How Does the Head Designer for Magic: The Gathering Do His Job?

This week, we go back to Wizards of the Coast to talk to Mark Rosewater, the head designer for Magic: The Gathering.

Last week, Alison Luhrs told Jordan all about creating the stories behind Magic cards.
And it’s the job of Mark and his team to come up with the mechanics of those cards. Mark explains how, once he and his team come up with the creative concept for a particular Magic set, there are lots of other things to think about. They have to figure out not only how that deck works on its own, but also how it fits into a game that has tens of thousands of cards already out there—not to mention all the various ways the massive fan base can play with those cards. The calculations are so complex that they even have a full-time economist on staff.

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