Lance Miller Decks -- Official Thread

[LanceTMiller]

Borrowing an idea from Paul (Encarded) here:

Check it out guys, this is the OFFICIAL main thread for all things related to Lance Miller Decks. Here you'll find out about new contests, deck releases, my Pro-Team and more!

To get this thread rolling, we'll play a little game called Ask Me Anything. Ready? Go!

- Lance

[badpete69]

Hey lance
Like I ask you every other day did my Black and white actuator decks ship yet hahahaha? Can't wait to get them

Pierre

[kc62002]

will you do more fantasy themed decks? Dragons, fairies, etc..

[LanceTMiller]

Hey lance
Like I ask you every other day did my Black and white actuator decks ship yet hahahaha? Can't wait to get them

Pierre

Pierre, your answer should be sitting in your email box

will you do more fantasy themed decks? Dragons, fairies, etc..

That is a great question. My core artwork centers around Fantasy Art themes so, I definitely plan to do more Fantasy themed decks.

- Lance

[badpete69]

Lance

i see that. Thanks a bunch

[Strag]

What is the hardest thing about designing a deck?

[LanceTMiller]

What is the hardest thing about designing a deck?

For me, the hardest thing about designing a deck is staying true to a theme and not compromising the validity of the lore or the viability of the end product. As an artist, it's easy to make certain artistic or design decisions based on what's easier to draw or to create, or what's cheaper to produce. However, if a concept calls for more intense artwork, I strive to meet that quality put forth within the idea. For example, the Artist's Edition Actuators: The idea was, what would Bicycle Branded cards look like were they to be rendered in an alternate time where steam power was the norm? That's a hard concept in and of itself. There is no real guide for what Steampunk is, except from artists that have tread the path before me and from writings of certain prolific authors. There are also many schools of thought on what is acceptable and practical. I had to float between believable costuming and viable props for the court characters to wield and even what materials to print on. Well that meant that I couldn't just use standard faces and had to create my own; I tried seeing what normal USPCC faces would look like and it just didn't seem to fit. The Victorian era was much more about elegance and richness of color and pattern than it was about small accurate patterns built for efficiency of use. (hence the elongated pips and more surface area for all the cards)

Now as far as the final product goes, for as many people who begged me to add embossing to the tucks, I had to stay the course and think to myself, what would a Victorian era package look like? It couldn't be printed on bleach white paper, so I had to seek out new paper sources. Further, the serial numbers would have to be hand stamped in order to not be too perfect. The cards themselves also wouldn't be bleached white, but the only way to make that work would have been to add a parchment pattern to the card, which would have effected the quality of handling so this was a compromise I had to make for the good of cardists and magicicans. All things considered it's tough, making one decision based on staying true to the lore could effect how the deck is received in terms of performance. Conversely the Fantasy Art community has very strict ideals in most cases and if you attempt to create art not fitting with their mentality of believable art or you don't know the genre well, then you're less likely to sell your product, and they'll call you out on your inability to create what they feel is right. I can't tell you how many people have picked up my Actuators and without being prompted said "Now this is Steampunk!"

That is a good feeling to have To me, it means that I executed my idea well, and really paid attention to my core audience.

Great Question! I thoroughly enjoyed answering this and if you need any elaboration, feel free to ask.

- Lance

[New Collector 83]

What advice can you give someone who is trying to create a deck for the first time.

[LanceTMiller]

What advice can you give someone who is trying to create a deck for the first time.

The best advice that I can give is to take your time. Seriously, take a year or two years and develop something you'll really be proud of. Everyone seems to be really excited to jump in the ring and try to throw a deck together and rush to market with their idea. The problem is that a lot of these folks are not utilizing basic design principles and it shows, nor have they the ability to market appropriately. It's not that they don't have good ideas, some do, but their execution of the concept is lacking in very key areas that can very easily determine success or failure. To produce a deck of cards takes years of understanding and applying both basic design principles, advanced knowledge of software, as well as the creative eye necessary to create something of tangible value.

So my advice here is, start simple, grab a pencil and paper and work your idea out on paper first. If you can't draw on paper, you really owe it to yourself to start there. Then once your concept is flushed out, run it by a group of actual designers and artists, NOT a group of your friends or random forum members. Artists and designers should be straight forward with you and tell it like it is. If part of your design or concept is lacking they will tell you so. You need to be able to take critique so that you can learn and grow. Egos have to go out the door in this industry because you are creating for a market that demands certain things. If the market sees your concept and it's not well thought out, you will get torn to shreds. There are plenty of examples out there to back up that claim, my initial Gargoyle thread on UC.net being one of them. My idea was even fleshed out and ready to print, but because no one knew who I was, and because the concept was completely new, there was a huge amount of scrutiny thrown my way.

