Hi mark. There were a few people who had commented on the technology and aesthetic of Duskmourne and how it feels too close to the present, referencing planes like Capenna or Neo-kamigawa as other examples of modernity in Magic’s fantasy setting. Because I am the main character and my opinion is the most important one, I thought I’d give my two cents on the topic.Although kamigawa and capenna are obviously more “modern” than a plane like innistrad, they still don’t feel like “now”. By definition, sci-fi is not modern. Although Neon kamigawa doesn’t feel like high fantasy, it doesn’t feel “modern” to me either, it’s too far in the future. In the opposite direction, Capenna feels too far in the past to feel “modern”. Yeah, arc spitter is a Tommy gun and the treasure token is a martini glass, but it still doesn’t feel like the present. My grandpa wasn’t even born until after the end of prohibition. Time period Capenna is based on was literally a century ago. Sure the aesthetic isn’t as far back in history as the aesthetic of a knight in shining armor, but it’s still far enough back that it feels like “another time”, at least to me. I think the reason those two planes pass the vibe check is because they feel different enough from modern day. TV’s have existed since the late 1920’s, so it would have been historically accurate if the plane themed around 1920s America had TVs. but that still *feeeeeels* wrong. The vibes are off. Yeah sci fi japan would probably have cell phones or something, but that just feels wrong. In other words, fantasy (to me) isn’t about looking like lord of the rings, it’s about NOT looking like everyday life.This is where Duskmourne comes in. I wasn’t alive in the 70’s or 80’s. Heck, I’m so young that my parents hadn’t even met until after homelands came out. But the 70’s and 80’s feels like modern day. Screaming nemesis and cursed recording have TVs in their art. The booster fun frame looks like it would be on a ghostbusters poster. I feel like I saw my baby cousin wearing the exact same outfit as Toby just the other day. The term “fear of missing out” is just such a modern day thing, even if that concept isn’t new. I’m withholding my judgement until I see the whole set, but based on what we’ve seen so far, I (somewhat) agree with the sentiment a lot of Duskmourne feels too “real”. I’m sure more detail will be given closer to release, but I would be really interested in learning the whole process of how y’all built this world, even more interested than I would be with any other plane.

We’re trying something new. Some people seem to like it, some don’t. Time will show whether it was overall a good idea. I will say we need time to better gauge it. There are a lot of very popular Magic things that had an initial negative opinion.

More a note and I don't even know if there is a solution to my problem: I am a 100% limited player with a tight budget. With play boosters being more expensive then draft booster, due to budget, this just leads to me playing less. Also inflation is additional stress on my budget. I feel, that I'm getting less and less enfranchised and engaged because now I do less drafts. I fear loosing MTG as a hobby. I mostly play in my LGS and don't have a private playgroup, where we could play cheaper options like cube. I know WotC is a company and has to show growing revenue but it just sucks, that I may loose this great hobby and game because of monetary aspects.

I hear your frustration. The popularity of set boosters meant when we consolidated draft boosters and set boosters, they were crafted more to match set boosters. We essentially made set boosters draftable. I will note that the price of boosters didn’t go up. Play boosters cost the same as set boosters, and, like set boosters, you do get a higher amount of rares/mythic rares, on average, to match the higher price point. But yes, if all you do is draft, the individual drafts got more expensive. None of this change was done to somehow squeeze extra money out of people. We just took the most popular booster product and sold it at the same price, but with added value (more cards per booster and made it draftable).

There are some effects that require a target, even though they often do nothing with that target. (For instance, there are many effects written like "At the beginning of your end step, you may pay {5}. If you do, target creature picks its nose." The "if you do" wording means you pick a target even if you have no way to pay the {5}.)These effects create a way to commit a crime at no cost, but I fear that many (if not most) players won't even recognize that a target is being selected for this kind of effect, thus not acknowledging that a crime has been committed for abilities that care about this.Was any thought given to this problem when the mechanic was designed? If so, is there any solution to this problem for newer players?

There are lots of things less enfranchised players are unaware of. The question is can the game progress if they’re unaware? If kitchen table players play with commit crime cards and have fun and are unaware of this particular thing happening, it doesn’t keep them from enjoying the cards.Magic has a complex rules system, and quirky interactions are going to happen. I will note that “if” triggers will happen, but “when” triggers" will not. For example, take the card Hypothesizzle.

This card only commits a crime if you discard a nonland card.

If a card was really REALLY scary (and in a supplemental set) could it get menace AND fear?

We don’t really use fear any more.

Mark, I'd like to once again express my frustration with the format of MTG Clue Edition. While I understand that it was made as Jumpstart-esque packs to keep some of the 'variance', I just don't think a product at this price point benefits from that variance at all. Having the product in my hands now, all of my worst fears about it came true. Not only did I open three Orzhov packs, two of them were exactly the same. I also opened two Izzet packs that were exactly the same. The unique cards in the set can be opened nowhere else, not even in MKM Set or Collector Boosters, which makes it completely impossible to collect them all without opening multiple of MTG Clue Edition boxes, which cost a hefty amount.I do appreciation some experimentation with the format of Magic: the Gathering, and I think making a board game style box set is a great idea (Archenemy Nicol Bolas was a great example of this). I was legitimately very excited for this product at first. But the 'variance' in what cards you open doesn't make it more fun, it just leads to a lot of feels bads.I ask that you pass along to the relevant people that in the future, if a product like this is made, that it includes all of the possible unique cards within.Thank you.

I can pass that note along.

Fear was still being used when the Time Spiral sets were being printed, why wasn’t fear used in Slivers?! Intimidate was still in use in M15, why wasn’t there a intimidate Sliver?

Because we were souring on the mechanics.

I feel like Batman would definitely need to have Black in his color identity. You've mentioned before that Color is determined by both one's philosophy and the tools they employ. Fear & intimidation are not only Black keywords, but they're primary tools for the Bat.

Black is tertiary to both white and blue, so if it was a three-colored card, yes, it would have black, but not necessarily if it was one or two-colored.

When we see an evergreen keyword stop being printed, we normally have a replacement (hexproof instead of shroud) or at least something that fills the gap (menace giving evasion to black/red instead of fear, activated indestructible for regeneration). Would you ever just remove something evergreen? Like, something that isn't worth doing anymore, without need for a replacement.

We have in the past. Banding went away and nothing like it became evergreen. I think us doing something today is a little less likely, but not impossible.

I want to say, as a witch, that I am hurt by the consideration to remove such things from the game. "Witch" is not a dirty word. However, I suppose the issue is that all the witches in mtg are generally portrayed as evil. That perpetuates the dangerous Christian narrative towards us. I would love to still have witches, druids, and such still in the game as it does represent such beautiful religions. I would like, however, to see more positive portrayals of witches without a doubt. It is okay if you have good and bad, it just shouldn't be all bad. If "priests" can exist in this game, then so can witches, druids, and shamans. Will you take this into serious consideration?

Fear not. We’re not removing Witches from the game. That was a false rumor you heard. And your note about more positive representations is a good one that I’ll pass along.

I think my biggest fear with Universes Beyond is just what it means for the future of the game. If Universes Beyond products see more success than normal products, there's nothing keeping Wizards from breaking Magic to its core and just using it as a rules system to sell different IPs with. Nothing to prevent the loss of the world that has been the core of the game since almost the beginning is quite scary, and Universes Within is a way to keep it grounded in the world we know. Even if a majority of players can care less about seeing characters from other IPs in products, I don't think it's reasonable to dismiss these worries.

There are a lot of strong business reasons to keep making in-world Magic sets. I don’t see it as something that is going away.