Big news: As of now, I am no longer (#)WOTCstaff. This account is now my personal account, and I'm not going to be tweeting much about Magic. I won't be offended if anybody chooses to unfollow.
Judging from his reactions, it was unexpected.
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100% Vorthos Spike and Storyline Expert
Former Fact Prospector of the Greek Alliance.
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
Why is this "unsettling news"? It's an occupational choice. People make those all the time.
Well, Catherine, when you make a occupational *choice*, you would probably speak differently than this:
What's next for me? I don't know yet, and that's kind of exciting. I'm certainly interested in industry jobs and would welcome anything you want to point me toward. But I've got a little time right now for the kinds of creative side projects I haven't been able to pursue.
Really does not look like it was his choice to quit.
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100% Vorthos Spike and Storyline Expert
Former Fact Prospector of the Greek Alliance.
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
He goes on right after that saying he's proud of his work and has no need for condolences. Mark Rosewater thanks him too.
Still dont see what's "very unsettling." He'll be missed for sure.
Change of guard happens. Very unsettling is a little ominous, and that leans in the realm of assumption regarding what the future holds for magic creative.
And we all know creative is hit or miss these past few years, so hopefully the change is for the best. Cheers, Digges!
I think it's "unsettling" in the sense that Kelly has been pretty instrumental in Magic Story the last few years - and especially with Dominaria (which was all kinds of story + flavour success). It's unclear why this happened, but as storyline fans, I think I'm a little worried what this means for the creative / Vorthos direction of the series. Especially given how interactive Kelly has been with fans.
Maybe it's premature, or putting too much of an emphasis on one person. But it's still a sad thing.
He was my favorite author and member of creative. I will continue to follow him. He was Magic's greatest talent if you ask me. This is beyond unsettling, it's downright horrifying.
I'm actually very deeply troubled and upset by this news. I won't say more right now to avoid getting banned again, and will just let this settle with me before I comment further.
The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
Any inclinations or suggestions as to why? I miss old Magic storytelling, which focused less on planeswalkers, obvious twists, and identity politics. But was Kelly the glue that kept it moving, or the cause if poor storycrafting?
Any inclinations or suggestions as to why? I miss old Magic storytelling, which focused less on planeswalkers, obvious twists, and identity politics. But was Kelly the glue that kept it moving, or the cause if poor storycrafting?
How much identity politics did we really get though? Alesha being trans and some gay characters on Theros, a plane based on Ancient Greece which is kinda famous for guys that were "really good friends"? Some elementals and robots being genderless (which makes sense because they don't reproduce)? If I'm missing something, it must not have been that overt. Maybe Chandra randomly changing ethnicities between Irish and Indian depending on who's drawing her? (Seriously though, what's up with that? I get maybe making her more Indian looking once they decided she was Kaladeshi and that Kaladesh was based on India, but her new art is back to being ginger)
I think this is something that tends to get blown way out of proportion, like the mere inclusion of different people is playing identity politics.
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The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
Any inclinations or suggestions as to why? I miss old Magic storytelling, which focused less on planeswalkers, obvious twists, and identity politics. But was Kelly the glue that kept it moving, or the cause if poor storycrafting?
What era of Magic Story are you talking about? Cause that doesn't sound like one that happened in our dimension.
Sad to see him go. Hopefully his work goes well. As for if its ominous or not, maybe its not best to dig up something even if that something may not have been buried at all.
Any inclinations or suggestions as to why? I miss old Magic storytelling, which focused less on planeswalkers, obvious twists, and identity politics. But was Kelly the glue that kept it moving, or the cause if poor storycrafting?
How much identity politics did we really get though? Alesha being trans and some gay characters on Theros, a plane based on Ancient Greece which is kinda famous for guys that were "really good friends"? Some elementals and robots being genderless (which makes sense because they don't reproduce)? If I'm missing something, it must not have been that overt. Maybe Chandra randomly changing ethnicities between Irish and Indian depending on who's drawing her? (Seriously though, what's up with that? I get maybe making her more Indian looking once they decided she was Kaladeshi and that Kaladesh was based on India, but her new art is back to being ginger)
I think this is something that tends to get blown way out of proportion, like the mere inclusion of different people is playing identity politics.
