T
train
Guest
Why doesn't WoTC really invite the Type 1 scene into MTGO... it would be so "fair play" due to all of the computer's limits on play...
N
Notepad
Guest
My thoughts exactly when I saw this episode of "Thread Necromancy!!!!!"
In a tomb which no one ever thought would be disturbed. Comes:
THE THREAD FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE!!!
(Cue werewolf howling and obligatory use of peacock squawks and elephant noises)
But more frightening is:
DEAD MARO TELLS ALL! A ZOMBIE TO ORGG EXCLUSIVE!!!
In a tomb which no one ever thought would be disturbed. Comes:
THE THREAD FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE!!!
(Cue werewolf howling and obligatory use of peacock squawks and elephant noises)
But more frightening is:
DEAD MARO TELLS ALL! A ZOMBIE TO ORGG EXCLUSIVE!!!
O
orgg
Guest
Well, heads of the heads changed, and permission was lost. A.k.a. Comer left, and Jazz got a new boss of promotions. The upswing of that last one is that we now can have 'animals' as avatars, and the return of the Tiger sometime soon.
80% of the questions I had selected have been answered in one way or another either officially or unofficially, though. Jaz said he was "90%" done with the interview last time I saw him online as well. Hmmm... guess there's no harm in showing what questions were selected...
And there was the interview in its 'sections.' Much of it was answered, and a few that I didn't expect to be answered stick out fairly well as well, such as the final question.
80% of the questions I had selected have been answered in one way or another either officially or unofficially, though. Jaz said he was "90%" done with the interview last time I saw him online as well. Hmmm... guess there's no harm in showing what questions were selected...
Intro Questions said:Orgg: Mister Ziran and Mister Comer, thank you for taking the time from your buisy schedual to participate in this interview for the CPA. First off, let us get to know you better. How long have you played Magic, and what is your favorite card and color in the game?
Orgg: What kind of decks do you prefer, Beatdown, Control, or Combo? What formats do ya'll prefer?
Orgg: What forms of games do you prefer, aside from Magic?
MOL Specifics said:Orgg: Onto more official matters. What is your official job title at Wizards of the Coast, and how many people do you have working with you and for you on Magic Online?
Orgg: Do you belive Magic Online leads more 'mainstream' acceptance to Magic: The Gathering?
Orgg: One appeal of Magic Online is the chance to play with people outside of your normal playgroup where you live. What are the countries that Magic Online are most popular in?
Orgg: Many formats are 'offical' online that mimic formats created by fans in real life. How do such 'fan made' formats become chosen to be on Magic Online? Do formats being 'ported over' get considered for official sanction?
Orgg: Of the 'official' formats online, is there a record of which is the most popular? Why is this thought to be?
Orgg: Many of the formats that mirror official DCI format tournaments require cards that are difficult to get because of a percieved limited distribution. Is that perception real, or were the early sets distributed more widly than assumed? Are there any concrete numbers of how much of each expansion was initially sold before its removal from the online store?
Orgg: Several years ago, the "Target Audience" for Magic was White Caucasions from 15-25 years of age. After the "Pokemon" phenomenon, Wizards of the Coast began insisting that Magic's content was PG-13 rated to assuage the concerns of parents of the Pokemon players who were becoming attracted to Magic. However, on Magic Online, with the attitudes of the Adepts and the odd choices for words to be censored (such as "Mick," the shortened form for "Michel," and Sour Kraut, a german food) the age group seems to have moved down considerably. Most PG-13 movies allow many words now disallowed, including the newest creature type in Magic's Unhinged set. Is Magic Online the same 'rating' as the non-virtual form of Magic? Why is the option not left up to the user to censor other's language?
Orgg: There have been many discussions on the Wizards of the Coast Magic Online message boards of the different sanctions that can be levied against offenders of the Code of Conduct or Terms of Service for Magic Online. Many times the punishments seem randomly handed out and totally up to the person punishing. Another section of Wizards of the Coast which deal with misbehavior in a Magic setting is the DCI, of which the lists of potential infractions and severity of the punishments are listed in degrees. The only punishment listed in the Code of Conduct and Terms of Service is deactivation of your Magic Online accounts.
Orgg: The DCI also publishes a list of those who have been punished in Magic for their transgressions. Why does Magic Online not have such a list of players?
Orgg: What should be done when an actual scam is detected by a user? To whom should it be reported to? Adepts have made it clear that they have very little additional power to monitor things such as Personal Messages, which many scammers use to run their scams.
Orgg: Why is there no way to check on your personal record? Is there any time limits on offenses to when they expire?
Orgg: One final question on the Code of Conduct and Terms of Service: the URL issue. The 'links' that scroll to the left of the main screen of Magic Online still contain some outdated URLs such as sideboard.com; it seems that space could be used for a stationary link to the mainpage of Wizards of the Coast, magicthegathering.com, and Bugzilla. Why do they not?
