Power Creep in Card Games

[Just Crouton]

No idea which section to post this in, so I thought OTCG would work since this applies to pretty much all card games, but this blog post is mainly about Vanguard.

 

Source

 

Power Creep is a term used to describe the phenomenon that happens in card games. It’s when the card company releases cards that, while not overly stronger then previous prints, have an element to them to draw players into wanting those cards. This usually happens very gradually to the point that it isn’t overly apparent from one set to the next. Usually you won’t even realize that the Power Creep has happened until you look back on the cards that were printed at the beginning and compare them to the cards that are available now. This happens in every card game and is generally inevitable.

 

 

The reason that Power Creep is considered an inevitable part of any card game is due to how the different companies need to market their cards. If they released cards that were always equal in power or similar in ability to their predecessors, they would have a hard time selling the cards. Keeping up to date in any card game is an expensive thing to do, and if the player was able to always be at the same level as everyone else, while using a deck that required them to never buy new cards, you can be sure that that is exactly what they would do. The recent restriction list reflects this, as every card that was limited was printed in sets 1-5. Bushiroad realized that people were not feeling compelled to attempt to build new decks, as they could perform better playing with these older decks. They needed players to move forward and try to play different, new decks. This keeps the game fresh, while at the same time provides them with a steady cash flow so they can continue printing new sets.

 

That is not to say that Power Creep in a card game is necessarily a bad thing. What you need to realize is that while decks get stronger and stronger, which makes them seem like they may be overly powerful, other decks are also getting stronger, meaning that they end up balancing each other out. Also, Power Creep is exactly what it sounds like. It is a slow process that takes a long time before it begins to truly see the effects on the previous cards. It happens in every set, where cards stronger than their predecessors are released, yet it just means that the deck gets slightly stronger by using the newer card. This allows the game to progress and evolve, without being stuck on cards printed in the past. It is true that these past cards should never be overlooked and generally companies attempt to not print straight up stronger versions of the same card.

 

 

Power Creep is also not limited in anyway to Vanguard. This happened in Yu-gi-oh and Magic as well. At one time in Yu-gi-oh, you would need to choose between power or effects; you wouldn’t get both in one card. Slowly but surely this began to change, as the cards were given powerful effects, and even monsters that at one time had too high of an attack value to have an effect, got one.

 

When you think about how the game used to be played and how it is played now, it is a completely different game. Magic itself has an extraordinary Power Creep. If you compare cards that were printed at the beginning of the game, compared to cards now, it is a truly incredible difference. Cardfight Vanguard has also begun to see some of these effects, although to a much lesser degree. They are releasing cards that are slightly more powerful the previous generations, or cards that are meant to compete with the previous generation of cards, creating a slight creep. They have been keeping it in hand for the most part, with only slight increases at any given time.

 

Now, with Power Creep, one of the dangers is how the newer, stronger cards will interact with the previous generation of cards. Players are extremely smart, and will always find the different combinations that a deck can create. Each game has come up with ways to limit the extremes that players can go, effectively limiting how Power Creep will effect their individual games. Yu-gi-oh created the Banlist, allowing them to limit the number of each card played, giving them direct control of the powers of different decks and eliminating devastating combos at their source. Magic created the Rotating Constructed Format, allowing them to rotate out old sets in the general tournament setting, allowing complete control of all combos. This made it so they only needed to worry about how the current sets interact with each other, rather then how all of the sets interact with each other. The way that Bushiroad seems to be attempting to control it is actually by placing restrictions on the cards themselves. They have introduced one effect called Lord on some of their cards. What Lord does is make it so that when a rearguard is not the same clan as the Vanguard with the Lord effect, the Vanguard cannot attack. They have also started to create sub-archetypes of each clan, such as Liberators and Eradicators. Each of these sub-archetypes are mostly made up of cards that can only interact with cards of the same sub-archetype. Through use of the Lord mechanic and the different sub-archetypes, they make it so it is impossible for cross clan interaction to be unexpectedly used, as well as even preventing unexpected interactions within the clan itself.

 

 

Overall, Power Creep is inevitable in any card game, and is generally not nearly as bad as many people make it seem. We need to remember that the main reason for Power Creep is the continued efforts by the company to keep the game interesting and fresh. They don’t do it just for the sake of making stronger cards, but to make a stronger game overall. One of the many reasons us players in the English scene are seeing these cards and worrying, is due to the fact that we are seeing cards being released upwards of four sets ahead of what we currently have. The cards released are only slightly stronger than what is currently available in Japan, making the Creep almost unnoticeable to them. Bushiroad right now is taking the proper precautions to avoid unexpected repercussions from their cards, while also taking steps to release fresh and interesting archetypes. I, for one, am looking extremely forward to set 10 as it is right now, as it looks like one of the most interesting sets announced in a long time.

