We’re a couple weeks out from the largest Grand Prix in Magic history (and trading card game history), and the Magic community is on fire. Never let it be said that Magic players are known for resting on their laurels, as articles and Twitter feuds are popping up left and right about how we can improve the game, how to fix coverage, how to turn Magic into a legitimate sport. Normally, I like to sit on the sidelines and watch the world burn, but this time, I felt like joining in on the fray. So, since you ALL asked SO NICELY, here are my suggestions for improving Magic:

Make MTGO Matter

I’ve been playing Magic: The Gathering Online since the third day it was available to download. I was fortunate enough to grow up in the deepest, darkest backwoods of Eastern Kentucky (that place where all the hillbilly jokes you’ve ever heard got their start). The closest game store was about 2 hours away, so when given the opportunity to play Magic whenever I wanted (instead of whenever my friends were sober), I jumped at the opportunity.

In the eleven years since, MTGO has put me through every emotion a human can possibly experience. Happiness (“I won my first 8 man draft!”), sadness (“Paired against my worst matchup three games in a row.”), arousal (“I just opened Jace, the Mind Sculpter, MFers!”), anger (“Screw the shuffler!”), and even homicidal rage (SCREW THIS DAMN SHUFFLER! I WILL FIND YOU SOMEDAY WORTH WOLLPERT, AND I WILL WEAR YOUR PELT AS A JOCKSTRAP!”). I’ve been there for “Chuck’s Virtual Party,” the awesomeness of being passed an [card]Umezawa’s Jitte[/card] in a Kamigawa block draft, the Mayfly like birth-life-death of leagues, and the current V4 spotlight issue. MTGO has been an unbelievable boon to my Magic skills and my sanity.

Yet, I’ve never really got the feeling from Wizards that MTGO was a priority for the company, and many others seem to get the same impression. I find MTGO’s “second class citizen” status to be maddeningly frustrating. In a 2007 interview, it was noted that, “the online game is somewhere between 30% to 50% of the total Magic business” (http://www.gamespy.com/articles/818/818114p1.html for those scholarly minded readers). Think about that. MTGO can be assumed to make nearly half of Magic’s total profits, yet it still feels like the ugly child Wizards keeps in the basement and force feeds leftover gruel and sliced cheese wrappers.

So, Wizards, make us believe that MTGO matters to you! The easiest route to this would be linking it to the physical card games, something that I hope the new “redemption codes” offer. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard, “Yeah, I don’t want to try MTGO,” from hardcore FNMers. They love Magic, but many choose to spend their online time playing World of Warcraft or League of Legends. Give them the nudge they need to take the plunge into MTGO.

Examine Prize Support

You know what sucks? Getting to the finals of a 300+ person PTQ and losing to wind up with only a booster box. Or winning a Grand Prix and receiving less in prize money than there were in entrants to the tournament. Magic is growing rapidly and we’re still stuck with the antiquated prize structure from when the game had half its current player base. While I understand the gambling issues inherent in a sliding prize structure, why not at least restructure PTQs to follow GPs based on the number of entrants. If you can offer additional Pro Tour slots when a GP breaks 1200 players, why not do the same when a PTQ breaks 150 or 200?

Also, how about you take a look at the prize payout for Grand Prixes? Right now, winning the SCG Invitational is about the same as winning 2 GPs. Plus, you get your own token. I love Grand Prixes, but when another company (or multiple companies, if you count the TCG player series and the up and coming Mana Deprived Super Series) is beginning to rival one of your premier tournament structures, you need to take a look at what you’re offering (note: I will admit that this may be a testament to the awesomeness of these companies instead of a shortfall from Wizards).

