MtG, Color, Philosophy, Nerdery, Discourse
Alright, I'm gonna start writing that piece on the MTG color pie I talked about last week. This is going to be very nerdy, and possible a little discoursy at times, so be warned.
To start with, lets talk about what, exactly, the color pie is, and how it came about. The color pie is a division in MtG. It serves, most basically, to impose restrictions on deckbuilding such that decks must be different. That is to say, they can't all just use the same best cards. There are five different alignments, or colors, and they all have different strengths and weaknesses. You can stick all five colors in your deck, if you wish, but this will greatly complicate your resource base, enough so that it's usually not worth the trouble. It also serves to add flavor and backstory to the game.
Why is this interesting enough to go and write a huge post about? Because of the intricate philosophical underpinnings. I wouldn't say they perfectly reflect reality, or anything, but I think they can give you a lot of insight. Let's take a look at the basic five colors and their philosophies, and I'll show you what I mean.
MtG, Color, Philosophy, Nerdery, Discourse
I was gonna write a big whole thing about the different colors, but fuck it, other people have done that quite well already. So heres a couple links:
https://medium.com/s/story/the-mtg-color-wheel-c9700a7cf36d
https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Color
Now I'm gonna go and write some little vignettes showing the conflicts at work. Hopefully you'll find them interesting. XD
MtG, Color, Philosophy, Nerdery, Discourse
Also, someone recommended the following articles to me and I love them. They're about the D&D alignment chart, and how it's fundamentally a chart written from whites perspective. It uses this to elaborate further on the colors and their conflicts, including four more charts showing what the other colors version of said chart might look like. If you want to read more, check them out:
http://sarpadianempiresvol-viii.tumblr.com/post/112879602469/color-pie-friday-aligning-the-colors
http://sarpadianempiresvol-viii.tumblr.com/post/117252176688/color-pie-friday-aligning-blue
http://sarpadianempiresvol-viii.tumblr.com/post/119026650005/color-pie-friday-aligning-black
http://sarpadianempiresvol-viii.tumblr.com/post/120186450289/color-pie-friday-aligning-red
http://sarpadianempiresvol-viii.tumblr.com/post/121350149837/color-pie-friday-aligning-green
http://sarpadianempiresvol-viii.tumblr.com/post/121350149837/color-pie-friday-aligning-green
MtG, Color, Philosophy, Nerdery, Discourse
@Angle But alignment isn't that simple. Sometimes what you emphasize in your morality depends on your circumstances.
For instance, in a tyrannical White system, I will revel in breaking the rules -- the Chandra burning up and showing her flames. That's my mono-red. The rebel.
The red-blue is my soldier, passionate and powerful strikes tempered with finding the weak point, supplemented by magic & prowess.
MtG, Color, Philosophy, Nerdery, Discourse
@Angle And my Blue-Black is my "distant view". That can see people for the rotting meat sacks they inhabit, that can see the shit that people's morals really are, that is willing to use people's own flaws against them -- but she doesn't actually *act* on that until it's necessary. Mostly she's just "big picture view". Sees the swarm on the planet for what it is, to her view, but also understands being a person too.
MtG, Color, Philosophy, Nerdery, Discourse
@Ulfra_Wolfe Mmm, yeah I have dashes of red and black myself. Though nothing quite so organized, just the occasional Demonic Pact or Flame Wave. :P
http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=398433
http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=84672
MtG, Color, Philosophy, Nerdery, Discourse
@Angle Whoa, Demonic Pact is pretty badass. Sola likes that -- get a quick advantage and win early enough to avoid the inevitable.
MtG, Color, Philosophy, Nerdery, Discourse
MtG, Color, Philosophy, Nerdery, Discourse
@Angle "Choose one that hasn't been chosen"... OH HO HO HO HO, specific wording.
Yowch!
MtG, Color, Philosophy, Nerdery, Discourse
@Angle That's reminiscent of a very Liliana strategy to me. Make a deal you know you don't want to keep to the end, but find a way to subvert that end. Have your cake AND eat it.
MtG, Color, Philosophy, Nerdery, Discourse
@Ulfra_Wolfe Oh yes. Black is ALL about that strategy. :P
MtG, Color, Philosophy, Nerdery, Discourse
@Ulfra_Wolfe In this case, it's not only that, it's arranging for your enemies to pay for your deal. Very appealing. :P
MtG, Color, Philosophy, Nerdery, Discourse
@Angle Makes me think of the song "All Eyes On Me" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8WuKJa6L5E
Mostly just for a single stanza:
o/`
So many experiments, so many mistakes
But I'll go all the way till I'm in perfect shape
(First the worst, maybe thirds the charm)
So close, oh, I cannot wait
The demon won't taint me now, ‘cause you're the sacrifice he'll slay
o/`
MtG, Color, Philosophy, Nerdery, Discourse
@Angle I have red-blue, mono-red, and blue-black versions of myself up in this head of mine, but ultimately I come down on green-white. There is order I'd support, but it would have to work well. I will not accept bad foundations for society that will lead to tyranny. This includes the tyranny of pure freedom, with no consequences for harmful actions.