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Scapemage · #22 August 22nd, 2018, 04:21 PM

I just stumbled upon TrollBrute's post in here about designing tips and thought I would bring it to light for our new Allies, and everyone designing in general.

Quote:

Originally Posted by quozl

Tips And Suggestions When Designing For C3G

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrollBrute

First off, these are not the rules for designing (those can be found here), these are just some helpful tips on making the whole process a smoother one. None of these need to be followed, but doing so should make things easier on everyone involved.

Let's start with the design process. So you've got a character you want to design and you've got some ideas you feel are good, what should be your first step?

Make sure the character hasn't already been drafted. If you do post a design for a character that has been drafted, the Heroes will let you know, but it's a good idea to check first. The first place to check is the Unreleased Figures list. If the character you want to design is listed there, it's already being worked on. If it isn't listed there, feel free to ask in the Public Design Thread and the Heroes will let you know.
Do your research. As mush as you may know the character you're designing, comics have a long and varied history, so it's best to spend some time reading up. Wikipedia and Comicvine are great places to check, as are the respective wikis for the big two comic publishers, Marvel and DC. A few minutes on these sites can help you settle power levels, and maybe even spark a few ideas!
Make sure your design is the most iconic for that version of the character. In other words, make sure your design plays like the character. Sure, the two issue storyline where Character X was gifted a magical amulet and took down Superman may well be awesome, but if that goes against the normal power levels of the character, those stories are best ignored.
Keep your post orderly. The cleaner and more polished your design post is, the more likely people are to comment and vote on it. Your post can be formatted any way you want, but my favorite is the one listed in this post.
Post a picture with your design. This one is completely personal opinion, and certainly doesn't have to be followed. Posting a picture with a design will grab more people's attention, and can often interest them more in the design. Google Image Search and Comicvine's galleries are the best places to check.

Running an LD is one of the most rewarding parts of being a C3G Ally or Sidekick, but it's also very challenging. Follow these tips to keep everything running smoothly.

Take charge. You know the character and what you want out of the design, keep things running in that direction. You'll often have ideas and opinions coming at you from all directions, keep your original design in mind and let everyone know what you want. But always remember to...
Listen to the Heroes This is probably the most important one, these guys have the most experience and knowledge, listen to what they say. This doesn't mean you have to blindly follow everything they say, but they've been doing this for a while, you can trust them on matters of balance and gameplay.
Be courteous. You are going to hear a lot of ideas during the process, some of them will be great, and some of them will be...not so great. It's important to take all ideas into consideration and let everyone know they are being heard. If an idea does not fit with your vision, just calmly explain your stance. This will most likely be enough, and you can move forward from there.
Keep in mind that you are a part of the whole. You have been selected to represent the groups interests, for the duration of the design you are the group's face to the public, act accordingly. Remember that this isn't your customs thread, it's a C3G thread. The design most likely turn out differently than you had originally pictured, but this will make it more balanced and a better design.
Try not to be impatient. This is the hardest one. It's not easy to wait for votes or playtest results, but remember that everyone else has lives outside of 'Scape as well, and the Heroes are busy bringing us more great C3G units. 'Bumping' for votes is frowned upon, and will likely only anger the Heroes or make them feel bad, neither of which is desirable. If a vote is nearing its deadline (say, 10 or 12 hours remaining), a post saying 'Down to _____(whichever Heroes have yet to vote)' is fine, but more than one is not necessary.
Don't be afraid to utilize a poll. As the LD, you should try to make any necessary decisions yourself, but there will be times when opinion is split between two or more choices. In these cases, a poll is the best way to keep the design moving.
Stay on top of things. This is an easy one, but can be very tricky for a first time LD. Remember to do things like: keep the thread title updated, keep the SP up to date (after the first 48 hours are up, of course), and link all the playtests in the OP, as well as the cards and any other contributions.
Keep chatter to a minimum. The occasional tangent is fine -this should be fun after all- but if an off-topic discussion begins to derail the thread, it might be time to step in and kindly ask everyone to take the chatting to other, more appropriate threads.
Find suitable pictures. The cards will require both comic art and a background image, it'll make it easier on the Art team if you find some yourself. As before, Google Image Search and the Comicvine gallery for your character are your best bets. Remember to select large enough pictures, 600x800 is a good minimum but the bigger the better. When Googling, on the left hand side of the page is a 'Larger Than', select that to get the results you're looking for. The card will also need a miniature photo, if no one volunteers, you'll need to ask for some. Or, if you have the mini and a camera, try taking some yourself!
Write your own bio. It's really not hard, and it looks better than taking one from somewhere else. Again, Comicvine and Wikipedia are great places for research on the character.
Keep everyone informed. Let us know when you're going to be busy for a significant period of time. A busy day or two is no problem -we all have to deal with Real Life- but if you are going to be away for more than 2 days, it's best to let everyone know and, if need be, appoint a Proxy LD in the interest of keeping the design moving. And finally...
Have fun! LDing can be a challenging experience, but it should also be an enjoyable one. Keep things lighthearted and remember: you are getting to be a part of the C3G process and create an awesome design that many people will be able to enjoy. What's more fun than that?