Thanks for reading my post. I'm gonna get wordy, and of course speculate below. You have been warned, and it is slightly long, and random.
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The mill is already churning on Alara. Some have speculated what the gemstones under the name mean. A few have picked up on the M shape.
I think that we should take this for face value, if you will pardon the pun.
A giant M on a set can only mean one thing:
"HEY DUMMY THIS IS A SET FROM THAT GAME MAGIC THE GATHERING!"
The expansion symbol is, simplistic, but it gets across a point, and it also appears to hint towards a big center, going out towards the end. This will be an encompassing world, the center, and the end points.
From this, I think we are going to get a huge, very robust, very complete set (yes, even before the expansions come out).
I think Wotc intends to make ALA a milestone set:
1. It is a base set.
2. It appears to set of an entire new ""world"" to do things in
3. Wotc needs to continue on past 15 years.
4. Naruto and other games are taking from Magic.
5. New stuff like Future Sight Timeshifted cards, Planeswalkers, Hybrids, Alternate casting costs, etc have had a "break in" period. Ala will exploit something tested in Future Sight or later, and it will exploit it HARD and Strong.
In short, I feel that ALA will take charge and be one of the best efforts yet for the game.
Magic wouldn't put their name on it otherwise, and a GIANT M pretty much does that for them.
Regal, Old, We are the oldest CCG in town, but we still know what we are doing, we have the experience to put any newcomers down. That is all that matters.
I agree that ALA could be a whole new start for MtG. So much so, I am predicting we'll see 5 new Moxes in the first set. I really think the game will be different once it gets released.
ET
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WoTC, thank you for finally announcing the Modern format, an eternal format where everyone can participate.
Call me a traditionalist, but I really wish that Magic would go back to the old ways, because it just seems like now they're trying to outdo themselves with each new set...
Magic is constantly trying to be the best it can be, trying to get new people to play, and trying to repeat its past successes (without repeating failures).
What was tested in Future Sight that will be used again in [ALA]?
Your post is just to vague to actually discuss anything.
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(U/B) is :symbu: or :symub: and the same is true for the other 9 hybrid symbols with their two colors in for the last 2 leters of the code. ((2/B) and co are :sym2b:)
Alternatively {UB} or {2B} in [mana] tags are (U/B) or (2/B) T is :symtap: and T will give T in [mana] tags
I can't believe someone necro'd this thread from five/ten years ago.
Someone had a Shards or Alara logo thread five years ago?
@Meeko: This makes a lot of sense, based on the monocolor theme people are guessing, and based on the success of the timespiral block. Wizards knows that returning to Magic's past is successful. A return to something a little more basic that is not just reprints as core sets are, I think, would be welcome.
I could see Shards of Alara trying to further brand game play values like the color pie into something adaptable in the mainstream... like if they did actually venture into film with Hasbro's recent deal.
I think what Cochese is getting at is that people have been saying the same basic thing about every large set for the past five/ten years.
I haven't heard them say it, though. I've just heard "This set sucks so bad, people will stop buying magic. Is this the end of the Game?" "Poll: Yes / Definetly / I kinda think so / it's very likely / No, but I'm stupid"
@Meeko: This makes a lot of sense, based on the monocolor theme people are guessing, and based on the success of the timespiral block. Wizards knows that returning to Magic's past is successful. A return to something a little more basic that is not just reprints as core sets are, I think, would be welcome.
Here is even more of my speculation, in more detail:
Given this, and other comments after what I have stated, I will go out on a limb and say this much:
Alara will have its own flavor, but that flavor aside, it WILL be termed
"_____ 2" by the players. That is, it will remind older players of a set from years past. (Chronicles, I'm looking at you!)
[Note: I'm not suggesting that Fireball will be in the set. I simply don't know. However, the Beatdown Fireball is the most obvious example I can think of to illustrate my point]
By this I mean, we will see new cards, that do old things.
I don't understand this example... Both of those are old cards that do old things...
