Creating a Card Game, I am

But I'm not sure what kind of direction to go in for it. Below is an outline for how a Trading Card Game format could go, but I'm also on the table for something similar to Munchkin but with a core of Creatures and Buffing.

I'm thinking of a limited amount of Creature cards with various stats (obviously STR and DEF, though perhaps other things such as ENDURANCE or TENACITY or SKILL for various things), size differences (small, medium, large), types (normal, undead, extraterrestrial) and special abilities (such as Ooze, can't be injured with solid weaponry, but weak against fire. Or Extra Arms, to hold more weapons). You only get a limited amount of Creatures per deck (5-10). Obviously, this is a Creature Deck. I'm thinking either a limit of 1 or 2 the same Creature.

You then have a secondary deck, anywhere between X0-X0 cards (maybe 30-50, 20-40, something with a twenty card gap), called the Buff Deck. You use this deck to Buff your monsters and their stats through various means. The types I've come up with are Mutation cards, cards that can add the Extra Arm or Ooze special abilities to a Creature, or other such things, and Weapon cards, which add to a Creature's physical arsenal. You can have multiples, but I haven't decided between 3 or 4 of a Buff card.

STR: Attack power
DEF: Defense power
END: The amount of turns a Defending monster can withstand attacks
TEN: The amount of times an attacking monster can attack in a turn
SKL: Amount of times you can block an extra attack from an opposing monster

I don't have much more than this. I'm drawing my inspiration from Pathfinder/Munchkin/Yu-Gi-Oh and whatnot. I'm going to continue thinking on how the turns go about, phases and stuff.

Right now I've just got a simple

-> Draw Phase
> On your first turn, you can draw 3 Creature cards and 4 Buff cards. In addition, you make a normal draw. At the beginning of all of your turns, you may draw one card. If you have a specific card effect or ability, you may draw more than one.
-> Creature Phase
> During the Creature Phase, you can place up to 2 Creatures in a face up position onto the playing field. You are only allowed to have 2 Creatures on the field at any given time. You can also switch out a Creature with a Creature in your hand. If you choose this option, you lose all of the Buff cards attached to it and the next time it is placed all of its stats are halved.
-> Buff Phase
> During the Buff Phase you can play as many buffs on your Creature as you can. You are allowed 2 Mutation cards on one Creature unless otherwise stated, and a set amount of Weapon cards that are shown on the Creature's card. You cannot replace a Buff card with another Buff card, you are stuck with it until your Creature is either swapped out or sent to the Dump.
-> Combat Phase
> The Combat Phase is where your side interacts with your opponent's. You may attack either of your opponent's Creatures with a single Creature on your side. Whenever a side loses a Creature they immediately draw another from their Creature Deck.
-> End of turn
> After the Combat Phase your turn ends automatically.

More on Stats:
ATK > DEF = -2 END
ATK < DEF = -1 END
ATK > 2DEF = -3 END (?)
0 END = Death of a Creature

TEN - SKL = Number of attacks after initial attack

My thoughts:

1) 5-10 creatures per deck, yet you draw 3 a turn? I understand that they'll get destroyed, bounced, or otherwise recycled, but that seems to take away a bunch of strategy by allowing you to build a deck with only the best creatures and ALWAYS find them.

2) Very similar to #1, drawing 4 buffs a turn? Even if the deck's 40 cards, that'll go by REALLY quickly. When you're blazing through your deck like that, it eliminates the strategy of deck building.

3) I really like the Mutations/Weapons style of buffing. But instead of having the "two mutations allowed" thing in the list of rules, I would just have each card be able to have a set number of mutations (just like weapons), and two would be standard. So, it'd be something like "Slime, 2M, 0W" and "Soldier, 1M, 3W."

4) The battle stats are a little clunky, but that'll get worked out in due time. but I do agree that if your creature's ATK is at least double the opponent's DEF, it should do more damage. Or something like that.

5) I'm not entirely sure about the multiple attack mechanic. It's different and innovative, yes, but I'm just not sure it'll work too well. I'd have to see it in a playtest to pass judgment, though.

To fix the "drawing through your deck" problem above, I propose something like the following:

1) For buff spells, you draw 3 or 4 cards at the start of your turn. You can play 1 of those spells on one of your creatures (unless an ability states otherwise, of course), and the rest go are discarded. Next turn, you draw the next 4. If you run out of cards to draw, you shuffle your discards back into your deck. I feel like it would add a ton of strategy.

2) For creatures, I'm not entirely sure. MAYBE you could have the option of either drawing a creature card OR drawing your 3-4 buff spells. If that happens, you would start the game with a forced creature draw.

3) I would increase the number of creatures allowed in the creature deck. 10, as I said above, would just be flown through in no time, even if you were only drawing 1 a turn, or even 1 every other turn. I understand that the buffs are the main factor of the game, but having so few creatures kills the "luck of the draw" element that card games are hinged on.

4) Maybe there should be some sort of cost for playing better creatures. In YuGiOh, you have to sacrifice 1 or 2 existing creatures, depending on the star level; in Magic, better creatures cost more mana; in Pokemon, evolved creatures have to be played on their pre-evolved forms. Being able to just play ANY creature you want, even if all of them are weak pre-buffing, actually tilts the playing field, rather than leveling it. What it boils down to is, I have better creatures, I have a better deck. Period.

