RHG Trading Card
Hey guys, I wanted to get your thoughts on RHG Trading Cards. Before we continue, I'll get those of you up to speed on what I'm talking about. Awhile back, someone thought it would be neat to get some trading cards made for our very own RHG characters. Something neat to own that is our own. Something that is special to us, and hell, neat to have your OWN trading card of your character right?

Who has them now? How were they made?
So I gathered some information and started printing RHG Trading Cards to be given out for free on my stream. Just something fun for the viewers and I to share. All of the design, print and shipping costs have been covered via donations from the stream currently. Hence why I also don't sell them, they are created via donations from the viewers- why not just give them out for free after that?





These little things are really neat and have been a lot of fun to hand out. Currently we have 3 cards designed and printed. We also have 3 more designs created, just not printed ( Jade, Chuck and Nhazul )


I've wanted to expand upon this idea. What if we could make more of these? What if we could give them an inspiring purpose? A reason to own or collect them? What if it was some sort of card game?

The Game
I thought about how we could create a playable card game, but what is the use since most of us will never meet? How does that even relate to what we do in animation? Well, what IF when you physically collect these cards your RHG character gains some sort of perk that comes with owning the card? We could track who has what card and they could have it be known on their RHG page that they have certain perks from their cards.

Example
For instance; you own the RHG FLLFFL trading card which ( lets just say ) gives you the ability to jet boost from your current weapon. In your animation you can show your character bringing for that card and using it in some fancy way as a power up in their animation battle.

What if, the stakes on this RHG trading card battle where actually made more official by winning or losing a card based on who wins the RHG?

The Goal
I want to make animating your RHG battle more fun, inspiring and exciting again. I want people to feel the magic of making something move again, not just to be some sort of chore. Let's flex those skills that few people in this world have the the opportunity to share.


How would it be done?
Larger cards, possibly with stats based on quality of character?

RHG TRADING CARDS
~$10 a design / 40 cards? ($400)
http://www.printfirm.com/trading-card-printing.html

Packaging / Sleeves
http://www.envelopes.com/business/open-end/credit-card-sleeve-envelopes-midnight-black

How many artists? $20 a design? ($800)
Shipping and stamp costs? (??)


Above are my sources and generalized prices for what it would take to make these cards. I've not dove to far into it yet because I really wanted to just see what you guys thought. This project would be funded via kick starter and supported / utilized by you.


How would the 40 characters be selected? Why 40?
The characters could be selected by everyone here from the community and designed by a select group of committed artists. 40 is simply a good start and a realistic price range. This is something we could adjust based on the support and character pool. Some characters may need to be created specifically for this cause.

Discuss, please!

I like the idea. It would be fun if I had (for example) an Oxob RHG card, and suddenly summon its powers in the middle of the fight, giving my fighter, i don't know, electric attacks or something.
Even if not for the whole battle, it would be quite cool and a good credit to the animator of that RHG on the card.^^

I don't understand something though... If it's a trading card game, how would we go about trading exactly? I like the idea of implementing the trading cards into an RHG battle to animate, but I don't understand the necessity of having an actual hard copy of the card in your hands while you animated... Unless the card was just a collectors item for those who wanted it...

I'd like to be able to win a digital copy of the card somehow and use it in an rhg battle... that way if you did happen to give it with the guy who won the rhg battle, you would just trade the digital cards.


What are the chances of an RHG page created just like you had on FA? maybe you could put the cards there too

When you own / buy / or are given a card it can be noted on your RHG. You can also include it in the about on your animation. As far as earning one, when you beat someone they ship it to you ( costs no more than a letter and a stamp ) of course there would have to be the honor system there.

OR they could simply earn it and have me ship one to them based off who won ( IDK about how we exactly want to handle that )
We could have a RHG system like on FA in the future here, and that would support this system even further.

Honestly, the more complicated things get with this thing, the less excited I get about it. Reprinting the cards with stats and such, im cool with that. But where owning diffrent cards has diffrent affects on your animation, and when you start havign to send the cards around to people, thats where you loose me. I really like the idea with collecting RHG cards and maybe having a simple stat game involved. But thats as far as I'd go.

