Memories of an Old Magic Player: A Perspective on the History of Magic: Then v. Now

[Streetz]

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http://www.magicdeckvortex.com/mdvarticle0474.htm

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[Tresserhorn]

It's all true, and as a player who played durring the Black Summer, I can't help but wish I helped newer players more.

You've inspired me. at FNM, I will find a new player who is in need of cards and advice and I will give it to them. Maybe I'll even find 2.

[boobers]

I blame the internet... seriously. It's done just as much bad as good. I've played off and on since Tempest block and even then it was a totally different thing to be a Magic player. Gone are the days of chillin in a card store or book store and just playing with whoever might show up, or having random ante games for whatever cards we cut. Its too much of a business now even for the players. People don't have to be nice to each other or make friends to advance their trading/level of play. I think you put it best when you said that the game is all about ME ME ME. A group of players trying to benefit solely themselves is NOT community.

I've sold my entire collections two times and still come back though. If it wasn't for my small casual group, I probably would never have gotten back into Magic this time. This is the only place I can sit down and see some crazy decks that I've NEVER seen before. We are not there to proove ourselves, we are not there to beat the snot out of someone else. We are there to have a good time and lend advice. They might not be pro tour champs, but they are some of the smartest and most intuitive Magic players I've ever met.

I don't know what it was like in the beginning, but the atmosphere and people had to have been better. The internet, organized tournaments, online play, etc. have all done great things for this game, but it is most certainly NOT the same game. It has changed. Like it, or not.

[Cashew]

I don't know what it was like in the beginning, but the atmosphere and people had to have been better.

As a player who started at The Dark, it certainly was better between players back then. There was no e-bay, you had your local card store, and you had local card stores. Your authorities weren't pro's and sites, but The Duelist, the Scrye, and somewhat Wizard Magazine. Players really relied on each other to trade to make decks and create a community and teach others the games.

A friend got me and another playing, then I got a bunch of kids on my summer swim team playing. Then we just kinda jibed out from there. Had a couple theives and con artists in my group that hurt things, but ultimately it was positive. We'd get them to buy one or two starter decks and a couple of booster. Let them look through and pick their favorite one or two colors. Then we'd give them all the lands they needed and if they had a rare we needed maybe trade them 100-200 of our extra cards for it. Got a couple dual lands that way in the beginning, course they were worth far less until Fourth retired them.

The world and culture of today has changed though. I absolutely can not stand newbs in the rooms I play in, unless it's an experienced player just starting in MTGO. Then again, I usually play in the Multiplayer Room where good decks and players are the norm. I just hate going up against two other people with super-powered decks like mine, then some random idiot sits down next to me and plays the Magic Online core deck. Takes him a minute to read every card and notice he has to click a button for us to do anything. Bleh! I'd gladly teach anyone to play on paper, taught a guy at work the other night, although he called it gay =)

I think the internet and cell phones have lead to a new culture abroad though. You literally can get anything now, without excessive means and reach anyone from anywhere. Very little reliance on actual people skills and I have a feeling the post-911 generation is going to be dependent on cell phones and the internet just to get by. I digress though.

[Barachem]

True, the game has changed.
But as far as i know for the better.
Maybe living in the Netherlands has to do with it and currently living in a city where much of the top national players reside.
In the last few years the casual crowd has changed and now several players come together to the public library while other casual groups are located around the city and do no know of this gathering in the public library.

Another thing is the reversal of roles i perceive in the article, as if now playing is dumbed down with regards to the earlier years and somehow i do not see it that way.
Yes, the last few years have yielded a creature and combat rich environment, but that's how WotC steered the game, at least for Standard.
But playing creatures and beating face have always existed, as have removal for creatures.

I acknowledge that tournament magic has been competitive ever since WotC announced it and the knowledge grew and grew, spawning forth a myriad of viable decks, combo, control and also aggro.
Sligh is the prime example of what a well built aggro deck can do.
But on the other hand casual play also evolved, yet some players staying ignorant of some of the more intricate innovations in magic, casual players of the olden years not wanting to adapt to the new play field and scrubs thinking that their crap rare infested and anti-synergetic decks are the best.
In fact people often see the past more favorably, while it is not necessarily better or worse than current times.
I'd argue that magic has gotten better in the sense that there is more diversity in what one is able to play in casual when compared to the past and that despite new developments that most good cards from the past have stood the test of time.