5) Take all this in good faith. All of these suggestions are meant to increase the strategy required to build decks and subsequently play the game. While luck is certainly an important factor in card games, if there is no skill required to play it (other than "buy cards to get the best cards", it's not going to take off.

1) 5-10 creatures per deck, yet you draw 3 a turn? I understand that they'll get destroyed, bounced, or otherwise recycled, but that seems to take away a bunch of strategy by allowing you to build a deck with only the best creatures and ALWAYS find them.

You only draw 3 the first turn, and then you simply replace the Creature with another card to your hand when they're destroyed and sent to the graveyard/dump/acid pit. So at any one time you can only have 3 Creatures in play; two on the field and the third in hand (not technically in play). Though I can see how that's a problem. Touched upon on a later number.

2) Very similar to #1, drawing 4 buffs a turn? Even if the deck's 40 cards, that'll go by REALLY quickly. When you're blazing through your deck like that, it eliminates the strategy of deck building.

Not every turn. You draw 4 Buffs to start, and then you proceed to draw 1 Buff every turn. I might end up making this 2 a turn, though, depending on how playtesting goes. It'll depend mostly on how often you'll find yourself bouncing or losing monsters, or how often Draw Buffs come up, or a wide variety of things, really.

3) I really like the Mutations/Weapons style of buffing. But instead of having the "two mutations allowed" thing in the list of rules, I would just have each card be able to have a set number of mutations (just like weapons), and two would be standard. So, it'd be something like "Slime, 2M, 0W" and "Soldier, 1M, 3W."

Yar, that'd be where the "unless otherwise stated" comes in. Now I can only think of equipping a Slime with an Extra Arm card of some sort to give it a weapon xD

4) The battle stats are a little clunky, but that'll get worked out in due time. but I do agree that if your creature's ATK is at least double the opponent's DEF, it should do more damage. Or something like that.

Those are just preliminary stats, so TO PLAYTESTING!

5) I'm not entirely sure about the multiple attack mechanic. It's different and innovative, yes, but I'm just not sure it'll work too well. I'd have to see it in a playtest to pass judgment, though.

I guess it's more like Pokemon, but your Charizard can attack twice in a row.
TO PLAYTESTING MOAR!

To fix the "drawing through your deck" problem above, I propose something like the following:

1) For buff spells, you draw 3 or 4 cards at the start of your turn. You can play 1 of those spells on one of your creatures (unless an ability states otherwise, of course), and the rest go are discarded. Next turn, you draw the next 4. If you run out of cards to draw, you shuffle your discards back into your deck. I feel like it would add a ton of strategy.

I actually did think about shuffling the dump and making it your Buff Deck again, to prevent stalling strategies and whatnot, though I feel like you'd need to play more than one Buff a turn, especially if you're on the beating end of the ass whooping stick. Though if it somehow did become Draw 4 per turn -> Play x, x would probably end up being 2 so you can buff both monsters.

2) For creatures, I'm not entirely sure. MAYBE you could have the option of either drawing a creature card OR drawing your 3-4 buff spells. If that happens, you would start the game with a forced creature draw.

I don't know, I'm kind of feeling adamant about having 3 Creatures in rotation. Though you bring an interesting point on the monster's Rank and whatnot. Perhaps a point pool where you can have exactly 10 Creatures? Say, 15 points? 1 Rank 3 Creatures, 3 Rank 2 Creatures, 6 Rank 1 Creatures would be an even spread. Maybe make it so you can't have more than 1 of a type of Rank 3, 2 of a Rank 2, and 3 of a Rank 1 Creature total.

3) I would increase the number of creatures allowed in the creature deck. 10, as I said above, would just be flown through in no time, even if you were only drawing 1 a turn, or even 1 every other turn. I understand that the buffs are the main factor of the game, but having so few creatures kills the "luck of the draw" element that card games are hinged on.

It could easily be changed to 12/15 Creatures, though the point pool idea of B-4 would have to be changed accordingly.

4) Maybe there should be some sort of cost for playing better creatures. In YuGiOh, you have to sacrifice 1 or 2 existing creatures, depending on the star level; in Magic, better creatures cost more mana; in Pokemon, evolved creatures have to be played on their pre-evolved forms. Being able to just play ANY creature you want, even if all of them are weak pre-buffing, actually tilts the playing field, rather than leveling it. What it boils down to is, I have better creatures, I have a better deck. Period.

See B-2 for Ranks.
Perhaps there are Buff Restrictions. "You can play this Rank 3 Creature, but you cannot Buff it until your next turn." or something similar. We'll have to elaborate on that.

5) Take all this in good faith. All of these suggestions are meant to increase the strategy required to build decks and subsequently play the game. While luck is certainly an important factor in card games, if there is no skill required to play it (other than "buy cards to get the best cards", it's not going to take off.

MY FAITH IN YOU HAS BEEN SHATTERED </3
And yeah, I've known that from playing card games in general xD

Once I figure out these mechanics I'll be going about on how to abuse them with Buffs and Special Abilities and what forth.