Magic, Trials, and Banking · 1:36am Aug 5th, 2014
Welp... I may or may not have mentioned Magic 2015 in my previous post. Truth is I downloaded the demo on Steam a few weeks ago, and kinda forgot about it after the first tutorial quest because of writing [and Skyrim]. Finally got around to actually finishing the tutorial this evening while waiting to hear back from one of my editors. I'm effectively new to the card game, even though I bought a premade deck years ago in hopes of finding other people to play and learn with. As you can guess by my statement about my being new, that didn't really pan out. Going into the demo, I had only ever played one game against the guy who introduced me to the series.
After actually getting to play, and getting a feel for how the game plays, I faced my first unscripted AI opponent in the "Prove Yourself" quest with the Cruel Denial deck. Okay, so the first two runs, the AI basically facerolled me in part because of some really bad draws [getting lands when I needed spells or creatures/vice versa] or not really having a good feel for what some of my cards did. I didn't let it discourage me and tackle a new deck, however. I threw myself against the AI again, and this time, did incredibly well. Between keeping a Siege Wurm out of play [and how], and working to get some Moon Herons on the field while depriving the opponent of his, I actually won. I even got a booster with a pretty awesome Indulgent card. I just hope that when I buy the full game, I can keep my progress and that card. All in all, I was really enjoying it so far. I'll probably see how far the demo can take me later tonight.
Incidentally, I was GOING to buy it tonight. I just had to change some banking details on Paypal to reflect that I have a new bank. That's when I noticed something about my debit card. See, when I set up my banking details with a new bank a few weeks ago, I was very specific with the guy setting me up that I wanted to use their Virtual Visa Debit service, emphasizing on the fact that most of my purchasing is done online, on Amazon and the such. Got my 'permanent card' a week or so later, and just sat with it. Fast-forward to this evening: I take out my debit card to set it up as a visa on Paypal, as I had with my debit from my previous bank... Only to notice that my debit card was a completely mundane one. I double-checked online, and my account-type IS compatible with the service. I just... wasn't issued a card with that function... which leaves me at a disadvantage right now. I can't make any bloody purchases until I walk to the bank tomorrow to sort this out and then wait at least a week to receive the right card.
I swear to god... I mean, I realize the guy who helped me set up was on loan from the next branch over because the normal account manager was on the vacation, but come the fuck on man. I was very fucking specific what I wanted.
I swear, I'd like nothing better than to wear the dude's head like a hat.
Magic can be a lot of fun, particularly so once you get into custom deck building - it's really, really satisfying to have a deck/combo play out the way you wanted and then steamroll right over your opponent. It's been years since I played but I actually recently picked up some cards myself and am looking tentatively at getting into it, possibly via MTGO since I think in-person play might be difficult to arrange.
And it sounds like they was not too bright. Christ, I can't believe they still issue cards that don't have credit capability anymore.
2344457 Hilariously, I looked this morning, and found that old deck I bought... It was an expert level deck. Ivory Doom, from the Onslaught series. Built around Clerics, sacrificing creatures to take the opponent's life to make it mine, and then there was the instant denial of units with two or less strength. What a feckin' goofball I was.