Have you ever considered saving text space by using numbers for multiples of X (like 2X for the second part of Pest Infestation, 5X for Crackle with Power, or X/2 for Hydroid Krasis)? The German versions do the last one. Or how about for the number of dice rolled (e.g., 2d6 instead of two d6) like the Spanish cards do?

It doesn’t save much space and makes it a little less clear.

Mark, the new article got me rereading the OG Trivial Pursuit, so I'd figured I'd ask:
If/When: The other races from Rath in Tempest?

If, but I’m personally all for it.

The recent pauper 'pre-ban' of Cranial Ram got me thinking about some of the older pre-bans because of Ante that happened in the 90's (RIP Rebirth, Tempest Efreet, and Timmerian Fiends. You will not be missed). Has there ever been any serious discussion about making a newer mechanic that manipulated card 'Ownership'? Where would that sort of effect be on the Storm Scale? (I assume a 12, if it went that high)

I think we’re out of the business of changing ownership. It was the most disliked thing mechanically we’ve ever done.

Hey mark. Y’all in R&D infamously “avoid doing two-colour creatures which could be done in a single color”, like a creature with flying and vigilance, for example. I am not rehashing that argument, because I fully understand why the answer to that question is GB (although since vigilance is allowed in blue now that means that the UB option that was wrong at the time now is also a correct answer). That said, I do have some qualms with the premise of that question. We see multicolored cards that don’t need all their colors CONSTANTLY. Just in Thunder Junction, we got:- Wylie duke, which can be in white or green, and doesn’t need to be both- Vraska joins up, which can be done in mono green and doesn’t need black- Selvala, which can be done in mono green and doesn’t need white- Seraphic steed, which can be done in mono white and doesn’t need green- Rakdos joins up, which could be done in mono black and doesn’t need red- Miriam, which could be done in mono green and doesn’t need white- Marchesa, who can be done in blue or black, and doesn’t need to be both, and DEFINITELY doesn’t need red- Lilah, who could be done in red or blue and doesn’t need to be both- Jasper flint, who can be done in Black or red and doesn’t need to be both- Jem, who could be done in mono blue and doesn’t need white- Form a posse, which could be done in red or white and doesn’t need to be both- Breeches, who can be done in mono red and doesn’t need blue- At knifepoint, which could be done in mono red and doesn’t need black- Obeka, which could be dimir or izzet and doesn’t need to be grixis- Vihaan, who could be done in boros and doesn’t need black- Kirri, which could be in mono green, and doesn’t need red or white- Yuma, which could be done in mono green (and maybe mono red?) but definitely doesn’t need white- Olivia, which could be boros or rakdos and doesn’t need to be mardu- Pest control, which could be mono white and doesn’t need blackI don’t really know what I’m asking, but I just wanted to bring up that unnecessary colors appear on multicolored spells VERY frequently; and I wanted to know if you have any thoughts about this.

That’s why I say “we try” and not “we always do”. When a multicolor card doesn’t have abilities of two colors, we’ll tag it in the Council of Colors pass, and the lead designer will see if hey can find an elegant solution. It’s not a mandatory thing though, as it’s hard to do without making cards extra wordy and clunky. Again, that’s why I say “we try” to do it as it’s something we do when we can, but often don’t do.

With the reduction of types, viashino being lizards for instance, has there been talk about errata-ing insect, pest, worm and the like to "bug" instead?I assume spiders would likely stay separate for thematic and mechanical reasons

There has been no Bug talk.

“Varmint” is an evocative word, but was there any thought to using Pest as the creature type and varmint in card names?

It happened in set design, so I don’t know. Maybe.

So if the most notorious "mistakes" are cards which were significantly more powerful than design anticipated (such as oko), what are some of your most memorable examples of the opposite? Meaning cards you or the design/balancing team were worried was going to potentially be too powerful, but turned out to actually be underpowered in competitive play?

In Tempest, I made a card called Duplicity that I was so proud of. And nobody played it.

What was your favorite set to work with Richard Garfield on and any chance he'll be on a new set anytime soon?

I enjoy all the sets I get to work with Richard on. If I had to pick one, it was probably Tempest as it was the first set we worked on together and I was so excited to have him on my design team.

Hi Mark. I saw your recent post responding to an asker complaining about Rats being Black. I agree that the stereotype of them being creepy disease-carrying pests is unfair and inaccurate. I have pet rats and their primary personality traits are being incurably curious and too clever for their own good, so I think if anything they make more sense being primary Blue. I understand why that isn't the standard, but would it be possible to try that just once or twice?

There’s always the chance as a one-of.

It's my birthday today! Could you please share some trivia about either Weatherlight or Fifth Edition, the two sets that I bought cards from when I first started playing?

When Michael and I first pitched the Weatherlight Saga, our story started with Tempest, but the brand manager of Magic, at the time. was so eager to start, he made us write a precursor story to explain how the crew got together.Happy Birthday!