I doubt he's inclined to give you a straight answer.
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"Pop in, find a dragon, roast a dragon."
-Chandra Nalaar
Any inclinations or suggestions as to why? I miss old Magic storytelling, which focused less on planeswalkers, obvious twists, and identity politics. But was Kelly the glue that kept it moving, or the cause if poor storycrafting?
How much identity politics did we really get though? Alesha being trans and some gay characters on Theros, a plane based on Ancient Greece which is kinda famous for guys that were "really good friends"? Some elementals and robots being genderless (which makes sense because they don't reproduce)? If I'm missing something, it must not have been that overt. Maybe Chandra randomly changing ethnicities between Irish and Indian depending on who's drawing her? (Seriously though, what's up with that? I get maybe making her more Indian looking once they decided she was Kaladeshi and that Kaladesh was based on India, but her new art is back to being ginger)
I think this is something that tends to get blown way out of proportion, like the mere inclusion of different people is playing identity politics.
I doubt he's inclined to give you a straight answer.
Pun intended?
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The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
I will gladly identify where identity politics crept in. Disproportionate female heroes. Liliana's seductress origin suppressed. Nissa Chandra shipping in a setting largely light, if not devoid, of lust and romance. Add to that a general cartoonishness of the plot, good guys either winning througj plot armor, or escaping with little consequences.
On a separate note, cool local characters suffer from less screen time. Arlinn Kord, Tibalt, Geralf and Gisa.
And yes, Alesha was absurd. Mardu orcs following a kid in a dress, lets be a little realistic.
As to what Jay said, the current plot does not compare with the Jodah 3 book set, Nemesis, Planeswalker or even the upside of Invasion. But maybe that is due to the platform leaving books in favor of short stories.
I will gladly identify where identity politics crept in. Disproportionate female heroes. Liliana's seductress origin suppressed. Nissa Chandra shipping in a setting largely light, if not devoid, of lust and romance. Add to that a general cartoonishness of the plot, good guys either winning througj plot armor, or escaping with little consequences.
On a separate note, cool local characters suffer from less screen time. Arlinn Kord, Tibalt, Geralf and Gisa.
And yes, Alesha was absurd. Mardu orcs following a kid in a dress, lets be a little realistic.
As to what Jay said, the current plot does not compare with the Jodah 3 book set, Nemesis, Planeswalker or even the upside of Invasion. But maybe that is due to the platform leaving books in favor of short stories.
I also miss Planeswalker Guides. Who nixed those?
I agree with you on most of your points about the story, but your gripe about identity politics really just comes off as you being annoyed that people who aren't like you are getting screen time, and searching for reasons to be annoyed. Disproportionate female heroes? Really? Is about half somehow disproportionate? Liliana being less seductive? Is she even really? She still tries to manipulate Jace through sexuality, and she wasn't getting anywhere with Gideon (though that may change). Who was she supposed to seduce, the Eldritch horrors on Innistrad, or the Dominarian zombies? Tezz, a guy who knows her game and wants her dead? Chandra and Nissa shipping hasn't even gotten beyond them being friends, and may never, because they might not even be gay (people can be emotionally close and supportive without wanting to visit the bone zone).
I'm sorry if I'm coming off a bit harsh, its just flabbergasting to me that people get upset over this kind of thing. I mean, really, read this sentence you typed
"And yes, Alesha was absurd. Mardu orcs following a kid in a dress, lets be a little realistic."
and try to see how ridiculous it is. You are complaining about the realism of orcs following a transgender dragon slayer, and its the transgender part that you find unrealistic. The story also stresses that the Mardu at the time have built their society around slaying dragons, and choose their leaders largely based on bravery and dragon slaying ability, which Alesha proves to have in spades, which is why they choose to follow her, but again, this was a story about an insane planeswalker being prompted to travel back in time to save a dragon planeswalker from another dragon planeswalker by the ghost of the first dragon planeswalker, so even if orcs following a transgender warrior who embodies the values of their society is unrealistic, its no more unrealistic than anything else that goes on in the story.
