Let's say Magic is getting a reboot, and you're responsible for choosing:
- What will remain unchanged
- What will be adjusted
- What will be removed
What would you do?
(the idea isn't to create an exhaustive list, but to highlight a few key points of what you think could be improved in this new version of the game)
I'll start:
I'd standardize morph/megamorph/disguise/manifest as {2} for a 1/1 with specific name and creature type
I'd make morph specifically be about abilities when creatures are turned face up
I'd exchange the flavor on Plot (card cast from exile revealed) and Foretell (face-down card cast from exile)
I'd remove all instances of protection, landwalk, intimidate and fear
I'd make hexproof really rare again, and shroud be the standard "don't touch me" mechanic
I'd change menace to include a number that defines how many creates are needed to block (menace 2, menace 3...)
I'd mostly just fix power creep with a standard rate for power that doesn't move. I'd redesign a LOT of poorly designed cards (mostly mythics). That would include all the poorly designed cards from the early years (Time Vault, Sol Ring, Moxes, Gaea's Cradle, etc.) and all the poorly balanced cards from the last 20 years. Every pushed creature gets pushed back down to have reasonable stats-- no 5/5s for 4. No 6/6 flyings for 5. No 3/2s for 2. Drawbacks required for stats like that. Nothing that is a stand-alone superbomb or wins instantly by itself.
Basically I'd just force magic to play fair (with room for reasonable combos). But truly people don't wanna play fair. They like badly designed superbombs like Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, and they like mindless I-win buttons like Carnage Tyrant, Blightsteel Colossus, and Griselbrand.
I'd definitely be getting rid of mythic rarity and Universes Beyond. All the changes I'd make are changes that would make the game less hype-focused, and would therefor also make the game less profitable. Turns out they don't like being less profitable. Go figure.
Oh, and obviously get rid of the reserve list. But with Black Lotus being redesigned to be a fair card (it costs 4 mana now), that's not as much of a concern. People don't care as much about moxes when they're perfectly reasonable two mana artifacts.
I'd mostly just fix power creep with a standard rate for power that doesn't move. I'd redesign a LOT of poorly designed cards (mostly mythics). That would include all the poorly designed cards from the early years (Time Vault, Sol Ring, Moxes, Gaea's Cradle, etc.) and all the poorly balanced cards from the last 20 years. Every pushed creature gets pushed back down to have reasonable stats-- no 5/5s for 4. No 6/6 flyings for 5. No 3/2s for 2. Drawbacks required for stats like that. Nothing that is a stand-alone superbomb or wins instantly by itself.
Basically I'd just force magic to play fair (with room for reasonable combos). But truly people don't wanna play fair. They like badly designed superbombs like Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, and they like mindless I-win buttons like Carnage Tyrant, Blightsteel Colossus, and Griselbrand.
I'd definitely be getting rid of mythic rarity and Universes Beyond. All the changes I'd make are changes that would make the game less hype-focused, and would therefor also make the game less profitable. Turns out they don't like being less profitable. Go figure.
Oh, and obviously get rid of the reserve list. But with Black Lotus being redesigned to be a fair card (it costs 4 mana now), that's not as much of a concern. People don't care as much about moxes when they're perfectly reasonable two mana artifacts.
I already assume that the reserved list is going away in this exercise. Getting rid of Mythic is also huge.
I think that putting a boundary on creature's P/T would be nice. For example, green could have access to creatures with P/T > MV, but at a reasonable rate. I think that Gigantosaurus is kind of extreme, but represents this mentality: how big can a dumb vanilla creature be, given a restrictive enough mana cost? Maybe late game bombs (7+ drops) could break these rules and be tasty reanimator targets, but nothing even close to an "I win" button.
Maybe getting design back to "Mulldrifters vs Baneslayer Angels", in Chapin's words.
I have no problem whatsoever with Gigantosaurus. I think it's a beautiful card design that showcases green's stompy attitudes perfectly. Groundchuck & Dirtbag on the other hand is very bad design. Why you get to be so big AND get to have such a big ability?
I have no problem whatsoever with Gigantosaurus. I think it's a beautiful card design that showcases green's stompy attitudes perfectly. Groundchuck & Dirtbag on the other hand is very bad design. Why you get to be so big AND get to have such a big ability?
Completely agree. It sure seems that being over P/T rate doesn't mean anything anymore. It used to be a big plus for the card.
That's kind of the point of the "Mulldrifter vs Baneslayer Angel" thought process. Creatures would get to either be big beaters (Angels) OR be utility-focused (Mulldrifter), not both, such as this aberration you mentioned. There's also the point that sorceries are getting too easily replaced by creatures with ETBs that emulate sorcery effects, and I think it should be corrected.
The body of a creature should be thought as a "plus" to a card. I really enjoy Mulldrifter because it is clearly a Divination that you can pay an extra 1U for the flying body. It IS a bit pushed (maybe it should cost 4UU), but is not a freebie. Things got way too much in creatures' direction in design. I enjoy big bombs, but they should either be a big body (above rate) or have a splashy ability (and have a below rate body). Not both.
Magic 2.0 would be a great laboratory to refine all the lessons learned in these 30+ years.
- What will remain unchanged
- What will be adjusted
- What will be removed
What would you do?
(the idea isn't to create an exhaustive list, but to highlight a few key points of what you think could be improved in this new version of the game)
I'll start:
I'd standardize morph/megamorph/disguise/manifest as {2} for a 1/1 with specific name and creature type
I'd make morph specifically be about abilities when creatures are turned face up
I'd exchange the flavor on Plot (card cast from exile revealed) and Foretell (face-down card cast from exile)
I'd remove all instances of protection, landwalk, intimidate and fear
I'd make hexproof really rare again, and shroud be the standard "don't touch me" mechanic
I'd change menace to include a number that defines how many creates are needed to block (menace 2, menace 3...)
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Basically I'd just force magic to play fair (with room for reasonable combos). But truly people don't wanna play fair. They like badly designed superbombs like Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, and they like mindless I-win buttons like Carnage Tyrant, Blightsteel Colossus, and Griselbrand.
I'd definitely be getting rid of mythic rarity and Universes Beyond. All the changes I'd make are changes that would make the game less hype-focused, and would therefor also make the game less profitable. Turns out they don't like being less profitable. Go figure.
Oh, and obviously get rid of the reserve list. But with Black Lotus being redesigned to be a fair card (it costs 4 mana now), that's not as much of a concern. People don't care as much about moxes when they're perfectly reasonable two mana artifacts.
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I already assume that the reserved list is going away in this exercise. Getting rid of Mythic is also huge.
I think that putting a boundary on creature's P/T would be nice. For example, green could have access to creatures with P/T > MV, but at a reasonable rate. I think that Gigantosaurus is kind of extreme, but represents this mentality: how big can a dumb vanilla creature be, given a restrictive enough mana cost? Maybe late game bombs (7+ drops) could break these rules and be tasty reanimator targets, but nothing even close to an "I win" button.
Maybe getting design back to "Mulldrifters vs Baneslayer Angels", in Chapin's words.
My Casual (Shared) Graveyard Matters Battlebox
Low-power cube enthusiast!
My 1570 card cube (no longer updated)
My 415 Peasant+ Artifact and Enchantment Cube
Ever-Expanding "Just throw it in" cube.
Completely agree. It sure seems that being over P/T rate doesn't mean anything anymore. It used to be a big plus for the card.
That's kind of the point of the "Mulldrifter vs Baneslayer Angel" thought process. Creatures would get to either be big beaters (Angels) OR be utility-focused (Mulldrifter), not both, such as this aberration you mentioned. There's also the point that sorceries are getting too easily replaced by creatures with ETBs that emulate sorcery effects, and I think it should be corrected.
The body of a creature should be thought as a "plus" to a card. I really enjoy Mulldrifter because it is clearly a Divination that you can pay an extra 1U for the flying body. It IS a bit pushed (maybe it should cost 4UU), but is not a freebie. Things got way too much in creatures' direction in design. I enjoy big bombs, but they should either be a big body (above rate) or have a splashy ability (and have a below rate body). Not both.
Magic 2.0 would be a great laboratory to refine all the lessons learned in these 30+ years.
My Casual (Shared) Graveyard Matters Battlebox