Orgg:Still on the subject of web addresses, the Magic community online was founded by TheDojo.com and VaultMag.com, both of which have gone out of buisiness. The second generation of Magic sites, StarCityGames.com, CasualPlayers.org, Brainburst.com, and MTGNews.com to name a few, fill this void with the third generation magicthegathering.com. How would one of those websites become affiliates of Magic Online or somehow be granted exceptions to the 'No URL' polocy? A person linking a beginner asking about Rochester to a non-Wizards of the Coast article on how to play rochester should not yield punishment. Opening these websites to be referenced would expand the quality of play for many people on Magic Online.
MOLBuisinessPractices said:Orgg: How do ya'll feel about the automated keyboard and mouse programs commonly known as 'Bots' performing various operations in the Magic Online community?
Orgg: Do you belive some or all of the automated scrypts benifit Magic Online in some way? If so, how?
Orgg: One of the earliest bot scrypts rumored to have been in existance was the 'grabs thirty two' bot. This bot was set to motion while an account was running, and when traded with, took 32 cards, then confirmed. The rumors go that it was made by a programmer who had two accounts, and was tired of only moving 32 cards at a time from one account to another, so he made his computer do it for him. This very problem still plagues many players today; thirty two digital objects per trade is a very small number. Why was it not 75(a deck and a sideboard) or more? Is there any plans to change it?
Orgg: Many bugs that are submitted to Magic Online's bug proccessing plant seem to get ignored, or at least not addressed or refuted in any tangible way. Why?
Orgg: Some suggestions of customisable settings have been addressed by players with some programming knowledge. At two different points in time, there have been third party programs to change some settings dictated by text files in the main directory of Magic Online, but each of these programs have quickly been cracked down upon. I am told that the features, such as Format Legality in the deck editor and changing the first "All" command to "All Online," still use text files in identical manners, and that it would not be hard to have a small program that edits them in a user-friendly way. If it is as easy as changing a text file to customise some settings, why does wizards of the Coast not allow some customisation of Magic Online?
Orgg: Speaking of the "All Online" or "Topmost All" command in the deck editor, why is "Promotional" listed as a possible set legal online, but Serra Avatar, Morphling, and Sliver Queen are not in it? Having Stronghold and Urza's Saga in the "All Online" option can confuse beginners quite easily.
Orgg: Some oddities in the programming of Magic Online indicate that at one point that every card in Magic was intended for programming, most notably the carlists for cards such as Cranal Extraction; cards such as Meriki Ri Beret or Master of the Hunt are included therein. However, some lists like the Creature Type list do NOT have all possible creature types on it, only the creature types currently on Magic Online. Logic seems to indicate that the opposite should be true: Only cards on Magic Online should be on the 'name a card' lists, and for the benifit of the Casual Players, all creature types should be avaible to pick from.
Orgg: Early December of 2004, an "Optional Download" section of a revampped Magic Online site was announced. Will this contain non-grainy artworks of pre-Invasion cards for those who would prefer it?
Pointed Questions said:Orgg: Every third expansion, the market price per pack rises for the 'middle' portion of a block's draft set due to the way prizes are given out. Is this seen as a 'normal' thing, or a problem to be addressed?
Orgg: Every few months, the issue of 'beta testers' for sets released to the public but not to Magic Online is raised. What standards are had for being a Beta Tester for Magic Online? Extensive rules knowledge? Large amounts of experience with Magic Online? A friend who knows somone on the current Beta Test?
Orgg: Speaking of beta testing, what are the various reasons that Magic Online has its sets released 'late' instead of simutaniously with current sets?
Orgg: The only time a set was released on Magic Online simutaniously was Eighth Edition, a set with a few cards that seemed... less than fully tested. Will Ninth Edition have a beta test assocciated with it? Will Ninth Edition be released simutaniously with its offline equivilent?
Orgg: Speaking of Ninth Edition, there is a rumor that the new Preconstructed Decks will sync up with all other precons and become sixty cards. Hypathetically, if this happens, will Magic Online's activation/account cost go to 12.99 with a 12.99 e-mail cupon?
Orgg: Once Ninth Edition is released, the Online Store will no longer carry Eighth Edition cards. This is slightly worrying because the 8th Edition Core Game seems to be how 60% or so (sidequestion: "what is the actual percentage?" Answering this might make the answer flow a bit more smoothly) people get into Magic Online. Will it be exclusivly avaible in the store via the code on the back of the disc's slipcase?
Orgg: In reference to Chronicals, Doctor Richard Garfield said that the health of the game should be favored over secondary market concerns. Since Magic has offline-only sets like Unhinged, would it be possible for a non-redeemable Chronicals set could be made online when Online Extended syncs up with Offline Extended to make the new format easier to begin playing? Has this issue even been brought up by the Magic Online team?
