About Richard Garfield
Richard is the creator of Magic: The Gathering, KeyForge, Netrunner, Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, Battletech(CCG) and a lot more. He is a pioneer in the collectible card game genre and one of the most well-known game designers in the world. In this episode of the show, we discuss his life in game design, the development of Magic: The Gathering and KeyForge, and a variety of topics dealing with the challenges of creating collectible card games. This episode is, without a doubt, one of the most remarkable episodes I’ve recorded for Think Like a Game Designer – grab a notebook and take a listen!
Show Notes:
The Significance of Physical Card Ownership:
"People can take ownership of it in such a deep way... And it's just they're your cards."
The lesson here emphasizes the psychological and emotional attachment players form when they own a unique deck. It's not just about gameplay mechanics but the intrinsic value and personal connection one forms with their own set of cards.
Influence of Players on Game Formats:
"Yeah, it was really that the fan-created format... because the fans told you what they want."
This segment stresses the importance of listening to the player community. Game designers can plan and create, but it's the players who breathe life into the game. Their feedback can shape and refine a game's direction.
Designing in the Age of Procedural Generation:
"In a game like Magic... the dimension of the machine you're working with has grown a lot."
The message here revolves around the boundless possibilities procedural generation offers to game design. Unlike traditional card games, procedural generation allows for vast, unpredictable, and unique interactions, raising the complexity and depth of gameplay.
The Nuances of Faction Design:
"One of the challenges in a traditional trading card game is if you ever make a good card in a certain faction, that faction is now just good at that."
This reflects on the design challenges in maintaining the distinct identity of factions. In the evolving world of card games, maintaining the core essence of a faction while introducing new elements requires a delicate balance.
Evolution of Iconic Characters—The Forgeborn:
"We ended up making it so that each half deck comes with a Forgeborn that's sort of the commander of that deck."
The Forgeborn discussion underscores the importance of evolution in game design. While they served a purpose in the original Soulforge, their reimagined role in Soulforge Fusion showcases how iconic elements can be repurposed to fit new narratives and mechanics.
Richard Garfield — Crafting Game Legacies: The Evolution of Unique Deck Games, Innovating SolForge Fusion, and Deep Dives into Procedural Generation (#31)