|
| |
|
MDV
Visitor Comments:
[ Back ] [ Home ] [ Up ] [ Next ]
MDV Featured Article -
Visitor Comments of 2004. -
by Streetz
- posted 12/1/04 - discuss
here
|
Below you will
find several comments (both good and bad) sent in to Magic Deck Vortex
via email as well as a few comments here and there by the
webmaster. This is all for fun and reference as well as an
opportunity for me to share some important insights and points about
Magic Deck Vortex and the why's and how's of it's existence. If
you have a comment, suggestions, argument, rebuttal, or anything at
all about MDV, please email the webmaster:
streetz@magicdeckvortex.com.
Remember, if you don't want to see your comments posted on this page,
please add that in your email.
RE:
Lantern of Insight???, 7/10/04
 Dennis
F.
writes: I was just wondering if Wizards took your idea, or you both pretty much had the idea at the same time??
DATE John Streetz writes:
If only I was that good. No. I mean no we didn't come up
with the same idea at the same time nor did they steal my idea.
I used their card in my set, CELIXIA. In CELIXIA, there are many
cards which use or interact with cards that cause you to shuffle your
library. I liked the card so much I added to the set with new
art. Kind of funny you would notice that. I would love for
Wizards to make a mechanic like Ambush or simulate some of the same
mechanics I have in my set which are original. That would just
tickle me. :)
[RETURN
TO TOP OF PAGE]
|
RE:
Short commentary "thinger", 8/18/04
Jon-Paul writes: Dear John Streetz,
I bet you see the subject of this email and see the word “thinger” and go "Boy, judging by that descriptive word, this is going to be a very deep reading." That or you think I’m an
[butt]. Either works.
Anyways I’ve been absent from the world of Magic: the gathering for about four years now. Even though I haven’t played in awhile your site makes it very easy to understand why certain cards are good, how to build decks, and how even to use cards correctly. Basically your explanations are simple, easy to follow yet at the same time very complete. I rather like that about your site. I also enjoy the input such as this email and the way you allow people to interact with the website such as the decks you post up.
Now I only have really two complaints about the site. They aren’t really that big, but they are things that could be fixed to make the site look a bit better. First of all, the black box on the side with all the yellow sections seems a bit cluttered. I think this could be fixed by having a drop down box feature. You know you put your mouse on the word creature. Then a drop down box appears filled with the creatures and you select one. This way the person surfing the site will get the list of what he wants and it wont seem so cluttered.
 The next thing is minor but has nothing to do with the aesthetics of the site. When you click on like the ‘top ten lists’ thing there are four articles there like ‘Top 50 nonbasic lands by Ben Bleiweiss.’ That stuff. I don’t have a problem with that stuff. But when you click the link it takes you to the wizard of the coast site. Then you have to search and figure out how to find that stuff. It may not be hard but for some it might get confusing. I was thinking you could just link the articles themselves and just get rid of that little middle thing. Its not a big deal but
I don’t think its needed there.
But other then that for a site that hasn’t been around that long it sure looks great. It’s easy to use. It’s fun to read. And everything has a little dash of your personality to give it its own unique sense of feel. I hope this wasn’t too long or too boring. I hope you enjoy your day. I’m not sure if this will win me a prize but hey its worth a try and
I enjoy giving my opinions if they are asked for. You may email me back if you wish if
I said anything you wish to respond to. See you and good luck.
Many well wishes,
Jon-Paul
8/18/04 John Streetz writes:
Jon Paul, thanks for the inspiration to update the visitor comments
page. Also, thanks for the comments. I LOVE comments like
yours and know they are taken into account every time. There are
so many things to respond to so let me start off with your
compliments.
MDV is a casual deck database with
features... you all know that. To know that you and others think
that MDV is a great source for knowing how to build decks from the
references here, that is awesome. I take a lot of time searching
and scouring the net for decks that are cool, fun and unique and to
think they are a good point of perspective for you to build your own
is again awesome. Thank you for the compliments... because of
them I just might take another dip into the deck submissions this
evening.
Moving along, you have a few
complaints. That's good. I want to know what you think
would be a better change, addition or deletion to the site.
