Subject: Other trends in Magic? [issues]
Date: Fri, 17 Jul 98 22:25:27 -0700
From: ERIC_KIM@Non-HP-Corvallis-om3.om.hp.com
To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com

Frank, I don't know if my account on Darkwing was able to send this message to
you, it had problems earlier...

Other Minor Trends in Magic:

I've noticed that there are more creatures with special abilities.  What does
this mean for the game?  This means that specific and targetable removal is
important...especially for the creature based decks like Green.  Without
targetable removal AND creatures with special abilities, green is going to have
serious problems.  In addition, this is always going to make red powerful and
encourage the creation of different forms of incinerate/lightning bolt.

I've also noticed that the name of cards lack good representations of what the
card actually does.  Without this, the game as less of a good 'feel'.  For
example, does it make sense that a cartographer (a 2/2 creature) can kill a
grizzly bear?  What about equilibrium?  Equilibrium means a system is in a
steady state--forces are balanced.  How is bouncing creatures back to a players
hand creating a steady state?  What about the cat burglar?  Pay 3 mana to force
a player to discard a card (translation--disrupting scepter).  Don't can't
burglars steal physical items from a location, not remove a spell from a wizards
mind?  I always want to call Capsize, Undo.  That what the spell capsize
actually does, it doesn't tip over a boat.  Generally, when something tips over,
you loose items to the bottom of the sea, not to be recovered.  I can however
easily imaging a Raging River splitting the play area, a Moat stopping creatures
from attacking, or even a big Mahomoti Djinn.  The real victim is not the game,
but the English language.



Eric Kim
kime@darkwing.uoregon.edu