The company is showing signs of a place being run where the extra profits aren't being reinvested into the company, but instead are getting siphoned off to pay debt or line someones pockets. That's the primary reason we're getting into this entire situation BFZ and onwards. They basically had cut costs on everything including set design and now are trying to get the rails back on track. Unfortunately, they are still trying to smoke screen the card quality issues from what I can tell via twitter and reddit. They'd rather be talking about "diversity in magic" and now WoTC has made elves in dungeons and dragons have the ability to swap genders after resting because they need to check boxes off on the skittles checklist apparently.
In any case, I don't think this is a case of them playing it too safe as much as them just failing to design a good set. They went too hard into 3 mana value creatures and took away gameplay options when they had removed one mana accelerators.
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1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
I'm mostly going "what did I just read?" combined with "what the heck is sexfluidity?" while also screaming into the sky. This company is an expert at making it's own problems. Also, yes this is what WoTC has basically been doing with Ixalan and other sets, just that at least in MtG people can kind of play it off since it's more about what the card does than whatever forced gender politics the company thinks will somehow magically boost sales.
As far as pushed cards go I can't really comment on it much. The last few years have been pretty terrible as far as set design and it looks like they may be putting things back on track with Dominaria, but we still only have seen half of the set and Wizards hasn't been too eager to rush into revealing the rest of it. I mostly just wish they'd stop printing so many dead cards.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
What...in the holy ****, is sexfluidity...holy *****.
I've read a LOT of D&D source material in my life, and I sure as hell dont remember aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanything like that before. Thats jumping the shark.
What...in the holy ****, is sexfluidity...holy *****.
I've read a LOT of D&D source material in my life, and I sure as hell dont remember aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanything like that before. Thats jumping the shark.
It gets even worse when you think for a second and realize there are magical solutions that fix all of this easily available in most settings.
Yeah my mind is blown. I mean my good man Edwin, turned into a Woman for awhile...these things happen in MMA the Realms...but this seems really weird.
Yeah, I mean I could say something on this, but it's so bad that I'm just kind of speechless. This is like lovecraftian madness.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Yeah my mind is blown. I mean my good man Edwin, turned into a Woman for awhile...these things happen in MMA the Realms...but this seems really weird.
Yeah, I mean I could say something on this, but it's so bad that I'm just kind of speechless. This is like lovecraftian madness.
I know complaining about the queers ruining your nerd games is kind of your thing, but you're acting like shape-shifting elves is special degeneracy in a series of games where brain-eating cthulhu-people traveled back in time (or across dimensions whatever) to hijack society and ensure their own eventual existence just before the end of reality and/or attempt to build their own god.
Like, y'all's wild. Probably this'll cheer up some intersex people or whatever, and you could totally run some interesting political campaigns involving characters who can change sex at will stirring up your classic fantasy patriarchy.
Yeah my mind is blown. I mean my good man Edwin, turned into a Woman for awhile...these things happen in MMA the Realms...but this seems really weird.
Yeah, I mean I could say something on this, but it's so bad that I'm just kind of speechless. This is like lovecraftian madness.
I know complaining about the queers ruining your nerd games is kind of your thing, but you're acting like shape-shifting elves is special degeneracy in a series of games where brain-eating cthulhu-people traveled back in time (or across dimensions whatever) to hijack society and ensure their own eventual existence just before the end of reality and/or attempt to build their own god.
Like, y'all's wild. Probably this'll cheer up some intersex people or whatever, and you could totally run some interesting political campaigns involving characters who can change sex at will stirring up your classic fantasy patriarchy.
This messes up potentially so much lore depending on how far they go with this you pretty much have no idea. Even if there was no politics, this makes zero sense and no one who plays Dungeons and Dragons thinks sex changing elves makes sense. The race was always dimorphic just like all the other base races and it never needed the change. This is about as bad as when they completely destroyed everything in 4th edition in faerun just because they saw the setting was popular and didn't want all these old fangled storied characters mucking up the setting. Yeah, how did that go? I recall not very well.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Right. Out of all the weird ***** in D&D, magical sex changing elves doesn't make sense. Because magic altering the weather, bringing people back from the dead, turning inanimate objects into living creatures, or creating pocket dimensions all makes perfect sense, but magic turning a male elf into a female elf or vice versa is just throwing logic out the window. Nevermind that you could always do that with transmutation spells like Alter Self. Nevermind also the Belt of Gender Change from 3.5e.
