User talk:RivalRowan

Remaining icons

Hey! Thanks for the offer. If you don’t mind uploading the remaining ability ones and the shield counter icon that would be helpful. I’ll be a bit busy so wasn’t sure if I could get to the rest for a little bit. So any help is appreciated. Lol pie (talk) 14:46, 14 August 2022 (UTC)

Flavor text templates

Hi! I appreciate your efforts but I think we don't really need those flavor text templates --Hunterofsalvation (talk) 04:33, 24 August 2022 (UTC)

No problems! I'll remove the ones I've created from their Character pages.--RivalRowan (talk) 04:47, 24 August 2022 (UTC)

List of illustrators

Hi again! Thank you for the additions! I made some slight tweeks. This list must be now be fairly complete! --Hunterofsalvation (talk) 03:28, 7 January 2023 (UTC)

My pleasure, it's been on my list of projects since I found the MTG JSON data. I think the list is close to comprehensive but the raw data was not perfect. There are a few weird issues in the .CSV file where commas have shifted the data in ways I couldn't quite unravel. The UDON collective artists that did the MTGO avatars are also missing but I haven't had time to track down the individual people from their ArtStation profiles. Thanks for the tweaks though! -- RivalRowan (talk) 10:13, 7 January 2023 (UTC)

Alchemy flavor text

Hi, where do you find the flavor text for those alchemy cards? --Hunterofsalvation (talk) 07:22, 3 March 2023 (UTC)

I get it. On MTG Arena! I propose that we list those flavor texts on the wiki --Hunterofsalvation (talk) 08:52, 3 March 2023 (UTC)

Woops, just saw this sorry. I've created flavor text pages for all the Alchemy set releases. I have a bit of a gripe with Scryfall over the fact they don't record this information but I understand their logic for it. I agree with recording the flavor text on the wiki. -- RivalRowan (talk) 12:45, 3 March 2023 (UTC)

Doctor Who

Hey, over at the Doctor Who wiki we're having a discussion about how precisely to interpret some of the things in the MtG set and whether or not they would even qualify for our version of "canon". (Whatever that means for Doctor Who.) Since you offered to help out if we needed any assistance, would you mind pointing me in the direction of a vorthos-y editor here? The current discussion kinda hinges on how to interpret some of MaRo's statements about UB and how we should interpret the framing device of the game (player as planeswalker) and whether that framing device transfers properly to UB sets as well. I figure that there might be an editor or two here qualified to comment on that level of conceptual nitpicking, but it's really specific. So if you could point me in the right direction that'd be great. Cheers. Najawin (talk) 01:40, 2 November 2023 (UTC)

Hi Najawin, thanks for the question. I've popped a note into the Wiki Discord and will get back to you on both who to talk to and what information I can bring together. I'm just a bit time poor right at the moment. Meanwhile, it might be worth asking Gavin directly on Twitter (@gavinverhey). He's a reasonably responsive for a corporate person on social media channels. -- RivalRowan (talk) 02:18, 2 November 2023 (UTC)

It's not really a Gavin sort of thing, more a corporate vision as to what UB even means and how to incorporate it into the understanding of the kayfabe of the game. (Do we interpret Daleks as existing in some "MtG omniverse" where Planeswalkers literally summon them to fight with - one distinct from the un-iverse or dominia, or are they just game pieces, effectively, is the issue.) Which is a bit above his remit. I could maybe ask MaRo, but there's just no guarantee he'd answer. There's an earlier answer which is kiiiinda similar, but the nuance comes down exclusively to the whole "planeswalkers playing the game as a framing device" angle, not whether we can line up the set with the rest of MtG lore. And I just don't think Gavin will have thought about this. (tbh, I'm not sure anyone will have thought about this, it's a really weird question that only came up because of how the Doctor Who wiki does things. But any user who could comment on it would be much appreciated.) Najawin (talk) 06:52, 2 November 2023 (UTC)

I think Gavin is exactly placed to answer that question but I concede the point that he may not be free to answer it. I'm working on a more formal answer from the discussion in the Discord but from the Admin team RudleyDudley is a Vorthos with quite an extensive knowledge and Neoheart is across both MTG and Doctor Who. The short version of the answer is:

• Universes Beyond cards are considered non-canon within the Magic continuity. The nature of the "universes" is that each one is it's own separate IP sphere that has nothing to do with one another. There's no overarching "omniverse" where Elspeth can planeswalk to Trenzalore in order to learn how to summon Clara Oswald. I assume this is to prevent Magic from creating a Westphall Universe and because the IP licenses are not perpetual.
• The kayfabe of Magic has become much less relevant to the game over the last 15 years. While it gets mentioned in passing in introductory videos, there's only one mention of "Planeswalker" on the official Introduction page and it's not about the player's status. Within Magic continuity, Planeswalkers have been progressively de-powered but none of that is reflected in a player's relationship to the game. There are also no in-universe examples of Planeswalkers acting out a duel in the way a player would play a game of Magic.
• The card types are primarily a gameplay thing, and there are plenty of discrepancies within the Magic canon too. Wizards have [ previously stated] that they try to fit an external IPs characters into existing Magic creature types because it helps cross-set support for players. On top of this, even when Hasbro owns both IPs there are creature type conflicts — Dragonborn are Dragons in Magic, even though that contradicts their D&D lore.

-- RivalRowan (talk) 02:46, 3 November 2023 (UTC)

Hey, just curious if there's an update on the long version of this. If need be I can ask either of the admins you suggest. Najawin (talk) 23:06, 4 December 2023 (UTC)