It is Wednesday and as the afternoon rolls over Jamie and I find ourselves looking forward to slinging some cardboard spells come evening.
Having reliable ways to unwind is essential. These days the highly sought-after work-life balance is not easily attained. More and more in this digitized world, we can find ourselves spending our precious time alone in front of a screen, instead of meaningful connections with friends and family. There's nothing wrong with enjoying some measured alone time with a great game like Bethesda's 'Skyrim', or perhaps some online Bridge or Poker if you skew a bit more in that direction. Personally, as I have gotten older I am finding myself gravitating towards social, physical face-to-face gaming experiences which are for me, vastly more rewarding.
But what is this fascination with video games that this younger generation seems to waste so much time, money, and energy on?
It is easy to criticize something if you don't understand it so I wanted to share my journey with this lifelong passion and hobby in the gaming world, to show just one of the many perspectives out there.
I was enraptured by video gaming ever since I was a small boy. My grandfather, on my mum's side, was a woodworker, a creative thinker, and an early adopter of new technology. I still treasure vivid memories of his home in Manukau, slowly climbing his carpeted stairs to the 'Computer room'. I would watch him relive his piloting days, soaring through the badly rendered skies of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 in awe.
He had a few other games on his machine. I have fond memories of the 2D scroller, Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure. Gaming granted me a sense of curiosity and adventure that was unparalleled. I felt a deep sense of immersion and harbored a real fear of the pixelated Mayan jungle. The stakes were never higher for my 8-bit adventurer. The adventurer leaps at the critical moment, clearing the foaming, charging Boar. The adventurer's triumph was my own.
As I got a bit older the world of trading cards discovered me. Walking home from school was often interrupted by a stop at Parks Emporium on Balmoral Rd. I would ogle the glittering Pokémon Jungle booster packs on the wall and start to count the contents of my coin jar in my head. And then there is something called Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Masters... Suddenly, a reason to generate positive cash flow. My nascent mind reeled with the possibilities. Could I become a Duel Master? A Pokémon Elite Four Champion? Turns out that in the real world, these aren't real occupations. But at the time, with ten years under my belt, I was determined to be the very best. Here is a photo of me, my older brother, and my two cousins in what I think is a fundamentally Noughties artifact:
For those in the know, yes, that is a Blue Eyes White Dragon that I am proudly clutching. There is a whole middle section here which I will skip for brevity's sake. So that brings me to years down the line and far far down the country in Invercargill where in between classes sat a group of friends playing with some fantasy cardboard. My friend and classmate Anderson invites me to sit in and watch their game and says "I reckon you would really enjoy Magic" Seven words... stuck in my dreamer's head. It had been years since I had let my cards gather dust. I had discovered music, girls, and alcohol in my late teens on Waiheke Island so there was no room for such CHILDISH activities. But an older (and younger) part of me was once again intrigued and in the spring of 2018, My girlfriend and I stopped at King of Cards in downtown Auckland. Laurence and Michael graciously gifted us 2x free starter decks of Core set 2019 and some basic rules printed on leaflets to get us started. What a nice idea, thinks me, a way to connect face to face with someone I care about and relive a truly joyous time of my youth. So what is Magic the Gathering anyway? Released in 1993 by eminent game designer Richard Garfield, Magic the Gathering is a fantasy, strategy card game that is best described to the non-believer as if Chess and Poker had a baby. Two or more players take the role of Wizards/Sorcerors/Mages and draw cards/spells from a library of cards. Generally, you will start with seven cards in your opening hand and 20 life points. At the start of your turn, you will draw a card to your hand and then will channel Mana from the land of your choice to summon creatures, sorcery, and enchantments to defeat your opponent/s.
The game itself is highly strategic and takes mastery of focus and skill to be a great player, however, Magic retains a chance element of RNG due to the nature of randomly drawing cards from a deck. This means that each game is a unique iteration and provides endless exploration and variation in gameplay.
There are five schools of elemental Magic in the game and each is represented by natural biomes and distinctive ideology.
White Magic: The white Mage draws energy from the plains. Spells of healing and protection are the white Wizard's specialty.
Blue Magic: The blue Mage taps the Islands for energy. Blue magic is mental in nature.
Black Magic: The black Mage's power stems from the swamps and bogs. Black magic is the magic of death.
Red Magic: The red Mage gains power from the mountains. Red Magic is destructive magic, the magic of earth and fire, of chaos and war.
Green Magic: The green Mage draws energy from the forest. Green magic is the magic of life
If you would like to learn more about Magic then please do come in-store and I would be happy to explain past the basics and introduce how you can play and learn for free online.
But I'm not here right now to explain how to play this great game. Overall, the point of this blog that I wanted to share is my personal experience of how games are a powerful way for us humans to connect. For me, Magic has been akin to having a superpower when it comes to bridging the gap. It creates a reason to gather with friends weekly, to sit at a table together, to banter, to laugh, and to engage with a complex and rewarding game system that encourages creativity and rewards skill. The most unlikely people play this game and this shared connection creates an opportunity to gather with people of all ages, people I may not have a natural way to connect without it. Some of us struggle with creating new connections, especially as we get older, and having a shared language such as a game like magic can be a powerful tool. It is the school holidays currently. If you are a parent and you want to help your kids find a wholesome, safe, and mentally stimulating activity that teaches math, social skills, and sportsmanship, then I would be happy to help you get started. Furthermore, this is a call out to others in the Waiheke community who play MTG (commander/EDH). We are hoping to expand our game nights and invite new players into the fold. Our goal at Island Tech is to not only offer a valuable service to the Motu but also to host an inclusive space for gamers, musicians, and dreamers. As afternoon rolls over to dusk, Jamie and I will be shuffling up and slinging some cardboard spells and that is the way we like it. Island Tech 28 Belgium Street 098705698 support@islandtech.nz
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