one reason i haven't been playing much actual Magic is because 14 dollars (canadian) is a significant chunk of money for me for my budget. i really do enjoy the social aspect, but even going once a month is a splurge for me.
i remember when i was playing mtg limited every week. i had a little more money back then, and plus drafts were 8 dollars because of some absurd competition between the two local gaming stores. i also loved playing phantom events on mtg before they switched to the new client. at my height of playing, i was a much better player than i am now -- and i could optimise much better (eg spot cool interactions between cards to optimise the kinds of decks i like to build, /plus/ know how to stay alive better).
i miss being better at the game! and i miss playing a lot!
in the end, this is a luxury, and not as central to my well being as other luxuries. still, i get a little sad and wanting when i see channelfireball videos etc. it was nice to be better at the game and to see the same people every week!
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how much of this can any of you relate to this?
is it common for players, do you think, to reach a peak point where they're really into the game and are improving, and then have to let that go and not feel like a Real Player anymore? when that happens -- not feeling all smart in seeing what tricks there are etc --, can you still enjoy the game? or do you get a little sad about not being as good, and just avoid the game until you can play more frequently?
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Goblins have poor impulse control. Don't click this link!!
some of my favourite flavour text:
Wayward Soul "no home no heart no hope"
—Stronghold graffito
Raging Goblin He raged at the world, at his family, at his life. But mostly he just raged.
I'm not in your situation financially, but pretty much as a player.
Quite a while back, I vowed not to play on MTGO anymore for a lot of reasons: i felt the program was mis-managed and we were constantly being short changed at every occasion and the redemption costs (for Canadians) were ridiculous. For a bit I stopped playing entirely and at one point I started to attend pre-release again and now I play at FNM every two weeks.
I very, very much sense that my game has suffered. I make more stupid mistakes (attacking with a wave-wing elemental without playing my land into that spider that gets +2/+0 when blocking, for example), it takes me forever to learn the archetypes and I don't feel I've explored the formats fully when they rotate out. It was much easier when I drafted 5 times a week on MTGO.
What I've found is that I needed to not care as much about winning and not feel too bad when the more regular FNM players, those playing two drafts every week, stomp me. I do feel that the social aspect at FNM is incomparable to playing internet strangers on MTGO. Incomparably better that is, of course.
You just have to let go and not expect to become an expert anymore. I actually feel it most here on the board, where I feel I have little expert input to provide. I used to read and critique every posted draftcap. Now I feel a lot less entitled to judge how others play.
I can relate, Silph. I've had to cut back on my Magic playing lately as well, although in my case it's due to a dearth of time rather than money. I recently became a father, and it's just not possible for me to get a few hours to myself to do a draft on MODO or at my LGS. The new online sealed deck leagues are nice and I recently got into one of those, but I'm finding even getting the 30+ minutes it can take for a match can be tricky.
The little bit of Magic I have been able to get in is kind of frustrating for me, because I can recognize how my game has stagnated with my inability to play as much as I used to. I can still enjoy the game, but not as much as I used to, and honestly I'm wondering if I'll keep it up or just end up taking a break completely for a while. We'll see.
I've been filling in the gaps a bit with Hearthstone, which typically allows me to get in a game or two quickly when I get some time and if I end up having to quit prematurely then who cares? It's free so it's not like I feel like I'm wasting money. If you have a decent computer or smartphone it's a reasonable alternative to Magic that won't cost you anything.
I played more BFZ than I've played any other format in a very long time. When OGW came out, I cut back quite a bit. It's definitely affected my game. I make mistakes I never would have made 3 months ago, even with cards I'm familiar with. I lost a game last night because I forgot that Seed Guardian had reach, for example, which is one of those "durrrr" moments.
I dunno about the whole "feeling smart" part of it, though. I recognize I'm worse at the game, but it just means I kick myself for more obvious mistakes rather than less obvious ones, and I recognize that that's largely a function of practice. I don't have a whole lot of self-esteem bound up in my performance. Maybe that's why I've never taken the game seriously enough to get *really* good at it, though. I'm not sure I've ever felt like a Real Player.