Looking at tournament magic, we see that in the eternal formats decks use all kinds of cards, ranging from cards from the very beginning of magic to the most recent cards.
Comparing those formats with the formats of the beginning shows us that people now AND people then choose to use the very best cards to utilize in their decks and while the information only trickled down way back then, meta-gaming was real and the best players adapted their decks to suit the coming meta-game.
The difference is that the trickle has become a shower and that while meta-gaming has become more important, it's still quite difficult to flesh results out, because of the lack of tournaments for a certain new set to really show what decks are really the best.
Even for Legacy AND Vintage the card environment seems to change too fast for the meta-game to stabilize, let alone for Extended and Standard.

Ranting about removal for enchantments and artifacts that impacted the game in the past more than now is a bit of a dead argument, because now creatures have been brought to the foreground instead of those, even though enchantments like Bitterblossom and some other noncreature/nonland permanents have become important.
Currently, the Standard meta-game consists more of aggro-control, mid-range control and aggro than combo because combo decks have less material to work with and the control side is currently quite strong.
But surprise, surprise, the new Extended has shown that combo is viable and very alive, with Elfball combo decks running rampant in Berlin.
Gosh, a modern combo deck and quite resilient to boot too, like the old skool combo decks.
What about Quick n' Toast and Faeries for control oriented decks?
Or is stasis lock the only viable control deck of all times?

Speaking of noncreature removal, anybody remember the Urza combo
winter of the Urza block?
Yes, much needed in those days.
What about modern times?
Say (R)affinity onslaught?
Nah, no need for Naturalize or Oxidize or any of the mass-hosers, just let it roll over you.

I agree, some parts of the game have been dumbed down and neutered, but for good cause.
Yes, it's more creatures than in the good old times of yore and pushing into the red zone has been encouraged.
Yet it does not mean that MtG has become a less complex game, no way.
As mentioned before, combo has taken a temporary hike in Standard, but considering that the Dragonstorm combo deck has had great impact on it about two years ago, combo was still quite strong, as with the combo decks before it.
Also, it's interesting that the most successful decks right now in Standard are controllish, it seems as if tournament play hasn't been dumbed down to stupid aggro all the time.
And looking at casual then and now has taught me that scrubbery and stupidity are of all ages, not just then OR now.

Chris, i acknowledge that competitive decks from yore are still quite good now and that strategy was already quite complex.
But i ask of you, can you acknowledge that current competitive decks are still THAT complex and diverse, even despite the creature feature push by WotC?

And regarding the change in casual, i partly disagree with people here.
While the internet and also cell phones have changed the face of how people perceive MtG, tournaments and trading, i believe that casual groups in fact are still quite similar to those of the past.
Casual players still have their favorite decks and play styles.
In my play group i proposed many things that were shot down, even trying to play pauper multiplayer.
They wanna play their modern decks full of rares, one a reasonably nasty 8post deck and other decks and the other his Dragon deck and other decks.
I'm the only one to regularly take apart my decks and build new ones for fun.
I see the same reluctance to change in casual players of yore.

I think while several things have changed for Magic the Gathering, like the advent of the internet, the rules change, the change in the game itself, etc. the core of tournament play and of casual play have not really changed.
Tournament players will do whatever is legal to win and casual players will play for fun, it's how it was and will be.

[Westcoat]

First off, great article. I only started in Urza's Saga but I have seen the game grow quiet a bit. I stopped around Mirridon and there was a reason. I hate affinity. I think the game lost a little when it came into play. Too easy to play and too easy to win. There are ways to beat it obviously, but for Type 2 pre-Kamigawa, it was 70% Affinity decks at tournaments. Thankfully, the card shop I have has a great atmosphere. We play FNM Draft and we all have a good time, most of us in college and a few older guys. We all just play for fun, with a few semi-pros and some sore sports but that is expected. Internet has only one downfall, deck copying. Being original in any kind of format is impressive and is what I try to do. Tribal is an old mainstay and a favorite of mine, but finding different ways to play it or find a way to combine outside cards for a combo or technique is nice. Sure Type 2 gives you a limited deck set, but Extended and Type 1 has a vast amount of resources to make any type of deck. Teaching someone Magic might be one of the most rewarding things you do. Sure, its a card game. But it makes you think, create, make friends and just have a good time.

[Tynion]

Wow, thanks for all the response guys, keeps me motivated to get the conversations going.

@ Barachem: I think most of your arguement proves me right, although you don't intend on it. True, there are a few creatures who pop artifacts or enchantments, but let me ask you two questions:

1. How many decks are running Oblivion Ring?
2. How bad would it suck to have that Ring popped at the worst possible time?

