Generated on 10 Jul 2024
Based on 319 answers
As-fan is a term that has been mentioned numerous times by Mark Rosewater in his responses to various questions. It refers to the average number of cards with a certain subset of attributes or themes you can expect to pull from a booster pack when you "fan out" the cards. It reflects how often a specific element appears in a booster pack, taking into account rarities and other distribution factors. While the concept may seem straightforward, its application in game design is quite intricate and multi-faceted.
Origins and Explanation
The term "as-fan" is short for "as fanned," which Mark Rosewater explained as the percentage of cards with a particular attribute that appear in a booster pack when the pack is fanned out. This idea is crucial for determining how often players will encounter specific themes or mechanics during gameplay, especially in limited formats such as draft and sealed.
For example, a set might have an as-fan of 2 for multicolor cards, meaning on average, two cards per booster are multicolor. This helps in determining whether a specific mechanic or theme will be prominent enough to support particular draft archetypes or gameplay strategies.
Application in Game Design
The as-fan is a guiding metric for deciding the distribution of various card types and mechanics within a set. If a particular mechanic is intended to be a prominent theme, designers ensure that its as-fan is high enough for players to notice and interact with it regularly. Mark frequently points out that "if your theme isn't at common, it's not your theme," essentially meaning that the as-fan must be high enough at common rarity to be impactful in limited play.
- Mechanic Integration: The as-fan must be managed to ensure the correct balance of different mechanics. For example, Ikoria's keyword counter mechanics and mutate had their as-fan adjusted to help those mechanics show up frequently enough to matter.
- Set Themes: In sets where a certain type matters, like an artifact set or enchantment set, the as-fan helps in embedding these themes properly. In Theros, for instance, the as-fan of enchantments was notably high due to the presence of enchantment creatures.
- Variance in Limited Play: The as-fan impacts limited play significantly. For a theme to work in draft or sealed formats, key mechanics or cards must appear frequently enough to be relevant. For instance, Dominaria featured a high as-fan of historic cards to support its theme.
Challenges and Adjustments
One of the consistent challenges highlighted by Mark is getting the as-fan right, especially when integrating new mechanics or ensuring that existing ones blend smoothly. For example, creating a set with "instant and sorcery matters" is tricky because limited formats need a significant concentration of creatures to function effectively.
Moreover, as-fan adjustments often happen during development to ensure balanced gameplay. For example, design might introduce a common dragon in a set, but development may move it to uncommon to maintain balance, impacting the dragon's as-fan significantly. The sets Battle for Zendikar and Oath of the Gatewatch had Eldrazi with a very high as-fan to enforce their overwhelming presence on the plane of Zendikar.
Behind-the-Scenes Insight
An interesting anecdote Mark shared is about the change of morph in Khans of Tarkir. The set needed a high enough as-fan of morph cards for them to appear in gameplay as frequently as necessary. Adjusting these metrics is an intricate process that involves numerous playtests and statistical analyses.
Trivia and Quotes
Mark has shared several funny and insightful comments about as-fan over the years. For example, when asked whether printing more cards focused on a specific mechanic could alter the gameplay, Mark humorously replied, "'As-fan' comes from 'as fanned', meaning how often you see something when you fan out a booster." Another memorable quote regarding balancing themes was, "If your theme isn't at a high enough as-fan, it isn't your theme," an endorsement of the importance of making themes visible in the booster experience.
Shifts and Evolutions
The philosophy around as-fan has evolved, especially with advancements in printing and collation technology. Mark has mentioned how modern collation allows better control over how often specific themes appear. For instance, War of the Spark's guarantee of one planeswalker per pack demonstrated how technology can help uphold the principle that if something is meant to be a theme, it should show up frequently enough to be recognized as such.
In summary, as-fan is a fundamental concept in Magic design that ensures themes and mechanics are represented at the right frequency in booster packs to shape gameplay experiences appropriately. Whether it involves intricate balancing acts or adopting new collating technologies, managing as-fan is crucial for maintaining the game's balance, appeal, and variety.
