Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
There are two types of spell cards: Magic Cards and Trap Cards. Spells can be benefi-
cial or destructive and can affect creatures, players, or other spells. In addition to
affecting cards already in play, they can also affect cards in a player's hand, deck, or
graveyard. Some spells affect multiple cards and some can only target a single card.
Create a design to test the rule described in the second sentence of the Black Pendant
card text. Two criteria must be met for the card to inflict 500 points of direct damage
to your opponent:
1. The card is sent
from
the “field�? and
2. The card is sent
to
the “graveyard�?
From the brief description of the game just provided, you know that the card can
either be in a player's hand, field, or graveyard, or removed from the game. Likewise,
a card can be sent to a hand, field, or graveyard.
Establish the top level of the tree using the “from�? criteria. This should include all of
the “zones�? that the card can originate from. Use rounded symbols for this design tree
to distinguish it from the test case and game function trees shown earlier in this chapter.
Also place some text at the top of the column to help remember what function these
nodes represent. Your result should look like Figure 13.6.
Now add the “to�? criteria possibilities.
Since a card does not get sent to the
same place it came from, exclude those
branches from the tree. For example,
there should not be a Hand branch
below the top-level Hand node.
Further constrain the tree by only
including branches that contain at least
one of the success criteria (“from
hand�? or “to graveyard�?). This set of
constraints eliminates the Graveyard-
Graveyard branch, so remove the
Graveyard node from the Card “from�?
level. At this stage of development the
tree should look like Figure 13.7.
Figure 13.6
Top level of Black Pendant test tree.
The next level of the tree should cover the possible causes of the removal of the Black
Pendant card. From the preceding game description, this could be caused by a Magic,
Spell, or Monster card. Figure 13.8 includes the addition of the cause nodes.