Quote from stone

When you own / buy / or are given a card it can be noted on your RHG. You can also include it in the about on your animation. As far as earning one, when you beat someone they ship it to you ( costs no more than a letter and a stamp ) of course there would have to be the honor system there.

OR they could simply earn it and have me ship one to them based off who won ( IDK about how we exactly want to handle that )
We could have a RHG system like on FA in the future here, and that would support this system even further.

Idk if I'd be comfortable spending the time and the money to ship a card to the dude who wins me, where-as you could keep a record of who has what on a custom RHG page like you had on FA, that way, you're not stressing about the trading system as much. and it'd be simple just to change who has a card and who doesn't. As for the cards, just have them as collectors items for those who want to buy them or show them off in their rhg page, like you'd mentioned.

I am actually in love with the idea of physically owning perks that can be applied to your RHG during battle. It adds a unique surprise element which is actually pretty cool. Hopefully it wont hinder any animation creativity when the majority of the community owns the ALFA card and features jet boosting in every single RHG animation.

However, I am not sure about the practicality. As mentioned, the process is actually pretty expensive, so purchasing the cards is probably going to be way more expensive then getting a 5 dollar deck of cards from Target or something. I am thinking that one of this prized beauties is going to be around (insert monetary value)$ which makes it a treasure since most people regretfully aren't going to be spending that much money for a 2x3 inch card. I do like the idea of playing the cards. A lot, but I cant really imagine it getting super popular when people can just manipulate their RHG's powers for free.

I feel that it is much more likely to sell the trading cards as memorabilia. I think collecting them is the same as collecting Doors posters or website Sweatshirts. It's something physical that you can buy while simultaneously supporting a site that you believe in and support.

I don't think that the site's dynamics/userbase would have the funds to fuel the idea. If there were maybe a hundred cards that had listed abilities that were specific to each RHG, then I feel like the whole 'using them in RHG and spicing it up' would be way more applicable. People could bet cards before the battle to add stakes and motivation for finishing and it would create some weight to the battles.

Right now though, what with having to purchase the cards in order to use them, I think its more of a "those who have the ability to buy the cards are privileged with being able to use the perks in battle". It seems like it would be kind of unfair.

Yeah it's not meant to be a chore. Rather just an inspiring thing you COULD add in your animation if you so please. I could just give the winner the card based on legit results from 2 animations for the battle. You'd agree upon a card you guys want to fight for. If it's deemed worthy of a legit battle, I'd send the winner that card?

Unless its soops rare, in which case there might need to be a diff / harder scenario?

Quote from Reap4u

I am actually in love with the idea of physically owning perks that can be applied to your RHG during battle. It adds a unique surprise element which is actually pretty cool. Hopefully it wont hinder any animation creativity when the majority of the community owns the ALFA card and features jet boosting in every single RHG animation.

However, I am not sure about the practicality. As mentioned, the process is actually pretty expensive, so purchasing the cards is probably going to be way more expensive then getting a 5 dollar deck of cards from Target or something. I am thinking that one of this prized beauties is going to be around (insert monetary value)$ which makes it a treasure since most people regretfully aren't going to be spending that much money for a 2x3 inch card. I do like the idea of playing the cards. A lot, but I cant really imagine it getting super popular when people can just manipulate their RHG's powers for free.

I feel that it is much more likely to sell the trading cards as memorabilia. I think collecting them is the same as collecting Doors posters or website Sweatshirts. It's something physical that you can buy while simultaneously supporting a site that you believe in and support.

I don't think that the site's dynamics/userbase would have the funds to fuel the idea. If there were maybe a hundred cards that had listed abilities that were specific to each RHG, then I feel like the whole 'using them in RHG and spicing it up' would be way more applicable. People could bet cards before the battle to add stakes and motivation for finishing and it would create some weight to the battles.

