[FUR Friday] Vision Design, Pt. X: The Handoff

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    Welcome back to TwistedSpoon Studio! This week in our series on Festival of Urbestia, the custom Magic set about a world of beast-folk, we're hitting a pretty big milestone: The end of Vision Design! Vision Design on FUR started September 25th; Wizards of the coast gets four months for this stage, and this is the limitation I've been working under as well. With that being said, it's finally that time!

The flavor text says it all.

The Handoff

    What does that mean for the set, for the blog, and for you?

    For starters, it means that you finally get to see the Vision Design Handoff Document! This doc contains a condensed version of all of the design we've done so far. The tribes, mechanics, set structure, archetypes-- it's all there. That even includes a few things that I haven't talked about here yet, like uncommon and rare cycles and a fourth (minor) mechanic. I highly recommend reading it if you're interested in creating your own custom set and don't know where to start-- this is what the blueprints of a set look like.

    It also means that you get to see the newest Set Skeleton. This is the blueprint of all of the commons in the set; while it will definitely still change over time, this serves to communicate the core identity of the set and will be referenced throughout the following stages to see if we're still following our Vision.

    In addition to the set skeleton, we're also releasing the preliminary Card File. Much like the set skeleton, this will also continue to change and evolve; but it's a nice checkpoint of our progress. If you missed Monday's announcement, we're also opening up playtesting for the set, with rewards including shout outs, card slots, and even cash prizes!

    Finally, it means that we're moving on to the Integration stage of design. This stage is going to be much more playtest-intensive, as we stress-test the set and develop further on the themes and interactions found throughout it. Ordinarily, Wizards would be starting this phase with all of the commons and uncommons at least penciled in, but we have a little more work ahead of us. This is also where the story starts to take shape; FUR Friday is going to shift into creative mode for the next four weeks while we collect feedback from playtesting. Integration proper will begin in March and run until the end of June. (The ultimate goal is to have the set done by the end of the year!) 

Playtesting

    For those of you who are interested in playtesting, here's everything you need to know:
  • Play testing will run from Saturday, January 29th, until Saturday, February 26th.
    • You can get your Pool on Planesculptors here.
    • Play will take place over Cockatrice (found here).
    • You can get the card file on Dropbox here.
    • Find games using the LFG chat on the subreddit here.
  • The format is pauper sealed. (You will receive six packs of commons to construct your deck.)
    • You can open a new pool whenever you want, but please play with every pool you pull.
    • Please observe the Two-Of rule: If you're debating between a second copy of a card you've played before, and the first copy of a card you haven't played, lean towards the latter.
  • After every game, you may submit a survey here. Everyone who submits a survey is eligible for rewards:
    • Every survey is good for one shout-out or play-for-play.
    • Each survey earns you an entry into a raffle for a $25 gift card. One card will be distributed each week of playtesting.
    • Select playtesters will have the opportunity to suggest a design for an uncommon or rare slot.

Future Articles

    During this stretch, we're going to cut back to two articles a week. FUR Friday is here to stay, but Monday Musings and Workshop Wednesday are going to come out on alternate weeks. To give you an idea of what that's going to look like:

  • Jan 31st -  Champions of Kamigawa: Analysis
  • Feb 9th - Cyberpunk: Design Workshop
  • Feb 14th - Kamigawa Neon Dynasty: Analysis
  • Feb 23rd - Player Equipment: Design Workshop
  • Feb 28th - The One-Hour Game Jam, Ft. Quantum Reflections

    That's all for this week! Next Tuesday we'll be digging into the OG Kamigawa set, Champions of Kamigawa, and on Friday, the plot thickens on the plane of Urbestia. Until then, check out my analysis of Crimson Vow here for an idea of what to expect on Monday (though it will be cleaner this time around), or read up on the design process behind a custom mechanic that may see "print" in my next set here. 

See you soon!

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