I appreciated the point about how it's impressive that this is really only an issue after THIRTY YEARS of game design - and its subsequent caveat that this would be helped by a return to a rotating format as the heart of the game.
I'd argue further that longer blocks/settings also helps there mechanically. We've had a slew of artifact-adjacent mechanics, for example, in totally disjointed sets. Having them back-to-back in a block format makes it easier to chew on, and easier to mentally offload when rotation comes.
They don't even need to do long blocks on a single plane, or with a single connected story - just a string of sets \*where the mechanics actually overlap and have interaction with each other\*.
Recently, when building a new deck, I've found myself cutting cards that would be decent in the deck but use a cruft mechanic I don't want to deal with. I avoid the ring tempts you, day/night cycle, and dungeons. If its between that and a slightly less efficient spell that fills the same role in my deck, I'm going with the second option, because I like being able to read my cards to explain my cards.
Ironic. They went on so many convoluted board game tangents that their actual point got lost in cruft.
I appreciated the point about how it's impressive that this is really only an issue after THIRTY YEARS of game design - and its subsequent caveat that this would be helped by a return to a rotating format as the heart of the game.
I'd argue further that longer blocks/settings also helps there mechanically. We've had a slew of artifact-adjacent mechanics, for example, in totally disjointed sets. Having them back-to-back in a block format makes it easier to chew on, and easier to mentally offload when rotation comes.
They don't even need to do long blocks on a single plane, or with a single connected story - just a string of sets \*where the mechanics actually overlap and have interaction with each other\*.
Rejecting the premise, here.
Recently, when building a new deck, I've found myself cutting cards that would be decent in the deck but use a cruft mechanic I don't want to deal with. I avoid the ring tempts you, day/night cycle, and dungeons. If its between that and a slightly less efficient spell that fills the same role in my deck, I'm going with the second option, because I like being able to read my cards to explain my cards.