Yea, I agree that webcams would be too much of a pain. The cockatrice and skype for voice makes things very nice. Like others have said, there is less anonymity, so less room for douchebagerry. Using mics on skype also makes things easier in terms of saying things like "response?" or "pass turn", instead of having to click a bunch of buttons and typing, makes the game more personal.
I'll see if I can give OCTGN a try, but I definitely think that Cockatrice will work just fine.
I think setting up a "Play Circle" on Google+ might be a good idea, I'm not sure how well that works with voice chat, but the concept and ease of use seems valid.
I'll prob and try to get a game in 2nite, after i make a deck anyhoo
speaking of which, what are the rest of yall likin/playin, I am trying hard as hell not to run my A#1 totally hetero mancrush Kaervek so I might have to go with someone absolutely horrid like Lord of Awesomehorn
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if you see me playing edh on modo I am always running badcards.dec http://offcolorcast.com For people that wanted a second EDH podcast to listen to each week.
Like a fool, I added my actual age to my Google account. And because Google+ is limited to folks 18 and older, I am not allowed to use Google+. If we went that route, I would be unable to play.
Like a fool, I added my actual age to my Google account. And because Google+ is limited to folks 18 and older, I am not allowed to use Google+. If we went that route, I would be unable to play.
Make another email address and get an invite on there?
I played Omnath yesterday, turned out pretty well, was pretty fun. I plan to just play around with different decks and see which ones particularly appeal to me.
Also, if you would like your name and information to be added to a list, make a post with your username, and a Skype or Google+ account you would like shared with everyone. I'll compile the list on the first page.
Or if you don't want to post your information for everyone, send me a PM and I'll see what I can do.
heh my skype name is umm... dingusawesome, yeah I am ashamed of it too, good to see dis thing is working out, about time to see how it goes in a not one on one game methinks, unless yall already have
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if you see me playing edh on modo I am always running badcards.dec http://offcolorcast.com For people that wanted a second EDH podcast to listen to each week.
If anyone want to add me, Skype name is allstar1369 I guess Cockatrice would work better since I'm on a laptop which of course has the in-built monitor cam. I have a competitive Skullbriar, the Walking Grave list for 1v1 French metagame I was tweaking of a friend's, but I can whip something more casual and laidback too. Thinking about that other thread with Doran, the Siege Tower Tribal Spiders.
I'm definitely down for trying this out, I'm a new player always looking to proxy up budget themed decks and my friends and I don't play often enough to playtest my decks. Cockatrice or webcam-games would work for me, although I'm unfamiliar with Cockatrice's layout and commands. I currently have Kazuul, Glissa the Traitor, and a brand new Zedruu deck made up, as well as Child of Alara and Riku pauper lists.
I'm thinking Cockatrice would be easier to organize just because you'd need a good webcam to get a high enough resolution to read cards, and a lot of people don't have nice webcams.
Is there a better way to organize this kind of beginner league, or have some kind of central "hub" for scheduling and informational purposes? Maybe a Steam Community group?
I'm guessing it would be obligatory that degenerate combos/land destruction/whatever other things we deem unfun would be banned, correct?
I'm participting in a league at my local card shop, and I think we've got an excellent way to deal with truly degenerate stuff; we've got a points system to determine who's "winning" the league (while winning games gets you points, winning is not the only way to get points). This includes penalties for doing things we don't approve of -- eliminating someone before they've taken 5 turns, repeatedly using Mindslaver on the same person, taking 4 turns in a row (so you're still free to Time Stretch), taking 6+ minute turns, casting the same spell 4 times in a single turn (see: cheap buyback cards), drawing 10 extra cards in a turn, forcing someone to discard their entire hand (doesn't apply if they only have 1-2 cards anyway), eliminating 2 opponents with poison, and collusion.
The collusion penalty is really strict because last season we had people working together to get 9+ points per game, while other people were getting 2-4. (Eliminating someone too fast is -4 points, the other penalties are only -1 or -2. Collusion is -X, where X is ALL the points you get for the night, including the 5 points you get for just showing up.)
We've also got bonus points for doing things we support; like a point for preventing someone from being eliminated. To combat combo decks (rather than outright banning combos), there's also a big bonus point for stopping a combo from defeating the whole table.
Then, we've got points for doing fun/interesting things, like casting your general from the command zone 5 times, or starting your turn with 0 or less life. And even someone eliminated first has an opportunity at points, because the person who was eliminated with the highest life total gets one (for example, if I'm at 20 and get hit for 30 damage, but everyone else was below 20 before being eliminated, I get a point.)
Then, we've got a set of "rotating" points that are only available sometimes, like having 5 noncreature nonland artifacts in play -- easy for some decks, but not always available. Or having 5 equipment on one creature, stealing a permanent that was stolen from someone else, eliminating someone while you're below 10 life, eliminating someone with a spell/permanent they own, eliminating everyone (including yourself) at the same time... the list of rotating points is long.
When our league first started, there were 7 people. By the end of the first season (two months ago), we had 13. At the end of the second season (last Wednesday), we had 26 people. The fact that it was free and gave Planeswalker Points probably didn't hurt. (The fact that it had prize support despite being free probably didn't hurt either.)
@Ika: Right now what I've been doing is adding people on Skype and adding them to a MTGS-labelled Skype group, which could most definitely function as the 'hub' you speak of.