Right now though, what with having to purchase the cards in order to use them, I think its more of a "those who have the ability to buy the cards are privileged with being able to use the perks in battle". It seems like it would be kind of unfair.

Well, thats the thing. If you look at my sources we can get 40 cards of one design done for $10~ with taxes. Could do 20 if less would be necessary and that takes it to about $6 a design for those 20 cards.

At $10 a design, 40 design = $400 and 1600 cards made in total.
I think with this, we could still get the entire thing funded for less than $1,200 - $1,300 in total. However, I agree - that could be the issue there as far as enough money coming in to fund it.

If we did sell packs, that could help lower the costs too. I'm not so sure how involved the big dogs at SP would like to be with the process, they might want to help with costs as well MAAAYBE.

Quote from stone

Yeah it's not meant to be a chore. Rather just an inspiring thing you COULD add in your animation if you so please. I could just give the winner the card based on legit results from 2 animations for the battle. You'd agree upon a card you guys want to fight for. If it's deemed worthy of a legit battle, I'd send the winner that card?

Unless its soops rare, in which case there might need to be a diff / harder scenario?

I like the idea of a prize system, where the winner wins a hard copy of the card (but maybe the quality of the animation has to meet a certain standard), and like reap mentioned, the betting and the stakes so that the battle is more intense and motivational...

I think digital cards would be easier for everyone, recreate the RHG page like on FA, that was flippen sweet!.

Quote from stone

Well, thats the thing. If you look at my sources we can get 40 cards of one design done for $10~ with taxes. Could do 20 if less would be necessary and that takes it to about $6 a design for those 20 cards.

At $10 a design, 40 design = $400 and 1600 cards made in total.
I think with this, we could still get the entire thing funded for less than $1,200 - $1,300 in total. However, I agree - that could be the issue there as far as enough money coming in to fund it.

If we did sell packs, that could help lower the costs too. I'm not so sure how involved the big dogs at SP would like to be with the process, they might want to help with costs as well MAAAYBE.

Ahh, I misunderstood the process. I was thinking that an individual card would be around that price range in which case, that is rather expensive. However, 6$ for a pack of 20 is actually way more reasonable, although the money issue would still segregates the RHG community.

Is this 6$ fee flat for shipping to different countries? I reside in the California so it wouldn't be a problem for me, but what about someone in China or soemthing. Surely their deck wouldn't be 6$ due to shipping across the world.

I would cover the shipping, its simply stamps in an envelope. Once the project is funded, they don't have to worry about those costs as they will have been covered.

If we SOLD some packs, it'd just make it easier to cover shipping and keep the ball running.
Keep in mind, it wouldn't be super OP as far as an imbalance is concerned.

It's not going to be an 'insta-win.' The animator still has to be a better animator either way or try harder in their RHG battle to win.

Even if your characters abilities are endless, if you can't portray it in an attractive way it won't help you much.

I would donate, but I'm broke, son.

Cool idea, I even know a card game simulator that as long as I get the card images I can create card data and a plug in for. Then we could all play it online.

Quote from Jutsu

I would donate, but I'm broke, son.

Cool idea, I even know a card game simulator that as long as I get the card images I can create card data and a plug in for. Then we could all play it online.

That would be the future for it. Getting a generated code for an online card game.

Well I'm not good enough to create an entire simulator from scratch...Maybe I could start learning.

as far as it goes i like the idea of having collectible cards of your favorite rhg, but i have to agree with oxob about it possibly becoming to overly complicated

personally the idea that excites me the most is simple the concept of having a card for your rhg. I haven't animated in ages but the idea kinda makes me wanna get back to it just for the possibility of getting a card

the obvious issues come from the cards involvement in rhgs, which will probably get mixed results

I REALLY like the suggestion of the prize system. Being able to battle someone for a copy of a card sounds like a ton of fun, and using rarer cards as prizes for competitions sounds like a great idea

but then there's people who can purchase cards if they choose to


personally i feel owning the cards is cool purely cause the aesthetic reason is cool in its own right. Like owning any other trading card or prints