2 ms·

I’ve found it very interesting to compare Garfield’s game to those of another prolific Baird game designer, Reiner Knizia. They’re both doctorate level mathemat

by simonh 4y ago

I’ve found it very interesting to compare Garfield’s game to those of another prolific Baird game designer, Reiner Knizia. They’re both doctorate level mathematicians, and I think this shows on the structure of many of their games. I gave up on MTG very early on when I saw people who really couldn’t afford it drop hundreds, and even thousands of pounds into the game. Still, it’s a fascinating design well worth playing, and early era formats like this look like a great way to enjoy the game without getting sucked into a pay to win cycle.

thom 4y ago
It’s been interesting to me getting dragged into things like Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokémon now I have kids of my own. I find them hugely inelegant compare to Magic, and I’ve always struggled to get into modern board games because they have so many moving parts and different resources. I always liked that in Magic you brought a deck and we’re good to go. I do take the point about the expense… although I also wish I’d invested in duals when I was 14, whatever the cost then.
danielheath 4y ago
You can play “draft” at your local store most weeks; you buy three packs worth of cards, and build a deck (no bringing in OP cards from outside).
rcxdude 4y ago
Early era stuff is not really an improvement in terms of affordability: while you do avoid needing to keep up with rotations, the initial investment can be huge as the older cards are in general very expensive. To the extent that most groups who play eternal formats actively encourage proxying (printing your own cards)
f1refly 4y ago
My local game store began hosting Pauper games, which is an eternal format where only common cards are allowed. Due to the age of some of the legal cards it can still get "expensive", but top meta decks can be bought for about 50€ including sleeves. It's a great way to make the game accessible for everyone.

by simonh 4y ago

thom 4y ago

It’s been interesting to me getting dragged into things like Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokémon now I have kids of my own. I find them hugely inelegant compare to Magic, and I’ve always struggled to get into modern board games because they have so many moving parts and different resources. I always liked that in Magic you brought a deck and we’re good to go. I do take the point about the expense… although I also wish I’d invested in duals when I was 14, whatever the cost then.

danielheath 4y ago

You can play “draft” at your local store most weeks; you buy three packs worth of cards, and build a deck (no bringing in OP cards from outside).

rcxdude 4y ago

Early era stuff is not really an improvement in terms of affordability: while you do avoid needing to keep up with rotations, the initial investment can be huge as the older cards are in general very expensive. To the extent that most groups who play eternal formats actively encourage proxying (printing your own cards)

f1refly 4y ago

My local game store began hosting Pauper games, which is an eternal format where only common cards are allowed. Due to the age of some of the legal cards it can still get "expensive", but top meta decks can be bought for about 50€ including sleeves. It's a great way to make the game accessible for everyone.