While there is no doubt that magic in itself is a valuable collectible and extremely stable offline community, there is a catch, this value comes at at cost. You either sell your product(cards) and allow people to establish the rules or if you(as a producers of the product) try to control how people use your product, then inevitably you will fail. I'll explain why.
I just uninstalled MTGA, after trying adjusting to that insanity. I thought maybe they will allow people to choose which cards they wouldn't like to see in the other player's hands. I thought they would allow for multiplayer rooms where people could tell others about their deck and card preferences. It would be useful to allow players to add certain cards to a black list and any player with any of those cards would be omitted from being placed as your opponent in the "auto-matchmaker". None of that was added. I'm not even talking about the shuffling algorithm or anything about the mechanics(even tho there is much to say about that as well, but believe it or not, it's not the biggest problem with online magic).
The biggest problem is that online magic is simply unplayable and it doesn't matter how much Hasbro is trying to make it an e-sport platform.
Magic from the start was a game or a collectible, depending solely on agreement between each two players who wanted to have a match or trade cards. There was never any kind of imposed rule that would allow some random players to use basically any "allowed" card without discussing it with the opponent first. That is logical and that's how offline magic is. If you want to play with somebody, first, you agree on the cards you can't use, there are not that many, really.
But in online magic, there is no such option, even tho WoTC tries to give us some kind of a surrogate "standard" "historic" decks as if this means anything.
With the introduction of Core Set 2020 and cards like Agent of Treachery and many other cards that basically canceled all your effort in 1 turn, online magic became very very toxic. You either had to play, that means BUYING(or weeks of grinding which is pointless since there will be another OP set in 3 months), the "new" over powered cards or you would simply lose, plus it wouldn't be some "fair" loss, but a completely ludicrous event, where all your strategy, all your effort to build a deck and actually play.. can be stopped.. by a combo of two cards. lol, right?
Now WoTC squeezes outta their anus the Ikoria, another set of uber OP cards, which can destroy your position on the table in one\two turns.
For instance this card Gemrazer. Or these cycling decks. Complete and utter BS.
In other words, if the players are not going to be allowed to choose which cards they DON'T want to see on the table, then online magic is dead. It's not even competitive. Certain cards are so OP, that it becomes a race until who draws the first combo and insta-wins.
FFS Now almost every match is playing against some retard who stacked up on new OP meta or using old OP meta and it's just annoying as hell. I uninstalled MTGA. I really wanted this to work out. I like that art and everything, but it just doesn't work if WoTC isn't going to allow the players to run the way we want to play it.
If WoTC wants to force us to play this game the way they want it, without giving us a chance to control anything.. well.. 4CK THEM in that case.
I'm tired of these (((jedi))) mind tricks and I will not be ok with this.
Public Mod Note
(motleyslayer):
issued warning for inappropriate language
Bruh. The introduction of formats was specifically to identify limitations on cards. I've been there when it used to be the Wild Wild West of cards. It wasn't very fun. Back then, they had this thing called ante, and it made playing a huge risk. Are you gonna walk away with less cards?
At no point has playing Magic been about who and what cards can be played, except around a kitchen table where it is a friendly gentleman's agreement about what can be brought. If you're looking for the kitchen table experience, Arena will never be it. I understand not liking playing against certain cards, but the majority are going to bring what wins. If you don't have an answer for those cards, then, yes, you're gonna lose and lose a lot. Arena forces you to be part of the meta, just like any other format.
At this point, after reading several of your threads, I think your expectations are way, way weird. Just accept that online magic isn't going to be your happy table experience where you can dictate what not to play against. I highly doubt wizards is going to change.
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I think the better question for this topic is whether or not Arena is worthwhile for Casual instead of it becoming a boring grind fest that makes the moniker "No two games will ever be the same" completely laughable. Maybe If Wizards of the Coast had the balls to work around the Reserve List you know, like implement proper EDH / Commander on Arena where players have actual access to Reserve List cards since they aren't bound to Digital like they are on Paper. Now granted it probably would take too long to get proper 4 player EDH / Commander on Arena due to it being a) made in Unity, b) only being a 32-bit application which means that it can't use more than 4 GB of RAM on any machine, c) it's too clunky on all triggered abilities. Just imagine having to wait on 3 other random players. The amount of time it takes to resolve the stack Digitally would've probably already been taken care of with less time in Paper.
