In an air-conditioned tent on a sweltering Los Angeles day at Summer Game Fest, I sat right down to play a hand of the cardboard recreation Magic: The Gathering and drew a handful of characters from Ultimate Fantasy. Sitting throughout from me was the person who oversaw the method of turning among the world’s most beloved online game characters into playable playing cards for what’s shaping as much as be Magic’s hottest set ever — already a greatest vendor a month before its release.
Magic: The Gathering is a storied collectible card recreation made by Wizards of the Coast that is arguably extra common than it is ever been because it debuted in 1993. Lately, the sport has ventured into the mainstream by adapting the preferred nerd properties, like Marvel superheroes, Warhammer 40K and Lord of the Rings, into playable playing cards. These Universes Past units, as they’re known as, have had particular releases that make them authorized solely in choose codecs of the sport — which means you could not deliver them to play in tournaments with the latest units.
That every one adjustments with the Ultimate Fantasy set, whose playing cards function each mainline recreation from the unique Ultimate Fantasy first launched in 1987 to Ultimate Fantasy 16 from 2023. The brand new set is being launched within the Customary format, which implies gamers will have the ability to deliver probably the most well-known characters, like Cloud, Sephiroth, Yuna, Lightning, Noctis and Y’shtola, of their decks to play in common competitions alongside the opposite latest units.
I am no Magic scrub, however it’s been years since my teen days after I began accumulating throughout the Urza’s Saga and Sixth Version units. The sport has modified lots since then, with new key phrases and extra highly effective playing cards than ever, however the fundamentals stay the identical: Take a deck of playing cards with a mixture of mana-generating lands, creatures, artifacts and different spells to battle in opposition to your opponent. Untap, repairs, draw, play, fight, finish section.
As I sit throughout from Gavin Verhey, principal Magic: The Gathering recreation designer and set design lead for Ultimate Fantasy, I am daunted by the duty of taking part in somebody who actually oversaw the event of each card in my hand. However I am comforted that, like me, he is an enormous fan of the Ultimate Fantasy video games, as was everybody on the workforce.
“The excellent news is we have been doing the homework for the previous 30 years of our lives,” Verhey stated. “I imply, we did play by way of the video games, all of us revisited the previous ones.”
Although not everybody on Verhey’s workforce had performed each one of many sequence’ video games, collectively they’d lined all of them. As an example, he is by no means performed the massively multiplayer on-line Ultimate Fantasy 14, however he pointed to a colleague throughout the tent at a unique desk — “Dylan over right here, he is performed hundreds of hours of 14,” Verhey stated.
The Ultimate Fantasy Starter Equipment contains two 60-card decks that every function a hero from Ultimate Fantasy 7, together with Cloud (pictured) and Sephiroth playing cards.
Turning Ultimate Fantasy icons into playable playing cards
The primary official Universes Past set was Warhammer 40K in 2021, however Verhey informed me Wizards of the Coast has been engaged on the Ultimate Fantasy set for about 5 years, requiring lots of back-and-forth from the cardboard recreation maker and Sq. Enix to get all the main points and translations proper, together with the in depth design course of to adapt the venerable property.
“What actually helped us out was that Sq. Enix has enormous Magic gamers,” Verhey stated.
One of many challenges was to include Ultimate Fantasy 16, which was launched in mid-2023, years into the Ultimate Fantasy Magic set’s improvement. Verhey’s workforce had valuable little time to include the sport.
“When it got here out, we had a marathon weekend the place we’re all gonna play by way of,” Verhey stated. “We’re placing within the chat, we must always make this a personality, and this a card, and this a card. It was tremendous enjoyable.”
In preparation, Verhey had saved 10 card slots out of the 310-card set for Ultimate Fantasy 16 playing cards. Their aim was to verify each recreation had a minimum of 10 playing cards and a minimum of considered one of uncommon high quality, to verify followers may discover some illustration from their favourite video games. After all, some more-popular entries within the sequence bought extra playing cards, resulting in extra from Ultimate Fantasy 6, 7, 10 and 14 — video games that make their approach on the lists of the most effective RPGs of all time.
However there have been design directives Verhey held to ensure that gamers would acknowledge staples of the sequence even when they hadn’t performed each recreation.
“Once I was designing the set of frequent and unusual playing cards, particularly frequent, I needed to place in issues that had been generic throughout many Ultimate Fantasy video games, so irrespective of which of them you performed, you’d discover a factor you acknowledge,” Verhey stated. “When you’ve performed any Ultimate Fantasy recreation, and even any RPG, you are like, Yep, there’s the weapons vendor, the merchandise individual, there’s the individual greeting you whenever you come into city.”
Most of the most recognizable heroes, like Cloud and Sephiroth, are reserved for the uncommon and mythic rarity character playing cards, that are deliberately highly effective, but the latter of which present up solely in considered one of each eight packs of playing cards. It is a powerful steadiness, Verhey stated — however to verify gamers nonetheless get these common heroes of their decks, they splashed them into the artwork of frequent and unusual playing cards for various spells, artifacts and enchantments. These usually depict memorable moments within the video games, together with, maybe most infamously, in Ultimate Fantasy 6 the place a martial arts character suplexes a train. (I am not kidding. It is really a card in the set.)
