So, a week to 10 days ago salmonofdoubt asked on a thread whether I would use MTGO 'rules' for DFCs (i.e., they're hidden like other cards), or IRL 'rules' for DFCs (i.e., they're revealed to all players).
I replied I was using paper rules.
However, I was wondering if there was any interest in doing a Duplicate Draft where there are two (and only two) pods of drafters, and thus 16 people. Both pods will get the exact same booster packs. However, one pod will play by MTGO rules, and thus get no information about DFCs in the draft, while the other will play by IRL rules and be given knowledge of all DFCs opened.
I am very curious to see the relative cohesion obtained by the drafts involved. In theory, the IRL rules should allow for tighter decks, as there are pure and certain signals occurring all the time in the draft.
So, any interest, or is this just another pipe dream?
I would be interested in this. After doing a couple of IRL drafts of the new set this past weekend, I see the value of knowing what colors your neighbors are in. However, I ran into a problem. Sometimes people take cards because there is nothing else for them in the pack; either they are speculating or hate-drafting. At one point in pack 2 I was in GW but I grabbed a late Breakneck Rider because the card is busted and there literally wasn't another playable in Green or White. My neighbor assumed that I was in Green and Red (since all the other DFCs I took that draft were Green) but he was wrong. He slightly shifted his plan for pack 3, when he knew I would be passing to him. That particular situation didn't mess up my draft, but it could have if my neighbor took a late Pious Evangel even though he probably wasn't planning to be White.
I guess my point is that "free" signals can often be misleading, unless people adjust their drafting to make choices they wouldn't previously make to not be confusing. I'm not sure if the issue of sending mixed signals is more important than making the "correct" pick. Maybe you should always ship the off-color DFC no matter what? Or maybe it's more valuable to mess up the signals on purpose so your opponents can't purposely cut you? It depends on if you view a draft as cooperative or competitive.
DSF: Well, given that interest in 2nd 8-Ways in each format seems quite low, I am debating replacing the second 8-Way of each format with a Duplicate Draft.
Also, to everyone, I'm not saying I'm restricting it just to 1v1 pods. I am only saying that I would need an even number of pods to get proper data, and I doubt that I will be able to make up 4 duplicate pods.
I really think they don't add anything too interesting to the format, so I'll voice my opinion once again that I'd prefer this duplicate draft to not make DFCs public information.
It is inelegant in draft, certainly. I played in several limited GPs/PTs during the previous Innistrad block, and the awkward thing was how it made certain seats better than others. Like, if you were sitting at the edge of a rectangular table (this has been the norm for these events for a while; back in the day we'd have round tables for drafts), passing to the player in front of you, you were in a much worse shape than the guy you pass to, since they could easily see the DFCs of the ones passing in their direction, while you couldn't. That said, it's what we have to work with at local level, and I assume at GPs and PPTQs/RPTQs too, so it's a definite part of the format, even if they've decided that they don't want it for the PT.
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I replied I was using paper rules.
However, I was wondering if there was any interest in doing a Duplicate Draft where there are two (and only two) pods of drafters, and thus 16 people. Both pods will get the exact same booster packs. However, one pod will play by MTGO rules, and thus get no information about DFCs in the draft, while the other will play by IRL rules and be given knowledge of all DFCs opened.
I am very curious to see the relative cohesion obtained by the drafts involved. In theory, the IRL rules should allow for tighter decks, as there are pure and certain signals occurring all the time in the draft.
So, any interest, or is this just another pipe dream?
I guess my point is that "free" signals can often be misleading, unless people adjust their drafting to make choices they wouldn't previously make to not be confusing. I'm not sure if the issue of sending mixed signals is more important than making the "correct" pick. Maybe you should always ship the off-color DFC no matter what? Or maybe it's more valuable to mess up the signals on purpose so your opponents can't purposely cut you? It depends on if you view a draft as cooperative or competitive.
Also, to everyone, I'm not saying I'm restricting it just to 1v1 pods. I am only saying that I would need an even number of pods to get proper data, and I doubt that I will be able to make up 4 duplicate pods.
I really think they don't add anything too interesting to the format, so I'll voice my opinion once again that I'd prefer this duplicate draft to not make DFCs public information.
There will be an even number of pods, each receiving the same packs. 'Odd' teams will get public information, while 'Even' teams will not.
Also, I recall they tried something like this in Innistrad block, and it didn't really work. Is WotC going to pay for all of the sleeves?
I like the DFC mechanic, but draft is one place where some of the inelegance shows through for sure.