Without them I am lost in a stupor of anti-change. About the Top
10 links to other TOP lists from other people.. I forgot about the
change in the way www.wizards.com
set up the articles and features in their site. I will change
that so those lists are accurate links again. Thank you.
Without you mentioning that I would not have known. With over
2000 pages in MDV, it's impossible to keep checking all of the links
and what not to make sure ALL OF THEM are accurate. Likewise, if
you or anyone else finds a link in the LINKS page or anywhere else
that is foul, email me. I try to fix things in a timely matter
once they are brought to my attention (Contests aside).
About the scroll down menus. I
don't like them. While I agree the side does look cluttered,
look at other sites like www.brainburst.com
or the old www.mtgnews.com or
even www.magiclore.com.
They have quite a few items in their sidebars and while they may have
a nicer look to them, I feel it is necessary. True, I could get
rid of all the creature links under creature lists but I tried to put
up some of the more popular creature types so people didn't have to go
through two or three pages to get to the one they want. Mind you
that I don't nearly have all of the creature types which I have
spoilers for posted under that section of the side bar. Anyway,
perhaps it is just my stubbornness which won't let me change them
because I use them myself!
One last thing, you mention MDV
hasn't been around that long. This month marks Magic Deck
Vortex's two year anniversary. Considering what it was and what
it is now... I think it's matured as a website and deserves to be
known as such. MDV hasn't been around as long as say ABU GAMES
or www.mtgfanatic.com, but
I've been around the Odyssey Block (I think). In closing, thank
you again for your comments and know I will be trying out the drop
down menus but I won't say I will permanently incorporate them into
the site. Many well wishes to you as well.
[RETURN
TO TOP OF PAGE]
|
RE:
One Suggestion, 12/22/04
 DSpears
writes: Your site is awesome. I use it all the time to help me build the decks. However, I have one request. The links to look at the cards make you go to new page. When you go back the whole page has to reload. It would be neat if it opened in it's own window, which you could close when you were finished. That's it. Your site is an amazing resource. I hope you stay around for a long time.
8-18-04 John Streetz writes:
This is something I have been working on for a long time.
Currently, most or all of the creature listing have been changed so
that when you click on an image it opens in a new windows. Also,
the visual spoilers are moving towards this trend... I think some of
the old spoilers have yet to be converted. Eventually, I will
convert all of the images so that they do this. The unfortunate
thing is that I have to do this manually for each image.
Currently, I have over 500,000 images to convert of which about
200,000 have been converted. The decks will be the big pain in
the butt. Thank you for your suggestion and your compliments.
[RETURN
TO TOP OF PAGE]
|
RE:
Hi... comments, help!, 8/10/04
 Michael
writes: Hi, I have been through your site a few times and think that a great addition to this site would be a Magic The Gathering Classifieds section, where people can post cards they want to buy or sell and communicate to other players to make a deal. I also would like to help out with your site in any way I can, because I know how hard it is to create and run your own large site by yourself.
Greatest Regards
Michael
8/18/04 John Streetz writes:
True, but MDV isn't about card trading. That and I wouldn't want
to be held responsible for bad trades. There are plenty of other
sites including MOTL for things like that. MDV is just a casual
deck database for casual players. Thanks for the suggestion.
[RETURN
TO TOP OF PAGE]
|
RE:
Celixia -- MTGplay, 6/4/4
 Will
writes: Hi there. Nice set you have in development. Have you ever seen the program
MTGplay? www.mtgplay.com It lets you play magic with all cards and images and such. The page pretty much speaks for itself if you haven't seen it. If you have used it before, have you considered creating a patch for
MTGplay with your set? I play on occasion with some friends and it would be neat to have access to new cards.
There's been 1 other custom set released for MTGplay (The Monty Python Set) and its fun using the unique cards from time to time. Well
that's all I have to say :) Great site, keep up the good work.
6/8/04 John Streetz writes: First,
thank you. I greatly enjoy working on it and putting together
art for the fictional set CELIXIA.
It has been around since day one of the website and thus it grows with
MDV. Hey, and check out the new button above featured new art
for a new card in the works. It is good to know that other
people take the time to peruse the cards in CELIXIA. It's even
better when people offer some form of constructive criticism.
Jasper Smeulders
is one such guy who offered a card by card critique for the set when
it was under 200 cards. It helped quite a bit as he commented on
playability, cost and flavor. I urge you all to do the
same. I just recently posted a section for thread linking.
