Page 2 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 21 to 40 of 74

Thread: [Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic.

  1. #21
    Psycho Crusher
    Plague Sliver's Avatar
    Join Date

    Jan 2010
    Location

    The 'Jing
    Posts

    496

    Re: [Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic.

    Quote Originally Posted by Sloshthedark View Post
    is there a problem on my side or why are episodes 3+ unavailable for download?
    Ah, it was on my end. Downloads have been enabled for all episodes now.

    ---

    This week, I'm super excited to have PAULO VITOR DAMO DA ROSA in the house to talk life and Magic.

    You won't want to miss it. Check it out here: https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic...r-damo-da-rosa
    Last edited by Plague Sliver; 07-16-2016 at 04:16 AM.
    A book about the dark side of Legacy: "Magic: The Addiction" // Conversations with Magic players: "Humans of Magic"

  2. #22
    Everybody's a jerk! You, me..........this jerk.
    Parcher's Avatar
    Join Date

    Jan 2006
    Location

    DuPont Circle
    Posts

    1,520

    Re: [Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic.

    Quote Originally Posted by Plague Sliver View Post
    Ah, it was on my end. Downloads have been enabled for all episodes now.

    ---

    This week, I'm super excited to have PAULO VITOR DAMO DA ROSA in the house to talk life and Magic.

    You won't want to miss it. Check it out here: https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic...r-damo-da-rosa
    This was great. No surprise considering that it's well known how intelligent, kind, and open PV is, in addition to his obvious skill at Magic. I was a bit surprised how ego-driven he is, though. It kept coming up how important it was to him how everyone knows who he is and how well he performs. Either in his writing, or at tournaments. None of that made me think any less of him, since it doesn't change who he is as a person. But I didn't think someone of legitimate HoF stature would still be concerned with the opinions of redditors and his extended family. A lot of pros who are still very competitive don't take their results to heart to that degree. And even fewer stil feel that they have anything to prove to anyone but maybe themselves.

    I have mentioned this before, but just to give any example of how to be a good person vs how to be a douche; PV, Calosso and I are chatting in between rounds at GP Indy. A wizards cruises by us. Full on azure furry robe with stars, pointy hat and boots, full white beard. The works. Calosso starts laughing, saying what a dork, etc. He then offers PV $10 to go over an ask the guy if he can take a picture with him. PV looks incredulously at Calosso, asks "Who wouldn't want a picture with him?", proceeds to get one, and chats up the dude for the remaining time. That's the type of person people like, and respect. Regardless of their MtG accomplishments.
    Quote Originally Posted by MacGruber View Post
    Look, I will suck your dick. I will suck your fucking dick. I will do it, just join my team. I’ll suck your dick. You can fuck me or get fucked by me. You can watch me fuck something. Just point at something, I’ll fuck it for you. Just tell me what you want me to fuck!
    ~ Team Unicorn Motto

  3. #23
    Psycho Crusher
    Plague Sliver's Avatar
    Join Date

    Jan 2010
    Location

    The 'Jing
    Posts

    496

    Re: [Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic.

    Quote Originally Posted by Parcher View Post
    This was great. No surprise considering that it's well known how intelligent, kind, and open PV is, in addition to his obvious skill at Magic. I was a bit surprised how ego-driven he is, though. It kept coming up how important it was to him how everyone knows who he is and how well he performs. Either in his writing, or at tournaments. None of that made me think any less of him, since it doesn't change who he is as a person. But I didn't think someone of legitimate HoF stature would still be concerned with the opinions of redditors and his extended family. A lot of pros who are still very competitive don't take their results to heart to that degree. And even fewer stil feel that they have anything to prove to anyone but maybe themselves.

    I have mentioned this before, but just to give any example of how to be a good person vs how to be a douche; PV, Calosso and I are chatting in between rounds at GP Indy. A wizards cruises by us. Full on azure furry robe with stars, pointy hat and boots, full white beard. The works. Calosso starts laughing, saying what a dork, etc. He then offers PV $10 to go over an ask the guy if he can take a picture with him. PV looks incredulously at Calosso, asks "Who wouldn't want a picture with him?", proceeds to get one, and chats up the dude for the remaining time. That's the type of person people like, and respect. Regardless of their MtG accomplishments.
    That's an awesome story! Also, I respect PV for being honest. He's earned the recognition.

