I play a fair bit of Magic, primarily at work. For years, I've used Magic Online for cheaply testing decks before deciding which cards to buy in paper.
I was very excited by Arena. It looks modern, feels a lot less clunky and allows one to just play a few games with very little hassle. It's all the good parts of the Hearthstone or Elder Scrolls Legends clients, but it's a fully-fledged Magic implementation!
However, I've found myself barely playing any Magic Arena.
- As mentioned in the article, as much as I love paper Magic, it's not the best computer game. If I'm by a PC, there are other things I usually want to play.
-It's been great to test ideas for some Standard decks, but I usually prefer Modern.
-It's free, but I don't spend too much on Magic, anyway.
-It's quick, but it lacks all the interpersonal communication
That last point is probably one of the biggest things, for me. I love reading opponents, playing the mind games and chatting a bit while playing. You can't see each other and you don't even have a chat in Arena.
There's also the physical collectible aspect of it. I love picking up my folders with cards and flipping through them. Scrolling through them on a screen doesn't feel as satisfying.
I was very excited by Arena. It looks modern, feels a lot less clunky and allows one to just play a few games with very little hassle. It's all the good parts of the Hearthstone or Elder Scrolls Legends clients, but it's a fully-fledged Magic implementation!
However, I've found myself barely playing any Magic Arena.
- As mentioned in the article, as much as I love paper Magic, it's not the best computer game. If I'm by a PC, there are other things I usually want to play.
-It's been great to test ideas for some Standard decks, but I usually prefer Modern.
-It's free, but I don't spend too much on Magic, anyway.
-It's quick, but it lacks all the interpersonal communication
That last point is probably one of the biggest things, for me. I love reading opponents, playing the mind games and chatting a bit while playing. You can't see each other and you don't even have a chat in Arena.
There's also the physical collectible aspect of it. I love picking up my folders with cards and flipping through them. Scrolling through them on a screen doesn't feel as satisfying.