It seems more like a list of quick quotes to checklist against a more complete philosophy. This is because without context, a lot of the things are meaningless, but within context they could be useful.
For instance, aphorism #1. Accept everything the way it is. Does that mean if the building I am in catches fire I should accept burning to death? Or does it mean that I must accept that it is a fire? I cannot argue with it or threaten it. Unless I exit or extinguish the fire, it will burn me. Either interpretation makes sense. A more complete philosophy could explain what is meant, and within that context I could ask myself "Am I accepting this thing the way it is?" as a quick check on my thoughts or behavior.
I think an extra year of life for all of humanity is meaningful. In total that's what? 8 billion years of human lives she has saved? Not a small accomplishment.
Exactly this.
6 billion years of life is the equivalent of saving 100,000,000 twenty year olds who live to be 80.
Omniscience isn't for cheating expensive spells to cast once. If you can pay 10 mana, you can pay retail. Omniscience is a win more card if all it gives you is kozilek and time stretch.
It's for stupid infinite combos like this one where omniscience plus any black tutor becomes infinite tutoring and life drain.
I run a Wort deck from time to time. It can be very fun.
I've found cometstorm underwhelming. You can only damage a player for X total damage regardless of kickers. The multikicker spell you want is Strength of the Tajuru. By attacking with several tokens and then dumping counters on unblocked ones, you can often deal 3X damage or more.
Also, with that many X spells adding a Rosheen Meanderer if you have it.
I don't understand the Sorin and Geralf's messenger ruling.
Sorin says that you return those creatures/planeswalkers onto the battlefield under your control. So why does your opponent get the trigger rather than you?
Take 1 Dutygraven Guard :1mana::symw:
Creature - Verbine Human
Defender
:1mana::symw:: Impose Dutygraven Guard on target creature. (exile dutygraven guard imposed on that creature)
Creatures dutygraven guard is imposed upon have defender.
1/3
Colors: White, Red, Blue
Description: Verbines are beings marked by and dedicated to a concept or idea (idos). They are prominently marked with the sigil of the idea they serve. Possessed, are living creatures who chose to dedicate themself to an idos. They are white and red. They generally have 2 types, a type and verbine. They are living creatures with their native personality changed so their idos is the dominant motivation. Husks are constructs animated by a idos. They have two creature types, a job type and verbine. They are almost always blue.
Physical description: Posessed can be of any intelligent race. They have prominent glowing tattoos of broad lined runes. They have little physical gear, weapons and armor are often glowing energy matching the tattoos. Husks can be made of any material from parchment to metal. They have broad thin plates with prominent runes as their bodies. Their limbs are flat and spidery, making them appear almost two dimensional.
Culture: Verbines are dedicated to whatever concept they are linked to. Possessed view themselves as elites. They view the wordless (any being without a idos) as unpredictable, treacherous, and weak. There is conflict and even war between verbines of conflicting idos. Generally they have a very low technology level. Idos for possessed include rage, lust, honor, and other human motivations.
Husk have no culture. They simply do what they are. Creating an husk is a risky process as they serve their idos, not their creator. Idos for etchings are verbs like protect, observe, destroy, or collect. They can also be other spells via imprint.
Mechanics: Imprint (for etchings)
Impose. A mechanic similar to imprint, where the card exiles itself imposed on another card. (for posessed)
Totem Armor
Recall : X. You may cast this card from your graveyard. A card cast this way has an additional cost of X. A more general version of retrace, but costs are generally life or sacrificing a permanent of an appropriate type. It can also appear on creatures.
FSI, do you mean the match 4v8? He has Leyline of the Void in his deck, so when he makes you discard Emrakul on his turn 1, it doesn't come back, Emrakul's graveyard trigger and Digger notwithstanding. If you go first, Annihilator doesn't do anything special and Feyd can do his thing since you can't replay Emrakul again (Black Lotus having been exiled).
If you meant the corrections Feyd suggested to 1v8 and 7v8, he's correct about 1v8 for the same reason of Leyline of the Void, and 7v8 has already been responded to.
What do you base your morality on?
Logic and the constant nature of man. Any action must be in the same moral category (mandated, prohibited or neutral) for all persons. After that peaceful coexistence is good. After that, human flourishing is a good goal, and focusing on one's own is no vice (unless it violates earlier principles.)
How do you differentiate right from wrong, good from bad?
I check if a moral catagorization will lead to inconsistency or violence. If it does, then it is wrong. After that, I follow what is best for me and other people.
Do you judge yourself by the same ethical standards that you judge others by?
Yes. At least I try to, and it is a moral failing if I condemn another where I wouldn't condemn myself.
Do you feel the world would be best if everyone followed your morals?
Yes. The great evils of the world come from bad moral systems. Many redefine evil as good (jingoism, intolerant religions). Others are hypocritical.
Also, if there is a "school of thought" for your type of ethics, what's the name of it?
I don't think so. There are several it is close to, but I break from them in some areas.
Its my understanding that the reason we have due process is as a means to determine who the bad people are. So saying due process isn't needed because we all know is inappropriate. Due process is how we know who is a bad guy.
The other reason for due process is that governments have shown themselves to do bad things to people when given free reign. There is a pattern of treating opposition to the government's policy as being a bad person who can be killed.
Highroller, if I take what you say at face value you would be okay with anyone anywhere being killed without any specific reason being given.
Blinking Spirit. Given how difficult it has been to hold other government officials to account I have absolutely no hope that anyone would be on the hook for murder if the person killed is innocent.
After a hard fought season, I proclaim Oculus our latest design idol.
Both submissions were good cards. Morguloth's submission was more focused. His best cards were allied stronghold, an amazingly well designed way to make a powerful land and allied battle-mage, which deserved to be printed. His worst cards were allied blade, which felt bland and Vynax which feels disconnected and the ally part feels too specific for a planeswalker. Every other planeswalker isn't set specific in its abilities.
Oculus's contraptions were ambitious. The idea of limiting wishes by a tight restriction on what can be wished for is intriguing. His planeswalker's first abilities feel great together, but the ultimate seems underwhelming. His best cards were Ghalma's workshop, a balanced artifact land and toxic claim for a nice twist on the other side of the war. His worst card was piston myr. Its an okay card, but the lack of a powerful contraption to show what they can do hurt.
I also invite any critiques on how I ran the contest. I may well end up running another contest in the future and want them to be as fun to play in as possible. Were there any challenges that were poor in their implementation or placement? Did I ramp up the complexity of challenges at the right rate for the contest?
For instance, aphorism #1. Accept everything the way it is. Does that mean if the building I am in catches fire I should accept burning to death? Or does it mean that I must accept that it is a fire? I cannot argue with it or threaten it. Unless I exit or extinguish the fire, it will burn me. Either interpretation makes sense. A more complete philosophy could explain what is meant, and within that context I could ask myself "Am I accepting this thing the way it is?" as a quick check on my thoughts or behavior.
Gargoyle Castle is a 3/4 flyer and can be worth the slot if you don't have color fixing problems.
Exactly this.
6 billion years of life is the equivalent of saving 100,000,000 twenty year olds who live to be 80.
I tap all my lands and let the mana drain. You get no mana.
It's for stupid infinite combos like this one where omniscience plus any black tutor becomes infinite tutoring and life drain.
With Omniscience in play tutor for Rune-Scarred Demon. With the demon's tutor fetch Cavern Harpy. Return and recast the demon. With the tutor fetch Malakir Bloodwitch. Arbitrary amounts of tutoring and life loss for everyone else.
I've found cometstorm underwhelming. You can only damage a player for X total damage regardless of kickers. The multikicker spell you want is Strength of the Tajuru. By attacking with several tokens and then dumping counters on unblocked ones, you can often deal 3X damage or more.
Also, with that many X spells adding a Rosheen Meanderer if you have it.
Sorin says that you return those creatures/planeswalkers onto the battlefield under your control. So why does your opponent get the trigger rather than you?
Dutygraven Guard :1mana::symw:
Creature - Verbine Human
Defender
:1mana::symw:: Impose Dutygraven Guard on target creature. (exile dutygraven guard imposed on that creature)
Creatures dutygraven guard is imposed upon have defender.
1/3
Furymarked Gob :1mana::symr::symr:
Creature - Verbine Goblin
Haste
3/1
Colors: White, Red, Blue
Description: Verbines are beings marked by and dedicated to a concept or idea (idos). They are prominently marked with the sigil of the idea they serve. Possessed, are living creatures who chose to dedicate themself to an idos. They are white and red. They generally have 2 types, a type and verbine. They are living creatures with their native personality changed so their idos is the dominant motivation. Husks are constructs animated by a idos. They have two creature types, a job type and verbine. They are almost always blue.
Physical description: Posessed can be of any intelligent race. They have prominent glowing tattoos of broad lined runes. They have little physical gear, weapons and armor are often glowing energy matching the tattoos. Husks can be made of any material from parchment to metal. They have broad thin plates with prominent runes as their bodies. Their limbs are flat and spidery, making them appear almost two dimensional.
Culture: Verbines are dedicated to whatever concept they are linked to. Possessed view themselves as elites. They view the wordless (any being without a idos) as unpredictable, treacherous, and weak. There is conflict and even war between verbines of conflicting idos. Generally they have a very low technology level. Idos for possessed include rage, lust, honor, and other human motivations.
Husk have no culture. They simply do what they are. Creating an husk is a risky process as they serve their idos, not their creator. Idos for etchings are verbs like protect, observe, destroy, or collect. They can also be other spells via imprint.
Mechanics: Imprint (for etchings)
Impose. A mechanic similar to imprint, where the card exiles itself imposed on another card. (for posessed)
Totem Armor
Recall : X. You may cast this card from your graveyard. A card cast this way has an additional cost of X. A more general version of retrace, but costs are generally life or sacrificing a permanent of an appropriate type. It can also appear on creatures.
Revised.
Yeah, I meant 7v8
Turn 1 I play city & lotus. Then I end the turn
Turn 2 I play and activate sneak attack for the annihilitory goodness.
Logic and the constant nature of man. Any action must be in the same moral category (mandated, prohibited or neutral) for all persons. After that peaceful coexistence is good. After that, human flourishing is a good goal, and focusing on one's own is no vice (unless it violates earlier principles.)
How do you differentiate right from wrong, good from bad?
I check if a moral catagorization will lead to inconsistency or violence. If it does, then it is wrong. After that, I follow what is best for me and other people.
Do you judge yourself by the same ethical standards that you judge others by?
Yes. At least I try to, and it is a moral failing if I condemn another where I wouldn't condemn myself.
Do you feel the world would be best if everyone followed your morals?
Yes. The great evils of the world come from bad moral systems. Many redefine evil as good (jingoism, intolerant religions). Others are hypocritical.
Also, if there is a "school of thought" for your type of ethics, what's the name of it?
I don't think so. There are several it is close to, but I break from them in some areas.
The other reason for due process is that governments have shown themselves to do bad things to people when given free reign. There is a pattern of treating opposition to the government's policy as being a bad person who can be killed.
Highroller, if I take what you say at face value you would be okay with anyone anywhere being killed without any specific reason being given.
Blinking Spirit. Given how difficult it has been to hold other government officials to account I have absolutely no hope that anyone would be on the hook for murder if the person killed is innocent.
After a hard fought season, I proclaim Oculus our latest design idol.
Both submissions were good cards. Morguloth's submission was more focused. His best cards were allied stronghold, an amazingly well designed way to make a powerful land and allied battle-mage, which deserved to be printed. His worst cards were allied blade, which felt bland and Vynax which feels disconnected and the ally part feels too specific for a planeswalker. Every other planeswalker isn't set specific in its abilities.
Oculus's contraptions were ambitious. The idea of limiting wishes by a tight restriction on what can be wished for is intriguing. His planeswalker's first abilities feel great together, but the ultimate seems underwhelming. His best cards were Ghalma's workshop, a balanced artifact land and toxic claim for a nice twist on the other side of the war. His worst card was piston myr. Its an okay card, but the lack of a powerful contraption to show what they can do hurt.
I also invite any critiques on how I ran the contest. I may well end up running another contest in the future and want them to be as fun to play in as possible. Were there any challenges that were poor in their implementation or placement? Did I ramp up the complexity of challenges at the right rate for the contest?
I also invite the next moderator to step up.