UnitedCardists.com - The forum for Cardistry, Magic, Custom Decks and All Things Playing Cards.

Hello everyone,

i am happy to join the UC community.

A few days ago, we started to design our first deck, which we will launch on Kickstarter, as soon as we are ready to go.

Until then, it would be awesome if you help us improve the design and give Feedback on what you like and what you don't.

Here's the kickoff in terms of the backdesign and the queen of Hearts.

Comments and feedback very appreciated

I am curious about your opinions

Marco

I personally am not a fan of pixelated artwork so this deck isn't for me but I'm sure I would like it if it weren't pixelated.

I like the idea you're going for, but for a pixel style to work, there have to be fewer pixels. At the moment, it looks like you just have a really low resolution jpeg image on the card with really rough edges.

EvilDuncan wrote: ↑Thu Sep 17, 2020 8:54 am I like the idea you're going for, but for a pixel style to work, there have to be fewer pixels. At the moment, it looks like you just have a really low resolution jpeg image on the card with really rough edges.

Yes, that's we we decided not to go with a 8bit or 16bit tsyle, rather than a 32Bit style like the games from SNES or Sega, we used to play back then.
Our background is gamedevelopment as indies, and we wanted to transfer the style of the golden area. Not the everywhere common simple pixelstyle.

Thanks for the feedback. I would not change the style to a simpler pixelstyle, but we will talk about it.

vasta41 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 17, 2020 8:06 am I personally am not a fan of pixelated artwork so this deck isn't for me but I'm sure I would like it if it weren't pixelated.

Thanks. I like pixelart from 32bit and above. That's why we didn't choose an 8bit or 16bit Style.
We sadly can not attract everyone

Looks good, much better than 8 bit stuff. (8 bit is tired and snooze in my opinion) This is eye catching and the rose with the queen is nice. Looks like a great direction. I'd like to see more.

The back design is well-done. Elegant and intricate, just the way I like it. The design of the key is very nice too, but there’s much too much negative space imo.

PiazzaDelivery wrote: ↑Thu Sep 17, 2020 9:34 am The back design is well-done. Elegant and intricate, just the way I like it. The design of the key is very nice too, but there’s much too much negative space imo.

Thank's that helps a lot. We'll rework a little bit

Welcome to UC. We have a special draft section for decks that aren't kickstarter or release ready. The new & custom section is for finished designs. Maybe a mod wants to move the thread.

As for the deck:

Fes wrote: ↑Thu Sep 17, 2020 9:29 am Looks good, much better than 8 bit stuff. (8 bit is tired and snooze in my opinion)

+ 1 tired of 8-bit as well and for me only 0.2% of 8-bit decks look great.

I don't like the back design though. I like some details like the exhaling heads and the characters in the corner but the center element looks bad and not fitting to the rest, imo.
I question if one colour is the way to go for the back design as well?
Court card looks good.

Thank you very much. Sorry, for entering the wrong section.

It's not the first time, i hear doubts about the center of the backdesig. So this is something we have to rework too. Thank you all, the feedback so far helps a lot.

Hi, Plan52! Welcome to the UC!

I have moved this topic to the Drafting Board (and left a shadow topic in the previous section, for now). You should look around to see what other designers are up to, as well!

You'll get a lot of excellent advice here, as well as some advice that just won't work for you. If you are able to take the criticism constructively (some of our board members are better at phrasing things constructively than others, to be sure), I have no doubts you'll end up producing an amazing deck. That doesn't mean you have to do everything that everyone suggests... but knowing why you are choosing the path you are on will help your vision to become clearer as you tweak your work.

Best of success to you!

Thanks. It's always the same with advice and opinions. One has to sort out and make it fit to the own way.
But it's always important to hear as many as possible.
Would be happy to read more

Nice to see something that's not 8 bit. However the art actually looks good enough in non-pixelated form. Something to consider as a stretch goal. 2nd deck in unpixelated art.

Second deck in unpixelated will be difficult, as the original is absolutely handcraftet, pixel by pixel. So unpixelated would mean, that we have to to a second deck absolutely from scratch. If we would do, it would make more sense to see it as an own project somewhen.

In the meantime, we worked on the king of spades considering your feedback about spaces etc. As always feedback appreciated.

