Subject: The Need For a Voice Date: Sun, 29 Nov 1998 01:51:56 -0800 From: "Philip M. Wilson or Jennifer Bartenfelder" To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com ----- Anyone who's spent more than a few minutes browsing The Dojo lately is keenly aware that a whole mess of people are disgruntled with Magic. Tolarian decks, rock-paper-scissors metagame, lack of innovation in deck building, crappy sets, crappy sets without sufficient testing, too many (crappy) sets, too many good cards being rares, unfriendly opponents, cheaters, DCI scandals, too much errata, impending rules changes, Portal, 5th Edition, too much luck involved, not enough skill involved, no good green cards, too many net-decks, newbies winning tournaments, not enough hand-shaking and rump-kissing between opponents, no support for non-type II environments, lousy Arena league prizes, poor choice of formats at various tournaments, price lists in The Duelist, the "dumbing down" of Magic, and the complaints keep rolling. I probably missed a few dozen. I'm not going to take a wild swing at WHY players are so unhappy, the reasons are undoubtedly numerous and quite varied. I also don't have the solution. Just a simple idea at where to start. Ask for a voice. It's been hinted at before, perhaps even attempted before, but I have seen no mention of it recently. The fact that WotC employees have been posting to The Dojo about certain concerns insinuates they read what people have to say. I think it's clear that no one believes they *listen* to what people say. Magic players, as a group, need to ask (demand?) a voice. I am neither a bitter, unhappy player, not a staunch supporter of the WotC corporate decision-making team. As a bit of a devil's advocate, I think what Magic needs more than anything else is some sincere communication between the people who make the game and the people who play it. The people who play Magic want to feel that WotC listens to their concerns and acts on at least some of them. Clearly this isn't the case. Though I haven't been playing Magic since day one, it seems that at no other time in the game's history has it been so important for WotC to ensure players are happy with the game. Magic is WotC's lifeblood, the corporate flagship, the very reason the company's investors are probably a relatively happy lot. The problem, of course, is how to get a voice. The Dojo isn't it. It simply serves as a forum for players to air their complaints. None of you actually believe WotC employees read The Dojo and think "we should do something about some of this", do you? The logistics of obtaining a true voice with WotC might very well be nightmarish, but unhappy players ought to see some merit in the idea, and WotC would be foolish to ignore a concerted player effort to demand a voice. If it's been attempted before, and failed miserably or even semi-miserably, then I say it wasn't done right. And if it simply can't be done, blame the players for lack of motivation or the company for lack of intelligence. Whatever the case, don't tell me it isn't in both parties' best interests... If players think whining on The Dojo ought to be enough, then I say they will have little cause to whine if/when the game dries up. And if WotC thinks that all the current discontent is just going to "go away" or that it can continue to develop and market a game without heeding what the consumers think is wrong with it, they deserve any ill fate that befalls the game. "Question and answer" sessions at gaming conventions won't cut it. A few dozen nasty (or even polite) letters to WotC will be utterly futile. I don't think the players expect WotC to do everything the players would like them to do. I think they just want to be heard, and to have concerns legitimately addressed--a few Dojo posts or Duelist articles are meaningless. That, fellow readers, is WHAT I think should be done. And as for the HOW? Good grief, I don't know! I'm just an "idea" man... The natives are restless. Are you listening, Wizards? Phil Wilson bleutears@earthlink.net Team FAL