Double Standard : the new Extended

[Disturbedone0777]

So the new DC show opened my eyes to the new format, or rather new version of the old format Extended. I think a few different things then what I was hearing in the show.

First off I think that while Wizards is trying to justify the changed as "We are encouraging more people into extended", they are more changing it so that standard players can see there cards used a little longer in duration then the typical cycle of standard. I don't know if they realized that this would happen but shortening up the amount of time covered in extended (IE reducing the card pool), has made it so that a lot of standard decks will be playable in extended as well. While it's true I could have fun running decks like my Kithkin or something similar I never really felt like I stood a chance in a larger format like extended, which is the only place that deck is legal now.

I'm not sure that I like the change as I'm not a regular extended player. I more recently have been looking at Extended decks and I started to find my way, but now that they have changed it I'm sure a good majority of the decks I've been learning are no longer extended legal. Kind of sucks to think that me, as a new extended player, just got discouraged from playing the format because they changed it, specifically to attract people like me. Seems like a Categorical Imperative to me. "You can't improve your own life by ending it".

While arguably I would still say the worst thing that wizards ever did to magic was make that terrible commercial with the puppet. This little decision seems like it might top that, but only time will tell.

[browncoat]

Okay I will preface my comments by saying I am not an extended player. The main reason for this is the fact that there are no tournaments.

I don't think this was a horrible idea by itself but how Wizards is implementing the new extended is strange. People whine so much about Mirrodin that they forget that the current extended is stabilized by cards like chrome mox, chalice of the void, and engineered explosives. When they rotate, assuming they were not reprinted in Scars, decks like Zoo lose nothing while almost everything else loses key cards. If they had announced this new version of extended would come into effect with scars and reprinted the shocklands either in M11 or Scars then it would be a bit more easy to handle. I also think that they should have announced superextended alongside the new extended to fill the void left by the new extended. It may be a fun format assuming faeries does not dominate (though I admit having my faeries jump in price has been pretty nice). Overall I don't think this is wizards as much as hasbro. Hasbro has stated its intentions to make MTG a household game like monopoly. Disrupting the tournament environment slowly would allow them to print an evergreen product that they could just keep on shelves without having to pay for the larger tournaments and promos. Though that may be me being cynical.

[Disturbedone0777]

Browncoat if this is their way of making magic less fun to play in tournaments and more "Toy's R Us" friendly, I'm scared. Scared and I hope your wrong.

I don't want to see magic get back-burner treatment. To me that just wouldn't make sense. It's still I'm sure very profitable to run and regulate the tournaments. How can you not be making tons of money when your product is essentially pieces of paper with ink on them? I mean really where is the loss at when you are basically printing money? And I could comparatively view it as such, since they retail value of a pack of magic cards far exceeds what it costs to print, ship, and sell them. It might not help that tournaments don't really sell packs, they give them away, but the sanctioned events is what gets people together to play magic more often then not.

Take our games for instance on MWS, sure they are casual but I'm going to use it as an example. I personally would like to see the league become a success but the fact is that it's hard to put interest in people to compete in something if there is no prize. I'm also sure that if I were to advertise one thing, and then change it without really asking anyone or even trying to get feedback from the community, that I would get my throat jumped down. That is what they are doing. They don't have to ask permission from the players, but wouldn't you at least like to know they are mostly in agreement about the changed? So far I haven't read anything positive about the change, most people's articles that I read are complaining about it.

I really do hope your wrong browncoat, cause I don't want to see a picture of Jace facing off against the monopoly guy at a toy store.

Strike that, I do want to see that picture, but not as an advertisement for magic because it's comparable to monopoly as a board game.

[Xanamir]

I would buy the Magic: the Gathering Edition of Monopoly.

[Ferridge]

I think it sucks..... Ive been slowly getting cards to make an extended deck. And with only people playing standard at my club its cost me some good usable rares to get cards that I wont be able to use now. I didn't think it was all doom and gloom, as I could work around it and try to salvage the deck, until I found out they have banned Sword of the Meek so it turns out the deck idea has completely died. I know I could try and go the time seive with thopter foundry but its just not as good.

[articpenguin]

(2010-06-22 00:28 AM)Xanamir Wrote:  I would buy the Magic: the Gathering Edition of Monopoly.

Wait, do they have that? I'd seriously buy it.

[Ferridge]

(2010-06-22 10:25 AM)articpenguin Wrote:  

(2010-06-22 00:28 AM)Xanamir Wrote:  I would buy the Magic: the Gathering Edition of Monopoly.

Wait, do they have that? I'd seriously buy it.

I would but only if one of the player pieces is an ornithopter

[de_aztec]

(2010-06-21 20:48 PM)browncoat Wrote:  The main reason for this is the fact that there are no tournaments.

...and boy did Alex let us know about the lack of tournaments...the repetition during the New Extended rant went a bit too far for my liking. Its the first of the podcasts I've not been able to finish.

[Alex]

Yeah it was a bit of a rant - what can I say, I'm angry at what Wizards did! Actually, if I recorded the show last Friday, it might have been worse!

There's actually a lot I didn't say in the show, such as how a lot of pros seem to like the new Extended because it's easier to metagame against. Instead of worrying about whether the field will be combo-heavy, or Zoo-heavy and so on, they just have to worry about aggro and whether their opponent will counter or not.

Also, WotC could've phased in these changes a bit slower, rather than rushing them in so that they can grandstand at PT Amsterdam. If there's a good attendance, WotC will say "Hey, the pros seem to like it!". Well, yeah, PTs pay well. (Me? Cynical?)

Another thing is that people were buying staples like shocklands, Dark Confidant etc., and now those cards will only be Eternal-legal. This might actually push MORE people into Legacy and Vintage, as those will be the only competitive formats those cards will be legal in.

OK, I'll stop now. Show 72 will be a LOT different (a listener-requested subject, actually).

[articpenguin]

Well I don't blame Alex. I never actually played extended and was thinking about getting into it but then I heard about the changes and it just seems to me like Wizards is just screwing its players over more and more. That's why I stick to Legacy and Standard.