DemonDragonJ on The Matrix: the 25th Anniversary

2 days ago

This year is the 25th anniversary of The Matrix, a science fiction film that has been very influential in the history of cinema for both its special effects and its storytelling.

The Matrix stars Keanu Reeves, who previously was best-known for his role as Theodore "Ted" Logan in the Bill and Ted films; Reeves had previously appeared in a cyberpunk film, Johnny Mnemonic, but that movie was a commercial failure, so The Matrix was Reeve's major breakout as an action movie star.

The film stars Reeves as Thomas Anderson, also known as Neo, an ordinary man who works in an office but feels an intense sense of dissatisfaction with his life, moonlighting as a hacker to seek further information and find a sense of purpose in life. Neo eventually learns a most horrifying truth: that reality is not what he believed it to be, and is, in fact, a grand illusion designed by machines to enslave humanity, and a group of freedom fighters recruit him to help in their fight to free humanity from the machines.

The Matrix was groundbreaking for its innovative special effects, which had rarely, if ever, been seen, in cinema, at that time (and, naturally, have been either referenced or parodied numerous times, since then), but also for the philosophical nature of its storytelling; at a surface level, the movie is a modern adaption of Plato’s allegory of the cave, but a deeper analysis could allow the viewer to interpret in a variety of ways, including as a commentary on the state of society at that time, a metaphor for fears of advancing technology, or an inspiration for people who felt disaffected with the world or were disguising their true natures and then felt the courage to reveal themselves to society. Even more innovative for the time was the idea that some people may actually wish to be enslaved within the Matrix, as suggested with the character of Cypher, who was severely disillusioned with Morpheus's crusade against the machines and wished to be re-integrated into the Matrix, although he was ultimately shown to be wrong with that belief.

Some viewers criticized the idea of machines using humans as a source of power, but that was because the Wachowskis had originally written the story as having the machines use humans for the computational power of their brains, but the studio executives believed that viewers would better understand the idea of the machines using humans as a power source, instead.

Given the massive success of the film, it was only natural that the studio would wish for it to have sequels, but most fans severely dislike the sequels, believing that those films ruined the original, although I have not yet seen those films, so I cannot say anything about them, but I do still regard the original film as a landmark of cinematic storytelling, so I shall be glad to rewatch it, and I fully expect that there shall be special events to commemorate its 25th anniversary.

What does everyone else say about this? How do you feel about this year being the 25th anniversary of The Matrix?

DemonDragonJ on Kalonian Hydra or Bristly Bill?

3 days ago

I have a copy of Kalonian Hydra in my Atraxa, Praetors' Voice EDH deck, but I am considering replacing it with Bristly Bill, Spine Sower, so I would like to ask for everyone's advice on this issue.

The hydra requires only a single payment of mana, but it must attack in order for its ability to trigger, which could leave it vulnerable, while bristly Bill, in contrast, requires mana for his ability, but his ability can be used multiple times, and also does not require him to attack in order for it to be used, so each creature seems to have its own advantages.

What does everyone else here say abut this? Should I keep Kalnoian hydra in my Atraxa deck, or replace it with Bristly Bill?

DemonDragonJ on Get Your Wings: the 50th …

5 days ago

This year is the 50th anniversary of Get Your Wings, the second album by Aerosmith, an album that contains many of their best-known songs, each of which is a classic in its own right, in my mind.

Aerosmith's eponymous debut album was certainly an amazing album, on its own, but their sophomore record demonstrated a significant step forward in terms of both songwriting skills and energy when performing, with every song on the album showcasing the skills of the musicians who were performing; from start to finish, there is not a wasted second on the album.

The bookends of the album, opening track Same Old Song and Dance and closer Pandora's Box are unquestionably two of Aerosmith's finest compositions, displaying the blues-based swagger for which they were well-known, but every track between them is just as excellent, including Lord of the Thighs, Women of the World, SOS (Too Bad), Seasons of Wither, and, of course the absolutely epic cover of the old blues standard, Train Kept a-Rollin'. Numerous artists had already covered that song, before Aerosmith, most notably the Yardbirds, but Aerosmith's version is likely the best-known version of the song, as it is grand and magnificent, with a rousing atmosphere that is certain to inspire people to jump and dance. In fact, I would go as far as to say that Aerosmith's cover of that song is one of my favorite rock and roll songs of all time, which certainly is a high bar to clear.

Aerosmith was the first band I saw in concert, back in 2012, and that was a spectacular concert, so I do hope that I can see them, one more time, before they retire, and I certainly expect that they shall do something to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their second album.

What does everyone else say about this? How do you feel about this year being the 50th anniversary of Get Your Wings?

