
To be promoted to the Crucible, it must:
- Have a Valid Image
- Not have any Oustanding Concerns

If it fails either of these then I will add a Curator Comment that needs to be addressed.

I've checked about 150 Ideas so far and added review as required. This leaves me on page 4, just infront of my own ideas that need time also so it may be that I just haven't got to your idea yet.

Make sure it has the Current template, an image using the templates required and has no concerns unaddressed and its very likely to go straight into the Crucible when I get to it.

[Boingo]

Is there any system in place for card review in promoting cards to the Lvl1 Crucible section?  That is to say, if your card meets the posting format standards and has received community and curator review, how will you know if your card is not being promoted (A) because it hasn't been reviewed by "the promoters" (those who bump the threads up) or (B) because though the promoters have reviewed it, they haven't deemed it worthy of promotion and may need further tweaking or (C) because the promoters feel the card will never be worthy of promotion.

If a Card Idea meets the base Criteria of:
- An Image
- A Table

Then it will be considered by me to be moved.
To be promoted to the Crucible, it must:
- Have a Valid Image
- Not have any Oustanding Concerns

If it fails either of these then I will add a Curator Comment that needs to be addressed.

I've checked about 150 Ideas so far and added review as required. This leaves me on page 4, just infront of my own ideas that need time also so it may be that I just haven't got to your idea yet.

Make sure it has the Current template, an image using the templates required and has no concerns unaddressed and its very likely to go straight into the Crucible when I get to it.

Please don't think I was directly an insult at you or anyone else.  I find the task of reviewing every Card Idea entry an unenviable task.  I simply wanted to know if there was a Card Idea Review Status somewhere that I was unaware of.  It appears not, and so my question is mostly answered.

[Bloodshadow]

SG's templates are eventually going to be replaced by Planplan's official card generator, right? So if I have an image made with the official generator, I don't need to switch BACK to the SG template, right?

I know that the card generator cannot display quantum icons at the moment. However, my card has no quantum icons in its text, so there should be no problems.

[Scaredgirl]

SG's templates are eventually going to be replaced by Planplan's official card generator, right? So if I have an image made with the official generator, I don't need to switch BACK to the SG template, right?

I know that the card generator cannot display quantum icons at the moment. However, my card has no quantum icons in its text, so there should be no problems.

Key here is card size.

Planplan's current version produces 100% size images which is too small. We are using 200% on this section because it looks better and most of the ideas are already 200%.

Planplan said he was going to change his generator so that it produces bigger cards but I'm sure he's busy so that might take a while. Meanwhile we are using those templates I made (or something else that produces 200% images).

[Bloodshadow]

"Looks better"? But if the card is to be made real, then it's going to be shrunken to 100% size anyways. What's the use of the cards being bigger then?

[assassim]

So that it's easier for the rest of use to read and comment one.

[Bloodshadow]

So that it's easier for the rest of use to read and comment one.

Wait, what? You can't read the real cards in game?

[Scaredgirl]

So that it's easier for the rest of use to read and comment one.

Wait, what? You can't read the real cards in game?

Point is not whether or not we can read them. The point here is that big images are easier to read and look better because of bigger graphics. Elements has small cards because there's not enough space for bigger cards. We don't have that problem so we can go with bigger ones.

When Planplan updates his generator using bigger images, we will use only that and drop everything else.