Now, if all that seems scary, start smaller with general art projects and work your way up or work at a design or marketing firm for a bit and gain some real world experience. A deck of cards is a huge project to undertake, and even seasoned artist's and designers such as myself and Paul Carpenter struggled on our first go at the market. Mind you, we both have YEARS of experience in general design and marketing fields. We also have expert knowledge of the software we use and have fine tuned our creative eye. I'm not saying any of this to discourage people from trying, but I am very interested in painting a realistic picture for anyone that is curious what it takes to become a pro at this. Don't get me wrong, I'm far from arrived myself, I have a lot of way to go before I can really say I am a top notch pro because I hold myself to an impossibly high standard.

All things considered, Time is what separates the pros from the rest of the pack. Whether it was time spent developing and honing their skill, or time in concept and execution. The best take their time to get there.

The Sage Advice Bonus: Get mentored! Anyone whoever makes it in this world has mentors, people whom they regard highly above others who offer advice and suggestions pertaining to several areas of their life. I have a business mentor, an art mentor, a magic mentor, and a general life mentor. Each are different people this way I don't burden one person with all of the areas I seek improvement on.

[Encarded]

If I may jump into this topic, I'd like to say that everyone should listen carefully to Lance, for he knows of what he speaks.

Doing a deck design, or any complex design task, is more than just the art. It's more than just the technical skills. It is a combination of art, understanding your market, logistics, usability, trends and more. While you certainly have to start somewhere, don't think that just because you whip up the design in photoshop that you are all set.

Before I launched my Tendril kickstarter, I spent many weeks just looking at other projects. I analyzed them heavily, built complex spreadsheets, calculated costs, looked at what was most popular. Concurrently, I spent months on forums, researching, getting the feeling for what people like, getting feedback, contributing, building some trust along with some careful hype. All that stuff is important but very costly in time. Some may think that it's overkill to spend time like that, but look at what happened: by carefully crafting things, an unknown guy from nowhere came onto Kickstarter, blew through a large goal in 7 days (much faster than anyone else at the time) and went on to solidly break the record for playing cards.

I say this not to toot my own horn, but to show the importance of planning and careful thought. Design is one thing, but to be successful you have to get all those other things in line. It is a HUGE amount of work, so prepare yourself for a long haul if you want to do it right. I spent more than 5 months just preparing for my deck on Kickstarter, and many months after that working hard to get it out to people.

The market seems very different now, with people throwing money at pretty much anything, but I think it's important to put effort into your design. Don't just do something "ok", make something as great as you possibly can. Look at your design critically, get feedback, be prepared to toss a lot out the window and start fresh. Even with a solid theme, you might find yourself on a very different road from where you planned. And that is perfectly OK and probably for the best. I think that a lot of people are seeing the excitement in cards and just jumping in without much thought, which ultimately will dilute the market and turn some people off. People will still love cards in 6 months. Take some time, do it right and in the end you will have something to build on.

Somewhat of a ramble, sorry, but I hope that a few words from the (only-ever-so-slightly-wise) fellows might help someone else do something amazing.

[New Collector 83]

Another question then.

what programs should be used when creating a deck.

[Russell]

Make a deck for yourself and assume you are not going to make a dime on it. Also, if the only designing you have done is the highschool newsletter, then you are not ready.

The programs to use are Photoshop and Illustrator and if you are just now buying them then you are not ready.

Don't let my harsh words discourage you, give it a try. The only way to get batter or know if you are any good is to share your designs or ideas!

You = everyone, not just 'new collector 83'

[New Collector 83]

I've used both. I have Photoshop but not Illustrator. I have not used illustrator in maybe 6 years (back in the years of Photoshop 7). I guess I should start again.

[walrus]

Hey Lance, Thanks for giving us the opportunity to ask you anything. I have a couple questions for you.

1-What is the air speed velocity of an unladen african swallow?

2-Do you plan on releasing any other types of the Actuators?

Your prompt attention to these questions is much appreciated, Thank you.

The Walrus
Verified Troll.

[walrus]

Who died and made you Lance Mr. BMp.

Thanks!

