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By: Paul Leicht, Paul Emerson Leicht
Jul 30 2009 11:01am
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Casual Play: Why do I play magic in the Casual Room?

by Paul Emerson Leicht (July, 22, 2009) (aka Winter.Wolf)

Glint-Eye Nephilim

I recently wrote an article about the etiquette of playing the game Magic:The Gathering in the casual room of Magic Online. (cf: 'Magic Etiquette: Rules of Engagement') I went into some detail about how I think a person should and should not behave to get the most enjoyment for their time. Then I thought about some of the comments made and some situations that arose after this article had been published.

One thing I noticed is I still tend to "Baleet" a number of players per day. Some days are worse than others and that probably has a lot to do with how tolerant of nonsense I am feeling on a given day. I also seem to get added to people's buddy lists daily and do likewise so that sometimes I login and can not place all the people who are on my list. If I have a positive encounter with someone chances are I listed them and then we might not see each other online for weeks so that I don't remember them anymore. But the feeling remains and I know anyone I have listed who is online will be someone I care to talk to.

Frankly, I would rather live in a world where I did not feel the need to baleet anyone and everyone I met automatically was a friend. I guess that world might be a little less exciting but it would certainly be more serene. I am an alcoholic in recovery for 25 years+ and so serenity means a lot to me. But the reality is it is better to block someone who is instigating a fight or whom you don't wish to play for any of a variety of reasons than to suffer.

Magic players come in so many shapes and sizes they really do reflect the outside cultures around us. When I played at Neutral Ground regularly I could see this every time I went there. As soon as the elevator doors opened there would be such a variety of people playing, trading or waiting to play or trade or just talking about various things that it was like being home for me. I grew up in the melting pot of the world (NYC) so I view the disparate voices and attitudes as a wonderful thing. Even the not so great things people can say are refreshing and important to the community. After all how mature can we really be all the time? It is good to play.

Magic Online is also a melting pot. I have conversed with people from all around the globe. Some players being brand new have no clue but may be bright and quick to learn. Others may be returning veterans with broken decks from yesteryear that don't function so well against the newer cards. Some are parents, some are still living with their parents. A few are grand parents or great grandparents (imagine that!) Some are women or girls, many are boys or men. Some live in far away places where the nearest store is barely within driving distance. To those people Magic Online may be their only outlet for the game on a regular basis.

Something happened the other night when I was particularly irritated with the lack of conversational players in casual. In the main chat people talk all the time and we have great discussions ranging from the silly to the sublime. The Orcs often join in (when they aren't busy moderating) and share information and perspectives that they have. But in the games themselves I seemed to have had a real streak of people who just never say hello, even though I say that I think it is rude to ignore such a greeting. I mean why do they play casual if they don't want to even be marginally civil.

 

Wargate

 



I played this fellow and we got down to brass tacks and I said "hello :)", waited for an interval after no response then typed my usual slightly sarcastic: "or not hello :/" But I had missed the smiley the fellow had posted. My mistake and as soon as he said something "hey I responded!" I apologized. He was mana hosed so after an initial struggle the game was all the way mine and as it was coming to a conclusion I spoke again talking about the deck ideas I saw him discard and got no response. So I got a little annoyed and decided on the final turn to bounce one of his lands. A kind of punitive message: "If you can't be bothered to be civil, I can also be a jerk!". Though it made no difference in the game I knew it would get under his skin as someone doing that to me would definitely get under mine if I wasn't expecting it.

He was merely lagging however, not actually not responding. I suspect he had to think about what I said and formulate a response in addition to lagging a bit. So what could have been an amicable parting turned into a discussion after the game about how evil I was and then how "needy" I was. Because obviously if I need to talk with people while playing I must be lonely. Oh and the phrase "you emo kids" was tossed around which I found entertaining since I am not a kid (I'm turning 44 on July 30th) and I grew up long before the term "emo" was misapplied as a derogatory label. Eventually, I ended up blocking him, feeling that it was the best way to end the string of insults veiled as offhand comments. An unsatisfactory result to say the least but I take partial responsibility for its outcome.

