QA as in quality assurance. This has more or less always been our policy regarding virtual cards, but we felt like putting it in writing for the community might do some good after some of the more recent releases.
It’s no secret that RetroDBZ is Garrett and I’s hobby. We aren’t paid to do it, we make no money on the back-end through this site, we just really love this game, this license and this community. As such, though we try through our endeavors, we just don’t have the time or resources to thoroughly vet the Virtual Cards as much as we did when we were full-time employees at Score Entertainment. And while our success rate with the virtual cards is over 90%, in terms of avoiding game breaking material, we sometimes miss a few things as we try to come up with new and exciting ways to keep this game going all the while staying true to how the game was played back in the Score era. Again we don’t do this to make money, be popular, be winners, find self-validation, etc… We simply do this because this is our hobby and we love the game.
So to get to the point of the article, it would be fair to say that all Virtual Cards that we release are in a “constant beta test”. This is especially true when the cards are first released. We don’t put stuff out there and declare it to be perfect (though we try our best). We fully expect the community to vet new virtual cards in ways we either didn’t get around to or didn’t conceive of. Sometimes we hit the nail on the head and sometimes we’re off mark. And that’s really where the community comes in and where we really need you. We need you to be our playtesters!
When we release virtual cards, please do try to break them. We want the tournaments that have sprout up recently to be a really great experience for everyone involved, and we certainly don’t want it to be ruined by us inadvertently releasing something broken into the environment. We are depending on you to make this social experiment work, so please share your findings if you think a Virtual Card is unbalanced.
Some pointers on how to earn our respect and submit credible playtest data:
1) Don’t just say that it’s “broken.” Anyone who has worked professionally in gaming will tell you that this is one of the most laughable statements one can make. This doesn’t provide any useful data whatsoever, and is just seen as both derogatory and dimwitted (sometimes more one than the other). Actual playtesting quite frankly follows the scientific method in terms of needing data through experimentation to reach a conclusion. Anything short of actual tested data is fairly useless and generally ignored in the scheme of things.
2) Change requires data and evidence. If you want change, you gotta prove what you’re saying. Decklists that illustrate a reliable and consistent gamebreaking combo/method are the best ways to get a card errata’d. Submitting unsubstantiated theories or your own credentials in place of data and evidence is not sufficient to make a change (truth be told, we often ignore these and sometimes even joke about them). If you feel that we don’t listen to you, it’s most likely because you didn’t do the work to prove your point.
3) Be solution oriented. So you broke a card? Great! Now how do you fix it? This is your chance to make your mark on the game. I always recommend being as minimalist as possible when it comes to change and errata. When you send in your data, be positive and proactive with some solutions. Even test them out yourself first, if possible. We want to be able to move forward, so have some good ideas ready.
4) Don’t be a dick. As I mentioned before, Garrett and I devote a lot of time and money into this project, which really is just a hobby to us. We’re always a bit disappointed when we read comments and postings that are so full of venom and vitriol directed towards us. Remember that RetroDBZ is more or less an extension of how Garrett and I play DBZ on our kitchen table, which we then decided to share with everyone else. The popularity of our version of the game has exploded beyond all of our wildest expectations, which is fantastic, but we still urge everyone in the community to play DBZ in the way they find most entertaining with their friends. There should be no reason to be derogatory or condescending towards one another, and it’s something that we most definitely take a stand against. I have indeed deleted or ignored comments that had good perspective and data in them, simply because the posters could not relate them without including personal insults, and will most assuredly continue to do so in the future. You have a voice, use it wisely.
That’s all we have to say in this installment. Speaking of Virtual Card adjustments, the most recent Janemba Lv. 4 was in need of some change so we have a new updated version for you all. This is the version that is legal to play and viewable in the Virtual Cards library. This is to avoid potential combos with the card “Unlocked Potential“.
This entire article is broken and needs changed.
well said, love the don’t be a dick pointer
It really should be in the CRD 😛
You can’t errata stupid.
It’s true. We tried. That CRD update lasted about a week.
Chippy
CRDumb
I still volunteer to update the CRD.
This probably doesn’t have much to do with the article, I just have always thought it was annoying the non-Majin Vegeta’s last personalities 4 and 6 were from the Cell Saga. I think it would be cool if he had a personality 4 and 5 more up to date. Yah know Kid Buu/End of DBZ era 4 and 5.
I meant 4 and 5
I like it.
Also, I think you guys are doing a great job, I love the Virtual Card Sets! I would love to own a set of them!
One of the main problems is that it’s difficult to build anythning solid on shuch a shaky foundation. I really think OCG had the right idea starting with a clean slate and reintroducing modified versions of the cards from the old game mixed with new cards. This ensured proper balance etc.
They should have just banned the Saiyan and Frieza sagas way back when and half of the CRD would be unnecessary.
But that’s why the OCG is the OCG. It was for all intents and purposes it’s own game.
And there’s actually a precedence for wiping away all of Z to replace it with some new cards and reintroducing modified versions of old cards. It was called Dragon Ball GT. We’re going to stick with Z.
Thank you for making these excellent points.
A project I’ve had in mind for while, would be to go saga by saga and re- release the non banned cards (In virtual format with ‘original’ pics) with the errata built in. Personally I feel that this would make the game more accessible to new players. Years ago trying to teach some friends how to play and they’d think I was cheating when I wouldn’t let them use 3x Vegeta’s Physical Stance or other things. Even having played this game for over a decade now I still end up running multiple copies of a card not realizing its errata to ‘limit 1’ every now and again.
Granted this isn’t “Necessary”, I just feel like it’d be something that would help the community as whole grow. If someone(s) wanted to help with the templates I wouldn’t even mind doing the legwork myself.
Despite all the work involved, i think rereleasing all of the carss with errata to the virtual format would be ideal. However, those two sets need it the most.
Or at least rerelease the staples/somewhat played cards like TIAWT and the stop alls, Guldo, Nail, etc.
I agree, however we sadly don’t have much time to devote to that.
However, we love seeing “alt art” cards made by the community, and as long as the cards have all relevant and accurate information on them we consider them tournament legal.
I think the virtual cards are amazing…but honestly why did janemba change again. the unlocked potential card doesn’t create and infinite loop. its actually a pretty effective combo. and it only last for 1 turn. what was the point? isn’t the point of combat cards to but used to combo other cards. plus the odds of drawing it for a combo is not high. its not limit 1 per deck so drawing it is 3 out of 78. im just saying that some combos need to be kept in.
Hate to hear that you guys draw so much flak and negativity from people when all you are trying to do is create a fun experience for those of us who still have fond memories of this game. It’s possible that somewhere down the road somebody might have done what you guys have been doing these last few years, but you really have taken the game on your shoulders and done a lot to bring it back to the surface. Your points on asking for verifiable proof of a card’s abuse potential as well as asking adults to act like adults (even on the internet) will hopefully fall on some of the ears of people who seem like they have nothing to do but gripe and complain anyways. Odds are, if it wasn’t for Retro helping to create a sort of resurgence of Z through the online community, those type of people would still just be complaining that the old DBZ CCG was a great game and it was such a shame when it was canceled.