P.S- I was wondering if said swallow were flying into a medium gust of wind on a sunny day with light cloud cover what then, praytell, would his velocity be.

[BMPokerworld]

Who died and made you Lance Mr. BMp.

Thanks!

P.S- I was wondering if said swallow were flying into a medium gust of wind on a sunny day with light cloud cover what then, praytell, would his velocity be.

Well, you usually do not have a sunny day with light cloud cover, but if you did, his speed would be 22.638 MPH

Thanks!

[CBJ]

I think it would also depend on the altitude

[BMPokerworld]

I think it would also depend on the altitude

Africa has very high skies so I don't think it would matter. Their maximum flying height is only 2268 feet above sea level.

Thanks!

[walrus]

Alright, back on track, enough with you two yapping about the skies of Africa. Received my Actuators yesterday. I am very pleased with them. Nice job Lance. I have no issues with backing you, cc cards and ussi. Look forward to your next creation.

[vasta41]

Also received my Actuators a few days ago- BRAVO!!! And thanks!

Awaiting your next release...

[badpete69]

My Black and White Actuators just came in today. Thanks Lance

[LanceTMiller]

My Black and White Actuators just came in today. Thanks Lance

Also received my Actuators a few days ago- BRAVO!!! And thanks!

Awaiting your next release...

Alright, back on track, enough with you two yapping about the skies of Africa. Received my Actuators yesterday. I am very pleased with them. Nice job Lance. I have no issues with backing you, cc cards and ussi. Look forward to your next creation.

Thanks guys, I am so glad you like the cards. Please share any photos or videos you have of you using the cards I always like to see people using them

In other news:

Hey Lance, Thanks for giving us the opportunity to ask you anything. I have a couple questions for you.

1-What is the air speed velocity of an unladen african swallow?

2-Do you plan on releasing any other types of the Actuators?

Your prompt attention to these questions is much appreciated, Thank you.

The Walrus
Verified Troll.

South African Swallow (Hirundo spilodera) vs. European Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Although 47 of the 74 worldwide swallow species are found in Africa,1 only two species are named after the continent: the West African Swallow (Hirundo domicella) and the South African Swallow (Hirundo spilodera), also known as the South African Cave Swallow.

Since the range of the South African Swallow extends only as far north as Zaire,2 I felt fairly confident that this was the non-migratory African species referred to in previous discussions of the comparative and cooperative weight-bearing capabilities of African and European swallows.3

Kinematic data for both African species was difficult to find, but the Barn or European Swallow (Hirundo rustica) has been studied intensively, and kinematic data for that species was readily available.

It’s a simple question of weight ratios
A 54-year survey of 26,285 European Swallows captured and released by the Avian Demography Unit of the University of Capetown finds that the average adult European swallow has a wing length of 12.2 cm and a body mass of 20.3 grams.4

Because wing beat frequency and wing amplitude both scale with body mass,5 and flight kinematic data is available for at least 22 other bird species,6 it should be possible to estimate the frequency (f ) and amplitude (A) of the European Swallow by a comparison with similar species. With those two numbers, it will be possible to estimate airspeed (U).

In order to maintain airspeed velocity, a swallow needs to beat its wings forty-three times every second, right?
Actually, wrong. By comparing the European Swallow with bird species of similar body mass, we can estimate that the swallow beats its wings 18 times a second with an amplitude of 18 cm:

Species Body mass Frequency Amplitude
Zebra Finch 13 g 27 Hz 11 cm
European Swallow 20 g ≈ 18 Hz? ≈ 18 cm?
Downy Woodpecker 27 g 14 Hz 29 cm
Budgerigar 34 g 14 Hz 15 cm
Note that even the tiny Zebra Finch flaps its wings no more than 27 times a second while cruising.

If we ignore body mass and look only at bird species with a similar wingspan, we can estimate an average frequency of 14 beats per second and an amplitude of 23 cm:

Species Wingspan Frequency Amplitude
Budgerigar 27 cm 14 Hz 15 cm
European Swallow ≈ 28–30 cm ≈ 14 Hz? ≈ 23 cm?
Downy Woodpecker 31 cm 14 Hz 29 cm
European Starling 35 cm 14 Hz 26 cm
By averaging all 6 values, we can estimate that an average European Swallow flies at cruising speed with a frequency of roughly 15 beats per second, and an amplitude of roughly 22 cm.

