Why Was "Name a Card" Changed to "Choose a Card Name?"
General forum
Posted on March 17, 2019, 6:03 p.m. by DemonDragonJ
I have noticed that cards that once said "name a card" now say "choose a card name;" why was that terminology changed? WotC may have explained this, but I do not recall their explanation.
What does everyone else say about this?
DemonDragonJ,
Wizards changed it to match the phrasing they use in other places when a player must choose something (source).
They don't say exactly why they wanted the phrases to match, but non-functional changes like this are almost always to save space on the card (not the case here, since the new phrase is longer) or to make translation easier/more consistent for players who don't speak English as their primary language (which is presumably the reason here).
For future reference, Wizards almost always explains card text changes in an "Oracle Changes" article on the mothership, so Googling something like "name a card" "oracle changes" site:wizards.com usually works ...
Cheers!
March 18, 2019 8:27 a.m. Edited.
While I could not find a specific source, my guess is Wizards wanted more consistency in their card language. “Choose” is the standard rules text used for the non-targeted picking of an object or making a decision regarding a card’s effect.
Choosing a card name is type of non-targeted picking of an object, so it makes sense to use the same language throughout the game.
Choose is only used when a single player is making a decision or when multiple people make decisions where the outcome is irrespective of the other players’ choices. In situations where the ultimate outcome is based upon the collective decisions of players, “vote” may be used instead.
March 18, 2019 8:36 a.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #5
clayperce, cdkime, your explanations make perfect sense, akin to how "unblockable" was changed to "cannot be blocked" for the sake of consistency; thank you very much.
PlatinumOne says... #2
i've seen you ask questions like this before, and the answer is the same. there is no real reason. it plays out exactly the same either way. don't read into stuff too much.
March 18, 2019 12:50 a.m.