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The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
I think you have a point in that what I see as identity politics and aimless box-checking (and moralistic condescension) may draw from the other issues with the story, which is that they are serialized and cartoonish stories founded around Planeswalkers. When stories are told through these plot-armored travelers, each plan is effectively a working vacation. Things happen, the planes walker's(s) story ends, and we move on. What made the Ice Age plot so great is that it was driven by characters. Back then, planes walkers were gods, forces of nature of inscrutable motives and beliefs. They rarely were the protagonist, but rather in the background. By rendering them mortal and of limited power past their traveling ability, the story may have actually weakened the narrative style.
But I do not agree with you that a world of dragons and orcs makes other non-realistic changes (like the fact that women represent half of the warriors and fighters in this world) more palatable. I think fantasy is more effective when the world connects to ours at some points, but rotates wildly on others. It gives us perspective and helps us relate. Its easier to envision myself in a world like mine but with dragons and orcs. Its far less easy when there are dragons and orcs, and somehow every other warrior of note is a woman who weighs under 160 lb, or where there are random and inexplicable ethnic mixes of people.
Sarkhan being mad does not make me believe that SNIP is any more likely to be a great dragonslayer or a leader of a brutal horde. I would go further: I am signing up for fantasy, and therefore, in this game, I find dragon wizards more convincing than transexual war chiefs.
And that's just off the top of my head. To say magic is "largely light, if not devoid" of romantic themes and such is basically admitting that you haven't been paying attention.
Wrong. You mentioned largely married couples. There has been precious little sex (if any) even so much as off-camera, and, compared to other family-friendly fantasy such as Harry Potter, there is still a very marked lack of focus. Really, Angrath and his WIFE who we never meet? That is the same as shipping or dating-and-mating based character development?
OOOH good one with K'rik and Jhoira. You mean the one where a dick-less sleeper agent Phyrexian monster took advantage of a lonely girl at boarding school to have his Negator monstrosities murder her and her friends, resulting in her mechanical friend triggering a time crisis to save her? THAT ship rounds out the total, and dilutes the randomly-pushed Chandra spontaneous lesbianism?
Your idea of romance suggests you thought Hostel was a Rom-Com.
https://twitter.com/kellydigges/status/990036631473156096?s=21
Judging from his reactions, it was unexpected.
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
there's a chance, though, that the choice wasn't his to make.
MTG Creative has made a lot of strides under Digges. He'll be missed.
Click the pic for more info.
Well, Catherine, when you make a occupational *choice*, you would probably speak differently than this:
Really does not look like it was his choice to quit.
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
Still dont see what's "very unsettling." He'll be missed for sure.
Change of guard happens. Very unsettling is a little ominous, and that leans in the realm of assumption regarding what the future holds for magic creative.
And we all know creative is hit or miss these past few years, so hopefully the change is for the best. Cheers, Digges!
Maybe it's premature, or putting too much of an emphasis on one person. But it's still a sad thing.
He was my favorite author and member of creative. I will continue to follow him. He was Magic's greatest talent if you ask me. This is beyond unsettling, it's downright horrifying.
I'm actually very deeply troubled and upset by this news. I won't say more right now to avoid getting banned again, and will just let this settle with me before I comment further.
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
The Vorthos community will await the consequences of the Eldrazi Titans' deaths/sealing. We will keep the watch.
“The wind whispers, ‘come home,’ but I cannot.”
— Teferi
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
How much identity politics did we really get though? Alesha being trans and some gay characters on Theros, a plane based on Ancient Greece which is kinda famous for guys that were "really good friends"? Some elementals and robots being genderless (which makes sense because they don't reproduce)? If I'm missing something, it must not have been that overt. Maybe Chandra randomly changing ethnicities between Irish and Indian depending on who's drawing her? (Seriously though, what's up with that? I get maybe making her more Indian looking once they decided she was Kaladeshi and that Kaladesh was based on India, but her new art is back to being ginger)
I think this is something that tends to get blown way out of proportion, like the mere inclusion of different people is playing identity politics.
