RE: The format change...should we...

[Rando]

Should one of us send out a general release of info at other message boards, letting people know what's going on? It may generate, at least, a few curious looks.

I'll try to have something to put up on the front page by Monday...and I encourage everyone to do the same! If we're going through with this, then we should really try to do something with the chance.

 

[Spiderman]

I'd say wait a bit until the change sorts itself out. No need to try to muddle through a change AND expectations of newcomers at first.

And remember, Ed's working on a new format so it might not be the beginning of next week.

 

[Gizmo]

Why has anything been decided, and if so, what?

I have to say I think the move to 'a general gaming site' is an awful idea and 180 degrees from where the CPA should be heading.

If you look on the Brainburst forums there are dozens of players there disenchanted with netdecks, and that is the case on all the newsgroups. Those players are trying to get Brainburst to set up a forum specially for rogue decks. I think right now there is an opportunity for the CPA to reposition itself as the non-netdeck site and as 'The home for creative deckbuilders'.

Running from Magic just fragments this site more than it already is. Casting a wider net just means leaving bigger holes.

 

[Spiderman]

Where were you in CPA/Magic Issues?

Well, I think from those who participated, the majority do want to move to embrace "other games" (evidenced by the poll in CPA/Magic issues and on the front page, though the latter was tied the last time I looked at it). And you and Hetemti are the only ones now that stand out in my mind to vote for just Magic. Sooo...

the decision has been made to move in that direction with Ed coding up a new document for the new forums. I don't know what exactly the new forums will be; we'll have to wait and see what Ed cooks up.

 

[Rando]

[THROWSHANDSUP]Me[/THROWSHANDSUP]

I give up.

 

[Spiderman]

Are you doing that disco dance "Hands Up"?

 

[Rando]

Let's just say that I'm trying to be a Doo-Be and feel like a Don't-Bee.

 

[Gizmo]

It will fail. This place doesnt have a character or personality as a non-Magic site, it will simply be competing on the same terms as every other existing multi-format gaming site, and it will be doing it with an existing user base that is inherently hostile to newcomers, and with nothing to offer people who come here.

As a Magic site this place offers a unique non-netdeck character a personality - you actually ARE ALREADY OFFERING what a hell of a lot of people want but cannot find. This move is idiotic in the extreme, and sounds more and more like a tacit abandonment of any attempt to revive the site, and just to make the existing users feel more legitimate now that they no longer play Magic.

Sorry, I think its a very poor move. CPA has now, as much as ever, got the potential to be the single largest Magic site on the whole web. I`ve always believed that to be the case, and yet each time the hardcore users, who hold sway on direction, flinch away from embracing an infux of new users and a move towards being a highly important site.

An awful lot of magic players fall through the cracks of other tourney/netdeck sites, and CPA is the site best positioned to catch them, its just a terrible shame you are all to busy wanking off over each other to actually give a crap.

Sometimes you guys just make me at how selfish you are.

 

[Rando]

I am willing to admit that his whole format change swept along at much too fast a pace, and I did not expect anything to happen when I first posted the idea a week ago.

I am by no means selfesh in my actions here. I was trying to commit some of my own time and energy in helping this site...at least what I thought was help.

I was also trying to attract new users. I figured with a broader scope, then more people would be interested.

I do not appritiate being called an idiot. I've been attacked a lot over the last few days over this, and am a litte sick of it.

I am willing to try and make one last stand with the original intentions of the CPA. God knows that I'm still a Magic player. I attend PTQ's, and do fairly well at them. I've made my share of top-8's (although never qualifying) and spend hundreds of dollers a year on cards, fees and transportation.

I also know that a well-built rouge deck can knock the socks off of the competition, sometimes just by suprise factor alone!

It's not my fault that only one person stood up for the CPA's old ways. I thought that age was gone. Maybe I was wrong.

 

[Spiderman]

Well, I would support going either way, it's just that there aren't any more "hardcore" members who play Magic that come here.

Who are the hardcore members, anyway? I myself only play once every two weeks, if that.

