Making Mahjong Card Game

[alban lusitanae]

Hi all

I\'ve been thinking for a while in doing a softer version of Mahjong, since transporting, arranging and playing with the tiles (although it\'s sacred I know) gets difficult sometimes.

So I will be making cards of my own (my special veriations) to play with friends. I will also try to do all the goods myself, and present photos here so that you can give your personal opinion on the subject.

Nevertheless I need you to tell me the complete stuff so that I can have all the goods ready when I present this to my gaming pals (we\'ve been playing a lot of unrelated mahjong stuff and I would like to come to them with this as a surprise).

So for start:

4 x Character suit
4 x Coins suit
4 x Bamboo suit
4 x 4 Winds
4 x 3 Dragons

Specials:

4 x each season
4 x each flower
3 x red fives

Goods

4 x d6
Wind marker
Dealer marker
Scoring sticks (have to check how many of which value)
4 x yakitori (I have to research this one xD)

Ok, I think that is it. Am I missing something? Tom?

Cheers

[Robert]

Some people use four red fives, thus: red-dot red-dot red-bam red-crak

And you do not need four of each flower or each season. You only need one of each of the four flowers, and one of each of the four seasons. And for Japanese rules, you can do without these altogether.

[WorTeX]

wouldn\'t it just be easier to buy a premade card set, comes with everything you need and is only like 10€.

[Shirluban]

4 x d6
2d6 will be enouth.
Some (non-japanese) varients use 3d6, I belive it\'s the maximum.

Scoring sticks (have to check how many of which value)
Making cards in one thing, making scoring sticks is another.
Buy them, or poker chips, or just use a pen & paper to record the score.

4 x yakitori (I have to research this one xD)

Research what? An image of it?
I don\'t think it would be hard to find on internet, but I can scan one of mine for you.

If you intent to make a card set usable for eavery mahjong rule, you\'ll have to add animals (cat, rat, rooster and a myriapod/worm) and jokers (8 for US, 20+ for Vietnamese) and even more :silly:

Making all the stuff yourself is a good idea.
Once upon a time, I\'ve try asking to a professional card maker, but very few answered. Nevertheless, they\'re cheap, like 5€ a set of 150 card, just have to by 2000 units minimum :S

[alban lusitanae]

Some people use four red fives

Why did the rulers choose 2 x 5 Coins tiles and not other combination? That seems a bit unbalancing to the other two suits... Wouldn\'t it more correct to have only one Red Five from each suit?

Not saying you\'re wrong just trying to figure out the logic.

And you do not need four of each flower or each season. You only need one of each of the four flowers, and one of each of the four seasons. And for Japanese rules, you can do without these altogether.

Yeah, that\'s what I meant. Typo. :)
I know, there are none by Japanese, but just in case I wish to spice the game with some house rules or a different set to practice.

wouldn\'t it just be easier to buy a premade card set, comes with everything you need and is only like 10€.

Sure, but not any fun, just don\'t do the tiles because I can\'t be trusted to chop 140+ exact matched blocks. Not that good even being a hobby of mine.

Besides, I could also buy a new car, yes, but there wouldn\'t be hotrods right? ;) and my cards will have my personal touch to them. :)

x d6
2d6 will be enouth.
Some (non-japanese) varients use 3d6, I belive it\'s the maximum.

Fair enough, 3d6 it is then. :)

Making cards in one thing, making scoring sticks is another. Buy them, or poker chips, or just use a pen & paper to record the score.

:unsure: Why? Are they are just too difficult to make?

Research what? An image of it?

The normal / standard way the stick is sold. seen many roasted chicken and blank side type of marker, so that must the normal one, and there is one (dont have a pic) with a normal chicken / bird on one side and then the other side with the stick through it. Weird thing.

If you intent to make a card set usable for eavery mahjong rule, you\'ll have to add animals (cat, rat, rooster and a myriapod/worm) and jokers (8 for US, 20+ for Vietnamese) and even more

Thank the Gods I have M:TG proxy card maker software which supports custom made full jpg cards :woohoo: only have to know Photoshop. Which I do. A lot. Made the avatar in 2 minutes. :)

Just need the joker pics though... and the way they are played...

By the way, does anyone know (and have) the symbol of the White Dragon tile? That I would love to have...

[Tom Sloper]

By the way, does anyone know (and have) the symbol of the White Dragon tile? That I would love to have...

Decimal HTML Unicode: 白
Hexadecimal HTML Unicode: 白

[Barticle]

Why did the rulers choose 2 x 5 Coins tiles and not other combination? That seems a bit unbalancing to the other two suits... Wouldn\'t it more correct to have only one Red Five from each suit?

Some folks play with that option, others with two Coins, others with all four.

Of course as you´re making your own set you can have as many as you like... how about two in each suit?! They don´t even have to be fives.

in case I wish to spice the game with some house rules or a different set to practice.

On that note, you might like to make a Wareme marker too. If you play the Wareme rule then the player whose section of the wall is broken at the start of each hand pays/receives double points.

(Of course you probably won´t make walls if you´re using cards - you might just have a simple draw-pile instead - but you can still roll dice to pick a player.)

In my video-game the Wareme marker looks a lot like the Dealer marker but it appears to be marked with the first kanji in the word Wareme, which is Wa.

http://nihongo.j-talk.com/parser/search ... ?pick=3364

Obviously this can have a dramatic effect on the scores. I lost interest in the rule after I got ronned on a dealer Mangan. (24000 pts!) :S Ouch!

