Like candy, but for your eyes
March 24th 2008 06:38
I play the Magic: the Gathering trading card game, and I like it. Since I like it, I also spend a lot of time discussing it and listening to discussions, both online and offline. In both spheres, though, the discussion usually centers on what I suppose you would call the mechanical aspects of the game. Does this card go into an existing deck? Can you use it to make a new deck?
Now, that's fine, considering it's called a trading card game, and games are intended to be played. I just feel like if that's all you talk about, all the time, you're missing out on something. If you're familiar with Magic, the aesthetic elements (should) need no introduction; if you're not, here are fifteen pieces of yet-to-be-released art straight from Wizards of the Coast. When all your attention is on the game part of collectible card game, you forget that collectible is part of the same phrase. And boy, are they collectible - some of the best fantasy artists in the world put hours of their time into making the illustrations. Doesn't it seem like a waste for them to do so, and then you don't even look at it?
Magic isn't just a game; it's a work of art (or perhaps many small works of art). Even the makers have suggested that the game can be seen as a way to distribute fantasy paintings. I don't see any problems with appreciating the art, even if you're also the biggest die-hard tournament junkie - that appreciation is universal, across age groups and cultures, so your feelings are quite normal. We've all seen the research showing that appreciation for art is based on unconsciously perceived mathematical characteristics, which are based on the same fundamental mathematical patterns that give rise to the structure of the human body and brain. Art builds a little bridge between you and the rest of the universe.
So the next time you're playing Magic - or any game! - stop for a minute, ignore the game text, and look through that little window into another world. Try and hear the wind rustling the leaves in that basic land illustration. Marvel at the interplay of light and shadow in the background of that Halo 2 level. Stand your World of Warcraft elf wizard character on the top of a virtual hill and let his virtual robe billow in the virtual wind.
Trust me, you'll feel better.
Now, that's fine, considering it's called a trading card game, and games are intended to be played. I just feel like if that's all you talk about, all the time, you're missing out on something. If you're familiar with Magic, the aesthetic elements (should) need no introduction; if you're not, here are fifteen pieces of yet-to-be-released art straight from Wizards of the Coast. When all your attention is on the game part of collectible card game, you forget that collectible is part of the same phrase. And boy, are they collectible - some of the best fantasy artists in the world put hours of their time into making the illustrations. Doesn't it seem like a waste for them to do so, and then you don't even look at it?
Magic isn't just a game; it's a work of art (or perhaps many small works of art). Even the makers have suggested that the game can be seen as a way to distribute fantasy paintings. I don't see any problems with appreciating the art, even if you're also the biggest die-hard tournament junkie - that appreciation is universal, across age groups and cultures, so your feelings are quite normal. We've all seen the research showing that appreciation for art is based on unconsciously perceived mathematical characteristics, which are based on the same fundamental mathematical patterns that give rise to the structure of the human body and brain. Art builds a little bridge between you and the rest of the universe.
So the next time you're playing Magic - or any game! - stop for a minute, ignore the game text, and look through that little window into another world. Try and hear the wind rustling the leaves in that basic land illustration. Marvel at the interplay of light and shadow in the background of that Halo 2 level. Stand your World of Warcraft elf wizard character on the top of a virtual hill and let his virtual robe billow in the virtual wind.
Trust me, you'll feel better.
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Comment by Harry
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Comment by Jose
Orb of Insight
Thanks for the comment! Magic cards are distributed in randomized booster packs, and occasionally larger starter packs. The most common way of getting new cards is opening said packages, and once you have enough of the ones you want or like, you make a deck, find a friend who has a deck, and start playing.
Part of the appeal comes from the fact that there are so many cards and thus basically an infinite number of ways to combine them into decks. The game itself is highly strategic, and of course there's also the aesthetic appeal, as I discussed in the post.
If you'd like to learn more about Magic, a good place to start would be http://www.playmagic.com . That site is run by Wizards of the Coast for the specific purpose of introducing people to the game, so it's probably the best source for the background and basic concepts.
Thanks for reading!