The Sad State of Standard, Shops, and Players

The following post is one of a personal nature. None of the stores, people or places mentioned in the following contributed to the post that follows. I repeat this is my personal opinion! The post may also contain strong or inappropriate language. Viewer discretion is advised.





I remember when I was playing Standard back at the beginning of my College career. I remember all the extensive trips my playgroup made just to play in various tournaments because all the local shops could not or would not support local players. I remember making drives of an hour to and hour plus just to go 0-2 drop. Why did we make these trips you ask? The prize support and the ability to play in a format for prizes.

This past weekend, July 6th, War Torn Front had to cancel a Standard Invitational Series due to a lack of interest by the community. That is absolute bullshit in my humble opinion. War torn Front has been working to provide quality tournaments to the players that ask for it. Many players have often grumbled,complained and outright bitched about the lack of prize support at tournaments, the lack of tournaments in the area, and the lack of convenience of not having more local things. Yet, War Torn Front, Red Sky Comics, Kriers, and various other shops in the Central Valley have put their foot forward and tried to alleviate this problem. These places have consistently advertised and offered events that have amazing prize support to get players into their stores in order to play. Yet, the result is the same. Low turnouts to almost canceling events. Is it the fault of the stores for not trying harder? In my opinion, no. The real blame lies with the Standard players who talk the talk about playing the events but can not be bothered to walk the walk when it comes to events.

Before this degenerates into a hate filled argument about who is right, I will say this: Real life does trump Magic. If a serious event, like a family member passing, unexpected event occurs, or even personal responsibilities come up, they have priority. For those people who have to miss events because of this, I have no qualms. Shit happens, and you try to make the next one. My real ax to grind is those people who have no excuse not to show up to these events. i am talking about the players who whine and complain about not having events fire, yet sit on their asses at home when events like this fire. Do you know how these events are supposed to fire? By getting players to participate. You know what you are doing? being a complete retard and causing these events to fail. This seem a little too harsh to read? Well maybe it is because it does directly relate to you.

There are two common arguments I have heard when it comes to players and playing events, especially here in Manteca. The first is that it is simply too far out for them. The second is that the costs are too high. Both of these arguments are utter bullshit for the majority of the players who use them. Most dedicated players who come to play Standard events for good prizes do not mind the drive to a venue. I have seen Jason and Aaron Gulevich make treks from Milpitas to play here at War Torn Front's events despite the fact they have a store with half an hour driving distance. If anything, I give these players a lot of slack for showing up. these are the dedicated players. Instead, The shop is filled with people who live in Modesto, Tracy, and Stockton who can not be bothered to drive barely a half an hour to come to a tournament where the prize support is insane especially for a local shop. That though is what utterly disgusts me and makes me seethe hatred towards you Standard players who bitch.

In regards to the second point about costs, I wish to say the following: get over yourselves. Last weekend, a 13 year old kid scrounged up $25 to play at the War Torn Front Invitational. Yes, he does not have a job, or bills, or responsibilities to worry about. However, this does not change the fact he was willing to sell stuff from his binder and other cards all that so he could compete. Many players at War Torn Front have decks that harken in about $200-$300, yet you are telling me scraping up $25 to potentially earn $125 and a free draft of Modern masters is back breaking for you? I call utter bullshit on that remark. If nothing else, I see most players use this as an excuse to be lazy.

While I could write more about this subject, I think I am going to close up this post with a simple message to you Standard players. Your actions towards the War Torn Front Invitational, Red Sky's, Krier's, and other stores events is a clear message to them. It tell them, that you do not want them to host great events with great prize support. It tells them that you are content to bitching about tournaments with great payouts and never having them. It tells them you are content to pay $30-40 at a PTQ, scrub out at 0-2, come back to your local game store and bitch. Yet, when that same store offers prizes and tournaments that could offer more potential product and offer you a better chance of getting product, that you would rather sit on you ass and pass because it is not a PTQ or MaxPoint event. It truly is a shame that a format like Standard has the laziest, most self-entitled players in the Valley.

Your voice has been heard Standard Players. Local events from our game shops should not need to exist because you guys can not be bothered to show up. That fine. That is your personal opinion. Just remember, the next time you bitch about not having some amazing retarded prize support, or that the best Standard tournament is an hour out, that you had the opportunity to let something like that grow in your backyard.

Alone. That word is enough to make brave men become scared shitless. It makes the most hardy and difficult task seem like nothing compared to the infinite abyss of what could be. It is a void that eats away at your soul and mind until there is nothing but a husk, devoid of life and wondering about its existence. Yet, This feeling has been upon me as of late, like a cloak damp with water. No matter how much i rip it away, trying to find meaning and purpose with things, I can not help but feel so alone.

I watch as people around me find purpose with their lives. They have found careers, jobs, hobbies, loved ones, and anything else under the sun. On one hand, I can not help but feel happy for them. These people who I have i my life deserve nothing but the best. Yet, with each passing success for them,  I feel more hollow, more devoid, more alone than when I started. It is like being a torch that lights everyone's way and by the time you realize it, that torch has become a little candle.

I try to convince myself that what I am doing is for myself, but am I really? I want a degree in education and a decent job, not because it is my dream, but because i am afraid of failure. I am afraid of not living up to my parent's expectations. I am afraid of not finding a loved one and living my life alone, surrounded by a vast sea of regret and sadness. I am afraid on ending up like some bargain bin has-bin  a virtual unknown in the world, and ultimately a failure

This is not something that has come up recently. I feel it has always been there. Hiding behind that sincerity I put out to you all. It was easier for me to believe my life was worth something when I was helping and doing things for others. Yet, when the others moved on, I did not. I am truly saddened that it seems like my efforts have fallen on deaf ears and I am reduced to writing a blog to express how I truly feel. I have never felt more alone than I do now.

