Post by heliumdream on Apr 4, 2018 2:05:41 GMT
Here is a link to my initial design comps and set file for my upcoming set Return to Dominaria:
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pKfaAA3RjvfWO72yZC0aQ92g7bicns1v?usp=sharing
Backstory
It's picking up on the dichotomy that was Urza's Block; better than I can say...
"...Urza's Saga's expansion symbol is a set of gears, highlighting the artifacts theme of the set, and meant to symbolize Urza’s experiments in finding a means to defeat Phyrexia. [3] R&D originally envisioned Urza's Saga (and the further block) to be centered on the enchantment theme. [4] But the creative team told them that this block was going to be all about Urza, the greatest artificer of all time. By further referring to the block and the companion books as the "Artifacts Cycle", the original idea disappeared from view. It didn't help that the set contained some very powerful artifacts and artifact-themed cards like Fluctuator and Tolarian Academy..."
Reference: mtg.gamepedia.com/Urza%27s_Saga
Throw in some Time Spiral Block appeal, and the return of Phyrexian (perhaps, Invasion part II) and blam, there ya go! We have the Dominarians with enchantments matter and Phyrexians with artifacts matter. I've got some stuff cooked up with the Thran and the Brothers too perhaps. Oh and I forgot to mention, our special guests, the Aetherborn! Representing purple, and 'aether matters'. So really there's three factions, the Dominarians, the Phyrexians, and the Aetherborn. Storywise, the Aetherborn have come thru the same rifts that the Phyrexians reopened to get to back to Dominaria.
The set was concurrently developed with the real 'Dominaria' in anticipation of the 25th anniversary, design began more than a year ago, but I took quite some time off before more recently picking it up again. I first started making many, many rares, cycles and designing straight on top of Urza Saga as a skeleton; this wasn't the best approach so I stopped and pivoted focus to the commons.
A note on Phyrexian Slivers: I've made it such that the Phyrexians upon exiting the rift portals from Argentum (Mirrodin, aka New Phyrexia), they found that they would be better suited to corrupt the locals and use them to fight. The main creature they adopted was sliver; they took and mechanically altered them, in the process severing much of the hive mind connection. If im not mistaken, Volrath himself created the original metallic sliver, and I've made it so the Phyrexian consulate kept detailed records of those experiments.
A note on Purple: Purple was explored during rnd for Planar Chaos. I'm trying to solve problems inherent to adding a color in terms of color identity, and color pie philosophy, by making them essentially color thieves. They are not in the color wheel, and don't follow orthodox color philosophy, what they understand they understand thru the lens of other colors. There are no new enemies, allies, or wedges. Purple is treated not unlike Eldrazi was represented by colorless and introduced Wastes in Oath of the Gatewatch. We have a new basic land call Portal, with no basic type, similar to wastes. I am a huge Barry's Land fan, but for complexity am avoiding trying to add to domain, retroactively errata cards like coalition victory, or anything else.
Currently, my unique space for purple is 'aether matters', tempo-delay effects, pulled straight from the card Delay from time spiral. I have put this on a colorshifted boomerang type effect, and a colorshifted shriekmaw evoke guy. Phasing, vanishing, suspend, etc.
They will have at least one planeswalker, the leader of this menagerie of aetherborn. I am tooling extending to them mechanical planeswalker support, loyalty / counters matters. Possibly even trying to develop lesser Planeswalkers, who have a single planeswalker type ability and can receive loyalty in addition to functioning as normal creatures. This would not be exclusive to purple were I to pursue it.
I have done some preliminary research into other custom set designers efforts in the area, and found some very decent examples:
Foo InTheRain - m14 Core Set Purple - www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/custom-card-creation/494984-purple-primer#c5 (https://imgur.com/a/5of3Z)
Blind Child - Yet Another Purple (EDH) - https://www.reddit.com/r/custommagic/comments/8e03ca/yet_another_purple_edh/(https://imgur.com/a/9BYv2HR)
I may intertextualize their better ideas and keyword mechanics, for the sake of creating some unique feeling aspects for purple all to their own, other than just color thievery.
I am trying to resolve the issues inherent with purple, including how most of their designs can be better represented by traditional colors / gold / hybrid. I would like to come to a convention with what 'purple means' in these contexts.
Looking forward to everyone's reception!
Common Horizontal Cycle Spoilers:
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pKfaAA3RjvfWO72yZC0aQ92g7bicns1v?usp=sharing
Backstory
It's picking up on the dichotomy that was Urza's Block; better than I can say...
