“The biggest problem is that we have to cost cards with whole mana symbols (other than Un-sets, we don’t do ½) and many abilities simply aren’t worth a whole mana by themselves.” Did you miss-read this Question Mark’s question about vanilla creatures as French vanilla?

I didn’t misread it. They were asking why card #A, a vanilla creature, and Card #B, a creature with the same stats but with rules text cost the same. The answer is the rules text usually isn’t worth a full mana, so removing it doesn’t make the creature one cheaper.

To be French vanilla, you have to have no rules text other than keyword abilities, so Tarmogoyf is not French vanilla.But it’s mechanicaly identical to a card with no abilities and the stat line “the number of card types among cards in all graveyards/the number of card types among cards in all graveyards” which would technically be vanilla science it only has stats.

Only having stats is not the same as not having rules text. 2/2 is just simpler than */*.

Hello Mark. I redeemed my coveted birthday rite several days ago, but it seems to have gotten caught up in the shuffle. I figured I wouldn't submit it on my birthday, which was the 6th, because a lot was going on then in Magic. My query was for any interesting tidbit about my favorite card in the game, Malefic Scythe from M21, and, provided you had nothing about it, instead the card that got me into the game, Errant Ephemeron from Time Spiral. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

When we first designed suspend creatures, we started with familiar vanilla and French vanilla ones. Errant Ephemeron was Air Elemental, and one of the first ones we designed. Happy Belated Birthday!

Sorry to keep pestering you about characteristic creatures. I am primarily a constructed Merfolk player and it's frustrating seeing so many sets go by where there are no cards of that type other than obvious limited fodder. Looking at "cards first printed 2013 or later, neither vanilla or french vanilla" there are: 498 Vampire or Zombie, 307 Elf, 157 Goblin, 124 Merfolk. I know Ixalan and Lorwyn are coming, can R&D please try to slot more in elsewhere? The support in MH2, DMU, and MOM was great.

There are a lot of factors towards these numbers, the biggest being that blue has the smallest percentage of creatures. Also, not all characteristic creature types are equal in how often they fit on a world. We’re well aware of the Merfolk fans and we do have plans to keep making Merfolk. Finally, what are the numbers if you don’t remove Vanilla or French Vanilla? It’s an odd thing to exclude from the stats.

Could we ever see a French Vanilla planeswalker? i.e. all their loyalty abilities are just keywords (ex. investigate, proliferate, populate, etc)

Is there a reason to do this other than to say we did?

RE: French Vanilla MattersI know cards with detainment affects can blanket prohibit activated abilities, even if a creature doesn't have any, but can the rules as they currently work count and identify what kinds of abilities a permanent has? i.e., count the number of triggered abilities a creature has for a scaling effect

Activated abilities are easier for players to recognize than triggered.

Would it be possible to have cards that card about French vanilla? I’m not sure if “creatures with only keyword abilities” is something that’s possible within the rules

The rules can’t really handle keyword as a concept.

Hi Mark,I've been seeing some pockets of the online community being rather focused on making snide remarks about you, in particular, about what people see as design mistakes. Honestly, I think a lot of it, even if the criticisms have valid points, are just needlessly mean spirited and not trying to come from a place of good faith criticism. I think part of that is people focusing on the more obvious mistakes but not knowing the things you've spearheaded that have been perceived widely as great changes for the game. What would you say are some of the biggest changes for the game that have been as close to universally accepted as good that you played a significant part in having made happen? Because I think people would be surprised about what they love that you helped make happen.

Some of the things which are popular that I had a major hand in:Bonus SheetsChangelingColored ArtifactsConstellationCreature Types as a Set ThemeCursesDevotionDouble-Faced CardsEnchantment CreaturesEnergyEquipmentFaction SetsFlashFlashbackFocus on Top-Down DesignHybrid ManaImprintKeywording of Deathtouch, Lifelink, Reach, and “dies”LandfallMorphMuch of R&D Lingo (”French Vanilla”, “Lenticular”, etc.)Planeswalkers (the card type)Player Psychographics (Timmy/Tammy, Johnny/Jenny, Spike)Poison ReturningPopulateProliferateProwessRace/Class RaidReusing of Named Nonevergreen Keyword MechanicsSagasSplit CardsSquirrelsVehiclesThe Weatherlight Saga

In your drive to work podcasts you mention "the ship has sailed" on making vanilla enchantment creatures. In THB there was a couple of vanilla/French vanilla enchantment creatures. Has the ship come back to port, and what does that mean for making elementals/illusion/etc. default enchantments?

I will continue to fight the fight on simple vanilla enchantment creatures, but there is a contingency that feels enchantments have to feel like enchantments and thus want an enchantment-like effect. I feel that the state of being an enchantment and thus being affects by things that effect enchantments is good enough (it’s how artifacts work).

No idea how it'd be done, but could Muraganda theoretically have a "French Vanilla matters"?

That’s very hard to write on cards.