Is it significant if TMD doesn't crack 1000 new posts for November

[reaperbong]

I think the only problem with this format is the price of P9 and Wizards put the nail in the coffin by sticking with the reserve list. Vintage is the only format I've ever cared about and the Reserve List decision - and ultimately the cost of entry - killed it for me.

Alot of my key cards like my playset of Underground Seas, Moxen and Time Walk/Vault I've had for 15 years. Problem is through the years I've encountered situations where I've had to sell off cards like my Black Lotus, Ancestral Recall ect. I've had ups and downs but I'm not broke, I just have a family/larger responsibilities and having $500-$700 invested into a piece of cardboard becomes the last priority when a real situation arises to bite you in the ass.

Keep in mind these cards I owned since the 90's so I paid < $200 for my Black Lotus and I've never had a chance to really buy back a Lotus or Recall at current prices because it is just too steep - point blank it's too much $$$ something needs to drive the prices down and I was really hoping some day these cards would be re-printed. Since Wizards killed that idea once and for all I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. I live in Europe and do have access to serious tournaments like in Milan, there are even local tournaments a few times a year where I live. But why bother with a sub-optimal deck? I don't like to play with proxy cards and agree with a non-proxy environment but the prices are too crazy.

Now most every vintage player in my area has moved into Legacy as their primary format. I've tried it and really don't like it at all, not playing with P9 is one thing but no Demonic Tutor or Yawgmoth's Will? Naw that ain't even the game of Magic to me, those cards are cheap and plentiful so everyone should have one. The Legacy banned list is stupid.

As for this site I'm happy how it is, the changes were fine. I don't think what you're seeing is a TheManaDrain.com issue, it's a Type 1 Vintage issue. In a way I do hope the format dies a sort of death so the price of Power takes a dive. Then I'll be able to buy at a reasonable price and just teach it to my kid like my pops did.

[Dr. Sylvan]

It almost seemed like, when I first came to TMD, the website itself was a "team" of sorts for the regular posters. 

I agree that the membership structure isn't doing what it used to, and it relates to this quote. In 2003, when I was a newcomer to TMD, I was excited to be in a higher user group because the overlap between those users and the leaders of the format was very, very high. The high-level users were virtually all super-active and so very visible. Just check out the post counts. I'm still #19 five years after I've done anything relevant. All the other factors discussed in this thread have eroded that "TMD is your team" spirit, making status on the "team"---and thus posting---less recognized as a rite of passage.

Also, Tito del monte is completely right about EDH being the go-to play-with-anything format. Legacy is for Spikes; EDH is fun for anyone. That leaves Vintage in an awkward place.

[Odd mutation]

I've always respected the hardline of moderation on the site. As a journalist, I think taking a tough line on the quality of content is commendable - and I would certainly rather read TMD that the Source which I just find a big old mess... but I must say the redesign which seperated out the decks by archetype has been a turn-off, as has the end of Menendian's articles on SCG. I didn't renew my premium subscription when it recently expired.... and I don't mean any disrespect to Brassman and co. who have taken up the reins; I guess I just bought into what Menendian was doing.

A big thanks though to Zherbus and all the people behind the TMD who do keep it going - and to all the people who can and do contribute. We do care.

Agreed on these points.

Another thing is that there are more websites now that offer interesting content (ChannelFireball, eternal Central, Quiet Speculation if Steve would post , ...).

I also never liked the splitup in de decks discussion section. I'm happy that we have a Tournament Announcement and a Tournament Reports section again. I can agree with the splitup in regional tournament announcements.

Robrecht

P.S. I seem to have a problem when trying to post. The window where I want to put my text in doesn't scroll down when typing. As my post grows bigger then the window, it jumps up all the time. So I'm typing blind in a way... Why is that?

[Troy_Costisick]

P.S. I seem to have a problem when trying to post. The window where I want to put my text in doesn't scroll down when typing. As my post grows bigger then the window, it jumps up all the time. So I'm typing blind in a way... Why is that?

You have to run this site in compatibility mode.  There should be a little button to the right of the URL at the top of your browser for that.

[Diakonov]

I only visit the Community Board and the Tournament Announcement Board nowadays.

I can only speak for New England, but the lack of tournaments and people to playtest with has nerfed all the fun of innovating.  If I'm not trying to innovate, I'm not going to visit the Deck/Strategy Forums.  Therefore, I can easily believe that the downturn in tournament attendance is the prime reason for people like myself to post less often.

There was a thread from a while ago that delved deeper into the tournament attendance crisis, including issues which are indirectly responsible for TMD's decline (age, gas prices, etc.).

SECOND to the above reason I would say is the stagnation of the format.  Magic formats are like math problems to be solved by the community, and the lack of any sort of rotation meant that it would inevitably be figured out.  It is very difficult to come by an interesting leap of innovation these days outside of sideboard choices or maindeck cards #58 through #60.  As a result, not a lot to talk about on here.  The only major anomaly is when certain new cards are printed or removed from the B&R, there is an expected mini-surge of discussion (see Lodestone Golem).

I don't blame the mods or the layout, etc.  I know that in certain cases these are the real reasons, and perhaps these factors contribute a bit, but I think the majority of inactivity would fall into the above two explanations.

[Eastman]

Well we did crack 1000 posts for November, had 1,223, so should we close down this thread?  

We did the reorganization in June.  July, August, and September saw enormous increases in posts.  September was the best month since May of 2007 (3 and a half years ago).  3,701 new posts.  The best month in over three years.  

Now that doesn't change the fact that November was poor, but it does make me wonder what the reason was and whether this thread is a bit henny-penny about TMD.  Even if December is as slow as November the second half of 2010 will have been an improvement over the first half of 2010 in total posts, and will match second half 2009 as well.  

It could be that the gradual decline in posts on TMD follows the decline in Vintage due to the continued advance of Legacy, which is caused in turn by the support of the DCI.  Or it could be the petty complaints about TOs, teams, and the Mod staff that certain users (at times myself included) have been parroting since the days when TMD was booming.  I'm guessing it is the former though. 

[Zherbus]

Locked.

Yep. That doesn't mean any of you can't PM me, DA, Godder, or a moderator a suggestion (or complaint). There's no such thing as too much information. Thanks all. Stay tuned...