Cockatrice/Untap.in MTGCS League/Circut?

edited January 2017 in MTG Gameplay Chat
I'm just pinging for interest here, but would anyone like to join in a casual/semi-casual MTG league on Cockatrice or Untap? The rules would be simple:
1. Modern format
2. Modern banlist is followed
3. Each match is made up of 3 games, with best 2-of-3 winning the match
4. At the end of each week/two weeks/whatever time frame ends up sticking, players are given points according to their performance.
5. Matches are handed out semi-randomly, with some balancing around skill level.
6. Each player gets one match within the time frame, and must complete that match at some point.
7. If a player cannot make their match, they must PM their opponent and notify me on this thread. They will forfeit the round and their opponents will get a bye.

If you'd be interested, just say so! I'll be collecting a list of names to PM if this ends up getting enough interest. (We'll need 6 to 8 to get started, but more is welcome!)

Note that this is casual/semi-casual, that way new/inexperienced players can learn Constructed. (I know I'll try going johnny with my decks if this takes off.)

Here's a list of people interested so far:
  • Me, touchstone!
  • IanLowenthal
  • ostewart

Comments

  • edited January 2017
    While this is a cool idea, I do worry about how many people would just copy a highly successful decklist.
  • edited January 2017
    @Lujikul
    I would hope that people would be interested in doing creative deck building to avoid that, but if it ends up becoming a problem, I have some ideas how to solve it. (I mean, come on guys, you can use any card that isn't banned in the Modern format, without needing to buy it! There's so much cool stuff you can do, no matter how janky it is!)

    EDIT: For those interested in how I'd solve it, simple: a sealed/constructed market environment.
    *cricket noise*
    Okay, more explaining:
    Each participating player would earn one "pack point" for playing a round, then another if they won that round. These points are stored with the player, and don't reset with the time reset. Players can then spend their pack points to "buy" a new pack from any Modern-legal set, and add it to their card pool.
    What card pool? Well, if the league takes this route, each player gets to choose 9 packs (may change) from any Modern-legal set and open them. This is their starting card pool, and it must be publicly posted somehow (I'd recommend Google Docs). You make a deck from this pool (excluding basic lands, naturally), and then compete with it. Winning means more packs you can buy, and the more cards you can use.
    Note that once the economy is fully established, not all sets will cost the same amount, similar to real life.
    If you're interested in what site that would enable this, check here.
  • edited January 2017
    This sounds really cool, but I probably won't be able to commit to more than one cycle. I'll join anyhow. I like the "sealed" idea, but you run into honesty problems. How about opening packs one at a time and taking a screenshot of each? Can they be mixed sets/blocks? Can we post our card pools here?
  • edited January 2017
    I'd also have to use untap.in since cockatrice was taken down.
  • edited January 2017
    The honesty problem would be solved by requiring packs to be posted on a public document, using mtgen's export to text function, since it provides a link to the page of the pack. Dishonesty would also result in immediate disqualification from the current round and indefinite banning of subsequent rounds, until amends are properly made. (It's a casual tourney - if you're cheating, you're taking it way too seriously.)

    Oh, and since this is done per pack, you can have packs from any Modern-legal set, not just all from one. I'll put you down as interested; details will be solidified after we reach enough participation.
  • Wait, would we have to seriously buy packs? Because some of those old unopened packs are getting seriously costly.
  • @Lujikul - I believe the "packs" are just randomly created and have no cost involved. @Grimshac did a pack draft of the Adast set with 100% custom cards
  • Corwinnn's right. You don't have to pay any real world currency; you have to "pay" pack points to generate new packs (from a site called mtgen, google it). Pack points are gained through participation/victory, and there's no way to actually buy them. Each set would have a set price for boosters, but they would reflect real-world prices (as in, if a base booster costs 1 pack point, a Worldwake booster could cost 4 pack points). I do see where the confusion could come from.
    Also, currently the league isn't taking this path, so there's no need to worry about it - yet.
  • Yes, this sounds really cool. What if there could be a way to get one custom card into your deck for N pack points, if the card was moderator approved as balanced?
  • @ostewart I have been thinking on how to incorporate custom cards into the league, and I think that, at least starting out, custom cards will be awarded as prizes to the lead players each cycle. Thank's for joining, too! We'll need probably one more player before we can jump-start the league.

    (As far as I've thought out, the lead player can choose to add a custom card of to their card pool from a prize pool of 6ish pre-approved cards, and possibly create another card for the pool. The oldest card will rotate out, so there will be a set amount of cards within the prizes. Older cards may be available for sale, but for the most part, once a card is rotated out, it's unavailable.)
  • edited January 2017
    @touchstone I like it! Do you want me to do some hype building/networking to build numbers? I think I can get at least one more.
  • edited January 2017
    @ostewart Spreading the word is always welcome!
  • edited January 2017
    @touchstone my one concern is one person pulling a goyf early on and breaking the whole league forever.

    Edit: or some similar game breaker in such a format
  • If something like that becomes a problem, I can make additions to the Modern Banlist for this league, at least in the early stages. Hopefully, that won't be too much of a problem.
  • It shouldn't without extraordinary luck, so hopefully not. I hope we can get more members to join!
  • @KJMartin just blatantly trying to recruit people for this thing which I think is a cool idea.
  • @ostewart
    Oh. Okay.
    I'd like to join but probably won't have the time... :(
  • edited January 2017
    It's only one game every week or two @KJMartin :)
  • Can we do the sealed thing?
  • edited January 2017
    I think we are waiting for one more player... blatantly hunt for more people @IanLowenthal!
  • @IanLowenthal - the true spirit!
  • (Although I tried @KJMartin already)
  • @ianlowenthal No thanks, I'm not a big fan of modern.
This discussion has been closed.