Cactus Game Design Message Boards

Quote from: jbeers285 on September 10, 2015, 02:28:01 PM

I agree with Brian here.  I think the card knowledge doesn't make a difference but the ruling knowledge is another story.  For instance if I come up with some ridiculous combo based off of an old cards wording I have the chance to discuss is with people like Justin, John, Jordan, Gabe ect and I never have to make it public knowledge.  Someone without the same kind of inside connection or track has to put the combo in the public forum get the answer.

Being able to more easily get a ruling for a combo and being able to keep it hidden is definitely an advantage.

Instead of posting it on the public forum, could not one simply PM an elder?

In short yes
But
2 things
1. This releases information which you may not want to have to give away to all the elders.  If it is debatable other elders will be informed to discuss the ruling. (Could this happen to a elder, sure it could but is less likely being that they can share it with one other elder and keep it secret from there. Leaving only 2 people who know the scenario.
2. This is not as easy of a journey for someone who 1 needs to track down elders, 2 doesn't know if they trust them to keep it secret (because they don't know them.) 3 it requires them to trust one elders opinion to make the final call to keep this from becoming more than 2 people involved.

I have the answer:

All special combos that people want an official ruling on must send them privately to me. I will then make a ruling, and that ruling will be final. My ruling cannot be overturned by an Elder. I will not be at Natz, so there are no revealed secrets. Your secret combos are safe with me because I don't trust anybody.

Problem solved.

 

As for keeping combos that you are not sure work or not secret, one other method is to post a question on a related topic/similar situation that could give a precedent for a ruling (I have done that before, both before and after I became an elder. I assume that most people who are creative enough to come up with some sort of odd combo utilizing old wording, etc. could also be creative enough to come up with a similar situation that could be ruled on without disclosing said combo. Failing that, the other option would be to post about a specific tournament, in regards to who will be judging the applicable category. They could then PM/Email that judge the combo, ask how the judge would rule on it, and also ask for confidentiality (within reason - if the judge needs to consult people who either won't be attending or playing that category, the person could give their approval for that). It may be fairly complicated, to be sure, but if you are set on using a deck that you know may cause a ruling issue, then it is incumbent upon you to utilize the resources at your disposal.

As for the trust issue, confidentiality couldn't be assured regardless of whether or not elders would be allowed to play. Even if I wasn't allowed to play at Nats, perhaps Jayden or another good non-elder friend who I would like to see win is playing. If you PM me some crazy combo, there's nothing stopping me from telling that person to tech for the combo. Obviously, I hope people know me well enough that I wouldn't do that, nor would any of the other elders from as well as I know them.

but what about the people that cant get on the forums regularly to ask, but have an Elder Handy. I was at school with Mr.Underwood, and I would ask him questions about cards quite a bit. would that mean he would have to post the question for me, or that I would have to keep a list of questions that I would have to post as soon as I got home from school, so that everyone was on exactly equal footing? I think making people post every ruling question about cards that they have is a bit excessive. if someone wants a small advantage because of one combo, then let them.  They would only be able to use it at one event, if that, before people figure it out.

I think they should keep playing in everything. They are some of our best players and I always like the ability to play them so I can learn from getting my tail-feathers kicked in.  They are very helpful and yes, competitive, but not in a mean way. You can look at these boards/tourneys and see all kinds of places where they are helping players out with strategy, deck tips, rules, etc. You don't always find that camaraderie and selflessness in other games.

In the end, I think it comes down to an issue of trust. Do we trust that the elders will not consciously participate in rulings knowing that the position they are advocating is one in which they benefit regardless of whether it would be the correct ruling? If we can trust the elders not to do this, then the issue of their experience is no more an issue than that of any long-term, skilled player regardless of whether they are an elder or not. After all most, if not all, of them became elders because they were excellent players. To then tell them that they are barred from play because they are too good and we want others to have a chance to win is idiotic in the extreme.

As far as knowledge of the new cards go, the only category I see you could even make a case for baring them from would be booster at nationals. Anything else is entirely undeserved and would be nothing more than an unearned punishment for being a good player.

Banning players from tournament play for something other than repeated gross rule breaking is not a step that I think cactus wants to take. It sends the wrong message, it punishes players for being successful, and in the end it goes against the very spirit that Redemption is supposed to embody.

Was this ever resolved?