    ----

    I'm cranking out episodes FAST.

    Just in time for TES 10-year anniversary...an audio interview with the one and only Bryant Cook, on "Humans of Magic."

    https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic...10-bryant-cook

    Bryant Cook is the innovator and creator of The Epic Storm deck, which is approaching its ten-year anniversary. He joins me to discuss the origins of the 1.5 format, the strong Syracuse, NY scene, and his earliest tournament successes. We also talk about fun stuff like reading opponents, table banter, and beating a turn 1 Griselbrand. This is one conversation you won't want to miss.

    Time stamps:

    [01:02] Introduction
    [03:28] Family background and origins
    [04:52] Earliest gaming experiences
    [06:18] Playing sports
    [06:52] Playing Magic for the first time
    [08:31] His first tournament
    [10:34] On never splitting prizes in a tournament
    [12:15] Improving as a player and first major tournament success
    [15:00] The Syracuse crew
    [16:29] The 1.5 scene in New York and origins of The Source
    [17:22] Playing combo for the first time
    [18:47] The beginnings of “The Epic Storm”
    [22:17] The beginning of The Epic Syndicate
    [23:54] How Magic friends have helped him in life
    [25:15] Applying Magic learnings to life
    [25:49] First major success with The Epic Storm
    [27:22] Playing in Jupiter Games events and SCG Opens
    [30:10] Getting nervous at high-level events
    [32:48] Reading opponents
    [36:25] The origins of The Epic Storm website
    [38:30] Why he writes content
    [39:23] Dealing with online trolls and haters
    [40:59] Why Magic?
    [42:36] Why he is competitive
    [43:31] Tournament mindset and habits
    [46:35] Table banter with opponents
    [48:02] Codes of conduct and ethical gaming
    [49:13] Most challenging Magic-related situation
    [51:05] Best Magic moments
    [55:19] Future evolution of The Epic Storm
    [56:38] Magic-related goals
    [59:43] Life-related goals
    [01:01:19] What would Bryant tell himself if he could go back 5 years?
    A book about the dark side of Legacy: "Magic: The Addiction" // Conversations with Magic players: "Humans of Magic"

  4. #24
    Bryant Cook
    Guest

    Re: [Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic.

    Thanks for having me James! I think it turned out well. I wish my audio was slightly better :(

  5. #25
    Psycho Crusher
    Plague Sliver's Avatar
    Join Date

    Jan 2010
    Location

    The 'Jing
    Posts

    496

    Re: [Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic.

    MIKE TURIAN is in the house this week, on "Humans of Magic."

    https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic...-turian-part-1

    "Magic is kind of mind-blowing."

    Mike Turian is one of the greatest Limited players ever in the history of the Magic Pro Tour, and a bona fide Hall of Famer. He is also a key driving force within Wizards of the Coast, having held key roles in R&D, Organized Play, Technology, Magic Online, and Magic Duels teams.

    In this no-holds-barred conversation, I talk to Mike about both his illustrious playing career (Part 1) and the decade that he's spent at Wizards of the Coast (Part 2). Mike has tons of great stories and learnings to share, so please do come along for the ride!

    Time stamps -- Part 1:

