My Complaints (+ my OriCa)

[mattster]

This part probably does not belong here, but I'd like to address some points that I do not like about the YCM community in general and how cards are being created. If you agree with some or all of these points, then I encourage you to spread these points across the forum (especially you, moderators).

 

1. Don't plagiarize; cite your images.

However much time you spent perfecting your card cannot begin to compare with the amount of time and effort the original artist of the image you used spent to create that image. You, as the card maker, essentially took the artist's property and used it for your own gain without the artist's permission or acknowledging the artist's contributions; that's called plagiarizing.

 

Furthermore, you dare to put only your name on "your" card without crediting the artist? It obviously is not reasonable to call up an artist asking for permission to use his or her image for a Yu-Gi-Oh! card every time you want to make an Original Card. But at least you can do the artist a favor and help advertise his or her works by putting his or her name on "your" card. You should appreciate the artist enough to at least that. Sure it's still technically plagiarizing because you are advertising without the artist's consent, but it's better than completely robbing the artist of all of his or her hard-earned credit.

 

So how do you cite your image?

I usually put the artists' names where the copyright goes along with the year when the artists created the image. If you still want to put your name on the card, then be creative and find somewhere else to put your name. You can check out my cards for ideas and examples.

 

But what if you cannot find the artist's name?

If you really cannot find the artist's name, follow the old-school rule: "If you can't cite it, you can't use it".

 

2. Creating a custom card is more than just sticking an image into YCM's built-in card maker.

Have some pride in your works! Nothing looks lazier and more generic than a card that has obviously been created from YCM's built-in card maker. The point of a custom card is to make it as realistic as possible (or go beyond and improve it!). There are obvious faults in YCM's built-in card maker that kept a card from looking as realistic as possible. So as a card maker, you should not rely solely on YCM's built-in card maker. There are plenty of Photoshop and GIMP tutorial on this site that allow you to make even more realistic cards. While you can use YCM's built-in card maker as a base, spend the time learning how to improve your cards.

 

3. If the card text cannot be read from your card, you are doing it wrong.

Official card effects rarely take more than 60 words and 5 lines to explain. If your card text font size becomes so small that you have trouble reading the text and must post the card text outside of the card itself, then the effect is probably too long and too complicated to be enjoyable. Custom cards are meant to be stand-alone. This is partly YCM's built-in card maker's fault in that it does not format cards texts into proper font sizes and spaces after a certain number of words have been entered. This is more reason for you to not rely on YCM's built-in card maker.

 

4. Use Official Card Wording.

(aka Original Card Grammar)

This guideline seems to be rather heavily enforced on this forum, and yet many card makers still do not follow. Part of making a realistic card is to make your card -sound- like a realistic card. Phrase your card text like how the official card text phrase them. If you do not know how an effect should be phrased, spend the time looking up official cards with similar effects and see how those card texts are phrased.

 

5. Respect aspect ratio.

Nothing looks more shoddy than an image that has been stretched. If you are starting with YCM's built-in card maker, crop your image to 244 x 248 pixels. Even Microsoft Paint can do this.

 

 

Without futher delay, my OriCa throughout the years. Most cards have the password "34775732", which is LEET for "mattster" (m = 3, a = 4, t = 7, etc.), so you know I created them.

Much of my cards happen to be references to the Touhou video game series. For certain posters here, don't feel like your "territory" is threatened.

[spoiler=My OriCa (Warning: large files)]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tomozaurus]

I agree with everything you say bar the "do more than use the YCM" thing. With the exception of making my own monster images, I have no need for doing additional work, the YCM template does a good job of getting the cards just how I like them. Your cards are very nice to look at, but I prefer mine to look more like real cards.

[TCG warrior]

the only ones I disagree with are numbers 2 and 3.

number 2: Not everyone has something like photoshop on its computer, like me, my computer is too old for it.

number 3: The fact that Union monsters already have more than 60 words in their effects proves (for me) that this statement is wrong.

 

The other statements I totally agree with (though all cards may have some OCG problems, since it'll most of the time be corrected by other YCM members)

[mattster]

I agree with everything you say bar the "do more than use the YCM" thing...Your cards are very nice to look at, but I prefer mine to look more like real cards.

 

I'd say that you should especially avoid YCM's built-in card maker if you want to make your cards as realistic as possible. There are obvious faults in YCM's built-in card maker that kept a card from looking believable. For an example:

1. certain fonts are wrong, and wrong fonts are very obvious.

2. card text spacing and font sizes are horribly coded - the bottom line of the text box never seems to be used after you insert enough words.

3. card dimensions are wrong

4. brown outer border is off-center and is angled by a couple pixels along all edges.

 

 

number 2: Not everyone has something like photoshop on its computer, like me, my computer is too old for it.

number 3: The fact that Union monsters already have more than 60 words in their effects proves (for me) that this statement is wrong

 

#2: If your computer can handle all of the image loading from everyone's signatures and pictures on this site, your computer can most likely handle an older version of GIMP, which is a free program and good Photoshop substitute.