Thats exactly it. You have all these ways to do it already, and then you make up (unless there is some old source material I missed) that Elves can actually do it whenever the fancy strikes them, even if you know Drow society is/was based on Gender roles.
I mean whatever, Fantasy has a whole HOST of issues in regards to sex/gender/racism etc, but this just seems out of left field.
*Note, if you look up my posts I'm all for inclusion, and dont really get weirded out by 'teh gays' but this is not that.
A big whatever anyway since they seem to be not printing anything I care for in D&D or the Realms these days (just bring back Planescape, kthx), but yeah.
Yeah my mind is blown. I mean my good man Edwin, turned into a Woman for awhile...these things happen in MMA the Realms...but this seems really weird.
Yeah, I mean I could say something on this, but it's so bad that I'm just kind of speechless. This is like lovecraftian madness.
I know complaining about the queers ruining your nerd games is kind of your thing, but you're acting like shape-shifting elves is special degeneracy in a series of games where brain-eating cthulhu-people traveled back in time (or across dimensions whatever) to hijack society and ensure their own eventual existence just before the end of reality and/or attempt to build their own god.
Like, y'all's wild. Probably this'll cheer up some intersex people or whatever, and you could totally run some interesting political campaigns involving characters who can change sex at will stirring up your classic fantasy patriarchy.
This messes up potentially so much lore depending on how far they go with this you pretty much have no idea. Even if there was no politics, this makes zero sense and no one who plays Dungeons and Dragons thinks sex changing elves makes sense. The race was always dimorphic just like all the other base races and it never needed the change. This is about as bad as when they completely destroyed everything in 4th edition in faerun just because they saw the setting was popular and didn't want all these old fangled storied characters mucking up the setting. Yeah, how did that go? I recall not very well.
Remember, Colt, that's more inclusive than reprinting cards to reduce their prices below $60.
WOTC is so focused on getting brownie points for politics that they aren't really trying to make a good product. I'd say more, but I'd get banned for wrongthink lol.
Thats exactly it. You have all these ways to do it already, and then you make up (unless there is some old source material I missed) that Elves can actually do it whenever the fancy strikes them, even if you know Drow society is/was based on Gender roles.
I mean whatever, Fantasy has a whole HOST of issues in regards to sex/gender/racism etc, but this just seems out of left field.
*Note, if you look up my posts I'm all for inclusion, and dont really get weirded out by 'teh gays' but this is not that.
A big whatever anyway since they seem to be not printing anything I care for in D&D or the Realms these days (just bring back Planescape, kthx), but yeah.
Did you even read the article? It's not some standard ability that all elves have. It's specifically stated as being a blessing some elves get from Corellon Larethian, the god of the elves.
As for the drow, the article specifically mentions that their society frowns upon the blessing, not only because you're "cheating" their society's class system, but also because the Drow generally hate anything that has to do with Corellon Larethian.
The whole thing honestly makes more sense than a lot of other bits of D&D lore.
I don't think its a standard elf ability lol...but being able to genderswap in general is nothing new to DnD.
Is it worth pointing out from the article, emphases mine:
Note: This article was updated to reflect that the elves could change their biological sex, not their gender as indicated in the title. We also clarified that the drop who could make these changes were not subjected to violence in drow culture.
Apparently, the term, "sex," used in this context is your physical erm... designation. "Gender," on the other hand, is your mind-set. Or more accurately, what sex you perceive yourself.
Apparently this was a thing for at least twenty years and these terms are no longer freely interchangeable.
Yeah... I didn't know any of this until this week and I frequent a local hang out on occasion where this detail is kind of important. The Ru Paul-look-alike forgot to tell me I guess.
"Dungeons & Dragons is set to introduce a new feature for elves that will allow characters to change their gender once per day."
Thats a 'WTF'.
Followed by.
"A drow that can change their gender is seen as an affront to drow culture, not only because it's a direct blessing from Corellon, but also because they can choose whether to be part of the ruling female class.
Drow with the ability to change their sex usually become inspirations to other elves, and often turn out to be the heroes and peacemakers that emerge from a race that’s generally viewed as not heroic."
Why of course they do because we wouldnt want....
"Note: This article was updated to reflect that the elves could change their biological sex, not their gender as indicated in the title. We also clarified that the drop (drow?) who could make these changes were not subjected to violence in drow culture."