Overall your analysis is interesting but I don't think the game needs another Chronicles... imo Chronicles sucked... a lot... made my Legends Edition Elder Dragon set nearly worthless and the only really decent thing in the set was City of Brass. If you're talking about a sort of Nostalgia type set I think that was the entire purpose of Time Spiral. Maybe i'm just misunderstanding
This is some pretty daring speculation, and I hate to start criticize such a thorough speculation but I cant hold myself back.... sorry! The only flaw in your "MTG will go back to its roots" is that a good majority of Magic players won't want to play with a block full of cards that are iconic cards with different names (I don't mean like color-shifted, cause that was fun!). If WoTC were to do this and make 11th edition..er I mean SoA I will feel jipped. I mean you take one whole year (maybe more?) to design a whole block that doesn't innovate? further the game? introduce new strategies? Sorry but I just dont think so.
Meeko, you just cited an article from "What If...?" Week in your speculation.
If I recall the rules correctly, that constitutes an Epic Fail, and you lose.
The article in question just took a bunch of 9th edition cards and replaced the names and flavorful rules text with sci-fi stuff. Pacifism becomes Thought Scrub, Raging Goblin becomes Inferno-Pattern Marauder, Etc. It was just about what if Richard G. had picked Sci Fi over Fantasy, and what that would mean for the playability of the cards.
And when you linked to Prodigal Sorcerer, did you mean Vulshok Sorcerer?
Simple and focused design along the lines of lorwyn, sure. Maybe even super-color-iconic cards that give off some kind of old, "basic" feel. But different ways of reprinting old cards that only appeal to veterans quitting the game, not so much.
The /l[]l\ shape? I figured that it represents the Five planes of Alara, the same way Mirrodin had 4+1 Suns. I also Figured that each plane has a seperate mana color, and that the planes that are layered on each other are allied. I figure that White is in the middle, green and blue are in the insides, and black and red are on the outsides. I also think that Alara Will be the next enchantment theme block and that It will feature storm. But I have been very wrong before.
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"Wizards could put $100 bills in packs and people would complain about how they were folded."
Simple and focused design along the lines of lorwyn, sure. Maybe even super-color-iconic cards that give off some kind of old, "basic" feel. But different ways of reprinting old cards that only appeal to veterans quitting the game, not so much.
Oh, my mistake. It was better overall than the original Chronicles, either way.
I'm hoping that Alara focuses on monocolor. Not in the sense that the set would be full of crusade type effects, that would get old.
While I certainly don't want a "Magic's Greatest Hits" set, I'm hoping that the five mini-planes of Alara allow each color to show us what it's best at and how it's unique. Maro's talked a lot about the color pie lately, but we really haven't gotten the chance to see it in action. Ravnica focused on multicolor. Time Spiral was mostly about how the color pie used to work or could have worked. Lorwyn focused on multicolor tribes, and now Shadowmoor is a whole different take on multicolor.
and/or an enchantment theme, that would be cool too.
All I was getting at, is that the flavor is going to be huge in this set.
Aside from core sets, in recent years hasn't flavor always been a big factor in each new set. Seems that way to me anyway. This is less speculation and more just stating the obvious.
I don't think Shards is going to be a return to traditional magic. I believe it's going to contain more of the future-shifted mechanics that we saw while focusing on the mono-colored facets of the game.
Can someone explain to me what this thread is about? Because it doesn't seem like Meeko has actually said anything. Just blah blah vague blah blah unclear blah question mark.
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I am probably the only person in the world that collects Tarnished Citadels. Not because I like the card, but because I don't want someone to get his hands on one and then attemp to actually play the damned thing.
Can someone explain to me what this thread is about? Because it doesn't seem like Meeko has actually said anything. Just blah blah vague blah blah unclear blah question mark.
Alara will NOT be an Expert set.
What is vague about that?
Most of the other parts of post 10 are just as clear.
And I further submit, that by submitting this, I let it live longer.
Dude it's one thing to speculate based on the trickle of info Wizards releases, but this stuff is based on absolutely nothing, and with all due respect, I think 90% of people who read this are aware that none of what you suggested has even the slightest chance of happening.
Now I'm walking the line on a troll warning here, but I feel i gotta point out, if after two pages the general consensus is 'Cool idea but not likely to happen' and then you start bumping your own thread just to get it talked about more, I have to question whether this is actual speculation or just you trying to stir up some controversy. If it's the matter that'd cool, discussion is good, I'm just saying, if that's your intent you'd be better off going 'Hey what IF this happened' rather than 'this IS what's gonna happen, here's my thinking..." and then offer none.
