First Impressions

[Incantus]

Well, the best graphics would be vector based, so that they can be easily scaled. Otherwise, bitmap formats should be as high a resolution as possible.

What I would really like is a decent, fast algorithm for rendering cards from templates in realtime (so I don't have to use downloaded card images, but just the high-def crops for the images and everything else generated by the compositing engine). I can only dream

[Huggybaby]

If it helps, I don't think it's very important for a rendered card to look exactly like its real counterpart. A simple representation should suffice, esp. once the art and text is included.

[MageKing17]

In reality, any format's good, since converting between them is fairly easy (unless the format is really esoteric, of course).

[Tynion]

Sorry for the delay, I was on vacation last week, or atleast that is what I choose to call it

Please check out this thread for a quick icon blast..

http://magicdeckvortex.com/vbforums/showpost.php?p=259207&postcount=2

[MageKing17]

It seems that site won't let me post, so I'll have to say what I think here (carry on my comments if you want).

I really like the icons so far. I'd really like to see more of them, because I can definitely imagine using those. I can easily imagine going for colored versions of the "protection" icon while still having a, say, purple-colored one for "special" protections, and I really like how the symbols look.

Also, you might want to tell him it's easily multiplatform... it's written in Python, after all. In fact, Incantus himself is on Mac OS, and Scientist has run it on Linux a couple times at least.

[Marek14]

I looked at those icons and they really look nice It's probably not possible to make a comprehensive icon for reach, as it's flavored in two very different ways (archers and spiders).

I have some issues with the double strike icon, though. The image of two crossed swords is generally used to mean "combat", it doesn't really say to me "this creature attacks twice". I'd prefer, say, an image of sword slashing so quickly that it's showed in two positions at once.

I agree that additional information can be shown using the color of the icon, at least in the case of protection. Also for landwalk - and for numerical abilities, like Bushido, we might vary the background color to show which ones are "better".

[Huggybaby]

I have some issues with the double strike icon, though. The image of two crossed swords is generally used to mean "combat", it doesn't really say to me "this creature attacks twice".

I thought the same thing.

[MageKing17]

I'm not so sure that a twin-swords icon floating next to (or lying on top of, however we do it) a card will indicate "combat", but I do like the idea of a single sword with two slash-traces in the air. And it is much harder to misunderstand.

As for reach... while an arrow icon might not seen flavorful to spiders, or a spiderweb icon might not seem flavorful to archers, it does get the point across. I mean, for that matter, the icon of a sword for first strike isn't flavorful to pikemen or archers (archers aren't always reachers), or the symbol of a pike wouldn't be very flavorful to swordsmen or archers, or the symbol of an arrow wouldn't be very flavorful to swordsmen or pikemen... the point being that no symbol will be flavorful to everything, but at least we can get the idea across.