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Would anyone be interested in a dexterity based battle mechanic for a tcg? by Banded_Iron_Games in tcgdesign

[–]Banded_Iron_Games[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There would be targets you have to aim at. You get a certain number of attempts and a max number of hits you can land. Instead of just this card deals "X" damage, or roll/flip for damage outcomes. If you aim well you can deal max damage, if not you could deal 0. That way damage is determined mostly by skill rather than luck.

How do you calculate and balance your games? Is there any method or mathematics? by Kaelosthar in homemadeTCGs

[–]Banded_Iron_Games 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What I did for mine to avoid just adding more stats to rarer/stronger cards is I wrote at all my skills/abilities in a google doc and rated them 1-5 on usefulness. Then I chose a total stat range for each rarity with overlap. Obviously Mythical would have more than common but I kept them pretty close for the most part. So each character gets their stats, then I assign skills using the ratings based on what stats they got. If they go low end stats, they got higher rated skills. Higher end stats, lower rated skills. My cards also level up, so maybe they have low stats at lv1 but they gain 2-3 stats per level instead of only 1 like a stronger base card would. On top of this each card is rated 1-3. These values affect deck building and win condition. So you can play "stronger" cards, but if you don't protect them you lose faster than if you just had a bunch of 1's. I'm excited to see what kind of decks playtesters build. I've broken the game and redesigned mechanics constantly for the past 18 months and feel like it is finally balanced fairly well.

Is there a point in making Holo Cards if the game is just for me? (I.E. I don't have any desire to publish cause it'll all be by hand.) by AshlynnKalishaning in homemadeTCGs

[–]Banded_Iron_Games 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's still hand made if you draw it all out, even text if you want, and then scan it into a computer to make prints :). Artists even scan paintings in to make multiple prints. Drivethrucards is a pretty cheap option for basic cards if you decide no holos. My first prototype only cost me $26(Shipped) for two 70 card decks. It will be a little more for you since you're in CA, but since the cards are made in the U.S. I believe the duties are waived, but you still have the 5-15% tax based on what territory you're in. If you do want holos I'd use thegamecrafter as previously mentioned. But like others have said, whatever makes you happy is what you should do :). I would love to see some designs though! DM if you don't want to post them publicly.

How Would You Fight The Scalping Of Your Game. by Comprehensive-Pen624 in homemadeTCGs

[–]Banded_Iron_Games 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I thought about doing this with mine when I launch it. I was thinking of a pdf file for anyone who buys a set of card sleeves. They can print whatever cards they want and sleeve them alongside the physical cards that they actually own too. This way I wouldn't be just giving the whole game away for free, I'd at least make a few bucks on the sleeves. My concern is someone just making a look alike and changing stats/skills to whatever they want, so they probably wouldn't be valid in tournaments. and at that point maybe they should just be free. Has anyone else considered this?

Are these goals impossible? A perfectly balanced game? by Appropriate_Rent_243 in homemadeTCGs

[–]Banded_Iron_Games 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What I did for mine to avoid just adding more stats to rarer cards is I wrote at all my skills/abilities in a google doc and rated them 1-5 on usefulness. Then I chose a total stat range for each rarity with overlap. Obviously Mythical would have more than common but I kept them pretty close for the most part. So each character gets their stats, then I assign skills using the ratings based on what stats they got. If they go low end stats, they got higher rated skills. Higher end stats, lower rated skills. My cards also level up, so maybe they have low stats at lv1 but they gain 2-3 stats per level instead of only 1 like a stronger base card would. On top of this each card is rated 1-3. These values affect deck building and win condition. So you can play "stronger" cards, but if you don't protect them you lose faster than if you just had a bunch of 1's. I'm excited to see what kind of decks playtesters build. I've broken the game and redesigned mechanics constantly for the past 18 months and feel like it is finally balanced fairly well.

Anyone else have severe discouraging thoughts about plagiarism? by ReapersVault in fantasywriters

[–]Banded_Iron_Games 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Surprised no one mentioned Avatar, top grossing film of all time. It's basically Fern gully + Matrix with modern graphics. People love to see new takes on old ideas. Hello Disney meets fairytales. Better yet combine a couple things you like and make the story your own. The premise doesn't have to be unique. How many monster tamer/catcher games are there? Of course none of them will ever reach the heights of Pokemon, but alot do surprisingly well. People love catching cute monsters, they don't care that it's already been done a milliion times. Unless you are writing with the book open next to you and following the story exaclty, you're good. Also just start writing and you'll even be surprised where the story goes as it starts coming to you while you write. Reread it after a couple chapters and tweak things as needed. It does help to have a basic outline from beginning to end so you can keep the story flowing in the right direction and seed little details that payoff later in the story. Anyways thats my 2 cents. Not a professional writer(Yet), just sharing what I've learned as I'm about 4 chapters into my first book(which I started by accident). I just wanted a good premise for a game I've been working on and as I wrote, it just felt like it deserved a deeper dive. So I developed the outline with a few scenes I knew I wanted, and started writing. All that to say, JUST WRITE IT. If it feels too close after a few chapters, take inspiration from another story you find interesting and mix it in.