Experienced Shipfic Designer Here!

[Ithry]

Are you looking for a designer for your shipfic card power? Need an idea for your card art? Stumped on flavor text? I'd be more than happy to help! Feel free to post here or Skype me if you have any questions!

Here is a handy link to cards I have designed: http://ithryskylark.deviantart.com/gallery/

I have over two years of experience with graphic design, game design, and art direction for Level 99 Games. I use my spare time to make fan shipfic cards under the banner of Shipping and Handling!

https://twitter.com/mailordermare
http://mailordermare.tumblr.com/
https://www.facebook.com/mailordermare/

Feel free to contact me at the following:

Skype: ithry_skylark
Discord: Ithry#5380
email: mailordermare@gmail.com

[Lord LunaEquie is me]

I'm thinking of slapping the unused art for the three Shipwrecker cards onto the Pony card model and see how they work out as a trio of ponies with optional powers. (I'm also considering using the unused Shipwrecker card model so that they can be put into the ship deck, but am currently undecided on that one.)

What I have no idea how to do, though, is the flavor text. Despite how much fanfiction I've read over the years, I have little experience in writing it, almost none of the kind of shipping fanfiction that TSSSF parodies, and exactly zero experience in writing pony fanfiction. And, being the stickler that I am, I can't just make these cards without them being "feature-complete", as it were.

Would you be able to come up with a few lines to stick on our three misguided fillies?

[Ithry]

(I'm also considering using the unused Shipwrecker card model so that they can be put into the ship deck, but am currently undecided on that one.)

There was actually a discussion on Twitter the other day about Shipwreckers. I'm not sure which deck they are supposed to go into, but given the names and powers I'd say they go into the Pony deck, not Ship deck.

Would you be able to come up with a few lines to stick on our three misguided fillies?

It's a bit harder considering I have no idea what the final art was originally going to be and flavor texts usually relate to the art in some way. I'd imagine it was just them tearing up fanfics or ruining a story, but it could have been them destroying boats for all I know. Context would have been nice to know as well for why they are shipwrecking. Are they destroying bad fics about themselves? Are they trying to stop Twilight's reign of fanfiction terror? Do they just think it will be funny? It's hard to say what the original intent was. I'll assume the first one and spitball a bit:

Shorter one-liners assuming they're reacting to bad fics written about them:
Scootaloo: "Call me chicken will you?!"
Sweetie Belle: "I don't even like video games!" (You could add "Wait, what's a video game?" to the end of that also if you want.)
Apple Bloom: "I'm allergic to oranges!"

Quotes without ficlet titles are usually reserved for Twilight speaking, but I felt they were appropriate given the context of the cards and how they work. It's also a nice direct relation to what's probably going on in the art. Sets a nice precedent as well for any future Shipwreckers that are just "Shipwrecker NAME" with Ponies just destroying bad fics written about themselves.

I can come up with some longer or different ones if you'd like them.

EDIT: You mentioned there was unused art for these? I wasn't aware there was any official unused art for them.

[Western]

About Shipwrecker.

Shipwrecker use same back card as Pony

         "Pony": PIL_Helper.LoadImage(ResourcePath + "Backs/Back-Main.png"),
         "Shipwrecker": PIL_Helper.LoadImage(ResourcePath + "Backs/Back-Main.png"),

[Ithry]

About Shipwrecker.

Shipwrecker use same back card as Pony

         "Pony": PIL_Helper.LoadImage(ResourcePath + "Backs/Back-Main.png"),
         "Shipwrecker": PIL_Helper.LoadImage(ResourcePath + "Backs/Back-Main.png"),

Thanks for the confirmation!

[Lord LunaEquie is me]

EDIT: You mentioned there was unused art for these? I wasn't aware there was any official unused art for them.

Oops, yeah, I kind of figured most anyone who had been into designing cards for the game would have been through the github repository already. Actually I think what tipped me off was the alt-art Druid Fluttershy that... I forget who made using unused official art. Here's where the three are located:
https://github.com/HorriblePeople/Card-Art/blob/master/Art%20Graveyard/Action%20-%20Shipwrecker%20Applebloom.png
https://github.com/HorriblePeople/Card-Art/blob/master/Art%20Graveyard/Action%20-%20Shipwrecker%20Scootaloo.png
https://github.com/HorriblePeople/Card-Art/blob/master/Art%20Graveyard/Action%20-%20Shipwrecker%20Sweetie%20Belle.png

As you can see, not a whole lot to go on context-wise. At best, I figured they could represent the CMC kind of as we saw them in the show, when they tried to set Big Mac up with Cheerilee: honestly trying to be matchmakers and just failing horribly at it.

(I'm also considering using the unused Shipwrecker card model so that they can be put into the ship deck, but am currently undecided on that one.)

There was actually a discussion on Twitter the other day about Shipwreckers. I'm not sure which deck they are supposed to go into, but given the names and powers I'd say they go into the Pony deck, not Ship deck.

Thematically, I feel they do work best as ponies, especially considering the artwork that had been made of them. Mechanically, though, I feel it would be easy to make them as mirrors to Love Poisons: ship cards with optional alternate effects. Personally I feel there's a lot of room left for optional powers on ship cards (and IIRC there aren't as many ship cards as there are pony cards anyway, so adding to that deck wouldn't be a bad idea).

