NaGaDeMon: The Gathering #01

To lessen the barrier to success, each of my blog posts for my run at National Game Design Month will be low-effort in prose and how informative they are. The focus of my energy is on the actual game designing. I'll be shooting for minimalist updates.

In one month, I plan to do this:

• Design all the commons in a "four colors matters" Magic: The Gathering set
• Design some non-commons (uncommons and/or rares)
• Have five built, playable decks that each showcase a four-color combination

Here's the schedule I have planned out:

Day 01: Set up common design skeleton
Day 02 - Day 06: Mechanical strategy and designed commons for each four-color combination
Day 07 - Day 08: Fill in rest of common slots with necessary designs
Day 09: Physically assemble playtest decks
Day 10: Playtest: Single Card Evaluation, Iteration 1
Day 11: Make fixes
Day 12: Playtest: Single Card Evaluation, Iteration 2
Day 13: Make fixes
Day 14: Playtest: Card Combinations Evaluation, Iteration 1
Day 15: Make fixes
Day 16: Playtest: Card Combinations Evaluation, Iteration 2
Day 17: Make fixes
Day 18: Playtest: Single Mechanic Evaluation, Iteration 1
Day 19: Make fixes
Day 20: Playtest: Single Mechanic Evaluation, Iteration 2
Day 21: Make fixes
Day 22: Playtest: Mechanical Combinations, Iteration 1
Day 23: Make fixes
Day 24: Playtest: Mechanical Combinations, Iteration 2
Day 25: Make fixes
Day 26: Physically provide finishing touches to the five decks
Day 27: Have a playtest with another Magic player using these decks

This gives me three days of wiggle room. Which, actually, is not even enough considering what I have planned for November: road trip, Grant Prix Portland, Thanksgiving

However, theoretically, I can meet my NaGaDeMon goal just by completing Days 1 through 9 and then Day 27. Ideally, I'd do more, of course. :)

Now for my update for Day 01: a common design skeleton set up:

W01: nonblue faction
W02: nonblue faction
W03: nonblack faction
W04: nonblack faction
W05: nonred faction
W06: nonred faction
W07: nongreen faction
W08: nongreen faction
W09: nonblue + nonblack factions
W10: nonblue + nonred factions
W11: nonblue + nongreen factions
W12: nonblack + nonred factions
W13: nonblack+ nongreen factions
W14: nonred + nongreen factions
W15: wildcard
U01: nonblack faction
U02: nonblack faction
U03: nonred faction
U04: nonred faction
U05: nongreen faction
U06: nongreen faction
U07: nonwhite faction
U08: nonwhite faction
U09: nonblack + nonred factions
U10: nonblack + nongreen factions
U11: nonblack + nonwhite factions
U12: nonred + nongreen factions
U13: nonred + nonwhite factions
U14: nongreen + nonwhite factions
U15: wildcard
B01: nonred faction
B02: nonred faction
B03: nongreen faction
B04: nongreen faction
B05: nonwhite faction
B06: nonwhite faction
B07: nonblue faction
B08: nonblue faction
B09: nonred + nongreen factions
B10: nonred + nonwhite factions
B11: nonred + nonblue factions
B12: nongreen + nonwhite factions
B13: nongreen + nonblue factions
B14: nonwhite + nonblue factions
B15: wildcard
R01: nongreen faction
R02: nongreen faction
R03: nonwhite faction
R04: nonwhite faction
R05: nonblue faction
R06: nonblue faction
R07: nonblack faction
R08: nonblack faction
R09: nongreen + nonwhite factions
R10: nongreen + nonblue factions
R11: nongreen + nonblack factions
R12: nonwhite + nonblue factions
R13: nonwhite + nonblack factions
R14: nonblue + nonblack factions
R15: wildcard
G01: nonwhite faction
G02: nonwhite faction
G03: nonblue faction
G04: nonblue faction
G05: nonblack faction
G06: nonblack faction
G07: nonred faction
G08: nonred faction
G09: nonwhite + nonblue factions
G10: nonwhite + nonblack factions
G11: nonwhite + nonred factions
G12: nonblue + nonblack factions
G13: nonblue + nonred factions
G14: nonblack + nonred factions
G15: wildcard
X01: WU
X02: UB
X03: BR
X04: RG
X05: GW
X06: WB
X07: UR
X08: BG
X09: RW
X10: GU
X11: WUBR
X12: UBRG
X13: BRGW
X14: RGWU
X15: GWUB
A01: mana fix
A02: mana fix
A03: mana fix
A04: mana fix
A05: mana fix
L01: mana fix
L02: mana fix
L03: mana fix
L04: mana fix
L05: mana fix
A/L: wildcard