Getting Cards Right

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

So how do you make a card that is "right"? Not too overpowered or underpowered, but exactly in the middle so it works just fine?
What are the criteria for making sure a card doesn't stray too far to either side?
How do you even determine overpoweredness or underpoweredness, because, if I had some way to test my cards, that would be great.

It just seems like, after 5 years of being on this site and making cards, I still can't post a card without it getting locked for being too OPed or UPed.
And I'm REALLY getting sick and tired of trial and error.

[Aix]

You have to play more and you'll get the feel of it. Everyone on this site is too lazy to write an all-inclusive tutorial.

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

It just seems like there is so much detail on this site into how to make cards, but not enough into how to make them CORRECTLY.

How many cards have you seen where people have had absolutely no problem with it whatsoever?

[宇佐見 蓮子@C94]

How many cards have you seen where people have had absolutely no problem with it whatsoever?

Several of my cards. The most problem they have with it is either the OCG, or just a small fix to balance it more. The easiest way to balance a card for me is to just make a basic effect, then give it some kind of cost as to not make it broken. Before I actually post a card, I try to think of as many hypothetical situations as possible where the

card could be broken. Then it's just your choice to determine whether or not said situation is actually plausible enough to happen IRL. When I skip the second part, I usually end up with cards either on the OP side or just broken, and if I think too much about it, it ends up being UPed.

 

It's all about finding that line between OP and UP, and it's usually accomplished simply by thinking about your card. Of course, this does mean that inherently broken concepts should be tossed out of the window before you even start. 

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

So how would you apply this to cards with multiple effects, such as bigger monsters meant to be a character's ace or one of their aces?
I have usually tried restricting their summoning requirements, but the restrictions are either not enough or too ludicrous.

[Aix]

So how would you apply this to cards with multiple effects, such as bigger monsters meant to be a character's ace or one of their aces?
I have usually tried restricting their summoning requirements, but the restrictions are either not enough or too ludicrous.

I dislike those in general, but those are best thought in ways of card advantage. Do not make a boss monster +1, at the very best, make it +0.

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

And how do you make sure that a card that you have designed for one Archetype cannot possibly be abused by another?
Do you have to consider how this card would work with every single card in existence?

[Aix]

While as a rule, you do have to consider it's application with existing cards, however, if it is well-designed it won't be abusable by anything but to-be-made badly designed cards.

 

Ways to make sure it's only usable in the context you want include the Archetype name in all costs. If it is something that doesn't require a cost of some sort, make the cost into revealing a Archetype card in your hand.

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

Speaking of existing cards, how does one expand on an existing Archetype without adding useless members or overpowered new cards?

[宇佐見 蓮子@C94]

Just expand on what the archetype is lacking, not what you think the archetype is lacking. I once did some Fabled support and had a bad run-in with Black. 

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

Thank you both.

My main problem is the second part of Okuu's first post.

Before I actually post a card, I try to think of as many hypothetical situations as possible where the card could be broken. Then it's just your choice to determine whether or not said situation is actually plausible enough to happen IRL.

I do try to do that, but other people consider more hypothetical situations where the card could be broken than I do, and judge it accordingly.

[Aix]

That just comes from experience, there's no helping on thinking of situations.

 

Adding too much to an Archetype could be a problem, expanding too much gives it either way too much versatility or power or the cards are just useless. One option is to take the Archetype in a different direction and change its playstyle.

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

Any other tips?