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by Da Sarge MtG: Cheating and Expansions First I would like to make a correction from last month's article. I incorrectly stated that Mike Long was given a DQ for cheating. It should read that he was given a Match Loss but still finished in the Top 8. This is as good a start as any for this month's article. But first, I have to give credit where credit is due. For all the grief I give WOTC and DCI, let me also be the first to applaud those same organizations for their recent strict adherence and enforcement of the rules in their latest tournaments. It was a long time coming and needed badly. But now that action is taken more arguments will begin and I think the player's had better understand a few things I really don't think they are ready for. There is a famous saying that goes "Be Careful What You Wish For…You Just Might Get It". The crackdown has begun and player's HAVE TO ACCEPT a few things. Let me try and explain things as I see them:   1: Don't Make a Mistake with your Deck What I mean is this: If you make a mistake (take too many cards), if your card sleeves are not legal (rounded edges), or any of a number of other things. This could be a violation of the rules and could be considered cheating. If a judge rules against you, you will lose the match, and just might be called a cheater.   2: You Will Have To Pay The Piper Let's assume that you get caught doing something a judge considers wrong and you lose the match. It might not end there. Understand that once you have broken a rule, you might have to pay a price, and it might not just be a match loss. Depending on if it is the first time you have broken a rule (or it might not matter) you could be suspended for a time.   3: The Judges If you didn't like them before you will hate them now. They have to enforce the rules as they see it. Now there is more pressure then before to enforce the rules and they are forced to be stricter then ever on things that might not have batted an eyelash before.   They seem pretty simple and straightforward. But it's not. Take #1 for example. You would think that as long as you have sleeves on your cards your good. Wrong answer. You had better ask a judge to check out your sleeves each game and take down his name just in case. If you play without sleeves, you had better have mint or near mint cards. Nothing better be worn on that card. You could get a DQ. How about #3? The judges have to be fair, but very strict at the same time. The problem is that now there is enormous pressure on the judge to make fair calls. The judge is human and can and will make mistakes. Sometimes at your expense. The judge has to be fair, but what happens when the judge has to hand out a very strict ruling against a well liked player? Is this fair of DCI? YES. When you have cheaters or allegations of cheating in the game. Those in charge have to do something about it…and quickly. In a very real way DCI is pushed into a corner on this one. Think about it for a moment, if it was your game what would you do? I bet the same thing. I think the bigger problems for DCI are going to be to ensure that all the judges rule the same way for everyone, and that any suspensions etc. handed to the player AFTER the violation is fair and just. As for the judges, you can be as strict as you want with the rules, but the judges have to enforce the rules. This does not mean the judges will rule wrong, but what one judge says is a violation, may not be seen the same way by another. As for the other, no matter what punishment is handed down afterwards, someone will complain. That's just the facts of life. The only thing that DCI can hope for is that they will be fair and just to all. I never thought I would say this about DCI, but I really feel sorry for them. They have a lot of cleaning up to do. Some of it is there fault, some not. But DCI has to start somewhere. This is as good a place to start as any. The player's have to understand one other thing. The Internet let's people express themselves freely. With that in mind, understand that whoever get's caught will be talked about on the net. That means both sides of the story will be heard. It will be up to the players to decide what they feel is the truth. The players MUST read these with open minds.   And now... Page 2 Is it just me or has WOTC lost there minds again. Case in point, Portals II, Unglued and Urza's Saga. Urza's comes out in Oct., which makes three expansions in 4 or 5 months. WOTC what are you thinking? Money does not grow on trees. Take your basic player for example. He might buy some Portals (God Forbid), then some cards from Unglued. Now he has save money to buy Urza's so he can still be competitive in local play. Come on already give us a break. You are already redefining the word overkill. Hey WOTC, let me give you a hand. Because you don't know what your doing other then trying to make more money. If it is your intent to ruin the game by releasing cards so quickly, then congratulations, you did it. But if you want to help the game then here is a clue. One set every four months. That is three sets a year. Personally I feel that two sets a year is more then enough. But many players would say they want more. Three sets are good enough for anyone. If it was just me I would say oh well. But it's not and you (WOTC) know it. I don't think you read your own mail WOTC. Just once I would like to sit down with WOTC and see where they are coming from. Because from my point of view, WOTC has forgotten the player. It's not the card that means anything to WOTC anymore, it's the dollar. But only if WOTC is making the money. The values of cards have been dropping for years. I wonder why?????       Dem'd My Views and I'm.......       DA’ SARGE       Email: n***s@r***p.com   All commentaries are the opinions of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of Beyond Dominia [ Back to September 1998 Table of Contents ] [ Back to Beyond Dominia ] Magic: the Gathering is a Registered Trademark of Wizards of the Coast