    [03:21] Introduction
    [09:49] Growing up in Pittsburgh
    [12:04] Earliest gaming experiences
    [15:51] Being competitive with his best friend
    [19:42] Playing Magic for the first time
    [29:24] Getting hooked on tournaments
    [32:40] Booster drafts with two packs, not three
    [34:34] The appeal of the Limited format
    [36:06] Learning the basics of Limited
    [38:45] The outside world through The Duelist magazine
    [41:10] Making a splash in larger events
    [43:21] Playing against Brian Kibler in Grand Prix Toronto
    [45:02] Mike’s first Pro Tour in Chicago
    [46:18] Randy Buehler
    [50:05] Being part of a team and preparation process
    [55:17] Teaming up with Gary Wise and Scott Johns
    [1:00:04] Skills learned through team play
    [1:01:10] Best Magic memories
    [1:03:10] On sportsmanship
    [1:04:16] What the Hall of Fame means to him
    [1:06:17] Mike’s Hall of Fame achievements
    [1:09:25] Focusing on Limited vs. Constructed
    [1: 11 :16] Mike’s criteria for Hall of Fame membership
    A book about the dark side of Legacy: "Magic: The Addiction" // Conversations with Magic players: "Humans of Magic"

  6. #26

    Re: [Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic.

    Really enjoy Mike Turian interview. Can't wait to listen part 2 (wotc good stuff).

  7. #27
    The green Ancestral
    ESG's Avatar
    Join Date

    Mar 2010
    Location

    Seattle, WA
    Posts

    1,308

    Re: [Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic.

    Thanks for the time stamps and descriptions. I cherry-picked the Mike Turian episode and enjoyed his recollection of the Wild West era of early tournaments. I was a little surprised that he and I are almost the same age. We started playing around the same time, but he got into tournaments shortly after he started, whereas I was a casual player for at least a year before I had an opportunity to play in structured events. It cracked me up that he got back into a single-elimination tournament after Round 1. The first time I ever played in a tournament, I lost Round 1 in two quick games and thought I was out, so I dejectedly made my way to the door only to be saved by the store owner or clerk, who told me it was Swiss-style and not single-elimination. I knew nothing about the structure of the event I was playing in! That amazes me now, but life was so much different at age 15. Also, I believe single-elimination events were rather unpopular (even though they were the norm at the time), which is probably why Swiss became the standard.

  8. #28
    Psycho Crusher
    Plague Sliver's Avatar
    Join Date

    Jan 2010
    Location

    The 'Jing
    Posts

    496

    Re: [Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic.

    Quote Originally Posted by tianyuan2k4 View Post
    Really enjoy Mike Turian interview. Can't wait to listen part 2 (wotc good stuff).
    Thanks!

    Quote Originally Posted by ESG View Post
    Thanks for the time stamps and descriptions. I cherry-picked the Mike Turian episode and enjoyed his recollection of the Wild West era of early tournaments. I was a little surprised that he and I are almost the same age. We started playing around the same time, but he got into tournaments shortly after he started, whereas I was a casual player for at least a year before I had an opportunity to play in structured events. It cracked me up that he got back into a single-elimination tournament after Round 1. The first time I ever played in a tournament, I lost Round 1 in two quick games and thought I was out, so I dejectedly made my way to the door only to be saved by the store owner or clerk, who told me it was Swiss-style and not single-elimination. I knew nothing about the structure of the event I was playing in! That amazes me now, but life was so much different at age 15. Also, I believe single-elimination events were rather unpopular (even though they were the norm at the time), which is probably why Swiss became the standard.
    Thanks for listening, Jeremy. All 3 of us (you, Mike, myself) are basically around the same age. I guess we all went our separate paths, but what I love most about doing the show is being able to listen to stories of nineties Magic. I was playing, albeit not competitively, so it is always fun to live vicariously through someone.

    Single elimination feels like such bad value, but I do like hearing about how the game was "tougher" back then.

    I think you'll REALLY enjoy the next episode too, where Mike goes into the cards he's designed. You may have heard of some of them. Jace the Mind Sculptor, Tarmogoyf, Stoneforge Mystic. Amongst others
    A book about the dark side of Legacy: "Magic: The Addiction" // Conversations with Magic players: "Humans of Magic"

  9. #29
    Psycho Crusher
    Plague Sliver's Avatar
    Join Date

    Jan 2010
    Location

    The 'Jing
    Posts

    496

    Re: [Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic.

