Actually, Gideon, Jace, and Sarkhan's ascension stories prove that it's subjectively easier to ascend these days. It doesn't require an extreme trauma anymore. It can also be activated by tapping deeper into their own inherent power.
...huh, and here I was thinking that the current crop of Planeswalkers were actual badasses who overcame great odds and tribulations and came out on top dispite the odds. A pity.:( For a few moments, the current Crop of Planeswalkers actually sounded interesting.
Actually, Gideon, Jace, and Sarkhan's ascension stories prove that it's subjectively easier to ascend these days. It doesn't require an extreme trauma anymore. It can also be activated by tapping deeper into their own inherent power.
The Spark. One in a million sentient beings are born with "the spark," the metaphysical property that makes an individual capable of becoming a planeswalker. Of those born with "the spark," one in a million will realize their potential as planeswalkers. The planeswalker spark should not be confused with The AllSpark, which must not fall into the hands of the evil Megatron.
Well yeah, but I wasn't refuting that point. I was refuting the issue of walkers SURVIVING their ascension by offering the fact that they can have non-physical awakenings that don't require them to get shanked like Tezzeret or tortured like Elspeth.
What I'm curious about is with the 1 in 1,000,000,000,000 how there have been so many (relatively speaking) dragon planeswalkers. With those kinds of odds and considering only Jund has any kind of significant dragon population, a single dragon planeswalker in and of itself is highly improbable. But we've had both Bolas and Ugin, not to mention Sarkhan and hte orginal creator of old phyrexia.
What I'm curious about is with the 1 in 1,000,000,000,000 how there have been so many (relatively speaking) dragon planeswalkers. With those kinds of odds and considering only Jund has any kind of significant dragon population, a single dragon planeswalker in and of itself is highly improbable. But we've had both Bolas and Ugin, not to mention Sarkhan and hte orginal creator of old phyrexia.
Phyrexian Civil War block would be amazing. Block with no "good guys," just a five-way brawl for who gets to be the new Big Metal Daddy.
(Okay, realistically the "good guys" would still be Karn plus the few Mirran survivors, who manage to eke out a victory over a weakened and divided enemy. Vive la Resistance!)
Nemesis pulled it off well enough with the different legends. The biggest draw back only was the use of the mercenaries, but they were set at a disadvantage from their flavor design of being "punishment oriented."
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Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.
Individualities may form communities, but it is institutions alone that can create a nation.
Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success.
Here is my principle: Taxes shall be levied according to ability to pay. That is the only American principle.
What I'm curious about is with the 1 in 1,000,000,000,000 how there have been so many (relatively speaking) dragon planeswalkers. With those kinds of odds and considering only Jund has any kind of significant dragon population, a single dragon planeswalker in and of itself is highly improbable. But we've had both Bolas and Ugin, not to mention Sarkhan and hte orginal creator of old phyrexia.
It's all a probability thing. Two dragon planeswalkers is unlikely, but having no goblin planeswalkers is unlikely as well. It all balances out in the end, but random chance is usually quite unbalanced when looking at a small sample size. In this case, looking at only a few trillion individuals counts as small.
Dragons aren't really all that uncommon in the multiverse. almost every plane has them.
And here are the things you have to take into consideration:
Lifespan: Your average dragon lives for hundreds (and in Niv's case) thousands of years. Goblins live for... 30 years more or less. Dragons have many times more chances to ascend than goblins do.
Mortality rate post mending: Dragons are pretty strong to start with, so a newly ascended dragon planeswalker likely isn't going to become the target of a rival planeswalker. Goblin planeswalkers on the other hand are likely easy pickings.
I think these two factors working together is why we see two dragon planeswalkers but no goblins ones*.
* Okay Slobad was a goblin planeswalker, but he didn't ascend naturally.
Hmm, 1 in 1,000,000,000,000 does not make sense at all given most planes do not have that many habitants, or at least the books i read never gave me that impression
Luckily that can be partially explained by the fact that there are lots and lots and lots of planes out there, possibly infinite. I thought Koth was a bit of a cop-out since Mirrodin had already had a spark in Glissa, but whatever. Dominaria seems to be particularly good at spawning planeswalkers, but that may have something to do with it being the center of the multiverse. More likely it's just the fact that it's the center of the story and everyone loves planeswalkers. Presumably there are many many more planes out there with no native planeswalkers at all.
right but it is rather odd to say that when existing planes have much higher ratios. i mean even if you have two examples where your ratio is 1/1,000,000 you'd be theoretically more careful to say otherwise when there is no information at all on other planes.
Oh sure, but it's far from conclusive. What is more conclusive is that we've been told specifically what the ratios are by the gods who created the physics of the multiverse (Wizards of the Coast).
