⬣ The Game ⬣
A tabletop trading card gamefor all ages, families, and friends.Play solo, duo, or with many players.
⬣ Hosting Resources ⬣
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⎔ Hosting Summary ⎔
Fractal Force is an educational tool, more than a fun game.Hosting allows an instructor
(teacher, interpreter, homeschooler, babysitter: any instructor)
a cost-effective, nearly free
way to experience and wield the game via a renting contract.In return, DracoVisions recieves covert advertising and usage metrics.It's quite a symbiotic relationship.
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⬣ Vendors + Sales ⬣
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⎔ Authorized Online Venues ⎔
These are DracoVisions online shopfronts linked to on the "Purchase" page,
with fees processed by the following partners:
Worldwide shipping
Printing services
Individual purchases
Wholesale purchases
USA shipping only
A more familiar, easy to use interface
Ability to bundle accessories + cards into cart
Individual purchases
Digital Assets (Print + Play, Fliers, etc.)
A more familiar, easy to use interface
Ability to bundle several files into cart
Individual purchases
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⎔ Authorized Resale Vendors ⎔
Building This Section of the Website! Check back Soon!
Buy the game in a "brick + mortar" Store!
These vendors may legally resell
copies of the game which have been purchased wholesale.
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DracoVisions LLC is not endorsed by any of the above brands, entities, or services.
See our disclaimers.
⬣ The Decklist ⬣
View the official decklist for Android here.The decklist is free for everyone to use. It uses the amazing Memento Database application, which is safe and free to install.The decklist exists so everyone knows all the cards which exist. It is essentially the Fractal Force wiki: condensed, efficient, and free of advertisements. Once downloaded, the decklist can be used offline.Use the decklist to shop, strategize, and learn.
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⎔ Interface Guide ⎔
Videos guiding new users through the database will soon be uploaded here.
⬣ About the Game ⬣
Six colors in a deck each correspond to a theme,
representing a powerful aspect, idea,
or force of nature.Each theme has its own bisymmetrical shape:
These shapes form the foundation for connections.With shapes as well as colors, more people
— such as those who are colorblind in some way —
may enjoy playing the game and connecting with the people they love. For the very young, simply focus on connecting colors and shapes, introducing ever more complex concepts as appropriate to the age group playing the game.These themes were chosen because on planet Earth, these environmental forces are what guide our choices and lives. They are in and through everything we do, every moment of our existence, in some way. They are a foundation, an inspiration. Since ancient times, humans have observed their significance. Many cultures saw the manipulation of these forces as the responsibility of gods, deities, magic, or spirits.Now, we use technology to measure these forces every moment of each day.Such is their importance to life.Tap a shape in the gallery above to read more about its development.
⬣ Development Timeline ⬣
This timeline encompasses major milestones of development over 3 years and future plans.
Reading it may give you some insight if you'd like to start your own business and develop a game.
Or, you could satisfy certain curiosities not covered in the decklist's resource tabs.
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⎔ Development: Patches ⎔
A list of known issues which will be fixed over time, but are not currently crippling to the game.
Should you obtain a misprint, consider it to be a "novelty" ... of growing pains!
Such errors often become coveted over time, consider the value of coins with minty errors...
And trading cards with weird printing issues...
Yeah, this justification is the only thing which lets me sleep at night.Also, view the "contact" section to let DracoVisions know of any "bugs" you discover.
Simply shoot me an email!
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⎔ 2022 - 2023 ⎔
Issue | Details | Affected Sequences | Affected Date Range | |||
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Upsidedown Core Box Belly | Trademark in DV logo, text lines. | First 10 post soft-launch Core Pack Box prints. | 2022 December | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
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Wind - Cardback | "Pollenation" spelling error. | First 10 post soft-launch Core Pack prints. | 2022 Decemberㅤ | |||
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Trademark Symbols | ™ will turn to circled R | All current prints with logos | Inception - March 2023 |
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⎔ Further Forward ⎔
A major plan for the future involves developing this game
for the digital world.
Playing physically is fantastic for many reasons,
but the cards take up a lot of space!
Less problematic when your game board is (nearly) infinite.---One day, I’d love to make 3D tiles with magnets and engraved half-shapes as an alternative to cards so kids can have more interactive fun - and fully blind people can play with tactile skills.This is an echo of a development concept,
when the shapes were bisymmetrical along the card's extreme edge.
Connecting the halves would make a whole shape.A 3D game tile like this would be way more expensive and take up a lot of space!
But, they would be very satisfying to play… click click together.
⎔ 2023 ⎔
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2023 May 23:
Trademarked
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Next:
⎔ 2022 ⎔
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2022 Feb 02:
The First Core
The first Core Pack was ordered today. When it was delivered, I was beyond excited. It was real! At last!I still despise the box. Oh, don't even get me started on the box. What you can buy now is VERSION TEN. TEN.Fun tidbit, the half-shapes are still present within the game box, colored white, can you find them on yours?
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2022 Mar 10:
Shimmers
After toying with the idea of shimmers for months, I decided it was definitely time to get prototype shimmers going.Foils and holos sell well for other card games. I really should have shimmers when the game launches for many reasons. Profit. Novelty.If I'm going to do a photoshoot, I might as well include the shimmer for efficiency.