    Part 2 with Mike Turian -- all about his work at Wizards of the Coast. Designing cards like Jace TMS, Tarmogoyf, and Stoneforge Mystic.

    https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic...s-of-the-coast

    Time stamps -- Part 2:

    [02:06] How Mike started working at Wizards
    [05:22] The most important advice that Randy gave Mike at the beginning
    [06:53] Working at Wizards vs. being a competitive player — tough decision?
    [09:28] Winning for the community vs. for yourself
    [11:08] Summary of Mike’s different roles at Wizards
    [11:57] Insights Mike gained from the Market Research team
    [14:53] The best way to provide user feedback for Magic Online
    [15:58] The Magic expansion sets that Mike led from a development perspective
    [16:38] Leaving R&D to drive the Planeswalker Points program
    [17:14] How hard was it to leave R&D?
    [20:36] Most memorable R&D moments
    [23:25] Developing the planeswalker card type
    [26:35] “With [Jace, the Mind Sculptor] we wanted to make a card that people loved, and I think we accomplished that.”
    [31:09] Favorite cards that Mike’s worked on
    [36:23] Advice for folks who want to work in Magic R&D
    [42:10] Mike’s current role in the Brand team — what does it involve?
    [46:53] Most exciting thing in Mike’s current role
    [49:54] Advantages of working in the digital domain
    [52:08] Favorite colleagues
    [55:27] The unsung heroes of Wizards
    [56:48] Personal and career goals — and the one competitive goal he’s yet to achieve
    [58:15] The competitive fire, and the purity of tournament Magic
    A book about the dark side of Legacy: "Magic: The Addiction" // Conversations with Magic players: "Humans of Magic"

  10. #30
    Psycho Crusher
    Plague Sliver's Avatar
    Join Date

    Jan 2010
    Location

    The 'Jing
    Posts

    496

    Re: [Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic.

    This week -- Jonathan Alexander, creator of Grinding Station:

    https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic...exander-part-1

    What started as an innocent discussion about Magic turned into an epic podcast of sorts. Probably the most fun I’ve had so far recording for this show. At one point we asked each other, 2 hours in, if we wanted to stop or keep going. The answer was an encouraging KEEP GOING. And so we did.

    There are 3 parts to this talk, that’s how crazy it was. Unfortunately (fortunately?), our hour-long discussion on hip-hop didn’t make the final cut. Jonathan and I probably need to create our own podcast show at some point.

    Jonathan’s web site: http://theweeklywars.wordpress.com/

    Time stamps — Part 1:

    [03:21] Intro / the metric system
    [06:54] Jonathan's own intro
    [08:17] Family background and brief personal history
    [12:42] There and back again: university in Berlin
    [16:04] Homework? What's that?
    [18:09] Memorable teenage moments
    [23:06] Amsterdam
    [26:37] "It's all upside to not drink, in my eyes."
    [30:25] Happiness
    [31:13] Earliest gaming experiences
    [32:31] Playing Magic for the first time, and getting competitive
    [36:32] First Legacy deck
    [39:09] Local German Legacy scene
    [43:26] Initial breakthroughs in competitive Magic, and Mental Misstep
    [46:33] All time favorite decks
    [47:58] An ode to Canadian Threshold
    [51:44] The art of quoting stuff out of context / trolls
    [53:08] Good stuff deck vs. tempo deck / why he doesn't play Grixis delver
    [56:16] Incredible run at Bazaar of Moxen with Canadian Threshold
    [1:05:04] “Don’t be afraid to use your cards as Lightning Bolts.”
    [1:07:17] Starting to play Storm and the beginnings of Grinding Station
    A book about the dark side of Legacy: "Magic: The Addiction" // Conversations with Magic players: "Humans of Magic"

  11. #31
    Psycho Crusher
    Plague Sliver's Avatar
    Join Date

    Jan 2010
    Location

    The 'Jing
    Posts

    496

    Re: [Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic.

    Jonathan Alexander, Part 2.

    https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic...exander-part-2

    Part 2 is all about the evolution of Grinding Station, the beauty of Canadian Threshold, Magic player name-drops, and bromancing. That’s right, folks — it’s everything you ever wanted in an interview podcast, and then some.

