Goals of the CPA

[Chaos Turtle]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>(note: this post was originally a response to Spiderman's 4/10/2000, 6:43 AM post on the "Slowly, but surely" Thread (Zadok001 under General CPA Stuff. Go there to see what this is all about. ( http://www.magic-singles.com/cpa/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000263.html ) About halfway through, I realized that this is a more appropriate forum, so here goes.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I remember that advertisement.
I thought the same thing the Mundungu has stated; that it seemed really aggressinve at first. Truth be told, that's why I didn't show up for such a long time. It just seemed like a bunch of WotC-hating ranters who were especially pissed-off at teh introduction the "Classic" (who was that who kept calling them 666e?) Rules.

Now, of course, I know that a variety of opinions are recognized here, and that this is a valuable forum indeed. The people here really do love the game, and want to see it go on living. (aside: I can't be the only one who's noticed how short-lived the posting stints of the juvenile jokers [*koff*-The Master-*koff*] are around here? I think that says something about the dedication level of the (almost) exclusively non-pro players we have here.

My point?
The CPA can be everything that everyone here wants it to be. I tend to shy away from using the word "activist" since I think that we should take a more...ambassador-like...approach to any direct dealing with WotC (and the Magic community).

Sure, the last two sets have been good for the casual player. Actually, several of the more recent sets have had cards that seem aimed at casual - even multiplayer - play. This is what I think we all would agree to be a step in the right direction.

So, has the "necessity" of the CPA diminished? That depends on what you think the CPA is for, whether it was really "necessary" to begin with, and what the current aims of the CPA are (who is to say that our goals cannot evolve?).

That said, if there really is to be any sort of active relationship with WotC and the Magic community, then the CPA ought to get organized. I'm not advocating that we choose officers or anything, but if there was a system for airing our views to WotC, then we could be certain that this collective voice is being heard.
Those views, of course, need not be consistent within our membership. The Voting Booth, for example, could be used to collect opinions and those findings could be reported regularly.
I'm certainly not suggesting that we are doing anything wrong now, but whoever (apologies) referred to this site/forum as a "Coffee Shop" is really calling a spade a spade. That's precisely the atmosphere we have here. Casual, friendly, and unlikely to actually do anything. This is not a bad thing. There's no need for everyone to be an "activist" (much as I dislike the term) but there are those of us who do feel a need to communicate to WotC and the masses, and those people ought to be encouraged to do so.

The crux is this:
If the CPA is going to post to WotC and other sites, then there should be someone(s) to represent the collective voice, who is willing so see and offer the different points of view that out membership holds.
We can be the Coffee Shop, and we can be the Player's Alliance to preserve the game as a Casual one.

CPA, what say you?

 

[FoundationOfRancor]

Sounds good to me. I veiw that the CPA will always have a place as long as magic is here.

 

[Ophidian]

I think you are absolutely right turtle. I don't know much about how WotC gets their ideas for cards, but I am guessing that the only substantial feedback they get now are from the various tournaments. I believe that the casual player deserves a say in the game that he/she is dedicated to, but activism is the wrong way. Sometimes a whisper is heard more clearly than a protest. That is why I believe that the CPA is a counterbalance, and I think they are already listening to what we have to say.

About the CPA being a 'coffee house', that isn't so bad, is it? This is a place where people can express their views, no matter how silly. If only the CPA had tables like a real coffee house.....

And in response to what Rancor said, I believe that the average player will always have a place as long as the CPA is still around.

[chant] long live the CPA!! [chant]

 

[Mundungu]

Well first thanks for writing things better than me...
I really agree with your description of the actual state of the CPA, which I really like the way it is.

It is certain as well as their is more a "membership feeling" feeling around the CPA that exists nowhere else. New comers are welcomed by the elder, there is interaction with the web guy, you can get nicknames. Lots of good stuff that really make the CPA a group and not just a message board.

I agree that if the CPA was to come closer to its initial mission statement, it should be better organised and surely, now that I know the people posting here, it could be done in a very decent and efficient way.

Some subjects can probably be adressed only at the CPA, like the card sellers slowly going out of business, which was omportant stuff.

CPA can be active but always should keep its current tone : no senseless flaming and constant critiscism but reflexion, fun, tolerance, imagination and balance.

I praise your statement that CPA is the place of people dedicated to the game of magic and are ready to make it survive.

As my last remark I think that WOTC and DCI should be praised too when they deserve it. It might not be often but I recently saw a few good things happen :
good common cards
multiplayer orientated cards
Organisation of the "friday night Magic" local tournaments.

But chaos turtle as you said, it is up to us to decide ....

 

[theorgg]

yes.

but no coffie. I hate that stuff.


plus you know what kind of people hang around in Atlanta coffie houses.&lt;shiver&gt;

 

[Spiderman]

Well said Turtle. Let me get one thing straight: I'm not against the CPA as a whole; I'm more for it IF I know what it's doing. This whole thread (this and the main one on the General forum) was in response to criticism of the Dojo and I thought we ought to take a look here first and see what we are trying to accomplish before slamming other sites (whether deserved or not).

Having said that, a couple things:

Chaos: I am guilty of naming this place as a "coffee house". And as I said when I mentioned it, it wasn't a bad thing DEPENDING on where the CPA wanted to go. And as you said, this site can be both a coffee house and a bed for activism. I just wanted it clarified what CPA was doing and its position on issues as compared to when the CPA was conceived.

Ophidian: Personally I believe that the card ideas that come from the designers are cards THEY would want to play with, not necessarily keeping in tune with the tournament scene. This has been mentioned in interviews with Henry Stern and Mark Rosewater (off the top of my head). They are probably aware of the tourney scene in the back of their mind, but I don't think they look at it as a whole and say that this card need to go here (with a few exceptions like Anvil of Bogardan). The pace and TONE of a card set however, is probably influenced more by the tourney scene (fast Tempest in response to Ice Age and Alliance and slowdown again from then onwards).

All: Once again my cynical nature arises: Are we THAT sure that the CPA (or casual players in general) have had an influence on sets? Sure, the later sets seem to cater towards multiplayer and all that, but is that our influence or coincedence? These sets are designed and playtested two years in advance now. The CPA was really only around from last summer. It's kind of like having someone say around Weatherlight "boy I wish there were faster creatures, this flanking and phasing just doesn't cut it" and boom, you get Tempest.

In other words, I need some evidence that the CPA (using us as an example) is having an influence. Otherwise we're just kidding ourselves when these sets come out and we just float along on our merry way, blissfully unaware of the non-impact we have with WOTC.

 

[Gryphonclaw]

Wups, check out my response to TomB's article for my views on this.

Maybe a little more organization could be good.