March 2020 AMA

Sheldon
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Post by Sheldon » 4 years ago

I'd like to source the questions for my next AMA from right here at MTG Nexus. Fire away. No topic is off limits (Commander, life, music, nerd culture, baseball, games, whatever you like).

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darrenhabib
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Post by darrenhabib » 4 years ago

I would like to know more about how the RC and Commander Advisory Group (CAG) interact with each other?
There might be information on the internet on this, but might as well take the time now in a Q&A.

I feel the more transparent the process of communication between members, the more informed players are.

Things like specifically how often you have meetings. What have CAG members brought to the table as far as potential card choices and how have they influenced decisions?
Really anything you are willing to share with the general level of interaction within the group, even if a lot of it is informal.

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HoffOccultist
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Post by HoffOccultist » 4 years ago

Two commander questions:

1) What's your favorite Commander content to view/read/listen to/etc?

2) Do you feel like there's more discussion to be had on the banlist (thinking particularly about Flash), or has that discussion run dry of new information or ideas?

Life questions:

You're a well noted enjoyer of food and libations, so what's your go-to comfort meal, and what's your favorite meal you've ever had?

Thanks!
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BeneTleilax
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Post by BeneTleilax » 4 years ago

flash ban when?

Cheshireplaysgames
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Post by Cheshireplaysgames » 4 years ago

Hi Sheldon,

Why don't we see RC members retweet or share smaller content creators articles, videos and streams? We are a lot of medijm//big content creators get shared out there, but I don't think we've seen anyone else.

Also, how can we submit articles and videos we've made on our home sites (PureMTGO for example) to the new RC site?

Wobbles
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Post by Wobbles » 4 years ago

Hi Sheldon,

Is there any chance that the Rules Committee could do a community survey? I know there's nothing that will perfectly capture community attitudes, but seeing data on how people play beyond the antidotal instance may help end some of the perennial community suggestions or give the RC insight on where the community is on some of these issues.

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pokken
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Post by pokken » 4 years ago

When is recurring nightmare getting unbanned? Gifts ungiven?

How is morale with the flash controversy?

Have you and wizards had any discussions about problems with commander power creep?

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RxPhantom
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Post by RxPhantom » 4 years ago

Not to mention any names, but some members of the CAG seem to be speaking directly on the behalf of the RC when they do interviews. Is this supposed to be the case?

Would any of the RC members be open to appearing on something like Game Knights, or another content creator's gameplay video?

There are certain topics that are always being discussed in the community, such as planeswalkers as commanders and hybrid mana. Can you tell us if these or any other issues are considered settled among the RC?

Do you get a little disappointed that a lot of cool, old commanders are getting driven to obscurity more and more by newer ones?

On a separate note, I implore the RC not to ban Flash.
Last edited by RxPhantom 4 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
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Treamayne
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Post by Treamayne » 4 years ago

Hope you are still doing well.

1) Status of the official forums? (Really missing them)

1a) Will content from the old forums be retrievable/archive-able?

1b) Will data-centric "posts" from the old forum be made into content on the new website (e.g. the Graveyard Hate and Unique Casting Cost posts) and/or will the RC open up for "community" members to aggregate that (and/or similar) data to be made into informational pages on the new site?

2) What was the most recent "variant format" you have tried and/or you hope to try? EDH specific variants?

3) Do you keep contact with former RC members (e.g. BKM) and are they ever part of the discussion/process with the current RC/CAG?
Last edited by Treamayne 4 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
V/R

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Jay13x
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Post by Jay13x » 4 years ago

Is there anyone on the CAG or RC who is planeswalker-positive? It feels like every member I follow dislikes planeswalkers in general, which makes it hard to seem like planeswalker commanders get a fair shake (even if they're rejected).

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Ulka
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Post by Ulka » 4 years ago

I have a few questions:

What is your personal stance on bring back banned as commander? Do you think it would help the format?

Is there any card you'd personally like banned due to bad personal experiences with it but know its not deserving of a ban for the overall community ?

What is your favorite hidden gem for commander what you use but have rarely seem in other's decks?

What is your favorite wine you've had since that last AMA?

What is the song you haven't been able to stop listening to recently?
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MeowZeDung
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Post by MeowZeDung » 4 years ago

I'm curious about the CAG/RC stance on power creep or what I like to call the "strictly better" problem. WOTC has been pushing the power level of cards in recent sets, outclassing many of the cool cards printed 5-10 years ago to the point that so many players' pet cards and staples they invested emotionally and financially in not that long ago would be silly to put into a deck today given recently printed "strictly better" upgrades. Just one very recent example - early indications are that Underworld Breach could outclass Past in Flames, a $5+ card as the staple red graveyard spell of choice. Are there discussions being had about a long term means of handling this? I shudder to think of it, but so long as WOTC keeps printing new cards will this issue lead to a new format or formats ie, "Legacy" Commander, "Modern" Commander, "Standard" Commander based on sets/printings?

For a fun question: what's your favorite utility land in Commander?
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SquirrelToken
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Post by SquirrelToken » 4 years ago

Sheldon, do you think that Jeter deserved to be a unanimous election to the HOF?

dana.roach
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Post by dana.roach » 4 years ago

What commander that you regularly see in games is the most frustrating to play against?

