[M15] Updated card boarders, Waste Not

[Thrillho]

M15 heralds new Magic card boarders (and other new components), which was highlighted on Wizard's site today.
[quote]What's Going on with That Card Frame?

As you can see from the expansion symbol, Waste Not will be appearing in this year's core set, Magic 2015. As you can also see, a number of tweaks have been made to the card frame.

I spent most of 2013 leading the design of M15, an ambitious set that will introduce a few new things to the game, not the least of which is an update to the existing card frame. We have a lot of smart people here in the building who are constantly thinking of ways to improve Magic. Many such ideas involved tweaks to the front of cards, but since we don't want to make sweeping changes to card frames often, we let a few such ideas pile up for a while before picking an opportune time to deploy them in a big batch. M15 was that time.

There
are five big changes visible above on Waste Not. Four are game-wide changes that will be implemented in M15 and every set going forward, and the last is a little something special just for this set. Let's go over them.

1) The font

Since its inception, Magic has used off-the-shelf fonts on its cards. As a brand, we feel that we'll be better served by having our own unique proprietary font—something with a little edge and character that is still very readable.

In general, we liked the heaviness and shape of the "Matrix Bold" font we'd been using previously, so there are a lot of similarities between the old font and the new, named "Beleren," which should alleviate any jarring feeling when you mix the two together in decks.

2) The holofoil stamp

You'll notice a little silver oval in the bottom center of Waste Not. That's a new unique holofoil stamp that we're applying to all rares and mythic rares going forward. This stamp makes those cards feel more special, as well as
guarantees authenticity.

Commons, uncommons, and basic lands will not feature this stamp.

3) The collector info

In the lower left of the card is a series of letters and numbers that indicate the card's collector number (122/269), rarity (R), set (M15), and language (EN). The little dot between the set and the language will be a star on premium cards, so just about everything you'd ever need to know about a card's edition is in one easy-to-read place.

Making the bottom of each card black to accommodate this information was not an easy decision, and may be the most disconcerting part of this frame update, but it was done with the best of intentions. This information is machine-readable by recognition software at our production plants. It will help eliminate the rare packaging error, like cards sneaking into the wrong expansion's boosters.

4) Decreased border size

In order to fit all this cool new stuff on the cards, we've reduced the width of the black border by almost a millimeter all
the way around. This reclaimed real estate allows us to have slightly bigger art and text boxes as well.

5) The designer credit

You'll notice that we gave you all credit for making this card in the place normally occupied by flavor text—"Designed by the Magic community." This is the first time we've ever given credit for a specific card design on the card itself, and it's you! You should be very proud! While every card going forward won't feature a designer credit (kinda sad, really), there are a handful of others in Magic 2015, specifically, that will. (You'll have to wait on those details! It's cool, I promise!)

Those are the main components of the card frame update. Here's another M15 card for comparison. This one isn't rare, so it has no stamp; is a creature, so it has a P/T box; and isn't black, so you can see the frame design more clearly. All in all, it is an impressive modernization of the card frame, one I'll be excited to get my hands on this summer with M15.[/quote:
28qsrct6]

Inevitably, this will be met with much grumbling and tears over an aesthetic change that otherwise has zero effect on your ability to play Magic cards, but let's open up that Pandora's Box and see what you, the community, have to say about this non-issue!

[Thrillho]

My only concern with the new border is that the foil stamp inlay may make the card "feel" different -- weight, bend, bumping, etc -- that may affect how rares play (as if they didn't in limited already AMIRITE ROTF), but that's a concern I'd have to measure once I actually had a card in my hand and isn't something to complain about before I even have a card with a foil inlay.

[hamfactorial]

Seems fine to me, bigger art is nice. The beards will cling to necks in fear, but I doubt this will matter after a few weeks with M15.

The bigger question is: how many dumbass discard decks will I need to play against next season?

[Checkbox]

I hate the extended bottom border. And the foil inlay is unnecessary, but I could live with it.

[DroppinSuga]

Waste Not is going to be super fun in Commander.

[( G_R )]

Haters gonna hate.

I'm just pissed they named their font "Beleren".

