Friday, April 6, 2012

M13 A New Development

The M13 Design team could continue to tweak and improve the set's design indefinitely. The longer you look at something, the more you test it, the more previously invisible imperfections you find to fix. But we don't have forever. We've got less than two months to wrap this set up now. I had intended to pass the set off to a Development team much earlier, but life interceded. The current team has kept a strong eye toward the Dev side over the last couple months, so we're not starting at square one, but I can't pretend that makes up for real testing and revision from a dedicated Dev team. Regrets aside, we need to get as much proper development done as we can in the time we have left.

We'll do this in a couple different ways. Firstly, I've exported the latest version of the set to Wizard's Familiar so that everyone is free to view it and build Constructed decks (of all kinds) and goldfish those decks. See it here. In conjunction with that effort, there are specific cards that we'll be challenging you to break. Is Lich's Pact broken two ways to Sunday? Does Moon Druid make Coalition Victory too easy? You'll soon have the opportunity to build a deck that abuses them as much as possible.

Secondly, we're putting together a real Dev team. We'll be reaching out to some folks we know have valuable insights due to their experience, tournament record and/or design work. It's important to get not only a fresh perspective, but one from those who understand the underlying game well enough to break open a format. Though Sealed and Constructed can't be ignored, I expect this team to focus on Draft since that format informs the set's Limited archetypes most directly and since the entire community will be able to build Constructed decks.

For a lot of folks, a real deadline is the best motivation. Well lucky you, we've got one. I'll be running an M13 Prerelease event on the Magic Cruise that departs June 1st, so we'll need to be finished by midnight May 29th so I have time to print the cards before flying out to Seattle. Releasing a month before the official Wizards' Magic 2013 seems about ideal. We don't want to release at the same time or after, since that would feel like a shadow rather than an appetizer. I'll let you know as soon as we've got our team or the set is up and usable online.

Apart from printing hundreds of cards—something I've been doing all along, but can't reasonably expect from anyone else—the only way to play M13 Limited will be through an online customizable site/program. I've been unable to export to Octgn, but Chah is looking intoCCGDecks. If you have another good solution, let us know.

15 comments:

  1. I am really excited to hear this. I feel we've been in Devign for a couple months now, so it's nice that it's official. Please keep us posted on who ends up on the Development team. I'm proud of the design work we've done and I think M13 will be be a real great fake set! Now I just wish I was going to be on the Magic Cruise...

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  2. Is something broken with the link that leads you to the Magic 2013 export into the Wizard's Familiar tool? Tried a search for, like, white creature cards (to get less than 30 results). The search returned strange results. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong? Try checking into it!

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  3. Note that when you search in WF, the box on the left defaults to an entire format. The Magic 2013 format listed there will include all of Standard, I believe. To see just the M13 cards, click the Set tab (and make sure just Magic 2013 is selected in the dropdown).

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  4. Hmm, looks like the lands didn't make it into the file...

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  5. I've been trying to think through a way to playtest with paper proxies... I think it could work if you assembled the set into a cube-type set up. It kind of assumes having a local group that's willing to play, and that the ratios of rarities come out in a useful way.

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    1. For local testing, I've printed (or found, in the case of reprints) 3 copies of each common, 2 of each uncommon and 1 of each rare/mythic. I can shuffle up each group and distribute them in 10s 3s & 1s to make packs for 4p Sealed or 8p Draft. Also been doing some simple precons (one of each common and uncommon in a color).

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  6. I know this comment isn't related to your topic, but I couldn't find any other way to contact you.

    Like you, I have an interest in designing serious magic cards and I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of a group or website that could critique my work. Please reply to marlinbetagamer at gmail dot com. Thanks.

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    1. Magic Set Editor has a forum, as does MTG Salvation and the Wizards Wiki.

      I can be reached on Twitter @WizardsFamiliar. I particularly recommend joining Twitter because my favorite Magic Design community lives there (most of the people I follow) and you can get some really amazing feedback from those folks.

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  7. Anyone up for making Ninjas vs Pirates Duel Decks?

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  8. I'm interesting in working on the dev team here, what can I do? You can get me @chosler88 on twitter for my info.
    Also, Lich's Pact creates a replacement effect for its own trigger and loops infinitely, correct?

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    1. It does create a replacement effect, but that fact in itself means it cannot loop infinitely.

      614.5. A replacement effect doesn't invoke itself repeatedly; it gets only one opportunity to affect an event or any modified events that may replace it.
      Example: A player controls two permanents, each with an ability that reads "If a creature you control would deal damage to a creature or player, it deals double that damage to that creature or player instead." A creature that normally deals 2 damage will deal 8 damage -- not just 4, and not an infinite amount.

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  9. Download the M13 set file for Octgn here
    Download Octgn here
    Download the Magic game definition here
    Download other Magic sets here

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  10. Thought I would throw it out there, if you need any extra play testers, me and my friend would be glad to help.

    Markarth Guard (1)(B)
    Creature- Human (Common)
    (2): Tap Markarth Guard. Any player may play this ability.
    3/3

    Just thought I would put that card I designed on here so you know I am capable of designing cards. And I would be glad to help you tweak your current cards for your M13 release
    If you wanna contact me you can email me at mtgfanatic@hotmail.CA (If u do .com it wont work). Or u can text me at 204-370-5040
    -Zalkerai

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