If you want in, add 'autumnowl23' at Skype. (Sorry Apple, if this was something you wanted to do.)
@Raguel: Multi-webcam calls are only available to people with paid, premium Skype accounts, which eliminates the possibility of multiplayer Skype webcam games. The thing is, if one person has it, it unlocks the feature for everyone else in the call, which would make it so that we all don't have to pay. That person would have to be in every single call, though, which is pretty lame.
@Lithl: How would that apply to Cockatrice Skype games? What would good players do with their points? I could always pitch in for prize support, but I trust these guys that no one would run combo decks, mass land destruction, or denial/lockdown.
@Lithl: How would that apply to Cockatrice Skype games? What would good players do with their points? I could always pitch in for prize support, but I trust these guys that no one would run combo decks, mass land destruction, or denial/lockdown.
Well, a similar points system is easy; the only issue is making the points matter. My local league makes the points matter with prize support. That's a bit harder for an online league, beyond an "attaboy" for the winner(s).
I'm not sure of a good way to make the points matter, but if you can make people want points, then you can use point values to influence behavior/deckbuilding.
I think setting up a "Play Circle" on Google+ might be a good idea, I'm not sure how well that works with voice chat, but the concept and ease of use seems valid.
Decks:
WUG Jenara, Asura of War
WR Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas
WU Lavinia of the Tenth
UR Mizzix of the Izmagnus
speaking of which, what are the rest of yall likin/playin, I am trying hard as hell not to run my A#1 totally hetero mancrush Kaervek so I might have to go with someone absolutely horrid like Lord of Awesomehorn
http://offcolorcast.com For people that wanted a second EDH podcast to listen to each week.
Make another email address and get an invite on there?
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
Also, if you would like your name and information to be added to a list, make a post with your username, and a Skype or Google+ account you would like shared with everyone. I'll compile the list on the first page.
Or if you don't want to post your information for everyone, send me a PM and I'll see what I can do.
Decks:
WUG Jenara, Asura of War
WR Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas
WU Lavinia of the Tenth
UR Mizzix of the Izmagnus
sun shine dan is my skype!
Edit:
sun_shine_dan
So Pro I have an alpha Volcanic Island
Skype Username: autumnowl23
Now let me just get Cockatrice set up.
Decks:
WUG Jenara, Asura of War
WR Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas
WU Lavinia of the Tenth
UR Mizzix of the Izmagnus
If anyone wants to play some casual, friendly games, LMK,
http://offcolorcast.com For people that wanted a second EDH podcast to listen to each week.
Uril, The Miststalker:Enchantress Beatdown
Borborygmos Enraged: Terrain Assault
Shattergang Brothers: Superfriends
Steel Sabotage'ng Orbs of Mellowness since 2011.
I'm thinking Cockatrice would be easier to organize just because you'd need a good webcam to get a high enough resolution to read cards, and a lot of people don't have nice webcams.
Is there a better way to organize this kind of beginner league, or have some kind of central "hub" for scheduling and informational purposes? Maybe a Steam Community group?
Building silly decks for silly games.
The collusion penalty is really strict because last season we had people working together to get 9+ points per game, while other people were getting 2-4. (Eliminating someone too fast is -4 points, the other penalties are only -1 or -2. Collusion is -X, where X is ALL the points you get for the night, including the 5 points you get for just showing up.)
We've also got bonus points for doing things we support; like a point for preventing someone from being eliminated. To combat combo decks (rather than outright banning combos), there's also a big bonus point for stopping a combo from defeating the whole table.
Then, we've got points for doing fun/interesting things, like casting your general from the command zone 5 times, or starting your turn with 0 or less life. And even someone eliminated first has an opportunity at points, because the person who was eliminated with the highest life total gets one (for example, if I'm at 20 and get hit for 30 damage, but everyone else was below 20 before being eliminated, I get a point.)
Then, we've got a set of "rotating" points that are only available sometimes, like having 5 noncreature nonland artifacts in play -- easy for some decks, but not always available. Or having 5 equipment on one creature, stealing a permanent that was stolen from someone else, eliminating someone while you're below 10 life, eliminating someone with a spell/permanent they own, eliminating everyone (including yourself) at the same time... the list of rotating points is long.
When our league first started, there were 7 people. By the end of the first season (two months ago), we had 13. At the end of the second season (last Wednesday), we had 26 people. The fact that it was free and gave Planeswalker Points probably didn't hurt.
(The fact that it had prize support despite being free probably didn't hurt either.)
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)
If you want in, add 'autumnowl23' at Skype. (Sorry Apple, if this was something you wanted to do.)
@Raguel: Multi-webcam calls are only available to people with paid, premium Skype accounts, which eliminates the possibility of multiplayer Skype webcam games. The thing is, if one person has it, it unlocks the feature for everyone else in the call, which would make it so that we all don't have to pay. That person would have to be in every single call, though, which is pretty lame.
@Lithl: How would that apply to Cockatrice Skype games? What would good players do with their points? I could always pitch in for prize support, but I trust these guys that no one would run combo decks, mass land destruction, or denial/lockdown.
I'm not sure of a good way to make the points matter, but if you can make people want points, then you can use point values to influence behavior/deckbuilding.
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)