Poll: Magic: The Gathering

[esliang]

I saw a thread about Yu-Gi-Oh!, and now I gotta ask: what's everyone's opinion of Magic?
I'm not ashamed to say I play it, and neither are my friends. We're all in college and think it's quite the game. I personally think it has a very deep strategic potential, and I really like that. And since I've discovered proxies, it isn't even that expensive of a hobby anymore.
When I tell people I play MTG, I get one of three responses: what's that, you're a geek, or so do I! So, I thought it was about time to see what the wonderful people of the Escapist have to say about it. Poll time!

 

[MisterGobbles]

I FUCKING LOVE IT. I'm having lots of fun with the new set (two words: Rage Extractor), and I'm planning to go to my first draft tournament in a couple weeks. In fact, I had a couple people over to play just this weekend. I love how complex the card interactions are, especially in the formats more lenient in the cards they allow such as Legacy and Vintage.

That being said, I think that poll is misleading. Magic is definitely nerdy to some extent, but you basically NEED friends to enjoy the game at all.

 

[voetballeeuw]

I have the Xbox Live version, and it's a fuck ton of fun.

Edit: Should have mentioned the nerd factor. To an extent it's nerdy, but you have to rock your nerd swag proudly.

 

[KefkaCultist]

Love MTG and actually most of my RL friends became so from playing Magic.

 

[Cenequus]

Yeah I thought was ironic how both threads were one under another, but I guess yu-gi-oh is the dumbed down version of magic.

Love Magic but ever got into it to play competivelly and those cards damn can cost alot.

 

[esliang]

I FUCKING LOVE IT. I'm having lots of fun with the new set (two words: Rage Extractor), and I'm planning to go to my first draft tournament in a couple weeks. In fact, I had a couple people over to play just this weekend. I love how complex the card interactions are, especially in the formats more lenient in the cards they allow such as Legacy and Vintage.

That being said, I think that poll is misleading. Magic is definitely nerdy to some extent, but you basically NEED friends to enjoy the game at all.

I actually jumped the gun with the poll...I meant to add a lot more choices

 

[Souplex]

It's nerdy, but in a good way. Option 3.

 

[viranimus]

I thought it was great back in like 1997-98 or so back before the rules became pointlessly complex. It wasnt hard to follow, but the more complex rulesets made it much harder to quickly teach people how to play, and thus limiting pickup games to people who take it entirely too seriously.

I do look back fondly on those times.

Also abstaining on poll as the options are both limited, and not really fitting.

 

[madwarper]

Started playing MtG in '99.
Actually read the Rules in '01.
Tested and became an L1 DCI Judge in '03.
Promoted to L2 in '07.
Rage quit in '09 in response to M10 rules changes.

 

[Rensenhito]

Absolutely amazing game. Incredible amount of depth. I recommend it to everyone. Ever. In the world.

 

[Slimshad]

About as nerdy as chess. Magic is strategic, and a whole lot more strategic that chess will ever be. It's also very, very fun (and very very expensive). I enjoy it as much as the next bloke, and I disagree that it's nerdy. Nerds play it a lot though, because other people would not normally try it out of fear of being called a nerd.

 

[Saelune]

I do not currently play anymore or keep up. I still have my main deck ready to go, but it stopped being updated after Mirrodin. However I could always potentially get back into it.

 

[madwarper]

I thought it was great back in like 1997-98 or so back before the rules became pointlessly complex. It wasnt hard to follow, but the more complex rulesets made it much harder to quickly teach people how to play, and thus limiting pickup games to people who take it entirely too seriously.

As a former Judge, I'm just going to have to disagree with you on your take of the pre-6th edition "rules".

Before the Comprehensive Rules overhaul of '99, there wasn't any set of uniform rules, only a bunch of unintuitive and conflicting rulings.
Then, with 6th edition, the Rules were made Comprehensive, and were being fine tuned for the next ten years... Until M10 happened.

 

[Johnnyallstar]

I used to play it all the time, waaaaaaaaaaay back in the day. I remember starting around 4/5th edition. After learning the rules to a ridiculous level, became the local "rules guru" tried getting into the official Guru program, but applied the week before it was shut down. Quit because everyone around me went to play Heroclix, or some other game I wasn't interested in, came back for a quick jaunt, then quit because I had nobody to play with. Occasionally, I'll play a game or two with my old cards just for kicks.

But my friend is trying to get a once a month group to do a booster draft, which I think we'll have some fun with, though drafting isn't really my thing. I'm more of a Johnny who needs time for combo creation, not the pure draftnik guy.

Edit: The biggest reason why I quit keeping up with it is the cost. It is so damned expensive to try and keep up with that I just couldn't justify that price tag on my hobby.

 

[Ingwer-Orang]

Played it years ago with some friends but we lost interest after a while.But its was fun so option 3 it is.

 

[MisterGobbles]

Until M10 happened.

Pardon my ignorance, but as someone who's only been playing for around five months, what exactly did M10 change that was so bad?

 

[Baneat]

I don't like games where you can buy better chess pieces..

and not particularly interested in money-no-object play either.

 

[Souplex]

I do not currently play anymore or keep up. I still have my main deck ready to go, but it stopped being updated after Mirrodin. However I could always potentially get back into it.

The latest set is actually a reprise of Mirrodin.
It's a Mirrodin Phyrexia crossover thing.
That's how my friends got me back in...

 

[vxicepickxv]

Well, I'd just say meow and be done with it, but I don't think everybody was watching Desert Bus when that auction took place.

 

[madwarper]

Until M10 happened.

Pardon my ignorance, but as someone who's only been playing for around five months, what exactly did M10 change that was so bad?

The general n00bification of the game.

Mostly the changes made to combat, but also the the removal zones, such as the Phased-Out zone.