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7/24/2025, 2:04:09 AM
>>96165127
(2/2)
Enter Play Design. The traditional Magic design and development became Vision Design, and Play Design. The new goals of these groups: For Vision design, it was to map out the space in which a set's mechanics COULD exist. You basically give them a prompt "Space Set" and they throw shit at a board, playtest mechanics, and make a basic skeleton of something that might work. Then comes Play Design. They determine what is actually in the set, its power level, everything. And their philosophy isn't about balance, it isn't about simplicity. They discovered that what gets people into the game is memorable moments. So in their finite playtests, they look to amp up card power, and create an environment, an experience, that is not necessarily balanced, but is appealing. And that is why we had a string of more cards banned in Standard than ever before, that's why there's no respect or love for Magic's roots, only UB sets to draw in new players. It's all about spectacle now, from the concept push to the card design.
I pray they see past the UB sales, to the format destroying behavior their new philosophy has enabled. Modern is in shambles, and that was the last great Magic format, destroyed, not by UB, but by play design making cards explosive first and balanced second. EDH has seen enormous damage, becoming much faster and barely resembling what it was pre-2020, but its casual heart and bracket bandaids have served to lessen the damage. Nevertheless the source of the damage is Play Design, and something MUST change. Magic works 3 years ahead, so I hope it already has, If not we are in for some serious shit.
(2/2)
Enter Play Design. The traditional Magic design and development became Vision Design, and Play Design. The new goals of these groups: For Vision design, it was to map out the space in which a set's mechanics COULD exist. You basically give them a prompt "Space Set" and they throw shit at a board, playtest mechanics, and make a basic skeleton of something that might work. Then comes Play Design. They determine what is actually in the set, its power level, everything. And their philosophy isn't about balance, it isn't about simplicity. They discovered that what gets people into the game is memorable moments. So in their finite playtests, they look to amp up card power, and create an environment, an experience, that is not necessarily balanced, but is appealing. And that is why we had a string of more cards banned in Standard than ever before, that's why there's no respect or love for Magic's roots, only UB sets to draw in new players. It's all about spectacle now, from the concept push to the card design.
I pray they see past the UB sales, to the format destroying behavior their new philosophy has enabled. Modern is in shambles, and that was the last great Magic format, destroyed, not by UB, but by play design making cards explosive first and balanced second. EDH has seen enormous damage, becoming much faster and barely resembling what it was pre-2020, but its casual heart and bracket bandaids have served to lessen the damage. Nevertheless the source of the damage is Play Design, and something MUST change. Magic works 3 years ahead, so I hope it already has, If not we are in for some serious shit.
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