[Article] Counting Card Quality: Why you can't

[rakso]

http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/expandnews.php?Article=6548

Imagine you have a friend whose social life consists mainly of saying "Thank you" to the bus driver before getting off. Now imagine you're trying to set him up with a girl you think will make him snap out of it. And it goes like:

You: I've got a friend I know you'll love. Want me to set you up?
Him: Who?

You: Well, you don't know her. But she's great.
Him: How?

You: She's nice.
Him: So is my grandmother.

You: She's fun.
Him: Does she dress in Goth? Does she do nude bungee? Huh?

You: Well, she's cute.
Him: Britney Spears cute? Natalie Portman cute? Um, Greta Garbo cute?

You: Okay, she's not prom queen material, but trust me, she's wonderful.
Him: Next, we'll be talking about cinnamon rolls. Dude, want to go to Friday Night Magic this weekend?

In real life, I'm a law student and an academic writer, and in both, there's nothing more annoying than a word that has no meaning. The Philippines has an ugly legal term for it: "surplusage," or words that add nothing.

In Magic: the Gathering, no term is more hollow than "card quality."

[Bram]

Nice. This is a concept I've been struggling with for some time now. The almost theoretical impossibility of integrating card quality into card advantage is likely what prevents one from 'creating a computer progran that's a good mtg player', which is something I've been obsessing over.

Also, there were phallic symbols in Top Gun?

[jpmeyer]

Planes, missiles, pens, heavily muscled men (which Creed termed "phallus with muscles,") etc.