The Design of Mood Swings, Part 2

The Mana Forge Digest

I discuss the evolution of Mood Swings from 1998 to present, focusing on design iterations and playtesting with Lora.

Key points

• Initial design had three colors and rarities
• Lora played as a solo partner for initial testing
• Psychosis card required mental tracking due to multiple similar cards

What you get

• Detailed history of Mood Swings development
• Insight into early Magic design process
• Understanding of the challenges in balancing card effects

Why it matters

To provide context for the evolution of a proposed trading card game and highlight the complexities involved in its design.

Details

In 1998, I began designing Mood Swings with an initial set of 300 cards featuring three colors (blue, red, green) and rarities (common, uncommon, rare). My first playtesting partner was my wife, Lora. We would test new cards at lunch.

The card 'Psychosis' had a score of [5] but its value decreased by 1 for each red card in play. This led to significant mental tracking required during gameplay due to the presence of multiple similar cards like 'Psychosis'.

I realized that improving existing cards was as important as creating new ones. I continued refining the game, incorporating feedback and balancing different mechanics.

Good to know

• Mood Swings is a proposed trading card game concept

Read the original on Wizards (https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/the-design-of-mood-swings-part-2) • Source: Wizards of the Coast