Well we don't have to start with SoA.
But it's always more fun to play with new cards! >_>
Anyways more details away:
I think we're going to start with 18 packs' worth of whatever set we end up with. After we build our decks and maybe trade a bit, the games will begin. A player will receive 2 "points" for each game they win, 0 if they lose, and both players will earn 1 "point" in a draw. The points don't matter in the sense that you do not buy boosters for the points you gain. They're just there to determine what happens at the format change.
Format changes occur after some specified time (probably after a month or so so we've had time to play with our stuff and fine-tune things). This is when the points matter; the player with the least number of points gets to choose which set will have 18 packs added to the pool! The player with the most points? That player may (as in optionally) choose one set already in play before the format change and remove it from the format. (They can't remove the set that was just added, and you can't add a set that was just removed). Points reset to 0 after a format change.
The way I set up the format change is so that the losing players get to play either with sets that they a) are familiar with or b) will improve their decks most. I'll also remind you again that removing sets is optional. Remember, if you remove a set and there's only one set in play (before the format change), they you reset the format and it's like everyone started over!
If players ever deem that there are too many sets in play from players not removing them or are just bored with what they have, we could vote for a reset. This would have to be by some margin which is currently TBD.
Also bans.
They won't be many, but some cards just have to be banned because they're fucked up or whatnot. I'll copy this into the first post and add to it if a particular card becomes a problem.
Initial Banned List
(These cards are banned regardless of what set is used, and they won't be included in pools, i.e. they'll be skipped in the listing.)
Amulet of Quoz (Ice Age)
Bronze Tablet (Revised/4th Edition, Antiquities)
Contract from Below (Alpha, Beta, Unlimited, Revised/4th Edition)
Darkpact (Alpha, Beta, Unlimited, Revised/4th Edition)
Demonic Attorney (Alpha, Beta, Unlimited, Revised/4th Edition)
Jeweled Bird (Chronicles, Arabian Nights)
Rebirth (Revised/4th Edition, Legends)
Tempest Efreet (Revised/4th Edition, Legends)
Timmerian Fiends (Homelands)
Chaos Orb (Alpha, Beta, Unlimited)
Falling Star (Legends)
All cards from the Unglued set
All cards from the Unhinged set
These cards are banned either because they:
-Refer to ante, which we aren't using
-Involve physical contact with cards/entities on a table
-Are from joke sets.
Cards will be banned or restricted (limited to 1/deck) if players believe a card is too powerful.
Once I determine how we're keeping track of everything (if I weren't somewhat lazy, I'd program a way to do it) we can start whenever.