To those that care, I plan to go off the grid for a while. I am tired of being reminded of my regrets and pains. I will be updating the blog weekly with some status updates. You have my number if you wish to directly talk to me. Otherwise

Sayonora

Tiger and Bunny:The Review

Tiger and Bunny, released in 2011 by Sunrise, has quickly garnered a reputation as a truly unique take from Japan on a mainstream idea we, Americans, have taken for granted.

The Show is set in a fictional representation of New York City called Sternbild City, which within the past 50 years has discovered a new type of human called a NEXT. These humans possess superhuman powers, that momentarily scared the population until these Next rose up to defend the city from all sorts of evil and criminal activity. This blossomed into a reality TV show called HeroTV which showcased these Next doing Heroic deeds, "earning points", and earning the right to be called "King of Heroes". As this show began to take off many corporation "bought off" these NEXT, slapping various company logos and advertisements on their suits for the publicity.

 Amongst this backdrop, we meet Kotetsu T. Kaburagi, a veteran hero of the show and known by his alias Wild Tiger. We see Kotetsu struggle and display tendencies of a typical superhero; the people are what is important, not ratings for a TV show. As a result, Kotetsu often ends up destroying millions of dollars of public and private property earning his the nickname, the Wrecker of Justice. As HeroTV prepares for another season, Kotetsu finds his company bankrupt and is bought out by another. This second company then partners Kotetsu with an up and coming rising star, Barnaby Brooks Jr. It is from this partnership that the name of the series, Tiger and Bunny, comes together and the relationship between these two heroes sets the stage for a roller coaster adventure for Anime fans.

As the series runs through its two seasons, viewers get introduced to the ideals that Kotetsu lives by, how they clash with Barnaby's attitude about taking down the crime first, people second, and the eventually understanding these two heroes come to once they understand the past and present they came from and are currently in. In addition, Viewers get to meet the cast/heroes of HeroTV: Blue Rose, Sky High, Fire Emblem, Dragon Kid, Rock Bison, and Origami Cyclone. This cast of colorful characters help viewers get an appreciation of what it takes to be a Hero, and some of the sacrifices they had to make to get to that point.

What really sells the show is Kotetsu and Barnaby's relationship first as bumbling and begrudging partners to truly becoming Sternbild City's first Hero Duo. Seeing the jovial, joking and laid-back attitude Kotetsu has versus Barnaby's rigid, serious, and almost bitter determination to stop crime is one of the series greatest triumphs. Eventually, the viewers get to see why Kotetsu is so laid-back and heroic, and why Barnaby determination has made his so "unfeeling" to many of the people in Sternbild City.

This Anime is definitely worth watching if you have not had the chance to see it. The story telling and character development is well paced and well done. The animation makes it appear to be done American-style with some CGI graphics thrown in. This unique take on superheroes is an anime style home run.

Gaming Community and Misunderstood signals?

Friends, I bid you welcome back to New Year, New Perspectives. It has been a couple of weeks since I have graced you all with some writing prowess. Well I am back to drop some mad word prowess on you all, so lets go!

This weekend was Magic Game Day and I was lucky to attend both  Alluring Treasures and Gamer's Path's Game Days. Both store had great players and cool deck lists to look at. What struck me about the events were how jam packed Gamer's Path was vs Alluring Treasures. At first, I thought it was because that same weekend we had a PTQ and as such our competitive group went out to do their jobs and bring home a win. However, I am not entirely sure if that is the case. I have a sneaking suspicion that Alluring Treasure's community, while competitive and thriving, does lack the close knit bond of a community of gamers.

Gamer's Path seems to have a community of people who know each other, seem genuinely nice to one another, and are not about what the next big event or deck is. At Alluring, I see players huddled around tables talking about the next big deck, events to go to, or what the hot card in Standard, Modern, or Legacy is. I rarely see people hanging around the tables, playing games, just bullshitting and enjoying the company of a community, a gaming family, mind you. I feel Alluring Treasures casual community is in need of a boost of rejuvenation, otherwise the shop may just degenerate into a shark pool. A place where players come teeth first into the store for product, discuss magic items and just leave. There seems to be little sense of making the community better, outside of Magic. While the player base continues to grow, the players themselves seem sequestered to pods o players they may be acquainted with, rather than a giant community where we can discuss things, Magic and Non magic items, freely.

Perhaps, I am misunderstood about this point. Maybe I am wishing too much for this community, when there is already a decent community in place. However, my feelings still stand. Where is the gaming community at Alluring Treasures? I would love to see some more gaming outside of Magic show up in the shop. More importantly, I would love to see casual players not feel intimidated by the experienced players at the shop. We all play Magic. Who says we can not be friends, regardless of whether we are good or bad at the game?

Also Congrats to Chia Lee for Top 8ing at the PTQ this past weekend! Get there brother!

Getting Kicked into Gear: KickStarter

Hey guys, long time no posting. I have been on a sabbatical trying to teach players Sentinels of the Multiverse. Other than that and getting into the groove for school, life has been pretty uneventful. That is, until I fell in love with a new website you all should check out.

Kickstarter is a site to help fund various projects with the help of everyday people like you and me. From videos, to games, to art and technology, Kickstarter houses one of the most unique opportunities for the public to enjoy. We get to see cool concepts and ideas, decide if there worth it, and prove it by backing those projects until they reach their goal line. Kickstarter, to date, has successfully funded 35,000 creative projects and that number rises with each day.

Kickstarter's appeal to me are the perks for funding at various levels in a projects. Take a look at the following: Boss Monster. This particular project has something for everyone. If you can only contribute the baseline, you get a copy of the game. If you tend to have more income to throw away, you can even name the most bad ass dragon for all copies of Boss Monster. This level of funding lets us dictate how invested we would like to be in the project, and if successful, what cool extras we would like to get out of the project. The idea of small to big incentives for funding is pretty cool and helps a project reach its funding goal

Overall, take some time out and head on over to Kickstarter today. I am sure you will find some cool projects that you may be interested in funding.

