Does anyone know how they balance trading card games like Magic: The Gathering, or the Pokemon TCG? Or could anyone direct me to some websites with this kind of info. Thanks

quote: Original post by Linc
Does anyone know how they balance trading card games like Magic: The Gathering, or the Pokemon TCG? Or could anyone direct me to some websites with this kind of info. Thanks

First and foremost, Balance for Magic: The Gathering is done through extensive testing. TONS of it. Basically, until their testers determine no one strategy has too much of an advantage. I know it sounds simplistic, but you just have to have lots of people play the game over and over again.

Unfortunately, "Magic" -- like all games of its ilk -- eventually runs into lots of balance problems anyway. Just look at the list of cards which are deemed too powerful for tournament play or cards which can only occur once per deck in tournament play. There are hundreds.

They just have to adjust anytime someone discovers a loophole. Flexibility is a big key for them.



[edited by - The Frugal Gourmet on January 3, 2003 7:46:17 PM]

[Zapped flamebait]

[edited by - Wavinator on January 4, 2003 8:59:54 PM]

quote: Original post by Greg Brown
Trading card games are for losers anyway.

That must be why I love them so much. When I''m not pushing up my thick, taped-together glasses from 1982 or polishing my pocket protector collection I *do* love a good rousing game of cards.

Just try to keep a Paper-Rock-Scissors relationship, where A beats B beats C beats A.
You can do this for all odd numbers.
If you have only 1 type, then there is no dominant strategy.
Three types can be paper-rock-scissors. No one choice dominates in the end. The opponent can always choose something different that defeats you.
5,7,9, etc can have similar relationships.
This is good if you want symmetry, but keep in mind, sometimes assymetry is good too.
What if you have four types, where three of them are in the paper-rock-scissors relationship, and the fourth is something that is always beaten by all of them BUT it is the one you need to protect or the one that does the protecting or has some other virtue that the other types don't have. Like the King in chess. It is a weak piece, and any other piece can put it into check. However, the other pieces are used to defend the King as well.
It isn't the best example, but I hope that helps.

The above strategies might help initially, but testing is a must, as mentioned above.
Starcraft didn't have its balance except through extensive testing.

[edited by - GBGames on January 4, 2003 6:56:24 AM]