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2022, Spring:
To Bother a Photographer
I commissioned Mallin Photography in early March, but had to wait until I received prototypes good enough for photo shooting. I contacted him early to make sure the shots I wanted to do were possible.In April I finally sent him my prototypes in the mail, and was able to have real visuals for advertising and website interfacing via emails.People like to see "the real thing," until this point, all I had were my digital vectors of the cards.
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2022 Apr 20:
"Soft" Launch
MakePlayingCards.com has authorized Basic Pack listings as of the past few days and this morning.11 shimmer cards were released to the etsy shop in celebration of all this progress.Remaining to do: set up and fund advertising campaigns. As all of this stands, today is the day the project could walk on its own.
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2022 Dec 4:
Official Launch
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Next:
⎔ 2021 ⎔
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2021 Aug 17:
Digital Development Begins
The idea to use hexagons instead of dominoes, and expand the game into an actual product, came before this, but the digital groundwork started today. I verified that a printing service, MakePlayingCards.com, could do hexagon cards, and began serious development.Lots of fuss followed - drawing a geometric hexagon with the correct proportions, settling on theme shapes, expanding from just a card name to a wordcloud. See "Other Decisions" below for yet more factors.
There's really quite a list.The next day, I changed the name of the game. Fractal "Forest" did not have the scope. Fractal "Force" is more than global, it is universal.As soon as I had settled on the name, I grabbed social media slots.
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2021 Aug 26:
Birth of the Decklist
To create a database showing users all available cards... Why? Every card game I have ever played, I have wanted to know what was out there. Many gamers create dedicated wikis for this purpose. I wanted to have it all available for everyone immediately! I've even set it up as a "wiki," in that two aspects of it rely on user contributions: connection examples and lore fragments.I had long been a user of Memento Database, using it for Fractal Force was seamless and made a lot of sense.
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2021 Oct 13:
Prototyping
Today, the very first cards were printed. Many troubleshooting print tests followed through the rest of this year and into the next.I needed tough cards which could handle being handled. P10 plastic on the largest available hexagon size were the best choice. Had to get the colors (wow Earth was wrong), material, and positioning just right!Cards are quite tough and playable, and I was satisfied enough with MakePlayingCards as a production partner to proceed indefinitely.
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2021 Oct 18:
Pack Puzzle, Card Counts per Pack
I had a development tool to help me create cards for the first pack, the core Pack. I turned this tool into a giant hexagon puzzle with a grand count of 61 cards! The cards are known - there is no randomness in this or any other pack.The only "random" aspect of purchasing Fractal Force is the variant cards. I really dislike being forced to build decks from luck by buying multiple released packs, or directly purchasing one card at a time, for other games.
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2021 Nov 18:
Legal Moves
To secure the future of the entire Fractal Force endeavor, I hired a lawyer to file for a trademark in a different class (under the International Certification of Goods and Services system) than an existing Fractal Force trademark.From that lawyer I learned that it would be best to file the trademark under an LLC, so I turned my etsy shop name "DracoVisions" into an LLC, public file ID is 202111051539989. The LLC covers many more projects than the etsy store front.The trademark serial number for Fractal Force is #97131885.It all felt very official and was very expensive, haha.
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2021 Dec 11:
Major Design Change
Theme shapes are bisymmetrical for a reason. Mirrored halves of a whole. They were positioned along each card's extreme edge. Connecting the cards resulted in halves joining to make a whole shape.Sadly, printing cannot be accurate enough for these shapes to always line up in a satisfying way due to machine thresholds. Thus followed whole shapes on wedges, the current positioning and design.
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⎔ Other Decisions ⎔
⎔ All the Colors of the Rainbow:
Well, not the ROYGBIV colors, but, most of them. This actually occurred sort of by accident… and there happen to also be six main colors I could use for each side of a hexagon. The original version of this game had domino-shaped cards, with “red” being isolated to special connections. I wanted to make hexagon cards to increase structural connectivity. I was mostly using these colors anyway, and wow, they really worked out! Oh, yeah, when assigning colors to themes, weather and earth were the final two in need of colors.⎔ Black and White Pictures, the "Silhouettes":
I wanted to keep pictures simple and easily recognizable, while also being interpretively ambiguous. Silhouettes came to mind. (“Oh, a lizard? Which species? All of them, or just this kind). Also, since colors are used for connectivity, it made sense to me to have no colors (or rather, all colors, if we’re talking about white) at the core of each card, so that the topic (object) is sort of casting a shadow into the realm of connectivity potential. That way, the images themselves don’t bias the user’s color choice, only what the image has access to on its own card.⎔ Overlap:
You might notice some overlap in topic and themes. Examples: Why isn’t “Night” represented by our moon? Well, you can quite frequently see the moon during the day. It’s very hard to see stars during the day. Except, of course, our star... Sol. So the entire night sky seemed fitting for Night.⎔ Colors per Card:
You might notice topic cards have a color bias, nocturnal animals tend to have purple, aquatic animals blue, etc. I did this to make the game easier for all ages to learn connections. I could have made every Topic card have all six colors, but, I feel that would quickly become boring, overcomplicated, and messy for many people.⎔ Shimmers:
You should know, it doesn’t cost ME that much more money to print shimmer cards… but humans love shiny things. I also made these to make certain cards more memorable to individuals, randomly. Things that stand out stick better in the mind.⎔ Further Development Notes:
For more explanations about individual cards, see their tabs in the official decklist.