I think Paper Magic is too much of a cash cow to completely do away with Local Game Stores (LGSs) entirely for the communities it helps foster as well as the In-Store Play experiences it brings that you won't find on Digital. Arena and MTGO aren't where they need to be right now to completely get rid of Paper Magic. All that could change If Wizards of the Coast hires the right people to get the system in place for players who are still stuck in quarantine due to the ongoing pandemic If this continues to drag on for years to come. The downside is that this would result in a net loss for a lot of players who've already spent thousands of dollars on Paper EDH / Commander and are wanting to cash out before it's already too late. That's why I've been hesitating to build another Paper EDH / Commander deck to help support the Local Game Stores (LGSs) in my community.
"Restriction breeds creativity." - Sheldon Menery on EDH / Commander in Magic: The Gathering
"Cancel Culture is the real reason why everyone's not allowed to have nice things anymore." - Anonymous
"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" - Mark 8:36
"Most men and women will grow up to love their servitude and will never dream of revolution." - Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
"Every life decision is always a risk / reward proposition." - Sanjay Gupta
Listen, KupoKupo. I know things have probably been hard for you these past weeks. But everything's going to be okay.
They told the doctor he was insane, that the surgery was impossible, that he was a madman. You never knew that day when you walked into his office that he would be able to fix your minor neck pains for good by reattaching your head to the other side of your spine. But the Lord God guided his hands and miraculously you were reborn into a new form. Some call you an "Abomination," or a "Lovecraftian Horror," or "That freaky ass-head guy." I'm sure every day is suffering, thanks to how your digestive system works. But things get better.
Those of us that value your input and contribution to discourse on this site would like to thank you for continuing to be so brave. It's absurd to me that you can't add someone to your 'Friends' list and ask them to not play overpowered cards like... uh... Gemrazer. How could Wizards of the Coast have overlooked such a simple flaw in their system?
Anyways, please don't use the "R Word" because you really don't have to. If you change your post before the one remaining MTGS mod wakes up in the morning to skim things, maybe he won't infract you or ban you. We can't lose you! I miss KingPun and his posts so much, and he was banned just for being funny! Please slow your roll, KupoKupo.
1) Find an alternative. I see a lot of people write as if Arena is the first and only implementation of online mtg. It's not. There's Magic Online. There's a few free to play third party clients. Each has their own features and communities you can learn about and see if they suite you better.
2) Don't play mtg on the internet at all. If you're not satisfied by the alternatives, don't bother playing. You sound really frustrated, and I promise there are better things to do with your time than to play a game where you are constantly frustrated, with just enough peaks to keep you hooked. Life is too short for that, and there are too many competing options, there must be something you'll find more enjoyable or fulfilling.
3) Learn to enjoy Arena as it is. I don't recommend this but it's possible.
While I'm happy about the recent surge of enfranchised casual players we've seen in this forum, the ultimate truth is that magic =/= casual magic. Playing magic casually at kitchen tables with house-rules to address perceived play and power issues is certainly one way to engage with the game but it feels a bit odd to claim that a the game "doesn't work" because it fails to address this one specific play style.
I've seen that several recent posts and threads have likened MTGA netdeckers to the sorts of "Whales" that free-to-play MMOs try to draw. I have seen posts accusing these players as being victory-grubbing brats looking for a quick kick of endorphins. When MMOs go too far in the name of catering to whales, free-to-play players can feel annoyed or disenfranchised and abandon the game in mass numbers. When this happens in a game, the lack of easy targets to crush can cause those victory-junkie whales to leave the game as well... leaving the game empty. To be completely clear, THAT (IMO) is the best indicator that a game has failed. MTGA is not in that position for a couple of reasons.
1. The fact that MTGA is billing itself as a competitive activity is actually protecting it to some degree. While some players out there may enjoy crushing weaker players, there are also genuinely competitive players who want to improve their skills and be the best. While Competitive players and victory-mongers may both bring out top-tier decks (much as they would bring to FNM or similar events), competitive players will continue playing against one another and having fun even if there are no casual players to "oppress".
