Subject: 6E Changes Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1998 10:32:52 -0600 From: Tod Tinlin To: MTG-STRATEGY-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM >My opinion on the rumored rules changes for 6E: > >I'll believe them when I see them. Heh, so I guess you'll believe there's a bus heading for you at 60 mph when it hits you. I believe that at least a portion of these changes are real and will be in place when 6E comes out. The one I am almost certain of, because I read somewhere that it had come from Bethmo herself, during a con meeting (and this is about as accurate as rumors can get =0) that 6E will contain no interrupts. Counterspells and such will become instants, and resolve in the same batch as other instants. Note that this a significant change, and may actually HELP the blue player (WotC DOES seem to favor blue right now). Think about the following. Me: 'Geddon Me: (AP has to respond first) In response, Sac lands to Zorb. You: In response, Counter Geddon! Me: Ummm... In repsonse, D'Oh!! The mana pool change would by far by the most significant, most problematic, and (hopefully) the least likely of these. The tapped artifacts still produce their effects change seems to be a change for the sake of making things easier for the kiddies, just like the new trample rule, and will screw solely prison decks over. This is the thing I hate the most. These changes are NOT being done for the sake of the game. They are being done so that Wizards can siphon off the disposable income of the parents of the munchkins who will not, in any reasonable sense, make a significant impact on the serious players of the game. Do the chess manufacturers take out the En-passant rule from the rules book simply because some new players are too STUPID to understand it? NO. Do they change the movement of the Knight because it confuses the little kiddies? NO. Yet this is exactly analogous to what WotC is doing. Dumbing down the rules, NOT clarifying and codifying the rules. And, unfortunately, this is what may very well drive me, and other serious players, from the game. It is the sheer complexity and intricacy of the game which makes it so fascinating. It is the reason why I switched to Tournament Magic from than Tournament bridge, and Tournament chess. If i wanted to play a kiddie game, I would play connect 4, or Nintendo, not Magic. Note that this rant includes the current changes, like the trample rule, as well as the new potential changes, as it's target. And this is also targetted towards serious, tournament level play. In chess, you can ignore the En-passant rule in friendly games, but you sure better know it and be able to use it at a tourny. Whew! So what do we do? well, i think we're doing it, discussing it and espousing our viewpoints. I'm pretty sure the Wizards staff keeps up with these lists, so hopefully, enough posts denigrating these changes will prevent them from happening, or at least start to look at the rules changes as methods of stabilizing the game for the long term, NOT money-grubbing. Thanks, Tod Tinlin