http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/expandsub.php?Article=3179Here's the original letter I had written:
Dear Mark,
As a standing member of the 'Vintage' community, I feel the need to write you regarding certain policies and format favoritism. We in the Type 1 community are plentiful, and our interests span across many formats for the most part. I, myself partake in Type 2, Drafts, Sealed Deck, I play Magic: Online, and until recently Extended. The format I concentrate on the most is, of course, Type 1.
A Brief sales pitch on the format would be simple to give. Its the most complex format, with a mainly wide open metagame. A simple mistake in game play is usually much more punishing and unforgiving than in other formats. A simple oversight or error in deck building can easily be the down fall in this format as well. Its also the only format where, like the first days of magic, you get attached to your deck. In type 2, someone can simply netdeck, properly metagame, and maybe add some of their own tech, but in the end the deck is old news in a matter of weeks.
The recent change has taken this away from extended. Hopefully this will continue the trend I have noticed since the rotation announcement and send more extended players our way. This, up until now, was the only other major format that allowed some degree of usage of older cards and deck attachment. (Type 1.5 is a joke, I feel any format that bans a card based on if another format restricts it is an ignorant and lazy way to manage itself.)
I'm writing this semi-long winded email to you in hopes you'll listen and take what I have to say under serious consideration. My message is this: 'Don't ignore us.' We are out there.
We are some of the biggest spenders, and the original reason why this game became a success. Yes, even though our Type 1 decks receive little to no updating when a new set is released, we still buy. We buy because its good to have the best cards from each set to keep our options open. Rightly so, I feel We deserve a bone tossed at us now and then.
I understand the simple reasoning behind such a strong push behind T2 and changing T1.X. Newer cards equates to current products sold. Packs/Boxes/Cases of cards sold equals paychecks for all of you. It makes perfect sense and we in the Vintage community understand that. All we are asking is not to ignore us.
We had, at the least, a once a year event we could all watch and critique and learn from: The invitational. It wasn't much, but it was something. We don't get PTQ's, we don't get pro tour's, we don't get grand prix's, and we don't get any spot in the nationals. I'm not asking for that, its understood if we want on the PT, we play limited, T2, and T1.X. I'm asking to help our format thrive.
We do what we can to promote it, we write articles on Vintage strategy, we have primers written to introduce plays to both the format and a certain deck type, and we pool information on where tournaments can be found. All that is left is just a few nods from Wizards to let people know, "Hey, there is a great format out there to play when not playing Type 2, its the original game of Magic. Its explosive and complex all at once, give it a shot."
From my estimations, you can do this the following ways:
1) Bring it back to the invitational, 5-Color might be nifty but this is the original game of magic we are forsaking here.
2) Print some cards actually useful in our formats. We get like 1 decent card every set. You had stated before that you make cards with all formats in mind, maybe one of the R&D people could surf our boards and see what we are playing. The format is quite the opposite from the misconceptions the accident known as Urza's block created.
Here are some more ways that would help, though its a bit more far fetched and would require some boldness.
1) Print Proxy cards. Yeah seriously, proxy cards. There's TONS of proxy type 1 tournaments going on and wizards can even snake a piece of the pie. Take the beatdown box set concept, put in a replica of a classic Brian Weissman deck and an old Sean O'Brien Nether Void deck from about the same era. Make the backs gold bordered so they arent DCI official, and market it. I know those things would FLY off the shelves. ####, I own a set of Power, all the good legends rares, and a set of duals...I'd still buy it.
Imagine, if you will, people taking these two decks home and playing with beautiful decks full of moxen, mana drains, and other power. I can go to any old game shop and get a pick up game of type 1.
2) Alter the sanctioning of proxy tournaments to allow Type 1 formatting some degree of proxying. Power 10 only? I don't know but if wizards doesn't care of the format anyways, what's the harm? Since the only formats that matter don't allow proxying, you lose nothing.
Well, what do you think? The interest in this format is huge. Don't believe me, visit the Type 1 forums on bdominia.com or mtgnews.com. Watch a bidding war on a mint black lotus from a reputable seller on ebay. If all else fails, take a poll or something. Whatever you do, don't forget about the people who love the original format.
Until then, thanks for your consideration,
Steve O'Connell
Zherbus on mIRC and
www.bdominia.com
