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8, Oct, 24

MTG Designer Admits 2024 Was Full Of "Low Hanging Fruit"

Sometimes it still tastes the sweetest.

Much has already been said about the overuse of tropes in MTG in 2024. Players have spilled gallons of digital ink criticizing it, particularly alongside Magic’s expanded Universes Beyond and Secret Lair offerings. Though he’s defended it in the past, MTG’s Head Designer Mark Rosewater seems to be coming around to the fact that 2024 was a step too far in this regard.

In a new design article, Rosewater responded to a question about tropes in Magic. His long and detailed answer gives a lot of insight into the worldbuilding process. It also brings the difficulties of creating strongly-themed worlds to light. For those concerned about the current state of Magic worldbuilding, it’s an essential read.

The Trouble With Tropes

MTG Tropes 2024

“A trope is “a common theme or device,” meaning it’s things people associate with a particular category. If we’re doing a set with a theme, tropes are the things people expect to see. Obviously, we can surprise people and include things they don’t expect, but if we don’t reach a certain mass of tropes, the set won’t feel like the category we’re trying to be resonant in.”

Mark Rosewater

Rosewater began his in-depth answer to the question of tropes in Magic with this statement. From a world-building perspective, it makes a lot of sense. Magic always aims to create sets that pull new players in and sets that reference existing themes and genres have proven to be very effective at doing so.

“Every set has tropes. Every set. We’re painters, and it’s the paint we use. We make a lot of Magic sets, and we need for them to each feel distinct, so we use themes. And if we use themes, we have to use tropes.”

Mark Rosewater

However, the idea that strong thematic sets have to use tropes is a bit shakier. Magic has had plenty of original worlds over the years, none of which had to rely on recognizable tropes to succeed. The likes of Mirrodin, Ravnica, and Kaladesh spring to mind. You can likely find a trope or two if you really pore through these sets, but for the most part, they’re original creations.

Though they’re certainly powerful tools for hooking players in from a range of backgrounds, admitting that you have to use tropes speaks to a lack of creative confidence. That said, all art draws from other art, so a good-faith reading of this statement is possible. As Rosewater addresses later, the issue isn’t so much that tropes are being used in MTG in 2024, but rather how much they’re being used.

“This year had three new settings, each with its own theme, and one returning plane that was a backdrop set for a new theme. When we tackle a new theme, we’re most likely to hit the low-hanging fruit. That’s what 2024 was—a lot of low-hanging fruit.”

Mark Rosewater

This is a refreshing admission to hear. The criticisms of this year’s sets have often been directed at specific on-the-nose references. Cards like Holy Cow, Shoot the Sheriff, etc. These can often pull people out of the world of Magic since they’re such obvious references from our world and our other media. Again, the idea that hitting these obvious references is inevitable, even on a first visit to a plane, is debatable. It’s good to see where Rosewater, and Magic design in general, is coming from, though.

Castle Of Allusion

MTG Tropes 2024 Allusions

“A separate issue is what we call an “allusion.” An allusion is when you make a nod to a particular execution of a trope from a specific media source. One of the things that can happen when using low-hanging fruit is that you get a higher percentage of allusions. That was another issue with 2024: players disliked our execution of some allusions.”

Mark Rosewater

Allusions are the kind of on-the-nose references I was just talking about. The line between tropes and allusions can be blurry, but sometimes it’s obvious. Look at Duskmourn, for example. Trial of Agony is similar to many traps from the Saw franchise, but it’s generic enough to stand alone. Let’s Play a Game, on the other hand, directly references the catchphrase of Saw’s Jigsaw Killer. Combined with the television screens in the art, it’s hard to see this as anything but a slice of Saw transplanted into Magic.

“Now, in general, common tropes score well with players. Allusions usually score well, although it’s more dependent on what’s being alluded to. After talking with a lot of players, I have come to the belief that the number-one issue this year was one of volume. We just did too much of it. I think if the sets were spaced apart more this would have been less of an issue.”

Mark Rosewater

As much as enfranchised players like to complain about these tropes and allusions, the hard truth is that a lot of players enjoy them. Whether they dilute the Magic brand or not is up for debate. Whether they bring in new players or not certainly isn’t. It can be frustrating for long-term players to see the game they love change so drastically in the pursuit of a bigger audience.

Rosewater’s point about the recent frequency of these tropes and allusions is key here, too. Most Magic sets have tropes of some kind, they just happen to be particularly noticeable lately. Each trope-rich set in sequence compounds upon the last. Eventually, what was barely noticeable before is now a major talking point.

“In summation, I do think we made mistakes in 2024 that will inform how we plan out sets in the future and execute on tropes within a set. Tropes, though, won’t be going away. The issue is how we use them, not should we use them.”

Mark Rosewater

There you have it. Tropes, by Rosewater’s own admission, have been overdone in MTG in 2024. They will still remain part of the game going forward, however, whether you like them or not. Given the usual cycle of feedback being processed and actioned at Wizards, we may be in for another trope-filled year yet before things correct themselves.

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