Yes but my point is, given the history, there is no reason to believe 1/10x10^12 number when the visible universe does not justify it and the entire universe is not created yet
If you baked a cake and told me you put two cups of sugar in it, I'm going to believe you even if the piece I ate tasted like you added three. I'd appreciate that you went out of your way to give me the sweetest piece!
Okay, bad example. But what I'm trying to say is that of course we're going to see lots of planeswalkers. The 10^12 number is only there to make us realise that planeswalkers are very special. When you get right down to it, planeswalkers are the only thing that separates Magic from every other fantasy world, so of course they will be focused on more in the storyline. If we visited too many planes (like Lorwyn, for example) that had no planeswalkers, Magic wouldn't feel very special. Creative is trying to make interesting stories, and those stories with planeswalkers are at least more unique than those without, so we're seeing the "sweetest piece" of the multiverse because they think we'll find it tastier!
Creative is trying to make interesting stories, and those stories with planeswalkers are at least more unique than those without, so we're seeing the "sweetest piece" of the multiverse because they think we'll find it tastier!
Yes, by canceling novels on stories we wanted to see that were focused on said characters and cutting back on total number of books released! Wait...
About any "subpar" mechanics or cards: Context is king.
If I make a templating or grammar error, let me know.
The franchise MtG most resembles is Battlestar Galactica. Why? Its players exist in, at most, a dozen different models at any given point in time, with perhaps up to 3% variation, 5% if you're lucky.
Hmm, 1 in 1,000,000,000,000 does not make sense at all given most planes do not have that many habitants, or at least the books i read never gave me that impression
Maybe we need to factor the possibility of Squirrel planeswalkers.
Considering Crows (along with a number of other birds) have a ☺☺☺☺ing language (the ability to transfer information across MULTIPLE generations denotes the main use of language, I.E. spreading information), that statement might not be as certain as we used to think it was. Plus, they're squirrels. Considering the most widely spread species across the multiverse are also the species that have Planeswalkers, the Squirrels having a few 'Walkers of their own makes some amount of (terrifying) sense.
So there has to be a plateau of intelligence before a species manifests a spark... I think in part because if a Squirrel became a walker, well good for it. It would likely only walk if it got scared and then it wouldn't really be aware that it was somewhere vastly different. Same with crows. They wouldn't have the judgement to do anything more than walk on instinct (as most walkers do on their very first walk)
This is why there's such a disinction between sentience and sapience, and to be honest, most people use the term Sentience when they really MEAN sapience.
Mirrodin wins=Karn sees that his plane has become too corrupted and refuses to work with the phyrexians. Mirrans won, but the very plane is damaged beyond repair and Karn decides to destroy it, along with himself, to make sure that the evil of Phyrexia does not spread. Hopefully Koth dies.
Karn is a pacifist, he wouldn't murder an entire plane of people, especially when he knows that the oil is everywhere. Him destroying Mirrodin (which i doubt he has the power to do) wouldn't do anything).
i'm sure of the idea that Karn wouldn't destroy Mirrodin or jeopardize a plane of people, but didn't he realize his vow of pacifism compromised his ability to save his friends? (the question isn't relative to him razing Mirrodin, but more or less a general question of his ideologies post-Invasion, as i haven't read any of the Time Spiral novels involving him to know whether he pursued his vow once more. the wiki doesn't say.)
i'm sure of the idea that Karn wouldn't destroy Mirrodin or jeopardize a plane of people, but didn't he realize his vow of pacifism compromised his ability to save his friends? (the question isn't relative to him razing Mirrodin, but more or less a general question of his ideologies post-Invasion, as i haven't read any of the Time Spiral novels involving him to know whether he pursued his vow once more. the wiki doesn't say.)
He doesn't go back to pacifism.
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...huh, and here I was thinking that the current crop of Planeswalkers were actual badasses who overcame great odds and tribulations and came out on top dispite the odds. A pity.:( For a few moments, the current Crop of Planeswalkers actually sounded interesting.
#2. Dungeon Keeper Ami; Proving that sometimes the best Villians are the ones who used to be Heros.
#3. Ow, My Sanity: There are things man was not meant to love.
And yet according to Brady, the ratio is still 1,000,000,000,000.
* By the way, Brady you're awesome.
Well yeah, but I wasn't refuting that point. I was refuting the issue of walkers SURVIVING their ascension by offering the fact that they can have non-physical awakenings that don't require them to get shanked like Tezzeret or tortured like Elspeth.
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Nemesis pulled it off well enough with the different legends. The biggest draw back only was the use of the mercenaries, but they were set at a disadvantage from their flavor design of being "punishment oriented."
Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.
Individualities may form communities, but it is institutions alone that can create a nation.
Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success.
Here is my principle: Taxes shall be levied according to ability to pay. That is the only American principle.
It's all a probability thing. Two dragon planeswalkers is unlikely, but having no goblin planeswalkers is unlikely as well. It all balances out in the end, but random chance is usually quite unbalanced when looking at a small sample size. In this case, looking at only a few trillion individuals counts as small.