I relate this to you, the reader to illustrate how my thinking is. And also to show that I make mistakes, sometimes not small ones in the interaction with fellow humans. Aside from the garbage the fellow spewed he made a good point. Why do I assume the other person even wants to talk to me? What is it about me that is so fascinating others should engage me in scintillating conversation. And to be honest it stumped me so I sidestepped it. He didn't actually pose the question that way but it was something he said in passing that I thought about later. I know I think too much. It's a failing. Also I made an error during that interaction and let my own past frustrations with other players color my game with him. If I had merely just accepted his laconic style and slow replies as being OK, we would have probably played another game. I certainly would have offered. My impatience ended it poorly.

Who knows maybe he would have turned out to be just as arrogant and mean hearted as he came off in our conversation later but I didn't give him the chance to prove that he is a average member of the gaming community. So what? People do get off on the wrong foot sometimes. It happens. I should just move on but this illustrates what I have been struggling with since I came back to MODO. There are many intelligent, fine human beings playing our beloved game but they do not always see eye to eye or treat each other with courtesy, respect or compassion.

In fact there is a section of our community who object to the very idea of chocolate (fantasy) mixing with their peanut butter (strategy game). They feel the people who wear funny costumes and play out the various characters parts in the game and who tell themselves stories about the flavor of the game are nuts. Not only are they nuts but they are ruining the images of these self proclaimed "Not Nerds". I find this amusing since the game was designed by a role playing gamer with a phd in Math. Richard Garfield is one of the smartest guys I've met, and I barely spoke just a few words to him. Listening to him talk was informative enough for me. I mean this is the guy who proposed to his wife Lily Wu by making her a magic card with a proposal on it. Of course it was a personal game, but we get to see his tribute to her in a card that is an anagram of her name.

Wyluli Wolf.

I have to acknowledge that those who feel this way have a right to feel this way even though it jars my sensibilities and my sense of what is right. Individual feelings belong to the individual. No one else can dictate them. Yes this is stating the obvious but it seems like it needs to be stated just to be clear. I am not allowed by my own rules to judge those who feel differently than me.

On the other hand, Magic the gathering is far more mainstream than D&D was its current stage of development. And D&D now is a household name bought and sold at bookstore chains by families. Devout Christians among them. We Americans have decided we can divorce our religious beliefs to some extent from our social mores enough to be able to tolerate dice chucking and card tossing. Which i think is just awesome. And So what if some kids at school make fun of you for being smarter than them? That's how its always been. The smart kids get made fun of and picked on by the brawnier and less intelligent ones and thus balance is kept socially. Sad but true.

My advice to anyone worried about how anyone else views their gaming habits is don't be. Being cool is only worth the paper its printed on. People who act as if you are cool or not cool based on this sort of thing are being shallow and engaging them in their game of appearances is a losing proposition. Teenagers are never cool. Well that isn't to say they can't be great people. But 'cool' is an illusion.

When I think about the players who behave this way, or who don't talk to other players. Those who take the hostile adversarial approach I have come to realize they must have different motivations for playing MODO as they do than I. When they sit down at the game do they think "Thank goodness I don't have to smell this person! I love playing at home because then I don't have to interact with people who are probably dumb and uncool!"? Perhaps. Or perhaps they just sit down and want to engage in combat and don't want to personalize their opponent. They want to hate them with the full force of their being while playing in order to better understand how to beat them without any moral considerations. (Ala Halo) The competitive spirit might take over at this time. We Americans are notoriously competitive with the often used phrase "Anything it takes to win/get ahead!"