I haven't played since early BFZ. My financial situation changed drastically, and now I have a budget of $100 a month for mtgo but my problem now is that I'm so scared of playing sub-optimally and blowing through it. That fear has literally kept me from playing at all. Still haven't touched Oath.
I can relate to your situation. I used to draft on mtgo five to ten times a week. I never missed a pre-release at my LGS. Now it is harder to go infinite, and although i could afford to splurge on drafting, i spend all of my magic funds on buying collections.
It seems like there has been a trend in my area, where the cost of drafts hasnt increased per se, but the prize support has been decreasing. In the end, i dont feel like it makes me less skilled as a player, but it has definitely made it harder for me to justify "throwing away money" on the game i love
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i remember when i was playing mtg limited every week. i had a little more money back then, and plus drafts were 8 dollars because of some absurd competition between the two local gaming stores. i also loved playing phantom events on mtg before they switched to the new client. at my height of playing, i was a much better player than i am now -- and i could optimise much better (eg spot cool interactions between cards to optimise the kinds of decks i like to build, /plus/ know how to stay alive better).
i miss being better at the game! and i miss playing a lot!
in the end, this is a luxury, and not as central to my well being as other luxuries. still, i get a little sad and wanting when i see channelfireball videos etc. it was nice to be better at the game and to see the same people every week!
---
how much of this can any of you relate to this?
is it common for players, do you think, to reach a peak point where they're really into the game and are improving, and then have to let that go and not feel like a Real Player anymore? when that happens -- not feeling all smart in seeing what tricks there are etc --, can you still enjoy the game? or do you get a little sad about not being as good, and just avoid the game until you can play more frequently?
Goblins have poor impulse control. Don't click this link!!
some of my favourite flavour text:
Wayward Soul
"no home no heart no hope"
—Stronghold graffito
Raging Goblin
He raged at the world, at his family, at his life. But mostly he just raged.
Quite a while back, I vowed not to play on MTGO anymore for a lot of reasons: i felt the program was mis-managed and we were constantly being short changed at every occasion and the redemption costs (for Canadians) were ridiculous. For a bit I stopped playing entirely and at one point I started to attend pre-release again and now I play at FNM every two weeks.
I very, very much sense that my game has suffered. I make more stupid mistakes (attacking with a wave-wing elemental without playing my land into that spider that gets +2/+0 when blocking, for example), it takes me forever to learn the archetypes and I don't feel I've explored the formats fully when they rotate out. It was much easier when I drafted 5 times a week on MTGO.
What I've found is that I needed to not care as much about winning and not feel too bad when the more regular FNM players, those playing two drafts every week, stomp me. I do feel that the social aspect at FNM is incomparable to playing internet strangers on MTGO. Incomparably better that is, of course.
You just have to let go and not expect to become an expert anymore. I actually feel it most here on the board, where I feel I have little expert input to provide. I used to read and critique every posted draftcap. Now I feel a lot less entitled to judge how others play.
The little bit of Magic I have been able to get in is kind of frustrating for me, because I can recognize how my game has stagnated with my inability to play as much as I used to. I can still enjoy the game, but not as much as I used to, and honestly I'm wondering if I'll keep it up or just end up taking a break completely for a while. We'll see.
I've been filling in the gaps a bit with Hearthstone, which typically allows me to get in a game or two quickly when I get some time and if I end up having to quit prematurely then who cares? It's free so it's not like I feel like I'm wasting money. If you have a decent computer or smartphone it's a reasonable alternative to Magic that won't cost you anything.
I dunno about the whole "feeling smart" part of it, though. I recognize I'm worse at the game, but it just means I kick myself for more obvious mistakes rather than less obvious ones, and I recognize that that's largely a function of practice. I don't have a whole lot of self-esteem bound up in my performance. Maybe that's why I've never taken the game seriously enough to get *really* good at it, though. I'm not sure I've ever felt like a Real Player.
It seems like there has been a trend in my area, where the cost of drafts hasnt increased per se, but the prize support has been decreasing. In the end, i dont feel like it makes me less skilled as a player, but it has definitely made it harder for me to justify "throwing away money" on the game i love