NEW WORDING OF AN OTHERWISE PLENTIFUL WORDING TROPE

Oshuja89Oshuja89
edited July 2016 in MTG Gameplay Chat
Yesterday Mythic Spoiler released a card due for the October FNM Promos and has a wording change that would be a gamechanger for us Cardsmiths

http://mythicspoiler.com/newspoilers.html specifically July 28

What this wording change does is, essentially, you create a token instead of the whole rigamarole that is putting it onto the battlefield, saving space on the card. In reference to the specific card I am showing, "Create a tapped 2/2 black Zombie creature token for each instant and sorcery card in your graveyard."

CREATE A TAPPED 2/2 BLACK ZOMBIE CREATURE TOKEN!!! this takes up 47 characters of text (including spaces) whereas, 'Put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield tapped' takes up a whole 65 characters of text! that's 18 less characters we have to deal with if Creating tokens is a real thing. I'd imagine this would be the same with any non-card entities that have text on them, like emblems and... I guess that's it. But I'd reckon this goes for every token and emblem.

So what do y'all think? Is this change welcomed? Do you think it sounds weird for being so different from what we're used to? Please discuss in the comments (where else?)

Here's what Krenko's Command / Dragon Fodder would look like with the new format. Also showcasing the extra bit of space granted by the change.

image

People are getting confused, Creating a token is the same as putting a token onto the battlefield--so it triggers ETB effects.

From the Comprehensive Rule Book
"110.5d If a spell or ability would create a token, but an effect states that a permanent with one or more of that token’s characteristics can’t enter the battlefield, the token is not created."

Comments

  • CorwinnnCorwinnn
    edited July 2016
    That would be a game changer on this site... plus a lot of cards getting remade!
    Also... they might not all be tapped, so you can take off 7 more characters.. 40 vs. 65? Very exciting!
  • Oshuja89Oshuja89
    @corwinnn Oh, well, yeah, they don't all enter tapped, just in the context of the card... I guess I shoulda made that more evident. Either way, still 18 characters to shave off (since both versions say tapped) I'll edit the description of the OP to show that more expressly... or whatever
  • CorwinnnCorwinnn
    edited July 2016
    image
  • Oshuja89Oshuja89
    edited July 2016
    @Corwinnn I believe that it would either 'have' intimidate/haste or, if my intuition is correct, it would be 'created' with whatever ability... but that could be wrong. I'll post this on the card too, I guess. Since it is talking about it and such.
    Very nice concept and kudos and using create in such a manner. It feels very much like one of the reasons they would have introduced create as a sort of keyword to replace put on the battlefield.
  • CorwinnnCorwinnn
    edited July 2016
    Oh yeah! I recreated an older card and missed that part when I templated it!
    It's been corrected!
  • YururuYururu
    Will "create a token" still trigger ETB abilities?
  • Oshuja89Oshuja89
    edited July 2016
    @Yururu, I would imagine so as it is just a replacement of 'put onto the battlefield'
    Yes.
  • LujikulLujikul
    I'm not that excited for this new wording. I have an antitoken deck that deals excessive amounts of damage through the tokens entering the battlefield.
  • Oshuja89Oshuja89
    @Lujikul
    I'm sure the tokens still enter the battlefield, just as manifesting the top card of your library triggers ETB effects, creating a token would trigger the aforementioned effects as well.
  • KrampisZmanKrampisZman
    edited July 2016
    image

    image

    Look how much space I saved on this card by using the new wording!
  • Oshuja89Oshuja89
    edited July 2016
    @KrampisZman
    Perfect! The Purple Guy is happy that his text box can breathe easy.

