• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Magic: the Gathering |OT4| Izzet Me; Izzet You? A Love Story

Status
Not open for further replies.
It's hilarious to me that Mark Rosewater's kept the Forbidden mechanic close to his chest for years and years and then Forsythe just spills it out to some rando who started playing two weeks ago and asked a question about Yu-Gi-Oh.

It does honestly kind of sound like probably a fundamentally bad idea, but, like, it was Avacyn Restored so could you really make it any worse?

T
BB-Lands is good.

idgi
 
what factors in to the "Cringe-Factor" for cutesy, in-group nicknames being chosen for overly expensive pieces of cardboard used to play a children's card game, exactly

It's not immediately clear what it means unless you're a native English speaker and even then, it's a toss up. And sure, I imagine most of the nicknamed cycles are the same, but that just means that with this even more esoteric one, it's a guarantee you have to explain it at some point in your life. Then you and whoever you're explaining it to will roll their eyes and move on, wishing it had a more mechanically relevant name.

I also just think it looks and sounds dumb.

Obviously not a huge deal and I don't care THAT much, I'm just not looking forward to seeing it in my life since it's obviously not going away :) I listen to a fair bit of Magic podcasts and I know there are going to be a bunch of discussions about it this week and next. Whatevs, though.
 
It's hilarious to me that Mark Rosewater's kept the Forbidden mechanic close to his chest for years and years and then Forsythe just spills it out to some rando who started playing two weeks ago and asked a question about Yu-Gi-Oh.

It does honestly kind of sound like probably a fundamentally bad idea, but, like, it was Avacyn Restored so could you really make it any worse?

What forbidden was
icecreammac asked: The Forbidden mechanic was revealed? I missed the panel. Could you go over it really quick?

Forbidden cards were cards with huge effects compared to their cost. For example, a sorcery for R that dealt 6 damage to target creature or player. The trick was you couldn’t put them in your deck directly and you needed other cards to be able to even get them into your deck during play.

I don't know, it sounds kind of interesting. Like maybe if you got out a forbidden enabler, then everything in the forbidden zone would shuffle into your deck. EDIT: Actually, hand makes more sense, otherwise having the max number of forbidden cards would be a bad decision.
 
It's not immediately clear what it means unless you're a native English speaker and even then, it's a toss up.

I find this idea that it's important that slang make immediate sense in other languages bizarre. Magic is a game made by English speakers, sold to an audience primarily of English speakers (whether first or second language.) Every term in Magic is invented by English speakers.

And sure, I imagine most of the nicknamed cycles are the same, but that just means that with this even more esoteric one, it's a guarantee you have to explain it at some point in your life.

Everything about this name is less obscure and easier to remember than any of the really specific Magic-only slang like "mise," "barn," "Junk," etc.

I don't know, it sounds kind of interesting. Like maybe if you got out a forbidden enabler, then everything in the forbidden zone would shuffle into your deck.

I'd certainly believe ther could be some variant of this concept that would work (which is certainly why Rosewater thought he could fix it up eventually.) I don't think the version they described sounds good at all, because the idea of working hard to just get a set of cards somewhere random in your deck is basically miserable.
 
I find this idea that it's important that slang make immediate sense in other languages bizarre. Magic is a game made by English speakers, sold to an audience primarily of English speakers (whether first or second language.) Every term in Magic is invented by English speakers.

That's a fair point. I guess I didn't mean that this is the most important aspect, just that its odd name will require to you to explain it somebody at some point - EFL or not. For example, the first time I read it somewhere, I honestly didn't get it. I just moved past it and it eventually came to me when I pondered the cards more closely.

Explaining the "It takes two..." is miserable in my mind. Besides, as has been pointed out... it's technically 3 lands.

If I ever have to talk about them in person, I will not be using the term Tangolands - I'll simply say the BFZ Duals or something. Or over-explain the land with no attempt at shortening them. My own personal protest, lol
 

WanderingWind

Mecklemore Is My Favorite Wrapper
What does Junk mean?
Shocklands?
What is morph?
Sultai is what again?

Every aspect of Magic takes explaining to people who aren't familiar with its own internal lexicon.
 

Haly

One day I realized that sadness is just another word for not enough coffee.
Junk is just one of the most awful names for an archetype.
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
fuck it just call them "zenduals" or something you'll never mistake what those are
 

WanderingWind

Mecklemore Is My Favorite Wrapper
Shocklands are even somewhat worse, when you think about it.