Honestly, thats not the Elves I grew up with, nor the Drow.
The Elves, are fundamentally racist, and the Drow are comically over done sadists and cultural misandry is essentially a given.
Like I said however, its not shocking that they would make changes like this, because Fantasy tropes are, when broken down, pretty suspect in this PC day and age.
My point was more we have had shapechange and polymorph forever so doing such a swap should be easy...what is new I guess is as an elf racial ability. So really gender reassignment surgery should be pretty simple in any High Magic Setting.
Right, and thats MY point. This is nonsensically added for no reason (spoilers, we all know the reason) and the little add on 'Oh and the Drow dont subject these Sex/Gender swaps."
Like yeah, I get it you wouldnt want a culture punishing gender swaps....no sir...lol especially not a culture already burdened with a ton of PC-age baggage.
Right, and thats MY point. This is nonsensically added for no reason (spoilers, we all know the reason) and the little add on 'Oh and the Drow dont subject these Sex/Gender swaps."
Like yeah, I get it you wouldnt want a culture punishing gender swaps....no sir...lol especially not a culture already burdened with a ton of PC-age baggage.
The funny thing is they didnt bother to string together why these Drows dont get discriminated against...like okay they aren't but don't just tell me they aren't because it be bad out of universe give me a reason why in universe. They could have just slapped the generic Chosen by the Gods and blessed with enhanced magic ability such that anyone elf who kills one is cursed by the Gods. Its a Fantasy World, not that hard. I mean PC are special anyway so its not that weird.
Granted I am not especially a fan of DnD 5e...rules are too simplistic for my liking and my favorite class has to be poorly cobbled together in the Magus. I hope Pathfinder 2E doesn't **** the bed.
But yes they wanted trans characters I guess for representation but put no thought into it. Not to mention not sure why one would choose to be a Male Drow...
Granted I am not especially a fan of DnD 5e...rules are too simplistic for my liking and my favorite class has to be poorly cobbled together in the Magus. I hope Pathfinder 2E doesn't **** the bed.
But yes they wanted trans characters I guess for representation but put no thought into it. Not to mention not sure why one would choose to be a Male Drow...
Last time I did DnD I played a male drow character who was a kinda stereotypical eastern european immigrant who was also a political agitator who escaped the drow lands because he was sick of the matriarch's bull***** and joined an adventuring party to fit in on the surface and/or to avoid being arrested and sent back. That game was good times.
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“Tell me who you walk with, and I'll tell you who you are.” Esmeralda Santiago Art is life itself.
Granted I am not especially a fan of DnD 5e...rules are too simplistic for my liking and my favorite class has to be poorly cobbled together in the Magus. I hope Pathfinder 2E doesn't **** the bed.
But yes they wanted trans characters I guess for representation but put no thought into it. Not to mention not sure why one would choose to be a Male Drow...
Last time I did DnD I played a male drow character who was a kinda stereotypical eastern european immigrant who was also a political agitator who escaped the drow lands because he was sick of the matriarch's bull***** and joined an adventuring party to fit in on the surface and/or to avoid being arrested and sent back. That game was good times.
Isnt that how pretty much every buddy plays a male drow unless its underdark campaign I guess.
Granted I say MTG has always been more diverse then DnD lore wise...after all besides a certain male Drow...the major characters in DnD are all pretty white.
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In any case, I don't think this is a case of them playing it too safe as much as them just failing to design a good set. They went too hard into 3 mana value creatures and took away gameplay options when they had removed one mana accelerators.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
lol what?
Spirits
Article for reference...
http://comicbook.com/gaming/2018/03/14/dungeons-and-dragons-genderfluid-elves/
I'm mostly going "what did I just read?" combined with "what the heck is sexfluidity?" while also screaming into the sky. This company is an expert at making it's own problems. Also, yes this is what WoTC has basically been doing with Ixalan and other sets, just that at least in MtG people can kind of play it off since it's more about what the card does than whatever forced gender politics the company thinks will somehow magically boost sales.
As far as pushed cards go I can't really comment on it much. The last few years have been pretty terrible as far as set design and it looks like they may be putting things back on track with Dominaria, but we still only have seen half of the set and Wizards hasn't been too eager to rush into revealing the rest of it. I mostly just wish they'd stop printing so many dead cards.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
I've read a LOT of D&D source material in my life, and I sure as hell dont remember aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanything like that before. Thats jumping the shark.