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Hermes_
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Post by Hermes_ » 4 years ago

Have you played Ticket to Ride,if so what is your favorite map pack ? (I've recently picked up the game on my xbox one)
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The Secret of Commander (EDH)
Sheldon-"The secret of this format is in not breaking it. "

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Kelzam
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Post by Kelzam » 4 years ago

Q: Although you're rightly keeping open to dialogue and want everyone to feel like they're being heard, when looking at the format philosophy document, including: who/what you ban cards for (the core demographic rather than the extremes); and the dangerous precedent banning cards specifically for cEDH would set being the competitive nature and there always being a "best" deck/combo and slippery slope of new cards demanding to be banned; it seems unlikely that you would ever actually ban a card because of how niche the problems are that cEDH has relative to the rest of the community at large (and may even be inappropriate of the RC to do so). With that in mind, do you think it could be perceived that you're perpetually stringing the cEDH community along by approaching their continued insistence for bans with open arms and extending the olive branch, even though there is little chance the RC would ban cards like Flash, Protean Hulk and Demonic Consultation, that are only actually issues in their niche? Since their demands are in opposition to the format philosophy and wider demographic, to begin with? Why don't you just tell them the ban list and format rules were not made or curated for competitive play in a way such that the problems they face exist, and that they should manage it much as Tiny Leaders, Oathbreaker and others have done who want to play a similar format with different goals/intentions in mind? I understand you don't feel Commander and cEDH should be separate formats, but their needs are not congruent with the rest of the format, and it feels like you're just inviting a constant source of strife in the community and actually widening the divide by perpetuating the idea that bans for cEDH could happen, which makes many Commander players uneasy about competitive players dictating their format and puts them on the defensive.
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guokamoli
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Post by guokamoli » 4 years ago

Any chance we get my boy Primeval Titan back? Seems kinda lackluster compared to alot of stuff currently seeing play in the format.

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cryogen
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Post by cryogen » 4 years ago

With Ikoria right around the corner (and advanced knowledge of what we will see thanks to your time in R&D last year), have you already begun brewing a monsters deck?
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Sharpened
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Post by Sharpened » 4 years ago

No question, keep up the good work. Also, please keep retweeting links to your articles after the 1 week period when they become free to those of us who don't have a subscription to Starcity - it's greatly appreciated.

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Airi
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Post by Airi » 4 years ago

Are there any upcoming games (of any medium) coming out this year that you're particularly excited for?

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Post by Loki_Lulamen » 4 years ago

Hi Sheldon,

Now, I assume that you are sick to death with the "Flash" controversy, so I want to approach the overarching problem, rather than the specific ban itself.

With the general response to the issue being "Rule 0", I would like to ask what defines the difference between "Rule 0" and the banlist?

If the general philosophy of EDH is to have discussions about power level and allow for your own banlists, then why have a banlist in the first place? Where is the line drawn?

This issue arrises in unknown meta's and playgroups. In fact, the most prevalent place that this appears is at Magic Fests, where there are prizes on the line after an entry fee. If there is a prize on the line, people will play to win. Therefore, you need rules and regulations and a banlist. Yes, EDH was not designed as a competitive format, but as soon as there is a "winner", it becomes competitive.

However, this is fundamentally against the "Rule 0" part of the commander philosophy.

I am asking if there are clear definitions and why both parts, seemingly counteract each other?

Thanks
Loki

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Outcryqq
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Post by Outcryqq » 4 years ago

I am in the legal profession, and success in my career often relies upon the relationships I build with other attorneys, and referrals from them when it comes to getting new clients. Have you ever been in a situation (or spoken to people who have been in a situation) where you did not want to admit, or did not want to offer up, that you play Magic: the Gathering when the topic of hobbies come up, for fear of being considered too "nerdy" or alienating a particular audience?

And along those lines, social media can be a double-edged sword. And while it's great for reaching a larger audience in terms of potential clients, I then feel barred from sharing interesting MTG-related content for fear of alienating potential clients or other attorneys. Any advice on these topics?

-Outcry

Higher
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Post by Higher » 4 years ago

How would a person join the RC or CAG?

wildfire393
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Post by wildfire393 » 4 years ago

I've heard in the past that you have over fifty decks, and that you foil out basically every deck to the fullest extent possible, which indicates a great degree of permanence. So I have some questions related to that:

1) How often do you update your decks, on average? With new cards coming out seemingly every month these days, and at the very least every quarter, are you modifying every single one of these 50+ decks every release? Every year? Every time you play that specific deck?

2) Since you obviously aren't going to play every single one of your decks every time you sit down to play Commander, how do you decide which decks to bring to the table? Do you bring a huge suitcase/duffel with every deck and then decide each game? Do you pick a handful beforehand that you want to play on a specific night? How do you rotate between the decks you brought to make sure each one gets a "fair shake"? Are there any decks that are always or almost always on the docket?

3) How often do you find yourself making new decks? With so many new legendary creatures releasing every year, how many of those jump out at you as something you need to build around? Are you more likely to build an entirely new deck, or modify an existing deck, replacing the commander with a newly-printed legend that plays in the same space?

4) How often, if ever, do you permanently retire decks?

SpikeFeedersJim
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Post by SpikeFeedersJim » 4 years ago

If you could snap your fingers and erase all historical traces of a card from MTG and ensure that it would never be recreated, would you? If so, which card(s)?

How much of your average day is consumed by MTG-related communication and activities?

Have any of the RC or CAG members ever hit you with an opinion you weren't expecting? Can you share?

Do you or any of the RC or CAG ever make predictions for how the community will react and respond to your actions or communications? If so, how accurate do you think those predictions have been in the past?

I hear a lot of content creators and Commander personalities say that we're living in the golden age of Commander, and the format is the best it's ever been. Do you think that's accurate?

What totally baseless predictions do you have for what the format (not just the rules and banlist) might look like at this time next year?

I've seen you push quite a bit lately to promote content, especially content created by women and POC. Which of these have been your personal favourites to watch/listen to/read?

Is anything actively damaging or impeding the format from being better than it can be right now?

Thanks for taking the time to read and respond!

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