[Kaitscralt]

I don't mind the extended black border, but the foil mark is really ugly

[hamfactorial]

Where the card color backdrop meets the P/T box, there's an asymmetry. You can see it on Wall of Fire, it looks uneven for no particular reason. Why is the left side shorter?

[TubeHunter]

The foil mark looks tacky as hell but otherwise It's fine.

The whole thing reads like a "Here are some cool new changes that our lawyers recommended we put in!" Anyways.

[Checkbox]

Where the card color backdrop meets the P/T box, there's an asymmetry. You can see it on Wall of Fire, it looks uneven for no particular reason. Why is the left side shorter?

mother of god I think I'm quitting magic now

[hamfactorial]

Where the card color backdrop meets the P/T box, there's an asymmetry. You can see it on Wall of Fire, it looks uneven for no particular reason. Why is the left side shorter?

mother of god I think I'm quitting magic now

no we need you!

[( G_R )]

Where the card color backdrop meets the P/T box, there's an asymmetry. You can see it on Wall of Fire, it looks uneven for no particular reason. Why is the left side shorter?

There's not. It's an optical illusion caused by both the P/T box itself and the thin black line on the left border of the text box.

[hamfactorial]

Where the card color backdrop meets the P/T box, there's an asymmetry. You can see it on Wall of Fire, it looks uneven for no particular reason. Why is the left side shorter?

There's not. It's an optical illusion caused by both the P/T box itself and the thin black line on the left border of the text box.

Thanks Obama

[Pendulum]

Where the card color backdrop meets the P/T box, there's an asymmetry. You can see it on Wall of Fire, it looks uneven for no particular reason. Why is the left side shorter?

There's not. It's an optical illusion caused by both the P/T box itself and the thin black line on the left border of the text box.

Not to be pedantic (really not), but visual assymetry is just as much an assymetry is an actual "measure" assymetry. If nothing else, the colors get lighter in
the lower right quadrant for some reason, made worse by the uniformity in the P/T box. I actually kind of like it, though.. makes the card look kind of ax-like or sumpin.

@Maverick: the illustrator credit is a caveat that Wizards has to put on their cards from back when they fucked over their artists back in the late 90's (or somewhere around that time). Back when the game started, the artists got a stipend and still owned the art they made for the game, so they could make money off their work, but then Wizards decided that they just weren't raping their artists enough so they made this blanket contract (enforced retroactively, even) that the company owned the artwork; the artists rebelled, and in a last-ditch bid to keep the game from dying to crappy artwork from no-names working for meth money, Wizards wrote a contractual obligation into their part of the contract so that the artists could at least become famous even if they weren't getting rich; they simply can't legally get rid of the
illustrator credits.
To be honest, that's a bullshit way to solve their problem, and I agree with you it should change (artist appreciation articles instead of "flavor" articles would be a good start, I think, and more in line with current corporate beliefs), but hey, whatchagonnado?

[photodyer]

Seems fine to me, bigger art is nice. The beards will cling to necks in fear, but I doubt this will matter after a few weeks with M15.

The bigger question is: how many dumbass discard decks will I need to play against next season?

Depends on whether they throw black a bone by (re)printing Ravenous Rats or something similarly potentiating in this Standard and leave us with a meta that will give discard a chance. Discard was unplayable even with such cards (but lacking Thoughtseize) in ISD/RTR, but maybe. I doubt it, though...I can't imagine WotC letting black stay ascendant, much as I'd love to see it.

Re new card asymmetry - I'm not sure, but it seems that the color block is shifted right in the mock-ups
relative to the text boxes...not only is there the level difference of where the color border ends bottom left vs bottom right, but the right color border is also thicker than the left. Intentional or a software shortcut/hack job?

[( G_R )]

[Mcdonalds]

RAGH THE NEW BORDER ANGERS ME PROFUSELY I WILL SELL MY MAGIC COLLECTION RAGH ANGER


seriously though I couldn't give two fucks and didn't notice until I read a few posts from some neckbeards on the source complaining about how ugly it is

[Mcdonalds]

My only concern with the new border is that the foil stamp inlay may make the card "feel" different -- weight, bend, bumping, etc -- that may affect how rares play (as if they didn't in limited already AMIRITE ROTF), but that's a concern I'd have to measure once I actually had a card in my hand and isn't something to complain about before I even have a card with a foil inlay.