You already mentioned Bitterblossom so I don't need to touch on that, but what about Goblin Assault, Hoofprints of the Stag, Militia's Pride, Howling Mine, Necrogenesis, Forced Fruition, Seismis Assault, Impromptu Raid, Manabarbs, March of the Machines, Enchanted Evening, Sunken Hope, Wound Reflection, etc.?

Even when you side, they get access to artifact and enchantment boosts like Pithing Needle, Relic of Progenitus, Wheel of Sun and Moon, etc. which adds to your needed removal, and basically overwhelms what you did bring.

Don't you feel silly at the end of game one every single time someone lays down one of these types of cards and you can do NOTHING about them except submit and sideboard in some hate, and hope to draw it game two and three.

[Ruven]

well, I think the main problem on the internet is that you can't really have a conversation while playing a, or not too much. be that because of writing/typing skills (or lack of them) or because maybe one person doesn't really understand english that good or whatever.

also, if I write a game out as "testing" or "serious" or semething like that and a casual player joins and expects to explain me how MWS works or something, then I don't think it's too rude to tell him, tha I don't have time/interest to help him right now. Same goes for real life obviously. But happens not that often there since you arrange the meeting for playtesting before hand and everyone knows what to expect.

On the other hand I also helped people on MWS to get to know the program when I was playing casual a bit and where just looking to pass time and enjoy myself.

also I was helped by more experienced player when I started playing Vintage at the start of last year and no one seemed to mind too much that I was a total newb back then and had no idea of the Vintage environment.

The other thing about the so called competitive environment: I think it just gers really serious when it comes down to official Wizards T2 and Extended stuff (pro tour, regionals, etc.) since all the eternal Tournies are held by private organizators more or less and feel much more like a casual environment. No cheaters, mostly fun guys to play against etc. I mean I hardly ever met an unfriendly player in our environment.

and Netdecking is probably the best thing ever to happen to competitve events. since you don't have to spend 100 bucks on cards for a deck that turns out to lose most games and go home frustrated. Also it helps new players to build a deck and then starting to figure out how to play it, why it works so well, what the plan is, etc. which is quite a good thing to start with when being confronted with a format that you don't know. it doesn't hurt casual players either since they play casual and don't go to events with their decks.

I mean that's something I find funny as well as annoying that people complain how everyone plays the same or how you can't just come with a deck you like playing and how everyone netdecks etc. and how unfun competetive events are.
They're not unfun, actually they're quite fun when you don't show up with a lame deck and then complain about how everyone else is NOT playing a lame deck as well. And since most people come somewhat prepared for such events, why shouldn't I? and internet acces (or access to tier one decks) just help a lot in that matter.

[Ruven]

Originally Posted by Tynion

Wow, thanks for all the response guys, keeps me motivated to get the conversations going.

@ Barachem: I think most of your arguement proves me right, although you don't intend on it. True, there are a few creatures who pop artifacts or enchantments, but let me ask you two questions:

1. How many decks are running Oblivion Ring?
2. How bad would it suck to have that Ring popped at the worst possible time?

You already mentioned Bitterblossom so I don't need to touch on that, but what about Goblin Assault, Hoofprints of the Stag, Militia's Pride, Howling Mine, Necrogenesis, Forced Fruition, Seismis Assault, Impromptu Raid, Manabarbs, March of the Machines, Enchanted Evening, Sunken Hope, Wound Reflection, etc.?

Even when you side, they get access to artifact and enchantment boosts like Pithing Needle, Relic of Progenitus, Wheel of Sun and Moon, etc. which adds to your needed removal, and basically overwhelms what you did bring.

Don't you feel silly at the end of game one every single time someone lays down one of these types of cards and you can do NOTHING about them except submit and sideboard in some hate, and hope to draw it game two and three.

I think the easiest and most played solution to enchantment/artifact problems is called Cryptic command and just bounces whatever annoying thing you got out there. Which leaves one with spare cards to fill the deck that are not useless if the opponents DOESN'T play artifacts or enchantments.

I mean, I can't remeber ever having trouble dealing with one or the other and neither have the guys I play against, even if I pop out an occasional O-Ring..
especially with O-Ring, enchantment hate is not a solution, but a solution to a solution, which usually is not that good ( I say usually). I mean rather than having an disenchant against O-ring, I'd play more creatures/counters/bombs/whatever to make life hard for the other guy instead of running 4 disenchant to destroy his rings.
with bitterblossom it's a bit of a different thing though, since that one creates CA without end, so that really needs to be handled if you don't have weapons of mass destruction in your deck imho.

