About

Introduction

O! has a different interface than you may be used to in other TCGs. But don't worry, once you get the hang of it, the rest explains itself! Also, if you're totally new to online TCGs, then this section will also help explain how the general gist of things work.

The main goals of this TCG are to provide a relaxed atmosphere for members to talk about and enjoy Japanese music while hoping to expose you to some new artists you may like. We focus on putting out new sets and maintaining small scale games events as opposed to large tournaments and the like. This is because, quite frankly, Calico doesn't have the time and energy to do much other than stare blankly at media while making cards. (Nor do I really want to manage people doing large stuff. Because that usually ends bad.) That said, if this kind of environment suits you just fine (since most people who play TCGs do it as a casual hobby to wind-down/distract themselves) then feel free to keep reading. =)

How It Works

Just about everyone is aware of the spawning fad of the Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and other assorted Trading Card Games (TCG). You buy packs of cards from stores, and then trade and "battle" with other collectors. Well, O! is just like that, only it's an online version for Japanese music artists! In a way it's a game, for the object is to not only have fun, but also see how well your collection can grow!

There are only a few steps in playing this game.

When you first join, I will give you 20 cards that look similar to this...

You can place your collection anywhere on your site. You are required to place a badge of your trading type somewhere with them, and link it back to O!. The types are further below.

Each card is labeled by the artist/group, (top left) and then sub-labeled by the series title and its number. (Bottom right)

Trading

In order to receive more cards after this, you must trade with another member of the group. The following are the rules of trading.

1) Only trade with another member of O!. If they are not on the members list, then do NOT trade with them! I can tell whether you are trading with a non member or not.

2) Remember, you actually TRADE in this game. If someone offers you their card for your card, and you accept, then you must take down your card! This is just like real life. Once you give a card away, you cannot get it back unless it's through another trade, or by a request. (see below)

3) Once you have made a successful trade, I'd be grateful if you could record it somehow. A trade log on your card page is graciously accepted.

Re: CM and Special Cards

-CM and FFA Special cards can be traded for any other like cards and normal cards.
-CS Special can only be traded for OTHER CS Special cards...and yes, you can trade for other cards NOT of your category!

Types, Not Levels

On thing that makes O! a bit different is that we do not have levels. Instead, we have trader types. Currently we have four different types of traders. When you join you will select what type you would like to be. You can change your type at a later date if you wish.

The trader types are Artist, Gender, Genre and Label. Each type offers their own separate masteries and perks (such as reserved special sets) that cannot be attained under other types. Keep reading to find out about the differences and figure out which one suits you best.

ARTIST TRADER

Premise: You collect sets based on who the artist is. (IE: You collect your favorite artists, regardless of gender, label, or genre.).

Mastery: Artist Mastery attainment is made through mastering ten sets by one artist/band. Additional artist masteries are of course possible.

Sub-Categories: Artists are divided by name. Please see the cards' page for a complete list of artists and bands.

GENDER TRADER

Premise: You prefer artists/bands of one gender or another, or even made up of both.

Mastery: Gender Mastery attainment is made through mastering ten sets under one gender category. Additional gender masteries are of course possible.

Sub-Categories: Currently "Female", "Male", and "Both" are all available. Transgendered artists are labelled under the gender they identify with. Bands that go from being both to one gender or vice versa are labelled under "Both" unless, say, they were only both/one for one release and have since been in the business for a long while.

GENRE TRADER

Premise: You collect artists/sets based on what genre they perform in. (ex: You're a huge rock fan, can't get enough, only care about rock artists.)

Mastery: Genre Mastery attainment is made through mastering ten sets under one genre category. Additional genre masteries are of course possible.

Sub-Categories: Under the "genre" heading are, "Pop", "Rock", "Urban", "Easy (Listening)', "Visual Kei", "Boys (group pop)", and "Girls (group pop)". More may be added at a later date. This is the most "fluid" of all the other subcategories, as we may decide at any time to switch an artist's genre affiliation based on recent, long-term standing exploits.

*IMPORTANT: We understand that genre is a very subjective labelling system. Undoubtedly there are a few labels that you may not agree with. ("Why would you label THEM VK?!") Please understand that we select the most encompassing genre to stick an artist/band under. This does not of course mean that this is the only genre the artist works with, just what they use most/are most known for. (ex. Chihiro Onitsuka is labelled "Easy" but has done a couple upbeat, rockish songs.) Some artists/bands may be under a particular label for now because we just quite frankly need more bands under that heading. Once it becomes more fleshed out they will probably be moved.

LABEL TRADER

Premise: You collect sets based on the label of the artist/band. (Ie: You think that avex/GIZA/etc. produces the best music and therefore are swayed in that manner.)

Mastery: Label Mastery attainment is made through mastering ten sets under one label category. Additional label masteries are of course possible.

Sub-Categories: An artist/band is put under every label they have been in, including indie and major. This, however, does not include umbrella labels unless that's what the artist/band is exclusively signed to. (Ex: "rhythm zone" as opposed to "avex trax".) Check the cards' page to see what labels an artist/band is associated with.

PRISMS

Everyone participates in the Prisms. These are color bands that represent how far you have come in the the game and act similar to regular levels, yet the rewards are rather minimal. Everyone begins at Indigo and works through the color spectrum up to Red as indicated below.

Indigo: 0-300 Cards
Blue: 301-600 Cards
Green: 601-1000 Cards
Yellow: 1001-1500 Cards
Orange: 1501-2000 Cards
Red: 2001-3000 Cards

We use the Rainbow because we're, simply, totally cliche. The Rainbow represents the diverse areas of music and how it's able to make a bunch of different people come together. D'aaawww. Indigo is the beginning color because of it's "new and humbleness", whereas Red is a color of authority and experience.

Mastery

Regardless of your trader type, you can still master individual sets and claim a reward. The table below explains the different types of masteries and the rewards for each.

Bootleg Bucks

Contrary to the derogatory name, Bootleg Bucks are a good thing! When you do certain things you may earn BB's, and their worth will depend on any given time. (They come in increments of 1, 5, 10, 20, and 50) BB's may be used when visting the Music Shop. You can view them below. (But don't take them >>;)

Coupons

Coupons are cool! =O For playing games you may be rewarded with some coupons. These handy things come with a picture of an artist on it and their name. Coupons are worth either 1 card of choice by that artist or four random cards of that artist. They may be redeemed at any time. You may use the contact form to redeem coupons. Please go here to view all our current coupons.

CM Cards

One of O!'s standout features are CM cards! CM cards feature artists in endorsement CMs that play one of their songs in the background - many of these CMs are like mini-PVs. The only CMs featured are those by an artist with at least one regular deck, and they MUST play an original song by the artist in the background. (So sorry product jingles!) Each mini-set for a CM has 5 cards. When you collect all 5, you get one CM card of choice and one random CM card. To "master" a CM series, you must collect 4 of the same artist and product, for a total of 20 cards.

Member Cards

Member cards are a special card used to represent each member! (der? XD) Member cards can be exchanged while drastically increasing card count! Calico is tired of saying Member Cards! XD

If you send me your favorite Japanese artist image, I will cut you a member card. It will have your username on it, omg. You can place it up on your site, and trade other members for their own cards. But! Unlike regular trading, you don't have to take yours down! Your collection just grows! ^_^ Member cards are worth 1 card each, but this series is not masterable.

Earning

Interested in earning more cards? Well, who isn't? The following is a list of ways to earn goods from the site. ^^