 

Thoughts?

[.Rai]

I've touched on this issue a few times in TCG. I take the issue from Magic's perspective. Magic is the prime example of how to control power creep. Of all the major TCGs, I think Magic has the least power creep, because of how much emphasis is placed on reducing it. First, an important definition of power creep.

Power creep is the gradual unbalancing of a game due to successive releases of new content. The phenomenon may be caused by a number of different factors and, in extreme cases, can be damaging to the longevity of the game in which it takes place. As new expansions or updates are released, new game mechanics or effects are introduced, making it increasingly difficult for older content to remain in balance without changes. Usually, this means new content releases grow successively more powerful while older content becomes relatively underpowered.

The blog post is confusing. Mainly because he rarely differentiates between complexity creep and power creep. Half of the time, he's talking about power creep when he really means complexity creep.

We need to remember that the main reason for Power Creep is the continued efforts by the company to keep the game interesting and fresh.

Power creep doesn't make a game fresh and interesting. If suddenly YGO printed slightly stronger variants of our favourite broken cards in a new set, it's not 'interesting and fresh'. Complexity creep is what increases how enjoyable a game is. Slowly increasing the complexity of a game makes a game more interesting (which is what he is really talking about during the section about interactions with 'previous generations of cards').

Harkening back to the definition of power creep, one of reasons why Magic is the most long-lived of the big TCGs (and essentially the first one), is that power creep has been curbed. Magic has various formats, each allowing a range of sets. The 'oldest' formats are those which allow you to use older sets. If you look at those formats, they remain relatively unchanged with the release of each new set. Competitive power in Magic creeps. But relatively slowly.

Besides, when people talk about power creep, what are they talking about? The relative power of an entire set, or just the power of the big splashable competitive cards? Look at any average set, and the average power is probably just about the same. A TCG company usually pushes a few cards competitively, while pushing everything else back.

Another strategy of reducing power creep is to increase complexity. It gives the illusion of increased power without it being there. An Escher's staircase, of sorts, as one of Magic's founders, MaRo, would say.

A big part of it is incomparable theory. See my 'Additional reading (generic) section for further details.

Additional reading (Magic):

http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/finance/24912-Power-Creep.html
http://www.gatheringmagic.com/sustainable-power-creep/
http://mtgcubed.wordpress.com/2010/05/15/brainstorm-how-tcgs-avoid-power-creep/
http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/mm/207

Additional reading (YGO):

http://cardgamecoalition.forumotion.com/t643-power-creep-in-ygo
http://articles.alterealitygames.com/?p=9374

Additional reading (generic):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxszx60ZwGw

[Flame Dragon]

Power creep isn't limited to TCG either. Most competitive games will have it. Pokemon is a great example since in order to make the new pokemon and moves more appealing they slowly need to increase the over all power level. 

 

TF2 has gone about handling power creep in a very interesting fashion since they keep all new weapons at the base power level of the stock weapons you start with. Any gain they may have will come at a cost. However the cost isn't always large enough to make up for the gain so even there you get a increase in power over time, even if its very small compared to most other games. 

 

I'd also argue the over all power level in Magic has gone down over time. The simple fact that when the game first game out it would end in a few turns is a prime example of this. The thing that has allowed Magic to do this is the rotation system since should things ever get to high a power level they can simply lower everything and in a years time the power would have gone down. 

[The Hounds Of Anubis]

The main difference between a lot of games and yugioh, is that those other games learn from their mistakes in power creep.

A perfect example is in MTG, where when the game began it had cards like Black Lotus, Time Walk, Ancestral Recall, the like. Since then there have been many other cards that have been incredibly powerful (Tarmogoyf, Dark Confidant, Jace the Mind Sculptor, et al) and a lot of which WotC have considered design mistakes. Because of these "mistakes" in the past, their future designs of cards have been sculpted below the power bar the cards have set previously, without being so watered down that the game becomes flat. This even played a part in the decision of the set cut-off for Modern, assumably, given Masques would give modern cards like Brainstorm and Dark Ritual.

Cardfight has recognised its mistakes of design with certain cards like Tsukuyomi, MLB and DOTE, having restricted them, and are also trying to fix the balance through-out the rest of the clans in the game.

Duel Masters' major flop in the english speaking world has a few things to be attributed to it, but one of the biggest standouts when one looks at the game is a rapid power and complexity creep, making the game boring to try and keep up with and not seem worth the effort, hence the recent reboot with Kaijudo.