2. The fact that MTGA's economy is being complained about honestly kind of shocks me. Even considering that cards cannot be sold or re-traded, the system used here is pretty decent. Unlike the tiny "starter decks" handed out in Game Shops, the cards given in MTGA starter decks include some decent stuff. Unlike physical magic, the second-hand market has zero impact on the value of these cards (a mythic wildcard can get a $5 mythic or a $30 mythic). Having gone to many drafts at shops that either A) did not aware enough credit to cover further events or B)did not allow store credit to cover store events, the capacity for highly skilled limited players to "go infinite" is amazing. While one can certainly look at "grinding" in a negative light, I would gladly sit at my LGS and play magic games for a couple hours each day if I was rewarded with a booster pack every couple of days or a free draft every couple weeks. While MTGA doesn't give the ability to "Cash out", the fact that "free-to-play" can exist for mtg is kind of astounding.
With that said, I do believe that there are a couple of things that Wizards should be doing:
1. I wish there was a better solution for the matchmaking, though I'm not seeing one. Even if wizards measures the relative power level of your deck, there aren't any good responses if nobody else at the queue is "at your level". Do they force a new player to wait for an appropriate fight and risk losing them? Do they match them as close at they can so they can have some sort of game play (even if that means getting slaughtered)? Do they give you a choice of whether you want to wait and basically announce to your face that your deck is too weak? I can't think of any good answers.
2. I wish that there was some sort of system in the game designed to incentivize stronger players using weaker decks. If the first game you win each day with an artisan-legal deck gets you +100 gold and XP, for example, that would lead to a flood of players storming into the queues with decks that newer or more casual players trying their best would have a better chance of fighting on even ground. These decks would also be easier and "cheaper" for those new players to imitate, giving those players a decent jumping-off point.
Actually there was a recent Vintage tournament done on twitch. While I don't think that fits what you want, but conceptually you could get your friends to connect via some online video conferencing app and play custom house rules game play there using video tech and paper magic.
At no point has playing Magic been about who and what cards can be played, except around a kitchen table where it is a friendly gentleman's agreement about what can be brought.
First of all, no, Magic was always a casual game and not a competitive one. The OP cards were always used at mutual consent. At least for 99% of people who played it in pre-online Era. Nobody ever wanted to face some insane whale who just spent $1000-5000 on OP cards at his local LGS, so he can own poor boys at the convention. You're talking about competitive playing, like tournament etc, which always attracted real psychos who would spend thousands to get the rare\OP cards, so they can pwnz at PVP and get uppity for a second there.
Secondly, I wrote that MTGA failed because it didn't allow the player ANY control over who he plays with and what cards are to be allowed. I didn't really touch on what MTG is in general. And MTG in general is a casual table game, which yes.. you play at home with friend and not at the kitchen table.
Comparing casual play to some condescending "hey look at those kitchen table losers" is extremely uncool of you. You're the problem. Obviously, you're one of those who plays MTGA and uses OP cards to prey upon casual players.
Actually there was a recent Vintage tournament done on twitch. While I don't think that fits what you want, but conceptually you could get your friends to connect via some online video conferencing app and play custom house rules game play there using video tech and paper magic.
I can play with my friends online, but there is still no way to select what cards can't be used in a match. My point was not about not being able to play with a friend. And I'm not talking about playing with friends, I'm talking about how WoTC are forcing people to play the latest meta, which means spending around 50-100USD immediately.
I'm saying MTGA failed as online Magic. Fundamentally. There can be no excuses for what this sh*t came down to. A fkn scam.
the ultimate truth is that magic =/= casual magic.
Another lie from a WoTC agent of treachery. Magic was always casual. ALWAYS. All board games and card games are casual, even gambling card games(except for the fake on-line poker, which has been proven to be rigged, thus outlawed in the US). It's funny how all these WoTC agents are making completely ridiculous statement about Magic, as if Magic was meant as some competitive sport, while it's pure art form and casual game play. The art component allowed for really OP cards, because it's fantasy, but the casual gameplay set the rule for each match. There is no dount that an OP deck would win, so competitive gameplay in Magic is fundamentally impossible. But when WoTC went online, they suddenly needed to sell it to "psycho-whales", so that's how this problem came about.
In MTGA casual player became a simple prey and "psycho-whale" is the predator. MTGA promotes degenerate behavior and it can't be enojoyed by people with a healthy perspective on life. I'm not arguing that "mad men" need their fix of wins. They do. I'm just saying that casual people are not going to be a part of this BS.
You can milk your whales all you want WoTC. Not at my expense tho. Watch your whales lose their minds when they will be left to play each other and others just like them. When they are going to spend thousands and then still lose to another whale, because the shuffler said so.