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Next:
⎔ 2019 ⎔
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2019 May 14:
Inception
Inspired by another card game during a lunch break at CIG training, I had the idea to create a game which was also educational. I wanted something to expand my interpretation portfolio for my place of employment. The first version, Fractal Forest, was born.Fractal Forest was not hexagonal, more similar to dominoes. It was printed on standard paper and laminated for use.Most of the "cards" catered to the local ecology of Brown County, Indiana. The first instance of this program was on 2019 July 28, and went extremely well. I hosted the program several times in the following years, each instance had people of all ages having lots of fun.When people offered to buy the cards (which I could not sell as an employee of course), the idea to make something more began churning.
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Next:
⎔ Weather ⎔
Theme: WeatherWeather is an extremely important phenomenon around the globe. It influences, and is influenced by, countless facets of existence. A mirror of a mirror, yet it is hard to find the name of the wind.Predicting it, preparing for it, can be a life or death situation.As such, it is a force to be reckoned with every moment, reminding us of time, governing our choices.
Theme Shape: CloudClouds are made of condensed water particles, but hey, you can predict the weather just by looking at the clouds because they are a result of other weather factors. Temperature, Wind, Atmospheric Flux (solar flares), all contribute to your decision to grab that umbrella - the clouds speak for those factors, if we learn to listen.
Theme Color: Red“Weather” is represented by red, because weather can be severe, and we often see red representing alarms and high temperatures. It's the classic color of thermometers. I also see red as being a beautiful sunset color, which we might appreciate differently without the clouds catching the light and glowing hues of red, orange, and purple. I thought that red for “magma” of earth was a little less diversified, too. Some clays are red, sure...Hex Code: CC0001
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Explore the Next Theme:
⎔ Earth ⎔
Theme: EarthQuite literally, the ground beneath our feet. Our entire planet is named after itself.If one takes a slice out of bedrock and photographs it against the sky, could you tell if it's a hand-sized stone or an entire cliff without perspective, at a glance? Earth is itself, wholly. Holes. Full of caves.Though the earth may seem solid, and obstinate, it is ever-changing on a scale we can barely perceive. The drifting nature of tectonic plates was long suspected, but not accepted, until the 1960s. Mountains rise slowly. Riverbanks erode away.What we take for granted can always change. Earth's seeming solidity and repetitive patterning should always remind us of the Fractal Force.
Theme Shape: SquareI am fond of Minecraft. But mainly, there’s plenty of diagrams out there which show cross-sections of ground layers as cubes. Further, there’s several minerals and bedrock layers which form at right angles. See pyrite, salt, etc. I think in the ground is pretty much the only place in nature where we see perpendicular angles so prominently. Most everywhere else is squiggly wiggly, curvy, wave-form, etc. Together, the squares made the card look like a cog, which are usually made of hard metals we mine from… where again? The Earth. One day, perhaps we will mine asteroids for minerals too!
Theme Color: OrangeI almost chose weather for orange - for the sunset reason - but went with earth (as in ground) because it’s very applicable and red needed representation. Many clay-type soils are orange in color. The best, most fertile soil for growing food is dark brown to black in color, but that wouldn’t “pop” as well in a hexagonal, rainbow color wheel. Also, the rock formations of the western United States are orange and beautiful!Hex Code: ff6700
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Explore the Next Theme:
⎔ Day ⎔
Theme: DayThe day is full of energy, granted by the globe's constant turning toward its star, Sol.Higher visibility. Warmth. Photosynthesis. So much energy to be had, so much life moving about.Sleeping is also important. Sunbathing. Nocturnal naptime.This cyclic dynamic renders "day" to be a significant force, balancing the circadian rythms of our entire globe.Well, minus those guys wiggling around in the deep.
Theme Shape: SunI hope this is obvious. Also looks like a flower, but that’s okay. I encourage people to notice similar shapes in Fractal Force. More connections!
Theme Color: YellowSunlight is mostly seen as yellow (don’t look directly at the sun). They call 'em sunflowers for a couple of reasons. Actual sunlight is full of color variety. When sunlight bounces off surfaces in our line of sight, instead of getting absorbed - this results in what we see! The diversity of radiation provided by our star, and our brains together, give color to the world.Hex Code: F1C233
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Explore the Next Theme:
⎔ Living Habitats ⎔
Theme: Living HabitatsThere are countless habitats, many of which are large, living entities. Other, yet larger habitats are defined by the collective lifeforms shaping the earth which supports them.The plains. Reefs. Kelp forests. Individual trees. Whales carrying barnacles. Microbes in the human gut.Everywhere, defining each other with ecotone gradients, competing for space, getting along eventually.Thus, living habitats form a foundation of the fractal force, ever changing, ever mirroring.