Yugioh, on the other hand, doesn't learn from its mistakes (well, it used to learn from some, now it doesn't even care) and instead tries to go bigger and bigger with each set. Eventually, they'll hit the barrier where everyone just gives up on the game because there's no longer a draw to playing it, especially given the ridiculous prices in the third market, due to the insane power increases.

[Umbra]

This isn't even exclusive to competitive games, or even games at all. Bleach is a perfect example of power creep in a non-gaming environment, with Ichigo becoming ridiculously powerful to combat increasingly powerful enemies. In return, the new enemies that are introduced with each new arc are even stronger, to maintain some sort of intensity within the story.

[Aix]

This isn't even exclusive to competitive games, or even games at all. Bleach is a perfect example of power creep in a non-gaming environment, with Ichigo becoming ridiculously powerful to combat increasingly powerful enemies. In return, the new enemies that are introduced with each new arc are even stronger, to maintain some sort of intensity within the story.

Haha, that is so common it's pretty much a standard for long-running manga and anime, though I suppose Bleach is the worst cuz the enemies come out of nowhere whereas One Piece introduces the strongest guys and those guys stay the strongest guys. There aren't suddenly Galactic Shichibukai who appear out of nowhere and are the strongest pirates in the galaxy and stuff.

 

So what do you think will happen if Yugioh tried complexity creep?

[Flame Dragon]

So what do you think will happen if Yugioh tried complexity creep?

 

 

Complexity creep can kill a game much faster than power creep. As the game becomes more and more complex the barrior to entry becomes higher and higher. 

[Resident Fascist]

Cardfight has recognised its mistakes of design with certain cards like Tsukuyomi, MLB and DOTE, having restricted them, and are also trying to fix the balance through-out the rest of the clans in the game.
 

 

Aren't MLB and DOTE less relevant here as they was in JCG because we got later cards earlier, making the 13K much less relevant? I've seen them win locals and whatever, but I've been told they're just "not as good as they was" but I sorta fell out of Vanguard around set 7, trying to get back into it. Other than that Chris pretty much got it.

[.Rai]

[quote name="☯AixDivadis☯" post="6171236" timestamp="1364521812"]Haha, that is so common it's pretty much a standard for long-running manga and anime, though I suppose Bleach is the worst cuz the enemies come out of nowhere whereas One Piece introduces the strongest guys and those guys stay the strongest guys. There aren't suddenly Galactic Shichibukai who appear out of nowhere and are the strongest pirates in the galaxy and stuff.   So what do you think will happen if Yugioh tried complexity creep?[/quote] YGO already is, to be honest, in addition to the obvious power creep that's still there. Which is why I think it'll die quickly. It's why Konami have the urge to suddenly create new card types every few sets. Really, I think I've failed to mention the difference to mention the difference between depth and complexity. Complexity is generally bad. It essentially means anything that makes a game more confusing. Depth is really what game designers aim for. A deep game is a good game. However, it doesn't break the illusion of power creep. Complexity is a strange resource that people use in order to put on an illusion (in this context, the illusion of power creep without actual power creep). A game should have a large depth, and a low-as-possible complexity, assuming the game can allow it.

[Althemia]

Aren't MLB and DOTE less relevant here as they was in JCG because we got later cards earlier, making the 13K much less relevant? I've seen them win locals and whatever, but I've been told they're just "not as good as they was" but I sorta fell out of Vanguard around set 7, trying to get back into it. Other than that Chris pretty much got it.

They're still the best decks. 13k is still pretty relevant especially seeing as how not everything has 12k attackers yet, same can be said for 12k.

[Umbra]

YGO already is, to be honest, in addition to the obvious power creep that's still there. Which is why I think it'll die quickly. It's why Konami have the urge to suddenly create new card types every few sets. Really, I think I've failed to mention the difference to mention the difference between depth and complexity. Complexity is generally bad. It essentially means anything that makes a game more confusing. Depth is really what game designers aim for. A deep game is a good game. However, it doesn't break the illusion of power creep. Complexity is a strange resource that people use in order to put on an illusion (in this context, the illusion of power creep without actual power creep). A game should have a large depth, and a low-as-possible complexity, assuming the game can allow it.

 

This generally falls under the age-old philosophy of "Easy to learn, hard to master." A game should be deep enough that there's room for a player to improve through their own personal skill while simple enough for players to understand the game. Note that this isn't limited to card games, but to games in general.

 

I really shouldn't be in this section.

[MagnetBomb]

Though the Pokemon tact isn't as nearly complex, it's happened there too. My Rayquaza from 2002 was laying around when my friends little brother came in and commented on how it had 80 ho and his Bidoof had 70, and how weak Rayquaza must be in the games. I nearly punched him in the face..