VibeBox
Contributor
I think most people would agree that Cube is still effectively in it's infancy, having only recently gained mainstream popularity, and with core principles and cards only recently being nailed down. This means there is clearly still quite a bit of space for innovation and exploration. I am ecstatic to see a new Cube forum pop up, as I have been a denizen of the dying medium most of my life, and yearn for a place to have serious Cube discussion.
While I certainly appreciate the content and help mtgsalvation provided to myself and countless others when while I was first learning to manage a Cube, in practice it is a terrible place. I hold no ill will toward it's inhabitants, but it has become a cesspool of feedback loops and hivemind mentality.I hope to help foster an attitude of adventurousness and open mindedness toward Cube here, in order that we may all end up with better Cubes.
In that spirit I would like to use my first thread here to dump some project ideas I have in here, and see if anyone is interested in pursuing them with me or helping organize them. I hope to hear any ideas you all may have as well.
1. Format Testing
Sealed is a terrible format, a fact bemoaned by pretty much every Cuber I've had occasion to converse with at any length. I think there is probably a strong demand for a format that plays as deep and skill testing as draft that will scale from 2-5 players. While "pick up" Cube sessions often fall into this range, in most cases 2-5 players is a dead zone for fun Cubing unless you are blessed with a player base that appreciates the Rochester draft and even then that only really solves 5, thus dooming the group to a Sealed.
My room mate and I have been tinkering with some new format ideas, but they need more testing, and I'm sure some of you have format ideas as well. If we could get multiple groups testing new format ideas we could really create something to fill this need that could catch on in a serious way.
2. Coordinated Card Testing
I envision a vote at the beginning of each month or something on an oddball card in particular or perhaps a small set of cards meant to support a theme. A commitment from several players to all test the card simultaneously could yield very clear verdicts on cards, and through comparison of the results from different lists we could even define parameters of what kind of size and/or support a card or class of cards needs to succeed.
3. Organized MTGO Cubing
Limited Resources and others have already been doing this, and I think it's the best thing we as a community could be doing to further interest and understanding of Cube. Wizards has had great success with their sporadic Cube offerings, but not because they have a good Cube (I doubt I'd be alone in saying they in fact have a terrible bloated Cube) but because Cube is so largely inaccessible to the majority of players. Most people simply do not have the depth of card backstock (or of wallet) to simply build one, and in fact most people do not even know someone who has as much.
Offering a way to play Cube with no up front investment of time or money would, I think, draw quite a bit of interest. With cards being so cheap on mtgo a Cube would be very easy to build at almost no cost to each individual member of the hosting clan. A pauper Cube and a "Jank Cube" could be build quickly and cheaply out of donations, the first of which i am certainly willing to make out of my collection of Modern playables.
4. An MTGO Clan
An easy way to grow membership, organize events, and pique interest. I welcome anyone to friend me on mtgo for Cube chat and such so we can get the ball rolling. My SN is Tobias Funke.
5. Creating Cube Content
The publishing of weekly articles, news coverage, podcasts, archetype and specialty primers...ect.
As the number of Cubers continues to increase so does the demand for content. While The Joy of Cubing is great (Kranstuber is perhaps the best Cube mind we have) the bar for Cube content is otherwise quite low and the market is far from saturated.
I love the name of this place, and I sincerely hope the community can live up to it.
Let's start experimenting. There's Cube Science to be done.
While I certainly appreciate the content and help mtgsalvation provided to myself and countless others when while I was first learning to manage a Cube, in practice it is a terrible place. I hold no ill will toward it's inhabitants, but it has become a cesspool of feedback loops and hivemind mentality.I hope to help foster an attitude of adventurousness and open mindedness toward Cube here, in order that we may all end up with better Cubes.
In that spirit I would like to use my first thread here to dump some project ideas I have in here, and see if anyone is interested in pursuing them with me or helping organize them. I hope to hear any ideas you all may have as well.
1. Format Testing
Sealed is a terrible format, a fact bemoaned by pretty much every Cuber I've had occasion to converse with at any length. I think there is probably a strong demand for a format that plays as deep and skill testing as draft that will scale from 2-5 players. While "pick up" Cube sessions often fall into this range, in most cases 2-5 players is a dead zone for fun Cubing unless you are blessed with a player base that appreciates the Rochester draft and even then that only really solves 5, thus dooming the group to a Sealed.
My room mate and I have been tinkering with some new format ideas, but they need more testing, and I'm sure some of you have format ideas as well. If we could get multiple groups testing new format ideas we could really create something to fill this need that could catch on in a serious way.
2. Coordinated Card Testing
I envision a vote at the beginning of each month or something on an oddball card in particular or perhaps a small set of cards meant to support a theme. A commitment from several players to all test the card simultaneously could yield very clear verdicts on cards, and through comparison of the results from different lists we could even define parameters of what kind of size and/or support a card or class of cards needs to succeed.
3. Organized MTGO Cubing
Limited Resources and others have already been doing this, and I think it's the best thing we as a community could be doing to further interest and understanding of Cube. Wizards has had great success with their sporadic Cube offerings, but not because they have a good Cube (I doubt I'd be alone in saying they in fact have a terrible bloated Cube) but because Cube is so largely inaccessible to the majority of players. Most people simply do not have the depth of card backstock (or of wallet) to simply build one, and in fact most people do not even know someone who has as much.
Offering a way to play Cube with no up front investment of time or money would, I think, draw quite a bit of interest. With cards being so cheap on mtgo a Cube would be very easy to build at almost no cost to each individual member of the hosting clan. A pauper Cube and a "Jank Cube" could be build quickly and cheaply out of donations, the first of which i am certainly willing to make out of my collection of Modern playables.
4. An MTGO Clan
An easy way to grow membership, organize events, and pique interest. I welcome anyone to friend me on mtgo for Cube chat and such so we can get the ball rolling. My SN is Tobias Funke.
5. Creating Cube Content
The publishing of weekly articles, news coverage, podcasts, archetype and specialty primers...ect.
As the number of Cubers continues to increase so does the demand for content. While The Joy of Cubing is great (Kranstuber is perhaps the best Cube mind we have) the bar for Cube content is otherwise quite low and the market is far from saturated.
I love the name of this place, and I sincerely hope the community can live up to it.
Let's start experimenting. There's Cube Science to be done.
(not that you think that)