Prolly similar to the thing on the guru lands

[Stardust]

That is one damn ugly optical illusion. One more thing for stuck up nerds to lord over people. I seriously can't wait for the conversations in that nasal voice... "Actually, it's just an optical illusion caused by both the P/T box itself and the thin black line on the left border of the text box!"

[( G_R )]

Well, there's nothing more gratifying than lording over neckbeards raging about such trifles.

[DroppinSuga]

I enjoy reading people rage over stupid shit. Therefore, I enjoy this thread and the Facebook comments that I've read.

[DerWille]

This seems all right to me. The frame still looks better than most other card games, take Yugioh for example.

[hamfactorial]

I will change my opinion if every M15 card is red.

[Mcdonalds]

Well, there's nothing more gratifying than lording over neckbeards raging about such trifles.

[Pendulum]

My voice is more of a baritone type of annoying than a nasal type of annoying.

[Kazekirimaru]

I enjoy reading people rage over stupid shit. Therefore, I enjoy this thread and the Facebook comments that I've read.

You know what's even more annoying than people stating their opinions on an internet message board? People who pretend like they're better than the aforementioned opinionated people because they don't care and would drive past their houses in red convertibles wearing sunglasses and sporting pompadours if they could because THEYRE SO FUCKING COOL FOR NOT CARING OMFG GUIZE LOOK AT ME NOT CARE IM BETTER THAN YOU

idiots

[Pendulum]

[Pendulum]

On another topic, what the actual fuck is going on with Wizards' weird love of all things Jace? Naming the font "beleren" is just insulting in a vague sort of way, like insinuating that if you're not into emo metrosexuals you shouldn't be playing Magic.

[Pendulum]

That jacecalated quickly.

[Kaitscralt]

jace... is an illusion

[Kaitscralt]

I just came up with a font joke so unfunny it could only be tweeted

[Pendulum]

I kind of wish they'd named the font 'bolas' so we could have another round of "means testicles in Portuguese"... seems like the jokes would write themselves.

[Col. Khaddafi]

I already vigorously slit my wrists when 8th Ed. came out, so I have no more tears left to shed.

[( G_R )]

I loved the M10 rules change and the new card frame. This latest tweak is exciting.

[Thrillho]

I enjoy reading people rage over stupid shit. Therefore, I enjoy this thread and the Facebook comments that I've read.

You know what's even more annoying than people stating their opinions on an internet message board? People who pretend like they're better than the aforementioned opinionated people because they don't care and would drive past their houses in red convertibles wearing sunglasses and sporting pompadours if they could because THEYRE SO FUCKING COOL FOR NOT CARING OMFG GUIZE LOOK AT ME NOT CARE IM BETTER THAN YOU

idiots

i agree that that can be
annoying but do you realize that -- in the great scheme of a game that has been around for over two decades and has remained popular throughout this time -- a comparatively insubstantial change (small tweaks to card real estate in favor of giving you more content, slight-to-significant depending on how OCD you are visual changes to the framing of the card) that does provide tangible benefit (re: tweak gives more space for text on cards) has been and is currently being met with the same kind of ardor usually reserved for a loss of a job or loved one.

a thing that is good for you as a consumer in one way and has virtually no affect on you in regards to your playing of a game that has been around for 20 years and to this point you've presumably enjoyed is being met with people kicking and screaming over what is at worst something of no consequence and at best makes it so that the cards you play with can do more things if it ever comes up.

like even if you hate the 8th edition card frames, ala Scumbag, you
still play with magical cards and i assume you've played with a card since 8th edition (or your deck is just bad and you should feel bad).

[DroppinSuga]

Cole gets me.

[Checkbox]

Lol I don't think its an optical illusion; go look at planeswalker cards, the border comes down the exact same way

[Stardust]

Lol I don't think its an optical illusion; go look at planeswalker cards, the border comes down the exact same way

Yeah, pull out your ruler. Any difference you think you see in the length of those two sides is your imagination.

[hamfactorial]

Isn't that the definition of an optical illusion?

[Stardust]

Yes, yes it is.