CCG failure

Are you specifically searching for a unique CCG theme? CCGs are very difficult because there is SO much content to be created and balanced. Try to get your head around the idea of Card Rarity as a balancing factor ("well, yeah, the Hiroshima card gives you an instant win, but there's only one of them in the world") and you'll get a glimpse of the difficulty of trying to even out and playtest such a game.

It's also hard to settle on a narrow theme because it restricts future expansion, which is the lifeblood of the genre.... as such, broad themes such as "magic duels" "medieval war" "robot battles" "pirates (cannibals or otherwise)" are the norm. Most of those themes have been trodden over several times and have been done well at least once.

Does the game have to be a CCG? Maybe shrink it down to a regular old CG. That doesn't restrict it from being expanded later, after all.

What is it about your game that makes it unique? Maybe you can zoom in on that and find the inspiration you seek. If you're particulary happy with the mechanic you've created for, i dunno, antiaircraft battles.... make your game focus on that and really make it shine. Maybe you'll find some game trait that springs out from such a focusing-in that will revitalize your work.

Don't give up, though. Set it aside if you have to, but keep those gears turning.

~Josh

Is it really the theme your problem?

The theme is generally never a problem. A bad theme can only narrow down the number of people interested to the game which can also be yourself.

If you intended to make a WW2 game, is because you like the theme. Do you like other WW2 games?

Maybe the game mechanics works bad with the theme which is not impossible.

Or maybe it is simply no the theme the problem, but the game itself. If you change the theme, check if the game is really more interesting.

I have not seen your game, but I might think that it is the game, since I already tried to make something that looked alike in a CCG and it did not worked pretty well.

Ah.... themes are always tough. But if you really like the ww2/ww1 area, have you tried tackling your theme from different angles?

Not having much knowledge of ww1/ww2 themes (besides the obvious) and not know much about current CCGs that contain this theme. I would guess the majority of the games tend to focus on the combat/soldier/weapon.... I beat your "army" you beat my "army" direction.

Is this the direction that you are currently attacking your game theme?

Maybe your CCG idea could involve the standard items like Soldiers (maybe even more detailed like Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines..etc), Weapons, Ammo but as the "mana" of the CCG. While the cards represent entire infantry units, various air strikes, medic/healing cards, leadership cards, etc.

Look at the war from a "higher level" (10,000 ft view), so lets not think about the soldier on solider direction, but maybe entire infantry units, air strikes, tank invasions... Maybe from a "Battle" direction, so players are playing at a level that resembles "Battle of Midway" type of actions. Not at a level of my power 3 solider hit your power 2 solider for 3 points, you solider dies... blah blah blah...

I dunno I am just rambling now, but I guess what I am trying to ask you, have you tried to tackle the ww1/ww2 theme from multiple directions? I am sure you can figure out a way to create a game based on ww1/ww2 that promotes the theme from a direction different than games currently out there, though I understand it is very very hard.

*****silly thoughts*****
So for a small example of what I might attempt to do with this theme. Each player starts out with 3 bases in front of them. These are the front line bases, behind these 3 front line bases, there are 6 mid line bases, behind the 6 mid line bases is a single main head quarters base. So each player has a board like

FL1 FL2 FL3
M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6
HQ

Now each player starts buy populating their own board, playing one card at a time, filling in their field of battle with infantry units, leadership cards, air support, etc... Using the "mana" cards of soliders, weapons, ammo etc to play these other cards onto the battle field. Maybe all units need to start at the headquarters and move out into the battle field (maybe players are allowed to move X things in the battle field each round). The goal, take control of your opponents head quarters. So you might have a two player game board that looks like

HQ
M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 -------> Player 1
FL1 FL2 FL3

FL1 FL2 FL3
M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 -------> Player 2
HQ

Figure out some ideas of how players can battle and take control of opposing players battlefield locations. Allowing them to work toward control of their opponents main headquarters. Maybe you allow players to reenforce frontline forces with forces from the midline, allow forces in the battle field to "call in" request for air strike support (but obviously the player needs to have some type of air support card in their hand to play this option...).... so on...

*****end of silly thoughts*****

Good morning,

Just as Josh said:

Since your game can be modified, added cards, added rules, rethemed, I would not consider it a "failure". You might think you have reached a dead-end, but still, it might just be a temporary lack of inspiration. Personally, I think you have A LOT of material using the WW2 theme: with seven years of combat, tragical deaths, new weapon developments, battelfields and tactics, aerial combats, supplies issues, great and not so great leaders, political aliances.

These are the three advices that come to my mind.
1) Analyse your game to find out what your game lacks. Easier said than done, read further, as maybe my two other advice could help.

2) Take a break. Being too focused on elements of your game can make you loose the overall picture, and inspiration. By taking a break of WW2, and looking at games similar to your own, but still with a different theme, you might find elements or mechanics you could integrate to your game that would not have though about. Also, looking at your game after a small break, you might find what your game lacks more easily, or have new ideas.

3) Resource yourself. Being the opposite of my second advice, instead of steping back and setting aside World War Two, immerge yourself in it by watching movies, reading historical books or novels, playing WW2 games. You might find elements you have not though about, that could add character or theme to your game.

I hope it helps.

Do not give up!

Jeb

Do you want Solo based, Squad based or Army based combat?

Are you willing to take the game into a non-ccg base, using dice, tiles, a stock ticket, or wrestling weasels?

Are the resources randomly generated or card play driven?

Are you looking to recreate the feel of a specific battle or multiple specific battles or simulate the war as a whole?

Do you even need a combat mechanic? Can it be a strategic simulation, like generals plotting the battle on a map before the battle commences?

~Ben