    also, when putting in the image link address, use the smaller one from the list of your cards.
  • BAEBAE
    edited July 2016
    Well if WotC are doing this just to save some space then I really hope "mil" and "bounce" become keywords too. Otherwise I really dont understand their logic.
  • Oshuja89Oshuja89
    Yeah, mill and bounce would save space on cards. However, not every color has a method of milling and bouncing (not that that logic is exactly sound, or anything)
  • Biblio2Biblio2
    They have tried for years to come up with a good keyword for "milling." Mill doesn't work since it's not intuitive for new players who've never used Millstone, but nothing else seems universal.
  • BAEBAE
    I dont know, "milling" seems to be used a lot even by newbies.
  • AnimistAnimist
    @BAE

    I'm not sure how new those newbies are. You gotta imagine someone with absolutely zero experience of Magic. Things like 'die', 'destroy' and 'create' are all pretty intuitive and easy to understand. But 'mill'? I'm not sure how a total newbie would be expected to intuit that it means putting cards from the top of the library into the graveyard.

    Or, to look at it another way, if Millstone had been called 'Drillstone', we'd probably all be calling it drilling rather than milling.
  • Faiths_GuideFaiths_Guide
    Create Boars!
    image
  • LujikulLujikul
    I can confirm what @Animist is saying. For about my first year, I never had exposure to milling, so when I was told by an opponent that they played mill, I had no idea what he was talking about. It was about three months later I figured it out. Up to that point I thought it was a kind of deck built around a land called Somethingorother Mill.
  • Oshuja89Oshuja89
    @Lujikul and @Animist
    I hadn't even thought of how confusing it would be. I was first introduced to Magic some four odd years ago, when Magic DotP 2013 was free for XBOX Gold members. It wasn't until halfway into my sophomore year of high school I knew what milling was, courtesy of my math teacher.
  • BAEBAE
    edited August 2016
    Well I imagine they would define the mill effects in parenthesis like every other ability at one point in the game. It should be like that for at least a couple blocks until people got used to it, then later they could stop defining it. Same with trample, first strike, reach, etc. It wouldnt eliminate card space at first but at least it sets it up for later blocks right?

    Anyway Im going to ignore the "drilling" comment lol.
  • TrippleBoggey3TrippleBoggey3
    edited August 2016
    Well, I got a bunch of newbies in my school who claim that it's mull, not mill, and they outnumbered me so they claim they're right.
  • LujikulLujikul
    A thousand people can be wrong, and still be wrong. If you explain the Origins of the term, it'll probably make a lot more sense why it's called mill to them.
  • Oshuja89Oshuja89
    edited August 2016
    For those of you who don't know the origins of the word mill (as an informal term used by MTG players) image
    And I guess for everyone who doesn't know the origins of the word mill (etymology and such)
    The actual word 'mill' comes from the Latin word 'molere' and 'mola'--to grind, and a mill or milling stone, respectively. These were used to grind various grains into a meal, and were later affixed into towers that could effectively harness the power of the wind (a windmill).
  • AnimistAnimist
    edited August 2016
    @BAE

    How many times have you seen reminder text for 'exile'? That term was created, amongst other reasons, to save space and simplify. If WotC have to include the word and the reminder text, even if it's for a few blocks, then that isn't exactly saving space! It also proves that it isn't intuitive so you might as well stick with the wording you've got. The Rise from the Tides promo doesn't need reminder text for what 'create' is.

    I take it you didn't understand the point I was trying to make about the 'drilling' comment? XD

    But I agree with @Lujikul - once it's explained, it makes sense and is quickly adopted into the vocabulary of newer players.
  • BAEBAE
    edited August 2016
    But like I said, it would be nice to set that up for future sets and to get new players at the moment to learn what milling is. I mean that ability is used on so many cards it should be a keyword/ability already. Imagine if vigilance or flash was still written out today and never changed just because it may be too difficult for new players to understand. There will always be new players and ways to learn abilities in the game.

    So just like with "exile", "mill" could be created to shorten length later. Yes, it doesnt have to take that long though. Could be a couple sets. Prowess might also lose its definition one day, which is how I imagine the "mill" ability/keyword would play out. Thats all Im saying.

    "Create" isnt really an ability itself like trample for example so of course that wouldn't be explained in perenthesis o.o "Put" wasnt either xD
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