The Headless Horseman must not be forgotten!
October 3rd 2011 23:46
Sorry for spamming up the joint, everybody, but today I got in on a new letter-writing campaign which I thought I'd share. Leaving the Headless Horseman out of Innistrad really seems like a mistake, and we shouldn't hesitate to let Wizards of the Coast know. I just copied this letter to Tom LaPille and Mark Rosewater via the "Respond via e-mail" link at the bottom of their recent articles. If you've read, watched, or heard of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, I strongly encourage you to do the same.
Dear Wizards of the Coast,
As a longtime player of Magic: the Gathering, I’m mostly very pleased with what I’ve seen of Innistrad. The Gothic horror setting was somewhat unexpected, but in practice it’s very well done, to the point where I actually wondered why it hadn’t been done before. Everyone who designed the sets and worked on the art and flavor deserves congratulations.
However, I was dismayed by a story I read recently about the Legends card Headless Horseman being cut from the set relatively late in development. He is one of the most iconic and recognizable characters of the era of horror Innistrad draws from, as well as having a rich history in European folklore. His omission from Innistrad seems like a curious decision, considering that the set was designed from a top-down and flavor-based perspective. Surely this is the one time that the scientific side of game design could have been stretched a little, in the interest of including the characters and tropes that make Gothic horror so enduringly influential?
The Headless Horseman’s absence doesn’t ruin Innistrad, but I hope that his removal from the set means simply that he was moved to Dark Ascension or to the third set in the block. A horror-themed set without a character as evocative as the Headless Horseman would be a true disappointment, especially since flavor was touted as the starting point for its design.
Thank you for your time!
Dear Wizards of the Coast,
As a longtime player of Magic: the Gathering, I’m mostly very pleased with what I’ve seen of Innistrad. The Gothic horror setting was somewhat unexpected, but in practice it’s very well done, to the point where I actually wondered why it hadn’t been done before. Everyone who designed the sets and worked on the art and flavor deserves congratulations.
However, I was dismayed by a story I read recently about the Legends card Headless Horseman being cut from the set relatively late in development. He is one of the most iconic and recognizable characters of the era of horror Innistrad draws from, as well as having a rich history in European folklore. His omission from Innistrad seems like a curious decision, considering that the set was designed from a top-down and flavor-based perspective. Surely this is the one time that the scientific side of game design could have been stretched a little, in the interest of including the characters and tropes that make Gothic horror so enduringly influential?
The Headless Horseman’s absence doesn’t ruin Innistrad, but I hope that his removal from the set means simply that he was moved to Dark Ascension or to the third set in the block. A horror-themed set without a character as evocative as the Headless Horseman would be a true disappointment, especially since flavor was touted as the starting point for its design.
Thank you for your time!
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