definition of casual

[Killer Joe]

I actually HAVE decks, when I go places, that are built not to offend anyone, as if I were saying, "I'd like to Battle with you and beat the Ba-Jesus out of you but I'll play this 'weak' deck instead."

Give me a break! I know I'm a little different in this matter because I feel I walk in a grey twilight where the tounament side of me intermixes with the casual side of me and sometimes I get my wires crossed. But really, the folks who play me know that I play-to-win and slapping down a deck with a "Non-Bo" like Lord of the Pit/Wall of Resistance/Provoke deck, they'd know I would condescending towards them. This one time I had the multiplayer Locked-Down (as usual) with a ready-to-pop Nevy's Disk on the board and one of the players could actually win with a creature rush if only I didn't have that disk ready to go. I told him, "Go ahead, attack." He did, I didn't pop the disk and he won.

I threw the game and he was none too happy with his victory. He won, right? I usually always win but he looked like the "FUN" was sucked right out of him. So I made his come true?

~NO~

So if fun for me is winning then I don't see the harm in it. I play decks just like the way my personality is,..controlling.

BTW, after that game my friend packed up and left the house, I really haven't seen him around since then

 

[Ferret]

Iti always amazes me how this discussion pops up every six months or so (along w/ the argument that the CPA is dying and only drastic change will save it).

The thing that I really like about the word "Casual" is that it's defined usually by the person that is playing. To me Casual was simply the opposite of Tournament. Sure, there are Casual players that love to go to tourneys and guys w/ really high DCI rankings that love to sit around a table w/ a group of friends playing for fun. Despite my definition above, it doesn't mean that the terms are mutually-exclusive. It's all in the way that you play the game...

...this is a game and winning is very important, how ever fun is also important. If you're playing to get into the next PT event (w/ the huge cash prizes it promises), play to win. Don't care about what your opponent thinks. Crush him. Show no mercy.

HOWEVER, if you're just sitting around the dining table w/ your friends please remember that they are your friends. If you pull out your 'no mercy' decks don't be surprised if they get angry as their "fun" decks get stomped before they've even drawn their sixth card.

It's okay to be both a Casual Player and a Tourney Player, but just remember what kind of game you're playing when you make your deck decision.

-Ferret

"Hmmm...that would have made a fair article..."

 

[Killer Joe]

Of course these discussions always come up because like everything else they're always evolving with each stitch of time. My opinion today may be different six months from now and so I feel it necessary to bring it up. Obviously it's not a "dead" topic otherwise this thread would be at the bottom of the list (like some of my other ones )

The tounament vs casual dialogue is always a 'hot-topic' mostly anywhere you play magic publicly (like the game shop I go to). There are your 'touney guys' and then there are your 'casual folks' (I say folks because I don't personally know ANY female tounament players but I DO know many casual female players).

I trade for a Biorhythm and you can hear the hush of the tourney players, "How absurd", "Who'd want THAT card!?" I do. Not for my tournament deck but for my MP deck.

I have made this statement several times before (but not recently): "I do not have the time, resources and/or the Skill to build creative casual decks." Cripe, even my "All Common" decks are built on net.dec concepts. My UBR Skittering Skirge-Go deck can hold up against most of my friends decks. Whatinthehell am I supposed to do?

Okay, not to brag, but after reading the article about the Alphabet Magic decks on this front page, I made a killer deck. This format is SUPPOSED to be FUN, but my deck will ruin and/or suck the fun out of a casual tournament. Somehow, this makes me feel good. I know it's bad, but yet I still have lots of friends who'll continue to Battle with me.

I am a 'scrub' among tourney players and am sorta good among casual players. As of late, I've choosen to play casually.

~NEXT~

CPA dying? It can't be ignored. Let well enough alone? No.

To the many folks who haven't posted for a year or two? The CPA HAS died. I know YOU (Ferret) were gone for a while & we're all glad you came back here, but where are the other folks? I actually did bring people here:

~DUke (I invited him from mtgnews - he was an awesome personallity to shake this place up)

~Houts (I can't exactly remember how but I read an article of his somewhere else and e-mailed or messaged him to come here)

~Almindhra (She's a former music student of mine and I THINK I told her about this place)

~Aaron Forsythe (okay, Aaron came of his own will, he did an engine search for Team: CMU and I had recently made a very bad and incriminating thread title condeming them for something. I drew alot of bad attention to this place but it was, in fact, attention nonetheless )

~Several guys from the former shop I used to game at (I think his name was Yellowjack-off)

So I have done a small share of recruitment both with real life people and internet personalities. Mrs. Ferret had an idea about banners. what are banners?

 

[Reverend Love]

I didn't know you were a music teacher Killer. Hmph, ya learn something everyday.

 

[Spiderman]

I mostly agree with what you're saying except I'd mention that your example of

Originally posted by Ferret
HOWEVER, if you're just sitting around the dining table w/ your friends please remember that they are your friends. If you pull out your 'no mercy' decks don't be surprised if they get angry as their "fun" decks get stomped before they've even drawn their sixth card.

could also be fine (and in the spirit of "how you play the game") if your friends all decided to whip out their "no mercy" decks, either by design or accident. If there's a house rule against such, then yeah, it's bad sportsmanship, but if it really hasn't been said beforehand, then you should be able to play it at least once (and usually "no mercy" decks aren't too easy to play in MP as in single-player).

Originally posted by Killer Joe
Mrs. Ferret had an idea about banners. what are banners?

I think they're just a "colorful" more way to be a link; instead of just a text link, you have a graphic logo-type thing.

 

[jorael]

I like the clash of more casual decks and supposedly 'no mercy' decks during multiplayer. By no means the 'no mercy' decks have an auto-win.

Ravager-affinity might be without mercy, but an opponent might pack 4 hammermages. Survival of the fittest decks are nasty, but I've seen turn 1 planar void screw a lot of decks.

In our playgroup every player has the same goal: have fun. How to have fun differs greatly, though. Some want to play 'no mercy' decks and win as often as possible, some want to play obscure synergetic decks or combo's. The diversity makes the 'metagame' unpredictable, ever-changing and very enjoyable.

 

[Killer Joe]

I'm too long-winded to get it down to a 'sound-bite' size explanation