[Tynion]

Sure Ruven, but tell me what you do against Manabarbs, Loxodan Warhammer, Forced Fruition, etc. Please, don't reply with "No on plays those," because they just sets you up to lose to it in your next game.

[Ruven]

warhammer: wrath probably or any random spotremoval if it's only one creature.
barbs: Runed Halo, Bounce(as I said: Cryptic command eot), or counter them in the first place.

Force Fruition: I think I never saw a deck with this one, but since it costs 7 mana to play anyway, I'd say depending on your deck your opp is either dead already (Kithkin, Red Deck), or you have enough counterbackup (Toast, Faeries) to not let it through to you.

The basic thing to remark here is following: If you're playing a control plan, then you have acces to certain control elements, that either handle cards before they enter play, or handle them once they hit play or both (and depending on the environment also some bounce if something came through, that you can't handle), so you don't need specific solutions to cardtypes that only appear as 3 offs to 5 offs in other decks.

if you don't have a control plan then you play a fast deck, which tries to kill before your opponent can really get a position in which to cast such cards. (Or rather in Reddeck you play Barbs yourself probably as a finisher or so).

the point is just, that you don't want to have dead cards in your hand, IF your opponents deck does NOT have targets for them and if you're really afraid of the cards you mentioned above then you usually have a SB plan against them. (Like Whispmare against Bitterblossem or the like, but which you usually only board against specific decks)

Or to give a specific example: In vintage I played a UR Fish deck the last few times. and while I don't play specific Art/Ench hate Mainboard (although there are enough Artefacts around) I don't have trouble dealing with those, since if it is something that annoying I counter it or bounce it afterwards, since some random 1off artifact is not worth a slot in a Mainboard. (I mean, yes I play a mox monkey, but for other obvious reasons). Also If I'm confronted with something that plays a lot of artifacts as their main plan to win, I board accordingly (Energy Flux, Ingot chewer, f.e.) that way I still have a better first game than when I played Flux main, but don't need it at all and still have to option of SBing against decks that depend on they're artifacts.

Get my point here?

[Qweep]

I agree wholeheartedly. I started before fourth edition, and I remember being helped by my brother and his friend. I then went on to teach at least four other people and still help to this day. The problem now is that when you try to help someone, nine times out of ten they get pissed. When did people forget that this is A GAME? On a side note, my first deck had 16 lands and people were afraid of it. I miss those days.

[FuDaWg45]

The biggest difference between then and now is knowledge. I've said this before (because this topic has come up before) - I think the major reason this game was more fun way back in the day was because you didn't really know all of the cards that were out there. There was no internet yet to just look up the set list for Chronicles, 4th, Fallen Empires, or Revised. Seeing a new card that you had never heard of before was a pretty common event.

Also, I do remember including things like Shatter in my decks because you really just had no clue what someone might be playing. A friend of mine had 2 or 3 copies of Ivory Tower, and playing against that stupid card is a nightmare.

In a response to that last paragraph of the article, I have offered my email address before, and I have told people about MDV. I've also given people advice on better ways they could have played after a game is over. Then again, if your theory is correct, I only do all of that because I'm old school.

[Tresserhorn]

I gave my e-mail addy and some cards to a guy who had been playin for a week tonight. He smashed my head in durring the tourny, but acknowladged it was because I ripped 5 of my 6 filter lands >_<

That's besides the point though. I find the arguement for netdecks to be more or less rehearsed. You hear the same thing. It's no fun to lose all the time. You can't build a tier 1 deck because you don't have time to test every component.. etc. It's crap. Part of Magic is deck building. How did the guys who build these killer decks get good at it? They built countless decks and praticed. It's not rocket science. I'd rather go 1-4 and learn something about my deck building skills and improve them, then go 5-0 and learn nothing. It makes you feel so much better when after weeks of testing and adjustments, you go 5-0 with your own build.

Example. I used to play BW Shotgun. The deck was amazing. It flowed and could out control 90% of control decks. However it took me 6 weeks of testing and adjustments to win my 1st FNM with it, and it felt amazing. I played Tarmo Rack for a while, and it didn't have the same feel to it when it won.

[Eldros]

I'll have to concur with Tresserhorn in this point, that it feels more of an accomplishment, when you win with a deck that you made yourself.