In the long run even the whales will leave MTGA for something more reliable in P2W terms. You will realize eventually that off-line magic is all you ever had. I mean.. we all understand that it's the jews in Hasbro who are pushing the online BS. They are so hungry for money, they just don't care, because they think they can adjust in the future or just fall back on the off-line mode.
Public Mod Note
(motleyslayer):
warning for inappropriate content
1) Find an alternative
2) Don't play mtg on the internet at all.
3) Learn to enjoy Arena as it is.
1.There is no alternative. All online card games is the same BS. As a matter of a fact, most MMO's now are the same way. Pay and win. It's simple and caters to "psycho whales" with inferiority complex or just sociopaths.
2.That's what I said in my post. I stopped playing it, even tho I gave it, since it came out, a chance. Really thought they would try to make it work, but then I remembered that WoTC belongs to (((Hasbro))) and that kind of says it all. Do you want to play against the (((jedi))) mind tricks? Be their guest.
3.Learn?? Very funny.
Public Mod Note
(motleyslayer):
Warning for inappropriate content
I just uninstalled MTGA, after trying adjusting to that insanity. I thought maybe they will allow people to choose which cards they wouldn't like to see in the other player's hands. I thought they would allow for multiplayer rooms where people could tell others about their deck and card preferences. It would be useful to allow players to add certain cards to a black list and any player with any of those cards would be omitted from being placed as your opponent in the "auto-matchmaker". None of that was added. I'm not even talking about the shuffling algorithm or anything about the mechanics(even tho there is much to say about that as well, but believe it or not, it's not the biggest problem with online magic).
The biggest problem is that online magic is simply unplayable and it doesn't matter how much Hasbro is trying to make it an e-sport platform.
Magic from the start was a game or a collectible, depending solely on agreement between each two players who wanted to have a match or trade cards. There was never any kind of imposed rule that would allow some random players to use basically any "allowed" card without discussing it with the opponent first. That is logical and that's how offline magic is. If you want to play with somebody, first, you agree on the cards you can't use, there are not that many, really.
But in online magic, there is no such option, even tho WoTC tries to give us some kind of a surrogate "standard" "historic" decks as if this means anything.
With the introduction of Core Set 2020 and cards like Agent of Treachery and many other cards that basically canceled all your effort in 1 turn, online magic became very very toxic. You either had to play, that means BUYING(or weeks of grinding which is pointless since there will be another OP set in 3 months), the "new" over powered cards or you would simply lose, plus it wouldn't be some "fair" loss, but a completely ludicrous event, where all your strategy, all your effort to build a deck and actually play.. can be stopped.. by a combo of two cards. lol, right?
Now WoTC squeezes outta their anus the Ikoria, another set of uber OP cards, which can destroy your position on the table in one\two turns.
For instance this card Gemrazer. Or these cycling decks. Complete and utter BS.
In other words, if the players are not going to be allowed to choose which cards they DON'T want to see on the table, then online magic is dead. It's not even competitive. Certain cards are so OP, that it becomes a race until who draws the first combo and insta-wins.
FFS Now almost every match is playing against some retard who stacked up on new OP meta or using old OP meta and it's just annoying as hell. I uninstalled MTGA. I really wanted this to work out. I like that art and everything, but it just doesn't work if WoTC isn't going to allow the players to run the way we want to play it.
If WoTC wants to force us to play this game the way they want it, without giving us a chance to control anything.. well.. 4CK THEM in that case.
I'm tired of these (((jedi))) mind tricks and I will not be ok with this.
At no point has playing Magic been about who and what cards can be played, except around a kitchen table where it is a friendly gentleman's agreement about what can be brought. If you're looking for the kitchen table experience, Arena will never be it. I understand not liking playing against certain cards, but the majority are going to bring what wins. If you don't have an answer for those cards, then, yes, you're gonna lose and lose a lot. Arena forces you to be part of the meta, just like any other format.
At this point, after reading several of your threads, I think your expectations are way, way weird. Just accept that online magic isn't going to be your happy table experience where you can dictate what not to play against. I highly doubt wizards is going to change.
