Monthly, we go to TRIM meetings in our local library.
(this is the Birch Society)
Sometimes, who has the room before us is a group called magic-The gathering.
What the heck IS this?
It just looks like young guys with cards they look at and move around.
Anyone?
It’s a sort of role-playing strategy game.
I thought it was more of a collectible card game than a role-playing one… I used to play it as a kid, and it was kinda fun back then But we never did much roleplaying… just tactically played our cards… or maybe that’s just is.
Maybe you can get one of the guys to show you how to play it next time, vanilla.
ah, thanks.
Magic: the Gathering (MtG), also known as Crack for Gamers, is a card game in which each player takes on the role of a wizard (kind of, but there really isn’t much of a role-playing element to it).
The wizards do battle with decks constructed of cards that represent summons (creatures to do battle), enchantments (cards that affect the creature cards), and instants/sorceries (cards that have some instantaneous game effect, whereas the creatures and enchantments stay until they’re destroyed).
The reason it’s called “Crack for Gamers” is that Wizards of the Coast (the company that produces MtG) constantly puts out new cards which change the way the game is played (if you play with a deck of old cards, chances are you won’t last against a newer deck). The game is so popular that it almost killed Dungeons and Dragons (since the same types of people are drawn to each), before Wizards of the Coast bought out TSR to save Dungeons and Dragons. I personally spent probably a couple hundred dollars before I quit playing the game, and I’ve known people who have spent thousands of dollars on cards.
Now, I really think it’s mostly harmless fun… but some people definitely get sucked into the game, just like anything else that’s potentially addictive.
Chances are that the group you see plays tournaments, which often have some sort of prize involved for the winner. This adds to the addictive element of the game–you have to buy better cards so you can win tournaments. Wizards of the Coast even hosts international tournaments, with an annual grand prize of something like $1,000,000 (which just about pays off the money the winners probably spent on cards ).
Oh yeah, forgot to mention that the official site is www.magicthegathering.com (who would’ve guessed?). You can also try playing a computerized version of the game there if you were so inclined.
I would be the only female, for sure.
hmmm…
Yep, much more like Pokemon than D&D. Very little roleplaying. It’s an interesting strategy game that takes about 1/2 hour to learn and years to master.
Because it was at one time popular with teens, and because some of the artwork looks psuedo-occultish, it was the target of major derision by the same people that target RPGs, Pokemon, Harry Potter, and dancing. As always, the charges leveled against it were unfounded.
There is, however, one aspect that I maintain is pure evil – it is a huge money sink. I’d bet I’d spent a good $500 on it minimum.
Phht. Yeah, as if. :rolleyes: That would imply that there were card “pushers” trying to turn unsuspecting people on to the game.
Oh wait – there was one! My friend Max tried to start a business dealing in rare cards. I probably handed him close to $200 all told. And I was one of his cheap customers. 
Its a card game. It was a new and unique idea a few years ago, then there were a lot of copycats cashing in on the fad.
It is based on trading cards, the sort where you buy a pack and trade your duplicates to get a full set, but unlike old baseball cards you can play a game with them. You can make up your
own deck of about 70 cards from a choice of several hundred different cards.
The basic premise of the game is that two wizards are about to fight a magical duel. Each has 20 life points at the start, and must reduce his opponent to zero life by throwing magic spells at each other. Various spells include :
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Lands (the source of power to cast spells)
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Spells that destroy your opponents land
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Summoning creatures to attack your opponent. He can use his creatures to block your attack, then attack you with his creatures.
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Spells that do direct damage to your opponent, or to his creatures.
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Counterspells, that prevent your opponent’s spells from working.
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Healing spells, that prevent damage, or gain extra life points.
And many others.
Each player chooses his own spells from the hundreds available, so each opponent you play ias unique.
This is a very simplified overview of the rules of the game.
Pfff+ Ama+eurs. I +hink our bro+her screwed up +he bu++on for which I am curren+l using a plus sign.