AMA: Ask Me Anything, Eshai Edition

[Eshai]

I don't particularly know a lot of people on the website, so who I am may come in question. I'll do my best to answer.

 

 

If you have any Game Design questions I can answer most of those, whether you have an idea for a game, 

 

 

If you have any cards you'd like me to review, you can ask here I guess. Maybe you could even post them here and we can discuss game design that way. 

 

 

Bizzare questions? Sure why not. Ask away. 

[Nathanael D. Striker]

Who are you? Do you know who I am? Based on the slim amount you've seen from me, rate me as a cardmaker? Sad that you couldn't see me in my cardmaking prime?

[Eshai]

Who are you?

 

I'm Eshai (duh). I've played Yugioh on and off since I was 5, although I mostly collected since I moved a lot so I didn't really have anyone to play against with the exception of a couple people over the years. I didn't play at a near competent level until I was 13, which is when I think I started going to local tournaments. That was fun until I didn't really want to put in more money after my Deck got REALLY powercrept (I played Noble Knights and Bujins, and then Dragon Rulers and Pendulums happened so there wasn't much of a chance for me). Now if I even do play it's on YGOpro or the Duel Portal.

 

Around a half year ago I rediscovered this website. Getting really fascinated with Game Design since my junior year of high school I figured having a familiar system to design in would be healthy to implement what I'd been learning in Game Design. After awhile I got invited to the AGM after review/editing a group project that they did months ago (this was before I knew about bumping threads and such). That was around the time I realized how little I knew about the game, learning that I didn't know Official Card Grammar AT ALL so I basically spent hours studying on Zaziuma's OCG thread.

 

After awhile in the AGM I realized that we didn't host tournaments, which was a problem for me since I'd been learning how important it is to test what you make, since you never really know what makes the archetype fun until you use it yourself. Then Link Format happened and the AGM became Legacy Format, which I'm fine with now but back then I really wanted to screw with the new Link mechanics in the game. With those 2 problems I made the DPR. 

 

Other than that, I was depressed in high school and now I'm only depressed sometimes. It's sometimes hard for me to listen to people's advice, although I'm doing my best to gut that part of me since as someone in Game Design, listening to people is a part of the job. Also, I like Sushi. 

 

Do you know who I am?

 

I know your status "leading" the leaderboard. Other than participating in competitions with you I know little about you personally.

 

 

Based on the slim amount you've seen from me, rate me as a cardmaker?

 

As far as archetypes go (which is the only thing I've seen you design) not... great. Personally, I think you need to put a bit more weird into your cards, getting better groundworks so that you have a better time building on them. I'm a bit bias towards weird designs, but I think everyone can benefit from a bit of weird. Designs should be eye-catching. As for objectively speaking, your Official Card Grammar is fine, although I feel you could definitely improve. 

 

I have a feeling you're better at making generics. Not sure. Until I see more of what kind of cards you make I can't generalize all of your capabilities into a single number out of 100. Feel like that would be incriminating. 

 

Sad that you couldn't see me in my cardmaking prime?

 

I feel there's no such thing as a "prime" unless you're around 50ish and you're actually deteriorating and you can look back at how good you were before. Even then you're wisdom would probably make up for your losses. If you have some of the old cards you're proud of I'd love to review. Just remember, you should do your best to get better than before rather than wasting time looking back at how good you were before.

 

Oh, that's another thing about me. I try to sound like a fortune cookie but half the time it just makes me look stupid. I don't know whether or not I'm proud of that.

[SkaterTheDJWolf]

Can you please notice me?

[Dova]

What do you do to relax, other than playing YGO? If you can call that relaxing :P

[Eshai]

Can you please notice me?

 

Noticed

 

What do you do to relax, other than playing YGO? If you can call that relaxing :P

 

I draw stuff (mostly people) and I listen to relaxing video game music. Particularly from Hyper Light Drifter, which is what I'm listening to right now actually. 

 

[Nathanael D. Striker]

As I said when I made my first submission for the AGM contest, Archetypes have never been my specialty. Singles have been my specialty, though I do have a recentish archetype that I did with Darkness (Dregia or something is his name now) a while back for 2099. As for some old cards, I have this 2 year old archetype that I never really finished. Shame too as the idea was an interesting take on floodgates: https://forum.yugiohcardmaker.net/topic/338687-strikerwritten-gatekeeper-imps-5/

 

And my two favorite cards, my Chaos (technically a LIGHT dragon and a DARK dragon, but LIGHT and DARK do make Chaos so...) Dragons: https://forum.yugiohcardmaker.net/topic/331336-striker-shamutan-dragon-of-the-shadows-likuntam-dragon-of-the-solstice/

[Nathanael D. Striker]

I found something a bit weird that I made almost 7 years ago: a Glad Beast Contact Synchro. Why? I think it was an old contest card, but I can't be sure. And the Card Grammar reflects the time (I should probably update it soon).

 

1 Tuner + "Gladiator Beast Darius"
This card can only be Synchro Summoned by returning the above Synchro Material Monsters you control to the Deck. When this card attacks your opponent's monster, return it to the bottom of their Deck. At the end of the Battle Phase, if this card attacked or was attacked, you can return it to the Extra Deck to Special Summon 2 "Gladiator Beast" monsters from your Deck, except "Gladiator Beast Darius".

