Week 10 - Developing card games

Something that I think was the most challenging for me to comprehend is the balance that takes place within the game. Between the players, the cards, and the possible scenarios that could happen, if a game is not balanced, it could be detrimental. In The Design Evolution of Magic: The Gathering by Richard Garfield he states on page 541 “…card power is the only way to combat ‘rich-kid syndrome’ that threatens the game concept from the start.” (Garfield, pg. 541) I was charged with making chaos cards for our game, which, as the name illudes to, cause chaos. Not only with the in-game scenario of running from the monster, but with the players outside the game as well. For example, I have a card that makes everyone trade the hands they have in their hand with the person to their left. When making these cards, I had some really cool idea, but they would overpower the other players to incredibly much, they would ruin the game for them. I couldn’t make a player entirely unbeatable due to a card they possess because that would make for a not fun experience with the other. I had to find a balance which made making these cards difficult because I also wanted to make it fun. While in the development of Magic: The Gathering was more about purchasing power and this is a little different, the idea of balance is still there. Another thing that I thought useful when developing the chaos cards was making sure none of them were bad. In the reading, Garfield states, “You can’t have bad cards – people wouldn’t play with them.” (Garfield, pg. 541) While that made me think more critically about what power I was giving the cards and what abilities they possessed, it also challenged me. I didn’t want to create a card that people would hate receiving. The point of the cards was to get a laugh out of the chaos they add to the game while possibly gaining an advantage due to another player’s disadvantage. I wanted people to get excited when they draw the cards. A third thing I used in this reading was his statement about skill. “…if the game had enough skill, then the player purchasing their power would surely be easy prey…” (Garfield pg. 541) (Wow, I’m realizing all my quotes are literally from the same page). I want this game to include more skill not only because it is a requirement but because it almost levels the playing field with how the game functions. The chaos cards also function to level that field in a way that’s not normally done. In a way, if there are cheaters, the chaos cards will keep them in check.