Feeding My Inner Geek

I've been lacking a certain amount of motivation lately, in particular as it pertains to writing. With all the stresses involved with finding a new apartment and getting things sorted out for my impending move to the Rosemont area, I've found my energy increasingly lacking. And now that my Pistons have taken a powder at the hands of Shaq Daddy and those blasted Miami Heat, I have one less pastime to occupy my attention.

All that being said, I've been finding myself taking comfort in a game I started playing somewhere around 1995, I think. The dates and timelines are pretty fuzzy at the moment, but whatever. The game? Magic: the Gathering. Yes, dear readers, I admit it. I play a collectible card game--and I enjoy it! It's fun! So what's the game all about? If one wants to work the fantasy angle, then each player is a wizard, battling for control of the planes of existance. The wizards gather their resources, summon minions and cast spells until they've defeated their opponent. The goal is actually quite simple: reduce your opponents lifepoint total to zero before he/she does the same to you. But though the goal is simple, getting there is tougher than it sounds.

The game actually starts long before one sits down across from the opponent. Y'see, both players will have constructed a deck, based on their collections of cards. Deck construction is probably the most interesting aspect for me because it gives me a chance to stretch my mental muscles and see how clever I am. The cards will interact in different ways with one another when playing the game, so finding the "right" combination of cards to achieve your goal (while thwarting your opponent) is where the fun comes in. I like coming up with ideas, building decks and then crushing opponents with the my wonderous creation. Problem is, this doesn't happen nearly as often as I would like.

So my quest has continued on an almost daily basis, looking at card lists, reading articles on the major info sites, like Starcity Games and Brain Burst, hoping I'll find something that the pros have missed (highly unlikely, but I can dream, right?). And yes, for those who are uber-serious about the game, there IS a pro tour wherein tournament winners can take home a cheque for $35, 000 US. No, that wasn't a misprint. I've also been spending an inordinate amount of time (and money) playing the online version against players from around the world. So there you have it. That's what ol' Al has been up to lately. The next part of the interview with Biz will be posted in the next couple of days. Til next time...