Spirits
It gets even worse when you think for a second and realize there are magical solutions that fix all of this easily available in most settings.
Dragons of Legend, Lead by Scion of the UR-Dragon
The Gitrog Monster
Gonti, Lord of Luxury
Shogun Saskia
Hive World
Atraxa hates fun
Abzan
MMAthe Realms...but this seems really weird.Spirits
Yeah, I mean I could say something on this, but it's so bad that I'm just kind of speechless. This is like lovecraftian madness.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
I know complaining about the queers ruining your nerd games is kind of your thing, but you're acting like shape-shifting elves is special degeneracy in a series of games where brain-eating cthulhu-people traveled back in time (or across dimensions whatever) to hijack society and ensure their own eventual existence just before the end of reality and/or attempt to build their own god.
Like, y'all's wild. Probably this'll cheer up some intersex people or whatever, and you could totally run some interesting political campaigns involving characters who can change sex at will stirring up your classic fantasy patriarchy.
Art is life itself.
This messes up potentially so much lore depending on how far they go with this you pretty much have no idea. Even if there was no politics, this makes zero sense and no one who plays Dungeons and Dragons thinks sex changing elves makes sense. The race was always dimorphic just like all the other base races and it never needed the change. This is about as bad as when they completely destroyed everything in 4th edition in faerun just because they saw the setting was popular and didn't want all these old fangled storied characters mucking up the setting. Yeah, how did that go? I recall not very well.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
I mean whatever, Fantasy has a whole HOST of issues in regards to sex/gender/racism etc, but this just seems out of left field.
*Note, if you look up my posts I'm all for inclusion, and dont really get weirded out by 'teh gays' but this is not that.
A big whatever anyway since they seem to be not printing anything I care for in D&D or the Realms these days (just bring back Planescape, kthx), but yeah.
Spirits
Remember, Colt, that's more inclusive than reprinting cards to reduce their prices below $60.
WOTC is so focused on getting brownie points for politics that they aren't really trying to make a good product. I'd say more, but I'd get banned for wrongthink lol.
As for the drow, the article specifically mentions that their society frowns upon the blessing, not only because you're "cheating" their society's class system, but also because the Drow generally hate anything that has to do with Corellon Larethian.
The whole thing honestly makes more sense than a lot of other bits of D&D lore.
Is it worth pointing out from the article, emphases mine:
Apparently, the term, "sex," used in this context is your physical erm... designation. "Gender," on the other hand, is your mind-set. Or more accurately, what sex you perceive yourself.
Apparently this was a thing for at least twenty years and these terms are no longer freely interchangeable.
Yeah... I didn't know any of this until this week and I frequent a local hang out on occasion where this detail is kind of important. The Ru Paul-look-alike forgot to tell me I guess.
Thats a 'WTF'.
Followed by.
Why of course they do because we wouldnt want....
Honestly, thats not the Elves I grew up with, nor the Drow.
The Elves, are fundamentally racist, and the Drow are comically over done sadists and cultural misandry is essentially a given.
Like I said however, its not shocking that they would make changes like this, because Fantasy tropes are, when broken down, pretty suspect in this PC day and age.
Spirits
Like yeah, I get it you wouldnt want a culture punishing gender swaps....no sir...lol especially not a culture already burdened with a ton of PC-age baggage.
Spirits
The funny thing is they didnt bother to string together why these Drows dont get discriminated against...like okay they aren't but don't just tell me they aren't because it be bad out of universe give me a reason why in universe. They could have just slapped the generic Chosen by the Gods and blessed with enhanced magic ability such that anyone elf who kills one is cursed by the Gods. Its a Fantasy World, not that hard. I mean PC are special anyway so its not that weird.
Spirits
Granted I am not especially a fan of DnD 5e...rules are too simplistic for my liking and my favorite class has to be poorly cobbled together in the Magus. I hope Pathfinder 2E doesn't **** the bed.
But yes they wanted trans characters I guess for representation but put no thought into it. Not to mention not sure why one would choose to be a Male Drow...
Art is life itself.
Isnt that how pretty much every buddy plays a male drow unless its underdark campaign I guess.
Granted I say MTG has always been more diverse then DnD lore wise...after all besides a certain male Drow...the major characters in DnD are all pretty white.