Randomization issues

[Canto]

And the method known as Mana Weaving in competitive Magic is no longer allowed without sufficient shuffling afterwards (Thus removing the reason to weave).  I wouldn't mind the randomness if there was a Mulligan option like Magic has.

And just for reference, in Magic, the ratio of mana sources to cards is typically in the 40% range and is considered mainly based on your mana curve.  The less your cards cost, typically the less mana you need (Though this is not a hard and fast rule, if you are pure aggro, you may want a few extra lands over what your curve suggests to make sure you can play your cards asap).

[marvin]

despite the fact the so called (i didnt knew this) mana waving is allowed in tournament, this is still done in casual game play and what has great effect on the deck randomization. i think the whole discussion about unfair random effects depends to a great extend to the subjective perceiving of how the randomness manifests. by sure all of us had several moments of swearing the random function to hell - but what you wanna do? again - a function which emulates the human way of mixing isnt easy because the human way isnt driven by a plain random function. to bring long story short - as long as the record of all random events over all games forms agaussian distribution  everything is fine.

[Canto]

Again, OF COURSE mana weaving pays huge dividends when used.  Mainly because it is NOT RANDOMIZATION.  You are putting cards in an order and then shuffling them a few times.

But this is all nonsense, YES Elements uses REAL randomization to "shuffle" a deck.  Shuffling real cards is rarely truly randomized.  You can not possibly truly randomize a deck.  This concern is the same even on Magic Online.

[ivalmian]

hm.. is it just me or getting card has been really easy lately? I think of the past 15 FG games i've won I got about 12 cards..

[Silkenfist]

And the method known as Mana Weaving in competitive Magic is no longer allowed without sufficient shuffling afterwards (Thus removing the reason to weave).

Wrong - It isn't allowed at all. Mana Weaving is an attempt to cheat (stack the deck in a favorable order) and as such should be treated as a full graded disqualification. The only reason it is not implemented that harshly is AFAIK because too many amateur players don't know the rule.

Curiously, most online gaming platforms for MTG (I know it for Apprentice and Magic Workstation) used "real" shuffling and went back to "flawed" randomness because too many players complained about a broken shuffler

In Elements, however, I am entirely in favor of true randomization. You can build 30-card decks with your key cards being every fifth card in it. There really is not much for chance to botch up. If you calculate your pillar supply sloppily and leave no room for fluctuation, it is your fault entirely.

[Ozaku]

Again, OF COURSE mana weaving pays huge dividends when used.  Mainly because it is NOT RANDOMIZATION.  You are putting cards in an order and then shuffling them a few times.

But this is all nonsense, YES Elements uses REAL randomization to "shuffle" a deck.  Shuffling real cards is rarely truly randomized.  You can not possibly truly randomize a deck.  This concern is the same even on Magic Online.

...Then you shuffle this deck in e specific way, but you still preserve some of the initial order in this deck and by this having a more equally distributed deck sequence.

This is one thing what can't be emulated by an algorithm easily. One thing what should help...

I would just like to mention that it is nearly impossible for a computer to truly randomize anything without an outside source of entropy (my element lol  ...but I meant entropy in the "randomness" context) and therefore everything elements runs on is most likely a complex algorithm, which would be extremely easy to limit (ie: no less than 2 pillars in first turn, no more than 5 in first turn, etc.) or some outside source of entropy which is still possible to limit, but admittedly a bit more difficult.

and as for the reasons to use it or not: well suppose you have a deck that needs to run multiple types of pillars (like mine, which entropy, life, and quantum pillars for the purpose of having a mutating deck) you automatically have enough pillars to draw nothing except pillars until a false god kills you, or draw only pillars with one or two other cards that you can't use (like "improve" without any friendly monsters, or photon without a way to mutate it) until a level 5 kills you. this is also enough to draw only a few useful cards before a level 3 can severely damage you to the point where winning would be difficult. on the flip side, you could also draw absolutely no pillars and have a false god kill you before you play a card (usually you have a multi-type deck in this case)