Subject: 15 Really Cool Things About WOTC! Date: Sat, 11 Jul 1998 11:06:00 -0400 From: "Jamie & Mare" To: I have a tournament this evening. Taking my morning shower, and then getting ready, I am considering which Pro Tour or Super Hero logo shirt to wear, and I think - "You know, I LOVE these Pro Tour shirts." Thats a good thing. I would like to thank WOTC for a few things. 1. Pro Tour Shirts. I like being able to have something that is special. Something that shows I made it a few times. I mean it. I love these things. 2. Verdant Force. - Is this guy the best Fattie ever made, or what? 3. The latest sets. Tempest, Stronghold, and Exodus are all excellent as far as I am concerned. Green has the most fatties and some truly enormous ones. Black has some fatties but they all require a great sacrifice to get out. Black has some neat creatures that destroy other creatures, but every single one of them can be killed by a shock. Green continues to get stronger and stronger (must refrain from usual bitching here - lets keep this positive.) and Mirri and Spike Feeders are some of the funnest/best cards I've ever played. 4. Jeff Donais hired by WOTC. An incredibly smart move, and I have heard far fewer complaints about how the Pro Tours are run then in the entire history of Magic. (cheating complains withstanding) 5. The art on Exodus is Amazing. Wonderful, beautiful art with few exceptions. Very Nicely done set. 6. Extended continues to grow in popularity, and now everyone has a place to play the sets that have rotated out. More and popular formats = Good. 7. Town Meeting Day and Hiring Rob Hahn. Hopefully, Rob will bring new direction to the Duelist, and with all the controversy in the air these days - Town Meeting day must have been an exercise in courage. Why are these together? Cause they're both Rob Hahn. 8. Despite pressure from distributors, WOTC is refusing to buckle, and release MORE sets a year. Distributors could care less about the game, and want more product to sell. WOTC obviously DOES care about the game. 9. In following that line - lets also thank them for not going into "chase" card mode, and making Ultra Rares, or reprinting cards for the sake of their wallet. WOTC has shown remarkable restraint in not reprinting Moxes, Loti or Juzams. If you think sealed deck tournaments are only there to give WOTC more money, and think they are a bunch of money grubbers, you know NOTHING about business. 10. Continueing in that vein - Think about Marvel and TSR. Ruled by the stockholders, short term profit is everything, and reusing old art, or old stories is just fine as long as it sells. How about all the summer cross over series? That happen every summer, wrecking writer's storylines, all in the name of profit? Remember the Mutant Massacre? How about Onslaught? How about Atlantis Attacks? How about the Manhunter War? How about numorous others I am forgetting that were "crossovers" for one page, wrecking a perfectly good storyline, so you would have to buy other books to see what happened to your one hero you follow? How about TSR reusing the same artwork on Modules, players guides, Dungeon Masters guides, Computer Games, and Calenders? And when that runs out, hire a ten year old to make more. Some of the crap that came out near the end looked like it was done by a grade school kid in art class. 11. Thank You Wotc for Buying TSR, settling law suits long running, and keeping it alive. Perhaps under your guidance and deep pockets, it will flourish once again. 12. Thank You Peter Adkison - I am assuming that it is you that made these decisions to wisely release sets only three times a year, invest the money in the pro tour, and look out for the long haul, and not the short term profit. Peter Adkison - the guy who is charge of a multi-national multi-million dollar corperation, and still refers to himself as the Janitor on his business card. The guy who can still be found playing "Twitch" at Origions (I think I read that in a report). The guy who has kept the atmosphere loose, and fun. 13 - Richard Garfield is the same. Thank you for inventing the best game ever. The inventor of the Game, still hanging out, still playing, still a regular guy. Pretty cool. 14. Portal - Portal cards are cool. More really good art is cool. Trying to expand the game and get mainstream America (well, and everyone else for that matter) is cool. A beginner set is cool. 15. And the number 15 reason why WOTC is Cool? - The name - Wizards of the Coast. What a great name that is! Marvel? for a comic company? Crap. DC - Detective Comics? Wha sup wit dat? They sell a lot more than detective comics! TSR - What does that stand for anyway? I use to know - but I don't anymore. Whatever it stands for, its not nearly as cool as "Wizards of the Coast." Thats all for now - Think Positive - Jamie C. Wakefield King of the Fatties Patron Saint of Sheild Spheres, Bone Dancers and Sage Owls. Author, Writer, Husband, Geek. Inventor of Secret Force. Owner of yet another Sheltie - upping the total to 4. Very Proud Member of Cabal Rogue But had nothing to do with the Oath of Druids deck. (one fattie in a deck is not my design.) 18th at PT NY 1 Just about Dead Last at PT Dallas 1 Just About Dead Last at PT LA 3 - probably the best Pro Tour EVER! Really hoping to qualify for PT Rome - but can't figure out how to get there without flying. TheTick@sover.net For a review of my book check out www.post-box.com/magic