Subject: Lets Try It Again Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 20:08:50 -0700 From: "Boogie" To: I've been reading all about the job the judges did at worlds! Bravo! This is exactly what it takes to govern a body of players that are considered 'professional' magic players. Just finished reading Playing by the Rules by Christa Stenger and it seems that most of the players don't have a problem with the stricter rulings. As a pro tour hopeful (i'll qualifiy one day gosh darn it) it is very nice to know that the dci is going into a positive direction. Its also nice to know that there is going to be set ground rules that will give all judges a key to work with. As i'm sure the dci is working on such a set of rules right now I'd like to cover some of the ground with you guys and i'd like to know if you think the rules i'll propose are too harsh or too lenient. Drawing extra Cards: "If a competitor who is going first draws a card, he receives an automatic game loss. If any competitor draws extra cards during a game, they receive a warning and their opponent at that time must draw cards to equal the number of cards their opponent has." Okay on several occasions (especially after a long day) its posible to draw that extra card when you first draw your hand. HOWEVER I've never accidently drawn a card during the match! So, my guess is this needs to be reversed. If you've drawn an extra card during the match then it should be considered straight up B.S. and that should take care of the game. For simply drawing your '8th' card or for drawing the '7th' card when using the Sept 1st standard mulligan rule... well, I just can't seem to find it fair to lose the game. Marking Your Deck: this is soooooooo bad. This shows almost a straight intent to cheat. But cards do get marked in play... soo.... Lands/Spells Turned Differnt Ways: Match loss All Copies Of Spell/Land Marked In Same/Some way: Match loss Using Sleeves/Sheilds: Sleeves Marked From natural Wear: Warning And Desleeve/Sleeve w/ new ones. No Further Penalty Unless.... Several Sleeves Marked/ Same Card In Worn Sleeve: Match Loss + Resleeve Sleeves Marked In Some Way Besides Natural Wear: Automatic Match Loss + Possible Ejection. Game Mistakes: Paying too much/too little mana: warning. Forgetting An Upkeep, cost, come into play effect, etc.. Opponent Notices: Back up to the point it was forgotten and replay. Call for judge who should issue a warning. Judge Notices: Warning for both sides... back up and replay from that instance. Deck Checks: Get on them. do them. do them often. do one per tourney (as part of registration perhaps? or as the 1st match begins?) and then do it as the rounds progress (every 'feature match' gets deck checked as well as random people?) I think these guidelines are close to what we should expect from the DCi in the future. Hell, its what I think we should have expected all along. Don't get me wrong. I'm a fan of the DCI and most of the judges that work for them. For the most part I've had little but good experiences with them. When there is a problem with my ranking they are quick to work with me on it. They listen to my concerns and act upon them. They have always done it in the past (well, not that much) and are showing that they WILL do it in the future. I think that one of the things the dci needs to really enforce is penalties on the players. If you're caught cheating... just like driving while drunk... its penalized and noted. You can only drive drunk 3 times before you're liscense is revoked. If you've got a track record, there is no reason you should still be on the pro tour. One of my friends met a member of a team in the final 8 for the 3rd time this year. After the draft they set down and talked... about lots of things, one of them being the pro tour. We know this particular player to be excelent at his game skills, his play style, his knowledge of the game... We asked him WHY he hasn't done as well as the rest of the team.... while he was surely a better player. We asked him why when he goes to pro tours he doesn't win... He Replied," I don't cheat." Maybe these changes will put this player at the top of the tour after everyone else is put on equal ground. But If there is anything i want to see in the future of the dci is a press release like this one. Press Release From Wizards Of The Coast, Inc. Deulist Convocation International September 1st, 199X The Deulist Convocation International (DCI) which is the governing body over the Magic: The Gathering (tm) Pro Tour has decided enough is enough. Rumors were rampant that the DCI was not willing to clean up any and all wrong doings at its professional events. Now these events will be clean as a whistle. Long term player Xxxxx Xxxxx, Jr. was banned from all tournament play, his membership of the DCI has been revoked. On August 31, 199X he was caught with an Urza's SpillProof Mug under his sleeve. This card is a key card in a deck archetype that has long been famous on the tour. This banning marks the first step towards a long awaited goal. We are here to announce that all cheating is renounced from this day forth. If you choose to attempt to defraud this game you will be caught. You will be punished But, then again, i'm a dreamer :)