And here are the things you have to take into consideration:
Lifespan: Your average dragon lives for hundreds (and in Niv's case) thousands of years. Goblins live for... 30 years more or less. Dragons have many times more chances to ascend than goblins do.
Mortality rate post mending: Dragons are pretty strong to start with, so a newly ascended dragon planeswalker likely isn't going to become the target of a rival planeswalker. Goblin planeswalkers on the other hand are likely easy pickings.
I think these two factors working together is why we see two dragon planeswalkers but no goblins ones*.
* Okay Slobad was a goblin planeswalker, but he didn't ascend naturally.
Luckily that can be partially explained by the fact that there are lots and lots and lots of planes out there, possibly infinite. I thought Koth was a bit of a cop-out since Mirrodin had already had a spark in Glissa, but whatever. Dominaria seems to be particularly good at spawning planeswalkers, but that may have something to do with it being the center of the multiverse. More likely it's just the fact that it's the center of the story and everyone loves planeswalkers. Presumably there are many many more planes out there with no native planeswalkers at all.
You quote Brady as saying one in a million....a million is 1,000,000 while 1,000,000,000,000 is a trillion.
The more you know!
Oh sure, but it's far from conclusive. What is more conclusive is that we've been told specifically what the ratios are by the gods who created the physics of the multiverse (Wizards of the Coast).
Well yes. That's what we're paying for. That is the product they are offering us every year.
If you baked a cake and told me you put two cups of sugar in it, I'm going to believe you even if the piece I ate tasted like you added three. I'd appreciate that you went out of your way to give me the sweetest piece!
Okay, bad example. But what I'm trying to say is that of course we're going to see lots of planeswalkers. The 10^12 number is only there to make us realise that planeswalkers are very special. When you get right down to it, planeswalkers are the only thing that separates Magic from every other fantasy world, so of course they will be focused on more in the storyline. If we visited too many planes (like Lorwyn, for example) that had no planeswalkers, Magic wouldn't feel very special. Creative is trying to make interesting stories, and those stories with planeswalkers are at least more unique than those without, so we're seeing the "sweetest piece" of the multiverse because they think we'll find it tastier!
Yes, by canceling novels on stories we wanted to see that were focused on said characters and cutting back on total number of books released! Wait...
About any "subpar" mechanics or cards: Context is king.
If I make a templating or grammar error, let me know.
The franchise MtG most resembles is Battlestar Galactica. Why? Its players exist in, at most, a dozen different models at any given point in time, with perhaps up to 3% variation, 5% if you're lucky.
Maybe we need to factor the possibility of Squirrel planeswalkers.
O_O
No wonder the damn things are everywhere.
#2. Dungeon Keeper Ami; Proving that sometimes the best Villians are the ones who used to be Heros.
#3. Ow, My Sanity: There are things man was not meant to love.
no spark there. Sapients only.
Considering Crows (along with a number of other birds) have a ☺☺☺☺ing language (the ability to transfer information across MULTIPLE generations denotes the main use of language, I.E. spreading information), that statement might not be as certain as we used to think it was. Plus, they're squirrels. Considering the most widely spread species across the multiverse are also the species that have Planeswalkers, the Squirrels having a few 'Walkers of their own makes some amount of (terrifying) sense.
#2. Dungeon Keeper Ami; Proving that sometimes the best Villians are the ones who used to be Heros.
#3. Ow, My Sanity: There are things man was not meant to love.
http://www.wizards.com/Magic/TCG/Article.aspx?x=magic/planeswalkers/week1
http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/stf/21
http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/stf/44
So there has to be a plateau of intelligence before a species manifests a spark... I think in part because if a Squirrel became a walker, well good for it. It would likely only walk if it got scared and then it wouldn't really be aware that it was somewhere vastly different. Same with crows. They wouldn't have the judgement to do anything more than walk on instinct (as most walkers do on their very first walk)
This is why there's such a disinction between sentience and sapience, and to be honest, most people use the term Sentience when they really MEAN sapience.
You do realize I'm the one that initially pointed out the difference between the two words, right?:raise:
#2. Dungeon Keeper Ami; Proving that sometimes the best Villians are the ones who used to be Heros.
#3. Ow, My Sanity: There are things man was not meant to love.
No, but I was more ranting at the wall than specifically at you.
Brought to you by the people who made "out of context" a household word.:D
#2. Dungeon Keeper Ami; Proving that sometimes the best Villians are the ones who used to be Heros.
#3. Ow, My Sanity: There are things man was not meant to love.
Karn is a pacifist, he wouldn't murder an entire plane of people, especially when he knows that the oil is everywhere. Him destroying Mirrodin (which i doubt he has the power to do) wouldn't do anything).
He doesn't go back to pacifism.