Incentivise More Ways for Me to Play With My Favorite Cards

I’ve been playing Magic since 1996 and next year, Magic will be old enough to buy a bottle of Kraken. In the 17 years I’ve been playing this game no card has captured my love like [card]Deranged Hermit[/card]. The card walks the line between silly and legit like no other in Magic. Yet, the only time I ever get to play with my favorite card, the card I love casting more than any other and would tattoo across my backside if it wouldn’t lead to divorce and a broken home for my children, is when I can convince/bribe/threaten someone at my store to break out a Commander deck. Commander is legitimate gold for Wizards and they’re very fortunate that the Magic community came up with it.

But why stop there? Why not invest in other alternate formats that would encourage us to play off the wall decks? I would love to have cause to get into pauper (if only online, as it seems to be a largely unknown format in the paper world), and I would consider offering up a testicle for a sanctioned Build Your Own Block tournament. While I can suggest these formats to my local players, without some form of incentive most won’t put the time forth needed to discover something new. I’m all for the attention Commander receives (though I think it doesn’t get ENOUGH love from Wizards) but I would like to see that love spread to some of the other alternate formats that enable players to battle with their favorite cards.

Give Me Heroes

This is mostly a dig at the coverage, and while I don’t have the strength (or expertise) to develop a four part, 10,000 word treatise on the subject, I do have a suggestion. Why aren’t we getting pre-recorded vignettes, personal stories, or human interest pieces during the down times? I mean, how easy and awesome would it be for Wizards to do a 3-4 short pieces on a few select players:

A Forgotten Pro returning to the game, looking for another chance at glory

Bobby First-timer, his years of PTQing paying off in his first trip to the big stage

The Hometown Hero

The Hall of Fame Has-Been looking to prove he still has it

Luis Scott-Vargas (more LSV is always a plus)

A few prerecorded vignettes to introduce our stars and a quick check-in after every round would be enough to give some added depth and “human drama” to the coverage. And, if one of them managed to make it to the top 8, we’d eat that crap up with a spoon and call it caviar! Right now, it seems that Wizards expects players to develop a following by being successful, or by promoting themselves, but I think they are really missing out on an easy way to market themselves and their players. I wouldn’t even mind seeing the Pro-Player cards return (albeit in a much more limited capacity).

The Gathering

As touched on in the SCG article series, we need a truly special year end World Championship. And, I think the answer is a plain as the back of the cards. We need The Gathering. I understand that Wizards may have to pay a tidy sum to whoever owns the rights to the Highlander movies, but it would be worth it (they could go back to calling Commander “EDH” and even claim “There can be only one!” while they’re at it). As Magic goes to work on its third decade, we really need a prestige event (with a name!) to tie the Magic year together. The Magic World Championship is a fantastic beginning, but it still feels like it’s missing the final bit of “Wow” to push the event over the top.

Here’s what I want. I want the top 32 players in the world. I want the four Pro Tour winners, the rookie of the year, and the reigning world champion. I want the twenty players with the most points over the year (that haven’t already been invited). And, I want six “last chance qualifiers,” one from each continent that isn’t primarily inhabited by penguins (every great tourney needs some Cinderellas). I want Wizards to pick a permanent location to build a sense of history. I want four tournaments over four days. A Standard tournament, a Limited tournament, a Modern tournament, and a rotating tournament to be decided that year (options include: Legacy, Extended, Vintage, Commander, Pauper, etc). On the final day, the winner of each of these tournaments will face of in a top four, best-of-five, single elimination Standard tournament for the title of World Champion. The World Champion should receive a six-figure pay day and the best prize of them all, the right to create their own card, Invitational style. That’s the type of tournament that would get main stream coverage. That’s the type of tournament that people would kill for.

In all honesty, there’s very little to quibble about the game right now. The growth Magic is experiencing is amazing and I’m very happy to be playing right now. The future of the game has nowhere to go but up, so long as the crew in Renton keep it up.

If you like my suggestions, you can follow me on Twitter: @travishall456. I throw around random observations and deck ideas every day. You can also hear me on the Horde of Notions podcast each week, discussing deck ideas for FNM level events and the PTQ grinders.