Is this a positive spiritual state for someone to be in? Perhaps not. I think not but I am not able to judge for anyone else what is good for them. Nor can I tell if it makes them  better players. I imagine such players would do better not engaging in casual magic but taking their netdecks, etc to the tourney room where they can shed virtual blood without any regrets. I know when I feel that way it actually makes me a worse player. But I tend to do best when my brain is firing on full cylinders without help from my emotions. But again I don't play tourneys anymore and if I did I would probably spend most of my time in Tourney Practice or on the queues waiting for 2-mans to fire. I would still maintain my standard of personal courtesy though, because that is part of my definition of who I am.

firemane angel

I don't really understand what motivates antisocial players to play what to me has to be a social game. I mean if these same people were to come to the local store they would not get away with being sullen and discourteous for long. They would find themselves quickly ostracized as this is the way we tend to deal with people who act outside the normal social rules. And most of them probably very quickly would learn that in order to engage in the game they want to play they would have to at least nominally make acquaintances with other people. This isn't to say nasty players don't exist in the paper game. But they tend to either play only in tournaments or with a small circle of friends who tolerate them. Or they make accommodations and pretend to be friendly to get along.

But Magic Online is so large and is getting larger daily, despite the not so awesome M10 changes that riled everyone up a month ago or so. You could probably have a thousand players on your banned list and never once fail to trigger a game in casual with a well played format. That said, the banned lists seem like a poor solution to me. Yes they work, but I feel like they don't fix the problem. How can I convert the antisocial to be at least somewhat social if I just ignore them. Aren't I falling into that trap myself in someway? I am not superior to them as a human being. I might be more open minded, compassionate, etc but that is a matter of learning and experience. How could I teach them to be like me if I can't even get a "hello"? Should I care? Am I too much of a Care Bear? I am certain some of you will be thinking 'Yes. Clearly those who don't want to participate should be left alone.' But I wonder if this is the ethical way to treat people. It is certainly expedient and perhaps that is the song of the moment. Just get me through the day and don't worry about the consequences.

eternal witness

I don't have any answers. When I wrote a bimonthly column for neutralground.net I was far more plugged into the pulse of the game than I am now. I spent lots of free time on IRC and reading various articles by other writers and engaging in discussions with fellow "pundits" on the state of the game. Now I am just another small fish in a huge ocean and have only a tiny personal perspective on how the game progresses. I talked about some of these issues with my Dad who has no clue about the game itself but who knows me quite well and his take was that I should share my thoughts with you. If it really stirs something in my heart maybe it will in yours too.

After all, the reason I play magic in casual is not merely to interact with the magical cards but with the players that make the game worthwhile. Without you, Id be doing other things instead. The cards themselves are fun but it how other players use them that amuses me the most. To all the readers, writers of articles on Puremtgo and the staff, thank you for existing and making my day.

Decks &Thoughts:

I have been playing around with a lot of different deck ideas for Extended and trying to make various decks work. I wrote last time about Elementals and that deck is just loads of fun to play but then sometimes I just need to play something different. So I broke out the deck editor and started putting together cards I like. I came up with something in Boros.


 

Boros!
Old school gets revisited for extended casual.
Creatures
3 Aven Riftwatcher
3 Stonecloaker
3 Desolation Giant
3 Stun Sniper
3 Sigiled Paladin
15 cards

Other Spells
4 Path to Exile
4 Lightning Helix
3 Griffin Guide
4 Unmake
4 Crystal Shard
4 Darksteel Ingot
23 cards
Lands
3 Steam Vents
4 Boros Garrison
3 Vesuva
1 Sacred Foundry
8 Plains
3 Mountain
22 cards
 
Stun Sniper

 

Now I once again bring you a Desolation Row variant but this one is RWu instead of 4-5 colors as my desolation row article listed. Mainly this deck controls the board fairly well but does not do so well against the combo decks out there. On the other hand I had a few games where my opponent continuously attacked me for more than 9 life a turn for many turns and was unable to beat me. This deck can stall like there is no tomorrow. It tends to be a little land light which I did on purpose since it can survive quite well on 2-3 mana where as a flood is almost certain death unless I'm holding a giant in hand.

However a hand of Sigiled Paladin + Griffin Guide can make quick work of a slow opponent. Particularly against nonflyer decks. This combos nicely with a turn 5/6 Desolation Giant with Kicker as you get a token back. Stun Sniper deals with fatties nicely while Unmake and Path to Exile take out persistent pests and hard to kill creatures (Indestructible hurts Desolation Giant's feelings). Crystal Shard + Aven Riftwatcher = continuous life and flying beats or blocker. Stonecloaker thrown in to this mix helps as well and removes unwanted recursion from the enemy graveyard. Nothing is more fun than Stonecloaker in response to unearth.

Overall this deck is somewhere between Aggro and Control and switches fairly easily between the roles depending on what your opponent is playing. If I were to make a sideboard for this deck, in would go artifact and enchantment hate and maybe some other sweepers like Volcanic Fallout

 

Another interesting but infinitely more challenging deck is my attempt to make my Ultimatums work for a change. Weird Ultimatums is about getting Brilliant Ultimatum to fire off hopefully into another Ultimatum.

 


Ok so first thing to note is that this deck really likes to delay until it gets the proper mana out for casting an Ultimatum. With Darksteel Ingot this chore isn't impossible but it does require you to sit still for beats your opponent may apply. Once you get to 5 mana things start to happen as you can play an Archon of Justice or Mulldrifter and use Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker to copy them causing havoc for your opponent hopefully. I made the deck count 61 by tossing in a Wargate as I really like the ability to fetch a land ramping up my mana to 4 on turn 3 and then later recursing it to fetch other things when Izzet Chronarch hits the board.

Vesuvan Shapeshifter fills a variety of roles but is often simply a legend killer. On the other hand it can also duplicate any of the one ofs you already have in play. Obelisk is very slow and yet is often worth it as a defensive tool that keeps your opponent from just winning. On the other hand it doesn't usually win by itself. Use it to give your creatures supremacy.  Reveillarks provide much needed resiliency as they often do in modern decks.

Firemane Angel is a fun card that helps you race if you get it in the graveyard (via Glint-Eye Nephilim or just a bad draw start) or if you get it in play.  Whereas the Nephilim themselves are beatsticks. Get one out and start swinging with it to quickly empty your deck into your hand/graveyard. Need to get a card into your graveyard for Dread Return or Vigor Mortis? Toss it while pumping your Nephilim. Izzet Chronarch mostly likely pulls back any stray Ultimatum you may have tossed away to pump the beats. Debtor's Knell just rounds things out by bring back what has been lost. Use this to nail the lid on the coffin or merely shut down an opponent's recursion by stealing their creatures.

The reason for a lot of the specific cards in this deck being represented by only 1 or so copies is that this is what my collection looks like. I realize no one would copy such a deck and bring it to tournament (nor would I play with such a list in tournament either) but in casual such deck lists can be great fun. No one expects the 1 of. People think of typical magic decks as being 9 slots of 4 nonlands + 6 slots of 4 lands.  While this formula is proven it tends to be boring. Plus it can be a very expensive proposition to make a deck list that fills out in correct proportions. Note the complete lack of cards like Maelstrom Pulse and Reflecting Pool. I just don't own them. Half my dual shock lands are loaners. But this is no reason to abandon deck building in Extended. A deck like this or the one above probably won't win tourneys but they do hold their own against the unwashed masses. (Those Filthy Elves! included.)

 

Final thought. The game of Magic is just that. A game. Games are a microcosm of life that allow us to play in a sub reality without serious consequences. Magic does this by making a fantasy setting and giving us rigorous strategy rules to adhere to. In and of itself it can be seen as a purely mechanical game but that loses some of its richness. I enjoy this game more than chess or any other of myriad games because it contains nearly infinite variety not only in the decks and cards faced but in the people playing against you. (Or in some cases with you as in Two Headed Giant or Emperor). No matter how misanthropic one feels at any given time, the fact that you play magic ties you to other people. Even the solitaire players need an audience. 

Until next time,


Paul Emerson Leicht
AKA Winter.Wolf on MODO. (of the clan Magic Samurai)

15 Comments

Excellent by Windcoarse at Thu, 07/30/2009 - 20:02
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5

I like a little philosophy in my Magic articles. This was a different and intriguing break from the norm and I really enjoyed it. I was impressed with the honesty and realism in your writing voice, its nice to see in a writer. I can't say I agree with every point you made in the article, but I relate to most of them, and you made your case with a very down-to-earth elegance that saves your article from sounding lecturing or preachy. Well done, I'm interested in seeing what you have to say in the future.