Proud Owner of:
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votan's Linux-loving Soul
grappler12's Poop-smithing Soul
Sir Blakely's Fencing Soul
CraZedMiKe's Soul Transferred Back at His Request
HAWKEYE 7's Calvin and Hobbes Loving Soul
Tanthalas' Greek Alliance Soul
Avatar of Kokusho's Island-Hating Soul
Salubrious' Rather-Belatedly Added Soul
DCI Advanced Organizer
I think Paper Magic is too much of a cash cow to completely do away with Local Game Stores (LGSs) entirely for the communities it helps foster as well as the In-Store Play experiences it brings that you won't find on Digital. Arena and MTGO aren't where they need to be right now to completely get rid of Paper Magic. All that could change If Wizards of the Coast hires the right people to get the system in place for players who are still stuck in quarantine due to the ongoing pandemic If this continues to drag on for years to come. The downside is that this would result in a net loss for a lot of players who've already spent thousands of dollars on Paper EDH / Commander and are wanting to cash out before it's already too late. That's why I've been hesitating to build another Paper EDH / Commander deck to help support the Local Game Stores (LGSs) in my community.
"Restriction breeds creativity." - Sheldon Menery on EDH / Commander in Magic: The Gathering
"Cancel Culture is the real reason why everyone's not allowed to have nice things anymore." - Anonymous
"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" - Mark 8:36
"Most men and women will grow up to love their servitude and will never dream of revolution." - Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
"Every life decision is always a risk / reward proposition." - Sanjay Gupta
They told the doctor he was insane, that the surgery was impossible, that he was a madman. You never knew that day when you walked into his office that he would be able to fix your minor neck pains for good by reattaching your head to the other side of your spine. But the Lord God guided his hands and miraculously you were reborn into a new form. Some call you an "Abomination," or a "Lovecraftian Horror," or "That freaky ass-head guy." I'm sure every day is suffering, thanks to how your digestive system works. But things get better.
Those of us that value your input and contribution to discourse on this site would like to thank you for continuing to be so brave. It's absurd to me that you can't add someone to your 'Friends' list and ask them to not play overpowered cards like... uh... Gemrazer. How could Wizards of the Coast have overlooked such a simple flaw in their system?
Anyways, please don't use the "R Word" because you really don't have to. If you change your post before the one remaining MTGS mod wakes up in the morning to skim things, maybe he won't infract you or ban you. We can't lose you! I miss KingPun and his posts so much, and he was banned just for being funny! Please slow your roll, KupoKupo.
1) Find an alternative. I see a lot of people write as if Arena is the first and only implementation of online mtg. It's not. There's Magic Online. There's a few free to play third party clients. Each has their own features and communities you can learn about and see if they suite you better.
2) Don't play mtg on the internet at all. If you're not satisfied by the alternatives, don't bother playing. You sound really frustrated, and I promise there are better things to do with your time than to play a game where you are constantly frustrated, with just enough peaks to keep you hooked. Life is too short for that, and there are too many competing options, there must be something you'll find more enjoyable or fulfilling.
3) Learn to enjoy Arena as it is. I don't recommend this but it's possible.
I've seen that several recent posts and threads have likened MTGA netdeckers to the sorts of "Whales" that free-to-play MMOs try to draw. I have seen posts accusing these players as being victory-grubbing brats looking for a quick kick of endorphins. When MMOs go too far in the name of catering to whales, free-to-play players can feel annoyed or disenfranchised and abandon the game in mass numbers. When this happens in a game, the lack of easy targets to crush can cause those victory-junkie whales to leave the game as well... leaving the game empty. To be completely clear, THAT (IMO) is the best indicator that a game has failed. MTGA is not in that position for a couple of reasons.
1. The fact that MTGA is billing itself as a competitive activity is actually protecting it to some degree. While some players out there may enjoy crushing weaker players, there are also genuinely competitive players who want to improve their skills and be the best. While Competitive players and victory-mongers may both bring out top-tier decks (much as they would bring to FNM or similar events), competitive players will continue playing against one another and having fun even if there are no casual players to "oppress".
2. The fact that MTGA's economy is being complained about honestly kind of shocks me. Even considering that cards cannot be sold or re-traded, the system used here is pretty decent. Unlike the tiny "starter decks" handed out in Game Shops, the cards given in MTGA starter decks include some decent stuff. Unlike physical magic, the second-hand market has zero impact on the value of these cards (a mythic wildcard can get a $5 mythic or a $30 mythic). Having gone to many drafts at shops that either A) did not aware enough credit to cover further events or B)did not allow store credit to cover store events, the capacity for highly skilled limited players to "go infinite" is amazing. While one can certainly look at "grinding" in a negative light, I would gladly sit at my LGS and play magic games for a couple hours each day if I was rewarded with a booster pack every couple of days or a free draft every couple weeks. While MTGA doesn't give the ability to "Cash out", the fact that "free-to-play" can exist for mtg is kind of astounding.
