M:TG online (aka Beards +3)

Post by **Joose** » May 14th, 2006, 23:03

Ok, I know this is a longshot, and most of you will recoil in horror at the mere thought of playing this, but im going to try anyway...

anyone fancy a game? *flinches*

For those of you that dont know, Magic: the Gathering Online is basically the trading card game, but over the interwebs. This removes arguments about what the cards are actually supposed to do (because the computer works it all out for you), and also removes the need to actually cart around hundreds of little cards with you.

If your only experience of this kind of thing is freakish goths sitting in the corners of your college muttering about "tapping land", or the woefull MTG wannabies such as Yu-gi-gah-goo (or whatever), then you really ought to try it before coming to any opinions about it. I was rather skeptical before trying it, but its actually rather win. And i'll tell you why:

1)its complex as fuck, but really rather easy to get in to. Definately one of those "moments to learn, years to master" things, but with the added bonus of being really enjoyable without bothering to master it at all.

2)the Magic Geeks™ have argued about and refined the rules to the point where there is simultaneously massive variety, but not really any unbalanced play (unlike....well, most other online games in the world)

3)you can play it whilst playing summat else. I can imagine it being especially attractive for EVE players, as there is no pressure in game at all, so you can drop it at a moments notice, then come back to it once whatever is happening in your other game has been sorted out. Would certainly help pass time in long hauls through safe areas, or on long mining sessions. Also, the thing is almost non-existant, system resources wise, so theres no problem with it slowing you down.

4)Its really good fun. No, honestly. I know a lot of you will go "pah! A card game? its fucking solitare! bollocks!", but honestly, this is to solitare what C&C is to chess.

5)it can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be. Dont fancy spending any monies at all? then stay on the trial (with limited, pre-made decks) for ever. Want to spend a tiny amount of monies (roughly the price of your average budget game)? then buy yourself a more personal deck, of your choice. Want to spend a small fortune? Then buy many decks, and booster packs, and spend from here to eternity finding cards that compliment each other in devious new ways. Up to you.

No, theres no running about blowing peoples heads off, and theres no shiny graphics to speak of, so shallow-as-a-puddle gamers need not apply. If, however, you are looking for something very interesting, with deep, deep, *deep* strategic elements, then get this. Now.

Just to dispel a few myths: No, you dont have to be a wierdo or an uber-geek to play this. No, it will not make you get in with "the wrong crowd", ending up with you sacrificing chickens to Nyarlathotep. No, you dont have to sit there for hours saying "got, got, got, need, got, got, need".

I urge you to at least get the totally free, no credit card required trial client from here:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=ma ... nloadlinks

and give me a yell so i can talk you through how to play. Tis brilliance.

*prepares for inevitable tirade of ill-educated abuse*

Post by **FatherJack** » May 15th, 2006, 0:08

I have the Xbox version (suffixed Battlegrounds) and I found it utterly perplexing and was unable to complete the tutorial, although not as much as YuGiOh: The Duelists of the Roses.

I'm not one to automatically recoil at the mention of card-based elements in games*, I found the minigames in Final Fantasy VIII, IX and XI quite fun, as well as the ones in Suikoden IV. Infact the card-based battle systems in Lost Kingdoms and Baiten Kaitos are quite win, but this version at least was beyond my abilities.

Perhaps I'm not talking about the same game you are, as being unable to complete the tutorial is not what could be phrased "easy to get in to", so I might pick this one up and check.

* Not to mention the 50-odd hours playing actual card games

Post by **Joose** » May 15th, 2006, 0:32

FatherJack wrote:I have the Xbox version (suffixed Battlegrounds) and I found it utterly perplexing and was unable to complete the tutorial, although not as much as YuGiOh: The Duelists of the Roses.

battlegrounds? the horror, the horror etc.

Perhaps I'm not talking about the same game you are, as being unable to complete the tutorial is not what could be phrased "easy to get in to", so I might pick this one up and check.

you are indeed correct, thats not the same game. Its an abomination of a thing. Not the same at all. Horribly bad in fact.

Post by **deject** » May 15th, 2006, 3:56

fuck all trading card games in the ass hard twice.

Jinxx · Post by **Jinxx** » May 15th, 2006, 5:59

I must apologise, I got Joose into this. It is great though.
*fucks card trading games in the ass hard. twice*

Woo Elephant Yeah · Post by **Woo Elephant Yeah** » May 15th, 2006, 7:59

mrbobbins · Post by **mrbobbins** » May 15th, 2006, 9:04

Note to self:

Do not look at 5punk first thing on a Monday morning when there is a possibility of pictures like this

which will make me LOLALOT. LOL'ing is not a Monday morning activity.

Post by **Joose** » May 15th, 2006, 9:20

Joose wrote:*prepares for inevitable tirade of ill-educated abuse*

deject wrote:fuck all trading card games in the ass hard twice.

spoodie · Post by **spoodie** » May 15th, 2006, 9:43

Post by **Joose** » May 15th, 2006, 10:23

spoodie wrote:

Does make me realise theres one more myth to dispel here:

Trading card game != Top Trumps

Jinxx · Post by **Jinxx** » May 16th, 2006, 17:49

Joose wrote:Trading card game != Top Trumps

FACT: In Denmark, Top Trumps is called Top Fart.

Post by **FatherJack** » May 17th, 2006, 21:08

One for the workplace lunchtimes perhaps, when:
- my brain is still partially operational
- I can't play much else
- there's no sound so I can't hear it sniggering at me

I managed the basic tutorial, but the advanced was just annoying.

Post by **Joose** » May 17th, 2006, 22:32

tutorials are teh suxxors. I found it much better to learn by doing.

I would advise against going up against randoms though. Theres a hell of a lot of irritating pillocks who will will just quit out of a game as soon as it looks like they are losing.

webclam · Post by **webclam** » May 18th, 2006, 10:58

spoodie wrote:

sorry, but Tony Hart lives in Blackheath, near guildford, surrey.

or did last year when he was still living next to a mate of mine

spoodie · Post by **spoodie** » May 18th, 2006, 11:13

webclam wrote:sorry, but Tony Hart lives in Blackheath, near guildford, surrey.

or did last year when he was still living next to a mate of mine

Don't blame me, I didn't make the picture. I broke into the Internet late at night and stole it while the webmasters were sleeping.

Anhamgrimmar · Post by **Anhamgrimmar** » May 18th, 2006, 12:50

webclam wrote:
spoodie wrote:
sorry, but Tony Hart lives in Blackheath, near guildford, surrey.

or did last year when he was still living next to a mate of mine

also fact fans: Tony hart saw active service in india on national service! that modern weapons bit is a bit low

Sol · Post by **Sol** » May 18th, 2006, 14:09

Sod Chuck Norris facts, this world needs more Tony Hart facts!

Bob47 · Post by **Bob47** » May 18th, 2006, 16:25

Soloman wrote:Sod Chuck Norris facts, this world needs more Tony Hart facts!

Never you lie

Lee · Post by **Lee** » May 21st, 2006, 22:41

I decided to give this a go out of boredom and its rather fun ¬_¬

Not sure I'm going to put any money into it yet though.

Post by **FatherJack** » May 22nd, 2006, 9:48

Joose wrote:tutorials are teh suxxors. I found it much better to learn by doing.

Well, they should have written a better tutorial, it made me tear my beard out with frustration and I uninstalled the game.

Now I have to grow a new beard in time for Neverwinter 2.