I was recently given the opportunity to move over to Dungeons & Dragons R&D. While the decision about whether or not to do so took some soul-searching, it felt right at the time, and it still does. It's going to be strange for a bit, but this way I'll be working on the kind of thing that I care most about.
It's been an honor and a joy to be your Latest Developments columnist for nearly three years, but it's time for me to move on. I'll be leaving you and the column in the capable hands of developer Zac Hill. I'll have a little bit more to say the Friday after Thanksgiving, but that will be the last you hear from me for a while.
Having actually met the man in person before he joined R&D, I'm sad to hear this. Of course I didn't always agree with his viewpoints or everything he did but, I know he was a very smart man who cared very much about Magic. R&D will probably suffer a net loss.
I just can't forgive him when he wrote that "Zen-Scars" was the best Standard magic ever had to him, He has great understanding of mechanics but seems to be a more spike focused player, wish him the best.
Note: I don't outright hate him I just can't forgive that 1 comment since he seems to be one of the main guys that holds Maro back.
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"Learn from my mistakes least you reapeat them" - Qoute ME
Thanks to PurpleD from Left Play Designs for the banner:D
I wish him luck in his future designing, though I can't say I'll miss him terribly. His statements during Caw-Blade's reign on the health of the format made me think that he might be either deluded, or that he just didn't like admitting mistakes. I did, however, like the writing in his articles in general, since getting an inside look on R&D was always appreciated.
Bye Tom, don't let the door hit you on the way out...
I haven't been involved in the eternal meta for very long, but I could never figure out why someone as ignorant as him was ever allowed to come within 10 feet of any ban list, anywhere. Obviously there is a limit to how much empirical testing you can do in a given format, but consider that in the last 3 months, Mr. LaPille has:
1) Nuked Modern from orbit, then wondered why control is still dead and nobody cares about the format
2) Banned Mental Misstep, then whined about how Dredge and Storm are 'un-fun and not-Magic'
I can foresee a future where Brainstorm is banned in Legacy, even though the real problem is putting Snapcaster Mage and Delver of Secrets in the same color, i.e. blue. If you want to blame the Innistrad design team for that mistake, consider that LaPille's name is front-and-center there too.
Is this incompetence or trolling? Good riddance I say.
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Modern: 1WUR(B/P) Affinity
Legacy: R Burn, W Ascension
Multiplayer: 1U Grand Post
EDH: 1R Daretti
I just can't forgive him when he wrote that "Zen-Scars" was the best Standard magic ever had to him, He has great understanding of mechanics but seems to be a more spike focused player, wish him the best.
Note: I don't outright hate him I just can't forgive that 1 comment since he seems to be one of the main guys that holds Maro back.
he essentially created Cawblade and thinks Great Sable Stag is the solution to Legacy's problems with blue. I'm glad they put him on the bus to nowhere.
Take your monoblack deck, then set aside 14 swamps. Add 4 Creeping Tar Pits, 4 Darkslick Shores, 4 Drowned Catacombs, and 2 Jwar isle Refuge and add 4 Jace, the Mindsculptors. Your monoblack deck is instantly better. Better yet, drop those refuges, throw in some islands and some mana leaks, and lo and behold, you're now playing a real deck. Congratulations. Welcome to the world of competitive M:TG.
wow normally when people leave you see a outpouring of "so sad...no don't go" and this is all the opposite. I can't say I payed too much attention to him but if he was a cancer as everyone is saying he is, this game will be better off without him.
good luck on the dnd side Tom. you've been involved in some of the best times in magic history, so you get at least some of the credit. not everything went perfectly, but nobody bats 1.000.
he essentially created Cawblade and thinks Great Sable Stag is the solution to Legacy's problems with blue. I'm glad they put him on the bus to nowhere.
I just can't forgive him when he wrote that "Zen-Scars" was the best Standard magic ever had to him, He has great understanding of mechanics but seems to be a more spike focused player, wish him the best.
Note: I don't outright hate him I just can't forgive that 1 comment since he seems to be one of the main guys that holds Maro back.
Is he seriously on record that a format with Valakut Titan and Caw-Blade was the best Standard ever? I mean, any answer other than RAV-TSP is wrong and everyone knows it, but ZEN-SOM? Seriously? I have never had less fun playing against degenerate, non-interactive decks in my life.
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Modern: 1WUR(B/P) Affinity
Legacy: R Burn, W Ascension
Multiplayer: 1U Grand Post
EDH: 1R Daretti
I for one am sad to see Tom go. Of course he made mistakes, everyone does, but we just blame him for more because he's been the public face of development. Just because Tom's been the scapegoat for the wide reaching problems that we used to blame MaRo for doesn't mean we shouldn't appreciate all of the work and love he put into this game for us.
I for one am sad to see Tom go. Of course he made mistakes, everyone does, but we just blame him for more because he's been the public face of development. Just because Tom's been the scapegoat for the wide reaching problems that we used to blame MaRo for doesn't mean we shouldn't appreciate all of the work and love he put into this game for us.
Well it wasn't just that he was the face of development. Randy and Aaron managed to represent development without the scorn many players have for Tom. Tom earned the ire of many long-time fans because his writing comes off as arrogrant and condecending. I don't know if he's actually like that as a person, but as a spokesperson and PR guy, he was terrible.
His stint in Development had its ups and downs (sadly a few more downs than ups), but I'll always thank him for the things he did for the Cube community long before it was even a community. Lets look on him as a Grandfather of cubing and try to forget his nonsense in Development.
It is not like he quit, he just went to another department for the same company (abet a different product). I never cried or felt sad enough to mourn it when a friend transfers to a new department.
I don't get all the hate for Tom. I played a few games against him on Magic Online (he is a big classic supporter), and he was a great opponent. He is well versed in the game and has a true passion for Magic. Good luck in your future endeavors Tom.