This is a page where every card that has been talked about in a thread
somewhere is linked. You can find that page here.
Also, I've recently added a text spoiler for CELIXIA for those
interested found here.
Anyway, back to your actual comment,
I didn't really know MTGplay
existed.. or at least I never paid any attention to it. Maybe
one day I will, but for now you should know I have no idea how to use MTGplay
or more importantly, how to write a patch. I'm sure it's easy
but I just don't have time for it right now. I encourage anyone
out there willing to write the patch to do so should they have time and energy. Lastly, thank you for the compliments about MDV and
thank you for visiting MDV. It's not your average Magic: the
Gathering site.
[RETURN
TO TOP OF PAGE]
|
RE: Card
Images are not displayed, 6/1/04
 leaf2112
writes: I think your website is awesome. I find myself visiting it for deck ideas and for reference. I do want to let you know that your card images are not being displayed. I was here
http://www.magicdeckvortex.com/CREATURE_TYPES/clerics.htm and clicked on any cleric and was not able to bring up any image. I tried other creature types and came up with the same results. Just thought I would let you know.
6/8/04 John Streetz writes: Thanks.
I have corrected the problem since. Let me try to explain.
I have explained this in the past but I think it is important that
everyone knows the cause of this recurring issue.
I have a UNIX server which
means that the system is case sensitive. This is a problem since
the system I generate the pages with is not UNIX. Sometimes you
might see a card on my computer called Doubtless_One.jpg on one page
and doubtless_one.jpg on another. When the page on the internet goes
to search for doubtless_one.jpg it's not there
because the file in my card image directory is the other (Doubtless_One.jpg). On my
computer it recognizes either whereas on the UNIX server it
doesn't.
This has been a problem since I changed servers and I
continually try to fix it. I have fixed quite a bit.. but there
are still an onslaught of images which I have to manually correct and
this takes A LOT of time. I was able to solve this page's
troubles by changing all of the card images over to a new directory in
FrontPage. Thank goodness my server gives me a list of all of the
broken images that I can track each month.
Also, when you say you use this site
for deck ideas.. I say WOO HOO! This is exactly why I spend
countless hours putting this site together and updating it. I am glad you can find a source of inspiration
and/or ideas in MDV when you yourself cannot. Happy deck building to you and
to all that visit MDV!
[RETURN
TO TOP OF PAGE]
|
RE: No title,
3/3/4
 Jay
G. writes: Hey My name is Jay. I found your website a few weeks ago and
I'm
absolutely in love with it. I think that it is the best magic resource on the internet. It is much better than
Brainburst and Starcity. Thank you for creating such an amazing resource. I have been coming to your site everyday since I found it.
The only thing i could suggest is if you could take
a bit more just like
general updates. Nothing fancy but just what's going on with site and when and what we can expect in the future. Another thing
I think that might help you in making this website is the Apprentice program. It is updated when ever a
MTG set comes out and it is meant for online play but it also can be used to do a
comprehensive search oh all cards ever made in magic. You can search by name color mana cost creature
type and more. It does not include pics due to copyright laws but each card has a template which is card without art.
Apprentice would help you do the Creature Lists. Also you can create a deck by selecting cards and then output the deck to a txt. file and
use on your website which would help you port decks faster too. If you are interested you can find this tool at:
http://www.e-league.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=26 Hit the download button and install it. It will have instructions on how to do the
Darksteel update. Thank you for your time
P.S. MAGIC DECK VORTEX KICKS [butt] (excuse my French)...
6/8/04 John Streetz writes: Hopefully
since March you have found the site to be updated more often. Thank
you for the compliments and suggestions. About one thing
specific, please know MDV is not at
all better than Star City Games or Brainburst. First, I don't
have a forum (as I don't have time to moderate one). Second, I
don't have any writers (although that is changing... I have one right
now and his article will be posted very soon). Third, I don't
have the technology of staff to support as much as they do. For
instance, both sites you mentioned have around two articles a
day. I kill myself just to have a feature a week. I do take pride in
Magic Deck Vortex is and I thank you for your comments even
thought being better than those two sites is near impossible. It
brought a big smile to my face when I initially read your comments
months ago.