The normal / standard way the stick is sold. seen many roasted chicken and blank side type of marker, so that must the normal one, and there is one (dont have a pic) with a normal chicken / bird on one side and then the other side with the stick through it. Weird thing.

Yakitori means "roast bird" or "roast chicken". I´m not a fan of the rule - especially as I´m vegetarian!

You might´ve noticed that the Yakitori symbol of a skewered bird is also used to denote an unread topic on this very forum. :)

I look forward to seeing your cards when you´re finished. :)

[alban lusitanae]

Thanks for that Tom.

Of course as you´re making your own set you can have as many as you like... how about two in each suit?! They don´t even have to be fives.

...Or one of each... Have to think about it...

On that note, you might like to make a Wareme marker too. If you play the Wareme rule then the player whose section of the wall is broken at the start of each hand pays/receives double points.

What was the person who made that rule on? Geeeeez... if the person is a dealer and gets a really good hand that might be the round there...

(Of course you probably won´t make walls if you´re using cards - you might just have a simple draw-pile instead - but you can still roll dice to pick a player.)

Hmmm... double points on a single die roll? I mean, it doubles the dealers bonus... nah, I\'ll have it mainly for fun or something, but playing it... doubt it.

Yakitori means \"roast bird\" or \"roast chicken\". I´m not a fan of the rule - especially as I´m vegetarian!

You might´ve noticed that the Yakitori symbol of a skewered bird is also used to denote an unread topic on this very forum.

Yep. I think I\'ll just go with a printed chicken on a side, and a roasted chicken on the other. :woohoo: Sorry Barticle, I am trying to be a vegetarian, honestly, but still not there. Never understood the concept of the Yakitori and the player penalty rule though... kind of scary...

When I have the cards printed I will show a pic here. :D

Keep sending ideas and comments. :)

[Barticle]

...Or one of each... Have to think about it...

I was translating the custom rules in the Wii version of Mahjong Taikai for someone last night and they have four options for red fives - off, 2 tiles, 4 tiles and 6 tiles (so I guess that´s two in each suit).

What was the person who made that rule on? Geeeeez... if the person is a dealer and gets a really good hand that might be the round there...

Yup, Wareme can easily end a game if you´re playing with Dobon.

I think it´s basically a gambling rule - for people who want a greater luck element in the game.

Never understood the concept of the Yakitori and the player penalty rule though... kind of scary...

I have just invented a new rule which I hope parlours and players will adopt - it´s called Yakimochi (toasted rice-cake). :laugh:

It´s very simple - at the end of a game, all players that have won at least one hand are given a toasted rice-cake. :P The players that didn´t win get nothing - they get to watch the others eat (Yakimochi also means ´jealousy´). Heh!

Keep sending ideas and comments. :)

I did think of one thing - kinda obvious but easily overlooked. You´ll want to put the value of each card in the top-left corner so that you can see them when you hold them fanned in your hand.



(random picture from internet)

[alban lusitanae]

I have just invented a new rule which I hope parlours and players will adopt - it´s called Yakimochi (toasted rice-cake).

I adopt :laugh:

I did think of one thing - kinda obvious but easily overlooked. You´ll want to put the value of each card in the top-left corner so that you can see them when you hold them fanned in your hand.

Hey great callout there, could have easily overlooked that one. Thx :)

I will post a pic of my concept White Dragon soon :)
Will want to see people\'s reactions.

[alban lusitanae]

Hello to all

Here it is, my first card for the deck.
Feedback and comments welcome.

Cheers

[Robert]

Gorgeous!!

The only thing is, you are using a literal translation of \"white dragon\" which is not appropriate here. I believe that the Japanese refer to dragon tiles collectively as \"sangenpai\", and to the dragon tiles themselves as \"haku, hatsu, chun\" for white, green, red dragons respectively.

I have also read, however, that the red and green dragons may be informally referred to as \"aka\" and \"ao\" respectively, after their colors. And the \"daisangen\" yakuman graphic in at one mahjong game I have seen shows three allegorical figures in the colors you would expect. So I conclude that a literal white dragon *picture* on the tile is fitting, but not the two *Chinese characters*.

[Mcgreag]

If you want to write something either just 白 or 白板 would be more correct.
白 - haku - white - Is the Japanese name for the tile.
白板 - baiban - clean slate - Is the Chinese name for the tile.

[Barticle]

Here it is, my first card for the deck.
Feedback and comments welcome.

Wow! I think it looks awesome. Good job! :)

I take Robert´s point but of course it´s up to you what you have on your personal deck of cards. The important things are that you like the design and it´s clear which tile/card it is - so I think it scores on both counts.

It might look better with the Haku kanji in the corner though?

I have just invented a new rule which I hope parlours and players will adopt - it´s called Yakimochi (toasted rice-cake).

I adopt :laugh:

Excellent! :) Now if I can just convince the EMA...

Of course as you´re making your own set you can have as many as you like... how about two in each suit?!

My copy of Mahjong Fight Club (PS3) arrived yesterday. :woohoo: It gives even more flexiblity on red fives - there are three separate options to specify the number of akapai in each suit (0, 1 or 2).

[Shirluban]

The picture is realy great.
But you need to know that what we call "dragons" are not called "dragons" at all is asia. They are called "gen" ("origin" ?), the third character in dai-san-gen.

So writing "white dragon" in kanji is off-purpose.

I believe that the Japanese refer to dragon tiles collectively as "sangenpai", and to the dragon tiles themselves as "haku, hatsu, chun" for white, green, red dragons respectively.

It\'s that.