I don't get all the hate for Tom. I played a few games against him on Magic Online (he is a big classic supporter), and he was a great opponent. He is well versed in the game and has a true passion for Magic. Good luck in your future endeavors Tom.
I will agree, he has a great understanding of the game but were he seems to fall short is understanding players or atleast how people think, To his credit his 2nd best standard was "Kawi-Ravi" on account of the deversity and the main reason he seem to think "Zen-Scars" was good was because people wanted to beat Cawblade and felt it was aw-inspiring in a David vs. Goliath kind of way, basically he liked seeing players beat the meta but in the end the meta won(or the bannings anyway).
Note:Would someone find that article I know it was recent.
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Thanks to PurpleD from Left Play Designs for the banner:D
2) Banned Mental Misstep, then whined about how Dredge and Storm are 'un-fun and not-Magic'
Most people were complaining that this wasn't done any sooner (to legacy.)
And I'm skeptical that him leaving is really going to change Wizard's overall questionable take on banlists. It's not like he is coming up with the bans on his own, just the explanations he presents to the public.
Is he seriously on record that a format with Valakut Titan and Caw-Blade was the best Standard ever? I mean, any answer other than RAV-TSP is wrong and everyone knows it, but ZEN-SOM? Seriously? I have never had less fun playing against degenerate, non-interactive decks in my life.
Rav-TSP
Inv-Ody
Current Standard?
Would be my top 3.
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Out of the blackness and stench of the engulfing swamp emerged a shimmering figure. Only the splattered armor and ichor-stained sword hinted at the unfathomable evil the knight had just laid waste.
I used to read his articles regularly, but then I started to find them boring. I blame it on spike-ness. Then, when I finally decided to give it another try, he rants about DFCs and tells us to "get off the forums".
Standard bannings. That's what I'll remember him for. (I don't put the whole blame on him, I'm referring to his articles on JTMS pre and post ban)
1) Nuked Modern from orbit, then wondered why control is still dead and nobody cares about the format
You do realize he also created Modern, right?
Also, just as Maro isn't responsible for every single design mistake, Tom was not responsible for every single stupid development decision. While I'm sure he wasn't against the Modern changes, he was most definitely not singlehandedly responsible for them.
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http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/ld/169
BGStandard Green AggroGB
UWRGModern Saheeli CobraGRWU
UBRGLegacy StormGRBU
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Note: I don't outright hate him I just can't forgive that 1 comment since he seems to be one of the main guys that holds Maro back.
Thanks to PurpleD from Left Play Designs for the banner:D
I haven't been involved in the eternal meta for very long, but I could never figure out why someone as ignorant as him was ever allowed to come within 10 feet of any ban list, anywhere. Obviously there is a limit to how much empirical testing you can do in a given format, but consider that in the last 3 months, Mr. LaPille has:
1) Nuked Modern from orbit, then wondered why control is still dead and nobody cares about the format
2) Banned Mental Misstep, then whined about how Dredge and Storm are 'un-fun and not-Magic'
I can foresee a future where Brainstorm is banned in Legacy, even though the real problem is putting Snapcaster Mage and Delver of Secrets in the same color, i.e. blue. If you want to blame the Innistrad design team for that mistake, consider that LaPille's name is front-and-center there too.
Is this incompetence or trolling? Good riddance I say.
Modern: 1WUR(B/P) Affinity
Legacy: R Burn, W Ascension
Multiplayer: 1U Grand Post
EDH: 1R Daretti
he essentially created Cawblade and thinks Great Sable Stag is the solution to Legacy's problems with blue. I'm glad they put him on the bus to nowhere.
Is he seriously on record that a format with Valakut Titan and Caw-Blade was the best Standard ever? I mean, any answer other than RAV-TSP is wrong and everyone knows it, but ZEN-SOM? Seriously? I have never had less fun playing against degenerate, non-interactive decks in my life.
Modern: 1WUR(B/P) Affinity
Legacy: R Burn, W Ascension
Multiplayer: 1U Grand Post
EDH: 1R Daretti
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Well it wasn't just that he was the face of development. Randy and Aaron managed to represent development without the scorn many players have for Tom. Tom earned the ire of many long-time fans because his writing comes off as arrogrant and condecending. I don't know if he's actually like that as a person, but as a spokesperson and PR guy, he was terrible.
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Let us just hope this means better days for MtG.
I will agree, he has a great understanding of the game but were he seems to fall short is understanding players or atleast how people think, To his credit his 2nd best standard was "Kawi-Ravi" on account of the deversity and the main reason he seem to think "Zen-Scars" was good was because people wanted to beat Cawblade and felt it was aw-inspiring in a David vs. Goliath kind of way, basically he liked seeing players beat the meta but in the end the meta won(or the bannings anyway).
Note:Would someone find that article I know it was recent.
Thanks to PurpleD from Left Play Designs for the banner:D
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Good luck to Zack Hill, who's taking the column mantle.
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Most people were complaining that this wasn't done any sooner (to legacy.)
And I'm skeptical that him leaving is really going to change Wizard's overall questionable take on banlists. It's not like he is coming up with the bans on his own, just the explanations he presents to the public.
Rav-TSP
Inv-Ody
Current Standard?
Would be my top 3.
Standard bannings. That's what I'll remember him for. (I don't put the whole blame on him, I'm referring to his articles on JTMS pre and post ban)
Godspeed.
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My wife was on MTV with this video.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUutIZg2EpU
You do realize he also created Modern, right?
Also, just as Maro isn't responsible for every single design mistake, Tom was not responsible for every single stupid development decision. While I'm sure he wasn't against the Modern changes, he was most definitely not singlehandedly responsible for them.