Why Are Digital Cards Taking Preference Over Paper Cards?
General forum
Posted on Jan. 21, 2024, 7:16 p.m. by DemonDragonJ
For years, I was wondering why WotC stopped using the "this creature may block an additional creature" ability, and this post explains it: because that ability is problematic in digital formats, which I think is very unfortunate, since this game started as a paper game, and I feel that paper formats should not be limited by digital formats; who knows what other designs are being hindered in paper due to not being possible in digital?
What does everyone else say about this? Are you displeased that digital designs are limiting what can be done with paper cards?
To address a rhetorical-looking question, I assume the play design groups know exactly what designs are being hindered by the digital side, and put some effort into addressing any problems.
A common complaint about the game at this point is that too many new abilities are being introduced, so pruning out a few rarely-used ability helps mitigate that. I personally like the multiblocking ability, and Guardian of the Gateless was a key card in one of my decks a while back. Still, it's never had a huge impact on the game as a whole, and it has some funky interactions with more common abilities.
Also, Horizons products and casual stuff like Mystery Booster have been used as a testing ground and teaser for new mechanics--see Recycla-bird for Ikoria's ability tokens and Graveyard Dig for Crimson Vow's cleave. So if something is a fun and interesting ability, but would cause digital problems for whatever reason, it can find a home in one way or another.
Still, after saying all that, I do think that physical and digital should complement each other, not be beholden to each other. Alchemy provides Arena a way to use abilities that would be too hard to implement in paper, and paper should be able to accommodate abilities that don't work in digital.
January 21, 2024 9:13 p.m.
wallisface says... #6
DemonDragonJ for all the many all the reasons I explained in my initial post - it doesn’t lead to any kind of interesting play patterns, or improve the game in any meaningful way. It’s likely to confuse newer players with conflicting rules. It doesn’t add anything positive to the game.
Added to that, it’s presumably incredibly hard for Wotc to make a competitive/relevant card with that effect, seeing as none have existed ever. Trying to actually make such a card useful treads a very fine-line on just dragging the game to a complete halt, which isn’t fun or productive.
January 22, 2024 9:36 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #7
wallisface, I like the ability, as I think that it is a great way for a player to protect themselves from an opponent who controls more creatures than they do.
At this point, I have noticed that you and I have different opinions on nearly every subject regarding MtG, and I certainly do not think any less of you as a person or as a fellow player, but is it safe to presume that you and I have radically different philosophies and playing styles regarding this game?
January 23, 2024 8:26 p.m.
wallisface says... #8
DemonDragonJ it does seem that way - though I do find these conversations interesting, and it’s good to get different viewpoints even if we disagree with each-other :)
January 23, 2024 8:54 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #9
wallisface, I am very glad to hear that, because I was worried that I was annoying you.
January 24, 2024 9:13 p.m.
wallisface says... #10
DemonDragonJ not at all - I’m a big fan of sharing opinions and the collective broadening of viewpoints :)
it’s been great being able to converse over differing opinions in a civilised way (it feels like that’s not always easy on the internet)
wallisface says... #2
I’m perfectly fine with this specific scenario. Wotc barely used this mechanic anyway (when they were using it), and it never really lead to any kind of interesting play patterns. The game isn’t really losing anything here.
I would hazard a guess that even if digital-magic wasn’t a thing, we’d almost never see this effect in current magic-design anyway - there are very few scenarios where such an effect adds anything positive to the game. And it’s likely to confuse newer players with rules confusion around its interaction with Menace, Trample, etc.
I would think overall digital is held more to-ransom than the other way around. Wotc will still only ever print cards that work in paper magic, and we know they’ve soured on many elements of the game that would work fine digitally (we know Wotc aren’t a fan of regular-fetching, or sets with multiple types of counters- particularly +1/+1s alongside -1/-1s, though both these things would be simple and easy to handle in digital).
January 21, 2024 7:53 p.m.