Cards and Stuff
Since this is of no interest to the vast majority of my friends list, I'll put it all behind a cut.
Having finished my set I feel there are some useful tips that I should pass on:
Notes on using the Magic Set Editor.
- Typing ~ in the card text will automatically fill in the card name, and keep it updated if the card name changes. This is the single most useful thing in the whole program.
- To remove unnecessary reminder text, right click the ability and click 'reminder text'.
- To stop reminder text being automatically being displayed for trample, haste, etc. uncheck the 'core' checkbox on the set info page.
- When the program incorrectly guesses whether you want a number to be a mana symbol or not you can force it to be a mana symbol using square brackets (e.g. [3]) or force it not to be with inverted square brackets (e.g. ]3[)
- The tap symbol should come after any mana symbols in the cost of an activated ability (and before text costs), however it will automatically get moved before the mana symbols unless you add a comma and a space after the mana symbols.
- You can override the colour border given to a card by clicking on the colour at the edge and ticking the appropriate check boxes (this is useful for cards without mana costs or lands which don't produce a specific colour of mana, but nonetheless clearly have a colour).
- The set symbol editor is a bit hard to use if you're not used to that sort of thing, so I've made a bunch of random symbols for people to use (or if you have something specific in mind, ask and I'll make it - I've got the hang of the editor now). To load them, go to the set info tab, click the edit button, then in the symbol editor click file > Open. If you do use one of them, drop a comment here to say which one, so we don't end up with two people using the same one.
I wanted to keep this list as concise as possible, so I haven't included stuff like how to use the string functions on the keyword tab to make the reminder text work correctly, but if you want help with something like that just ask in the comments.
Notes on creating cards
NOTE: The most important thing is that people can understand what your cards are supposed to do. These notes are just for the people who card about the rules or don't want people (i.e. me) nit picking their cards during the draft. I've tried to order these in order of pickiness, so if you get to one and think "I that seems needlessly pedantic" just stop; the chances are you'll think the same for all the ones beyond that point as well.
Firstly, and most importantly, if you're unsure about something, check The Gatherer for examples. No matter what you're trying to do, the chances are there's an existing card you can use as a template for your wording. Also, if you find a card that contradicts something I've written here, ignore what whatever it was that I said; I'm not perfect.
- While all the colours can ultimately do most things, if you're giving a card an ability that appears on less than a handful of cards in that colour, you might want to rethink the card.
Example: Although green does life gain, there is no (mono)green card with lifelink.
- A creature is only a creature while it's in play. While on the stack it is a creature spell, and anywhere else it is a creature card. The same applies to all permanents.
- When a cost includes tapping something, other than using the tap symbol, you need to specify that it is untapped.
Example: "Tap an untapped creature you control:"
- When searching a library for a card, if there are any restrictions on what the card is (e.g. "search your library for a creature card"), it should always be revealed. Also, whenever a library is searched, it should be shuffled afterwards.
Example: "Search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library."
- Damage isn't just dealt, it's dealt by something. Equally, life isn't just gained, someone has to gain it.
Example: "~ deals 2 damage to target creature or player" NOT "Deal 2 damage to target creature"
Example: "You gain 3 life" NOT "gain 3 life"
- Any ability that is a replacement effect (i.e. replacing one effect with another) should contain "instead" at either the start or the end of the replacement.
Example: "~ deals 1 damage to target creature. If that creature is green, it deals 2 damage to that creature instead."
Example: "If a player would draw a card, instead he or she draws a card and reveals it. If it's a creature card, that player discards it unless he or she pays 3 life."
- Use "when" for things that only happen once to a permanent (generally "comes into play" or "put into a graveyard from play") and "whenever" for everything else. Also, there should be a comma after the even that triggers the ability.
Example: "When ~ comes into play, you gain 1 life"
Example: "Whenever ~ attacks, you may have ~ deal 1 damage to target creature."
- Always use "he or she" when referring to a player. "Their" is only used when referring to cards (e.g. "return two creatures to their owner's hand" or "you may play any number of those cards without playing their mana costs").
- A card's colours are defined by it's mana cost. If you want a card with no mana cost to be a certain colour, it needs to be part of the rules text for the card.
Example: "~ is blue."
-"Threshold" is an ability word, not a key word, and doesn't actually apply any rules to a card; it's just a marker used to indicate a threshold ability. Thus the ability still needs to include "as long as seven or more cards are in your graveyard" or "play this ability only if seven or more cards are in your graveyard".