"So, these deal 2 damage to you. Hence shocklands."
"Okay. But why 'shock'?"
"Oh, because in Magic there is a spell called 'Shock' that deals you two damage."
"Ok. Neat."
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Dude none of them make any sense without context the same way no shorthand that exists associated with the game makes any sense. People still say "dies to doom blade" all the time even though Doom Blade isn't legal a lot of the time (e.g. right now)

It doesn't even make a difference, there are lots of dual lands that nobody cares about outside standard and these are one such cycle.
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
well except that zen is a specific set which they weren't in
You're not gonna mistake them for refuges

By the metrics you guys are using every single name you guys have suggested is worse by a lot than "zenduals" (which isn't even good) because at least they are dual lands on the plane of Zendikar. All the other ones you guys are coming up with make no logical sense unless you already know backstory on why those names have those lands, in which case the actual name you are using for them is completely meaningless.

The same way it is meaningless now. Just call them anything, it doesn't matter. All of the proposed names are bad, although nothing could be worse than "BB-Lands"
 
By the metrics you guys are using every single name you guys have suggested is worse by a lot than "zenduals" (which isn't even good) because at least they are dual lands on the plane of Zendikar.

this also isn't the naming strategy that's used to refer to literally any set of dual lands that have ever been printed
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
this also isn't the naming strategy that's used to refer to literally any set of dual lands that have ever been printed

Again, there isn't a convenient one so y'all will have to deal with a non-convenient one. I suggest ElectricBoogalooLands. Trust me, it totally makes sense once its explained to you!

I mean, "tangolands" isn't even vaguely descriptive and "BB-Lands" is just atrocious.
 
What does Junk mean?
Shocklands?
What is morph?
Sultai is what again?

Every aspect of Magic takes explaining to people who aren't familiar with its own internal lexicon.

You're not wrong, haha

But- I don't mind explaining the aspects of Magic that you've used as examples (or most examples of Magic for that matter). When I describe an aspect of Magic that starts with, "Well, do you know the phrase 'it takes two to tango'?"... That's an arbitrary but still meaningful step too far*.

(with regards to just avoiding the colloquial shorthand if I can)
 

Matriox

Member
Late to the conversation, but explaining why a deck is called Tin Fins is pretty absurd/hilarious in the grand scheme of things.

Edit: I hope we see some sort of 5 color eldrazi since devoid is a thing :)
 
Re: Tangolands:

1) Only the most pedantic would say the name is inaccurate. "It takes two to tango." "It takes two (basics) to use this land (immediately)." If this term is "inaccurate," the term "shocklands" is inaccurate because the lands don't always shock you, "fetchlands" is confusing because it could also include Evolving Wilds and/or the Panoramas, and "filterlands" could refer to one of two different cycles!

2) Yes, some players will need to have the term explained to them. But that's true of many nicknames; it's not a good enough reason on its own to discount the nickname. What's great about this one is how clever it is if you do get the reference. It makes you smile when you see it.

3) Take your game designer hat off. This isn't about coming up with a naming scheme that best fits the card from a mechanical standpoint and is the most quickly grokable and catches the widest subset of the audience. You don't need to come up with some sort of awkward nickname that specifically outlines the mechanic on the card in the most obvious way - this is a community problem, not a game design problem.

4) The community *loves* simple, clever nicknames, and jumps on board when a good one comes up. The most obvious one is "Bob," which similarly requires outside knowledge to understand, but there are loads of examples. The train has started rolling. People are on board. Get on board or get out of the way. Choo choo!!
 

hort

Neo Member
I liked the sound of LagLands, but it seems like that one isn't catching on as well as tango lands (which I think sounds dumb, but w/e everything is dumb these days so it doesn't really matter)
 

hort

Neo Member
I propose mangolands because mango is my favourite fruit.

I LIKE it. This is what its going to be guys, no more discussion.



Also a lot easier to explain than tangolands

"You see, this guys favorite fruit was mangos, so, mangolands"

"Oh, I see, that makes a lot of sense, cool! I like mangos too!"
 
No, you tapped that and got crabs. Big difference.

mf9eX.gif
 

siddx

Magnificent Eager Mighty Brilliantly Erect Registereduser
Imma call em boobielands cause you need two for me to get it up immediately, but even if you have less than that it'll get up eventually.

And cause I'm immature.
 

