Subject:
Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998 00:42:21 -0500
From: "Eric Knipp" chemist@computek.net
To: webmaster@classicdojo.org

This is a response to Dorian's note from Thursday.

Dorian, I used to feel the same way you do about the dojo, and about the internet's impact on
MTG in general. I no longer feel that way and let me tell you why.

1. It is counterproductive. People are not going to stop posting decklists here or anywhere
else. You are wasting your energy.
2. If you know people who are able to win tournaments just because they copied some deck
and never tested it or worked on their playing skills, then the level of competition where you
live is very sorry indeed.
3. If you don't like testing your skill in both deck construction and play ability against the
best decks and players you can find, then the solution is very easy - do not play in
tournaments. Be a "fun player" and play your "original" decks against someone else
lacking in skill.

I do not wish to sound belligerent or intolerant of your views, but the fact of the matter is
that nobody is forcing you to play in tournaments. The other fact is that there are very, very
few truly "original" decks to be found anymore. The game is so large that the number of
intelligent, creative players has surpassed the feasible/playable possibilities given a limited
number of cards. If you design a deck of your own, you will probably discover that there is
something else very much like it already in existence somewhere else, and probably on the
net, to boot. However, you will also find that there's something better that works in much the
same manner and you can get ideas from it. Seeing what one player uses in a particular
card slot can be valuable information.

I used to feel much as you do about the dojo and about the proliferation of detailed deck
knowledge and it irritated the hell out of me. I held in contempt those players who were so
lacking in creativity as to copy a deck lock stock and barrel from some other source, be it
a magazine or a web site or another individual. But now I don't feel that way. Because for
them to beat me with regularity, they will have to be excellent players in addition to being
good at copying decks. And although I rarely copy decks myself (fortunately I do not have
to) I am fully aware that any deck I show up at a tournament with could easily be mistaken
for a "dojo deck." I have to admit that I still feel a little bit of that contempt when I see a straight
copy of a deck but the reality is that there are limited choices out there if you want to play
something that is a consistent winner. I have tried time and time again to design "original" decks
and most of them have worked out pretty well, only for me to find out that there is something
better out there.

To put it in to simpler terms - if you want to have fun, kick back and relax playing a game,
play for fun, without all the stigma associated with tournaments. No winners, no losers, just
a few guys playing each other for the hell of it. If you want to play to win, you have to make
certain decisions. Are you willing to chance losing just for the sake of playing something that
you can call your own? Or are you there to play to win? Once you come to the realization
that the only way you can justify your expenses at tournament magic is because your only
intention is to win, you are ready to make the decisions/sacrifices necessary to get to that
level. If you happen to be someone who has enough time on his hands to analyze every card
printed and figure out the best ways to abuse them, you might even be able to design a few
decks that gain you notoriety, much as some of the more famous "pro" magic players have
done.

One thing you have to realize is that "pro" players are no different from you or I, except
for one thing. They have made a decision to play to win, whatever the cost. That doesn't
mean cheating, mind you, because even someone who intends to win must have scruples.
But every means short of that should be used in order to win. This gets back to my original
point, that a winner wants to play against the best competition available, which means both
the skill of your opponent and the quality of his deck must be at a high enough level to
challenge you.

If you are unable to make that decision, unable to decide that the reason you play is to
win, then you should stick with Portal. Also, don't feel bad if this game dies. There are many
other games to choose from should Magic go the way of the dodo. You need not feel
obligated to support Wizards of the Coast. Perhaps you have forgotten, but WoTC is a
corporation, and a corporation's sole purpose is to make money. The only reason they
care about what people like you think about the future of Magic is because you serve
as a barometer of what they need to pitch next in order to increase the bottom line. There are
no altruistic motives there. Please note that I don't have a problem with that. WoTC is not a
charity and it is innovative companies like that which make America what it is.
As long as there is demand the game will
continue to flourish. When WoTC has burned their bridges
(as they will) there will be
someone else to take over with another good game. And don't forget, if
it is tournaments
you wish for, you can always turn to the best game ever invented - Chess. It
isn't copyrighted and it will never go out of style.

Regards,

Eric Knipp