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2 years ago ::
Feb 12, 2011 - 2:07AM
#21
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Date Joined:
Feb 14, 2006
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silly Rich. at the end of the mono-white quest deck tech he says something like "and if that sounds like fun to you, then you might want to sleeve up Caw-Go." /facepalm also, from Round 15: "six mana completely flipped the game thanks to the backbreaking Sun Titan, bringing back Sun Titan." huh?
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2 years ago ::
Feb 12, 2011 - 6:37AM
#22
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Date Joined:
Jun 24, 2003
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also, from Round 15:
"six mana completely flipped the game thanks to the backbreaking Sun Titan, bringing back Sun Titan."
huh?
My best guess is that was Sun Titan  , bringing back Tumble Magnet  .
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2 years ago ::
Feb 12, 2011 - 7:37AM
#23
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Date Joined:
Oct 20, 2007
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silly Rich.
at the end of the mono-white quest deck tech he says something like "and if that sounds like fun to you, then you might want to sleeve up Caw-Go." /facepalm
He said "Kar-Go" as in Frank Karsten. Still facepalm worthy though 
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2 years ago ::
Feb 12, 2011 - 12:16PM
#24
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Date Joined:
Oct 28, 2006
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Pat Chapin guested on a podcast last month where he was talking about one of his favorite subjects: making Magic be as universally accepted as Poker. And he complimented the way the design has moved, but said our approach to coverage is terrible. And he's right. In fact he named my pet peeve: They make 0 effort to show us the players' hands. How much TV coverage would Poker get if they never showed the hole cards? As Chapin mentioned, poker coverage even gives expected win percentages as they go along. So even if you don't know how bad it is to draw to an inside straight against two pair, anyone can watch and see the guy sucked out and think "what a lucksack." You don't even need to understand poker to tell what's happening on each hand. Meanwhile, for Magic coverage not only do you have to be an avid player but you really miss most of the actions unless you recognize 5px images of the card art when flashed at a 60% angle. Getting this right wouldn't even take more man-hours:
1. Take the cameras that get go over the top 8 tables and put them over the feature match tables. Turn them on and walk away. Just have a live feed, you don't need to commentate on it.
2. During the top 8, or even just Finals, take a pair of cameras. Put them next to the players pointing at the hands, and tell the players that any time they pull cards off the top of the library they should show the camera. I'm sure it's no burden to comply. Ideally you'd PIP that feed but even at worst case you could show it to Rich and Brian so they don't have to guess. It's really very simple. But considering how we don't even get quality replays of Magic Online events - which are inherently recorded - I have to think they just don't care.
Free MTGO Tournaments you should be playing: Pauper (all commons) - Tuesday Nights, prizes by MTGOTraders Peasant (Pauper + 5 uncommons, with paper rarity) - Sunday Nights, prizes by MTGOTraders Silverblack (Modern-era Commons and Uncommons - Most Wednesday nights, prizes by MTGO Bazaar Heirloom ("Cheap" cards only, e.g. rares under 20 cents) - Sunday afternoons, sponsored by MTGOTraders Check the superbly-made Gatherling site for more. Other games you should try: Spectromancer - Online card game by Richard Garfield, available cheap on Steam. DC Universe Online - action-based MMO. Free to play. Surprised me how well designed it is. Simunomics - Free-to-play economy simulation game.
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2 years ago ::
Feb 12, 2011 - 1:44PM
#25
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Date Joined:
Oct 23, 2006
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Even having the players reveal the cards they draw is probably not enough. For that to actually work they would need to have a graphic that showed players' hands. In one of the deck techs Brian held a card up to the camera but didn't name it. I couldn't read it, so I had to go to a visual spoiler to find out it the art most closely matching the amorphous blob I saw was for Sylvok Lifestaff  . I then went back to the video and listened to them both describe the card's use before determining that yes, they are talking about this card. Had I not been able to pause the video I would not have found that out in time to keep up with the rest of the conversation. During Worlds my brother was actually watching some of the live action with me and was lost just about the entire time. The camera work is atrocious, the announcers can't stay focused enough and you can't see the cards. He gave up entirely after a while. Now this is someone who is not inimately familiar with the new sets but understands the game enough to be able to follow the action. These broadcasts are failing badly at bringing in those fringe players. He'll be up and on his computer at least during some of the Top 8. I doubt he'll even tune in even though it's a couple of mouse clicks away. It's too much effort on the viewer's part to gain an understanding of what is actually taking place. Patrick's vision of it being accepted like Poker is not realistic, but to get as close as he would like to go it would take an entire rethinking. I don't expect that (although I do expect them to eventually pony up for a high-definition archive), and these days I just ask the announcers to live up to their potential. That correction would go a long way and if they ever did decide to actually do a good job of showing the game, would still be useful then.