Theme Shape: OvalThe “Living Habitats” card is a generic oval, since that’s the shape of an elliptical leaf, an entire tree, a shady spot, certain seeds inside fruit, stomata, chloroplasts, and so on.This was the most difficult theme to design consistently in the simple-shape style. Lots of ovals ended up being a sure-fire trypophobia trigger.This theme was pivotal toward the entire game's theme shapes going simplistic.
Theme Color: GreenA great many plants produce green leaves. Green light is less used in photosynthesis than other colors, and so bounces back to our eyes, “rejected” if you will. As such, a great many plants (living habitats) show quite a lot of green! Of course, "living habitats" constitutes far more than just plants, but green is the obvious choice for the theme.Hex Code: 38761E
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Explore the Next Theme:
⎔ Water ⎔
Theme: WaterLife as we know it relies heavily on water.How proteins are held within its polarity, how water moves via capillary action, how it is less dense in its solid form...Its cyclic behavior reflects from the micro to the macro.All of these factors define human life, and life on this planet, even if a lifeform doesn't need as much water as most of the rest of Earth's life.As such, water is a force worthy of fractal foundation.
Theme Shape: RingA sphere is natural shape of bubbles. Water takes the space of its container, and is therefore quite variable in shape. The surface of water is a great level indicator for that reason. Water solidifies into a beautiful… hexagonal structure, though every snowflake is said to be unique. But I didn't want to use a hexagon shape on a hexagon card, that's too easy. A drop of water is also too easy, I didn't want to use yet another "rain drop" shape to represent water.So, round, for bubbles. We usually see bubbles occur via water here on Earth. As bubbles are an important factor in the survival of countless life forms, I wanted to be sure to honor bubbles. I could argue that most cells are themselves bubbles, with water molecules’ polarity influencing various protein structures inside and out. Bubbles and water are thoroughly intertwined.Note: bubbles are also used as level indicators in human tools!Look at this block of text it just babbles on and on like a brook.
Theme Color: BlueLight refracts through a large body of water (and our atmosphere) - which results in Rayleigh scattering - and blue is scattered the most. As such, water is typically represented as blue, though a small volume of it is clear, if it’s clean. Did you know, there wasn’t a really good word for “blue” in historical cultural context, despite blue’s pervasiveness in our world? See Homer’s “wine-dark seas."Hex Code: 1155CB
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Explore the Next Theme:
⎔ Night ⎔
Theme: NightThe night is full of light, but not enough for life to move about as it does during the day.The darkness of night's lack of light can be scary, but it's also safe. Many creatures have adapted to thrive at night.Sleeping is also important. If one cannot efficiently hunt and gather, it's best to find a safe place and take shelter to rest.This cyclic dynamic renders "night" to be a significant force, balancing the circadian rythms of our entire globe.Well, minus those guys wiggling around in the deep.
Theme Shape: StarThe stars are best seen at night from Earth's surface, though they are out there all the time… they have been, for a long time, and will for a long time yet. They have influenced life on earth since before life could sense them. Humans use them to orient themselves and guide stories. Certain animals use stars to navigate.Stars are the source of day for their orbiting children, so we see the night is not so dark after all. Here on Earth, we see our stars best as we turn toward the cosmos, ever dancing. Thus night is defined by stars, and how we see stars is defined by our night.
Theme Color: PurpleDusk, twilight, fading to darkness. I think purple (a shade between indigo and violet) fits beautifully, contrasting with day's yellow in color theory as well. Contrast does not mean opposition to me… it means dancing together with multiple perspectives yielding to truth and beauty. Thus humanity moves forward as a whole made of connected parts, joined fragments. We're very good at that, connecting the dots. Creating constellations and stories. Learning.The unknown darkness gives us space (pun intended) to explore and grow.Hex Code: 5D1191
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Explore Other Themes:
⬣ Acknowledgements ⬣
Acknowledgements go both ways.
This is the nature of connection, and the core mechanism of the game itself.
Makes sense to have this paradigm as the core of our business culture:
This section of the website is dedicated to those who have acknowledged Fractal Force,
and in turn, Fractal Force acknowledges those who have helped develop and/or supported the game.
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⎔ In the News ⎔
Platform | Archive Link | Date |
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Bold Journey | Archive | 2024 Jan 06 |
CanvasRebel | Archive | 2023 Nov 02 |
Voyage Utah | Archive | 2023 Feb 01 |
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⎔ Player Reviews ⎔
Platform + Link |
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Teachers Pay Teachers |
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⎔ Development ⎔
Name | Contribution |
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MakePlayingCards | Printed cards, custom box. |
MementoDatabase | Database structural software and hosting. |
Mallin Photography | Product photography and photo editing. Skilled and patient. |
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Google Slides | Vector drawing tools. |
Jasc PSP 8 | Image file editing. |
CloudConvert | Allows usage of SVG quality in Google Slides via EMF. |
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Contributors | The public's volunteer work and donations. |
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My Family | Financial and emotional support. |
My Friends | Encouragement! Thank You! |
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Other Services | See our legal disclaimers for brand asset usage. |
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⎔ Website Graphics ⎔
Name | Contribution | Usage |
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User rg1024 | Clipart of camera lens, 2008 | 2022 timeline |
User andres_garcia | Clipart of heart, 2015 | "About" page |
User DooFi | Clipart of scroll, 2011 | 2023 timeline |
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⎔ Mega Donators ⎔
Name | Contribution | Year |
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DracoVisions LLC | Custom Core Pack to Charter 135760 (Little Free Library®) | 2023 |
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⎔ Kickstarter Backers ⎔
Number | Name | Tier | Comments |
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NUM | NAME | TIER | COMMENTS |
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DracoVisions LLC is not endorsed by any of the above brands.
