The "What Are You Doing This Moment" Thread

[Mort Divine]

Power creep is looking at Hearthstone and seeing their 'eternal' format being made up of nothing but decks containing small alterations to current standard decks.

Power creep is fucking affinity a mechanic introduced before the 'downfall' of Magic in your mind. It is Urza's block.

The power level of recent sets has been such a rollercoaster.

Overall though the most powerful spells are from a long time ago. So okay, we are seeing creatures that make Serra Angel and Shivan Dragon not as cool as they once were, but so fucking what? Modern magic doesn't even have access to Counterspell let alone something as powerful as Force of Will or Mana Drain, and lets not get into the beyond broken mana rocks that were once available.

Magic is a MUCH lower power level game than it used to be. That is non-negotiable.

 

[The Butt]

"Power creep is a phenomenon present in any collectible game that uses both old elements and new ones. It is the gradual unbalancing of a game due to successive releases of new content. The idea behind the concept is that a company has to sell their new products, but everything new they create has to compete with previously existing pieces. To compensate for this cards end up becoming superior to other cards to the point of becoming strictly better. This means that older content becomes regressively outdated or relatively underpowered."

You are wrong. Spells may have gotten less powerful, there may also be blips im the radar like affinity. But creatures as a whole (I am not speaking solely about tournament level play, but Magic as a whole) have become faster, beefier for their mana costs, and a lot of older cards have been strictly obsoleted. It's not that Serra Angel has become less cool. It's that many, many, many older creatures are simply strictly worse than their modern counterparts. There is no point to running them anymore, even in the scrubbiest of dinner table Magic.

Strictly obsoleting cards in general is a tacky, sloppy design practice; not that I'd expect you to get it, since as far as I know I don't think you've ever even designed anything before. Speaking as someone who started designing their own sets in '06, taking part in the You Make The Card subforums on both the Wizards boards and other places like Nogoblinsallowed, there are subtleties to card design and design practices that Wizards simply stopped following come Alara and Zendikar blocks.

 

[Mort Divine]

so what? Should creatures simply have been left to stagnate being no more powerful than the serra angels of the world?

http://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=435163&type=card

Oh hey a recent strictly worse Serra angel...

Regardless, the power level of the game as a whole is undeniably lower as a whole regardless of creature power

 

[CiG]

@Vilden I take it you're a Fantasy man exclusively?

I can see what you mean, and in alot of ways the old models are more goofy, just look at old Orks, Squats, etc. Lots of bright colors and funny faces. In the new models I mean cartoonish in the over the top way. Everything is always over 9000 nowdays. Like the last Mannfred.

The obsession with realism might make some of the HQ units suffer, but as a guy who remembers his first Ork army looking like Ninja Turtles on crack, I'd rather my models be over 9000 than have a third chromosome 21.

 

[Dak]

@Vilden I take it you're a Fantasy man exclusively?

The obsession with realism might make some of the HQ units suffer, but as a guy who remembers his first Ork army looking like Ninja Turtles on crack, I'd rather my models be over 9000 than have a third chromosome 21.

Frankly I agree about some of the ridiculousness in AoS, and some of the new Nurgle/Primaris stuff. But I don't play AoS and something like Nurgle is sort of asking for the absurd.

 

[CiG]

And of course it's all a trade-off because as some units have started to look ridiculous, other entire factions like Nids and Orks only seem to be looking better and better.

 

[Vilden]

Regardless, the power level of the game as a whole is undeniably lower as a whole regardless of creature power

I don't think this is true though. The average power level of older sets are generally much lower than now. Just look at sets like Alliances, Homelands, Masques, Visions, etc. There are VERY few playable cards (and a few boken ones). Urza was very powerful though, I give you that.

My problem isn't really the power creep which I understand why it's there. It's the pushing of creatures. When most good creatures have have 2-3 good abilities - AND good stats too, why bother playing spells? It's just better to play a creature and get the same ability + a guy, always a 2 for 1. This is apparent in creatures like Reflector Mage, Siege Rhino, Spell Queller, Grim Flayer, etc. Most games just devolve into midrange bombs being played over and over.