Skip a bit, Brother
Last month’s article on The Strouhal Number in Cruising Flight showed how simplified flight waveforms that graph amplitude versus wavelength can be useful for visualizing the Strouhal ratio (fA/U), a dimensionless parameter that tends to fall in the range of 0.2–0.4 during efficient cruising flight.

For a European Swallow flying with our estimated wingbeat amplitude of 24 cm, the predicted pattern of cruising flight ranges from a Strouhal number (St) of 0.2:


... to a less efficient 0.4:


If the first diagram (St = 0.2) is accurate, then the cruising speed of the European Swallow would be roughly 16 meters per second (15 beats per second * 1.1 meters per beat). If the second diagram (St = 0.4) is accurate, then the cruising speed of the European Swallow would be closer to 8 meters per second (15 beats per second * 0.55 meters per beat).

If we settle on an intermediate Strouhal value of 0.3:


We can estimate the airspeed of the European Swallow to be roughly 11 meters per second (15 beats per second * 0.73 meters per beat).

Three shall be the number thou shalt count
Airspeed can also be predicted using a published formula. By inverting this midpoint Strouhal ratio of 0.3 (fA/U ≈ 0.3), Graham K. Taylor et al. show that as a rule of thumb, the speed of a flying animal is roughly 3 times frequency times amplitude (U ≈ 3fA).5

We now need only plug in the numbers:

U ≈ 3fA
f ≈ 15 (beats per second)
A ≈ 0.22 (meters per beat)
U ≈ 3*15*0.22 ≈ 9.9
... to estimate that the airspeed velocity of an unladen European Swallow is 10 meters per second.

Oh, yeah, I agree with that
With some further study, it became clear that these estimates are accurate, though perhaps coincidental.

An actual study of two European Swallows flying in a low-turbulence wind tunnel in Lund, Sweden, shows that swallows flap their wings much slower than my estimate, at only 7–9 beats per second:

“Compared with other species of similar size, the swallow has quite low wingbeat frequency and relatively long wings.” 7
The maximum speed the birds could maintain was 13–14 meters per second, and although the Lund study does not discuss cruising flight in particular, the most efficient flapping (7 beats per second) occurred at an airspeed in the range of 8–11 meters per second, with an amplitude of 90–100° (17–19 cm).

And there was much rejoicing
Averaging the above numbers and plugging them in to the Strouhal equation for cruising flight (fA/U = 7 beats per second * 0.18 meters per beat / 9.5 meters per second) yields a Strouhal number of roughly 0.13:


... indicating a surprisingly efficient flight pattern falling well below the expected range of 0.2–0.4.

Although a definitive answer would of course require further measurements, published species-wide averages of wing length and body mass, initial Strouhal estimates based on those averages and cross-species comparisons, the Lund wind tunnel study of birds flying at a range of speeds, and revised Strouhal numbers based on that study all lead me to estimate that the average cruising airspeed velocity of an unladen European Swallow is roughly 11 meters per second, or 24 miles an hour.

Shall we continue then with the Ask Me Anything Game?

- Lance (verified anti-troll)

**Disclaimer** I did not test these statements, nor did I write them, but my Google-foo is mad strong. (http://style.org/unladenswallow/)

[Russell]

...smurfing nerd.



I actually read all of that, sooooo I'm the nerd.

[walrus]

Lance you are a breath of freh air. Why could not anyone else give me such a short
yet concise answer. It seems you are much brighter than BMp.

THE WALRUS

verified UC troll

[BMPokerworld]

Lance,

You have outdated information. The U ≈ 3*15*0.22 ≈ 9.9 has been modified to U ≈2.654*15*0.22 ≈ 9.9. That is why the correct speed is as I posted, 22.638 MPH and not the 24 MPH that you posted. Please post more current information in the future.

Thanks!

[Russell]

HA!

[LanceTMiller]

OFFICIAL POST!

RE: UNCUT SHEETS

In exactly one week's time, I will henceforth remove the uncut sheets I currently have for sale from my website and they will NEVER be sold again. They will only be able to be obtained as prizes, or as sales bonuses moving forward. This means, that if you want one, you have one week to buy them. After that, they will get locked away and brought back out only on rare occasions.

- Lance

[Mirror]

I just recognized that i would love to see an official Actuators Desktop Wallpaper

[LanceTMiller]

I just recognized that i would love to see an official Actuators Desktop Wallpaper

You mean like this? http://lancetmiller.com/Steampunk_Swag

Black and White Variations are on their way

- Lance

[MagikFingerz]

No 1366x768? Aw man