    Time stamps — Part 2:

    [02:32] Grinding Station origins
    [04:35] The perfect storm (of a metagame)
    [09:23] Putting it to the test with 200+ players
    [12:36] The natural Tendrils revelation
    [14:38] Card evaluation tendencies
    [16:31] “That was only because it was the card I wanted.”
    [20:04] The complexity in the game // learning through observation
    [21:42] Thoughts on Team America
    [24:39] Having a point of view
    [26:06] Why Jonathan didn’t play Storm in Prague
    [28:59] Shout out to Rodrigo Togores, GP Prague winner
    [30:08] Best high-level tournament finishes
    [32:02] Prague preparations and changing decks
    [34:15] “With Canadian, you’re not playing the matchup lottery that hard.”
    [36:35] Minimizing variance / Why Miracles is so good
    [38:48] Deck selection and having the right goals
    [40:37] “The hard part about Magic is getting X, Y, AND Z right.”
    [42:31] The joy of blind Cabal Therapy
    [45:41] Pascal Wagner, the fastest Storm pilot ever
    [47:38] “Can you tell me about your relationship with Kai Sawatari?”
    [52:46] The bromance triangle in Seattle / a debt of gratitude
    [54:35] No regrets
    [55:35] Going back to Storm
    [56:59] Playing Magic Online for the first time / dabbling in the Standard format
    [1:00:11] Goals
    Last edited by Plague Sliver; 08-11-2016 at 08:57 AM.
    A book about the dark side of Legacy: "Magic: The Addiction" // Conversations with Magic players: "Humans of Magic"

  12. #32
    Site Contributor
    Stuart's Avatar
    Join Date

    Sep 2015
    Location

    Austin TX
    Posts

    516

    Re: [Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic.

    Just finished up Pt 1 of the Jonathan Alexander interview and enjoyed it! Enjoyed Chance the Rapper, too.

  13. #33
    Psycho Crusher
    Plague Sliver's Avatar
    Join Date

    Jan 2010
    Location

    The 'Jing
    Posts

    496

    Re: [Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic.

    Quote Originally Posted by Stuart View Post
    Just finished up Pt 1 of the Jonathan Alexander interview and enjoyed it! Enjoyed Chance the Rapper, too.
    Glad you've enjoyed it!

    ---

    Now we're at Part 3 -- the final chapter -- of my talk with Jona:

    https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic...exander-part-3

    What does it mean to be the best at Magic? What’s the real life cost of getting too involved in the game? As content creators, why do we do the things that we do? My audio interview with Jonathan Alexander, creator of the Grinding Station deck, concludes with Part 3.

    “Humans of Magic” has been slower to release as of late, due to my real-life commitments. Nonetheless, I intend to continue interviewing cool people. Please keep listening and let me know what you think.

    Time stamps — Part 3:

    [02:48] Legacy goals
    [05:41] How he plans to become the greatest
    [08:02] On the power level of Miracles, and not playing it
    [11:30] Miracles answers: “People are not willing to go far enough”
    [13:35] What would happen if the Legacy format had an upheaval?
    [16:46] Effort commensurate to success
    [18:42] On the recognition of effort and hard work
    [22:58] The negative impacts of Magic
    [26:12] “I definitely always wanted to do what I wanted to do”
    [27:25] The challenges of the grinder lifestyle
    [31:31] The best part of competitive Magic
    [34:43] “Most of the time, if you did not win the tournament, you did not deserve to win…”
    [37:14] The impossibility of complete consistency // X, Y and Z
    [40:31] How Jonathan started his blog, The Weekly Wars
    [41:24] Coming up with topics for the blog
    [46:13] Writing content in an open, accessible manner // Giving back to the community
    [49:18] Doing things for the love of it
    [51:41] Content for the masses — Jonathan’s criteria for doing it
    [53:46] The Storm Box (which has now been updated!)
    [55:48] Martin Juza likes Grim Tutor! // Be careful of the card readers
    A book about the dark side of Legacy: "Magic: The Addiction" // Conversations with Magic players: "Humans of Magic"

  14. #34
    Psycho Crusher
    Plague Sliver's Avatar
    Join Date

    Jan 2010
    Location

    The 'Jing
    Posts

    496

    Re: [Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic.