 

[Mr_Pestilence]

Sorry I missed the original discussion, but I vote (however belatedly) for strictly Magic.

We already have a forum for games other than Magic - does it get much traffic? (I know I've NEVER been there).

Maybe the place could use a little re-decorating, but I think it suits its purpose as is.

As for hardcore Magic players, I play 2-3 times a week, spend a great deal of my spare time thinking about cards and decks, and have accumulated 40,000+ (I'm not counting'em) cards over the past 8 years.

I quit my job in Alabama and moved to Atlanta so I could play more Magic.

I have one ProTour (Rome) on my resume, and I have only missed one pre-release, EVER!

Does that qualify me as hardcore?

 

[Gizmo]

You were in Rome? Cool, I didnt know that. What were you playing, how did you do?

 

[DÛke]

Sometimes, you just make me at how pointless you are. You're trying to make a point, then do it. You suggest that we keep this a Magic place...and you once again "believe" that we can be an active website...then please stop rolling around mud, and start telling us your oh-so-wise suggestions...

If you're not gonna do that, please shut up...because nobody is willing to hear your incomplete ideas.

If not *anything,* than Rando's suggestions are better than yours simply because they're complete, with a beginning and end...

 

[Duel]

I'm sorry, I agree with the general sentiment here. I wasn't sure what to say about converting the CPA into a general website, so I kept pretty quiet about it, but the more I hear, the less I like the idea.

I consider myself a "hardcore" member and I play magic daily. I've never missed a prerelease since I started, and won several minor tournaments. I have over 40,000 magic cards in piles all around my room and can, from their flavor text, tell you pretty well which card is which.

Please, give this thing some publicity.... I barely knew about it. I think Gizmo is right. We cater to a specific audience. Catering to a broader audience will simply make this site duller, awash with a good deal of people who just happen to come here.

Look at Beyond Dominaria. They cater almost exclusively to Type 1 players....

If they had made it a general gaming site, they would have faded away completely by now.

 

[Gizmo]

I put forwards my ideas in full last time around, but it was plainly obvious that nobody actually could be bothered putting the effort in to make the CPA a better place. Heaven forbid we actually put any effort in to making it a quality site with lots of members!

If I`m not mistaken (and I might be) werent you, Duke, one of the very people who basically said they couldnt be bothered putting any effort in to writing better articles for the front page?

 

[DÛke]

...

Sorry, Gizmo, it wasn't me...I never had a conversation about *my* articles.

Who cares about last time? We're in right now...

If you're gonna make a comment, make it fully. You have idea? Please share it...if you don't want to, don't complain about how the paaaaaaaaaaaaast went...

If you don't wanna put "forwards your ideas," then let others do...

 

[Gizmo]

Well ok. if you insist.

If I was in charge of the CPA I would want:

* Graphical makeover. We have to make a convincing relaunch.

* A commitment from 3/4 people to an article each week, to submit those articles for editorial review, and to accept comments and make improvements. We need to put forwards QUALITY material on the front page.

* Non-MTG members take a back seat on affairs in Magic areas, and this INCLUDES in CPA Issues. CPA has to be a site where the important decisions are made by people who play Magic, so non-MTG players should be restricted to the Off-Topic/general gaming sort of area. We like you, its great to have you here, but this is a Magic site and you should be on the periphery not the centre.

* Dilute the 'Coffee House' feel. The term 'Coffee House' is really just a nice way of saying that it`s an elite club of friends and that newcomers arent very welcome.

* Serious advertising campaign to follow the relauch. Spread the word ladies and gentlemen. Quality articles get us coverage on other Magic sites, but we have to go and actively recruit from their message boards as well.

* Emphasise the CPA`s unique stance. Distance ourselves from the 'we hate Urzas Saga' image the CPA currently has. Reposition the CPA as 'The Rogue Deck`s friend' and 'Home to creative deckbulders'. Be a positive (creative decks) not a negative (whinge about netdecks).

* Try to create a link with Starcity, as they are natural allies. The form of this link depends on them as they little to gain by affiliating in any way.