I don't know if all that helps? Honestly the art doesn't leave a whole lot to interpret, but I dunno, maybe going with a fourth-wall-breaking "the CMC found and scattered Twilight's shipfics" angle is the right one.

[Ithry]

Yeah not super useful, though I'd likely go with what I pitched earlier. Seems to fit the arts alright.

Cutie Mark Crusaders: Matchmakers and Suspiciously Romantic Random Picnic already reference the events of Hearts and Hooves Day, so I'm not sure I'd go in that direction. You could take the art as they just saw the fanfics and their immediate reaction to them:

Apple Bloom: "What the apples is this?" Apple Bloom picked up one of the many volumes lining the secret basement library, "Oh Big Mac, if I'm really honest with you I..." Apple Bloom's face soured. "Girls, I don't think this is the cutie mark section Twilight was talking about!" - CMCs Not-So-Excellent Adventure
Sweetie Belle: "What are you talking about Apple Bloom? This has to be the place! Look, this one is called '50 Shades of Cutie Marks'!" Sweetie Belle opened to a random page and began reading aloud. She quickly began choking back tears of disgust at the contents. "This is just awful!" - CMCs Not-So-Excellent Adventure
Scootaloo: "You know what we gotta do right, girls?" she looked knowingly at the other two, whose looks shared her sentiments, "Burn them all!" "Hire an editor!" "Go tell Applejack!" - CMCs Not-So-Excellent Adventure

[Lord LunaEquie is me]

Oh my god, those are Awesome with a capital A. Thanks so much for the help.

Would you mind if I keep picking your brain about adapting these cards? I want to make sure what I've got fits within the established rules and guidelines and all.

[Ithry]

Sure, no problem! In an attempt to not make this thread too long, if possible, feel free to message me on Skype at ithry_skylark or via personal email at plaird_the_fallen@hotmail.com

[N.A. Larson]

Thematically, I feel they do work best as ponies, especially considering the artwork that had been made of them. Mechanically, though, I feel it would be easy to make them as mirrors to Love Poisons: ship cards with optional alternate effects. Personally I feel there's a lot of room left for optional powers on ship cards (and IIRC there aren't as many ship cards as there are pony cards anyway, so adding to that deck wouldn't be a bad idea).

Western is correct: they do go in the Pony deck (check out the card-backs file in the GitHub).

There IS room for more optional powers on Ship cards (Conflicting Headcanons in BC's Con Life set had a Shipwreck-like power), but as written the Shipwrecks would be bad in the Ship deck, because they aren't Ship cards and their power isn't optional. The number of actions you can make on your turn is equal to the number of Ship cards in your hand. If you can't activate any powers to get more Ship cards (and you don't have any Replacers), then you can make 3 actions. If one of those is a Shipwreck, then you can make two, and the third will only let you discard part of the grid. While there can be strategic advantage to discarding cards from the grid, in this regard a Shipwreck is worse than a Love Poison, because the Love Poison will also give you a Pony power activation. Also, the Love Poison can be optionally played as a normal ship (as of Core 1.1.5).

Now you may be asking: If a Shipwreck is a dead card in hand as a Ship, isn't it also a dead card in hand as a Pony? Technically yes, but the hand size is DESIGNED for this. Going back to the previous example, barring getting more Ship cards or using Replace powers, you can only make 3 actions per turn, which means you can only play up to 3 of the 4 Pony cards in your hand. This means you will usually end your turn with at least one Pony card that you can’t play. Thus, the size and makeup of a TSSSF hand makes it possible to save strategically important cards for later.

TL;DR: Horrible People intended Shipwrecks for the Pony deck, and they probably work better there.

the alt-art Druid Fluttershy that... I forget who made using unused official art.

'Twas I!

I want to make sure what I've got fits within the established rules and guidelines and all.

Be sure to check out our TSSSF Style Guide, if you haven't already

[Lord LunaEquie is me]

You know, I didn't think about all that. You've got a very good point there about hand size and actions.

Sorry for forgetting it was you who posted that Druid Fluttershy. I'm still getting people's names straight in my head.

I did take a look at the style guide, and I think maybe the Shipwreck cards could be slightly reworded based on those guidelines, but I want to be super-sure that any corrections are properly acceptable. Since I don't have any real experience designing cards, and none with TSSSF, I would want to confer with the resident masters as it were to give me the once-over.

[N.A. Larson]

I would want to confer with the resident masters as it were to give me the once-over.

Ithry won't steer you wrong!

[LevelUpEagle]

Hello. I'm new here. I am a shipper who wants to make a name for herself. I have lots of great Shipfic card ideas, and I'm an experienced fanfiction writer, but I can't draw worth a darn. I humbly request your assistance in this matter.

[Ithry]

Hey!

I'm no artist, I commission all my shipfic art! I do have experience with art direction! If you'd like to talk more about card design or art direction, feel free to add me on Skype at ithry_skylark or email me at mailordermare@gmail.com

I can also suggest some great artists that have experience with shipfic art if you'd like!

[LevelUpEagle]

Do you know any artists who are interested in finding partners? My particular project is long-term.