I spoke with the creator of Astronomica! Here are his answers to my questions:
Q: Please describe your trading card game!
A: Astronomica is a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Trading Card Game, inspired by creature battling games like Cardfight! Vanguard and MTG. The game is sent the in the Elysian Spiral, a galaxy flung into an all out war between many different factions.
Q: What inspired you to create your own TCG?
A: I loved playing card games as a kid; I think everyone grew up collecting pokemon cards, and my hobby then jumped into playing Yu-Gi-Oh in tournaments, and playing Hearthstone casually. I think when it came to making my own game though, I was most inspired by the early wave of Youtube indie TCG creators; people like Chaos Galaxy and Wrath of Cores.
Q: What TCGs did you grow up playing as a kid?
A: The main game I played as a kid was definitely Yu-Gi-Oh. I hopped in around the start of the third generation (5D’s). Yu-Gi-Oh has definitely affected the type of card games I like. It was fast paced, and I still think the Synchro mechanic is awesome.
Q: What sets Astronomica apart from other TCGs?
A: The Resource System is the best part of the game! In Astronomica, each player controls a set of planets, which generate 3 resources each. In order to play a card, the resources on it must match the resources on the planet. It was designed to allow fast paced gameplay like the more eastern-style games, while still introducing restrictions and inconsistency when it comes to using cards from different factions. Decks based in one faction (and so one set of resources) are much more consistently powerful then some of the more experimental ones; but even from Set 1, there were decks that ran every resource, or experimented with how much inconsistency you can get away with.
Q: How did you come up with the name Astronomica?
A: Honestly, I just thought it sounded cool! I knew I wanted the game to be space-based, so its just an extension of the term Astronomy.
Q: How long have you been working on the game?
A: About 4 Years now, I think. The first set came out in around May of 2020, and the game had been in the works for about a year before then.
Q: What is the illustration/design process like?
A: I tend to work out a general theme or plot to a set before I start doing any art, so it is definitely a top-down kind of design. I usually have a name for a card or character before I start sketching, and then I begin looking for inspiration when it comes to poses and outfits. I think in contrast to a lot of other indie creators on the scene, I started the game without knowing how to draw anything, like at all. So a big part of the design process also involves practicing certain objects or items!
Q: What are your future plans for Astronomica?
A: After a hiatus for 2022, I plan to release a new set called Compendium, designed to modernize the game’s template and effects similar to the starter kit next year. I’ll be rolling that out within the next few months. Besides that, Set 3 has already been planned and I’ve already begun drawing concept art for it!
Q: Will you be at any upcoming conventions?
A: Unfortunately, no. Astronomica is, to be honest, a hobby for me; a way to work on a creative project I’m passionate about. Now in the future, maybe I do decide to take it a bit further; but I’m happy with the current status quo for now!
Q: Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own TCG?
A: I think the key to making a really unique TCG is to start with a core mechanic or hook; there are many hearthstone-like games on the app store nobody remembers after playing a match and dropping it from their phone. Likewise, there are hundreds of dead games that tried to merely be ‘MTG but ______”. Games like Hecatomb have a fanbase still because they did something fun and unique.
For more, follow @astronomicatcg on Instagram and check out https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/astronomica-tcg:-2022-starter-kit
Comments
Post a Comment