…is one that I follow these days. I feel that one of the strengths I bring to the Design Team is the fact that I’ve played several different games at a competitive level (I didn’t say pro level; I can count on one hand the times I’ve won checks). And to increase that level of perspective, I also follow the blog of Mark Rosewater, Lead Designer for Magic: The Gathering.

A few weeks ago, Mark said something that floored me:

“I am one of the most successful Magic designers of all time with more sets to my credit than anyone in the history of the game and my hit ratio is under ten percent. While I have great ideas I also have mediocre ones. How do I tell them apart?”

When it comes to my own designs, I am almost heartbroken when just one of my cards is judged “not good enough” or “needs work” by the rest of the team. Developing that level of self-criticism, where you can look at one of your mediocre ideas and say, “This is mediocre,” is still something I’m learning. But it is crucial when our virtual sets are between 20 and 50 cards, tops. There’s not a lot of room for fluff. Like recently I had an idea for a cycle of cards that would have a neat little “Hidden Weapons” feel to them, while requiring your opponent to draw the destiny. But since they were basically unconnected to any of the themes and concepts we are planning on for Block 7, there was no real need for these designs. And balancing the power level of a card that forces your opponent to draw a destiny was going to be incredibly difficult anyway, so the cards died before ever making it off the drawing board.

The full blog that I took that quote from is one where Rosewater talks about the archenemies of the Designer, both in the work environment (Magic’s Rules Manager) and in the creative arena (that quote describes how his own doubt can be his worst enemy). Go read the full blog right here.

The Empire rises November 12.