If you want my personal view on all this - Your ideas are...unique.... but I think Wizards would piss off way too many players (and therefor lose money) by doing what your suggesting, thus it's not really that probable to happen.
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{:: ::}
"The means justify the ends."
- Vince McMahon
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----
The mill is already churning on Alara. Some have speculated what the gemstones under the name mean. A few have picked up on the M shape.
I think that we should take this for face value, if you will pardon the pun.
A giant M on a set can only mean one thing:
"HEY DUMMY THIS IS A SET FROM THAT GAME MAGIC THE GATHERING!"
The expansion symbol is, simplistic, but it gets across a point, and it also appears to hint towards a big center, going out towards the end. This will be an encompassing world, the center, and the end points.
From this, I think we are going to get a huge, very robust, very complete set (yes, even before the expansions come out).
I think Wotc intends to make ALA a milestone set:
1. It is a base set.
2. It appears to set of an entire new ""world"" to do things in
3. Wotc needs to continue on past 15 years.
4. Naruto and other games are taking from Magic.
5. New stuff like Future Sight Timeshifted cards, Planeswalkers, Hybrids, Alternate casting costs, etc have had a "break in" period. Ala will exploit something tested in Future Sight or later, and it will exploit it HARD and Strong.
In short, I feel that ALA will take charge and be one of the best efforts yet for the game.
Magic wouldn't put their name on it otherwise, and a GIANT M pretty much does that for them.
Regal, Old, We are the oldest CCG in town, but we still know what we are doing, we have the experience to put any newcomers down. That is all that matters.
This all what I "take" from the Name Plate M.
Meeko will now refer to the time when MAGIC entered the "beginning of the end step".
Magic 2010.
I agree that ALA could be a whole new start for MtG. So much so, I am predicting we'll see 5 new Moxes in the first set. I really think the game will be different once it gets released.
ET
just my $.02
Magic is constantly trying to be the best it can be, trying to get new people to play, and trying to repeat its past successes (without repeating failures).
What was tested in Future Sight that will be used again in [ALA]?
Your post is just to vague to actually discuss anything.
Alternatively {UB} or {2B} in [mana] tags are (U/B) or (2/B)
T is :symtap: and T will give T in [mana] tags
Someone had a Shards or Alara logo thread five years ago?
@Meeko: This makes a lot of sense, based on the monocolor theme people are guessing, and based on the success of the timespiral block. Wizards knows that returning to Magic's past is successful. A return to something a little more basic that is not just reprints as core sets are, I think, would be welcome.
LISTEN TO MAH SONGZ!
@BillyTheFridge
I haven't heard them say it, though. I've just heard "This set sucks so bad, people will stop buying magic. Is this the end of the Game?" "Poll: Yes / Definetly / I kinda think so / it's very likely / No, but I'm stupid"
Here is even more of my speculation, in more detail:
Given this, and other comments after what I have stated, I will go out on a limb and say this much:
Alara will have its own flavor, but that flavor aside, it WILL be termed
"_____ 2" by the players. That is, it will remind older players of a set from years past. (Chronicles, I'm looking at you!)
Not Reprints. Not Time or Color Shifted.
Not Wrath of God to Damnation
Changes in Flavor and Wording will exist. Updated Text, perhaps to current Oracle wording will be on the cards.
For example, Alara WILL BE
http://magiccards.info/bd/en/37.html
instead of
http://magiccards.info/ds/en/60.html
[Note: I'm not suggesting that Fireball will be in the set. I simply don't know. However, the Beatdown Fireball is the most obvious example I can think of to illustrate my point]
Alara will also be along the lines of
http://magiccards.info/cstd/en/19.html
and NOT
http://magiccards.info/tsts/en/29.html
By this I mean, we will see new cards, that do old things.
Wizards is not done doing stuff they hinted at here:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/feature/438
[To anticipate, Alara will be the exact Opposite of the Time Spiral Block. -Since it is the Opposite, it will modify the game in a similar way.]
Alara will NOT be an Expert set.
Or at the very least,
Alara will not have any *new keywords.
* By new, I mean, a mechanic the player has never played before. I do wonder if phasing will return, albeit in a new form.