I like this middle-ground artwork between 8-bit and full resolution. This King looks great as does the Queen, though I feel like her image could be made slightly larger. Perhaps include more of her torso so the overall mirrored shape isn't so awkward.

I had a quick suggestion that something needs to replace the simple rectangle behind the King and Queen. Perhaps a nice shaded background or some simple diagonal lines, just to dress up the background a bit. I attached a quick edit as an example (I hope you don't mind). Perhaps a low-res castle/hills/forest? I think something else would look much better than the rectangle, or just nothing at all in the background.

Thanks for your Feedback. We already thought about some Background accent too. But mor "selected" like this. (Just a rough test. Yet not in pixelart)

I think the lighter color in the back is better but it's subjective. Moving your pip is not though, I think you should give the pip a nudge toward the edge of your frame and down slightly away from the top of the frame. The large pip doesn't need to line up with the large pip and truth be told you could use that, a pip, as the color element in the back ground. Also depending on who's getting the job to print this, that spear tip is too high for USPCC needs a bit more on the border.

I really don't like that jack of clubs. Not in a negative way, no, in a positive way. Me seeks his destruction and ruin. There's a story there, a disturbing story. Something to do with a shake weight maybe. I don't know. I just know, I wouldn't let him around me and mine unsupervised or even supervised. He's a bad guy! I see you there bad guy, very bad guy! Perhaps he was once a scoutmaster or a tax collector. . . or BOTH!

The intension was a lighter (grey/black) for the clubs and spades and a reddish one for diamonds and hearts. Still thinking about that.

The pips are still placeholder and will be replaced with pixelated art soon. We will adjust the position then.

Thanks for the feedback. Really appreciate it.

The jacks now are all "finished" so far. We shortened the spear as suggested.

So here they are, ready for feedback.

Jacks are near finish. It's just the thoughts about the spaces, where we couldn't make a decicion yet.

I hope we managed to concider all other feedback.

So, what do you think, before we go on finishing the Queens?

Here are the Queens, we really have a good progress right now. As always: Comments and feedback appreciated.

Was a bigger fan of the dagger shaped heart pip than I am of this chub. I like chubby pips, just sayin that dagger shaped heart was yes. The Queens look great although there is some size inconstancy between the red queens and the black queens. A little different in proportions if you will. It's noticeable and the flow is altered, is it intentional?

The JoD's spear point looks a lil strange to me.

I think your Clubs and Spades indexes should match their large corresponding pip by the court image better. The difference gets my OCD going.

It's difficult, when doing exact pixelart. There are no "half " pixels or slightly moved pixels. So the smaller pips will always look a little bit differen, than the larger ones.
We will think about going back to the dagger shaped heart and try to improve the other pips as well.

The size of the Queens is intentional. We didn't want them to look too similar.
The Spear was much bigger in the beginning. Because of your mentioned printing problem, we cut it down. Same here with problems and limitation in pixelart. Some elements can be corrected with ease and some would mean "Everything new from scratch".

Thanks for all the Feedback, we'll rework some things now

First Step was: correct the tip of the spear back to the old version, but shorten the staff to avoid printing issues.

Here you can see :

1) Old version
2) Shortened tip version
3) Old tip but shortened staff version (hopefully the final version

That spear shortening works out quite well

Thank you very much. I'm glad you like it now

Next thing we have to decide is the the size of the numer card pips. We like both, the bigger and the smaller Version.
What about you? Which version do you like more?

I don't know why exactly but I think I am agreeing with your dilemma. I feel like mixing the sizes of the pips could be pretty great! I also think only one embellished pip is better than having two. Sometimes less is more with that sort of thing and the single spot for your eyes to focus on the initial glance is a good effect. Our eyes like that stuff, a single interest point then the overall and back to the single focus. Hunter brains and all that what not. Really though it's much more about your vision. I think you're making great choices and I'm happy to see more whenever you post it.

Thank you. Good to hear, that you trust our decisions
Well decide about the Pips soon. So please give them not much attention when looking at:

All the Kings

Hope you like them too

I'm quite fond of that KoD. I really like how he's come together and has some serious attitude. "Dare speak to me as you would that scummy Jack of Spades and you'll feel the back of me hand!" as he hides an axe behind his back ready for some... axin. really these are charming and have some great depth to them.