Why is this moment of divergence and not the Arena beginners set, or the Magic Online Vanguard Avatars, or Gleemox?
Because those are absurd and cornercase examples. Arena Beginners were almost all of them contructed unplayable (except Inspiring Commander and maybe Soulhunter Rakshasa), and anyway, I'm the first saying that they should've never did Inspiring Commander digital-only instead of printing him in a monowhite commander pre-con that disperately needs this kind of card draw engine (what the hell, it even got the frickin word COMMANDER in his own name!)
Nobody play or even know the existence of the regular paper vanguard and you think people would be offended for digital only vanguards? please
And don't get me with the Gleemox. A strictly better Alpha Mox that it even AUTOBAN itself in his rule text. A card that would be legal in no format anyway, is such broken.
On the other hand, this 31 Jumpstart Historic cards are a completely, radical, different issues from the ones you listed. First of all because are regular magic cards and not some absurd and obscure variant nobody ever hear about (like vanguard), they are available outside the tutorial decks, they do not have a "this card is banned" in the frickin rule text, nor they're silver bordered and their power level, mechanics and flavor is insteresting and balanced enough (we even got a whole cycle of 5 new planeswalkers of each color) to be playable in multiple formats (EDH, Brawl. Pioneer, Modern, Standard, Pauper, maybe even Legacy and Vintage) and that's why feel an enormous waste to have this design potential in digital only magic.
You said that having cards in only digital was inherently a problem. Sounds like you're backing off that if those examples do not count.
Vanguard avatars in particular are notable here because they were mostly designed in such a way that they would function perfectly well in paper. In fact, the concept originated as a paper magic variant, which they then turned into an online exclusive.
Also, most silver bordered cards would be fine in regular magic if you tolerate stuff like the ridiculous workarounds that have been suggested for making these cards work. Should they print Booster Tutor in black border because it can work?
Then why do somenthig like seek in the first place, other than greed, loosing the identity of the game in the process? Is this a cardgame or a videogame?
When you go after somenthig and you do everything to get it including loosing your identity then you are greedy
It's both, now.
Is magic a 2 player game or a (larger) multiplayer game? It was once just about 2 player, but people liked to play multiplayer, so they made cards for that. Is it about collecting, deckbuilding, or drafting? Every set has cards for all 3. Magic has evolved so far from what it what originally meant to be, and gone in so many directions already that adding one more dimension is hardly "losing its identity."
Except it's not both.
These cards are in digital, and not in paper. And that inherently is the problem. This represents a moment of divergence between the two platforms, and yes, that's an issue and concern. This cannot be a precedent going forward. Arena should be a digital form of paper Magic. The moment we're forced to choose between the two depending on the type of Magic experience we wish to have, or cards we hope to access, or whatever remaining and unforseen divides lay ahead, is when the playerbase fragments even more. Part of the appeal of Commander is the social aspect, and they're undermining that.
Why is this moment of divergence and not the Arena beginners set, or the Magic Online Vanguard Avatars, or Gleemox?
Do you really think people are gonna stop playing commander with their friends because they want to play with some Arena exclusive cards? They also make paper cards that don't function in commander, are those undermining socialization too?
Then why do somenthig like seek in the first place, other than greed, loosing the identity of the game in the process? Is this a cardgame or a videogame?
When you go after somenthig and you do everything to get it including loosing your identity then you are greedy
It's both, now.
Is magic a 2 player game or a (larger) multiplayer game? It was once just about 2 player, but people liked to play multiplayer, so they made cards for that. Is it about collecting, deckbuilding, or drafting? Every set has cards for all 3. Magic has evolved so far from what it what originally meant to be, and gone in so many directions already that adding one more dimension is hardly "losing its identity."
You said that having cards in only digital was inherently a problem. Sounds like you're backing off that if those examples do not count.
Vanguard avatars in particular are notable here because they were mostly designed in such a way that they would function perfectly well in paper. In fact, the concept originated as a paper magic variant, which they then turned into an online exclusive.
Also, most silver bordered cards would be fine in regular magic if you tolerate stuff like the ridiculous workarounds that have been suggested for making these cards work. Should they print Booster Tutor in black border because it can work?
Why is this moment of divergence and not the Arena beginners set, or the Magic Online Vanguard Avatars, or Gleemox?
Do you really think people are gonna stop playing commander with their friends because they want to play with some Arena exclusive cards? They also make paper cards that don't function in commander, are those undermining socialization too?
It's both, now.
Is magic a 2 player game or a (larger) multiplayer game? It was once just about 2 player, but people liked to play multiplayer, so they made cards for that. Is it about collecting, deckbuilding, or drafting? Every set has cards for all 3. Magic has evolved so far from what it what originally meant to be, and gone in so many directions already that adding one more dimension is hardly "losing its identity."
It's postponed, so they can focus on developing Historic:
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-digital/mtg-arena-state-game-adventures-forgotten-realms-2021-07-02
Not that this necessarily means Pioneer is going away or never coming to Arena, but it might be a while.