Sentinels of the Multiverse Review

Welcome fellow gamers and friends to another blog post about New perspectives. Today I am going to talk about a new board/card game I recently have fallen in love with. This cooperative game has you taking on the role of superheros and battling all sorts of evil villains. Sounds intriguing eh? Well take a look for yourself

First off, Thanks to Crits Happen and Greater than Games for bringing this game to my attention. This game is addictive and has quite a bit of replay value for such a simple product. Each of the heroes play differently than the last and even the mix of villains and environments never make the game seem like you have played before. Unlike many other deck building games, this game is about teaming up to take down a greater evil. All the players win or lose together. As such, it encourages fun table talk and planning to truly take down the villains newest schemes or stop an environmental hazard from ruining the heroes day.

The base game introduces 10 Heroes and their decks, 4 Villains and their decks, and 4 Environments and their decks. Each expansion introduces 2 new Heroes and their decks, 4 Villains and their decks, and 2 Environments and their decks. So far, Sentinels has the core game and two expansions: Rook City and Infernal Relics. They just recently funded Shattered Timelines, their third expansion, through Kickstarter and will be released in March of this year. With a steady schedule of releases and promos, this game promises to be one of the most highly re playable games for board and card gamers. So far, i have played the game 5 times and still have not seen all the cards from all 3 current products. Each game has been difficult and satisfying when you finally knock the villain down to size.

Sentinels is a highly rewarding experience for a card game and I strongly recommend you play or pick up a copy of it. I have my copy and have been encouraging new gamers to test it out. So need more convincing? Come hit me up and I will let you see one of the funnest experiences you might be missing out on from 2012.

Regrets!

After blowing a little steam last post, I am going to get back on track with some of the requests I have had for writing. Today, I am going to touch upon a sore subject for most people, Regrets. Regret is a common emotion many of us feel when we look back at out lives and wonder if things could have been better. The what ifs?, the could I's?, and the should I's? rain down from your mind making you feel miserable about your current situation. However, learning to cope with regret can also help you grow stronger as a person, and ultimately lead you to a life where you regret far less.

Regret often starts with a weak personality. In my case, that is where regret blossomed. I grew up lacking a lot of confidence in myself. My sister was the star athlete, and I was the scholar. While she developed an outgoing personality because of her athletic endeavors, I grew an introverted personality. I felt at times like I was not worth many people's time. As a result, I often did not speak my mind for the fear of reprisal, rather than acceptance. Even in the current time, I still find myself holding back from speaking about whats on my mind. I also try to rationalize this feeling by saying that I do not want to add unnecessary burdens to others. Yet, because of that attitude i have missed out on opportunities that I should have taken.

There are several things that pop up as things I regret. First, I regret holding back on telling several girls my true feelings from the start. Had I been clear and upfront with several of these women when I began talking to them, I would not regret the time I lost to trying to win their hearts. At times, I look back and realize how hopelessly romantic and naive I was. I still realize I am, but I am taking steps to ensure I am truly happy. it is about time, I considered what i wanted rather than try and comfort wounded people in the hopes of becoming a new lover.

Second, I regret not trying to be more active with people.  When I am hanging out at the local card shop, I see multitudes of people hanging out, chatting, and just laughing about. I wonder how many of these people could be future good friends of mine, if I was not paralyzed by the fear of rejection of meeting these people. The friends I already have already comment about how easy going and simple I am to talk to. So why do I lock up in front of others? If those people already think ill of me, that it is a lost cause, but what if they do not? What if they want to know me better before passing judgment? Who know, maybe these people could lead me to a new life or new people to mingle with and become part of my life?

Finally, I regret not thinking about myself first. I passed on a job opportunity because it would interfere with being with my friends. It has been two years since that point, and most of those friends have moved on, have different schedules or we just stopped talking. Yet, here I am, jobless, with nothing to show for passing on that decision. While I should live for my friends and family, I should only do so when I am truly content with who I am at that point in my life.

Hanging onto regrets can damage or destroy a person, if left unchecked. I implore you all to go back and think long and hard about what you regret not doing. Try to find the lesson left for you from that experience, and move on. Do not let that regret swallow you up and never let you see the sunlight in life. Trust me, there is too much darkness in this world for one of us to add to it.

Next time, Some sort of game review hopefully.

Directionless

Ever get that feeling in life no matter what you do it seems like it does not have an impact? Like your decision is not really your own, and when faced with a decision, you still are unsure. That is how I feel currently.

 A few weeks ago this feeling showed up and I just kinda shrugged it off. It was not until tonight that the feeling emerged again and knocked me off my feet. Outside at 2 am, I was staring at the moon and wondering what the hell I really was doing. Do I really care about playing Magic? Why do I have to make leaps and bounds for others to do things? Why can not people plan better and help accommodate my plans, rather than me accommodate for them?

I am tired of being used by people. Not just for advice or rides, or money. I am also tired of people relying on me to make things happen. I am irritated when people seem like they can not figure in some money for a trip even when the numbers have been presented multiple times to them. I am tired of people just being well Retarded. I just sometimes feel like a lot of work and effort I put into friendships, work, etc is often ignored or completely forgotten. I am just fed up with a lot of people right now.

Writing this blog has made me realize that writing is such an incredible way to relieve stress and laugh about things. At the same time, it lets me articulate certain things I can not say because I am too much of a bitch to say to others.

Overall, I hate the fact that I feel to directionless at the moment. It just seems like everyone else is moving along successfully and I am stuck in second gear. I am pissed at my own weakness for procrastination and inability to act. A friend even told me I need to stop focusing on others and start thinking for myself. Honestly, I think I need to. I think I need to act more like a jackass, be more selfish, do more things I like, rather than be crippled by indecision

I just want to be happy with who I am. Maybe it is time to burn the kingdom down and start anew.

Off Topic and Then Some!

Welcome back to the mad ramblings of a madman. Today is another two-fer in topics today. First, I am going to tackle the topic of mind games in various gaming, then follow it up with time travel, reality bending, and how it can make authors all sorts of angry.