Orgg: Speaking of non-redeemable cards, will there be any more pre-Invasion promotional cards issued on Magic Online? I'm sure just about everyone has a card they miss, like possibly Ghitu Fire, Hired Giant, or, well... *gestures towards self*.
Orgg: In the Casual Play room, there is a way to run draft tournaments for free without prize. Why can't constructed tournaments be run in a similar way in the Tournament Practice room?
Orgg: Why are there not more small (8-32) Draft premere events to alliviate the begging for a 'swiss' format draft?
Orgg: One concern with Magic Online is the number of slots on the Block List, the Buddy List, and the Clan rooms. Why are each of them so small?
Orgg: Speaking of the buddy and block lists, why are notes not possible to mark why each person is naughty or nice? Most of us cannot remember exact reasons-- we're not mythical people.
Orgg: One rule that Magic Online should have that it doesn't is Rule 421, or the "Infinate Loop" rule. Currently, if an arbitrarily large loop that does not end the game is in play and activated two or more times, the player simply must continue to do such an action. Magic's rules allow for a number to be named, and the action to be taken that many times. Is this possible to implement into Magic Online, or are competitive combo decks crippled by this lack of Rule 421?
Orgg: Once Opon a Time, there were many, many different virtual representations avaible for players of Magic Online. Then, for no explainable reason, the selection was cut down to five. Why was this cut made? Will some of people's favorite avatars, such as the Springing Tiger or Bloodshot Cyclops, be avaible?
Orgg: Why has some system for 'purchased cupons' not been set up? Gift Card style cupons in stores would make Magic Online more accessable for people without a credit card to obtain product. If a pure gift cards are not possible, what about a combonation of Gift Card and Phone Card? Wizards of the Coast at one point sold 'collectable' phone cards in their Gamekeeper and Wizards stores.
Orgg: And now the finish on a down note. The specter of Gathering.net and Magic Encyclopedia float over Magic Online ominously. Magic Online is currently successful, and working very well. However, what if Magic Onine begins to decline like the Encyclopedia program? The Terms of Service state that we do not actually own the cards, only a lease to use them. Will all of our leases be terminated, or will 'partial redemptions' be possible? Would such 'ending' cards be stampped with a "Magic Online" stamp in the manner of the Tempest pre release card, or some other identifyable way?
And there was the interview in its 'sections.' Much of it was answered, and a few that I didn't expect to be answered stick out fairly well as well, such as the final question.
N
Notepad
Guest
Oh, I see. You asked some hardball questions. Which means, dear dear Orggy man, your interview will hang in limbo forever. You will not get it finished. Hell, my own short list was never gotten around to (and I showed you my questions).
They're a classic corporation that doesn't want to screw up its image. Doing a non-fluff interview means you get no interview. In the press, we call this "No comment pending ..." where ... is whatever. Investation, time to answer, research, whatever. Basically, you get "No comment pending..." whenever you ask, until you finally learn to stop asking. Its a dead end.
Sorry, bud. You fought the good fight. Do as Michael Moore does and just put them on blast. Screw cooperation! ;-)
They're a classic corporation that doesn't want to screw up its image. Doing a non-fluff interview means you get no interview. In the press, we call this "No comment pending ..." where ... is whatever. Investation, time to answer, research, whatever. Basically, you get "No comment pending..." whenever you ask, until you finally learn to stop asking. Its a dead end.
Sorry, bud. You fought the good fight. Do as Michael Moore does and just put them on blast. Screw cooperation! ;-)
O
orgg
Guest
Have you read the other three interviews I did? I don't pull punches, and I ask what the community wants to hear. I just edit the questions down into a flowing questionairre.
N
Notepad
Guest
MTGO is something they are highly sensitive about. Its their ugly stepchild that they were hoping to parade around as their ultimate gifted honor student of a child. It failed, in many ways, and has been patched up and held together just barely so that now it's capable of walking on its own, at least. It should get feeling in its extremities within the next few weeks, and docs said the bandages may be able to come off soon, too.
I honestly say they'll just delay on anything having to do with MTGO because its such a huge embarassment, especially when one goes asking tough questions, as you did. The reason they answered tough questions at other times:
1) It was years ago, and all the corporate PR-security wasn't in place yet, and
2) You weren't asking about such a dismal disappointment like MTGO
I honestly say they'll just delay on anything having to do with MTGO because its such a huge embarassment, especially when one goes asking tough questions, as you did. The reason they answered tough questions at other times:
1) It was years ago, and all the corporate PR-security wasn't in place yet, and
2) You weren't asking about such a dismal disappointment like MTGO