Editorial:
I've been digging into Myers-Briggs personality types again lately and according to my personality type results I need to make an effort to understand the other types' point of view. Which got me thinking about exactly how in the world I could do that. Assimilating everything about 15 other personality types is a daunting task, possibly even too much so. I decided that I'd have to approach it in waves if I'm going to be successful and I figured the easiest place would be in the context of MTG and MTGO. It probably was the easiest, but in retrospect, even putting this together was quite an ordeal and in point of fact has made my brain hurt. Which goes to show me just how far away I am from having the amount of understanding I need. I'll refrain from stating my personality type so people can try to guess which one of these I am. I'm interested to see how I'm perceived versus how I actually score.
The naming convention is <personality type>: Percentage of the population of that type. So the first one below is ISTJ: twelve to sixteen percent of the population is this type.
Before I move on to the breakdowns, though. Based on what the letters mean I have a suspicion that there are more xxTx's that play Magic than the other types as Magic is at its core, a thinking game. That's not to say that there aren't people in all the categories that play Magic, just that I suspect that our main population is made up of people who enjoy using their thinking skills. Statistics can be found here: http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=35881
I was able to find a rudimentary Myer's Briggs test here. I took the free test and scored very similarly to the real test I've taken through work and training courses. This makes me think that while it's probably imperfect, it's going to be very close for most of us. If you take the test, please let me know how close I got to your reasons for playing the game, and how you approach it. As I stated to start this, I need to work on my understanding of the rest of you. Which means I'm likely to be way, way off on some of these. Also, there may be people who play Magic for reasons I've never even thought of or heard of yet. While I have heard of a lot of reasons and seen many more, it's well within reason to believe that I'm oblivious to some reasons for playing Magic.
ISTJ: 12-16%
Quiet, serious, earn success by thoroughness and dependability. Practical, matter-of-fact, realistic, and responsible. Decide logically what should be done and work toward it steadily, regardless of distractions. Take pleasure in making everything orderly and organized – their work, their home, their life. Value traditions and loyalty.
How they approach the game: To me, this sounds like a nuts and bolts Spike. Serious in their winning, logical approach to the mechanics and so on. Getting better makes themselves a better player, regardless of the rest of the world's thoughts.
How they play the game: These are some of the meticulous players that take their time and think about their moves. There is nothing haphazard or on gut feeling about these players.
Why they play the game: Self improvement is crucial, and the opportunities for improving one's own game are ever present.
ISFJ: 10-13%
Quiet, friendly, responsible, and conscientious. Committed and steady in meeting their obligations. Thorough, painstaking, and accurate. Loyal, considerate, notice and remember specifics about people who are important to them, concerned with how others feel. Strive to create an orderly and harmonious environment at work and at home.
How they approach the game: Fun first, winning second.
How they play the game: However they feel is right, and what keeps the balance of their local group.
Why they play the game: Knowing that they are able to have fun with others and increase the fun of the group.
INFJ: 2-3%
Seek meaning and connection in ideas, relationships, and material possessions. Want to understand what motivates people and are insightful about others. Conscientious and committed to their firm values. Develop a clear vision about how best to serve the common good. Organized and decisive in implementing their vision.
How they approach the game: It's vast, and collectible. Piecing a high value collection together from the world of cards is a challenge.
How they play the game: I imagine that these are the casual traders walking through pre-releases.
Why they play the game: Collection chasers.
INTJ: 3-4%
Have original minds and great drive for implementing their ideas and achieving their goals. Quickly see patterns in external events and develop long-range explanatory perspectives. When committed, organize a job and carry it through. Skeptical and independent, have high standards of competence and performance – for themselves and others.
How they approach the game: Combo, combo combo, combooooo
How they play the game: Combo, combo combo, combooooo
Why they play the game: To see some crazy mix of ideas work out and win via their expected plan.
ISTP: 5-7%
Tolerant and flexible, quiet observers until a problem appears, then act quickly to find workable solutions. Analyze what makes things work and readily get through large amounts of data to isolate the core of practical problems. Interested in cause and effect, organize facts using logical principles, value efficiency.
How they approach the game: Interested in card rules and "rules lawyering"
How they play the game: With intricate and subtle interactions that lead to game states that they alone we prepared for.
Why they play the game: An outlet of unimaginable depth and minutiae that appeases their inner goals
ISFP: 5-7%
Quiet, friendly, sensitive, and kind. Enjoy the present moment, what’s going on around them. Like to have their own space and to work within their own time frame. Loyal and committed to their values and to people who are important to them. Dislike disagreements and conflicts, do not force their opinions or values on others.
How they approach the game: I don't think they do. Nothing in this personality type overlaps with anything in Magic's repertoire that I know of. Games are played in shared time and is all about conflict while playing.
How they play the game: Again, I don't think that many would.
Why they play the game: Probably don't. In fact, I don't think we get many xxFP's (ISFP, INFP, ESFP, ENFP) that play this game at all. Simply because they really don't fit the normal demographic of people that find their energy through the type of play experience that Magic brings them. If any of you score as an xxFP, please throw me a bone and explain what you like about Magic!
INFP: 4-5%
Idealistic, loyal to their values and to people who are important to them. Want an external life that is congruent with their values. Curious, quick to see possibilities, can be catalysts for implementing ideas. Seek to understand people and to help them fulfill their potential. Adaptable, flexible, and accepting unless a value is threatened.
How they approach the game: Anti-netdecker
How they play the game: By their own rules, and with their ideals in control of the decisions.
Why they play the game: Probably don't. In fact, I don't think we get many xxFP's (ISFP, INFP, ESFP, ENFP) that play this game at all. Simply because they really don't fit the normal demographic of people that find their energy through the type of play experience that Magic brings them. If any of you score as an xxFP, please throw me a bone and explain what you like about Magic!
INTP: 5-6%
Seek to develop logical explanations for everything that interests them. Theoretical and abstract, interested more in ideas than in social interaction. Quiet, contained, flexible, and adaptable. Have unusual ability to focus in depth to solve problems in their area of interest. Skeptical, sometimes critical, always analytical.
How they approach the game: Metagame breakers, drafters, anything that can allow them to benefit from hardcore data knowledge.
How they play the game: Look at the entire breakdown of the set, format, etc and seek to get a working knowledge of every aspect of it. Then break it in half.
Why they play the game: To break formats and quickly adapt to draft strategies.
When I read this I immediately thought of Mike Flores. I see his column, his past writings, and his approach to the game as an exact fit for this. Ditto for Frank Karsten. Their personalities may not actually be INTP, but their public works really feel like they are.
ESTP: 5-7%
Flexible and tolerant, they take a pragmatic approach focused immediate results. Theories and conceptual explanations bore them – they want to act energetically to solve the problem. Focus on the here-and-now, spontaneous, enjoy each moment that they can be active with others. Enjoy material comforts and style. Learn best through doing.
How they approach the game: Just play. What's taking you so long for your turn?
How they play the game: Possibly too impulsively. The type that accidentally play the wrong land on autopilot, but still try to work around it.
Why they play the game: Because they enjoy the game and being around others who do as well.
ESFP: 6-9%
Outgoing, friendly, and accepting. Exuberant lovers of life, people, and material comforts. Enjoy working with others to make things happen. Bring common sense and a realistic approach to their work, and make work fun. Flexible and spontaneous, adapt readily to new people and environments. Learn best by trying a new skill with other people.
How they approach the game: As a social outlet for interaction.
How they play the game: Generally multiplayer/Two Headed Giant/cooperative types of formats.
Why they play the game: Probably don't. In fact, I don't think we get many xxFP's (ISFP, INFP, ESFP, ENFP) that play this game at all. Simply because they really don't fit the normal demographic of people that find their energy through the type of play experience that Magic brings them. If any of you score as an xxFP, please throw me a bone and explain what you like about Magic!
ENFP: 6-8%
Warmly enthusiastic and imaginative. See life as full of possibilities. Make connections between events and information very quickly, and confidently proceed based on the patterns they see. Want a lot of affirmation from others, and readily give appreciation and support. Spontaneous and flexible, often rely on their ability to improvise and their verbal fluency.
How they approach the game: Assuming they play, they seek to use it as a way to fulfill a need for validation. Success brings accolades.
How they play the game: They follow the patterns of history and seek to get ahead of the pattern.
Why they play the game: Probably don't. In fact, I don't think we get many xxFP's (ISFP, INFP, ESFP, ENFP) that play this game at all. Simply because they really don't fit the normal demographic of people that find their energy through the type of play experience that Magic brings them. If any of you score as an xxFP, please throw me a bone and explain what you like about Magic!
ENTP: 4-7%
Quick, ingenious, stimulating, alert, and outspoken. Resourceful in solving new and challenging problems. Adept at generating conceptual possibilities and then analyzing them strategically. Good at reading other people. Bored by routine, will seldom do the same thing the same way, apt to turn to one new interest after another.
How they approach the game: Something to do while they wait for their next Texas Hold 'em game to start. Money drafting with friends.
How they play the game: They read the other players and the situations for possible outcomes and cards. Tend to favor formats where they can use their skills to gain an advantage. Smaller draft/sealed formats are appealing.
Why they play the game: A different challenge from their usual poker games.
ESTJ: 10-12%
Practical, realistic, matter-of-fact. Decisive, quickly move to implement decisions. Organize projects and people to get things done, focus on getting results in the most efficient way possible. Take care of routine details. Have a clear set of logical standards, systematically follow them and want others to also. Forceful in implementing their plans.
How they approach the game: Methodically, focused on details of the board, outs they could draw and draws their opponents could have.
How they play the game: Rushing into the 8 man queues or Premiere Events once they've built the deck they want and have played it to understanding.
Why they play the game: They know that they can absorb and apply the rules in such a way as to have an advantage against many less focused players.
ESFJ: 10-12%
Warmhearted, conscientious, and cooperative. Want harmony in their environment, work with determination to establish it. Like to work with others to complete tasks accurately and on time. Loyal, follow through even in small matters. Notice what others need in their day-by-day lives and try to provide it. Want to be appreciated for who they are and for what they contribute.
How they approach the game: They build decks to either support the emperor or ensure their other head's success in an X v X duel.
How they play the game: Do whatever it takes to have the team win. Our victory at the price of my defeat is an acceptable notion.
Why they play the game: Enjoys cooperative multiplayer more than other forms.
ENFJ: 3-5%
Warm, empathetic, responsive, and responsible. Highly attuned to the emotions, needs, and motivations of others. Find potential in everyone, want to help others fulfill their potential. May act as catalysts for individual and group growth. Loyal, responsive to praise and criticism. Sociable, facilitate others in a group, and provide inspiring leadership.
How they approach the game: As a social outlet for working with others.
How they play the game: Generally in multiplayer, I presume. EDH and free-for-all's seem like a nice fit for player type.
Why they play the game: Social aspect, meta-gaming, possibly overlapping as judges and mentors.
ENTJ: 3-5%
Frank, decisive, assume leadership readily. Quickly see illogical and inefficient procedures and policies, develop and implement comprehensive systems to solve organizational problems. Enjoy long-term planning and goal setting. Usually well informed, well read, enjoy expanding their knowledge and passing it on to others. Forceful in presenting their ideas.
How they approach the game: As a possible outlet for leadership, and a near limitless resource for learning and knowledge acquisition.
How they play the game: With less focus on the game and more focus on the learning.
Why they play the game: To constantly learn something new. To use that knowledge to help others.
Ouch. This was actually physically painful for me to do. Trying to ascribe motivations to so many differing types of people has been a very difficult experience for me and I assume I got more than a few completely wrong... if you do happen to take the test please let me know how far off I was on your personality type and how/why you actually play Magic/MTGO. As I went through these personality types I found that many of them are not really 'suited' to play Magic in the first place. Many people find self worth and other aspects in ways that are not conducive to being good Magic the Gathering players. Or what is important to them is not meant to be covered by Magic at all. Even if I got some of these completely wrong, I still hope that I can learn something about the rest of you as you provide me feedback. Also, hopefully, you may learn a bit more about yourself and others along the way!
Discussion Items:
Number of Events at one time?:
Long time readers will recognize this topic from the myriad of times it's come up before, and will come up again. Here's some inside information that I got from the guy in charge of MTGO's Organized Play (aka Mike Gills): the chess clock is there for both players and how they use it is up to them. Is it rude to play in multiple events? Probably, yeah. Is it allowed? Yes. *shrug*
Interviews!:
Gordon Culp (Studio Director, MTGO), Lee Sharpe (former rules coder and currently data spelunker), and Erik Lauer (R&D, General Math Guy).
I was once again fortunate enough to sit down with some WotC's to do some interviews. This time my interviewees involved Gordon Culp, Lee Sharpe and Erik Lauer. If those names don't ring any bells then you really should read those interviews. They're all instrumental in the current state of MTGO as well as the future of our medium of choice.
Fix for the WotC board issues?:
EngineKid has posted a fix for the issues when getting to the community site. Best of luck getting to it if you can't get to the community site... hmm. I'll paste the details for good measure, I guess...
"OK, here it is: navigate to "community.wizards.com/" by whatever method you can, perhaps by clicking that log-in at the "technical issues"warning. After you get there, log-out by clicking the log-out link in top right corner. Than delete/remove all your browser cookies. In IE8 choose the "safety" icon in top right corner, choose delete browser history and delete cookies option. In Chrome choose the "tools" icon in top right, clear browsing date, delete cookies. After you delete all cookies, simply log-in by choosing log-in and re-typing your email address and password and select "remember". Last, copy the URL "community.wizards.com/" and edit your bookmark to point to that URL. Now your browser should automatically log-in again." -EngineKid
Price Discussions:
In case you missed the news, there's a new "Stupid Green Deck" in town in the form of a Nissa Revane + Eldrazi Monument deck that seeks to abuse the drawback of the Eldrazin with Nissa + Nissa's Chosen, or random other tokens that are pumped out by Garruk or Master of the Wild Hunt. The result is a strong deck that took multiple Top 8 slots in the latest $5K tournament and of course, that impact flows quickly over to MTGO where the deck had already been winning, but in the background and without a lot of attention before now. Chalk this up to another impact of Paper Magic on MTGO... those random cash tournaments are creating much more dynamic shake ups than we used to have.
As for what's cooling down... a lot of the 'old' cards are sliding down in price from the Classic cardpool. As the format goes into its 'between set lull' things always work their way downwards. Of the few cards that *aren't* classic related, there is Baneslayer Angel which likely jumped up on speculation buying and also falling are the 'new wrath' and B/W Fetchland.
Price Tables:
Price Graphs:
nissa revane chart
eldrazi monument chart
master of the wild hunt chart
traumatize chart
path to exile chart
earthquake chart
jace beleren chart
garruk wildspeaker chart
ajani vengeant chart
chandra nalaar chart
nissa revane chart
eldrazi monument chart
traumatize chart
master of the wild hunt chart
rancor chart
bituminous blast chart
rite of replication chart
sculpting steel chart
path to exile chart
traumatize chart
vindicate chart
baneslayer angel chart
haunting echoes chart
phyrexian dreadnought chart
day of judgment chart
marsh flats chart
wooded foothills chart
engineered explosives chart
bloodstained mire chart
arcbound ravager chart
bloodchief ascension chart
conquerors pledge chart
howling mine chart
barbarian ring chart
boggart ram_gang chart
browbeat chart
haunting echoes chart
malakir bloodwitch chart
Aether vial chart
Tournament Data:
16 Player Swiss:
| |
321 Draft |
16 player Daily Swiss Daily |
16 Player Sealed Swiss (on demand) |
16 player Daily Swiss (Release) |
| Promo |
None |
Counterspell |
None |
Avatar, extra avatar to winners |
| Rounds |
3 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
| Expected Value (prizes): |
42.8% |
50.9% |
50% |
54.9% |
| Estimated Time |
Three to Four hours |
Four Hours |
Three Hours |
Four Hours |
| Payout |
3-0: 3 Packs
2-1: 2 Packs
1-2: 1 Packs
0-3: 0 packs |
4-0: 11 Packs
3-1: 6 Packs
2-2: 3 Packs
1-3 or lower: 0 Packs |
3-0: 9 Packs
2-1: 4 Packs
1-2: 1 Packs
0-3: 0 Packs |
4-0: 15 Packs
3-1: 12 Packs
2-2: 3 Packs
1-3 or lower:0 Packs |
| MOPR Points |
3 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
| Cost |
3 Boosters + 2 Event Tickets
($14.97 from the store) |
Six Boosters + 2 Event Tickets
($25.94 from the store) |
Six Boosters
($23.94 from the store) |
Six boosters + 4 Event Tickets
($27.94 from the store) |
Dailies:
| |
Standard |
Block |
Extended |
Classic |
| Promo |
Counterspell, foil for winning |
Counterspell, foil for winning |
Counterspell, foil for winning |
Counterspell, foil for winning |
| Estimated Time |
Four hours |
Four hours |
Four hours |
Four hours |
| Rounds |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
| Payout |
4-0: 11 Zen Packs
3-1: 6 Zen Packs |
4-0: 11 Zen Packs
3-1: 6 Zen Packs |
4-0: 11 ACR (4/3/4)
3-1: 6 ACR (2/2/2) |
4-0: 11 ME3 Boosters
3-1: 6 ME3 Boosters |
| MOPR Points |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
| Cost |
6 Event Tickets + Deck |
6 Event Tickets + Deck |
6 Event Tickets + Deck |
6 Event Tickets + Deck |
Weekend Events:
| |
Standard Singleton |
Pauper |
Core Set Constructed |
100 Card Singleton |
| Promo |
Goblin Legionnaire, foil top 8 |
Goblin Legionnaire, foil top 8 |
Goblin Legionnaire, foil top 8 |
Goblin Legionnaire, foil top 8 |
| Estimated Time |
6+ hours, + top 8 |
6+ hours, + top 8 |
6+ hours, + top 8 |
6+ hours, + top 8 |
| Rounds |
5 for 24 - 32
6 for 33 - 64
7 for 65-128
8 for 129-256
|
5 for 24 - 32
6 for 33 - 64
7 for 65-128
8 for 129-256
|
5 for 24 - 32
6 for 33 - 64
7 for 65-128
8 for 129-256
|
5 for 24 - 32
6 for 33 - 64
7 for 65-128
8 for 129-256
|
| Payout |
1st: 30 Zendikar
2nd: 20 Zendikar
3rd & 4th: 12 Zendikar
5th - 8th: 6 Zendikar
9th - 16th: 3 Zendikar |
1st: 30 M2010
2nd: 20 M2010
3rd & 4th: 12 M2010
5th - 8th: 6 M2010
9th - 16th: 3 M2010 |
1st: 30 M2010
2nd: 20 M2010
3rd & 4th: 12 M2010
5th - 8th: 6 M2010
9th - 16th: 3 M2010 |
1st: 30 MED3
2nd: 20 MED3
3rd & 4th: 12 MED3
5th - 8th: 6 MED3
9th - 16th: 3 MED3 |
| MOPR Points |
6 for 33 - 64
7 for 65-128 |
6 for 33 - 64
7 for 65-128 |
6 for 33 - 64
7 for 65-128 |
6 for 33 - 64
7 for 65-128 |
| Cost |
10 Event Tickets + Deck |
10 Event Tickets + Deck |
10 Event Tickets + Deck |
10 Event Tickets + Deck |
Premiere Events:
| |
Standard |
Block |
Extended |
Classic |
| Promo |
Counterspell, foil for top 8 |
Counterspell, foil for top 8 |
Counterspell,foil for top 8 |
Counterspell, foil for top 8 |
| Estimated Time |
6+ hours, + top 8 |
6+ hours, + top 8 |
6+ hours, + top 8 |
6+ hours, + top 8 |
| Rounds |
6 for 33 - 64
7 for 65-96 |
6 for 33 - 64
7 for 65-96 |
6 for 33 - 64
7 for 65-96 |
6 for 33 - 64
7 for 65-96 |
| Payout |
1st: 36 Zen Packs
2nd: 27 Zen Packs
3rd & 4th: 18 Zen Packs
5th - 8th: 9 Zen Packs |
1st: 36 Zen Packs
2nd: 27 Zen Packs
3rd & 4th: 18 Zen Packs
5th - 8th: 9 Zen Packs |
1st: 36 ACR (12/12/12)
2nd: 27 ACR (9/9/9)
3rd & 4th: 18 ACR (6/6/6)
5th - 8th: 9 ACR (3/3/3) |
1st: 36 ME3 Packs
2nd: 27 ME3 Packs
3rd & 4th: 18 ME3 Packs
5th - 8th: 9 ME3 Packs |
| MOPR Points |
6 for 33 - 64
7 for 65-128 |
6 for 33 - 64
7 for 65-128 |
6 for 33 - 64
7 for 65-128 |
6 for 33 - 64
7 for 65-128 |
| Cost |
10 Event Tickets + Deck |
10 Event Tickets + Deck |
10 Event Tickets + Deck |
10 Event Tickets + Deck |
Conclusion:
That's all for this week! Hopefully you've all had at least some fun mocking my inability to understand my fellow humans and can maybe figure out a way to help me understand you all a bit better. If not, then I'll settle for the general mocking and taunting!
Also, I think I got all the pieces of the tables correct, but there's an awful lot of data to be gathered from around the various places (custhelp, random sites, random wiki's, etc)... if I got something horribly wrong, I'm sure I'll hear about it shortly. My goal with those tables is to update them as pieces change so we can have a very easy, very fast, look up for the formats we're interested in that doesn't require being online and in the game. Let me know of any ways to improve them or make them better!
38 Comments
im an istj and i couldnt deal with reading 80% of this post!
love your article, look forward to it every friday
im an istj and i couldnt deal with reading 80% of this post!
love your article, look forward to it every friday
beautiful tournament data charts - even though i know most of that information already (since i'm an avid mtgo'er), it would be extremely helpful for those who are not so inclined. nice layout and information presented. now, only if you could include in the tournament data what deck i should be playing it'll make the prize section information relevant to me ;) cheers.
also slight correction weekend PE are 6 tix + deck, not 10 tix as stated.
I'm INFJ. That means:
Seek meaning and connection in ideas, relationships, and material possessions. Want to understand what motivates people and are insightful about others. Conscientious and committed to their firm values. Develop a clear vision about how best to serve the common good. Organized and decisive in implementing their vision.
And that once again means that I'm a Blue mage with some White involved in it. Every test, and I mean EVERY test, ends with the same result. Oh and yes, I'm a collector. I never denied that side of me but I'm not here just to collect. I'm also a competitor. I love the challange too. In fact, I'm writing this comment in the middle of a Daily Event.
Loved the event charts!
LE
well apparently Im an ESFP and i play so im slightly offended hammy. Lol ok really i got the esfp and i dont know why that should be weird playing magic. I mean i do love the socializing aspect but i also love the game. Deckbuilding and suceeding is a great feeling. I think xxFP's are probably more likely to be johnnys. Also i dont want to brag too much but i was always top of my class and in honors courses etc...so i guess its a good brain exercise. Maybe im just weird..which i would certainly not argue.
I definitely am a IFSP. As to why I play the game? While I do tend to avoid conflict in most situations I am highly competitive and while I don't force my opinions on others. I will share them vehemently when asked. I also scored highly on the "P" portion which I believe I do enjoy looking for every possible angle to win and will not concede until I'm facing lethal with absolutely no chance of an out. I do enjoy my space, that being said I play almost exclusively online and hardly converse other than the customary GL, GG. I do make an occasional paper event, but thats more or less to show I still have what it takes.
Any news on V3.5?
Nothing official, but I will say that there are detailed mock ups of the UI pretty much everywhere to help get internal feedback. I can't go into what exactly, but it is still very in progress.
Including that Tournament Data section is very nice. Much appreciated.
What I liked about the M-B test version you linked is that it tells you how "deep" you are in any characteristic. As I've historically been, I'm deep into the NT quadrant (rational) but the other two (Introvert vs Extrovert, Perceiving vs Judging) can vary based on the test setup or my mood at the moment. Strictly speaking I showed INTJ here but I was 1% J for example.
Based on your descriptions, I'd probably merge the 4 rationals somewhat. From ENTP I like variety and regularly vary decks (but don't care for gambling, no Texas Hold-Em for me, thanks). I do like to take the situation and figure it out (INTP) but once I have it 95% I'll move on rather than choke out the last bit of understanding. (A more lopsided pareto principle.)
Your INTJ explanation actually felt the least like me. I have no particular love for combo, though I don't mind it. It's just another piece to be figured out. And then ENTJ comes pretty close, since I do often take a leadership role (but more like an INTJ only if no one else does) and do like learning and gathering information.
By WotC psychographics I figure I'm 90% Spike, 10% Timmy. (A "variety Timmy", they say.) But my Spike success is probably limited for the reasons B-M would say, that I tend to drift toward what could or should be rather than what strictly is.
I'm a Johnny-Spike INTJ. I only have fun if I'm winning, but I need to win on my terms.
ESFJ was mine from this one which differs greatly from past results. I believe the fact that I scored 1 on the extrovert side was interesting. Not sure the weighting of that test was too accurate but anyway :) Fun stuff. (I scored heavily into the other categories.) Previously I believe I have scored as a INFP but that was equally offputting as this test as far as how I see myself.
I find my magic behavior is as follows: I play to win. On the other hand I like fun card interactions and card synergy. Even if my opponent is the one playing them. I enjoy the social aspects of playing but don't enjoy multiplayer probably because I think infinite combo engines are a corruption of the game and those seem to proliferate any multiplayer games I see online. (Offline my favorite format other than reject rares draft is 2headed giant with chinese menu sealed constructed rules, so I do enjoy SOME multiplayer formats.) They exist and I accept that they are useful as methods of winning but I prefer more interactive wins. (Tactics vs tactics, etc). Strangely I don't view counters and control in the same light. To me they are the essence of the interactive game. In fact the only time I object to what other people are playing is when it is an infinite engine. I can even enjoy those if they are quick enough to set up and run but most tend to take a huge amount of time for the "I Win Now" moment to occur. Not fun to me.
I also find discussing deckbuilding/theory to be fun but I need the hands on experience. If I can't put my ideas into practice I get frustrated.
As a sidenote, my impression of people who say "Just play! What's taking you so long" are not being tolerant or flexible. Impatient, yes. Rude, certainly. If they are only thinking it then they are not being very extroverted in their expression. I suspect, though, those behaviors are merely immaturity and not actual personality features.
I think the real problem with this type of typology is that it only covers aspects of one's personality and does not really give you an accurate picture of the person as a whole (any more than do the Zodiac signs.) I would love to see a more indepth look at who we are as players.
As you said you have had difficulty in understanding your fellow players and to some extent so have I. I pride myself on my skills in empathy and compassion but some people just seem to do things that are utterly incomprehensible to me. This doesn't make them or myself insane or wrong in any way. Just different.
I am sympathetic to tribulations and having lived a bit of an adventurous life (not in the good sense) I can certainly see that the events of a person's life help shape them in unexpected ways. How people play now vs how they played when the game was first introduced has also changed dramatically. (Due in no small part to the internet and proliferation of deck technology and metagame theory.) All these things would be interesting to explore.
Unfortunately this is a bit of a sensitive topic. You said it was painful to write, it was also somewhat painful to read. I hate being put in a box even if its just for fun like these online quizes are. Everyone is unique of course and that makes us as a group harder to understand. I think the bottom line to bring away from this is we all love the game. Anything else is just gravy.
RE the price lists, I am a little annoyed to see Chandra rising but not the foiled version from Jace vs Chandra. Personally I detest foils but it seems that they usually are worth more than their nonfoiled counterparts. Are the theme decks really that much more common than the rares in Lor?
I've consistently scored ENFP for a long time. That said, I probably play Magic to explore some of my "off personality traits. Just because I'm dominant as xxFP doesn't mean I don't have an xxTJ side that I want to exercise a bit.
I done the test about 2 years ago and I got INTP. And yes, Im trying to break the current standard format with a $3 deck. Before Zen came out my deck was very successful in tourny practice, now it is somewhat harder due to decks being a little faster. Im still trying to work everything out and seeing which cards work better. Ill get there sooner or later. Probably another 2 weeks until I get it down and consistently beat money decks again.
Slight INTJ. I'd say that was a fairly accurate assesment, although perhaps synergies rather than combos. Finely honed engines that do what I want them to.
My scores were I:22, N:50, T:75 P:44
I scored as a solid Johnny. I would classify myself as a UWb mage. I rarely concede a game just because I am going to lose. I want to see all decks in action, to see how they tick. I love figuring card interactions (which is why I would rather Beta test than play tournaments). The play is more important than whether I win or lose.
Regarding INTJ, I agree with AJ in that I'd say "synergies" rather than "combos".
Agree.
I tested as INTJ (although I don't think that's what I usually test as) and I'm all about synergies, not so much into the uber combos.
warren instigator is being hoarded right now, and i wouldn't be surprised if it went up soon
Took the test. I'm an I:89 S:62 F:25 P:22. The FP is the weaker part but what I get out of magic is competition. I all about winning Spike if there is anything on the line, but the few times I play casual I am more a Johnny.
In your appraisal of ISFP I think you are mistaking competition for conflict. I avoid conflict at all costs but love competition.
Love the column mainly for the prices. I love the psudo stock market that is MTGO, but am not a collector at all. I sell all my cards to draft more, but look for the best point to sell.
On the test i was ISFJ, but i play more like a ESTP to be honest. Too impulsive :p
Your Type is
ENTJ
Extraverted Intuitive Thinking Judging
Strength of the preferences %
1 25 25 1
I have done several of these tests and I waver between ENFP and ENTP, with a slight preference for ENFP, which was the result I got from this test. As for magic, I don't think my type translates very well. I am primarily a johnny with a hint of spike. I mainly play casual, drafting occasionally. In deckbuilding, I am often willing to sacrifice power for style. In playing, I play to win.
ENFPs are noted as needing constant validation from peers. While this is true for me (as much as I hate to admit it), once again it doesn't work with Magic. Instead Magic provides me with self-validation, as I get kicks from beating people with jank.
I'm going to guess that you are either ESTJ or ENTJ. Whatever type you are, despite what Briggs-Meyer says, you probably don't actually need to understand other types very well. Strength in some areas creates weaknesses in others, and as your ability in one area improves, another will decline. 'I am, what I am'.
Based on multiple formal MB tests done through work training and school courses, I'm a confirmed INFP/J - with a very strong "I" dimension, and an almost balanced, "P/J" dimension. I'm a bit of an anomaly I guess, since I'm an infosec/cybersec professional (typically dominated by xSTx types) and oh...btw, I love Magic. Played since Unlimited and am a Spike/Johnny, play to win type, but I prefer to play to win creatively, if possible. If not, I will net deck with the best of them. So, sorry to blow a hole in your INFP/J analysis. Also, looking at this from the INFJ side: I don't really care about collecting whatsoever. I only get the cards I need for my decks and could care less about anything that doesn't further that goal. Of course, who wouldn't want a playset of every card from Alpha to Zendikar... :)
Good effort, though. That was a ton of work on your part. But I think MB is too complex to directly map to something specific like Magic. Also, one thing when evaluating MB is to keep in mind that your type is your preferred mode, but that doesn't exclude you from behaving outside of that mode as needed, ie, a strong Introvert that is able to swing Extrovert as needed in the workplace...
Great article as always.
First, as always great article Hammy, and thanks for all that you do for the community. That can't be said enough.
You've got some problems in the titles within what you call the "16 player swiss" tournament data.
There are no 16-player sealed swiss queues other than the release events. The queue that you call "16 Player Sealed Swiss" actually describes the 8 Player Sealed Swiss queue. Everything in the description is right, but the title is wrong, and could mislead potential players of the queue (it is hard enough to get it to fire at 8!). Also, while there was a 16 player sealed swiss queue during release with prizes and costs as you describe, it was an on-demand queue, not a daily event on a schedule. Calling that whole section "16 player swiss" is quite misleading, I think you want a title something like "Limited Swiss Queues" for that part.
I'm a solid INTJ, and while I do enjoy combo on occasion it certain isn't the be-all end-all of how and why I play Magic. I'm more into synergies, as others have noted for that personality type, but above that I'm more into winning (determining an effected plan and executing it) and figuring out the "correct" play in a given situation. But, true to my INTJ personality, I will say that this should be based on more than my personal example. Expanding, though, the whole personality type is more about what works and planning than it is about singular johnny events that combo usually refers to. Now, a tier-one competitive combo deck that wins consistently if played well, that certainly would appeal to the personality type. But combo for combo's sake (or anything for its own sake)? Not so much.
By the way, I don't see Flores or Karsten as very much Ixxx at all, especially Flores with all of his social references in his articles. Their public personas both seem to best fit ENTJ to me.
Whoever really believes that stereotype crap needs a brainscan.
it originated from carl jung's research on typology
it is used by many fortune 500 companies
you may just want that scan now
The thing is...it isn't stereotyping. It is similar though. I can see how you might be confused by it. The major difference is this is information how people prefer to behave just as stereotypes give us information about EXPECTED behavior. Often times those expectations are erroneous and not based on factual data. That said stereotypes fill the same role for people socially though more so for immature people.
On the other hand the personality types gathered above have been the subject of serious study and controversy for a long time. Some people will declare they are not rigorous scientific data and should be ignored however despite that people find them useful for informal identification with others who exhibit similar preferences. Hope this clarifies things for you.
I scored as INTJ, always have and have taken a professionally delivered test; again, as others have said, I am not a fan of combo decks but of internal synergies. It's pretty much like what others have said before; something that may be useful to you are my favorite two decks: Zoo and The Rock.
hmm I got ISFP as a result for my quick test- Im playing the game for over ten years now-and most of the time i m a tournament player on ptq/gp level-also some drafts with friends-but no regular shop player-just private testing with other tournament players. I m also playing online since the very beginning of Modo and play drafts and smaller events most of the time-no casual games-would play more bigger events when my timeframe would allow it to me.
interesting test and outcome - thanks for the experience :-)
I scored INTP, both online and in a professionally administered test 3 years ago. Your description was actually pretty good.
I'm an ISTJ. To which all who know me say: well, duh.
