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by Da Sarge Weatherlight & Portals: A Dangerous Crossroads? Crossroads: a broad but simple definition would be when you come to a point where you have to make a choice on which direction you will go. I believe that while WOTC has reached this point many times before, the one they are at now could be their most important one. For the record, while I may disagree with some aspects of the business side of WOTC, they came out with a great game. I love Magic. I feel that it's one of the best games on the market. Anyone can play, it stimulates the brain, and it's just plain fun. It's one of the few games where you can blame no one but yourself if you lose, and no deck or game is the same twice. I will (and have) defend Magic against anyone. Yet a lot of Magic Players are very confused right now. If Weatherlight and Portals are released on time, that would mean that from December of '96 to June of '97, almost one new set a month has been released. Yes, I know, Portals dosen't count as a set but you know as well as I do it does. Add to that the fact that rules are rewritten almost every month, new types of play ( Phasing / Flanking ) have been introduced and the banned/restricted list has been beaten to death. The players have no idea what WOTC is doing other then trying to get as much money out of the player/collector as they can. Now WOTC has decided that Magic can be divided into two types of play: Beginners and Intermediates/Advanced. Don't believe me? Look at how they are advertising Portals. It's being called the beginners game of Magic, with it's own expension set in the works. Excuse me??? Did I miss something here???? How did WOTC bring us to such a point, and more importantly, why did we let them? WOTC is at the top of their game right now. They can easily say "Hey, the players brought us here, let's give something back to them," but they don't. Instead they flood the market with more products thinking more is better. The players don't even have a chance to work with the cards they have before a new set is out. Now the players have to decide which cards will work with the the new cards they have, making some of the cards they have useless before they have a chance to use them. Watch out, here come the crossroads.... I believe that Weatherlight & Portals are the Crossroads that WOTC faces. With the addition of these two sets of cards, WOTC which has always said that Magic can be played by anyone at any level, has decided Magic will now be divided into two groups: Beginners (Portals) and Intermediates/Advanced (everything else). I guess WOTC was not making enough money. I can see the crossroads ahead...... WOTC is taking a big chance with Weatherlight and Portals. What the hell is a starters game anyway? Are the cards new? Are they reprints? Can you use the cards in tournments? If the rules are the same why call it a starters game? As I understand it, it comes with two prepacked decks (hey, didn't they try this before) and a better explanation of the rules. If that's all it is why not just write a book? As for Weatherlight, another new set too soon. It seems to have some really good ideas, but why come out so soon? I think that WOTC has reinvented the word overkill. Welcome to the Crossroads....... In truth the crossroads will be how much does WOTC want to change the game, and how much the players will accept. I don't think that Portals will be that hot. In fact it's biggest competation will be Weatherlight. Having two kinds of Magic Cards come out the same month seems kind of silly. It may backfire right back in their faces. In fact if WOTC had some brains they would only allow one edition out every 4 months. WOTC, if you're reading, chew on this. I'm in the military, the bad part is that I miss out on alot of tournments. I play when I can, but that's life. I chose it and I really can't complain. The good part is I travel around the country and the world a lot. Every where I go I bring my Magic cards, I play whenever I can. I found out that there is a silent majority that are getting fed up with your game play, and they are growing larger. They are tired of hearing WOTC say "show me the money". They want something back from the money they spent making you rich. Instead you flood the market. Remember, the hand that feeds you right now can stop whenever they want. Keep in mind that you're at the top of your game right now. Can you stay at the top, or are you going to fall??? Or have you made so much money, that you don't care? WOTC, you can answer me whenever you want...it's the crossroads WOTC... What are you going to do??????????????????
That's My View And I'm.......
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