AliCat's Alley Way

[NerdyAliCat]

I don't really know much about it except that it's Disney?

My friend got my interested in a more traditional form of gaming... A trading card game he's been super into lately! It's called Magic: the Gathering and I'm slowly learning how to play but it's very complicated

[npixelz]

Yeah, it's Disney, but it's also much more. It's too confusing to go into detail though, lol.

I've heard of that game but I don't know anything about it.

[NerdyAliCat]

Fair enough. I hope you're enjoying it!

It's pretty complicated. I've been playing the online version to learn the ropes

[Lemon Cheesecake]

magic the gathering is ok to play but don't get sucked into buying the expensive cards!!

[npixelz]

I am.

I see.

You have to pay for certain cards? Sounds like pay-to-win to me

[galled]

It is! Unless you play with people who allow copy cards.

[npixelz]

Pay-to-win games are a no go for me.

[galled]

You're smart!

[NerdyAliCat]

You have to pay for the traditional/physical version of the cards, yes but you can also dump money into the online version too but you don't have to in order to do well. When you buy physical cards too at a store in a deck pack situation you'll also get a code to get similar cards in the game.

The card collecting in me is kicking in hard for this game. I used to collect a lot of Pokemon cards when i was younger but never picked up the rules of the card game so at least i'll be using the cards i buy this time

[galled]

At least with the original pokemon cards there was an achievable ability to collect all of them. Magic is crack for some people. It becomes an addiction, and the company keeps feeding it (not that I blame them for making money or having a wonderful business model for themselves, but I guess I'm too sensible to fall for it).

What I don't like about the game itself is someone with a mega card or cards can beat you every time. I feel if you're able to print any card and use that (as opposed to dropping massive amounts of money--I know people who have spent thousands!), then it becomes about skill/strategy and understanding rather than who has the most money to waste.

[NerdyAliCat]

What I like about it is that even though at this point I had only been playin for three days, I was in a voice chat with my two friends that play it and I was able to beat each of them four times before we ended the call and I was only using my 'default' decks with the cards that you get unlocked free as you play more games and level up. Everyone's that's played the online game gets those cards and I was still able to beat each of them four times. The friend that had actually put money into the game only won once against me and the friend that introduced me to the game managed to win back enough to tie with me. You don't even have to have the best cards to play, for me it purely went down to how many lands I pulled, my starting hand and if their starting Han was bad. It is true, if I lost, I lost because they absolutely wiped my hand into oblivion but it was a learning process and I did have my fair share of 'curb-stomping' them too.
In a way the online version is better than the physical cards. It's easier to pick up and you don't have to spend money to be good at it plus there's plenty of in-game ways to get more cards

[Lemon Cheesecake]

in the beginning, before they had the cards that let you win the game by playing them, there was more of a challenge and you could actual battle not be totally defeated from a card. I use to like the cards that would let you get extra lives, but ya, if you don't pull up any "lands" in your first hand then you fall behind quickly. I never tried the online version though. Glad to hear you don't have to sink money into the online game.

[npixelz]

That's great, Ali! I'm glad you weren't wiped out completely.

Speaking of money, I wish I had some

[NerdyAliCat]

The strategy is still there. They always try to ensure that everything's balanced and there's still always a way of wiping out those hard cards. Some people make cheap shots, yes, but they aren't worth playing with then.

I'm still learning but i'm learning well!

[npixelz]

That's good! Maybe it isn't so pay-to-win after all.

Excellent!