Crocodile

Member
I liked the sound of LagLands, but it seems like that one isn't catching on as well as tango lands (which I think sounds dumb, but w/e everything is dumb these days so it doesn't really matter)

:"Lag" has an inherently bad connotation and if you say that to any newer.less invested player, they will assume these new lands are actively bad. If you call them "Slow"lands or "Lag"lands, you might as well call them "PunchtotheGenitals"land or "InjectsCancerintoyourEyes"lands for all the good it will do.
 
"Laglands" makes me think of the guildgates that enter tapped no matter what, or perhaps the lands that tap for one color and give a spell effect when they enter but enter tapped that were in Zendikar and will likely have equivalents in this block.

MaRo's interviewitus spreads to Matt Cavotta in his interview with Vorthos

Jace and Jori En encounter Ulamog worshipers and Ulamog himself, Jace keeps imagining himself dying, and Jace alters Jori's mind to make her go back and warn everyone about Ulamog while he goes ahead to the Eye of Ugin. It is disappointing that with this focus on the main story, potentially interesting things like the cultists are relegated to one-off threats that don't mean anything. Like if this was the Theros block, we'd have a story from the perspective of someone who joins the cult only to be sacrificed or something.
 

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
"Laglands" makes me think of the guildgates that enter tapped no matter what, or perhaps the lands that tap for one color and give a spell effect when they enter but enter tapped that were in Zendikar and will likely have equivalents in this block.

MaRo's interviewitus spreads to Matt Cavotta in his interview with Vorthos

Jace and Jori En encounter Ulamog worshipers and Ulamog himself, Jace keeps imagining himself dying, and Jace alters Jori's mind to make her go back and warn everyone about Ulamog while he goes ahead to the Eye of Ugin. It is disappointing that with this focus on the main story, potentially interesting things like the cultists are relegated to one-off threats that don't mean anything. Like if this was the Theros block, we'd have a story from the perspective of someone who joins the cult only to be sacrificed or something.

Disappointing but not particularly surprising. The writing for this sort of thing was on the wall when the direction of Origins became clear
 

Toxi

Banned
It is disappointing that with this focus on the main story, potentially interesting things like the cultists are relegated to one-off threats that don't mean anything. Like if this was the Theros block, we'd have a story from the perspective of someone who joins the cult only to be sacrificed or something.
Agreed. And people wonder why I don't like the Weatherlight storyline.
 

siddx

Magnificent Eager Mighty Brilliantly Erect Registereduser
I haven't really closely followed the storylines for the several years other than briefly reading a novel during scars of mirrodin. What happened to emrakul? Why is ulamog the big bad this time?
 
I haven't really closely followed the storylines for the several years other than briefly reading a novel during scars of mirrodin. What happened to emrakul? Why is ulamog the big bad this time?

It appears that Emrakul and Kozilek peaced out and moved on to other planes (though the latter at least left behind some feelers), with only Ulamog sticking around on Zendikar.
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
All of these problems could be solved if literally any of these planeswalkers learned how to cast Oblivion Ring

"Laglands" makes me think of the guildgates that enter tapped no matter what, or perhaps the lands that tap for one color and give a spell effect when they enter but enter tapped that were in Zendikar and will likely have equivalents in this block.

MaRo's interviewitus spreads to Matt Cavotta in his interview with Vorthos

Jace and Jori En encounter Ulamog worshipers and Ulamog himself, Jace keeps imagining himself dying, and Jace alters Jori's mind to make her go back and warn everyone about Ulamog while he goes ahead to the Eye of Ugin. It is disappointing that with this focus on the main story, potentially interesting things like the cultists are relegated to one-off threats that don't mean anything. Like if this was the Theros block, we'd have a story from the perspective of someone who joins the cult only to be sacrificed or something.

Logically you'd go with slowlands if the Scars lands were fastlands. It was already used for the Kamigawa lands that didn't untap if you got colored mana off them (which were also called laglands, since they didn't untap for a turn, but those aren't used in anything).
 

siddx

Magnificent Eager Mighty Brilliantly Erect Registereduser
It appears that Emrakul and Kozilek peaced out and moved on to other planes (though the latter at least left behind some feelers), with only Ulamog sticking around on Zendikar.

Ah I see, well I suppose trying to do another emrakul in this set would have been difficult anyway.
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
That's already JTMS prices when WW got released.

That's how much Nissa, Worldwaker was last year too though. They are following a very similar trajectory, actually. Jace hasn't *actually* bombed any tournaments yet, he just costs a lot for reasons, the same ones I assume guided Worldwaker.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom