There is NEVER justification for using proxies.
NO. Incorrect. Unless you are referring to counterfeits. Counterfeits are fake cards presented as the real thing to fool an opponent or buyer. A proxy is a marked and declared copy presented as a "proxy" to an actual card. Its intent is to fool no one and is only used to function as a game piece. BIG DIFFERENCE.
I am with you on counterfeits. They are wrong. Proxies on the other hand are just fine and are enjoyable for casual gameplay if presented as such and not involved in prize winnings or rankings unless agreed upon beforehand by all involved.
You attitude is elistist, snobbish and mean spirited. You should do some real soul searching and listen to exactly how you sound. Its ugly, exclusionary and truly entitled thought. I had blocked you for a long time and you are going back on the ignore list. I remember why now. Reply all you want but I will not see it. Exclusionism goes both ways.
1
I think everyone is going to have a different answer mostly because everyone have a different idea of how much space they're willing to dedicate to the hobby.
I have a finite amount of space. There's a couple boxes, couple binders, lots of deck boxes. I still have a bit of space to add stuff, but once in a while I'll just grab some, and start asking myself questions-
"how long since I used this?"
"why?"
"what's better nowadays?"
"Am I ever going to actually build that Cats from Outer Space deck I bought these for?"
and the occasional...
"geez, wonder what this is worth nowadays?"
You have to be ruthless with yourself. Your brain will come up with all kinds of excuses to save something. I regret TONS of what I've given up over the years. I also think about how unruly the collection would be had I not trimmed the fat over the years.
Junkie's disclaimer: I do keep a 3rd big box under the bed of cards and stuff I've retired from the main collection that I don't want to sell or no one wants to buy.
Of course, all this refers to a whole collection, not just a commander collection.
And here's one for the old fogies: The old Case Logic nylon cassette cases fit deck boxes perfectly. The single layer (I think it was 30 cassettes) fits 14 deck boxes, the double layer holds 28, or you can work fat pack boxes into it.
2
It's gonna happen. It's a product of evolution. All the "simple" cards have been done. If you're gonna make new cards, they are going to get more complex as the simple ideas get used up. Releasing new sets/cards every other week doesn't help.
Too much text? Well, throw up a modern set spoiler, then look at an older spoiler. Yes, we had plenty of wordy, confusing cards (the classic example- Ice Cauldron), but by-and-large it was simpler. Lots more words nowadays. MTG has gotten somewhat bloated and convoluted over the years. Again, the simple stuff has been done. They've done a fair job of keeping the text to a minimum, "streamlining" language/text, but sometimes take this idea too far. (latest pet peeve/annoyance- T: Add 1 green mana. TO WHAT??? My retirement portfolio? G'ma's chicken soup recipe? The toilet tank??? DUMB!) There are, thankfully, still some simple cards happening.
As far as alt versions of cards, I'm all good with it. I went through my "fancy version" stage. Playsets of foil textless Damnation, Wrath of God, Cryptic Command, all of that crap. Over it. Give me simple and original any day. Nowadays, I just like the fancy versions because they help keep the prices of basic versions lower. Usually.
It is what it is. If wordy, bloated, and six different versions of the same card in one set are what it takes to keep the game going, then so be it.