Subject: Re: Nostalgia Revolution Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 22:31:05 +0000 From: "Austin W. Shapiro" To: Thomas Bergmann CC: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com To Thomas Bergmann: Thanks for your comments on Magic nostalgia. Indeed, I did not address the points which you raise; they did not come to mind, as I have never found them to be objectionable (though many others do). Here's why... The import of your statements seems to be that DCI is supporting mostly Type II, wherein players must buy new cards frequently to compete. You write: > Ironic, isn't it, that the same folks that > complained about spending $1000.00 for the power nine now regularly > shell out $200.-$300. every 4 months for enough of each new expansion > to stay competitive in type 2. I may have the advantage by living near a small hobby shop, but with a little trading I keep several Type II decks running on a budget of under $50 per expansion set (and I always have the rares that I need). The real issue as regards set rotation isn't cost but, rather, that Type I and 1.5 and Extended tournaments are no longer attractive to competitive players because they don't pay the big money. >From the numerous comments I have received on my article, I see ample evidence that many Magic players enjoy casual play which doesn't lead to Pro Tour winnings, but these players are not the ones who are eager to pay $20 to compete in local tourneys - so Type II dominates the field. None of the changes to competitive Magic preclude playing for fun; it's just becoming more difficult to find a willing opponent. The second issue you raise is that of errata, card restriction, etc. You write: > If the card was broken in the first place it should never have been > printed, and if it was then why don't they just print a card in the > next expansion that makes it less broken (Channel, for example, should > never have been banned once Force of Will came out). What's done is done, but no card released since 1995 (Ice Age/4th) and no card currently in print has been "broken" enough to be Banned or Restricted. The DCI recently liberalized its Type I Restricted list and has worked in some (admittedly rare) instances to un-break cards, as it did with Time Vault and Abeyance. No major functional changes have been made to cards since the ruling that restored Abeyance. In summary, it seems that everything is getting better for the libertarian player, not worse. To say it is getting better at too slow a pace is not nostalgia but forward-thinking. By the way, I have been playing Magic for four years. - Austin Shapiro "I'm Ritualing for three Libraries of Leng!"