Wow by Paul Leicht at Thu, 07/30/2009 - 20:08
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That was probably the most eloquent compliment I've ever received on any forum. Thank you very much.

Stop being a loner loser 44 by Anonymous (not verified) at Thu, 07/30/2009 - 21:36
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Stop being a loner loser 44 year old that checks this site throughout the day. Ifpeople aren't chatty let them be

Bad Troll! by Windcoarse at Thu, 07/30/2009 - 22:07
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No food for you!

Surprisingly Apt by Katastrophe at Thu, 07/30/2009 - 22:25
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This is the best comment ever - if he means to say that some of the people on Paul's banned list are people like us. People who maybe can't type and play the game without slowing down. What annoys you more: a slow opponent, or the stuff that your opponent was typing instead of playing? In paper everyone can tap and talk at the same time. Online, it's debatable.

Unless I'm giving the clown too much credit.

hmm by Paul Leicht at Thu, 07/30/2009 - 23:03
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That's actually an interesting point. Slow typists do have a handicap dealing with any kind of online chat situation where they also have to click. I don't particularly mind slow players if they are a little chatty or at least acknowledge they are slow. Lag does play a part in the game online. But I think most people can manage "hi" or ":)" or what have you without slowing down much.

Now a long response does take time but assuming you are actually giving thought to a reply your opponent probably won't mind. On the other hand prolonged conversations can get in the way of a good game, the trick is to find a mix that works. Sometimes that means not talking much. The key point is to treat your fellow player as a human being and not some automaton placed there for your sole amusement.

As far as the troll with the interesting psychological interjection goes, well it was amusing if reflective of his own personality.

:D by Paul Leicht at Thu, 07/30/2009 - 23:01
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An interesting contradiction in terms don't you think? I can be a loner at times, shunning company for my own thoughts or merely a good book but generally speaking I would say I am not a loner as at times I do crave a mixture of using my time wisely and social reparté with like-minded folk. Whereas a true loner would be likely to not wish anything to do with the loathsome creatures that are their fellows.

But seriously don't YOU have better things to do than respond to a longwinded article with a one-liner weak flame? Isn't it beneath you to troll? Well if not thanks for the amusement.

As for letting shy folk be? Sure I am not a tyrant or a demagogue. I merely want people to act some what civil in a game that requires some thought and yet is still essentially about enjoyment. If someone can't be bothered to chat even to say hello I do let them be. I simply block them to avoid dealing with them in future games.

Thanks again for your response.

Haha I just read the other by Anonymous (not verified) at Thu, 07/30/2009 - 21:38
Anonymous's picture

Haha I just read the other guys comment now! What a nice juxtaposition!

Block lists and buddy lists by Splendid Belt at Fri, 07/31/2009 - 04:33
Splendid Belt's picture

Interesting article. My block list is longer than my buddy list unfortunately.

I think if someone doesn't want to talk for any reason, that's ok. Usually I prefer at least some chat, and most of the time you at least get a 'hi' and a 'gg' at the end.

I think you're point about 'teaching them to be like me' is possibly dangerous thinking! None of us is responsible for the behaviour of others, and behavourial change is something that can take years of face-to-face converation / demonstration. MTGO, whilst a social game, isn't a group therapy session (I know you know that, just making my point!)

Finally I enjoyed the honesty in the article. I consider myself to be compassionate and chatty most of the time, but yes, I've also had my shameful moments of bad sportsmanship. I think most players are in the same boat, I can't imagine there are many who are uniformly anti-social in every game.

This article has made me want to delete my block list and try again with a fresh slate.

A recent comment from some by JMason (not verified) at Fri, 07/31/2009 - 05:17
JMason's picture

A recent comment from some chatterbox in the casual room made me laugh. His opponent conceded their game before a single card was played, because he typed "hello and good luck". Priceless.

