Overview
The 4GXG Project is a privately funded project, where players from around the world, collectively referred to as "the Base", will design a trading card game, and will be paid to do so! Every player with a dream of working for a gaming company can realize that dream. Every player who has ever said, "I wish they hadn't created that card" or "I wish they hadn't changed this rule" can do something about it!
The 4GXG Project will be completely designed by the Base, from storyboard, to expansion sets. A small set of rules will be in place to guide the process. From there the popular vote wins.
Cash awards will be paid via PayPal until a better system comes up. In addition to the cash awards associated with each phase of design, additional on-going rewards (both cash and product) may be granted to the winning designers.
Abuse will not be tolerated. As decisions are based on popular vote, voting inflation and other similar actions, including abuse of fellow gamers/designers, will result in your being banned for lifetime from the project.
Phase 0: Spread the Word
This project will only be fun if a lot of people are involved. Let's get 500 users signed up before we move on to the design of the game. Go to your local gaming stores and tell the card gamers about this project, email your friends, post to the forums you frequent, whatever it takes! Just get players signed up to be part of the Base!
Phase 1: The Story
The foundation of a successful card game is the story. There are many successful trading card games in the world. Some, such as Magic, are designed around fictional worlds; others are based on existing franchises (e.g., Star Wars TCG); others are based on non-fictional events and characters (e.g. Anachronism).
The 4GXG Project's story will be up to the players! Will players choose to create a new fantasy world? Or will they choose to stay rooted in the world of facts?
Stage 1 - The Setting
Stories can become extremely complex. To help facilitate the creation of new worlds and frontiers, the Base will decide on the time(s) and location(s) that the game will take place in (e.g. Present time in reality, 2086 in a different galaxy, etc.).
Rules
Timeline: Week 1 through Week 2
Because of complicated licensing and copyright laws, designers should avoid using names and story elements of existing material.
Submissions should be a one paragraph description of the time(s) and location(s).
Submissions will be voted on from a 1-10 scale.
Top 5 settings will be awarded with $100 each.
Stage 2 - The Characters
Once we've determined where and when the game will take place, we need to discover who the cast is. Will we have inspiring super-powered heroes and blood-curdling villains? Will the characters be normal people who have to rise up to a challenge?
Rules
Timeline: Week 3 through Week 4
Because of complicated licensing and copyright laws, designers should avoid using names and story elements of existing material.
Submissions should be a one paragraph description of the character and how they interact with the settings from Stage 1. Submissions are allowed to include 1 image.
Submissions will be voted on from a 1-10 scale.
Top 10 characters will be awarded with $100 each.
Stage 3 - The Story
Now that we have our setting and characters, let's put them together into a story that really draws people in and gets them excited about playing this game. Players will create short stories that describes what the characters do in this world. What drives them? Is it good versus evil? Are old enemies allying themselves to fight a new, common threat? This is where imagination is let loose.
Rules
Timeline: Week 5 through Week 8
Stories will be voted on from a 1-10 scale.
The story can be as complex and long as you'd like, but each submission must be less than 1000 words. You can include drawings and any other supporting material for your story.
The top rated story will receive $500.
Phase 2: The Engine
Here's where things get even more interesting! While the story is the foundation of the game, the actual structure that will need to stand the test of time is the gameplay. Some card games are brutally simple and fun. Others are so complex that the rules pages run longer than the dictionary. The players will design the engine, from who goes first to how many cards are in your starting hand to how the game is played.
Stage 1 - The Mechanics
To keep things simple, we'll start with mechanics. Players can suggest mechanics that they would like to see in the game. (e.g. simultaneous turns, turn-based costs, etc.). Players/Designers should keep in mind the overall rules of the game they want, but if the Base doesn't vote for the mechanics, they'll have to alter their end plan. Brownie points to players/designers who create mechanics that work with the story! Mechanics will fall into four categories: win conditions, card advantage, player interaction, and other.
Rules
Timeline: Week 1 through Week 2
Mechanics will be rated on a 1-5 scale.
Top 3 mechanics from each of the four categories are awarded $25 each.
Next 3 mechanics from each of the four categories are awarded $10 each.
Lower ranking mechanics will not be awarded (even if they end up in the final rules).
Stage 2 - Set Design
Every game has different types of cards. Lands, companions, enchantments, etc. What card types will be included in this game? What should the breakdown of a set look like?
Rules
Timeline: Week 3 through Week 4
Each submission must include a 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" image of what the template will look like.
Card types will be rated on a 1-5 scale.
Top 5 card types are awarded $25 each.
Next 5 are awarded $10 each.
Lower ranking card types that will not be awarded (even if they end up in the game).
Stage 3 - The Rules Book
And now the rules will be written. A final set of rules needs to incorporate at least the 3 most popular mechanics from each of the 4 groups, but players/designers are free to add in additional nuances. The rules book can be any length, but keep in mind that the Base may get bored if you go too long!
Rules
Timeline: Week 5 through Week 8
Rules book must include directions on how tournament play is organized.
Rules book will be rated on a 1-10 scale.
Top rated rules book will receive $500.
Phase 3: Sanity Check
Did something go wrong in Phase 1 and Phase 2? Did you change your mind? This is the last chance for the naysayers to speak up before we go to set design. Anything and everything can be changed still, but you'll have to make a convincing argument to get the Base to overrule the prior two months of planning!
Rules
Timeline: Week 9 through Week 10
Changes will be voted on in a Yes/No vote. Majority wins.
No awards for this phase.
Phase 4: Card Design
Here is where the plot thickens. Your story may not have been voted as the official storyline, but now your ideas can nuance it going forward. You make the title, you make the stats. The art comes later! The Base set will consist of 360 cards. 120 Rare, 120 Uncommon, 120 Common, so make sure to design cards for each rarity.
Rules
Timeline: Week 11 through Week 16
Once Stage 3 of Phase 2 is complete, templates will be provided through which you can submit your designs. Your submission should include all elements provided in the template, including rarity.
Each card will be rated on a 1-5 scale.
The Top 150 rated cards in each rarity will move forward.
Every card that makes it into the set will be awarded $5. However, if the card does not make it past playtesting, you will not be awarded. Payout will occur after Phase 5.
Phase 5: Playtesting
After months of collaboration and frustration we have come to our first official playtest! Of course we've tinkered with the cards in Phase 4, put them next to each other to see what's good and what's WAY too good, and hopefully the popular vote has already ruled out the 'broken', but it never hurts to double check.
Here, we will trim the 450 cards into 360 cards by voting on which cards to cut. If we cut a rarity to below 120, we can transfer cards from another rarity, or include more cards from Phase 4.
Rules
Timeline: Week 17 through Week 20
Players can suggest cards to be cut, and the cards will be put to a Yes/No vote. Majority wins.
Because playtesting is collaborative and multiple players may discover the same fault, discoveries in the playtesting stage will not be awarded. It's for the good of the game though, so be happy you found it!
Phase 6: The Art
This is the chance for the artists in the crowd to shine. Graphics for every single card will need to be drawn and voted on.
Rules
Timeline: Week 21 through Week 24
Each piece of art will be rated on a 1-5 scale.
Every piece of art that makes it onto a card will be awarded $10.
Phase 7: Shuffle Up and Deal
We have worked together and created one awesome game. Let's play! Depending on the success of the project thus far, we may even have physical cards and release events by this point!
4GXG Beyond
Once the initial set has been completed, we can examine how successful the game is. Has the project succeeded? Do people like playing? Do they want physical cards? Can we fund big tournaments? Or will the game forever be played on self-printed cards and Online? Only the players can decide!