As I draw extra playing cards, Verhey factors out the numerous particulars his workforce made positive to pack into them, together with a small indicator close to the artist credit score that claims which recreation they got here from. Even the best card within the recreation, a mana-producing land, evokes the moments and settings from Ultimate Fantasy video games — after I drew a fundamental plains (white) land, it confirmed the enduring automobile from Ultimate Fantasy 15, the Regalia, driving up a street. I used to be immediately introduced again to taking part in the sport and its boys street journey journey (which kicks off with one of many greatest intros of the series).
Each card within the Ultimate Fantasy Magic: The Gathering set references a second, character or location from the video games. On the bottom-left nook is an indicator of which recreation the cardboard’s artwork is from — this one says “FFXV” for Ultimate Fantasy 15.
Designing Ultimate Fantasy for Magic: The Gathering newcomers
When you have a good friend who’s been into Magic: The Gathering, you’ve got in all probability heard lots concerning the Ultimate Fantasy set already, and plenty of newcomers are being drawn in by all of the hype. I requested Verhey what design selections they made to make the set as welcoming as they may for people who’ve by no means performed a recreation of Magic earlier than (certainly, along with the interview, I and different Summer time Sport Fest attendees had been supplied introductory demos to be taught Magic if we had been completely new to the sport).
“One of many issues with Ultimate Fantasy, and any Universes Past IP, that I believe is wonderful is we simply begin that dialog a bit of additional down the street, as a result of if you happen to play Ultimate Fantasy, I need not clarify well being and mana and technique and targets as a lot,” Verhey stated.
Verhey additionally notes that the Starter Kit for the Ultimate Fantasy set is a superb entry level for brand spanking new gamers, together with two premade 60-card decks which are themed round Cloud and Sephiroth, in addition to codes to redeem the decks within the Magic: The Gathering Enviornment on-line digital model of the sport.
However the workforce additionally made design selections to make the Ultimate Fantasy set simpler to know for newcomers, too.
“The mechanics within the set, lots of them are issues which are very approachable, like flashback [being able to cast some spells twice] and landfall mechanics [effects that trigger whenever you play land cards] that gamers know and have performed with for ages,” Verhey stated.
“The brand new mechanics are stuff like job choose, which is a riff on living weapon from [Magic expansion] Mirrodin, which is type of easy to grasp: You get a token and put this [weapon] on it, proper?” Verhey continued. “However the taste actually helps you with this as a result of, Oh, it is sensible {that a} samurai katana would have a hero that comes with it and is holding the katana.”
One of many set’s new mechanics is job choose, which creates a fundamental creature to connect the weapon to when it enters play.
That does not imply the design course of was seamless. Adapting some well-known Ultimate Fantasy heroes right into a card recreation was sometimes tough as Verhey’s workforce determined how greatest to translate their skills onto a card, usually going to the teammate who knew that exact recreation greatest. Verhey gave an instance he had “a heck of a time with”: Kain Highwind, the most effective good friend of the protagonist of Ultimate Fantasy 4, who retains switching sides with and in opposition to the celebration. After six completely different makes an attempt at design ideas, he went to a co-worker who knew that recreation from side to side, who despatched Verhey a design that very same day that ended up within the set: If the Kain, Traitorous Dragoon card offers injury to a participant, they get management of him. Elegant.
Of the 310 playing cards within the set, there are some that Verhey is especially happy with. Esper Terra is a model of the heroine of Ultimate Fantasy 6 and one of many first Saga creatures, a brand new card sort mixture launched within the set, which switches forwards and backwards between regular hero and pumped-up esper (suppose summons or guardian forces in different FF video games) for some turns. One other card, a model of Sephiroth (Fabled Soldier, which flips over to remodel into One-Winged Angel), leaves a everlasting emblem on the board to characterize his lingering presence in Ultimate Fantasy 7, all the time needling the heroes in that recreation.
How they balanced Ultimate Fantasy playing cards for all Magic: The Gathering codecs
Clearly, Magic can get sophisticated, and this intrinsic complexity of playing cards and interactions is a trademark of high-tier play and interesting deck methods. By making the Ultimate Fantasy set authorized in Customary format, Wizards of the Coast is enabling it to have an effect on mainstream play, together with aggressive tournaments that function the newest units earlier than and after Ultimate Fantasy. This contains debuting the aforementioned Saga creatures, which Verhey’s workforce developed as a strategy to embody among the strongest of Ultimate Fantasy celebration skills, like summons, that make a flashy affect for a flip or two. In improvement, the workforce tried out a “vanishing” mechanic the place a summon-like creature would slowly die over a number of turns, which was learn as a draw back.
As an alternative, Saga creature playing cards steadiness that huge affect with short-term presence, dependably swinging the pendulum of strain again to your opponent — in spite of everything, you paid mana for one thing that goes away finally — however presents an fascinating dilemma: Does your opponent block it? Kill it? Spend a spell on it?
