(DDDC) the "Deduction" deck

[Shebhnt]

This is really rough idea of what I've been thinking but figured I should get a topic going.  I was going to use my other deck but it really didn't feel like a deck that would represent this community that well (style wise).

Besides, I feel like this one looks a little bit more like this forum a little more. 

[Don Boyer]

The contest isn't about making a deck that will represent the community but about making a deck that the community will like enough to want to vote for, in order to have it made.

You could go in this direction if you want, but do you really think it would be the best design offered?

Well, if you do enter this, bear in mind my fedora has a very wide brim and I wear it with a heavy pinch in the front of the crown, brim front flipped down, brim back flipped up.  It's a deep gray color and has a wide grosgrain band with a flat bow on the left.

[Afrank8]

Well if it's to be to everyone's liking why not have a poll on what design features people like and have a few of the people who would like to design the deck use those preferences?

[Don Boyer]

Well if it's to be to everyone's liking why not have a poll on what design features people like and have a few of the people who would like to design the deck use those preferences?

Are you familiar with the term "design by committee", or what I sometimes refer to as "the Mongolian Hordes method", or "too many cooks spoiling the broth"?  The results from such efforts are rarely pretty.

Allow me to ask you, Afrank8: imagine the most attractive custom deck you've ever seen.  It's probably the vision of either a single artist or a very small group of artists and designers.  Now, imagine if instead of allowing that idea to spring forth from their imagination, the artist(s) decided to put out a poll to the community at large and put the entire design up for a vote.  Can you honestly tell me that you think they would have ended up with anything even close to the masterpiece you saw, or would it more likely have been something that catered to the lowest common denominator?

Artists are artists because they have a vision and bring it to life, a vision that didn't previously exist in the world.  You can't get that from holding a poll or having fifty people work on the design, because they'll all have their own individual visions, pulling in different directions, and the deck will be chock full of compromise and run short on unique vision.

[Shebhnt]

Honestly, I really just like the idea of the linking D's in the center and then slowly building circles going out.  I know it's doesn't have to represent the community but I would really want to have it have some kind of connection, even a subtle one.  I was thinking of using mostly traditional court faces but maybe give one of the kings Don's hat. 

The hat was in good fun.  I might not keep it, I just wanted to post it up to see what others thought.  I got it from the link that you provided on the "boyer bicycle" thread.

I'm fine with the deck being made mostly by one person.  With that said, if anyone would like to work together on a deck I'm up for that too.  Or if anyone has suggestions on how to take this very basic idea and make it better I am all ears.

Also for the face of the cards I was going to use pip layouts like these but add in Indices somehow so that it is a blend of old and new.

[Shebhnt]

Also can go with the new trend of backs and keep it simple...

[Ziggy Babbage]

These are starting to look like dan and dave smoke and mirrors.

[Aptombstone]

I like the idea of removing the text and letting the design do the talking.

I didn't think adding in the hat was a joke. I saw it and, like most users of this forum, knew exactly what the reference was and liked it. The fear would be making the deck too gimmicky, but I think you've had some very good ideas so far.

[Shebhnt]

I like the idea of removing the text and letting the design do the talking.

I didn't think adding in the hat was a joke. I saw it and, like most users of this forum, knew exactly what the reference was and liked it. The fear would be making the deck too gimmicky, but I think you've had some very good ideas so far.

Oh yeah, I want the hat to be in the deck somewhere.  I don't want it overdone but I think it needs to show up either somewhere on the back or on a king.  Or maybe in the Ace of Spades? That's an idea.

[Shebhnt]

So an idea for the number cards

[Shebhnt]

Here is the minimal back with the texture

[Shebhnt]

I was also wondering if one could get ahold of the new standard courts EPCC is using.  I like them and was planning on using them in this deck with a little change (texture, making them slightly bigger to cover whole area like a vintage court card)

[sprouts1115]

I like your idea of putting the rank of the card inside the suit.  This is the earliest known attempt.   http://www.wopc.co.uk/delarue/pigmy.html

My suggestion is to make fat suits.  Not like the Jackson Robison skinny clubs.  Lol   But big fat huge suits.  You want to get the index as close to the cut border as possible....

And while your at it make big fat Ace's It would distinguish it from the 2oD.  I don't know what that guy was thinking by putting "ace" with the negative white space... 

Example:  If you pop that diamond out.  It could potentially be a smaller suit and the rank could be closer to the cut boarder. Steal it, take it, use it....

[Shebhnt]

So this is what I have so far, like I said earlier I really would like to just use EPCC's court cards but I do not have access to them so I made a mock up using a scanned version of the QH.  Should I do this with all the face cards since that is what the rules state?

Also, I have added in a subtle one way design into the front of the cards.  I was also thinking of adding a marking system like the NOCs

Lastly, I would want to do a side tuck case but I can't find the template for that.

[Shebhnt]

I got the template for the tuck box. Working on that now

[Don Boyer]

The template for the tuck box isn't necessary.  The rules actually state that you need to submit a three-dimensional mockup of an assembled box.

Regarding the EPCC standard courts, have you asked EPCC for them?