My wife taught me to play this game, not long after meeting her 8 years ago.
She's an INFP. She plays for fun. Period. Full stop. In recent years, magic at home has been a tad strained at times - apparently I suggest "the correct play" just a bit too often.
She's some combination of a Johnny, and "because I like this card". Her deck ideas always tend to be a little off the beaten trail, and can be awesomely powerful the 10-20% of the time that everything comes together. The last thing I recall her really taking a fancy to was various Izzet cards.
There's one thing she does that's really, really hard for an ISTJ to uncerstand: She'll take a deck, jank out a dozen or two cards, stuff in replacements, and happily keep playing. Usually the theme remains the same, sometimes it shifts. One way or another, there's no need to keep track of what the old cards were, or which of the new ones perform better, and which are worse.
She sounds like a mix of Johnny Timmy and Vorthos. Just a guess. Be glad your wife takes an interest in deck building. My gf will play and enjoy the games if I bring decks but doesn't really care for the process of choosing cards to play. She has stated general preferences like "Burn cards" and "Creatures". But other than that she will play her decks unseen.
I actually am an INFP, and it's difficult to explain why I play based on the rather short description you gave. Basically, INFP's feel a calling to a higher good, and crusade for what they believe to be goodness on earth. Unfortunately, alot of times this works out to personal relationship in modern life, and alot of them (Me included) tend to have cataclysmic love lifes because they tend to idealize their mates, so they generally fall horribly in love with one person and are simply incapable of moving on. Not that that's wrong, it's just how we are. So I know that personally I play magic because it gives me a place where I don't have to care about the justices of love and life, I just play cards with some guys, you know?
It's an escape.
And yes, I'm about as anti net-decking as it gets. Mainly because they always fail epically when I play them.
OH, and JOHNNY JOHNNY JOHNNY! INFP's are by far the rarest of the personality types, actually more around 1-2% according to the Myers book I have, and I've only ever met on other one in my life. She's also a johnny. So I think it's a trend. It's because we tend to be curious people, as well as (Not to be arrogant) generally on the higher end of intelligence, since we crusade for personal perfection as well. THis makes us great Johnnies, because I personally know that I can spot complex interactions fairly easily among cards, without really having to have it explained to me.
I am a strong ENTP, and I play Magic a ton. I also am bored by poker. It is the same every game, you see. Only 52 cards to worry about.
The reason why I have stuck with Magic as long as I have? Variance. I play Magic to do different things all the time. In my local judge community there are two of us (and I would guess he is the same type as I), that have an absurd number of EDH decks. He has 11 currently, while I just culled back down to 6 so I could free up sleeves to build another three or four again.
We discussed making our decks unified constructed just so we could see more cards between games. We also lend out decks constantly, and are tickled when others see patterns of play we missed in them. (Case in point. I watched someone use my Lorthos deck as a devastating control deck last night, combining Vedalken Shackles and a fistful of bounce and draw spells to lock up the board so he could attack effectively with Inkwell Leviathan. Which is not how I play that deck at all. It made me happy that it had that much flexibility.)
Simply put, I play Magic to try different things. I rarely rebuild decks from the past I have built before, just because I know how they work. I play EDH so I can have higher variance game to game with the same deck while still getting to test out and engineer new ideas. I play a two man draft format we call "idiot drafting" because it forces us to use more of the cards in a booster, so I get to do things like build a Howling Mine powered beatdown deck in limited. (Verdict on that deck was that it was terrible, but it gives me ideas.)
I love to know more about Magic, and I am always seeking cards I have not built decks yet, fun and interesting interactions in formats, and new and different ways to play. Magic is not *a* distraction from other things, other things are the distraction from something that changes constantly and which is thus the only thing that has held my flighty ENTP focus for over a decade.
And note that I am not random or haphazard about my playing Magic. I am committed to trying new things about the game all the time. I was logistics team lead for the second day of GP Minneapolis. Three drafts, two of them with 140 people, all with stamped product. The event ran buttery smooth because it was a new fun problem to solve, and I got to spend the whole day figuring out how to make it tick like a clock. We rolled 6 rounds and 2 drafts in well under 9 hours, and a decent chunk of that was having the drafts take under an hour from draft start to end of build.
I am also a terrible tournament player. I don't take the deck I am best at, or draft my standby every time. I could win more with Zoo than anything else, ever, but I will do things like play creatureless control decks in Mirrodin standard or some iteration of a midrange aggro deck that plays Vexing Sphinx alongside Slay to offset card advantage issues. Why? It is more interesting if I don't always know what will happen next even with excellent information on the format.
So, yeah. ENTPs are more than poker players. ;-)
Thank you all for your comments! I have learned a great deal about a lot of you in a very short amount of time. I'm actually amazed that I was even close to some of them. I expected to miss a lot more than I did. Of course, I was waaayyyyy off on a lot as well. :)
Great stuff, and thank you all again!
Another INFP chiming in as a Johnny experimenter. Specifically expresses itself in me as a desire to compete with the dominant decks with Jank. So you're mostly right.