    This week on Humans of Magic -- Alex Majlaton:

    https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic...-alex-majlaton

    Alex is a pretty darn good Magic player, with 26 Pro Tour appearances and 8 Grand Prix Top 8’s. He is doing solid work as the mathematical mind behind Team East-West Bowl. But more importantly, he’s humble about his status as a player and incredibly passionate about giving back to the community.

    Alex and I talk about his early childhood days, forays into competitive Magic, learning from experiences, and more. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to chase Pro Tour dreams, this episode is worth the listen.

    Time stamps:

    [3:15] Introduction
    [5:50] Growing up
    [9:02] Childhood hobbies
    [10:21] Washington, DC / Maryland / Baltimore
    [13:42] How Alex got into Magic
    [16:12] Earliest Magic decks
    [18:11] Alex’s two favorite cards of all time
    [20:37] Getting competitive — the why and how
    [27:04] The advantages of being a mathematician
    [30:20] The Pro Tour scene / First major success with Affinity
    [33:09] Affinity for Affinity (pun intended)
    [36:49] Alex’s approach to Magic improvement
    [39:11] No sacred cows — a learning breakthrough at the Pro Tour stage
    [44:35] Lessons from Pro Tours / Quantitative approach to Limited
    [49:46] Maintaining the fire
    [51:34] Questions that people ask Alex about
    [55:16] Contributing to the community = personal improvement
    [57:51] Team East-West Bowl / Breaking the format / Analyzing Limited
    [1:01:46] Magic-related goals
    [1:04:57] What needs to happen for Magic to advance as a game
    [1:07:03] How Alex plans to get from Silver to Gold status
    [1:09:23] What would Alex tell himself, if he could go back five years?
    [1 : 12 : 58] Shout-outs to Ben Friedman, Team East-West Bowl, the Maryland community, and Andrew Mitchell
    Last edited by Plague Sliver; 09-04-2016 at 04:30 AM.
    A book about the dark side of Legacy: "Magic: The Addiction" // Conversations with Magic players: "Humans of Magic"

  15. #35
    Psycho Crusher
    Plague Sliver's Avatar
    Join Date

    Jan 2010
    Location

    The 'Jing
    Posts

    496

    Re: [Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic.

    New this week...

    Damon Whitby, a.k.a. Parcher. One of the original proponents of the Legacy, or 1.5, format.

    https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic...7-damon-whitby



    “The most important lesson I’ve learned is letting that which truly does not matter, go.”

    Damon Whitby has been advancing the Legacy format for over a decade. These days he can usually be found terrorizing opponents with his Dredge deck, although he has played a wide range of archetypes over the years.

    This episode is filled with Damon’s experiences and musings on life. Never one to hold back, he talks about his rough childhood and what lies beneath his gruff exterior. Damon also talks about the mid-Atlantic Magic scene and some of the best players he’s interacted with. In many instances, the discussions verged into personal and life-related observations. The honesty really came through in this conversation.

    As someone who grew up with The Source, I hope that I have done Damon justice in representing his views and that you will enjoy this recording.

    Time stamps:

    [4:33] Introduction
    [7:01] Early childhood // family history // Seattle memories
    [12:00] Hanging out with the punks
    [14:57] Hooked on wargames
    [19:58] Joining the army
    [20:40] Games Workshop in Maryland
    [22:47] Magic first impressions
    [27:24] Breaking out of casual play with Pros-Bloom
    [30:59] Meeting top local players and pros: Matt Linde, Kyle Rose, Brock Parker
    [36:10] How “Huey” Jensen got his nickname
    [38:06] Building the White Weenie deck that Linde won Nationals with
    [39:47] Mike Long and Tongo Nation
    [41:22] The greatest match ever played in Rochester draft
    [43:50] Success at ’98 Regionals
    [45:59] Transitioning to Extended and Legacy // First contact with The Source
    [48:32] The Virginia crew: Anwar Ahmad, The Hatfields, David Gearhart, Dan Signorini, Dave Price, and Jesse Krieger
    [53:25] Virgnia vs. Syracuse rivalry
    [54:27] Perceptions of Legacy and its legitimacy
    [58:06] Alix Hatfield: the best deck builder
    [1:02:20] Mental preparation and honing one’s deck over time
    [1:05:31] The importance of format knowledge
    [1:08:43] The luckiest man in the world with Cabal Therapy?
    [1 : 10 : 39] “Where other people have decision trees, I see my job as pruning the trees.”
    [1 : 14 : 32] Dredge puts the fear into opponents // Letting opponents beat themselves
    [1:20:12] Team Dredge goes on a tear // Keeping things fresh
    [1:25:39] “I am my [tournament] record” — a fallacy
    [1:27:53] Learning to let go of things that don’t matter
    [1:29:23] On being direct
    [1:31:47] Perceptions people have of Damon
    [1:24:16] On legitimately disliking some people
    [1:36:22] “You don’t break somebody else’s rice bowl to refill your own.”
    [1:38:04] Origins of the name Parcher
    [1:39:22] Dan Signorini
    [1:45:32] Helping Dan prepare for PT Honolulu // Shaheen Soorani // Alex Majlaton
    [1:47:32] From one generation to the next
    [1:48:54] Ben Friedman’s rapid growth as a person
    [1:52:10] Jarvis Yu
    [1:55:14] “At his heart, Dan is a gigantic nerd” // judging a book by its cover
    [1:59:44] Why BBD is a great player
    [2:04:50] The power of listening // Signal to noise in the online community
    [2:07:10] Generalizing Magic lessons to life
    [2 : 12 : 50] How has the game been detrimental to Damon?
    [2:17:03] Shoutout to the mid-Atlantic area
    Last edited by Plague Sliver; 09-11-2016 at 12:07 AM.
    A book about the dark side of Legacy: "Magic: The Addiction" // Conversations with Magic players: "Humans of Magic"

  16. #36
    Psycho Crusher
    Plague Sliver's Avatar
    Join Date

    Jan 2010
    Location

    The 'Jing
    Posts

    496

    Re: [Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic.

    This week -- Michael Bonde:

    https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic...-michael-bonde

    “When I get a challenge, I really just want to be the best at what I do.”

    Michael Bonde is a fixture in the Danish Magic scene, and one of the game’s most outgoing personalities. He created Magic history by becoming the first European player to win a Star City Games Open. He has also enjoyed two Top 4 finishes in Grand Prix events, along with a 17th place finish at Pro Tour Madrid. Through skillful play and collaboration with the game’s top talent, Michael has become a powerful force to be reckoned with.

    In this no-holds-barred conversation, I speak to Michael about his lifelong passions for learning, teaching, and competition. He shares his earliest childhood memories, and explains how joining the military contributed to his personal and Magic development. Michael also talks openly about staying true to his goals, and the dedicated life of the grind. The overarching theme is that of self-improvement — Michael is constantly looking to raise the bar, both for himself and others. Tune in for an inside look at one of the game’s fiercest competitors.

    Time stamps:

    [4:20] Introduction
    [7:15] The Pro Tour grind
    [9:18] Childhood and family background
    [11:15] Sibling rivalry and love of sport
    [14:11] Rifle skills // The art of the grind
    [17:20] Earliest Magic memories
    [21:22] Discipline and the Danish military
    [26:33] The power of routine // New experiences
    [30:28] A burgeoning military career // Learning to lead
    [35:29] Kosovo
    [41:11] Transitioning back to civilian life
    [43:20] Adjusting to the academic world
    [48:02] Balancing life priorities
    [49:55] Leveling up in competitive Magic // Love of the game
    [55:53] Thomas Enevoldsen, Martin Dang, and the Secret Society of Good Magic Players
    [1:01:07] American life and the allure of the Pro Tour
    [1:07:26] Playing all the time and its positive impacts
    [1:09:32] Magic goals
    [1: 11:06] Breakthrough: 17th place at Pro Tour Madrid
    [1: 14:56] How Michael plans to further improve his game
    [1:17:35] Preferred style of play
    [1:20:02] Helping friends succeed
    [1:22:40] Detrimental effects of being committed to the game
    [1:26:25] “Magic is the place where I want to be”
    [1:28:58] Gratitude // Conclusion
    A book about the dark side of Legacy: "Magic: The Addiction" // Conversations with Magic players: "Humans of Magic"

  17. #37
    Psycho Crusher
    Plague Sliver's Avatar
    Join Date

    Jan 2010
    Location

    The 'Jing
    Posts

    496

    Re: [Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic.