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2 years ago ::
Feb 12, 2011 - 3:25PM
#26
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I understand web etiquette. I am well aware of the effect of caps and I have never used them in an attempt to exaggerate and beg for attention on a message board or chat room. Caps are rude. They are misused 99% of the time and I cannot begin to tell you how sparingly I utilize them.
With that said:
IN WHAT UNIVERSE IS KAI BUDDE VS. SHUHEI NAKAMURA NOT A COVERED FEATURE MATCH? THERE WERE GUYS WHO GOT MULTIPLE FEATURES AGAINST DUDES THAT MOST IN THE MAGIC COMMUNITY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF. HOW WAS THIS MATCH COMPLETELY UNDERRUG SWEPT? SHAME ON WHATEVER PSYCHOTIC PANEL SELECTS THESE MATCHES. YOU ARE CERTIFIABLY WRONG AND INSANE.
Five Player of the Year titles between two guys and we get to read up on yet another overwhelming victory for John Pro over Jim Nobody. Unbelievable.
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2 years ago ::
Feb 12, 2011 - 5:59PM
#27
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Date Joined:
Feb 12, 2011
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@Hacimen: I felt the exact same thing. Since I'm just getting back into Magic after a 10 year absence (and I currently live and work in South Korea, where there are very few game shops accessible, much less people I can speak with about how the game's changed), I find YouTube and this site, amongst others, to be invaluable, but also a bit frustrating.
I often have to have two or three windows open at once while I'm watching a match or even a Deck Tech. That moment with the Sylvok Lifestaff was par for the course. I had to try and track down what "surprise" card they were talking about, because I didn't recognize it nor make out the writing. During games, I see cards quickly flashing across the screen, but it's assumed that I know everything about them.
More often than not, no one bothers to comment on the combos being played (which would be really valuable for me) or what I think is sometimes even more important in Magic - the cards that people didn't play, as in "Well, why didn't he Mana Leak that?"
That's what I feel is most lacking from these videos. I want to learn WHY the pros are making the choices they make. I'm sure I could simply copy one of their decks, but I don't think I'd know when to play what.
Lastly, I'm really interested in the decks that appear different but still succeed.
That Nico Bohny deck has its share of expensive cards (Vengevines), but it's refreshing to see a deck with no Planeswalkers. Even if I get lucky in drawing a single Jace the Mind Sculptor out of the booster box that's waiting on me back in the US, it's easy to start feeling like you'll never be competitive without shelling out $500 for 8 to 12 planeswalkers. It seems like almost every Top 8 deck has them. If you're going to do a Deck Tech with someone, I feel like Nico's would be the most valuable for new players. Combos like that Glint Hawk/Memnite (and I'm sure there are a ton more) are super-cheap, but really interesting to me.
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2 years ago ::
Feb 12, 2011 - 6:42PM
#28
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Date Joined:
May 27, 2006
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No quarterfinals live coverage?
And what exactly is the excuse for this epic failure?
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2 years ago ::
Feb 12, 2011 - 7:47PM
#29
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Date Joined:
Oct 23, 2006
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Good catch, I must have glossed over that entirely a bunch of times. Apparently their solution to doing such a bad job juggling four tables is to not do it at all.
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2 years ago ::
Feb 13, 2011 - 5:05AM
#30
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Date Joined:
Oct 20, 2007
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Aw man! I set my alarm early and everything to make sure i didn't miss Chapin's match and now they're not even going to show it?!
Have they explained why they did this?
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