Example:"Threshold - ~ gets +1/+1 as long as seven or more cards are in your graveyard."
Having finished my set I feel there are some useful tips that I should pass on:
Notes on using the Magic Set Editor.
- Typing ~ in the card text will automatically fill in the card name, and keep it updated if the card name changes. This is the single most useful thing in the whole program.
- To remove unnecessary reminder text, right click the ability and click 'reminder text'.
- To stop reminder text being automatically being displayed for trample, haste, etc. uncheck the 'core' checkbox on the set info page.
- When the program incorrectly guesses whether you want a number to be a mana symbol or not you can force it to be a mana symbol using square brackets (e.g. [3]) or force it not to be with inverted square brackets (e.g. ]3[)
- The tap symbol should come after any mana symbols in the cost of an activated ability (and before text costs), however it will automatically get moved before the mana symbols unless you add a comma and a space after the mana symbols.
- You can override the colour border given to a card by clicking on the colour at the edge and ticking the appropriate check boxes (this is useful for cards without mana costs or lands which don't produce a specific colour of mana, but nonetheless clearly have a colour).
- The set symbol editor is a bit hard to use if you're not used to that sort of thing, so I've made a bunch of random symbols for people to use (or if you have something specific in mind, ask and I'll make it - I've got the hang of the editor now). To load them, go to the set info tab, click the edit button, then in the symbol editor click file > Open. If you do use one of them, drop a comment here to say which one, so we don't end up with two people using the same one.
I wanted to keep this list as concise as possible, so I haven't included stuff like how to use the string functions on the keyword tab to make the reminder text work correctly, but if you want help with something like that just ask in the comments.
Notes on creating cards
NOTE: The most important thing is that people can understand what your cards are supposed to do. These notes are just for the people who card about the rules or don't want people (i.e. me) nit picking their cards during the draft. I've tried to order these in order of pickiness, so if you get to one and think "I that seems needlessly pedantic" just stop; the chances are you'll think the same for all the ones beyond that point as well.
Firstly, and most importantly, if you're unsure about something, check The Gatherer for examples. No matter what you're trying to do, the chances are there's an existing card you can use as a template for your wording. Also, if you find a card that contradicts something I've written here, ignore what whatever it was that I said; I'm not perfect.
- While all the colours can ultimately do most things, if you're giving a card an ability that appears on less than a handful of cards in that colour, you might want to rethink the card.
Example: Although green does life gain, there is no (mono)green card with lifelink.
- A creature is only a creature while it's in play. While on the stack it is a creature spell, and anywhere else it is a creature card. The same applies to all permanents.
- When a cost includes tapping something, other than using the tap symbol, you need to specify that it is untapped.
Example: "Tap an untapped creature you control:"
- When searching a library for a card, if there are any restrictions on what the card is (e.g. "search your library for a creature card"), it should always be revealed. Also, whenever a library is searched, it should be shuffled afterwards.
Example: "Search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library."
- Damage isn't just dealt, it's dealt by something. Equally, life isn't just gained, someone has to gain it.
Example: "~ deals 2 damage to target creature or player" NOT "Deal 2 damage to target creature"
Example: "You gain 3 life" NOT "gain 3 life"
- Any ability that is a replacement effect (i.e. replacing one effect with another) should contain "instead" at either the start or the end of the replacement.
Example: "~ deals 1 damage to target creature. If that creature is green, it deals 2 damage to that creature instead."
Example: "If a player would draw a card, instead he or she draws a card and reveals it. If it's a creature card, that player discards it unless he or she pays 3 life."
- Use "when" for things that only happen once to a permanent (generally "comes into play" or "put into a graveyard from play") and "whenever" for everything else. Also, there should be a comma after the even that triggers the ability.
Example: "When ~ comes into play, you gain 1 life"
Example: "Whenever ~ attacks, you may have ~ deal 1 damage to target creature."
- Always use "he or she" when referring to a player. "Their" is only used when referring to cards (e.g. "return two creatures to their owner's hand" or "you may play any number of those cards without playing their mana costs").
- A card's colours are defined by it's mana cost. If you want a card with no mana cost to be a certain colour, it needs to be part of the rules text for the card.
Example: "~ is blue."
-"Threshold" is an ability word, not a key word, and doesn't actually apply any rules to a card; it's just a marker used to indicate a threshold ability. Thus the ability still needs to include "as long as seven or more cards are in your graveyard" or "play this ability only if seven or more cards are in your graveyard".
Example:"Threshold - ~ gets +1/+1 as long as seven or more cards are in your graveyard."