See our disclaimers.
⬣ How to Play ⬣
An example of a game at play:
Please note: Fractal Force is a physical, real, hands-on tabletop card game.
This gif is a digital render of gameplay.
The core mechanism of the game:
Connect the cards of your deck together by matching as many color sides as possible each turn.The true purpose of the game is to academically justify how a newly placed card is related to the card(s) to which it connects each turn, and for all players to agree...This eventually forms a tapestry of life.
This tapestry visualizes how all aspects of our existence
are connected in some way.
Circumstances of the playing field + cards in hand frequently force players to question how two seemingly unrelated things could be connected: simply out of desperation at times, we oh-so want the card to be placed since all those colors match... but they must be justified.Playing often leads to surprising leaps in knowledge.Playing the game repeatedly manifests ever-differing patterns of connections, allowing players to explore the fractal which is our existence through time.
⎔ Learn More ⎔
⎔ The Basics ⎔
Rules:
⎔ Set up a "Play Format." Several are described in provided documents, the "Standard Play" included below is the most common.⎔ Each turn consists of a player placing a card on the table. Depending on the play, this is either from the player's hand, or the top of a deck.⎔ Each placed card must have at least 1 side touching a previously placed card.⎔ Connected sides must match color and shape.⎔ Note: the silhouette in the center does not have to face any particular direction.⎔ After placement, state (out loud or sign language, or write it down) how the image of the new card is related to each card it is touching. This is the core of Fractal Force.⎔ All players must show they agree each connection is legitimate. You must be honest: denying a connection when it is legitimate - or "being a jerk" - is not valid play. If all other players agree "too much false denial is happening," that player automatically loses the game. But, if someone is genuinely unsure, look it up. Verify with a reputable, scientific source. Grow your knowledge of the world.⎔ A turn completes when each player confirms agreement.⎔ If you are unable to make a connection due to an unlucky situation, skip your turn.⎔ Keep track of your connections via points...⎔ Or don't, and just have fun growing the fractal. In fact, the cards can also be played as a puzzle.
⎔ Making Connections ⎔
What Constitutes a "Connection?"
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⎔ Players, it is up to you to decide how complicated you'd like this to be. As long as a connection is based on truth, that would be legitimate in the Standard Play. Let's go over a few common connections:
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⎔ If X organism consumes, or is consumed by, X organism. Food Web stuff.
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⎔ Symbiosis, parasitism, mutualism. Ecosystem stuff.
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⎔ If X organism is taxonomically related to X organism. Players, you decide how many times LUCA can be used as a "cheap" connection.
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⎔ X object is used by X organism in some way.
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⎔ X area is used as a nesting site by X organism.
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⎔ X organism is influenced by changes in X phenomena: circadian rhythm stuff, migration due to length of day, etc.⎔ What generally isn't a great connection are comparing similarities. For example, "these two creatures both live in the water." Yeah, we all live on this planet, too ( I assume). Fractal Force is about connections, similarities are not necessarily connections. Convergent evolution is an interesting topic, though, and you can certainly design a game around seeking such information.⎔ What else can you think of? But be direct. If things are connected through multiple steps (which they are, that's the whole point), players should agree that a connection should be direct, with the fewest steps possible. Example:
The player has connected Electricity with Living Habitats, with the following justification:"Electricity, in the form of lightning, is connected to Living Habitats, because it can cause an important forest fire by striking a tree." This is true, but for the purpose of the game's consistency, this should be connected over multiple turns through the Fire card:
Electricity ⟷ Fire ⟷ Living Habitats.That being said, if your hand limits your play, go for elaborate explanations anyway.⠀
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Do themes have to be directly involved in every connection?
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⎔ This is up to the players. For example, if a slot is available to connect the blue side of Stones to the blue side of Birds, that connection could be legitimized by stating "some birds consume small stones to aid the gizzard with digestion." You do not have to mention water in any way for that connection, even though it is blue to blue.⎔ But hey, you could enforce this as a rule with the Snotty Scholar modifier if everyone playing would like to complicate things. The above example could simply be augmented with "The digestive tract is a rather squishy place due to the presence of water, which with the aid of stones for some bird species, accomplishes the metabolic necessity of nutrient processing." Play gets a lot more difficult than that - the use of water by life on Earth is rather implicit.
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Is it "cheating" to use the Decklist?⎔ The Decklist is an official facet of Fractal Force. It is designed to help players learn connections, learn how to legitimize connections with research, and let everyone know which cards exist with which colors for which pack.⎔ Players can definitely use the decklist to know if there's a card with a specific color orientation which you'd need to complete ideal connections. This is very useful to solve, or design, puzzles - not just to strategize.⎔ To what extent the decklist is allowed to be used depends on the agreement of every player for each game.
