Making a ccg playable an out of the box game ( like Epic card Game for ex.)

Even if YOU design a "starter" deck from random booster cards, only YOU will understand HOW to play with that deck. What I am trying to explain is that given a deck, when you construct it, you create a way of playing with the deck optimally.

I'll give an example:

A few years ago while visiting a friend, one of his other friends showed up and was asking to play Yu-Gi-Oh! Of course none of us (besides him) had played before. What did he do? Ask us to choose one (1) of two (2) decks he had constructed.

The problem was, I didn't know what the strategy of the deck was -- so obviously he won the game once he got his super-powerful combo on the playing table. I on the other hand didn't know HOW to use my deck to create a strong combo.

The bottom line is this: in either case he would know how to beat me using either one of his decks. Why? Because he was the one who constructed them...

So you see, it's not very fair.

In the TCG ("Trading" Card Game) that I am currently working on... I'm keeping it simple:

• Two (2) one (1) player box sets, each with their own custom "starter" decks. In total 30 cards per box and therefore 60 cards for 2 players.

• Booster may be bought online - but they are fixed boosters (not random). You know what cards you will be getting if you have purchased that booster previously.

• The strategy to WIN the game is NOT within the cards (your deck). It is defined on your Player board. Once you understand you "Player board", you can understand HOW to win the match.

• Ultimately there will be nine (9) player box sets. Each with their own Lord and his stats which define the Victory Points (VPs) needed to win the match.

So the problem of understanding YOUR deck ... is the challenge. If that is REMOVED from the Deck (and placed into a Player's board) well then it becomes easier to explain HOW to WIN the game ... without saying: "Well it depends on each player's deck." If it depends on the deck, this is like trying to explain how you "constructed" the deck. Something difficult to say the least.

But if you can explain it in terms of a Player's board and VPs... It becomes much easier to grasp how you should play the game.

I know it's not bulletproof. You still each have a deck of 30 cards that each have stats and abilities. The stats and knowing what are your strongest cards is more apparent.

But the abilities available on each card ... can make it still challenging too... So it's still not 100%! You'll still feel like a beginner until you've played a few matches using that deck.

I like the Cube Draft formula that Fri described above. I think that's a solid base for brand new players as long as there's a more-experienced player coaching them over their shoulder.

Were I in charge of putting together a cube, then I would further categorize the cards into "Monster," "Defense," "Buff," and so on, to allow less coaching and more personal decision-making.

The same principles can be applied to any card-driven game of this type, I think. If the veteran player can categorize their card assortment with in-box dividers - like a Dominion insert, for example - then all the coach would need to do for people to start is point out a set of essential starter cards (in MtG it would be a set of matching Land cards, or perhaps Land cards of two colours), and then set a guideline as to the size of a player's chosen deck.

This would attempt to strike a balance between allowing for maximum player choice in developing their own understanding and strategies of the game, while at the same time not railroading them on a specific strategy or "proper way to play the game."

I would suggest that when someone plays a game for the first time, particularly a competitive card game, there's no reason they should go into a first match completely understanding everything about it. It's normal to not win a first MtG match, isn't it? Each game is a learning experience, isn't it? And a beginner's chosen deck doesn't necessarily have optimum balance, especially when compared to that of a veteran. I recall learning about different card combos and things either on the fly, or afterward when I reflected on the outcome of the match. The more I played, the deeper and broader my understanding became.

In my opinion, striving for optimum mathematical balance is wasted effort when you're depending on a beginner to maximize the game mechanics. Understanding of the game will emerge as time goes on and matches are played. It's not completely the designer's responsibility to see players become better at a game. Set the framework for it, and proficiency will follow.

What is the play experience you are solving for?

I think the solutions vary based on that. If it is simply a use for all those cards, then maybe a dexterity game is the answer.

If it is about giving a new player an experience of the game, then constructed decks of differing skill levels that include an intro/guide card could be a better solution.

If flavor plus choice without construction, then something more like smash up where you pick two or three units of cards and include them could be better. (For some reason, I'm thinking they did just that with the packaging of the Kaijudo version)

But to have a themeless randomly constructed deck seems to be the least best solution. Not representative of the game and maybe not fun.