The problem I have here is by paul7926 at Fri, 07/31/2009 - 06:11
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3

The problem I have here is that the correct level of interaction is always going to be different for each individual. It's like the definition of 'casual', it means something different depending on your personal outlook.

I'm quite an easy going person until I'm upset and I personally play the game with limited interaction via the keyboard. I always start with "Hello and good luck" or if my opponent get's that in first I'll respond with something typed rather than the automatic greeting. Having done that I need all my concentration to play the game. I'm not being disrespectful to my opponent but I am being silent. I will comment if something unusual happens (my draft opponent playing his third volcanic fallout) or if my opponent makes a good play that I didn't see coming or when the game is won/lost and I no longer need to concentrate on my plays. I know that I have sometimes missed an opponents comments because of my focus on the game. It happens.

If my opponent wants to take that lack of social interaction during a game and attribute all sorts of unfounded reasons to it then so be it. In reality I'm just trying to play the best game I can, which is, lets be honest, the reason I have for logging onto MTG:O in the first place.

I guess the only real life comparison I can draw is when I'm kickboxing. During the rounds or the intervals between rounds (playing and sideboarding) I'm concentrating on the fight. Afterwards I'll chat with the guy and talk about which combinations I had trouble answering or any other aspect of what just happened.

I appreciate that this is 'my' way of playing but to be honest I don't have a single person on my 'banned' list. I don't really see the need for a banned list at all. If someone is breaking the terms of service with profanity or threatening behaviour then I'll screenshot and report it (not that I've ever had to do that) as it will help remove them from the game so that others do not have to suffer it. If they just have a different outlook to what is required socially or because of some unwritten rules of the format I'm trying to play then I'll just agree to disagree move on.

When playing online you are not able to see those face-to-face signs that let you know your opponent is invested in the game. There is no 'nod of the head' or smile to acknowledge an in game event. Just because you can't see them don't just assume you opponent is being disrespectful.

(Typed this quickly at work so apologies to all for rambling and all the spelling mistakes that just have to be in there!)

Until recently, before even by Lord Erman at Fri, 07/31/2009 - 07:01
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Until recently, before even looking at my starting hand I was saying "Hello and good luck". But I saw that most of the players were not even responding to that. So I gave up doing that. Nowadays I say that if only the opponent says that first or if I play against someone I know.

I type "gg" only after a game I believe was really a good game. Win or loss doesn't matter. Was it really a good game? Did I have fun? Yes? So gg it is. No? Just right click and concede (or wait for the opponent to do that). Sometimes I even remember saying "vgg" because it was one of those epic games that happen once in a while.

I only block someone if he's rude. During my first days I was also blocking people who were playing netdecks in the casual room and/or playing LD in the casual room but I don't do that anymore. I just concede and move on.

I usually don't speak much during a game. I try to respond if the opponent says something but do so shortly most of the time. What can I say when my opponent is complaining about his 6th land in a row (or my 4th Oblivion Ring in a row)? Yes it is absurd and makes the game one sided and unfun but what does he want me to say about it? And I also never complain or whine when I get my 6th land in a row. Of course I curse the shuffler and say that out loud but I don't think that my opponent can "hear" that.

And no, I don't and won't trade after the game so just stop asking this please!

Well, that's pretty much all about me.

LE

OK...Responses. by Paul Leicht at Fri, 07/31/2009 - 10:26
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Some very good points made here.

@Splendid_Belt I still have my block list though I have also considered deleting it. I am not sure why I haven't except that it is a leap. I do think it can be dangerous to impose one's point of view on other people forcibly or even just coercively (cf: Evangelism) but I think teaching by example is the only true way to spread ideas like peace and respect. TELLING people doesn't really work unless you are preaching to the choir anyway. Some people just need a bit of convincing. But DOING something consistently over time does get results. My questions in the article concerning the ethics are just that. Questions. And I don't have any concrete answers. I put it out here to see what discussion it would stir up. Maybe I too should delete my block list and start over but I can't swear I won't block people as it is a defense against dealing with negativity.

@Jmason Lol! Yes I have encountered that comment. I don't know if it was the same incident but it was funny at the time.