⎔ Standard Play ⎔
The "Standard Play"⎔ Place the six theme cards color-side up on a large, clean table or surface. You can space them out evenly, or far apart, leading to different plays. For this play keep them about 1 card distant from each other so they can be connected via a topic card.⎔ From the deck, each player draws cards until the deck is evenly distributed between players. Shuffle the deck, or insist on it. If some players have 1 more card than others, simply place the surplus aside and don't use for this round.⎔ Each player's turn consists of placing a card on the table.
It probably doesn't matter who starts. It probably doesn't matter which direction around the table the players decide to take their turns. But placing a card should pertain to rules stated above. For the standard play, all is in the mind. To get started, use the official decklist as a cheatsheet. It's full of suggested connections.⎔ Choose a card from your hand, then position it so at least one of its sides touches and locks-in to the side of a previously placed card with the same color. As the game progresses, try to connect as many sides as possible with each new card.⎔ Generally, each connection is worth 1 point. Different plays assign more value to certain connections.⎔ You can try to set up curling branches or rings over several turns which eventually allow you to connect a card on all six sides, but beware: other players might steal your careful cultivation with a card that has similar colors! Thrilling! As such, the standard play has each player's hand concealed.⎔ The player who makes the most connections with the hand they've been dealt could be said to be the winner. They have adapted the most to their lot in life, as well as the ever-changing conditions of the playing field. But remember, where would they be without the connections made by other players? While it is fun to compete, remember, this game is meant to cultivate empathy. Cleverness is to be rewarded, teamwork unpunished.
⎔ A Plea: Play with Purpose ⎔
Question everything.Is what your opponent claiming to be a connection really true?Example: Do mice really love cheese, or is that just something artistic developers decided to trope and viewers believed without hesitation,
without question? Think about that:it seems we are not trained to doubt what we are shown, what we sense.Really... question everything.In a world with dangerous social media algorithms,
pack mentality/social pressure, biased news, paid-for “bad science,” auto-completing search results, censorship, knee-jerk reactions,
and jumping to conclusions based on limited information...
we must all learn, and encourage,
a behavior which I believe will save us:Always seek the truth:
find it through scientific facts, logic, and moral understanding.I hope to instill this mindset in both the young and aged
via this game...
Because each player must provide each connection with support of truth.And all must agree to move forward to shed light in the dark.
⎔ Card Anatomy ⎔
Card Anatomy: Cardback
The back has the card's name and pack in the center. Some possible interpretations via simple, provocative “word clouds” are provided for curious observers. Wordclouds are intended to guide connections. Please, read the cardbacks to players, and ask them what else they think the card might represent - if a representation is not on the wordcloud, but you all agree the card can represent something which a player has stated, then that is legitimate play.Card Anatomy: Topface
Each card has a top and underside surface. The top visually communicates the potential of its concept. A high-contrast silhouette, typically intentionally vague, dominates the center. Colored wedges with circled theme shapes surround the center. Each color is associated with a shape.
Card Types: Theme
There are two types of cards, topic and theme. Theme cards feature one color and are categorized in the decklist as "monochrome."
There are 6 Theme cards in the game, though they need not always be used in deck builds.Card Types: Topic
Topic cards are divided into two or more colors. These colors - and their corresponding shapes - form the weave of connections in Fractal Force. See the About section for further explanations of themes, colors, and shapes.Summary of Cards in a Deck:
A player usually has 55 topic cards in a deck. But hundreds, or maybe only a couple dozen, are also viable deck builds. More players generally calls for more cards. You can - and should - mix packs into each other to build decks.To start building a deck, purchase card packs.
⬣ Acquire the Game ⬣
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⎔ Augment Your Deck ⎔
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⎔ Disclaimers ⎔
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Please note: prices will vary over time due to global material cost fluctuation, coupons, and so on.DracoVisions will also attempt to maintain the same listing price over all platforms able to sell the game. Each product will have relevant external links to these platforms. Currently, our only online platforms are MPC and Etsy.You can also buy the game physically, as in offline in a store,
via authorized vendors, assuming hey have games in stock. Call ahead!
Please be aware that DracoVisions has no control over Vendor prices,
these stores often have their own markup policies. Purchase from them
for the convenience: save on shipping, have the game immediately :)Please be wary of scams and copycats. Only links listed on this website are official avenues of acquisition, outside of card trading.
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⬣ Acquisition F.A.Q ⬣
What about scams?
Could I just buy the game in a store to be safe?View our __authorized services and vendors list.__
With so many options, where do I start?Suggestion: Start with the Core or Mini Core pack.
Add expansion packs as understanding of the game grows.
⎔•⎔•⎔
There's a lot! How do I keep it all sorted out?The back of each card is printed with its pack ID.This ensures easier organization: cards combined from different packs may be separated back into their original packs.
⎔•⎔•⎔
How do I know what I'm getting?The only randomness is which shimmer cards you get.Unlike many trading card games,
Fractal Force card packs always contain a known quantity of named cards.Cards can be categorized into their Pack names via the decklist.
This way, you can shop and know what you will receive...But players can still enjoy a "trading" aspect with shimmers,
as well as willing trades or sales of any individual cards.
