Shirley wrote:So, I never understood this with Magic. It sounds like if you spend more money on cards, you can get more powerful cards. Doesn't that just mean the player who spends the most wins? There must be more to it than that, right?
To understand the economy of Magic means you have to understand the
formats. The game's been around since 1993 (and once upon a time was broadcast on ESPN2.
Yes, really.) and is constantly being added to every few months with older sets "rotating out."
So, basically, this constant state of rotation means that you have to keep spending money to keep up with everyone else -- especially if you want to play in tournaments.
As a player you're relying on Wizards of the Coast to make sure the "metagame" is handled properly. The company has some of the best game designers in the world making sure that nothing is too overpowered. (But even they can still fuck up. Google "Combo Winter," "Affinity," and "Caw Blade.")
There is certainly an element of "spend the most money, make the best deck," but if you're not that good of a player you'll still lose regardless. I wasn't very good with the more complicated strategies. At some point I realized I was spending money to just prolong an addiction of sorts. The game is known as "cardboard crack" for a reason.
What finally forced me to quit playing was my move to Korea. The closest stores were hours away by train ride. My subsequent move to Germany permanently ended my play just because cards over there were more expensive. (Oddly enough there was a card store next door to my CrossFit gym.)
Sure, I could've picked it back up again with my return stateside, but the start up cost would be absurd. All the cards I had could've been trade bait, but that's not certain. Surprisingly there isn't a huge Magic footprint in ABQ.
A_B wrote:And, Johnnie, did you really convert $2,500 into store credit? You really fucking like board games.
Oh no no no. Just about $250 for $300 in store credit. The remaining was given to me in a check that I deposited ASAP. That would be fucking nuts. Especially considering the store is in Tucson and I'm 6.5 hours away.