* Some other little gimmicks. I always liked the badges idea to be honest. Maybe something to give the users who come here and co-operate with each other some sense of shared community, like a CPA 'team' or something.

* And an acceptance that as much as this is the CPA, it should also be the STPA. YJ wanted to be a member of the STPA, but that site never really came about.

Thats just off the top of my head.

 

[DÛke]

...it's about time...

Great points over all. I agree.

However, you have to understand that we don't have those people willing to write. As I see it, it's very important to get our name up in the sky...with loads of other factors, naturally.

In whichever direction the CPA heads, I will not mind. If I have it up to me, however, I would certainly keep this a Magic site. We always will end up with "but there's nothing to write about" crap...that's just bullcrap people say when they can't write. I have quit Magic for a year and now I came back, and already, I have 2 articles in mind...

I like your ideas Gizmo...but how many do we have whom are willing to accept that attitude?

 

[theorgg]

Originally posted by Gizmo
Well ok. if you insist.

Thank you. Your opinions are always valued, though your drunken rants can somtimes be confused with 'em.

* Graphical makeover. We have to make a convincing relaunch.

It's being worked on presently(though I'm not sure if this was to be told).

* A commitment from 3/4 people to an article each week, to submit those articles for editorial review, and to accept comments and make improvements. We need to put forwards QUALITY material on the front page.

I'd love to, but just don't have time. Mabe in a month when school is out...

* Non-MTG members take a back seat on affairs in Magic areas, and this INCLUDES in CPA Issues. CPA has to be a site where the important decisions are made by people who play Magic, so non-MTG players should be restricted to the Off-Topic/general gaming sort of area. We like you, its great to have you here, but this is a Magic site and you should be on the periphery not the centre.

Hmmm... I respect the older memebers, but I do see where this goes.

* Dilute the 'Coffee House' feel. The term 'Coffee House' is really just a nice way of saying that it`s an elite club of friends and that newcomers arent very welcome.

I always thought the feel was one of intelligent conversation where you can post an idea that's totally off-the-wall or misinterpreted(like Mouth's "suicide") and not get flamed off the hook for it as it would be at another forum. The "Coffie House" feel, I do believe, means different things to different people. One question would be this: how should we make others feel welcome? The New Member forum is one that was unique to us for about a year or more before MTGnews picked up on the idea... and I can't see why the people wouldn't feel like they'd fit in...

* Serious advertising campaign to follow the relauch. Spread the word ladies and gentlemen. Quality articles get us coverage on other Magic sites, but we have to go and actively recruit from their message boards as well.

I've got the link in all my signatures, and on my website. That's what I do(as well as in my e-mail signature). What more could be done except by paying?

* Emphasise the CPA`s unique stance. Distance ourselves from the 'we hate Urzas Saga' image the CPA currently has. Reposition the CPA as 'The Rogue Deck`s friend' and 'Home to creative deckbulders'. Be a positive (creative decks) not a negative (whinge about netdecks).

Hmmm... This might just work. It'd be difficult to distance us from our past, but I havn't gotten the "We Hate Urza's" from here for about a year and a half...

* Try to create a link with Starcity, as they are natural allies. The form of this link depends on them as they little to gain by affiliating in any way.

Want me to e-mail The Ferrett?

* Some other little gimmicks. I always liked the badges idea to be honest. Maybe something to give the users who come here and co-operate with each other some sense of shared community, like a CPA 'team' or something.

Expect them in late June. A Team CPA has been informal around Atlanta, but none of the people who comprise it has much team experience...

* And an acceptance that as much as this is the CPA, it should also be the STPA. YJ wanted to be a member of the STPA, but that site never really came about.

I do not recall... to quote Regan. STPA? Even the Forum search is stumped... explain?

 

[Gizmo]

Well, I think the Team thing should really be just a community thing as opposed to a real team. In essence all a team is about is having somebody to discuss decks with, playtest from time to time, and at a high level know they won`t give your ideas to somebody else.

STPA - Struggling Tournament Players Alliance

And people dont feel like they fit in because they are slapped instantly if they get out of line. There no real tolerance of newbies.