I think all of us Alpha/Beta/Revised players are in the same boat. While some would argue that multiple iterations of the game attract new players, we all know what WOTC/Hasbro are doing...
I also share the same sentiment and wrote a message describing some of my issues with hand smoothing, hidden MMR results, shuffler rigging, and bo1 inconsistencies - along with a free ways to cost-effectively mitigate them. A WOTC rep that responded then told me: " I can guarantee that everything is working as intended.", which means everything is working out for the investors bracket as intended. That's so great. Video games are a known distraction and these investors would rather watch you tick moments of your life away versus invest in the paper version, make some irl friends, and laude the inventors of MTG as the mystical beings that they were.
Instead, we're left with an absolutely toothless version that leaves a sour taste.
There are some white knights that will come out of the woodwork to defend this title because it emphasizes a small part of their nerdiness and becomes part of their identity. If you say anything about either, you will be chastised.
In any case, you have ultimately made the right decision in moving away from arena, but there is always an LGS where you can make real friends, play janky decks, proxies, and create your own control values for maximum fun.
5oulburn#01544
I think all of us Alpha/Beta/Revised players are in the same boat. While some would argue that multiple iterations of the game attract new players, we all know what WOTC/Hasbro are doing...
I also share the same sentiment and wrote a message describing some of my issues with hand smoothing, hidden MMR results, shuffler rigging, and bo1 inconsistencies - along with a free ways to cost-effectively mitigate them. A WOTC rep that responded then told me: " I can guarantee that everything is working as intended.", which means everything is working out for the investors bracket as intended. That's so great. Video games are a known distraction and these investors would rather watch you tick moments of your life away versus invest in the paper version, make some irl friends, and laude the inventors of MTG as the mystical beings that they were.
Instead, we're left with an absolutely toothless version that leaves a sour taste.
There are some white knights that will come out of the woodwork to defend this title because it emphasizes a small part of their nerdiness and becomes part of their identity. If you say anything about either, you will be chastised.
In any case, you have ultimately made the right decision in moving away from arena, but there is always an LGS where you can make real friends, play janky decks, proxies, and create your own control values for maximum fun.