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2 years ago ::
Jul 21, 2011 - 5:29AM
#1
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There continue to be complaints and requests for full deck editing however there has definitely been a paradigm shift from the older days. I would say that the majority are now happy with just core deck editing and, in fact, think there would be real problems with full deck editing on our limited card pool.
However, we cannot deny that one of the basic fundamentals of MtG is building your own deck from scratch. For DotP to survive and grow, it must evolve to provide this capability somehow. As I have said elsewhere, Wizards must walk a fine line in their evolution of DotP. They are making a ton of money on paper Magic & MTGO and also on DotP. They don't want to risk any of their revenue streams.
I think there is a way to add a full editing capability to DotP but in a limited (pun intended) fashion.
The whole area of limited formats is major part of mainstream Magic but is yet unseen on DotP. There are many variations in this format but one involves receiving a fixed number of random cards from a pool of cards. You then have complete control to build the best deck (these are typically 40-card decks) from the random set of cards you received. You then play against other people (or AI) who have done the same thing.
Advantages:
1) You get to do the complete deck building thing
2) It doesn't fall into the old trap of everyone using net decks (everyone has a different random card pool and each has to build their own deck from their own pool)
3) We have asked and asked for random matchup capability and this would definitely provide it
4) You still must be able to play the deck you build so that the best builder/player is rewarded
There would be many details to be worked out but out of the various limited formats available, surely something could be come up with.
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2 years ago ::
Jul 21, 2011 - 9:19AM
#2
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Date Joined:
Jun 27, 2009
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This idea is nothing new and has been talked about since DotP 2009. Since that time the general consensus is that you simply need to create separate playlists for pre-built and custom decks to allow newer players a safe haven to learn the game. As demonstrated by the lack of manual land tapping in 2012 though, Wizards/Stainless seems content to keep the DotP franchise a version of Magic for Dummies. The idea for custom decks is great but they cannot even provide us with a hotfix for making decks blind in ranked. In the end, they simply do not care enough about the quality of their game unless it brings in more money for them (just wait, we'll get fixes once the first DLC is ready to be released).
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2 years ago ::
Jul 21, 2011 - 1:01PM
#3
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Date Joined:
Feb 22, 2005
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Sealed instead of draft may be a possibility. I don't know how popular Sealed is on MTGO, but if it's at all popular you won't see it show up here. One of the biggest sources of income (As far as I am aware) for wizards in MTGO is the boosters purchased for limited events. They'll be hesitant to add anything to Duels that would reduce the number of people buying boosters off MTGO.
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2 years ago ::
Jul 21, 2011 - 2:45PM
#4
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I disagree with the whole argument that Wizards should not and will not do this because of money.
Magic is not a popular game compared to mainstream titles. I'm not going to make any statement about the paper game because I don't know the facts. But I think it's safe to say that it is not dominating the video game industry. One of the reasons why is because MTGO is a scam. The price required to be competitive in that game exceeds the 'net utility' of playing it (I'm sure many people will agree with me on this). Duels is a step forward for Magic digital games because it is pre-built, and the DLC are minimal, one-time fees which most people don't have a problem with. The reason it remains under the radar compared to other titles is because it's not a full Magic game with full customization. I think Wizards would expand their market proportionately by expanding the card pool and variability with customization. Right now, Duels is a solid source of income, so they should continue updating it and coming out with new content because the current formula works. In the future, however, full customization and a broader card pool may be seen as an opportunity to expand their market and might be the right choice.
This is all just a theory, so feel free to tear me apart with facts and figures. I like the idea though, and think random cards could work (as long as they are tested and not gamebreaking). The only way for this game to go is to allow full customization, so I don't think it's impossible. Just maybe not in DotP 2012.
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2 years ago ::
Jul 21, 2011 - 2:45PM
#5
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The problem I see with this is two-fold, both about the random selection of cards. One being, would it ever rotate, i.e. would we be stuck with the same cards for the long run, or would it change every month or so? If it doesn't change then it leads me to the second problem, what if you get bad and or cards that can make a deck that's not your style of playing? If it didn't change, you might just stop playing or only play the core decks, in which case this random selection is wasted on you. If it does change, depending on the time it takes to "rotate" you would probably not want to play until the rotation again, and what if you keep getting cards that don't appeal to you?
Overall, I see what you're trying to do with this, but the idea hasn't blossomed yet. You need to think up more details, hopefully regarding the rotation and if these random selection self made decks would be in their own lobbys, or if people would be able to use these decks against people using the core decks.
I'm not against the idea, but as it stands, I'm not for it either.
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2 years ago ::
Jul 21, 2011 - 2:56PM
#6
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What if they made Magic like Madden (or any sports franchise). Every year they released the entire Basic set (7th edition, 8th.... 2011, 2012...) as a full game. Everyone has access to these cards, to choose and build from. If we're talking about money here, wouldn't that be their best bet?
And while I'm fantasizing, what if whenever you win a match you unlock a random expansion card (or booster pack?). That'd be dope.