    This week - it's Legacy Champion BOB HUANG!

    https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic...-020-bob-huang



    “Everybody’s on their own journey, on their own spiritual path.”

    If you follow Magic, chances are you’ve heard of Bob Huang. Bob is the 2015 Legacy Champion and one of the game’s top Eternal format players. He’s put several popular Delver variants on the map and has had a major impact on how the game is played. But what you might not know about Bob is his world view and perspective on life. In this talk, we discuss some of the recent things he’s gone through, the trip of a lifetime that opened his eyes to possibilities, and his changing relationship with competitive Magic. Don’t miss this chance to get to know one of the game’s brightest minds.
    Last edited by Plague Sliver; 10-15-2016 at 07:03 AM.
    A book about the dark side of Legacy: "Magic: The Addiction" // Conversations with Magic players: "Humans of Magic"

  18. #38
    Site Contributor
    Stuart's Avatar
    Join Date

    Sep 2015
    Location

    Austin TX
    Posts

    516

    Re: [Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic.

    Great episode! Thanks James and thanks Bob!

  19. #39
    Everybody's a jerk! You, me..........this jerk.
    Parcher's Avatar
    Join Date

    Jan 2006
    Location

    DuPont Circle
    Posts

    1,520

    Re: [Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic.

    Quote Originally Posted by Stuart View Post
    Great episode! Thanks James and thanks Bob!
    Quote Originally Posted by MacGruber View Post
    Look, I will suck your dick. I will suck your fucking dick. I will do it, just join my team. I’ll suck your dick. You can fuck me or get fucked by me. You can watch me fuck something. Just point at something, I’ll fuck it for you. Just tell me what you want me to fuck!
    ~ Team Unicorn Motto

  20. #40
    Psycho Crusher
    Plague Sliver's Avatar
    Join Date

    Jan 2010
    Location

    The 'Jing
    Posts

    496

    Re: [Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic.

    This week, it's Gerry Thompson.

    https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic...gerry-thompson

    Not much reference to Legacy, other than the fact that he says he sold all his Legacy cards. But there ya go

    -- INTRODUCTION --

    “The negative stuff just kind of hits you a little bit harder.”

    Gerry Thompson is a consummate pro and all-around good guy. His Magic accomplishments are plentiful. But there is another side to Gerry that he recently opened up about, in a groundbreaking Reddit post: “A Rebuttal: The Lifestyle of the Professional Magic The Gathering Player.” It’s a hard-hitting look at what it means to be a Magic pro. More importantly, Gerry opened up about this lifelong struggle with depression. It’s a great piece and I encourage you to read it if you haven’t done so already.

    After reading the article, I knew that I absolutely had to talk to Gerry about the themes he explored in his writing. In this 90-minute conversation, we talk about depression, perspective, life goals, and the power of community. While the topics were heavy, we had fun in the process.

    This is not your typical Magic strategy podcast. Rather, it’s about what it means to be human. You won’t want to miss it.

    -- SHOW NOTES --

    “A Rebuttal: The Lifestyle of the Professional Magic: The Gathering Player” by Gerry Thompson
    https://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/co..._professional/

    “Gamers and Depression” by Noah Weil
    http://www.starcitygames.com/php/new...?Article=11045

    “Leffen: Resurrection” series
    http://www.redbull.com/us/en/esports...tion-episode-1
    A book about the dark side of Legacy: "Magic: The Addiction" // Conversations with Magic players: "Humans of Magic"

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)