Meeko will now refer to the time when MAGIC entered the "beginning of the end step".
Magic 2010.
I don't understand this example... Both of those are old cards that do old things...
Overall your analysis is interesting but I don't think the game needs another Chronicles... imo Chronicles sucked... a lot... made my Legends Edition Elder Dragon set nearly worthless and the only really decent thing in the set was City of Brass. If you're talking about a sort of Nostalgia type set I think that was the entire purpose of Time Spiral. Maybe i'm just misunderstanding
RB Olivia Voldaren RB
GB Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons GB
BWR Queen Marchesa BWR
RW Anya, Merciless Angel RW
UW Bruna, Light of Alabaster UW
UB Wydwen, The Biting Gale UB
GU Momir Vig, simic visionary GU
WG Karametra, God of Harvests WG
WUBSydri, Galvanic GeniusWUB
PS: Good thinking though!
If I recall the rules correctly, that constitutes an Epic Fail, and you lose.
The article in question just took a bunch of 9th edition cards and replaced the names and flavorful rules text with sci-fi stuff. Pacifism becomes Thought Scrub, Raging Goblin becomes Inferno-Pattern Marauder, Etc. It was just about what if Richard G. had picked Sci Fi over Fantasy, and what that would mean for the playability of the cards.
And when you linked to Prodigal Sorcerer, did you mean Vulshok Sorcerer?
Simple and focused design along the lines of lorwyn, sure. Maybe even super-color-iconic cards that give off some kind of old, "basic" feel. But different ways of reprinting old cards that only appeal to veterans quitting the game, not so much.
All I was getting at, is that the flavor is going to be huge in this set.
Meeko will now refer to the time when MAGIC entered the "beginning of the end step".
Magic 2010.
Tribute to Dr. Jeebus
Not a little Sheeple.
Oh, my mistake. It was better overall than the original Chronicles, either way.
I'm hoping that Alara focuses on monocolor. Not in the sense that the set would be full of crusade type effects, that would get old.
While I certainly don't want a "Magic's Greatest Hits" set, I'm hoping that the five mini-planes of Alara allow each color to show us what it's best at and how it's unique. Maro's talked a lot about the color pie lately, but we really haven't gotten the chance to see it in action. Ravnica focused on multicolor. Time Spiral was mostly about how the color pie used to work or could have worked. Lorwyn focused on multicolor tribes, and now Shadowmoor is a whole different take on multicolor.
and/or an enchantment theme, that would be cool too.
Aside from core sets, in recent years hasn't flavor always been a big factor in each new set. Seems that way to me anyway. This is less speculation and more just stating the obvious.
Ernahm Djinn, Feldon's Cane, Recall, Urza Tron Lands, Blood Moon, Dakkon Blackblade, Tormod's Crypt, Solkanar the Swamp King...
** DigitalLogic on MTGO **
Alara will NOT be an Expert set.
What is vague about that?
Most of the other parts of post 10 are just as clear.
Meeko will now refer to the time when MAGIC entered the "beginning of the end step".
Magic 2010.
That's just stupid.
I submit that this thread contains nothing of value, even by the standards of the Speculation forum, and should be left to die.
And I further submit, that by submitting this, I let it live longer.
Meeko will now refer to the time when MAGIC entered the "beginning of the end step".
Magic 2010.
Dude it's one thing to speculate based on the trickle of info Wizards releases, but this stuff is based on absolutely nothing, and with all due respect, I think 90% of people who read this are aware that none of what you suggested has even the slightest chance of happening.
Now I'm walking the line on a troll warning here, but I feel i gotta point out, if after two pages the general consensus is 'Cool idea but not likely to happen' and then you start bumping your own thread just to get it talked about more, I have to question whether this is actual speculation or just you trying to stir up some controversy. If it's the matter that'd cool, discussion is good, I'm just saying, if that's your intent you'd be better off going 'Hey what IF this happened' rather than 'this IS what's gonna happen, here's my thinking..." and then offer none.
If you want my personal view on all this - Your ideas are...unique.... but I think Wizards would piss off way too many players (and therefor lose money) by doing what your suggesting, thus it's not really that probable to happen.
"The means justify the ends."
- Vince McMahon