So whether your blasting people in Modern Warfare 3 or putting up $50,000 on the line at Poker, these games all have an underlying mental game you could and should be playing, If your hoping to win it all. The mental game has always existed in one form or another. Most people are accustomed to see it played in the game of Chess. Today, I am going to walk through some of the common aspects of the mental game. Starting from the simple and working to the advanced, hopefully you guys pick up something to dominate other gamers with.

The most common aspect of the mental game is the art of the bluff. Bluffing is a simple technique that makes opponents think you have a particular strategy, card, move set up for them, when in reality, you have no such thing. This concept, while simple to use, is difficult to master. It involves tricking an opponent into thinking a certain way and utilizing that new way of thinking to win in an awful situation. The most common set up is in poker. Imagine this: your dealt a hand that is pretty awful, whether it be off suit, or a low pair. Your opponent looks promising at his hand and ups the bet. You have two decisions here: One, you can fold letting your opponent take the hand and hope to rebound later or Two, you can match the bet and make your opponent think you have a good, if not better, hand. While this example is pretty loose, it is the idea I want you guys to focus on. Making your opponent second guess themselves is a sure fire way to win in many situations

Continuing on the idea of making your opponent second guess themselves, here is an idea: play badly. The premise sounds stupid but it can lead to you winning more games in the long run. It is very similar to the idea of losing a battle, in order to win a war. A general may think that because they bashed your brains in on an earlier engagement that all the subsequent battles will be as easy as pie. In truth, you let them win in order to build overconfidence in your opponent. That overconfidence will cause your opponent to make stupid mistakes or over-sites simply because they feel that an opponent who has lost will never notice the over-sites. This technique only tends to work on people who already have a chip on their shoulder. As such, using this technique is a judgment call based on the person you play.

The last aspect of the mental game I will touch on is the tilt. The tilt is one of the most damaging mental attitudes a player can get. This behavior tends to lead to a player playing badly and spiraling further into the losing side of the game. Tilt tends to occur when a play or game ends badly for one player. It can be as simple as an opponent getting a lucky card off the flop, or as difficult as digging oneself out of a bad situation and winning the game. Either way, the method of winning in a losing situation from an opponents perspective makes them think that they did something wrong. This leads to them further questioning lines of play and overall makes them over think every possible scenario for fear of being blown out yet again.

Time Travel and Altering Reality: Author No-Nos?

This next bit is more of an observation Placido Galvin and I had the other night. Is it not odd that not many characters from fiction have time or reality bending powers? I mean sit down and think about it. Most characters who tend to have the ability are in one of two camps. The first camp is the outside observer. This camp tends to utilize this ability only to observe and record data about the possibilities. They very rarely get involved in the time stream or other realities for fear of what their involvement could do to said time line or reality. The second camp is the goodie-good. These characters are generally considered in all aspects of their character. As such, giving them an ability like time travel or reality warping poses a moral quandary on them. This makes them use the ability sparingly or not at all, for fear of the unknown effects that warping reality or mucking through realities can bring.

This premise of character types led me to think about why more character do not possess this ability. Which led to the following line of thought: Giving villains or other not purely good character would cause massive headaches for the author and fan base. If a major villain had the ability to control time, could they not just avoid their own destruction, or better yet go back to a point in time and eliminate the protagonist without any worry. Villains tend not see the full consequences of their action, only the short term ratification of their desires fulfilled. This line of thought also tends to attach itself to not-so-good character types. As such, it does make some sense, that only characters outside of the immediate story and pure hearted characters have this ability. They think of the long-term, not the short term use of powers.

That is about all for today guys. Next time: Regrets. A sour subject, but one that makes us grow as individuals.

Shop Writing

As many of you guys know, Alluring Treasures is attempting to get article content on their site. So far,  Jason Gulevich has been dropping tournament reports to generate buzz. Seeing this, and having talked with Nate Polson and Steven Jessup, I have decided to toss my hat into the arena as well. However, instead of covering Standard, I will be tackling two different topics.

The first topic is a format near and dear to my heart, EDH/Commander. Yes, the very wacky, casual format where giant dudes reign supreme will be making a weekly appearance on the MTG209 groups posts until the site has a home for written content. These EDH articles will cover one of two different topics. The first type will deal with what players really want to see, Deck Techs. Much like how Sheldon Menery or the Commander deck techs are run, I will present a list from either myself or one of the members of the MTG209 group. I would like to get some input from the creator and try to unravel The deck's secrets. The second type of article will cover the other logistics of EDH. I am referring to set reviews for EDH, underrated/overrated cards and other topics that come to mind.

The second article type, I will be covering is a state of the store series. This article tends to be the type talking about state of affairs in the shop and can cover the different tournaments that are making waves at the store. This may include some video and text from store regulars asking about their opinions on the going-ons around Magic and Alluring Treasures.

So TL;DR New weekly articles about EDH/store are incoming. Tomorrow will be the first deck tech and I am ready to digest some new Magic goodness. Hope to see this get rolling off the ground.

The Blarg Days

Well I am back, Ladies and Gents. Sorry for the absence, its actually been pretty unassuming these last few days and I honestly do not have much of a passion to write about anything in particular. So consider today's blog more of a Buffet of ideas. Enjoy

The Wii U is a pretty damn cool gaming machine. Nintendo finally got on the HD bandwagon and I must say it is gorgeous. That being said, I am personally at a loss for what games to pick up and play. Right now, I am going to play Last Story and Monster Hunter Tri, both Wii games that I missed out on. I wish I was more into platform games because of the praise the new Super Mario is getting. However, Coming in May This Game has my undivided attention. In short, Wii U cool, games kinda weak at the moment.

While I have always loved the community and people from Magic the Gathering, I feel less and less inclined to follow or play the game as I used to. Thanks to efforts like this man, I still play casual Magic and can still be apart of the community. Magic, however, just seems to be in the same rut year after year in the Valley. Standard is still the king of the roost, ruling over all Friday night events, and the majority of Saturday events. Modern is only really played for a few months at the beginning of the year before disappearing from existence around here. Legacy is slowly making itself known, but the growth is so slow that events in our area can not fire to help maintain the growth of the format. Overall, Magic now is just not the thing I looked forward to playing every Friday night. I think I have had my run, played my competitive streak to a high point, and now I am sitting back and helping/teaching new players.