Regarding what you need to show, it's fully explained in the rules.  Beyond those specifics, anything that makes your cards unique in some fashion needs to be shown, especially if it's unique in a non-patternistic manner - unique faces on all the spot cards, things like that.  If it's simply a unique pattern for the spot cards, just show a sample of each value's pattern (or patterns, if there's more than one per value, such as for the 8-spot cards in both versions of the Mechanic Deck).

[MrMollusk]

Hi there!
I want partecipate at the contest with my Evil Deck.

I'm Giovanni Meroni, designer from Milan, Italy. I illustrate funny vector characters in my spare time (night & weekends), and Evil Deck took almost a year to be done.

The Evil Deck is a bit different than regular decks, because it have an illustration on every card (I didn't want use the "classic" structure of the cards on purpose, I wanted to make a deck where every card could be interesting as a court card.

Every suit represents a different kind of evil: hearts are for passion, clubs are for nature, diamonds are for violence and spades are for magic.

The style is flat and simple, I used only three main colors: violet for the black cards, a deep blood red for the red cards, and every card have some yellow elements (I wanted a "evil" color scheme). As you see, Evil Deck is Evil, but fun. I wanted a parody, where the characters are bad, but silly.

Now, the images! Tuck box and the cards, hope you like them!

It's most definitely an interesting deck, but it's not exactly suited for this contest, in my opinion. It seems more of an art deck than a functional playing card deck. There's not pips on the number cards, and all the cards have 1-way designs. Not to mention the theme isn't exactly akin to the forum's.

I'd make it an independent project. It looks nice!

[Card Player]

Here is my entry, I call it the "Discourse" deck.

I was inspired by my time spent here on the forums so I wanted to make something that had a mix of modern and old.  To do this I used a minimal back design that both reflects the older designs of some casino decks but at the same time has seen a come back in recent years.  I used the old way of having your pips take up the whole area but included indices to make them a bit more practical.  I used the faces that EPCC used for their Exquisite decks with a slight modification to make them fit the rest of the theme.  I also threw in a reference to our beloved Don Boyer 

As far as special things go, the fronts of the cards all have a subtle one way design in that one of the indices is slightly bolder than the other.  I have a special marking system on the back that can tell you if the card is black or red.  There will be two identical jokers as I have found that to be more useful when it comes to my tricks then a reveal on the joker.  The jokers do include the subtle one way design but I made the main face of the card two way so that way if one is trying to hide the fact they are using duplicate jokers it will be easier to hide.

I'm also going with a side tuck case like the Exquisites as I have found them to be much more sturdy and I just like how they look and feel "classy".  I was thinking of adding the url www.playingcardforum.com to the bottom of the card box if Don was ok with that.

Hi Shebhnt

I applaud you for making the effort. I don't really know what Don or the powers that be were expecting from this contest? These things take time. Unless your a professional designer, asking someone to create something within a given deadline is asking a bit much. lol

If I could give you some simplistic advise. Do some research first to see whats already been done with DD logo's. I'm getting a Daredevil vibe from your back design. Come up with multiple concepts rather then just working on one and going with that.

I agree with what Jackson Robinson wrote somewhere on this forum. I think a 52 Plus Joker Deck would be much more interesting.

In the end this represents the forum & 52 Plus Joker, It should be done right. Not by amateur submission.

[Shebhnt]

I changed my name to the deduction deck and I have changed the court cards as you can see, is this what you are looking for in an entry? (I didn't repost all my other images, I also got the message late at night and quickly made these changes, I'll post the rest of the courts in the morning)

[Afrank8]

Have you done a mock up of a ten of any suit. I think that might be an issue when it comes to fitting both numerals inside the suit. Do you have any plans to fill the large blank space in the centre of all the spot cards, I personally feel there just needs to be something holding it together.

[Shebhnt]

Have you done a mock up of a ten of any suit. I think that might be an issue when it comes to fitting both numerals inside the suit. Do you have any plans to fill the large blank space in the centre of all the spot cards, I personally feel there just needs to be something holding it together.

Here is what each of the spot cards will look like, the 10 seems to fit fine with in the pips.  As far as the blank space it really is only in on the 2 of each suit and I don't feel like it detracts from the overall deck.

[Shebhnt]

Also for those who were talking about Daredevil, I did do my research before.  The "vintage" daredevil logo featured two d's facing the same way, though the font is similar it is still very distinct from the one I choose.  Newer versions of the logo still has two d's facing the same way but some are not interlinked, most have a very "sharp" style font so I don't think that could be an issue.

[Shebhnt]

Here is all the court cards updated and the aces

[Don Boyer]

Here is all the court cards updated and the aces

Include this, all of the twos and threes (because of the different configuration of pips from standard), a random sampling of one spot card in each of the four suits other than a two or a three, your joker (you mentioned you would use identical jokers) and the tuck box represented in three dimensions rather than as a template.

I'm going to change the title for you since you're no longer calling it the Discourse deck.

[Shebhnt]

Ok, so it has been a crazy summer but I'm hoping that soon I can jump back into finishing these up and putting them up on kickstarter or card launcher.  I do like the "deduction" angle but wanted to gather some opinions.

Do you guys like the texture on the cards?  Is the "fading" on the courts too much?  Also, since it is suppose the deduction deck I am looking to insert some small minor gaffs that could be used by a magician to "deduce" things.  Does anyone have any ideas?