[New Frames] Vogon HD : more room for everything

[Den]

Introducing Vogon HD card frames: high resolution frames: more room for everything

As the creator of one of the earliest online card creator website (http://bit.ly/sfocc), over the last decade I observe many shortcomings of the modern Magic frames (actually I always detested them since inception), and other frames in general. Based on the actual usage in official and home-made cards, they desire more room to fit long card names, long card types, long rules and flavor texts, long mana costs, and even long stats (in place of power/toughness).

I generally observe these issues:

1) Rules box is too small to fit the verbose text that people tend to input. Furthermore, wide text box wastes a lot of horizontal space; many lines do not take up the entire width, or even half the width. Also consider that each additional ability requires additional rows, not necessarily a wider box.

2) Card names overlap with mana cost. These two properties are in inverse proportion and invites conflict.

3) Card types can become too lengthy when all kinds of supertypes and subtypes are tacked on. Also the set icon obstructs the right end of the card type.

4) P/T box is tiny and confining. Even for Magic's simplified stats, it looks claustrophobic. Moreover, custom card creator apps are not only used for custom Magic cards, but also for other games and nongame content. These tend to put larger numbers and stats; such as stats starting in the 100s or 1000s. ex 9000/9000 will not fit in the wee P/T box.

5) Each Planeswalker's additional ability demands exorbitant vertical dimension.

6) Hard to discern and sort cards by color. Borders too thin, text background pastel too light and similar. When zooming out such that card images are small, it's very hard to tell one color from another with the modern Magic frames. One of the reasons I hate looking at them (especially on MTGO, hurts my eyes).

Thus I sought out to create my own custom card frames that will match the needs of custom card creators. These are my solutions:

1) Rules box will have bigger area than most card frames, and be taller than it is wide. This allows more lines, thus more abilities and paragraphs. This minimizes the need to reduce the font size in order to fit all the text inside the box, for better legibility. Tall over wide is also more aesthetically pleasing to read.

2) Mana cost is moved to the left margin and arranged vertically downward. This move allows the card name to fill the entire top row; also names are centered. Mana cost can now be much longer without worrying about obstructing the name at all.

3) Card type is spanned along the entire right margin from top to bottom, so you will not likely run out of space for complicated card types. This text is turned 90°. The set icon is stowed out of the way in the bottom right corner.

4) P/T or related stats own the left margin's bottom half. Plenty of room for stats for Magic and non-Magic games. This text is turned 90°.

5) Planeswalkers will welcome the taller rules box. Easily accomodates 3, 4, 5, or more abilities neatly without sacrificing readability, nor feel cramped.

6) Easy to tell colors apart. Colored borders are thick, thus easy to discern and sort cards by color when far away (in real life) or zoomed out and small (on screen).

Disadvantages of Vogon HD frames:

1) Slightly smaller arts.

2) Angled texts.

3) Takes time to accustom.

Here, view the sample cards created with the new card frames, dubbed Vogon HD:

https://imgur.com/a/mBJemFt

It is a work in progress. I'm not an artist, so these look pretty bland. If any artist wants to help improve the aesthetics, feel free to download the GIMP or PSD file that you can work on:

https://shenafu.com/magic/ccimages/frame_vogonhd/cardback.xcf
https://shenafu.com/magic/ccimages/frame_vogonhd/cardback.psd

Test the new frame at http://bit.ly/sfocc . Select Frame => Vogon HD, fill in other stuff, and press submit button.

Magic Set Editor (MSE) template for Vogon HD:
https://shenafu.com/magic/magic-hd-vogon.mse-style.zip

[Den]

Sample cards made in Vogon HD frames. See attachments.

[Den]

Magic Set Editor (MSE) template for Vogon HD:
https://shenafu.com/magic/magic-hd-vogon.mse-style.zip

[Den]

You have valid concerns. But as you said, mostly we are used to Magic's standard layout due to habit, not necessarily because it's optimal.

The flow of Magic card is all over the place. You have to scan every corner of a card in order to receive the most critical informations. Card name and card type starts on the left, then zigzag your eyes all the way to the right edge for the mana cost and P/T. That excessive unnecessary movements. Overall the frame feels constricting, convoluted, and disorderly. (Not to mention the art feels boxed in by the intrusive bars above and below; addressed below.)

Reading mana is also a matter of habit. The most popular cards played in history--poker cards--have their symbols in the left edge vertically. Because that's the most optimal arrangement and location when fanning the cards in hand. Hence many other CCGs have also adopted this design of putting costs on the left edge downward. Even MaRo admitted he would have done it this way if they could start over.

My layout the important data is found on the top row and the left margin. Thanks to your input, I have now put card type icons on the top left corner, like Futureshifted frame. Now, you can get all the major data from just the top and left edges of the card. This makes it easier to sort and arrange cards--such as cascaded or fanning to reveal not more than the top and left edges of each card, by which you can see Card name, Mana Cost, Card Type icon, P/T, and Loyalty. Even online games including MTGO cascade or tile them suchly, and my layout is way more effective than official frames for this purpose.

In other words, I can hide 90% of a card, and still be able to acquire four important pieces of information from that card. In comparison, you can get at most two important data pieces from standard Magic card when obstructed in the same manner.

With even, plain bars around the art, it feels well supported and celebrated. Like a good physical art frame, it doesn't try to clash with the art piece, but rather allow the art to dominate its space. Thus the artwork stands out more--despite its imperceptible size reduction.

I too realize people don't like to read words at an angle; it can be jarring. But frankly, subtype is only secondary information that has little or no impact in most games. When it most matters is probably during deck building. As such, rotating them outside of a match should not be distracting to yourself or opponent. That's really the only major issue with my layout. But a worthy sacrifice to improve every other area by leaps and bounds.

[Den]

Here the full art version. The focus is the art, so the box for rules text is shrunk and the margins are made transparent.

Just like the regular Vogon frame, the art is well-supported by the surrounding elements. (Unlike the standard Magic frames, where the card type box intrudes and vandalizes right through the center of the art.)

See examples in attachments.

Test the new frame at http://bit.ly/sfocc . Select Frame => Vogon Full Art, fill in other stuff, and press submit button.