Speaking of helping/teaching, I actually am working as a tutor for K-8th graders. Many people have commented that I can teach very well and were shocked when i told them I had no plans to become a teacher. As a result of some of this public outcry, I decided to try tutoring kids to see if my future really is in teaching. So far, It has been a pleasant experience. I expected hell fire and brimstone from Day 1, but instead I often feel like time flies by as I am tutoring. Sometimes I struggle just to fit in all the material and personal advice in the brief time I have. However, I can not help but love the feeling of seeing someone succeed and do something they may not have known they could have done. It would be pretty hilarious to learn i have a gift I did not expect to go anywhere.

Gifts that do not seem to go anywhere seems to be the theme of the year for me. It has only been 15 days into the new year and I have written 7 posts so far. I am kinda amazed I have stuff to talk about. What is more impressive is the fact that you, my audience, not only pop in, but actually chime in with topics and thoughts. It is thanks to you people, that I can write and hopefully give something to you guys. Keep sending in topics and chime in when you can. My goal still stands to be a columnist by the end of the year and I need your help to accomplish that

This year has also made me realize I need to be more social. Not only to the friends I have, but to the new ones I need to make. Last year, I felt was a set back in terms of meeting new people. I did strength the bonds with old friends and fought to keep some and ultimately toss some away. However, this year I am going to make some new people and finally get me a woman in my life. For the longest time, I felt like I was inferior and could not make a move without wrecking a friendship. Now, I just do not give a damn. If nothing else, I gotta risk it all to get the pay off. Eventually, 100 No answers will turn into a Yes.

Well that is all I got for now. Next time the psychological game of gaming in general. Hope to psych you all out soon.

Catan and Heroes: The Most Unlikely Pair

So what does a game about trading resources and building a trade route and my personal heroes have to do with each other? Surprisingly little. This post is more meant to combine two ideas I have been tossing around the last few days. However, I can say if not for my heroes I may not be talking about Catan today or be involved with gaming the way I am now.

First, Catan. The full name of the game is Settlers of Catan. This board games deals with players gathering various resources such as, rock, sheep, wood, wheat, and bricks to build towns and cities to further develop their zones. However, not all resources are plentiful. Players must not only acquire resources from their own cities, but be willing to negotiate with other players to get other valuable resources to build their trading empires and win the game. The first player to gather 10 victory points, earned by building towns and cities, having the longest trade route, and manning the largest army, is declared the winner. The nature of the game can force interesting strategies to occur. Some players try to balance out their resources, hoping that the random nature of the game generates the resources they need to win. Others attempt to monopolize a particular resource and hope that dice rolls allow them to bank a particular resource and force trades with other players to gather resources. While there is a random stealing and resource blocking mechanic in the game, the majority of game play is spent trying to best utilize your resources and ensure your trading partners are happy. One wrong move and you might find yourself deprived of necessary rocks and bricks to finish building cities and towns. 

Catan's style of game play, the social interaction is truly one of the main reason why the game is so fun. The simple premise of collecting resources and trading is easy to pick up, but difficult to master. In some games, the dice will love you and give you every resource when you need it. In other games, you will have to talk through your teeth, making promises and unlikely allegiances in order to survive and ultimately win the game. Aside from that, how often do you get to legitimately say " My sheep for your wood?" I know I do not get to enough. I highly recommend picking up the game, or if you know a friend to play this gem of a game. It is one of the most fun experiences you will have. This game is what Monopoly at times wishes it was. Now go out there and trade those hard earned wood for soft, fluffy sheep.

Now onto the serious portion of the blog, Heroes. I am sure many of you who have read my blog all have someone or something that inspires, drives, or otherwise lights the way in this world. Today I would like to take a little time to talk about my personal heroes and inspirations. They are, in no particular order, my mother, my father, my great grandmother, Power Rangers, One Piece, and my sister.

My family has been a huge driving force into shaping the person I have become today. Growing up, my family was not the most well to do. We struggled, we bled, but ultimately we succeeded together. My father was the kind of man I expected him to be. He was gruff, no nonsense, hard working, strict, and definitely a hothead. While I grew up with him, I feared him, but learned to see a side of him that I see today. He is a man of respectable character. He does things to make others happy, often shouldering the world by himself. If he could, he would take all the pain onto himself, just to make sure the others in our family would not need to suffer. I have watched him become a man who regrets not being able to give everything to his family, and yet I do not understand why he beats himself up over it. I personally enjoyed my childhood and never have thought less of him. Growing up the way I did gave me an appreciation for the things we have. The fact we have a stable family life is a testament to that character building. So to you, Frank Agenbroad, Thank You for making me grow up. I hope one day I can pay forward the acts you have taught me.

If my father had to play the villain bad cop in the story of Brandon growing up, then my mother was the companion/good cop. She empathized with me and pointed out the facts even if I was too blind to see them at the time. The one thing I can always recall is the fact she very rarely lost her temper. Always smiling, always cheerful, and never condescending even if the world crashed around her. I envied the strength she had. The ability to smile and laugh even when the world was crushing you from the inside out. To look absolute despair and pain in the eye and still smile. That strength is what I began to aim for, and it was thanks to her listening and directing me that I got as close as I am today. She has and will always be the calm before and after the storm. That fact alone made growing up and existing so much easier and gave me hope in times of despair. So Thank You, Michelle Agenbroad, for having my back even when I felt like I should go it alone.