Had the power creep of spells and creatures been more even this would lead to more interesting and varied gameplay imo.

 

[Vilden]

@Vilden I take it you're a Fantasy man exclusively?

No, but I have one large 40k army and about 4 large fantasy armies.

But you're right my complaints are mostly at the fantasy model range, the 40k range have lots of the time improved. There are things there too. Like huge vehicles. And the need to take everything to "their final form". Like super terminators, super dreadnaughts, etc. Also the fact that alot of units/monsters have upped their Base size in 40k too.

 

[CiG]

As long as the developments correspond with the rules I'm okay with all of that.

I haven't played any AoS yet so I don't know the dynamics of Fantasy right now and even if I wanted to my Dwarf army is in storage at the moment, what're your Fantasy armies?

 

[Krow]

I don't think this is true though. The average power level of older sets are generally much lower than now. Just look at sets like Alliances, Homelands, Masques, Visions, etc.

Tbh these sets were never good were they? Other than a random card with massive power level a lot of older sets sucked ass or had broken shit.

 

[tagradh]

Finally done drugs from a woman's bosom.

Probably done it before but this time I remember it.

 

[CiG]

Do it out of her ass or gtfo.

 

[Dak]

"Bosom". Hello 1817 my old friend.

 

[Vilden]

I haven't played any AoS yet so I don't know the dynamics of Fantasy right now and even if I wanted to my Dwarf army is in storage at the moment, what're your Fantasy armies?

Tbh I've never tried AoS either, but now I have a couple of friends that's started playing it so maybe I'll give it a test run. Otherwise I've mostly played older editions.

My fantasy armies:

Huge Chaos army
Large Vampire Counts army
Large High Elves army
Medium Wood Elves army
Small Empire army

 

[Dak]

Tbh I've never tried AoS either, but now I have a couple of friends that's started playing it so maybe I'll give it a test run. Otherwise I've mostly played older editions.

My fantasy armies:

Huge Chaos army
Large Vampire Counts army
Large High Elves army
Medium Wood Elves army
Small Empire army

Guessing your 40k army is Chaos or Eldar then? I have zero fantasy armies, but I may get the Sepulchar Guard pack for Shadespire if it turns out to be a decent game. A friend bought it so I just have to arrange free time to get a game in.

My 40k armies:

Huge Imperial Guard army
Large-to-huge Dark Angel army
Medium Necron army
Small Deathwatch army (will be Medium whenever I can get to them in painting).
Tiny Grey Knight/Inquisition contingent

 

[Vilden]

Guessing your 40k army is Chaos or Eldar then?

Hah, I love Chaos in fantasy (my true love in the Warhammer universe) but I kind of hate (or atleast dislike) Chaos in 40k. Not sure why.

I've got a large (or atleast medium-large) Imperial Guard (Tallarn!). I actually started playing 40k because I liked the original Leman Russ Demolisher model do much. Sadly I'm not a big fan of the plastic Cadians, I think they have too much and too big equipment. I would love a Steel Legion or old Cadian metal army though.

I could also see myself playing some kind of Space Marines (probably Dark Angels or Ultramarines) or indeed Eldar.

 

[Dak]

I've got a large (or atleast medium-large) Imperial Guard (Tallarn!).

I could also see myself playing some kind of Space Marines (probably Dark Angels or Ultramarines) or indeed Eldar.

Tallarn have their own special abilities in the new 8th Codex; I'm wondering if they will get new models. I find smurfs boring - but they do get the benefit of a Primarch now if you have Guilliman. I love the flexibility and aesthetics of the DA; it's essentially three armies in one in extreme gothic flavor. Still hoping for a Lion primarch model.

 

[CiG]

I'd love to try my hand at a Lizardmen army.

 

[EspaDa]

I've watched Prozac Nation recently. Pretty good watch, although the main heroine is completely unlikable. Still fuckable.

 

[Aenima25]

Finished watching Notre Dame vs. Michigan. Close game, 39-0. now I'm watching the Atl vs. Nats baseball game. While eating Mcdonalds.