"...Urza's Saga's expansion symbol is a set of gears, highlighting the artifacts theme of the set, and meant to symbolize Urza’s experiments in finding a means to defeat Phyrexia. [3] R&D originally envisioned Urza's Saga (and the further block) to be centered on the enchantment theme. [4] But the creative team told them that this block was going to be all about Urza, the greatest artificer of all time. By further referring to the block and the companion books as the "Artifacts Cycle", the original idea disappeared from view. It didn't help that the set contained some very powerful artifacts and artifact-themed cards like Fluctuator and Tolarian Academy..."
Reference: mtg.gamepedia.com/Urza%27s_Saga
Throw in some Time Spiral Block appeal, and the return of Phyrexian (perhaps, Invasion part II) and blam, there ya go! We have the Dominarians with enchantments matter and Phyrexians with artifacts matter. I've got some stuff cooked up with the Thran and the Brothers too perhaps. Oh and I forgot to mention, our special guests, the Aetherborn! Representing purple, and 'aether matters'. So really there's three factions, the Dominarians, the Phyrexians, and the Aetherborn. Storywise, the Aetherborn have come thru the same rifts that the Phyrexians reopened to get to back to Dominaria.
The set was concurrently developed with the real 'Dominaria' in anticipation of the 25th anniversary, design began more than a year ago, but I took quite some time off before more recently picking it up again. I first started making many, many rares, cycles and designing straight on top of Urza Saga as a skeleton; this wasn't the best approach so I stopped and pivoted focus to the commons.
A note on Phyrexian Slivers: I've made it such that the Phyrexians upon exiting the rift portals from Argentum (Mirrodin, aka New Phyrexia), they found that they would be better suited to corrupt the locals and use them to fight. The main creature they adopted was sliver; they took and mechanically altered them, in the process severing much of the hive mind connection. If im not mistaken, Volrath himself created the original metallic sliver, and I've made it so the Phyrexian consulate kept detailed records of those experiments.
A note on Purple: Purple was explored during rnd for Planar Chaos. I'm trying to solve problems inherent to adding a color in terms of color identity, and color pie philosophy, by making them essentially color thieves. They are not in the color wheel, and don't follow orthodox color philosophy, what they understand they understand thru the lens of other colors. There are no new enemies, allies, or wedges. Purple is treated not unlike Eldrazi was represented by colorless and introduced Wastes in Oath of the Gatewatch. We have a new basic land call Portal, with no basic type, similar to wastes. I am a huge Barry's Land fan, but for complexity am avoiding trying to add to domain, retroactively errata cards like coalition victory, or anything else.
Currently, my unique space for purple is 'aether matters', tempo-delay effects, pulled straight from the card Delay from time spiral. I have put this on a colorshifted boomerang type effect, and a colorshifted shriekmaw evoke guy. Phasing, vanishing, suspend, etc.
{Delay}
They will have at least one planeswalker, the leader of this menagerie of aetherborn. I am tooling extending to them mechanical planeswalker support, loyalty / counters matters. Possibly even trying to develop lesser Planeswalkers, who have a single planeswalker type ability and can receive loyalty in addition to functioning as normal creatures. This would not be exclusive to purple were I to pursue it.
I have done some preliminary research into other custom set designers efforts in the area, and found some very decent examples:
Foo InTheRain - m14 Core Set Purple - www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/custom-card-creation/494984-purple-primer#c5 (https://imgur.com/a/5of3Z)
Donovan Du Bois - Primer in Purple - magicseteditor.sourceforge.net/node/11447
Donovan Du Bois - Gentrification - magicseteditor.sourceforge.net/node/13826
Tahazzar - Purple: The Sixth Color (75 example cards) - magicseteditor.sourceforge.net/node/12573Blind Child - Yet Another Purple (EDH) - https://www.reddit.com/r/custommagic/comments/8e03ca/yet_another_purple_edh/(https://imgur.com/a/9BYv2HR)
I may intertextualize their better ideas and keyword mechanics, for the sake of creating some unique feeling aspects for purple all to their own, other than just color thievery.
I am trying to resolve the issues inherent with purple, including how most of their designs can be better represented by traditional colors / gold / hybrid. I would like to come to a convention with what 'purple means' in these contexts.
Looking forward to everyone's reception!
Common Horizontal Cycle Spoilers:
{Charms}
{Free Creatures}
{Purple Matters}
{Token Support}
{Vanishing Creatures}
{Vanishing Enchantments}