A general plead for articles

[Ferret]

I've noticed that we haven't had any recent articles and this concerns me. I know a lot of people have some great things to say and this message can take longer than a simple post. If you have had any experiences at local tourneys, had a good time at your dinner table, or just have some wry comments about recent (or not-so-recent sets) write something and submit it. I'd love to see what all this fresh talent here has to offer...

-Ferret

"Dear CPA Letters: I never thought this would happen to me..."

 

[train]

I'll type one up tomorrow at work and submit it... It'll be a tourney report... little amusing at that too...

 

[Skyrider]

I actually wrote up a little essay on how banding works a month or so ago. I've been playing about 6 months and I noticed a lot of players don't seem to know what banding does anymore, so I looked up the rules and tried to re-write it into a simpler breakdown for new and old players alike.

 

[Spiderman]

and I noticed a lot of players don't seem to know what banding does anymore

That's probably because it's no longer included in sets as it was deemed "too complicated" by WOTC. New players are probably only going to encounter it now in casual games that play with older sets that have banding in them

 

[Ferret]

I remember having to re-read the rulebook three or four times to try and figure out what Banding meant...but I know it now.

This brings up an interesting point: Why is WotC trying to 'dumb down' the game so much? They put the name of a mechanic on a card (hooray) and throw in an explaination of what the mechanic does. Why do they need both? We have rule books. We have the internet. We can look it up.

-Ferret

"...thinking is hard..."

 

[train]

Because they're afraid of landhome?!!!...

 

[Skyrider]

lol I think Wizards is just putting the explainations for the keywords on the cards for the first set or so until everyone knows it. Provoke for instance, I can see that ability sticking around for a while.

I don't think they're trying to dumb down the game; I think they're just trying to make it more organized and straightforward so that there arn't so many loopholes or confusions in card or rule wording. Banding can be rather confusing for the casual player. I had to re-read the rules once or twice to just understand how it worked.

 

[Ferret]

That almost sounds logical - except, that 'Haste' has had explainations on the cards since Urza's Cycle...

-Ferret

"...before that they had everything except for the word 'haste' on the cards..."

 

[Skyrider]

I never said Wizards always makes sense. lol

 

[Notepad]

...I have a ton of article ideas...the problem is getting time to write them up. Sorry for my sudden absence, but time is a little lacking lately.

Doesn't anbyody else have ideas? Come on, this is sad, coming back from a two week + absence and seeing nothing new. WTF!?!?!

 

[Skyrider]

Well I think once Scourge comes out there'll be more to write about, but that's a given for the release of any new cards. Really though, people could write about anything from what number of cards in a deck is best, to the personalities of the colors in Magic, to the difference in mentality between new players and old. There's a lot of topics to write about, and if you can't think of any, just think of the bull that the Wizards site puts out on a daily basis. Some of the articles are ok, but most are just filler and we all know it.

 

[Nightstalkers]

we'll submit a short article about the local tournaments around the Indianapolis area... other than that, its 10 cents a word!

 

[Notepad]

Ten cents a word, eh? Funny, I think that is exactly what SCRYE pays. Ever think of submitting stuff to them, Nightstalkers?

 

[Spiderman]

I think the keyword thing is sometimes helpful, sometimes not. Explaining a new mechanic like Provoke is okay. Saying "Walls cannot attack" is not (well, I guess I can see how helpful that might be to a really new person, but that kind of thing is in the rulebook)(I think).

, this is sad, coming back from a two week + absence and seeing nothing new. WTF!?!?!

Backs up my observations from the "Avatar and other things" thread in CPA Issues (wink, wink, nudge, nudge to Ferret)

We do want articles of some quality. Usually this does with length as I have an arbitrary minimum of what I feel is long enough or not I'll let you know though if it's too short or needs more "meat" in it.

 

[Notepad]

The keyword explanations should only be on the first set introduced, and in the "base set." Any other references to the ability should not have the reminder text. Its just too stupid to have them more than that, as people should understand it if they're playing an "expert" set.

As for the content, I wish like hell I could help out with this problem. However, I am spending a lot of time writing for my job. My time is short. Sadly, a pair of sick days is the only time I've had to come back and post. *sniffles* I miss all of you guys...

-SeFRo
...who would like to see reminder text on mana costs just for the fun of it...

 

[train]

I'd like to see rules reminder text for...

The "Tap" symbol...

 

[Skyrider]

Hey all, I'm doing a little bit of research at the moment, but I hope to have some writing done by the end of the day. Maybe even an article by the end of the week. The title's going to be "Valley of the Dead...Keywords." Ciao

 

[Apollo]

Island (This is the name of the card. When using a card that asks you to name a card, you must name "Island" to have it apply to this card)

Basic Land--Island (more than 4 of this card may be used in a deck, and cards affecting "basic lands" affect this card)

T (Turn this card sideways to produce the desired effect. Cards may be tapped only once per turn unless they become "untapped"): Add U to your mana pool (This is used to cast spells that have (U) or (1) in their casting cost or effects that have an activation cost including those symbols).

The funny thing is, it's been dumbed down so much that my reminder text isn't even applicable anymore.

 

[Skyrider]

I don't even think they have rules text for the tap symbol. lol One of the few things they haven't bolted down in rules.

 

[Ferret]

I love the old lands w/ text like "Tap to add one Red mana to your mana pool. Play this is as in interrupt" - no tap (tm) symbol and no mana (tm) symbol.

-Ferret

"...and Sleight of Mind worked on them "