Is there a free online M:tG player that isn't crap?

Surgo · Post by **Surgo** » Fri May 02, 2008 3:27 am

I've been kind of interested in picking up and playing Magic again lately. Back in the day there was this great program called mtgplay. Unfortunately it was written in retard, err, Visual Basic, so it didn't work so well on my computer. But it was acceptable, and otherwise a good program. Then it got shut down by Wizards.

After that some people tried to create a program for playign card games called OCTGN and hyped it up to no end, but it was a complete and total piece of shit and half of it was complete vaporware anyway.

So is there some program for playing Magic nowadays that isn't horrible? It has to be free, too. Otherwise I guess I can put it on the back of my list of projects.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Fri May 02, 2008 4:26 am

I've heard good things about Apprentice.

Jacob_Orlove · Post by **Jacob_Orlove** » Fri May 02, 2008 4:58 am

Apprentice used to be great, but they got a cease and desist, and had to stop updating the program, leaving it with a couple of pretty annoying bugs/security holes.

Most players these days use Magic Workstation, which is pretty good.

If you want a program that actually enforces the rules, you should be able to download a free demo of Magic Online, but then all you get to play with are the latest base set Preconstructed decks, unless you feel like shelling out cash.

Surgo · Post by **Surgo** » Fri May 02, 2008 5:05 am

I don't care much for a program that enforces the rules. They are just so varied and arbitrary that enforcing all of them is an exercise in futility. What I care most about is a good and intuitive interface, and good card search functions.

Jacob_Orlove · Post by **Jacob_Orlove** » Fri May 02, 2008 5:16 am

I think your best bet for card search is probably going to be http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/index.aspx?

The interface for MWS isn't bad, but you have to switch from classic mode to deck editor mode if you want to get anything done.

The actual games run pretty smoothly, and it's popular enough that you can find real live opponents to play at all hours of the day (thanks to the magic of time zones).

Crissa · Post by **Crissa** » Sat May 03, 2008 6:56 am

I always played via text or something like Second Life with mere card trackers, not rule-set games.

-Crissa

JonSetanta · Post by **JonSetanta** » Sat May 03, 2008 7:25 am

Workstation is fine, but quality is poor. I did use it back in college when isolated from everyone else but not now. It works well mechanically but it's very bare-bones.
If you want the real thing, Magic Online, you'll have to dish out the dough.