DemonDragonJ on Which Card(s) Should Replace the …

5 days ago

I used to have copies of The Immortal Sun in most of my EDH decks, but I have been replacing those copies with cards that better suit the themes of those decks, so I wish to ask for advice for specific decks.

First, I am wondering about my Sen Triplets EDH deck; that deck is a very controlling deck, so one card that I am considering is Myrel, Shield of Argive, since she is a more powerful version of Grand Abolisher, although I certainly would be willing to hear other suggestions, as well. I was also considering replacing the sun with Esper Sentinel, but I am not certain if I actually need that card in that deck, with all the other sources of card advantage that that deck has.

Second, I am seeking a replacement for the sun in my Teneb, the Harvester EDH deck, but this shall be a more challenging replacement, as there are numerous cards that would work well with that deck. My first choice was Karador, Ghost Chieftain, as this is the only deck in which he would fit, and, with his inherent cost-reducing ability, he would usually cost less then 8 mana to summon, but, as good as he is, he is merely a 3/4 that allows me to cast a creature spell from my graveyard once per turn. I then considered Sepulchral Primordial, but I do not wish to raise the mana curve of this deck, and that creature is only a 5/4 for seven mana. I also am considering either Sun Titan or Angel of Indemnity, as they clearly work with the theme of this deck, but the restrictions on their abilities may limit their utility in this deck, although the encore ability of the angel is nice, as I can sacrifice the tokens that it generates before they sacrifice themselves. Then, I am considering Grave Titan, since it can easily send creatures to my opponents' graveyards, for me to steal, as well as generating tokens for me to sacrifice, so I have numerous options for that deck.

What does everyone else say about this? What cards should I use to replace The Immortal Sun in my decks?

DemonDragonJ on EDHREC Cast: Design Trends We …

5 days ago

As a follow up to their previous video, the members of EDHREC have recorded a video about design trends of which they are fond.

I am not surprised, but still displeased, that the members of EDHREC are fond of the restrictions that WotC has been imposing upon certain cards, but there is no need for us to discuss that subject, any further, since we have already discussed it, quite thoroughly.

What does everyone else say about this subject? How do you feel about the points that the speakers in this video have raised?

DemonDragonJ on Is Anyone Else Annoyed that …

1 week ago

I am not yet current with the story of Outlaws of Thunder Junction, but I know that Jace and Vraska have returned, and apparently have been cured of their phyresis with no psychological trauma, at all, which really annoys me, because this means that nearly all of the planeswalkers who were completed have been cured (with only Tamiyo confirmed as having died), so I feel that there were little consequences from Phyrexia's invasion of the multiverse, apart from the opening of the Omenpaths and many planeswalkers losing their sparks. This is very similar to when Elspeth returned from the underworld in Theros with no psychological trauma, either; for her, death was essentially a vacation.

This is very frustrating, since it seems as if the writers dislike the idea of there being permanent consequences for anything that occurs or otherwise changing the status quo, which severely undermines Phyrexia's status as one of the greatest threats in the multiverse.

What does everyone else say about this? Are you disappointed that Jace and Vraska have returned?

DemonDragonJ on Which Card Should Replace Pain …

1 week ago

I have a copy of Pain Magnification in my Progenitus EDH deck, but I intend to replace it, as it is a fairly useless card in that deck, and I am currently considering two different cards as potential replacements for it: Black Market Connections and Mayael's Aria, as I believe that either of those cards would be a far better match for this deck, but I am not certain which of those two cards I should choose, so I certainly shall appreciate the feedback of other users, here.

What does everyone else say about this subject? Which card is the better replacement for Pain Magnification?

DemonDragonJ on Breaker of the Accord

1 week ago

Keeper of the Accord is an awesome card, and I realized that it would be too easy to make a black version of it, so here is the result of my work:

I kept the breaker as close of a match to the keeper as I could, altering only the details of its abilities, and I also chose for it to be a warlock, since soldiers are rarely black, in this game.

I understand that this design may be too aggressive for some players, so I have made an alternate version, one that is not quite as aggressive, as seen, here:

What does everyone think about this version? Is this version less aggressive? I certainly am interested to hear your feedback.

DemonDragonJ on How Good is Pain Magnification?

1 week ago

I have copies of Pain Magnification in several of my decks, but I am not certain if I shall keep those copies in those decks, since I have realized that it is best in decks that have a dedicated discard theme, whereas I put it in those decks mainly because I thought that it was a cool card (in my defense, that card was first printed in the original Ravnica block, which was released only shortly after I had begun playing the game in 2003). Therefore, I wonder how everyone else feels about that card.

What does everyone else say about this? How good of a card is Pain Magnification?