[Eshai]

For starters, it's been powercrept. I think considering Gladiator Beasts go for Fusions usually, I don't think it would really see play. 

 

Returning to the Deck the materials is interesting, although the materials themselves are a bit too harsh. I might do 1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner "Gladiator Beast" monsters.

 

As for the effect, does it activate on attack declaration? So then the monster would be returned to the Deck, and then you could redeclare attack since the number of monsters your opponent controls would change... if you could board wipe them with this card in that way, I would say this would be worth running as a 1 off. If that doesn't work out I might just have it say "This card can attack all monsters your opponent controls, once each".

 

 

As for Gladiator Beast Support in general, they need Main Deck Gladiator Beast Tamers that can consistently use effects during the Main Phase that would usually be exclusive to Test Tiger. The Deck really needs the consistency boost for this day and age.

[Fukato]

What is your first impression? Can Eshai-senpai notice me too? Is it clinical depression or is it just depression? What's your current Deck?

[Eshai]

What is your first impression?

 

Bit vague. Could you clarify? First impression of what?

 

Can Eshai-senpai notice me too?

 

*squints eyes* noticed. 

 

Is it clinical depression or is it just depression?

 

Was clinical for a while. Nothing to be worried about anymore.

 

What's your current Deck?

 

Crystrons, although I haven't played in a while. Mostly just play with the cards I make on the Duel-Portal.

[Fukato]

First impression of me on YCM?

[Eshai]

You're greatest strength is your creativity, which is why I invited you to the DPR since I feel that it's one of the most important things a card designer needs to make a game interesting, although you need to work on balancing the consistency and viability of your cards.

 

However, that's a lot easier to improve on than creativity, so I think if you give enough time to learning more about the meta and deck building could probably give you a better mindset.

 

Seeing as I have a similar problem, I test my cards in the duel-portal, since even if you think your Deck is pretty good it can sometimes have fatal flaws, like never being able to Summon your boss monsters and never really dealing damage to your opponent (Future Purge).

[Nathanael D. Striker]

For starters, it's been powercrept. I think considering Gladiator Beasts go for Fusions usually, I don't think it would really see play.

 

Returning to the Deck the materials is interesting, although the materials themselves are a bit too harsh. I might do 1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner "Gladiator Beast" monsters.

 

As for the effect, does it activate on attack declaration? So then the monster would be returned to the Deck, and then you could redeclare attack since the number of monsters your opponent controls would change... if you could board wipe them with this card in that way, I would say this would be worth running as a 1 off. If that doesn't work out I might just have it say "This card can attack all monsters your opponent controls, once each".

 

 

As for Gladiator Beast Support in general, they need Main Deck Gladiator Beast Tamers that can consistently use effects during the Main Phase that would usually be exclusive to Test Tiger. The Deck really needs the consistency boost for this day and age.

Of course it's been powercrept. Most cards from 2011 should have been by now. I can't really recall my reasoning for the design choices, but I thought you'd like the weirdness. Oh, those two threads of cards that I linked to?

[Ryusei the Morning Star]

What do you think of Nathanael D. Stroker

[Eshai]

Of course it's been powercrept. Most cards from 2011 should have been by now. I can't really recall my reasoning for the design choices, but I thought you'd like the weirdness. Oh, those two threads of cards that I linked to?

 

Yeah but I mean it probably wouldn't have seen much play in 2011 (unless it could board wipe like I mentioned)

Looking into them but that's a few more cards than my schedule allows at the moment.

 

What do you think of Nathanael D. Stroker

 

His tennis stroke is apparently good enough for him to legally change his name. 

[Fukato]

What does an Eshai do when an Eshai gets mad? Also, what does an Eshai do when an Eshai gets sad?

[Eshai]

What does an Eshai do when an Eshai gets mad? Also, what does an Eshai do when an Eshai gets sad?

Listens to relaxing music. Tiring me out basically numbs that kind of feeling.

 

Listens to Sorairo Days from Gurren Lagann, AKA one of the most if not THE most inspiring anime ever. Reminds me that wasting my time being sad won't make me happy.

[Ryusei the Morning Star]

will you design another game? I really enjoyed your last one. How did the extra credit project go?

[Nathanael D. Striker]

Have you seen the Effigy archetype that I'm making?

[Eshai]

will you design another game? I really enjoyed your last one. How did the extra credit project go?

 

I've made other games but Bump was better than those. There was a group project where we kinda turned Guitar Hero into a Turn Based Game. There was another where I merged War and Blackjack into a game much more convenient to play and with more decision making. So the question won't be whether or not I make another game, it's whether or not I'll post another of the games I've worked on. Answer is probably yes, but probably not until I make another game that's worth showing. Also still working on Bump in a casual sense so you may see that post come back from the dead every now and then.

 

 

Have you seen the Effigy archetype that I'm making?

 

I think I looked a bit at it but think I mostly skimmed it. Don't really remember all of what it was doing but I get the idea of it.