Make it So Lesson #3: Card Type Reference Guide

by Charlie Plaine, Make it So Host

24th January 2014

First Edition has a lot of card types, and many of them fill similar roles in the game. In order to give them some differentiation and meaning, we've created some "rules," both mechanical and creative, as well as roles for each of the card types in the game. While it's always possible to break any rule (after all, card games are all about breaking rules), these guidelines will help all aspiring designers select the correct card type for their designs and make better cards.  Please note these are not exhaustive rules for these card types; as in any card game, there are many exceptions and special cases.

Artifact
Artifacts are "nouns" that represent powerful objects or effects for which need to be delayed until midway through a game. Since Artifacts can only be earned by solving a mission, this means that they can not be used until at least one mission has been completed. Modern design has not created many Artifacts and thus has very few modern design rules; in general, we are not eager to create more Artifacts because they tend to have balance and power issues. (In order to be "worth" using, they have to be very powerful.) 

Default template: Artifacts have three (3) lines of lore and three (3) lines of game text.

Dilemma
Dilemmas represent obstacales meant to interfere with missions attempts; they are typically considered in a category of their own. While they can represent almost anything creatively, they have a very important mechanical identity: they must seed under missions and affect misssion attempts. More discussion on dilemma design was presented in Challenge #1.

Default template: Dilemmas have three (3) lines of lore and three (3) lines of game text.

Doorways
Doorways are "verbs" that are only used in two very specific circumstances: when they need to seed at the very start of the game (e.g. Alternate Universe Door); or, when they need to play for free during a player's turn. In the latter case, they are like interrupts, but with a larger text box (and not vulnerable to prevention).

Default template: Doorways have a single full text box of seven (7) lines of game text. Modern design does not feel the need to "fill" the text box.

Equipment
Equipment cards are "nouns" that represent devices or tools carried by crews or Away Teams, and that provide effects on that same (personnel) scale. Modern design does not represent cards on larger scales (i.e. ships) as equipment cards. More discussion on equipment design was presented in Challenge #2.

Default template: Equipment cards have three (3) lines of lore and three (3) lines of game text.

Events
Events are "verbs" that can represent almost anything both creatively; mechanically, they should represent a change in the game state or represent a location or object unsuitable for another card type (i.e. a ship scale equipment). Events can be persistent (play on table) or immediate (play and discard) based on the mechanical needs of the card. Modern design avoids granting events immunity to prevention or destruction.

Default template: Event cards have three (3) lines of lore and three (3) lines of game text.

Facilities
Facilities are special category of card that enable reporting, and should represent a structure or facility (either on a planet or in space). Different types of facilities come with a lot of rules overhead (Nors, for example) and must be created carefully. Design has created only a few facilies and has few rules for them - they are not a card type that should be created often, and always with an explicit purpose.

Default template: Facilities have three (3) lines of lore and two (2) lines of game text.

Incidents
Incidents, like events, are "verbs" that can represent almost anything both creatively; mechanically, they should represent a change in the game state. Incidents can be persistent (play on table) or immediate (play and discard) based on the mechanical needs of the card. Incidents should be used instead of events when immunity to destruction is required.

Default template: Incidents have a single full text box of seven (7) lines of game text. Modern design does not feel the need to "fill" the text box.

Interrupts
Interrupts are "verbs" that should represent a change in fortune, something that moves rapidly, or the element of surprise. Interrupts should be used when the ability to play "for free" is essential, when the mechanic can be played in multiple, or when the function needs to be able to "interrupt" or "modify" another action.

Default template: Interrupts have three (3) lines of lore and three (3) lines of game text.

Missions
Missions are a special card type that represent locations (or planets) in space, and which enable the primary victory conditions for the game. Missions should always have requirements and reward the solving player with points; missions should always have text on both sides (even if the text is identical). In general, missions should be framed from the 24th-century point of  view. More discussion on mission design was presented in Challenge #4.

Default template: Missions have two (2) lines for lore - that must include the location and/or region name - and two (2) lines for game text - including requirements.

Objectives
Objectives are "verbs" that represent story moments, setting goals for players to complete and providing rewards for doing so. More than most other "verbs," objectives tend to be the most story driven (i.e. top-down) card types. More discussion on objective design was presented in Challenge #3.

Default template: Objectives have a single full text box of seven (7) lines of game text. Modern design does not feel the need to "fill" the text box.

Personnel
Personnel are "nouns" that represent characters in the Star Trek universe. The vast majority of personnel should have regular skills; special skills should be rare and simple. Downloads can be used to offload longer skills, but must be used judiciously. The first listed skill should be the character's defining skill, if any; special skills should be listed last. There are a wide variety of characteristics that can appear on personnel that have gameplay relevance.

Default template: Personnel cards have three (3) lines of lore and two (2) lines of game text. It is acceptable for major characters - if necessary - to use the alternate template of two (2) lines of lore and three (3) lines of game text.

Ship
Ships are "nouns" that represent the vessels used as the primary way to move about the spaceline. Ships have a segmented game text area in order to accommodate staffing icons (on the left). In addition, ships often need to have special equipment, which reduces the amount of space available for game text. Game text must be very short, or off-loaded onto another card via a special download.

Default template: Ship cards have three (3) lines of lore and two (2) partial lines of game text.

Site
Site cards are "verbs" (technically) that represent locations on a Nor. They should enable some subset of personnel to be able to report aboard the Nor, and often provide other gameplay functions. Sites are a very complex card type that are always made for an explicit purpose, as each new site extends the complexity of Nors.

Default template: Sites have a single full text box of seven (7) lines of game text. Modern design does not feel the need to "fill" the text box.

Tactic
Tactics are "verbs" (technically) that are used during ship combat to modify the combat values, provide additional effects during combat, or represent damage to a ship. All Tactics should provide some Attack and Defense values (even if 0) and some form of damage. Tactics are best when they are tied to a specific affiliation or ship-class.

Default template: Tactics have a shortened (slightly) text box with four (4) lines of game text, and a total of two (2) lines of space for damage text.

Time Location
Time Locations are cards that represent locations in space, but in a different time from the "modern" era. Every Time Locaiton must match a location on the spaceline in order to enable time travel. Time Locations can be planet or space locations.

Default template: Time Location cards have two (2) lines of lore and six (6) lines of game text.

Tribbles
The Tribble card type is not currently supported by the modern design team.

Default template: Tribbles cards have three (3) lines game text.

Troubles
The Trouble card type is not currently supported by the modern design team.

Default template: Trouble cards have two (2) lines of lore and four (4) lines of game text.

As mentioned above, these are the very basic guidelines for each of the card types in First Edition. There are a lot more guidelines for some of the card types, but they vary from card type to card type and don't usually come into play. In addition, design is constantly learning and defining (and redefining) the card types as they are developed in order to provide guidance and structure for future designers. When designing cards, choose a type with which to begin based on the creative and mechanical needs of the card; but, don't be surprised if your card changes type more than once during development as needs change. Hopefully these guidlines give some basic guidelines for selecting card types.

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