@Paul7926 I respect your point of view. I disagree with some of it but I respect it. Concentrating on the game is something I more expect in tourney setting. I am a lot less chatty myself in Draft/Sealed than I am in casual games. My goals are completely different. I want packs/prizes if I am competing and the person I am playing against is playing for the same goal. I still try to maintain a modicum of courtesy and sportsmanship anyway so that my self-respect doesn't waver. It isn't hard for me to screw up and start kicking myself and being on tilt so to speak if I lose sight of who I am. Being a good sport and a positive thinker keeps this from happening.

On the other hand in casual I am there purely for the fun of it and there is absolutely no reason for me to interact with anyone who doesn't want to interact. Why even talk to someone who can't be bothered to say "hello?" As far as CoC violations. I don't think I have ever reported one. I have moderated chats and done the whole game staff thing so I know these things ARE taken seriously and honestly I think the sanctions sometimes outweigh the reason for them. I don't need to be the cause of someone being kicked off the game or losing product. That isn't to say I would never report something but it would have to be pretty earth shattering. By the way if there were typos I missed them. :)

@Lord_Erman I think I did that with net-deckers at first too, back in the very early days, but only if they also rude. I find your comment about trade interesting. I often WILL trade after a game if someone asks. I like trading. I may decline if I don't have the time but usually with "some other time maybe". But I totally get not wanting to be solicited. There are a lot of people who make trading a chore simply by not being well informed about card values or how to use the interface, and of course there are those who try to get something for nothing. Big pains in the rear those last. I put my personal likes dislikes in my description so that anyone inquisitive can see that yes I do occasionally play LD, Discard, counters etc and I do like to trade and I do block sullen nonchatters sometimes.

Thanks all for responding!

My response was typed in a by paul7926 at Fri, 07/31/2009 - 10:56
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My response was typed in a hurry and I don't think some of it was a clear as I wanted it to be.

I suspect that if we ever played against each other you would get a slightly less chatty game than you perhaps wanted but other than that there would be no issues. I may not be that chatty but I'll never knowingly blank an opponent out of malice. It might take me a while to respond whilst I try and think through my next play however.

We have different goals when playing but it appears that we would both respect the others point of view which is all you can really ask when playing random people online. Yes, there is no prize pressure in a casual game but it's my own personal demon that insist I still try to play the game out as best I can. I can't help that and I would hope that it doesn't spoil the game for my opponents. I'm usually nowhere near the casual room but I'm trying to play some multiplayer games and wouldn't want to loose prospective opponents without realising what the problem was. Actually that's why I'm spending so much time responding to that part of your article. It's very interesting to me to understand what is proper etiquete in a casual environment.

The point I think I failed to make very well about banned lists is the reason that I don't use them. In order for someone to spoil my enjoyment of the game enough to warrant being on a banned list they would have to be the sort of person that was breaking enough rules that they would stand a chance of being banned or suspended from the game itself. I would then leave that decision up to the games official representitives. Thankfully I've never found anyone that anti-social on MTG:O.

(There just has to be a load of spelling mistakes in this one!)

me personally by whiffy at Sat, 08/01/2009 - 02:13
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4

From the point of veiw of a tournament player.

Most of my games in an event setting boil down to these comments.

gl there sir.

gg

gl in the next round/draft/event

gj on making the top 8/4/finals/money (when i know that i and my opponent are locked)

Being that i play mostly classic i have come do know ( as much as you can know a screen name) a large portion of the player base. The more comfortable i am with the player in question the more comments come down, such as a little playful trash talking or expressing sorrow at a truely bad beat on mine or there part.

Rarely do i "go off" on some one, but it does happen, ussaly when they are being a poor sport, or when the pressure of continual bad beats keep coming my way in the same tournament.

lastly i say gg every time unless i am furious. then i just concede and turn the computer off. Some people take this the wrong way, but i never mean harm by it, even if your mana screwed or mana hosed shouldnt the expereince be worth something positive?

My personal behavior as mostly a tournie player. This changes completely with most of my clan, especially if we are testing.