so, does anyone remember that console-based online card-game where you used physical cards as game pieces?
it was called The Eye of Judgement
the premise was very simple:
it used a camera with some data-recognition software, and hey presto! when you put the cards on the table/playmat, they show up on the screen.
now let's jump forwards a little.
why can't this premise be applied to magic? the cards all have distinctive text/artwork/mana costs/titles.... so visual recognition won't be a problem.
cameras are fast approaching extremely high definitions, and if the camera doesn't need to actually store the image it's recording (i.e. on a hard drive) then costs won't be high. it's essentially an overgrown webcam.
if you could sling cards with people around the world, while sitting in front of your TV and a specialized digital playmat.... maybe throw in some kind of ranking system, free-for-all games, game lobby/search functions... friends only games, teams, live exhibition matches....
let's face it, you'd be there like a shot.
i know i would. i'd pay serious money to be able to use my 18-year-long paper collection with people around the world.
having to balance two collections between MTG and MTGO for the exact same game is actually the biggest moneymaking farce, and yet people just accept it and move on. why aren't people working on a solution like this?
yeah sure, people could use proxies..... but if you're playing in a format (standard, extended etc.) then realistically, what does it matter? the card pools are limited and you'd get the same variation in decks if you went to any tournament.
thoughts? opinions?
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Modern: G Tron, Vannifar, Jund, Druid/Vizier combo, Humans, Eldrazi Stompy (Serum Powder), Amulet, Grishoalbrand, Breach Titan, Turns, Eternal Command, As Foretold Living End, Elves, Cheerios, RUG Scapeshift
+ Cheating would be rampant, and their would be as many rules twists as Workstation... + if im not getting the social aspect, why would i want to play around with physical cardboard, and not just click on bits on a screen?
I'm going on record right now and stating that before the end of 2012 we will see foil dual lands in booster packs (The real, Alpha dual lands). You can quote me on that.
Nothing's stopping people from doing it though... and I'm sure there are playgroup friends who moved apart who use webcams to play together still.
i'm sure there are..... but that's not what i was talking about.
i mean something like "The Eye of Judgement"
- the rules would work the same way as they do in mtgo (or duels of the planeswalkers)
- you'd play on a custom digital playmat so the image-recognition software could see where everything was.
- the game would track your actions, what was tapped, mana in pools etc. and work out all the rules stuff for you.
- for ease of use, there'd probably be a strip at the top of the playmat for active cards/abilities - meaning you'd put a card in the space to let the game know you were using its ability if it didn't tap for it (i.e. wild mongrel) and then subsequently all other cards involved with the ability. it would also allow for correct stack triggers for instants/sorceries and so forth. not difficult.
seriously... you guys wouldn't like to be able to play online with your actual cards, through a graphical interface?
that would be the best thing ever!
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Modern: G Tron, Vannifar, Jund, Druid/Vizier combo, Humans, Eldrazi Stompy (Serum Powder), Amulet, Grishoalbrand, Breach Titan, Turns, Eternal Command, As Foretold Living End, Elves, Cheerios, RUG Scapeshift
i'm sure there are..... but that's not what i was talking about.
i mean something like "The Eye of Judgement"
- the rules would work the same way as they do in mtgo (or duels of the planeswalkers)
- you'd play on a custom digital playmat so the image-recognition software could see where everything was.
- the game would track your actions, what was tapped, mana in pools etc. and work out all the rules stuff for you.
- for ease of use, there'd probably be a strip at the top of the playmat for active cards/abilities - meaning you'd put a card in the space to let the game know you were using its ability if it didn't tap for it (i.e. wild mongrel) and then subsequently all other cards involved with the ability. it would also allow for correct stack triggers for instants/sorceries and so forth. not difficult.
seriously... you guys wouldn't like to be able to play online with your actual cards, through a graphical interface?
that would be the best thing ever!