As-fan is a term that has been mentioned numerous times by Mark Rosewater in his responses to various questions. It refers to the average number of cards with a certain subset of attributes or themes you can expect to pull from a booster pack when you "fan out" the cards. It reflects how often a specific element appears in a booster pack, taking into account rarities and other distribution factors. While the concept may seem straightforward, its application in game design is quite intricate and multi-faceted.
Origins and Explanation
The term "as-fan" is short for "as fanned," which Mark Rosewater explained as the percentage of cards with a particular attribute that appear in a booster pack when the pack is fanned out. This idea is crucial for determining how often players will encounter specific themes or mechanics during gameplay, especially in limited formats such as draft and sealed.
For example, a set might have an as-fan of 2 for multicolor cards, meaning on average, two cards per booster are multicolor. This helps in determining whether a specific mechanic or theme will be prominent enough to support particular draft archetypes or gameplay strategies.
Application in Game Design
The as-fan is a guiding metric for deciding the distribution of various card types and mechanics within a set. If a particular mechanic is intended to be a prominent theme, designers ensure that its as-fan is high enough for players to notice and interact with it regularly. Mark frequently points out that "if your theme isn't at common, it's not your theme," essentially meaning that the as-fan must be high enough at common rarity to be impactful in limited play.
- Mechanic Integration: The as-fan must be managed to ensure the correct balance of different mechanics. For example, Ikoria's keyword counter mechanics and mutate had their as-fan adjusted to help those mechanics show up frequently enough to matter.
- Set Themes: In sets where a certain type matters, like an artifact set or enchantment set, the as-fan helps in embedding these themes properly. In Theros, for instance, the as-fan of enchantments was notably high due to the presence of enchantment creatures.
- Variance in Limited Play: The as-fan impacts limited play significantly. For a theme to work in draft or sealed formats, key mechanics or cards must appear frequently enough to be relevant. For instance, Dominaria featured a high as-fan of historic cards to support its theme.
Challenges and Adjustments
One of the consistent challenges highlighted by Mark is getting the as-fan right, especially when integrating new mechanics or ensuring that existing ones blend smoothly. For example, creating a set with "instant and sorcery matters" is tricky because limited formats need a significant concentration of creatures to function effectively.
Moreover, as-fan adjustments often happen during development to ensure balanced gameplay. For example, design might introduce a common dragon in a set, but development may move it to uncommon to maintain balance, impacting the dragon's as-fan significantly. The sets Battle for Zendikar and Oath of the Gatewatch had Eldrazi with a very high as-fan to enforce their overwhelming presence on the plane of Zendikar.
Behind-the-Scenes Insight
An interesting anecdote Mark shared is about the change of morph in Khans of Tarkir. The set needed a high enough as-fan of morph cards for them to appear in gameplay as frequently as necessary. Adjusting these metrics is an intricate process that involves numerous playtests and statistical analyses.
Trivia and Quotes
Mark has shared several funny and insightful comments about as-fan over the years. For example, when asked whether printing more cards focused on a specific mechanic could alter the gameplay, Mark humorously replied, "'As-fan' comes from 'as fanned', meaning how often you see something when you fan out a booster." Another memorable quote regarding balancing themes was, "If your theme isn't at a high enough as-fan, it isn't your theme," an endorsement of the importance of making themes visible in the booster experience.
Shifts and Evolutions
The philosophy around as-fan has evolved, especially with advancements in printing and collation technology. Mark has mentioned how modern collation allows better control over how often specific themes appear. For instance, War of the Spark's guarantee of one planeswalker per pack demonstrated how technology can help uphold the principle that if something is meant to be a theme, it should show up frequently enough to be recognized as such.
In summary, as-fan is a fundamental concept in Magic design that ensures themes and mechanics are represented at the right frequency in booster packs to shape gameplay experiences appropriately. Whether it involves intricate balancing acts or adopting new collating technologies, managing as-fan is crucial for maintaining the game's balance, appeal, and variety.