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Paul just posted this new deck on his Facebook page.

Arte Nova for Encarded's 2022 Patrons.
Limited to approx. 100 decks.

Looks pretty sweet to me

That looks like it might be AI generated.

Adamthinks wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 4:17 pm That looks like it might be AI generated.

It would seem you are right, which is a shame. I think these look lovely but I am not at a point where I want to add AI decks to my collection.

I found this on his website:

"A peek at the unique things that top supporters on Patreon will be getting. I’ve been experimenting with generative art (and a LOT of photoshop) and will be hand-making 50 decks with unique art for the tuck boxes. All will “feel” similar but have completely different details. It’s really fun..."

Maybe I'm old fashioned but I prefer a human drawing playing cards instead of typing a prompt into a website

Kudos to artists who aren't afraid using new tools.

Amazing how each AI generated pic is different when it's meant to be the same and each deck looks exactly like all the other AI decks when they are meant to be unique. Nothing about this appeals to me even if the rough edges have been smoothed out with photoshop. Weak.

no qualms from me. if i like it i get it. as i understand how it all works, even curating ai made images is more effort than many of the card brands out here put in. we all know who those are and that people still buy the shit out of those.

new update on patreon, I personally like them a lot, what about you?

I like most all of Encarded's designs, but they are often WAY out of my price range I was a Patreon member of his for a few months but it just wasn't worth it to me unfortunately

Tuck is very nice for sure, but have to see the rest of the courts to be sure. Having got Red Black's Singularity , would like to see how they compare with Arte Nova

This art style is not my thing, but Paul is a very talented designer and the solid work still shows through, regardless. Encarded was one of my first draws into this crazy hobby, and I have loved a lot of his work. I wish his more recent work was a little more accessible, but thems the breaks.

https://encarded.com/collections/playin ... rl-edition $149 for the pearl edition x/50

I like what I see but not enough to make any moves to get these.

About five times what I'd be willing to pay

boys are very rare decks as they are copies made in addition to the fact that they are hand carved and assembled. I can't justify the price, but I think it's worth it.

I was a Patron for several months, but I just couldn't see the point. Paul was actually my first Patreon backed artist. I too think this is too rich for my blood. I have a few of Paul's decks, but not a lot. At some point I just had to draw the line. That said, the deck does look nice.

The AI that generated it appreciates your compliment

I understand from a business standpoint why Paul would want to sell 50 decks for $149 rather than 500 for $14.99, but it's a shame as it's evident many of us are passing as a result. I do like the art on these, I have to say, despite it being AI generated.

I know the AI art is controversial but something about this really draws me in. Might be the colours or the design but I can’t get there on pricing. Wish I could though.

I think this is really cool. And AI or not there was a lot of work to make this into a deck. Try typing “playing card” as a prompt and you get wild unusable results.

I’m a patron - this is not one of those “flood you with stuff” ones, but since Encarded was one of my first really nice different pack (at the time was looking for good handling indestructible cards) - I’m in for a good while.

If you have been contemplating buying this deck (now only available secondhand for inflated prices), I want to offer a word of caution so you can make an informed decision. I had no idea this was the case until I encountered this on Instagram.

Art is still very nice on the deck imo. Not three digits dollar nice but still very nice.
Not really getting what the OP on instagram is having a problem with. If an artist hand assembles decks and carves a pattern that matches the artwork of the tuckbox in carat cases, then this is more artsy than any TXI deck of the past years. I mean people pay through their nose for Lorenzo prototypes so, again not getting what the dude has a problem with .

I think the issue lies more in expectation vs. reality and the withholding of some details. I do still love the art in the deck and would buy it at standard deck pricing with a conventional tuck that's not 1/1.

As far as my expectations went, I assumed these to be unique tuckboxes, each printed with a slightly different design. Maybe I'm wrong but I think that's a fair assumption. Instead, it was a unique sticker stuck onto the front of the tuckbox. The quality of the laser engraving was also lower than expected.

I do agree that this endeavor still required much more effort than a mass produced deck might. It doesn't take away from the way these were marketed to consumers prior to purchasing. I think $260+ might warrant some complaints.

Expectation vs. reality is indeed often the issue. That's why I always have been chary to give my funds to Encarded. I'm not that vigilante about following his projects due to his choosen business model but If I recall correctly it's not the first time there was some minor trouble with his projects so I would assess my expectations in regards to Encarded.