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Spoiler season is upon us. It looks like Innistrad is coming out with "Transforming" cards which is basically the same as "Flip" cards that we don't support yet either. They are very similar mechanics and the whole "double-sided card" thing isn't an issue for Virtual Cards.

http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/A ... ure/157a#1

That is the dumbest thing I've ever seen. Absolutely no reason they couldn't execute the effect using the flip mechanic or the split card style.

thanks for the heads-up, Sol.

i agree with Rob wholeheartedly. {and if both Rob and I agree on something, we are definitely right.}

i sent a plea to wotc to use flip instead.

a friend just suggested i print proxies for the backs of the Transform cards to reduce the amount of handling.

it's almost as if wizards wants us to make copies of their cards (or at least the backs of them). "That is the dumbest thing I've ever seen."

Are we going to implement the checklist card? I hope the checklist doesn't count as an actual card in the booster packs. I'd be pissed off opening a booster and finding a checklist.

Oy vey... I say we don't support them out of protest....

The Ferret (webmaster at StarCity) tweeted

‎(For the record, the player side of me thinks the new double-faced cards are awesome, the Magic database guru breaks down weeping.)

and earlier:

Magic: we ran out of cool things we could do on one side of the card, so we had to use both.

The checklist cards will be provided like tokens and tip cards...

This is the method wizards make harder the development of rules enforcement engines.

I don't like this new mechanics anyway.

ArsenalNut wrote:Are we going to implement the checklist card? I hope the checklist doesn't count as an actual card in the booster packs. I'd be pissed off opening a booster and finding a checklist.

I think Rosewater at PAX said checklist cards would replace lands in boosters.

In a sense I'm glad I can't indulge cardboard Magic as I won't have to deal with the logistics of this development even having a good provisioning of card sleeves. On the other hand, I'm open to the new... -ish strategies that unfold before me.

@Braids: I don't think sending them a plea will do anything. Rosewater said flip cards were too crowded for the, in my not so humble opinion, quaint flavor he wanted to impart on the set. Also backtracking at least a year of work and the current printing process is something Wizards won't be too keen on.
I'd say we're stuck with this so let's make the best of it.

@Rob: On the contrary, I'd flick their noses by taking this as a challenge to implement it in Forge.
I've mused to myself we already had an inkling of this development with morph. Maybe some of the code for the swapping of images and stats in that ability could be reused for both transform and flip cards. You know, time willing (which I haven't had much lately), I'm up for testing this.

If we can do morph cards, surely it can't be too difficult to implement these (or is morph implementation in code abstracted from how it's actually played). We just won't have the dis/advantage of seeing it coming when it hits the top of a library, nor will we watch more closely as we shuffle the deck to try influence its placement. Edit: Should have finished reading the implementation part of the articles

sending them a plea might not do anything, but maybe i could inspire others to protest. if you want to just lie down and take it, that is your baa choice baa.

Would it help to put a paper bag over our heads?

@Braids: I should've qualified that. It won't do a thing now and probably during the remainder of the block but if there's a sustained and substantial protest they won't repeat the gimmick that soon. So whoever wants to protest: go for it!
As for me, since 2006 Magic's been an idle interest, so I don't share your indignation at this turn of events: transform begat bemusement more than anything. I'd only protest against one thing which is behind this seeming debacle: the rather stale flavor.

I dunno, Zendikar block (minus ROE) and Scars block rocked. I had some high hopes for ISD, but not anymore...

Personally, I hope this is the block where I finally convince my wife to play Magic. She really likes Horror movies.