About taking a bit more time to tell
you what's going on with MDV, I have done a few things since your
comment to better this. I have listed a series of things on the right side of the
front page to show the visitors what's to be expected in the coming
days. For instance, I had on it that the top30 Zombies was in
the works. Just a few days ago I posted it. Also, there
are links in the upper left hand corner of the front page which link
to the most recent posts and edits.
As far as using Apprentice found on e-league to better the
site, I would not. E-league and Apprentice is great but I personally have no
use for it. I don't really know how using that which you mention to
better MDV. I use sites like www.mtgfanatic.com
and www.coolstuffinc.com to
search for cards and rare images. I use www.google.com
for a whole lot of stuff including search my own site. Actually,
I use all of the sites hot-linked in the upper right hand corner of
the Frontpage to do what I do on the site.
In closure, thanks again for your
comments and thinking MDV kicks butt. I say butt only because I
had to edit your original word to keep my site PG for all the kiddies
out there. Thanks!
[RETURN
TO TOP OF PAGE]
|
RE:
Celixia,
2/22/04
 Vido
writes: Hey, I'm sure you get messages like
this a lot but I have a few suggestions about your set, Celixia. For one, I think you should pick a clearer theme and write out some background. I mean what is an Estos any way? Along that line, with a mechanic like Ambush why not pick a theme like
Guerilla warfare? Speaking of Ambush here's my Idea for a card:
Arriving Reinforcement 2W
Enchant Creature [Common]
Enchanted creature gets +1/+3
Ambush XWW
If you use [card name] in an ambush
put X 1/1 white soldier tokens into
play. If X is not 0 do not return
[card name] to your hand.
It's a little complex for a common but maybe you can modify it to uncommon or rare. BTW, there seems to be a weird ratio of commons to uncommons to rares in Celixia.
Finally I'd like to say I really like your art on most of the cards, but the Estos are, to be blunt,
disappointing. The cards are good, but amorphous blobs are not all that interesting to look at.
Signed, Vido
11/24/03 John Streetz writes:
 Vido.
First, thank you for visiting MDV and also for taking a look at one of
my projects called CELIXIA. Celixia has been a work in progress
since the website started a year and a half ago. As far as
getting emails like that all the time, not so much. I haven't
received all that much feedback except for a few others critiquing the
cards. I do very much appreciate the feedback. You will
notice, based on your comments on the art, I have modified, upgraded
or completely changed the art on several cards. I do this in an
effort to increase the quality of the fictional set. I also
enjoy playing around with PhotoDraw, so it's bettering the quality of
my work.
Know I want to convey an exciting
creature type, but the Estos are a bizarre and new race. They
are a race of pure energy, much like an elemental is of pure concept
or force. This is why they take on so many shapes. To the
left, above, is a pic of an "ESTOS" I drew up several years
ago. You'll notice there is a central body which emanates
energy. Essentially, they are all energy but there is a core to
each of them. Some have visible cores, others do not. On a
side note, as I began to make the set I ran out of art which I had
drawn, and I had to make up images in PhotoDraw to compensate.
This is why they look like amorphous blobs and why there is a dramatic
difference between each one.
Eventually, I will put a storyline
and specific theme together for the set. In the meantime I am
working with ideas and concepts and plan to develop the story
later.
As for your card, I think it is
confusing but grasps a good idea. I was thinking of having
non-creature cards have ambush, but then I realized that might be a
little too much. That and your card is definitely not common. I
think it would be better without that last part
altogether.
Thanks for the comments and I hope to
entertain you and all visitors with more art, cards and CELIXIA stuff
in the future. Until then, you can always go to the Wizards.com
message boards to discuss cards in the set. I often visit there
to meet with the OCR. Also, I am looking for more card ideas using
AMBUSH as well as better flavor text and art for any of the
cards. The set is currently at 267 and I need to get up to 345.
[RETURN
TO TOP OF PAGE]
|
Find other articles by this author here.
Find other articles from this series here.
[ Back ] [ Home ] [ Up ] [ Next ]
Articles
Spotlights from 2008:
MDV Visitor Comments from 2003
MDV Visitor Comments from 2004
MDV Visitor Comments from 2005
MDV Visitor Comments from 2006
|