Probably not, no. If all it does is read the cards, you could print out high-quality proxies and have access to every card you wanted. There'd never be any 'sanctioned' events via this camera thing because of that, unless they were monitored or had a way to check if things are proxied. Cheating would be rampant, since the camera would only be focused on the play area [you could easily have someone hand you whatever card you need off-screen], and people online are jerks. If I want the convenience of playing whenever I want, I'd rather do so fully-digital with a shuffler and what have you, like Cockatrice, or with digital cards so I can actually play for DCI ranking/prizes like on MTGO.
My friend and I came up with this idea around the time they announced MODO. We thought it might work if wizards found a way to put a barcode on every card. One that was invisible, so it wouldn't affect the aesthetics of paper Magic. And would be very difficult to counterfeit.
I guess the problem still exists. You make people buy a scanner for this and someone will find a way to hack the scanner or fool it into thinking you have 4x of a card you own none or 1 of.
I guess the other thing is, why play paper Magic sitting in front of the computer when you could just go outside and play with real people? I would rather go play with real people and socialize than sit in front of an OCR barcode reader, swiping my cards and still having to dea with a computer.
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it was called The Eye of Judgement
the premise was very simple:
it used a camera with some data-recognition software, and hey presto! when you put the cards on the table/playmat, they show up on the screen.
now let's jump forwards a little.
why can't this premise be applied to magic? the cards all have distinctive text/artwork/mana costs/titles.... so visual recognition won't be a problem.
cameras are fast approaching extremely high definitions, and if the camera doesn't need to actually store the image it's recording (i.e. on a hard drive) then costs won't be high. it's essentially an overgrown webcam.
if you could sling cards with people around the world, while sitting in front of your TV and a specialized digital playmat.... maybe throw in some kind of ranking system, free-for-all games, game lobby/search functions... friends only games, teams, live exhibition matches....
let's face it, you'd be there like a shot.
i know i would. i'd pay serious money to be able to use my 18-year-long paper collection with people around the world.
having to balance two collections between MTG and MTGO for the exact same game is actually the biggest moneymaking farce, and yet people just accept it and move on. why aren't people working on a solution like this?
yeah sure, people could use proxies..... but if you're playing in a format (standard, extended etc.) then realistically, what does it matter? the card pools are limited and you'd get the same variation in decks if you went to any tournament.
thoughts? opinions?
seems like that could be one of the high points?
Eh... I guess if I wanted to do that, I'd save time and money and effort and just play on Cockatrice. :\
Nothing's stopping people from doing it though... and I'm sure there are playgroup friends who moved apart who use webcams to play together still.
i'm sure there are..... but that's not what i was talking about.
i mean something like "The Eye of Judgement"
- the rules would work the same way as they do in mtgo (or duels of the planeswalkers)
- you'd play on a custom digital playmat so the image-recognition software could see where everything was.
- the game would track your actions, what was tapped, mana in pools etc. and work out all the rules stuff for you.
- for ease of use, there'd probably be a strip at the top of the playmat for active cards/abilities - meaning you'd put a card in the space to let the game know you were using its ability if it didn't tap for it (i.e. wild mongrel) and then subsequently all other cards involved with the ability. it would also allow for correct stack triggers for instants/sorceries and so forth. not difficult.
seriously... you guys wouldn't like to be able to play online with your actual cards, through a graphical interface?
that would be the best thing ever!
Probably not, no. If all it does is read the cards, you could print out high-quality proxies and have access to every card you wanted. There'd never be any 'sanctioned' events via this camera thing because of that, unless they were monitored or had a way to check if things are proxied. Cheating would be rampant, since the camera would only be focused on the play area [you could easily have someone hand you whatever card you need off-screen], and people online are jerks. If I want the convenience of playing whenever I want, I'd rather do so fully-digital with a shuffler and what have you, like Cockatrice, or with digital cards so I can actually play for DCI ranking/prizes like on MTGO.
The latest Comprehensive Rules are also good, and can be found here.
I guess the problem still exists. You make people buy a scanner for this and someone will find a way to hack the scanner or fool it into thinking you have 4x of a card you own none or 1 of.
I guess the other thing is, why play paper Magic sitting in front of the computer when you could just go outside and play with real people? I would rather go play with real people and socialize than sit in front of an OCR barcode reader, swiping my cards and still having to dea with a computer.