“We balanced [Saga creatures] utilizing the facility, toughness and skills to verify it might be acceptable, however I believe extra fascinating is, as soon as they’re in play, what occurs? They actually make gameplay fascinating,” Verhey stated.
Because it was the primary Universes Past set to be authorized in Customary play, Verhey acknowledged that there was strain to verify they balanced it nicely. That meant placing it by way of the identical play design strategy of different units, just like the latest Tarkir Dragonstorm, with ex-pro Magic gamers play-testing and iterating the playing cards. “We put our entire workforce on it for the steadiness portion,” Verhey stated.
This course of can be used for all future Universes Past units, just like the upcoming Spider-Man and Avatar: The Final Airbender units, which can be equally balanced and authorized for Customary and different codecs. Wizards of the Coast may all the time change their thoughts and pare this again for future units, however making these new IP diversifications able to play in tournaments and past is the plan for now.
These Cloud, Midgar Mercenary and Sephiroth, Fabled Soldier playing cards are completely different than the Cloud and Sephiroth playing cards included within the Ultimate Fantasy Starter Equipment.
How Ultimate Fantasy pushes Magic: The Gathering into the long run
Unsurprisingly, it is difficult to select the IPs to adapt. A separate workforce from Verhey and his designers chooses which recognizable properties to select, and considered one of their filters is deciding whether or not it is attainable to deliver to Magic within the first place. Whereas harmonious, formidable, aggressive and good characters match white, black, crimson and blue mana identities, respectively, some IPs haven’t got a lot to supply inexperienced, the colour of earth and nature. Different necessities embrace sufficient characters and monsters that may make small, medium and enormous creatures or can match Magic staples like flying creatures, that are vital for supporting play environments like drafts.
Verhey and his workforce discovered a ton from growing the Ultimate Fantasy set, together with tackling the arduous job of filtering all of the characters into all five colors of mana in Magic, which outline play-style and technique. Within the years growing this set, Verhey pioneered what he calls the “snapshot second,” selecting an important time in that character’s story for the cardboard they’re making.
For instance, there are a number of Sephiroth character playing cards. One is included in a Commander premade deck and is white and crimson mana, depicting a pivotal second in Ultimate Fantasy 7’s backstory when he discovers his previous and angrily burns the city of Nibelheim to the bottom. One other, a black mana card, is the Sephiroth that gamers encounter throughout the principle plot of Ultimate Fantasy 7 because the evil one-winged angel attempting to destroy the world.
“They’re two very completely different moments of Sephiroth’s story that allow us present completely different colours by way of them, and that separate technique is what we’ll undoubtedly take ahead and use in future Universes Past units,” Verhey stated.
It is an ideal second in our real-world recreation of Magic as I sit throughout from Verhey: He, operating the blue and black deck of the Starter Equipment, performs his Sephiroth creature card. Noticing he used all his mana, I exploit an prompt spell to kill the villain on his flip, and a flip later, I play my Cloud card, swaggering with confidence that I turned the tide. Sadly, Verhey notices I overcommitted and performs a Magitek Scythe on considered one of his different creatures, which forces my Cloud to dam and get killed. A flip later, he makes use of a spell card to resurrect Sephiroth to the battlefield and rapidly overwhelms me — a becoming, Ultimate Fantasy 7-appropriate finish to our match.
Over the weekend, Verhey performed lots of Magic matches with many different Summer time Sport Fest attendees — some veterans, some newcomers to the sport. And what he is been noticing, this weekend and within the monthslong lead-up to the set’s launch, is the enjoyment when followers see playing cards of their favourite characters and moments from the video games.
“I believe the most important factor is remembering that the whole lot has followers,” Verhey stated. “There’s 16 video games we’re attempting to cowl right here, and each recreation, individuals are like, Oh my gosh, this card from Ultimate Fantasy 2 is in right here. Or, I am unable to imagine this card from Ultimate Fantasy 7 is in right here. Or, I want this character from Ultimate Fantasy 8 was in right here. Individuals actually do care about it, and the lacking stuff is actually seen, is actually related.”
Sadly, that meant reducing playing cards even Verhey needed, like one for Eiko from Ultimate Fantasy 9, in addition to others left on the reducing room flooring from Ultimate Fantasy 4 and 5. (I used to be personally eager for extra Ultimate Fantasy 8 playing cards myself.) However inside the tight constraints of attempting to characterize 16 video games in a 310-card set, they nonetheless managed to cram in sufficient iconic scenes that respect the beloved idiosyncrasies of a online game sequence nearing its fortieth birthday — issues like, sure, with the ability to kill Ultimate Fantasy 6’s Phantom Train with the Phoenix Down card.
“On this set, [someone asked,] ‘Hey, are you able to take away — I do not know why it is even there — killing an undead factor in your Phoenix Down?'” Verhey stated. “I am like, ‘Completely not. That’s essential. You can’t contact this.'”
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