Print & Play¶

This page covers generating printable cards from SVG templates and assembling a physical deck.

Generating Cards¶

The card generator pipeline converts the card data (cards_v03.json) into print-ready PNG images via SVG templates.

Quick Start¶

python tools/card_generator/generate_cards.py \
  --cards-json cards/cards_v03.json \
  --dpi 300 \
  --out-dir my_cards/

Output

my_cards/
├── forest/
│   └── cedar_of_the_sacred_forest.png  (×50 copies)
├── warrior/
│   ├── cedar_of_uruk.png
│   ├── lion_hunt.png
│   └── ...
├── temple/
├── merchant/
├── stranger/
└── event/

CLI Reference¶

Flag	Default	Description
`--cards-json`	`cards/cards_v03.json`	Card data file
`--dpi`	`150`	Output resolution (300 for print quality)
`--out-dir`	`output/`	Output directory
`--format`	`png`	Output format (`png` or `svg`)
`--template`	`tools/card_generator/templates/card_template.svg`	SVG template path
`--config`	`tools/card_generator/templates/faction_config.json`	Faction colour/symbol configuration

Pipeline¶

cards_v03.json  →  svg_builder.py  →  rasterizer.py  →  PNG
                      ↑                      ↑
              card_template.svg       (cairosvg / Inkscape)
              faction_config.json

svg_builder.py — Reads the card JSON, applies card data to named SVG elements (by XML id), sets faction colours from config.
rasterizer.py — Renders populated SVGs to PNG at the requested DPI using cairosvg or Inkscape as a fallback.

Template Variables¶

The SVG template (card_template.svg) has named elements that svg_builder.py targets:

SVG Element ID	Populated With
`card-title`	Card name
`card-type`	Card type (harvest, sacrifice, etc.)
`harvest-value`	Harvest amount
`card-text`	Effect description
`flavor-text`	Flavour text
`faction-name`	Archetype name
`art-clip`	AI-generated card art (from `visual_prompt`)

Printing Recommendations¶

Card Stock¶

Weight: 300–350 gsm (grams per square metre) for a tabletop feel
Finish: Matte or linen — avoids glare, handles better than gloss
Size: Standard poker (63 × 88 mm) at 300 DPI

Sizing¶

Cards are generated at poker size (750 × 1050 px at 300 DPI = 63.5 × 88.9 mm). Add 3 mm bleed on all sides if using a professional print service.

Deck Assembly¶

Deck	Cards to Print
Forest	30 × Cedar of the Sacred Forest (Forest Deck) + 20 × Cedar (Box Reserve)
Warrior-King	18 cards (all unique IDs starting with `warrior_`)
Temple Keeper	20 cards (all unique IDs starting with `temple_`)
River Merchant	20 cards (all unique IDs starting with `merchant_`)
Stranger-King	20 cards (all unique IDs starting with `stranger_`)
Event	12 cards (all unique IDs starting with `event_`)

Total: 140 cards (50 forest tokens + 78 archetype cards + 12 events).

Tokens¶

For physical play, you also need: - 12 Capacity tokens (any small object or printed chit) - 10 Patience tokens - 6 Renewal tokens - 1 Defection Token (double-sided) - 1 six-sided die (Forest Die) - Forest Health track (0–10, printed or drawn)

Card Art¶

AI-generated card art is included in the repository as CC0 1.0 — free to use, modify, and redistribute. Each card's visual_prompt field in cards_v03.json describes the intended artwork style (Assyrian bas-relief, black ink on cream).

To regenerate card art with a different style, modify the visual_prompt fields and re-run the generation pipeline. The generate_cards.py script can embed external images by path reference in the card data.

Digital Play Alternatives¶

If physical printing is not practical, the game can be played entirely in simulation mode:

# Heuristic mode (no LLM needed)
python agents/cards_ai_play.py \
  --deck1 warrior --deck2 temple \
  --cards cards/cards_v03.json --demo --games 1

# LLM mode (local model)
python agents/cards_ai_play.py \
  --deck1 stranger --deck2 warrior \
  --cards cards/cards_v03.json --games 5 \
  --api-model deepseek-v4-flash

See First Card Game for a full tutorial and Card Generator for the pipeline reference.