Siblings, even they have a part to play in growing up. My sister also had a hand to play in my development, and I count her responsible for the academic achievements I have made in my life. Growing up, she was a handful even for my folks. Often my folks would have to pay more attention to her and indulge her more often then they cared to admit. As a result, she acted like a brat at times. If she wanted to do something, my folks were all over the board for her. I still remember when she started playing basketball and my folks got involved in it. I remember feeling jealous and envious of the praise she got. At first, I tried to imitate her, joining a boy's basketball team and be as athletic as she was. Problem was, I sucked badly. It was this point, that my subconscious must have picked up on the fact I could compete with her academically. That is when I put my nose to the book and became the academic of the family. I found out that I had an aptitude for the academics. As a result, my family had  academic and athletic geniuses in their line. I had found a way to compete with my sister for the attention of my folks. It was a few years ago that I stumbled upon this idea and realized how true it was. Without her rivalry  I would not be in the position academically I am today. Even know, she travels around trying to find her way in this world and I am still envious of her. Even if she and I do not see head to head most of the time, I still count myself lucky that Brianna Agenbroad is my sister. Sis, I am incredibly proud of the things you have done and hope you find your way in life.

Hazel Goulart, the one woman who took a sniveling selfish brat and turned him into the person many of you call friend. My father's grandmother was one hell of a woman. She was kind to a fault. She was warm, welcoming, and downright encouraging to all those she met. She spoiled us kids rotten, as all grandparents do, but taught us the value of sincerity, giving, and kindness. There was never a time in my life I remember her ever getting angry, upset, or downright malicious to others. She had her moments of anger, but they passed. Instead she tackled problems by killing people with kindness. It was funny to watch to even the most hostile of people become butter when faced with that unwavering kindness  As she grew older, she was diagnosed with cancer and passed away due to her treatments. It was at one of her viewings that the part of the selfish brat that was still with me died off. I finally understood that if I was to honor her memory and keep her alive everyday, I needed to abandon this self-conceived notion that having and doing things for myself was the only way of living. That same say she was buried, I took that selfishness, that greed, and that ugly darkness and buried it. I had to be someone that could earn the respect of Hazel Goulart. She deserved no less than that from me. I thank you, Hazel, you took away a heart full of vanity and selfishness and replaced it with the ideas of giving, kindness, and sincerity.

Power Rangers, a fictional super hero team and one of the most badass groups in history. I remember growing up watching that show religiously. "Teenagers with Attitude!" being the tagline that set up this team up of heroes to protect the world at large. With their variety of weapons and robots (zords) they conquered any challenge that the forces of evil threw at them. While the show is still pretty kiddy nowadays it does bring forth an idea that I clung unto growing up. The idea of selflessness, of doing something for no benefit or gain. While at the beginning of the series, the teens were forced to help fight, they discovered that this power they had was truly making a difference  People were genuinely happier and safer knowing that the Power Rangers had their back. Even as the members of the team rotated out to pursue other parts of their lives, the core of the team was still about doing the unselfish thing. Even in the darkest moments, when the rangers were defeated and the earth was to be destroyed unless the rangers turned themselves in, I saw the good they had done had inspired others. While several members of humanity were debating trying to turn the rangers in to save themselves, two normal people stood up and said that the rangers had always had their back and it was about time that humanity had theirs. Humanity as a whole stood up to sacrificing 5 people to the forces of darkness despite the risk they posed, because the rangers would have done the same for them. This theme of self sacrifice and doing things for the greater good has always been something I strive to give in everyday life. So Thank You, Power Rangers, for setting the right example.

One Piece, an anime about pirates on the high seas seems kind of weird to include on a list of inspirational heroes, however they played a part in developing the person I became. The show focuses on a group of pirates by the name of The Strawhats. The captain, Monkey D. Luffy, is searching for the greatest treasure in the world called the One Piece. As he travels the seas, he picks up new crewmembers to help him realize his dream. As they make their journey we see Luffy treat his crew as friends and family, rather than pawns to meet his goals. As such, Luffy values each member of his crew and would go to any depths to see them happy and safe. In a story arc dealing with the past of one of his crewmates, Robin, Luffy learns that she is an enemy of the World Government. The implies that if Luffy were to take her aboard as a crewmate, he would ultimately be declaring war on the world. Robin decides to spare the heartache and eventual sorrow and loneliness she would bring to her friend by surrendering herself to the World Government to be executed. In a show of pure amazement, Luffy charges headlong into the courts and orders his friend to burn the World Government flag, signifying an intent to declare war on the World Government. Luffy admits he does not care about the World Government and only cares about his friends, promising to protect Robin because she is his friend. The level of commitment Luffy shows is something I truly admire. This character is willing to die to protect his friends. He realizes the importance that these people have on his life and while he could just get henchmen to get the One Piece, it would ultimately be shallow without friends that struggled with him to get to the end. That level of determination inspires me to be the best possible friend I can to those who need it. To declare war on the world for the sake of a friend, is such a beautiful statement. Thank you, One Piece, for inspiring me to new levels of friendship.

Well today's post was a bit of a doozy. Next time we will be back to one topic as we discuss the psychological game of playing games. See you next time.

Top 5 Overrated and Underrated EDH cards

Well it is about time I got into a subject I do like to comment on, Elder Dragon Highlander. Thanks to Chris F for making this request as it let me really think on the cards and interactions that I will be commenting on today. There is no particular order that these cards were placed in. This review is only meant to encompass my views at our local game store: Alluring Treasures.  Outside of those disclaimers I present to you my viewers: The Top 5 Overrated and Underrated EDH cards.

Top 5 Overrated EDH cards

1.) Sol Ring- The power it generates comes from the early game. As the game state progress Sol Ring gets progressively weaker. While Sol Ring on turns 1-3 can be backbreaking, a turn 5-8 Sol Ring is not nearly as impressive. In addition, If you are in colors than can ramp, pulling land from your deck is much more beneficial than a simple 2 mana boost.

2.) Lightning Greaves- Not every deck needs a pair of boots to protect creatures. While many aggro decks benefit from the haste, there are plenty of other effects in other colors that give built in haste. Only a few generals really benefit from having boots slapped on. More often than not the boots tend to sit on a creature or unequipped. Lightning Greaves is also a pretty terrible top deck when you are in need of pretty much anything, as they do not immediately buff a creature or affect the game board.