Thing is that if you are spending the time to create an entire card set (which is apparently quite common on this site), then you should be making the effort (and/or money) to use a better "engine" to create your cards.

 

#3: Not only are Union monsters exceptions, I'm sure you can agree that their card texts look horrible. Most card texts are indeed less than 60 words.

[Guest Bless]

You could have very easily PM'd me? Yet you've only upset me by making your complaints public. But here's my 100 cents.

 

1) Unless the artist has a very clear do not use water label on their image. It is fine to use it until they come to me to take it down, in which case you have no say. So it is a waste of everyone's time to double check, however if you wish to get permission from the artist in question then please by all means show your respect by asking them.

 

2) To state it is to insult everyone who posts here more creatively. Please refrain from it.

 

3) No you are not. In fact that happens as a result of the fact that the cardmaker uses Left Alignment rather than Full Justification for how to process the images when you generate them. And due to the method using in coding the cardmaker, if he were to impliment Full Justification it would drastically increase the time it takes to generate a card. If YOU want a card that has full justification then use alternative programs such as Magic Set Editor as it comes built in and generates on the fly due to being a client.

 

4) It is nothing but a guideline not a rule of any sort, nor will it ever be. To assume a guideline should behave like a rule is silly. Your main focus in anything relating to cards, is less Card Grammar more official rule clarity. Using "Card Grammar" is just the easy standardized way of doing it. And I myself NEVER comments on how good your Grammar is, as long as its readable and there is no ruling conflicts.

 

5) Redundant.

 

@Above: The font has to be wrong, the correct font requires a purchase to use.

[mattster]

You could have very easily PM'd me?

This topic is not addressed specifically towards moderators.

It could be that you have misunderstood the purpose of this part. I'm not saying to add new rules to this site, but I'd like to recommend these practices to create a more organized and standardized cardmaker community.

 

1) Unless the artist has a very clear do not use water label on their image. It is fine to use it until they come to me to take it down

Not true. Just because an image is available publicly does not that mean the artist has automatically given permission for free distribution.

This fact is outlined in various artist community sites' Terms of Service:

 

http://about.deviantart.com/policy/service/

any use* by a third party of your** Content could violate...Terms and Conditions unless the third party receives permission from you by license.

*"use" is referred to "copy, distribute and display" earlier in the paragraph

**"your" refers to the uploader/artist

 

http://www.pixiv.net/terms.php

Article 13. Prohibited Acts

( 2 ) Reprinting of image data from this site without the creator's permission.

 

http://www.ebsqart.com/Information/Terms-of-Service/17/

No part of any content, form or document may be reproduced in any form or incorporated into any information retrieval system, electronic or mechanical, other than for your personal use (but not for resale or redistribution).

 

It is universally agreed among artist community sites that you still need permission to use artists' images; this includes using them to create Yugioh cards and then distributing those cards by posting them on this site. This then extends to any web image that is not within public domain: you technically need permission from the copyright holder to use the images for Yugioh cards and then distributing those cards by posting them.

 

Of course, actually getting the permission is impractical. So, I'm suggesting to credit the artist as a make-up.

 

2) To state it is to insult everyone who posts here more creatively. Please refrain from it.

I am simply suggesting not to rely on YCM's built-in card maker exclusively. I do not believe this is insulting anymore.

 

In fact that happens as a result of...

It sounds like you are explaining why YCM's built-in card maker cannot create more realistic cards due to text justification limitations rather than addressing my point that card texts should be efficient. These limitations in YCM's built-in card maker further support my 2nd point that YCM's built-in card maker should be not relied upon. But unless you do not agree that card texts should be efficient, then this comment is misplaced and should be addressed in my 2nd point.

 

4) It is nothing but a guideline not a rule

Following official card wording is indeed just a suggestion, but I believe that is quite an important step towards creating realistic cards that quite a number of card makers are not taking. So, I want to address it here.

 

5) Redundant.

"Redundant" implies that I have already suggested to "respect aspect ratio" in one of my other points, but I doubt I have. Perhaps, you meant to say "obvious"? This point is indeed obvious, and yet quite a number of card makers are not taking such a step, I want to address it here.

 

@Above: The font has to be wrong, the correct font requires a purchase to use.

Firstly, a YCM coder can simply purchase the correct fonts. I believe that this site gets enough hits to pay for the price. Placing an ad bar off to the side for a month should not be too much trouble for the sake of improving YCM's built-in card maker. Also, it is possible to recreate the necessary fonts through a font maker program. This method does not cost money. So, there are plenty of methods to improve YCM's built-in card maker. I just don't see them being done.

[mattster]

bump

[mattster]

bump

[mattster]

bump

[mattster]

I do wonder if that moderator has any more input.

[xkaosxtheoryx]

Any Idea how to make the images pop out like that to look 3Dish?

[xkaosxtheoryx]

bump