With that said, I do believe that there are a couple of things that Wizards should be doing:
1. I wish there was a better solution for the matchmaking, though I'm not seeing one. Even if wizards measures the relative power level of your deck, there aren't any good responses if nobody else at the queue is "at your level". Do they force a new player to wait for an appropriate fight and risk losing them? Do they match them as close at they can so they can have some sort of game play (even if that means getting slaughtered)? Do they give you a choice of whether you want to wait and basically announce to your face that your deck is too weak? I can't think of any good answers.
2. I wish that there was some sort of system in the game designed to incentivize stronger players using weaker decks. If the first game you win each day with an artisan-legal deck gets you +100 gold and XP, for example, that would lead to a flood of players storming into the queues with decks that newer or more casual players trying their best would have a better chance of fighting on even ground. These decks would also be easier and "cheaper" for those new players to imitate, giving those players a decent jumping-off point.
Here is the link to that:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/616491104
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881
Oooh Dicey:
[dice=1]100[/dice]
First of all, no, Magic was always a casual game and not a competitive one. The OP cards were always used at mutual consent. At least for 99% of people who played it in pre-online Era. Nobody ever wanted to face some insane whale who just spent $1000-5000 on OP cards at his local LGS, so he can own poor boys at the convention. You're talking about competitive playing, like tournament etc, which always attracted real psychos who would spend thousands to get the rare\OP cards, so they can pwnz at PVP and get uppity for a second there.
Secondly, I wrote that MTGA failed because it didn't allow the player ANY control over who he plays with and what cards are to be allowed. I didn't really touch on what MTG is in general. And MTG in general is a casual table game, which yes.. you play at home with friend and not at the kitchen table.
Comparing casual play to some condescending "hey look at those kitchen table losers" is extremely uncool of you. You're the problem. Obviously, you're one of those who plays MTGA and uses OP cards to prey upon casual players.
I'm saying MTGA failed as online Magic. Fundamentally. There can be no excuses for what this sh*t came down to. A fkn scam.
Another lie from a WoTC agent of treachery. Magic was always casual. ALWAYS. All board games and card games are casual, even gambling card games(except for the fake on-line poker, which has been proven to be rigged, thus outlawed in the US). It's funny how all these WoTC agents are making completely ridiculous statement about Magic, as if Magic was meant as some competitive sport, while it's pure art form and casual game play. The art component allowed for really OP cards, because it's fantasy, but the casual gameplay set the rule for each match. There is no dount that an OP deck would win, so competitive gameplay in Magic is fundamentally impossible. But when WoTC went online, they suddenly needed to sell it to "psycho-whales", so that's how this problem came about.
In MTGA casual player became a simple prey and "psycho-whale" is the predator. MTGA promotes degenerate behavior and it can't be enojoyed by people with a healthy perspective on life. I'm not arguing that "mad men" need their fix of wins. They do. I'm just saying that casual people are not going to be a part of this BS.
You can milk your whales all you want WoTC. Not at my expense tho. Watch your whales lose their minds when they will be left to play each other and others just like them. When they are going to spend thousands and then still lose to another whale, because the shuffler said so.
In the long run even the whales will leave MTGA for something more reliable in P2W terms. You will realize eventually that off-line magic is all you ever had. I mean.. we all understand that it's the jews in Hasbro who are pushing the online BS. They are so hungry for money, they just don't care, because they think they can adjust in the future or just fall back on the off-line mode.
1.There is no alternative. All online card games is the same BS. As a matter of a fact, most MMO's now are the same way. Pay and win. It's simple and caters to "psycho whales" with inferiority complex or just sociopaths.
2.That's what I said in my post. I stopped playing it, even tho I gave it, since it came out, a chance. Really thought they would try to make it work, but then I remembered that WoTC belongs to (((Hasbro))) and that kind of says it all. Do you want to play against the (((jedi))) mind tricks? Be their guest.
3.Learn?? Very funny.
This guy probably feels like he's popular here. LOL. What an achievement.