3.) Sensei's Diving Top- While Top lets you dig three cards deep at any given time, not every deck need to use this effect. Blue, Green and Black all have reliable ways to draw multiple cards a turn and thus do not completely benefit from looking at the next 3 cards. Red and White, arguably benefit the most from this, but overall Top sometimes feels like a crutch, other times a waste of time while you realize nothing can change the board based on your top 3.

4.) Kokusho, the Evening Star- Many black decks will just try and jam him into their lists and assume he will be amazing. While Kokopuffs is a strong creature, he is not an auto-include because his death trigger might only be relevant once. There are decks out there that will abuse the living shit out of him, but like Prime Time, Kokopuffs benefits from being in a deck that can utilize his ability or play on his ability. Examples of this include general like Kresh, Jarad, or Mimeoplasm

5.)Reliquary Tower- I used to think this land was essential to playing EDH, however I feel it does not do enough for it to warrant a slot. While there are decks that can take advantage of having a land that lets their hand size being infinite, most decks do not. Most people will play this land and assume someone will do something that will let them take advantage of having an unlimited hand size. However, having to rely on someone to bring something to the table is kind of a no-no in EDH.

Top 5 Underrated EDH cards

1.) Knowledge Exploitation- I know many of you like Bribery, and to a lesser extent Acquire, but what if there was an effect for your opponents broken spells. Well there it is. This card can cause all sorts of hilarity and blow out board states, as this can be your extra wrath or disrupt an opponents game plan.

2.) Lurking Predators- This enchantment makes your opponents question playing spells. Anything that makes your opponent have to think about doing something that is not blue based is powerful, in my opinion. If any of your opponent try to act like nothing is going to happen, they will quickly run into a brick wall of dudes as you get ready to untap.

3.) Cauldron Dance- This is one of the sneakiest combat tricks in EDH. Being able to Sneak Attack a dude and Regrowth a second creature, while both get to attack is absolutely bonkers. Add in any comes into play or leaves play triggers and this is the perfect concoction to fuck with any combat step. The last bit, of returning a dude back to your hand and having a prime reanimation target set up in your yard, is the cherry on top of this sundae.

4.) Stonecloaker- Being able to save a creature at instant speed from removal, Having a 3/2 flyer body, and removing a card from the graveyard when he hits play make this guy a steal of a deal. Even if this guy just bounces himself, having an on-demand graveyard hater is pretty damn good in a format where big creature are reanimated consistently.

5.) Aftershock-  A red card that says destroy a creature. Yea, this card is nuts in a color that can only deal certain amounts of damage to creatures and hope that finishes them off. The drawback of taking 3 damage is miniscule compared to the advantages this card offers to a color that can have trouble with big creatures.

There you go viewing public. Feel free to comment below with your opinions and theories. Next time on Brandon's Space Travel Adventure Fun Caravan, uh probably why violins are awesome and that board game review I promised.

The Thinking Shows

What if in the future there was a system that could judge whether you were a criminal or not, just by reading your psyche? Would this system prevent heinous crimes? What right does this system have to judge people solely based on their emotional and psychological state? Questions like these that rise up from a show called Psycho-Pass really make for an interesting take on entertainment. I venture to say, as of late I have been more compelled by shows that raise questions and make you think as you watch. These shows tend to have the biggest impact on our views and truly make me appreciate the minds who throw them out there for our consumption.

In the last post, I said I was going to start some reviews about board games and anime, so consider this a well-rounded review of Anime that makes you think and question. What brought this idea to fruition was a comment from my roommate, Placido. He mentioned how as of late I had gotten into more serious Anime and Manga, and I have come to realize why. It is because of the moral and psychological questions that they bring up. Not only do these shows entertain, but they challenge the audience to think, question, converse, and ultimately make their own judgment based on the material presented. It is this type of source material that really makes me yearn to write, to explode all over the page, and one day stand shoulder to shoulder with people who encourage thought. Some people will point out that quite a bit of past authors have done the same in their respective timeline, and for that I thank them. However, I am more inspired by the current generation of authors, writes and producers who decide to make their audience grow, rather than give them mindless droll for the next 30 minutes to an hour.

Now onto what sparked this: Psycho-Pass. I had the distinct pleasure of watching this anime this fine evening and I must say I fell in love with the premise. Set in the future where technology can predict criminal activity, people are judged by their Psycho-Pass, a parameter that measures a person's tendency to commit crimes. The higher the coefficient, the more violent and deranged the perpetrator is to be. However, this coefficient can be detected at any time, even as a young child. This is where the series draws viewers in. How can even a young child be charged and killed for an act of violence he may commit sometime in the future? With moral raising questions like this, the first episode laid bare what to expect from the series: the world is not as black and white as some of us think it is.

This train of thought led me to think about the shows and ideas I have latched unto as of late and I made a startling discovery: Perhaps deep down I want to challenge the conventions and ideas this world has for people. Why does society get to dictate what we watch, what we do, how we act? Should not people have the choice of things they want to do, rather than be bullied and pushed along by society's whims. Rather than get into a rant about society, I want to see more people watching, learning, and questioning society, rather than accepting things at face value.

Next post, Chris' has requested an article about EDH gems, and so I shall deliver. Till then fellow viewers.

End Game. I love the term. It sounds so final and concrete, a much needed solid in the maelstrom called Life.I wonder, does anyone really think about the End Game in life or do you suppose our End Game is already laid before us and we must open our eyes to see it?

This topic comes from a friend of mine. While we were discussing the usual banter of everyday life, he asked "what is your end game?" It took me 3 days to piece together that term and really think on the meaning it has. At first, I took it literally, proclaiming that this would be the course of my life to the fruition of said goals. Yesterday, however, I was vexed when a new idea began to form. What if the End Game was not as necessarily concrete as i had previously lead to believe. What if End Game meant how you view the fluid movement of life and what measures you take to achieve an ideal against the endless ebb and flow of time and life's currents?