⎔•⎔•⎔
How do I strategically obtain more cards to build decks?All available cards are listed in the Decklist.
Use the Decklist to help you play... and shop!You can definitely have duplicate cards in your deck if you desire.By right of the First Sale Doctrine (17 U.S.C. § 109),
you could also buy individual cards from someone willing to sell theirs!
⎔•⎔•⎔
There's something wrong with my order, what do I do?If you have a problem with your order,
you must contact the appropriate source of purchase.DracoVisions LLC takes some responsibility for sales made through the etsy shop, but not sales made through the makeplayingcards shop.DracoVisions LLC is not responsible for misprints, batch variation, loss of items in shipping transit, or any other variables associated with individually printed products.
⬣ Printable Downloads ⬣
Hub for all Fractal Force content which is available for download and subsequent printing.
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⎔ Print + Play ⎔
You can also find relevant download accesss on a Card Pack's purchase section if it is digitally available.Purposes of the Print + Play facet of the Fractal Force Project:1) Allow you + yours to playtest the game affordably before making a purchase.2) To be more affordable to less fortunate educators.3) Replacement of damaged or lost official cards with a temporary fix.
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⎔ Game Guides ⎔
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⎔ Other Files ⎔
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⎔ About Digital Assets ⎔
DracoVisions uses Drive, TPT, and/or Etsy to host relevant educational materials, which includes Fractal Force.Both of TPT and Etsy platforms are ecommerce platforms, and long-standing trusted services much like other large platforms. Which one is better for digital sales?TPT does not have a listing fee, but takes a larger sales cut.
Etsy has a listing fee but takes a smaller sales cut.
Depending on demand for products, DracoVisions will move availability between the two, but base prices will remain static.Users can thus be sure their information and monetary movement is secure in accordance with the platform's ToS.
DracoVisions will receive a % cut from every sale either way,
so you know part of your purchase supports DracoVisions endeavors as well as provisioning you with your product(s).
DracoVisions LLC is not endorsed by any of the above brands.
See our disclaimers.
⬣ Card Packs ⬣
Cards are always looking for more friends!Expand your deck with duplicates,
or find something entirely new to you.
COMING SOON, VIA KICKSTARTER:
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⎔ Custom Prints ⎔
Would you like a custom box + cardbacks
for your location?Example: you have a public play area in a sort of daycare setting. Or perhaps you are simply prone to losing things. Either way...
You know cards will eventually go missing... carried off in idle hands...
Or worse, outright stolen.But good news!
Cardbacks and boxes can be custom printed with location info,
so that good people can bring them back if they are
lost and found!Or... maybe you'd love to give a great custom gift for someone special.
Perhaps even a donation to your local system of Little Free Library boxes
(yes, this is permissible with them - note DracoVisions is not endorsed by Little Free Library®).Due to the custom nature of such prints, the cost will be much higher,
but your investment will be much safer.If you're interested in such a print, please contact [email protected]
to hash out your design.
There are space limitations, as well as unicode restrictions for cardbacks, etc.
We will communicate back and forth via email several times, I am sure.Final cost for this service,
considering the Box + 61 Core Pack cards,
is set at $99.99
Shipping included, + we will attempt to smoothly incorporate your location's sales tax into the price.
For example, the listing price would be $93.45 for a location with 7% sales tax.
Sale will be processed through a custom Etsy listing just for you.If your purchase is a donation: you'll get a listing in our Mega Donators section on this website.
Of course, you can choose to remain anonymous.
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⬣ Starter Packs ⬣
⠀⠀
Choosing one of these Card Packs is a great place to begin if you're new!If you're experienced and would like to bulk up your deck, Starter Packs are a smart way to incorporate more easily playable cards."But wait, which cards am I getting?"
Be sure to check out the free Decklist,
which is a wiki-like comprehensive list of all extant cards and which packs they're in.If you'd like to know why to purchase from one source or another,
see authorized vendors, which has several explanations.
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Core Pack:
With the Box
The Core Pack is essential for beginners. It contains many rainbow cards with broad topics, and thus many chances for connections.
To add dynamics to gameplay, consider building unique decks by mixing cards together from several packs.The Core Pack includes 61 Total Cards:
⠀⠀⎔ 6 Theme Cards
⠀⠀⎔ 55 Topic Cards
⠀⠀⎔ 1 box specific to the Core Pack
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Core Pack:
Without the Box
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Mini Core
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Mini Core is the economy version of the Core.Cards are nearly exact clones from the Core, with one change: they have their back Pack ID as "Mini Core" instead. To see which cards from the Core pack are in the Mini Core, filter search results in the Decklist.Mini Core includes 19 Total Cards:
⠀⠀⎔ 0 Theme Cards
⠀⠀⎔ 19 Topic Cards
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Expansion Pack:
Fractal Seed
This expansion is not playable without other packs!