If they ever start selling cards individually though, like MTGO, that's when I'd quit.
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2 years ago ::
Jul 21, 2011 - 3:04PM
#7
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Date Joined:
Jan 28, 2006
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This is all just a theory, so feel free to tear me apart with facts and figures. I like the idea though, and think random cards could work (as long as they are tested and not gamebreaking). The only way for this game to go is to allow full customization, so I don't think it's impossible. Just maybe not in DotP 2012.
Here's another way to put it; Why would I spend hundreds of dollars playing a game with a limited number of people (those whose physical presense I can be in), when I could do the same thing for $10 and have a few thousand people I can play with at any given time? Bigger card pool? I don't think so....
Fully customizable DotP would end up competing with CCG Magic. CCG Magic probably brings in an order of magnitude or two more money every year than DotP ever will at all. Why would they want to jeopardize their vast perpetual income for the sake of a few thousand one shots of $10?
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2 years ago ::
Jul 21, 2011 - 3:13PM
#8
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This is all just a theory, so feel free to tear me apart with facts and figures. I like the idea though, and think random cards could work (as long as they are tested and not gamebreaking). The only way for this game to go is to allow full customization, so I don't think it's impossible. Just maybe not in DotP 2012.
Here's another way to put it; Why would I spend hundreds of dollars playing a game with a limited number of people (those whose physical presense I can be in), when I could do the same thing for $10 and have a few thousand people I can play with at any given time? Bigger card pool? I don't think so....
Fully customizable DotP would end up competing with CCG Magic. CCG Magic probably brings in an order of magnitude or two more money every year than DotP ever will at all. Why would they want to jeopardize their vast perpetual income for the sake of a few thousand one shots of $10?
Because digital games bring in a new market, and a potentially bigger one. How many people actually play paper magic? Isn't the video game vastly more convenient and accessible? Even though they might damage their paper-base, the digital game would more than cover up that loss because more mainstream customers would play it. I mean come on, everything in the world is becoming digital and online. It might in fact give the game a big boost in popularity.
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2 years ago ::
Jul 21, 2011 - 3:35PM
#9
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Date Joined:
Jan 28, 2006
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This is all just a theory, so feel free to tear me apart with facts and figures. I like the idea though, and think random cards could work (as long as they are tested and not gamebreaking). The only way for this game to go is to allow full customization, so I don't think it's impossible. Just maybe not in DotP 2012.
Here's another way to put it; Why would I spend hundreds of dollars playing a game with a limited number of people (those whose physical presense I can be in), when I could do the same thing for $10 and have a few thousand people I can play with at any given time? Bigger card pool? I don't think so....
Fully customizable DotP would end up competing with CCG Magic. CCG Magic probably brings in an order of magnitude or two more money every year than DotP ever will at all. Why would they want to jeopardize their vast perpetual income for the sake of a few thousand one shots of $10?
Because digital games bring in a new market, and a potentially bigger one. How many people actually play paper magic? Isn't the video game vastly more convenient and accessible? Even though they might damage their paper-base, the digital game would more than cover up that loss because more mainstream customers would play it. I mean come on, everything in the world is becoming digital and online. It might in fact give the game a big boost in popularity.
Take note of the Emphasized part.
Tiniest math I could come up with on a simple search:
"Prerelease tournaments are held in hundreds of locations around the world five to six days before each new expansion, or set, is available for sale in stores."
Hundreds. let's use the lowest: 200 tournaments.
We'll use the lowest likely attendance: 8 people.
We'll use the lowest (un)likely cost: $20
$32000, 3 times a year. Due to my painfully lowball estimates, we'll round that up to $100,000 a year.
That's ONE dinky little format; Pre-release. There are DOZENS more.
Plus, increase each of those factors by 50% (probably still painfully lowball) and the gross sales becomes $300,000+.
Again, from one very very tiny event. I don't have the numbers on how many players attend pre-releases, but it's not all of them. Also, there probably isn't a Magic player alive that spends $60 a year on cards.
Fully customizable DotP, for all the money it would make, would make that money once. AND, the degree in which it would mimic the full Magic experience would dissuade people from buying the cards. Again, why would you spend hundreds of dollars a year on a game that you can enjoy for $10?
This math is just the tiniest tip of an IMMENSE iceberg.
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2 years ago ::
Jul 21, 2011 - 3:44PM
#10
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This idea is nothing new and has been talked about since DotP 2009. Since that time the general consensus is that you simply need to create separate playlists for pre-built and custom decks to allow newer players a safe haven to learn the game. As demonstrated by the lack of manual land tapping in 2012 though, Wizards/Stainless seems content to keep the DotP franchise a version of Magic for Dummies. The idea for custom decks is great but they cannot even provide us with a hotfix for making decks blind in ranked. In the end, they simply do not care enough about the quality of their game unless it brings in more money for them (just wait, we'll get fixes once the first DLC is ready to be released).
Pretty much came here to say this.
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