What is funny about this idea is that it came from watching several Anime series these last few weeks. The Legend of the Legendary Heroes, Sword Arts Online, even Puella Magi Madoka Magica all carry some small theme about destiny and preconceived notions about life and end goals. Hell, in Puella, Madoka questions what she should do with her life before ultimately realizing her destiny, her End Game. She had no inclination or idea that her path would change so rapidly, but made a decision to adapt and become the reality she longed to have.

It is funny how a topic from a friend, plus inspiration from anime can lead to such a pouring forth of words and ideas. Yet, inspiration is what has struck me. I used to think getting a mid-level job and raising a family was what my End game was. However, now I am not so sure. Is this really all I can muster for, or perhaps there is more. Recently I was hounded by a good friend, Dean Reese, to take the CBEST and try my hand at teaching others. I fully intend to within this year as a result of that push. Does that mean, that getting a mid-level business job and raising a family is shelved? No, I say. It just means life is a lot more fluid that I once was lead to believe.

Maybe an End Goal is not necessarily the end of the journey, but the journey itself. Maybe as we make leaps and bounds towards the goals we believe wrap up our lives, instead we are just living. Consider this, Once you hit your End Goal, what then? Do you just stop living life and bask in the accomplishment. Perhaps you fancy a new goal and strive for that one? What happens to this new one once you reach it? I am beginning to believe that an End Goal is not necessarily something that can be attained and held in one's hand. It is the journey to it that defines us as people and defines the success we strive for in our lives. It is the reason for living and yet we live for the reason. It is funny how reason and life seem to go hand in hand

Enough mumbo jumbo from this mouth for today. I think I have philosophical enough for this week. Next Post,  I am going to do some reviewing on gaming and anime. Stay Tuned!

Spring Cleaning! A term I thought I would never use. See, I am not much for reorganizing, clearing out, or throwing away things. I very much resemble the "pack rat" I keep boxes of things I bust open for various uses or at least argue that as a justification. So it is ironic considering how much I abhor spring cleaning, and in essence, change that this year is starting off with it.

Currently, I am moving things around my cozy little room to make room for a roommate. Trying to fit two decent sized futons, two computer setups, at least two tables, clothes and other personal junk in the confines of a 134 in x 126 in room is nothing short of "fun!" This lead me to think, however, that spring cleaning is not needed just for cleaning rooms. It made me reflect on people as well. Maybe it is time that I did some spring cleaning with the roster of people I call friends.

2012 made me realize that not everyone you call friend is an equal friend in that regard. This past year I had the misfortune of cutting off two people who I previously called friends. I realized that these people only were out for themselves and seemed to only justify being friends because of the perks they got rather than what they could bring to the table. While one I called out on Facebook ( I know I am an internet tough guy :p), the other I spoke to face to face about. I told him he needed to grow up and man up for his actions and while I do not bear any ill will to this person, I am deeply saddened that he gave up trying to make amends with the group of friends we belong to. It truly showed me what kind of friend and man that he is.

So while these two individuals were cut from my life, I realized it helped me relax and not nearly worry. These "toxic" did not deserve to be apart of my friend circle until they realized they needed to sustain and be their own person. I sincerely hope that these two individuals grow up and eventually make amends to the people they wrong. If nothing else, it proves how wrong I was about them.

So I stand at a precipice today, in regards to another friend of mine. This person was fun to hang out with and brought out a sense of fun and adventure I had not seen in quite some time. Then it slowly drifted to a point where my friend was drowning in a sea of self-inflicted despair while I made sure to keep them afloat. Now that person seems to be afloat but has forgotten all about me. While I think I was conceited to think that they should spend more time with me, I still feel like I was wronged. It feels like all I did was give myself to ensure happiness, but when happy times came around, that person up and left. This, along with the sage advice of a good friend, got me to thinking maybe it is time to dump some of this extra baggage. "Sometime it is ok to be chased." No truer words have been said that wrung so true. Maybe it truly is fine to stop trying to get this person to by a friend and see if they will chase back. If they do not, then you honestly know they were just using you and your better off leaving those people to leech off others kindness.

In short, spring cleaning to me this year is not just about managing the items in your possession. it is also evaluating the people in your life. Who are the people that truly matter to you and who are the people who just happen to be hangers on and use you for their convenience. It is time to clean up this roster and move forward into this brand new year.

Welcome fellow readers to the first post of New Years! New Perspectives. This blog will encompass a resolution I made after reading 6 Harsh Truths That Will Make You a Better Person . Specifically David Wong brought up the following: "So how about this: one year. The end of 2013, that's our deadline. Or a year from whenever you read this. While other people are telling you "Let's make a New Year's resolution to lose 15 pounds this year!" I'm going to say let's pledge to do fucking anything -- add any skill, any improvement to your human tool set, and get good enough at it to impress people. Don't ask me what -- hell, pick something at random if you don't know. Take a class in karate, or ballroom dancing, or pottery. Learn to bake. Build a birdhouse. Learn massage. Learn a programming language. Film a porno. Adopt a superhero persona and fight crime. Start a YouTube vlog. Write for Cracked." This last paragraph resonated with me and spurred me to begin this blog.




Writing has always been something I have done, and something I have always thought and toyed around with. Friends have often heard me talk about how shitty my writing is, or the fact I should write some story or D&D campaign. Well, As of this year, It is time to stop expressing that desire and start pouring forth more effort to get it done. This is the one skill I really want to improve and hone to a level to impress people with. My ultimate desire is to be a columnist by the end of this year. Where I will be writing I really do not care, so much as that my writing has the ability to influence and impress people.




This blog will touch upon ideas, theories, shows, and anything else yours truly has bouncing around his mind. The posts in this blog will be made starting off about twice a week, but will ramp up as I grow more comfortable writing and find a topic to gush about. In the mean time, expect reviews on Anime/Manga titles, Board/Video Games, the occasional real life drama and more.




I look forward to growing with you, my readers as we venture forth into this new year together. May it be one where we all grow and change for the better!