Fractal Seed is available for competitive players who wish to play with unique monochrome strategy. The Fractal Seed can also serve as a quick replacement if these important cards have been lost over time.Fractal Seed has 7 Total Cards:
⠀⠀⎔ 6 Theme Cards
⠀⠀⎔ 1 Topic Card: Fractal Force
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⬣ Biome Packs ⬣
COMING SOON, VIA KICKSTARTER
A Biome Pack is a type of expansion which enriches your experience with difficulty.Each pack has a variety of more topic cards specified to the biome. Biome cards have reduced color variety compared to the high rainbow count in the Core pack, forcing more strategy in gameplay.Biome Packs are titled relevantly, such as "Temperate Forest."A Biome Pack has 37 Total Cards:
⠀⠀⎔ 0 Theme Cards
⠀⠀⎔ 37 Topic Cards
⬣ Collection Packs ⬣
COMING SOON, VIA KICKSTARTER
A Collection Pack is a type of expansion which enriches your experience with structure.Each pack has a variety of topic cards, with color variety differing per pack. Color bias tends to be toward the topic card's context. For example, something nocturnal has more purple wedges.Collections are titled as a category, such as "Owls" or "Berries."A Collection Pack has 19 Total Cards:
⠀⠀⎔ 0 Theme Cards
⠀⠀⎔ 19 Topic Cards
⬣ Mutation Packs ⬣
COMING SOON, VIA KICKSTARTER
A Mutation Pack is a type of expansion which enriches your experience with variety.Per pack, 6 mutations are similar to their central card, but each has different color wedge positions, allowing expanded gameplay.Mutation packs are titled after their central card. This card is a clone of a card from a different pack, with its pack ID changed accordingly.A Mutation Pack has 7 Total Cards:
⠀⠀⎔ 0 Theme Cards
⠀⠀⎔ 7 Topic Cards (1 clone, 6 mutants)
⬣ Single Cards ⬣
Fractal Force cards are full of variety.
Sometimes, you encounter something very rare!
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Shimmer Variants
Rare shimmer cards make Fractal Force a Trading Card Game!
⠀⠀⎔ Shimmers are randomly acquired, and can be from any pack.
⠀⠀⎔ Shimmers differ only aesthetically, they are playable.
⠀⠀⎔ Shimmers are a shiny material, our version of "foil" "holo" etc.
⠀⠀⎔ They are released periodically.
⠀⠀⎔ Follow us on instagram to be notified of such occurrences...
⠀⠀⎔ When they appear, purchase via the etsy shop while they last!
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Replacements
Lost Something?
Replacement cards help you recover from misfortune.
Sometimes, cards are lost, and make us "?"
Sometimes, cards are destroyed by curious pets, and make us "!"⠀⠀⎔ Depending on the card count, your order may take a while.
⠀⠀⎔ We do not offer replacements for any shimmers. Cherish them!
⠀⠀⎔ Contact [email protected] to arrange your fix.
Depending on shipping + card count, your order may cost more than simply buying one of the card packs.Please use the decklist to determine which pack might more economically contain copies of your lost card(s).Consider acquiring a Print + Play containing your card to quickly replace it in the meantime.
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⬣ Accessories ⬣
Carry your deck in style.
Show your support for the game.
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Magnets:
Play vertically in the kitchen.
The logo as a $9.99 magnet. Yes, it's playable with other cards: same size within cutline uncertainty. If your magnet is just a bit too large, you may trim it to size. If magnets were cheaper, a whole deck would be nice to fight the windy outdoors, wouldn't it?If you want this magnet, and/or would like a specific card to be the magnet instead of the Logo card, contact directly via [email protected].These are produced by a small business on Etsy. Should you order, your chosen shipping address will be disclosed to this production partner to prevent double shipping and promote a greener world.
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Card Box:
For the Core
This box is not generally sold by itself. It comes with the Core Pack, should you choose that option in the store. But if you need a replacement box, or would just like another box, please contact us directly via [email protected].⎔ This will total $25.00 before tax + shipping.
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Card Box:
Customized by You
The possibility for a custom box to carry your special deck is high!Considerations:⎔ Text must be short in order to fit in small spaces.
⎔ This will total $35.00 before tax + shipping.Please contact us directly via [email protected] if interested.
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Plans: For the Future
We would love to hear your ideas. Dice? Conditional modifier cards which are playable? Stickers?Email your ideas to [email protected].
⬣ Connect ⬣
Glad to see you here.
Below are several ways you can
connect yourself to the game,
going beyond just connecting cards to cards.
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⎔ Submit Writing ⎔
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⎔ Join the Community ⎔
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⎔ Fund Projects ⎔
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⎔ Feed the Algorithm ⎔
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⎔ Outsourcing ⎔
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DracoVisions LLC is not endorsed by any of the above brands.
See our disclaimers.
⬣ Contact ⬣
Simply highlight the above and copy/paste it into your email.
Please Note:
DracoVisions is managed by
a single human person.
Also Note the Following Disclaimers:DracoVisions LLC takes some responsibility for sales made through the etsy shop, but not sales made through the makeplayingcards shop.You should expect uncertainty in card printing, as such limitations are a regular part of our lives and world. Some cards will exhibit slightly off-center and or rotational positioning, but this will not hinder gameplay.
That being said, it's possible for a machine to make a major error, so please, contact MakePlayingCards with photo arguments and your order number to resolve this issue, should it arise.DracoVisions LLC is not responsible for misprints, batch variation, loss of items in shipping transit, or any other variables associated with individually printed products.