Help me create the last fan-submitted set - TOCASIA'S WAR
Jun 24, 2024 1:02:50 GMT
Hâlian likes this
Post by darthpop on Jun 24, 2024 1:02:50 GMT
Back in the late '90s, WOTC openly advertised for the playing public to submit not just card ideas, but whole expansions. I submitted TOCASIA’S WAR (a single expansion set - about the size of ICE AGES), but it used a lot of multi-colored spells like LEGENDS.
The multi-colored expansion had left a bad taste in WOTC’s mouth as the Uncommon mix was kerfuffled badly and entirte runs had a number of one set of Uncommons, but not another and vice versa. It was so bad that they had to offer exchanges, with lists posted in The Duelist - you could send in from one set and ask for cards from the other list to replace them (I can't imagine the guys who had to open all those letters with cards and having to do the replacements...), not to mention the rampant insanity the set engendered. In one city, somebody rammed a card store with a truck to get inside the store and steal all the LEGENDS booster boxes.
My set was cordially refused. They explained "Wizards isn't expecting to do any multi-colored sets in the forseeable future..." Famous last words, right? Then came ALLIANCES and MIRAGE. So I wrote back to Wizards to remind them of my submitted expansion, now that they "were doing multi-colored expansions again..."
'Negotiations' slowed WAY down, and communication was taking months to go back and forth. Eventually they "regretted to inform me" that they were moving to a block (three connected sets) format. I responded that I could easily expand my original set to meet their requirements. Somehow the legal dept got involved and they decided they would look at what I had in mind as long as I met their parameters. Their 'parameters' included a base set of 350 cards and two expansions of 143 each (odd numbers).
That took me a few months, but I get 'er done.
Sent it off.
Waited for a reply.
Waited a LONG time for a reply...
Finally received a letter that they "regretted to inform me" that they were no longer taking outside submissions. My moment in the sun had come and gone. *sigh*
Flash forward to 2023. I started noticing there were a LOT of people not only making their own personal cards - but DAMN they looked good! How was this happening? After some rooting around, I wound up here. Me and my 646 cards.
After a very unsuccessful attempt to download the program so I could do it myself, I discovered that MSE doesn't play well with Mac. And my online ‘design skills’ aren’t up to the task, hence I asked for help last year – and found a like-minded individual who has burned through 74 cards already, but – for personal reasons – has had to back off the project. I’ve got a prodigious art collection set aside and am VERY happy with the results so far. I don’t need to burn anybody out with doing the entire remaining set. I can parse out as many as you are willing to help with.
So here I am again, hat-in-hand. I'd like to get all 646 cards made up so I can print them off and take them to Conventions as a cube! If I understand the process correctly, when it’s all done, I should be able to post the completed full set here so that anyone can print up their own ‘proxy’ set and run it as an event!
If you're interested, PLEASE contact me, I could REALLY use your help. I'm open and available - trazanacho@gmail.com
ADD ON: found my 'YO MTG TAPS!' podcast interview from 2010 where I got to discuss (for 45 minutes) my adventures with WOTC submitting this expansion. I can't find the original interview anywhere on the net, so I uploaded it to YouTube. Apologies in advance, my technical skills don't extend to being able to add any visuals, so the screen is black. Link is below.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8tk6ZxcLvg&t=313s
The multi-colored expansion had left a bad taste in WOTC’s mouth as the Uncommon mix was kerfuffled badly and entirte runs had a number of one set of Uncommons, but not another and vice versa. It was so bad that they had to offer exchanges, with lists posted in The Duelist - you could send in from one set and ask for cards from the other list to replace them (I can't imagine the guys who had to open all those letters with cards and having to do the replacements...), not to mention the rampant insanity the set engendered. In one city, somebody rammed a card store with a truck to get inside the store and steal all the LEGENDS booster boxes.
My set was cordially refused. They explained "Wizards isn't expecting to do any multi-colored sets in the forseeable future..." Famous last words, right? Then came ALLIANCES and MIRAGE. So I wrote back to Wizards to remind them of my submitted expansion, now that they "were doing multi-colored expansions again..."
'Negotiations' slowed WAY down, and communication was taking months to go back and forth. Eventually they "regretted to inform me" that they were moving to a block (three connected sets) format. I responded that I could easily expand my original set to meet their requirements. Somehow the legal dept got involved and they decided they would look at what I had in mind as long as I met their parameters. Their 'parameters' included a base set of 350 cards and two expansions of 143 each (odd numbers).
That took me a few months, but I get 'er done.
Sent it off.
Waited for a reply.
Waited a LONG time for a reply...
Finally received a letter that they "regretted to inform me" that they were no longer taking outside submissions. My moment in the sun had come and gone. *sigh*
Flash forward to 2023. I started noticing there were a LOT of people not only making their own personal cards - but DAMN they looked good! How was this happening? After some rooting around, I wound up here. Me and my 646 cards.
After a very unsuccessful attempt to download the program so I could do it myself, I discovered that MSE doesn't play well with Mac. And my online ‘design skills’ aren’t up to the task, hence I asked for help last year – and found a like-minded individual who has burned through 74 cards already, but – for personal reasons – has had to back off the project. I’ve got a prodigious art collection set aside and am VERY happy with the results so far. I don’t need to burn anybody out with doing the entire remaining set. I can parse out as many as you are willing to help with.
So here I am again, hat-in-hand. I'd like to get all 646 cards made up so I can print them off and take them to Conventions as a cube! If I understand the process correctly, when it’s all done, I should be able to post the completed full set here so that anyone can print up their own ‘proxy’ set and run it as an event!
If you're interested, PLEASE contact me, I could REALLY use your help. I'm open and available - trazanacho@gmail.com
ADD ON: found my 'YO MTG TAPS!' podcast interview from 2010 where I got to discuss (for 45 minutes) my adventures with WOTC submitting this expansion. I can't find the original interview anywhere on the net, so I uploaded it to YouTube. Apologies in advance, my technical skills don't extend to being able to add any visuals, so the screen is black. Link is below.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8tk6ZxcLvg&t=313s