DemonDragonJ on How is the New Voja …

1 week ago

I know that I ask this question very frequently, but WotC continues to print cards that I feel are simply too powerful for their mana costs, and the new Voja, Jaws of the Conclave is among the newest of those cards; for five mana, the new Voja is a 5/5 creature with three keyword abilities (including ward ) and a powerful triggered ability, which I feel is simply too much value for such a low mana cost.

If the new Voja did not have ward, did not have its triggered ability, or cost 7 mana, I would have accepted it, but, as he currently is, he provides simply too much value for too low of a cost; I understand that some level of power creep in any game is inevitable, but this is essentially power escalation, in my mind; I can accept both Aurelia, the Law Above outclassing Serra Angel or Scourge of Valkas outclassing Shivan Dragon, because they are subtle improvements over the originals, but Voja, Jaws of the Conclave is simply ridiculous, to me.

What does everyone else say about this? How is Voja, Jaws of the Conclave remotely balanced?

DemonDragonJ on How is Black Market Connections …

1 week ago

Black Market Connections is an amazing card, and I have copies of it in several of my decks, but I wonder how it is at all balanced, given that it produces so much value for a relatively small and one-time payment of mana. It heavily outclasses both Bitterblossom and Phyrexian Arena in a significant number of situations, and has a very lenient mana cost, so I think that it would have been perfectly balanced at 4 mana (with a heavier color weight in its cost; i.e., ).

What does everyone else say about this? How is Black Market Connections at all balanced?

DemonDragonJ on EDHREC Cast: Design Trends We …

1 week ago

I saw this video, and I wished to discuss it, since I feel that the people in the video raise some excellent points.

First, I do like ward very much, but WotC has definitely been using it far too frequently since they introduced it, and I definitely agree that the new Voja is far too powerful; if he had cost 7 mana or not had ward, I would have had no problem, with him, but, as he currently is, he is simply far too powerful.

Second, I have no problem with newer keywords that are essentially "fixed" versions of older keywords, so I am not certain if I have anything else to say about that.

Third, I definitely agree that newer cards that render older cards entirely obsolete are very rarely a good thing, so I cannot help but feel that there has been a severe case of power creep in recent sets.

How does everyone else feel about this? Do you agree with the points that the people in that video made?

DemonDragonJ on Why Do Some Players Keep …

2 weeks ago

I just saw this post on Mark Rosewater's Tumblr account, and I am very displeased that players continue to ask about eliminating the "legend rule" from the game, since that rule has reasons both flavorful and mechanical for existing.

What does everyone else say about this? Is anyone else here annoyed at how some players wish to eliminate the legend rule?

DemonDragonJ on Why Was Ward Worded as …

2 weeks ago

Ward is ostensibly an improvement over hexproof, which, itself, was an improvement over shroud, and I can understand that, but what I do not understand that is why ward is a triggered ability.

To clarify, the reminder text of ward is "whenever this permanent becomes the target of a spell or ability that an opponent controls, counter that spell or ability unless its control pays X," but that is not consistent with shroud and hexproof, which are both static abilities; if ward was consistent, its reminder text would have been "spells and abilities that your opponents control that target this permanent cost X more to cast;" does that make sense, or would that not have allowed for ward costs other than mana?

What does everyone else say about this? Why is ward worded as it is?

DemonDragonJ on Should Color Pie Breaks Be …

2 weeks ago

In this post on Mark Rosewater's Tumblr account, a user asked why WotC continues to reprint color pie breaks, because doing so implies that they are acceptable, and I can understand that sentiment, because I severely dislike color pie breaks, as well, but others users responded that any card will become prohibitively expensive, if it is not reprinted, so the best way to deal with color pie breaks is to ban them in any format, and I understand that sentiment, as well.

What does everyone else say about this subject? How do you feel about color pie breaks being reprinted?

DemonDragonJ on Will Niv-Mizzet be the Next …

3 weeks ago

It seems to me that WotC is hinting that Niv-Mizzet may be the next major villain in the story, with how he wishes to control the omenpaths and make Ravnica a center of interplanar commerce, but I worry that he may be too similar to Bolas, in that regard, as both are ancient and incredibly powerful dragons, so I am not certain if I wish to have two major villains who are similar to each other.

What does everyone else say about this? Do you believe that Niv-Mizzet shall be the next major villain of the story, or is WotC misleading the players?

DemonDragonJ on How Do You Feel About …

3 weeks ago

For years, only instant and sorcery spells could be copied, but permanents could be copied after they entered the battlefield, but, recently, WotC has been allowing permanent spells to be copied, which is dislike, since I fail to see what need there was for allowing that, since the previous method seemed to work perfectly well, in my mind.

What does everyone else say about this? Why is WotC now allowing copying of permanents while they are spells on the stack, and how do you feel about that change in philosophy?