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
TerribleBad at Magic since 1998.A Vorthos Guide to Magic Story | Twitter | Tumblr
[Primer] Krenko | Azor | Kess | Zacama | Kumena | Sram | The Ur-Dragon | Edgar Markov | Daretti | Marath
-Chandra Nalaar
Pun intended?
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
Only question on mind is now who do we talk to for errating creatures
On a separate note, cool local characters suffer from less screen time. Arlinn Kord, Tibalt, Geralf and Gisa.
And yes, Alesha was absurd. Mardu orcs following a kid in a dress, lets be a little realistic.
As to what Jay said, the current plot does not compare with the Jodah 3 book set, Nemesis, Planeswalker or even the upside of Invasion. But maybe that is due to the platform leaving books in favor of short stories.
I also miss Planeswalker Guides. Who nixed those?
I agree with you on most of your points about the story, but your gripe about identity politics really just comes off as you being annoyed that people who aren't like you are getting screen time, and searching for reasons to be annoyed. Disproportionate female heroes? Really? Is about half somehow disproportionate? Liliana being less seductive? Is she even really? She still tries to manipulate Jace through sexuality, and she wasn't getting anywhere with Gideon (though that may change). Who was she supposed to seduce, the Eldritch horrors on Innistrad, or the Dominarian zombies? Tezz, a guy who knows her game and wants her dead? Chandra and Nissa shipping hasn't even gotten beyond them being friends, and may never, because they might not even be gay (people can be emotionally close and supportive without wanting to visit the bone zone).
I'm sorry if I'm coming off a bit harsh, its just flabbergasting to me that people get upset over this kind of thing. I mean, really, read this sentence you typed
"And yes, Alesha was absurd. Mardu orcs following a kid in a dress, lets be a little realistic."
and try to see how ridiculous it is. You are complaining about the realism of orcs following a transgender dragon slayer, and its the transgender part that you find unrealistic. The story also stresses that the Mardu at the time have built their society around slaying dragons, and choose their leaders largely based on bravery and dragon slaying ability, which Alesha proves to have in spades, which is why they choose to follow her, but again, this was a story about an insane planeswalker being prompted to travel back in time to save a dragon planeswalker from another dragon planeswalker by the ghost of the first dragon planeswalker, so even if orcs following a transgender warrior who embodies the values of their society is unrealistic, its no more unrealistic than anything else that goes on in the story.
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
But I do not agree with you that a world of dragons and orcs makes other non-realistic changes (like the fact that women represent half of the warriors and fighters in this world) more palatable. I think fantasy is more effective when the world connects to ours at some points, but rotates wildly on others. It gives us perspective and helps us relate. Its easier to envision myself in a world like mine but with dragons and orcs. Its far less easy when there are dragons and orcs, and somehow every other warrior of note is a woman who weighs under 160 lb, or where there are random and inexplicable ethnic mixes of people.
Sarkhan being mad does not make me believe that SNIP is any more likely to be a great dragonslayer or a leader of a brutal horde. I would go further: I am signing up for fantasy, and therefore, in this game, I find dragon wizards more convincing than transexual war chiefs.
Jace + Liliana
Jace + Vraska
Jace + Emmara
Gideon + Chandra
Angrath + his wife
Kerrick + Jhoira
Serra + Feroz
Ixidor + Nivea
Anax + Cymede
Tibor + Lumia
(Sarkhan + Narset)
Tamiyo + her husband
Elspeth + Daxos
Halana + Alena
Kynaios + Tiro
Verix + Karox
And that's just off the top of my head. To say magic is "largely light, if not devoid" of romantic themes and such is basically admitting that you haven't been paying attention.
Your idea of romance suggests you thought Hostel was a Rom-Com.
@_kaburi_ on Twitter
Special thanks to Serrot_29 for Catbug'mrakul!