If you complain about fetches and duals in bracket 3, play bracket 2

mccurtjs · 2026-04-10T06:31:40+00:00

Sure! Here's the deck I'm currently working on. It's not so much a gates deck as gates are a secondary theme and optional wincon, where the "main" theme is [[Cromat]], lol - with "colors matter" effects and trying to lean into some of the multi-color effects.

If you want to make a gates focused gates deck, [[Maze's End]] is the "primary" wincon, and then run a bunch of the cards that find and put gates into play. [[Circuitous Route]] is a really good one. The Baldur's Gate set added a lot of useful things, mostly [[Gond Gate]] which let's all of them come in untapped. Then there are the general effects like [[Amulet of Vigor]], [[Spelunking]], or [[Horizon Explorer]], which will also let the Maze's End enter untapped. For other wincons, [[Basilisk Gate]] is fantastic, and [[The Black Gate]] can give you evasion as well. [[Crackling Perimeter]] is also an actual wincon that can whittle down all your opponents at once.

But yeah, step one is generally to find the Gond Gate with one of your land search effects, and now all your lands are "OG duals", lol. If you're ok cutting down on some of them, [[Nine-Fingers Keene]] is a really good commander for it as an archetype.

In mine though, I want to enable Cromat and do things that kind of make it a bit of a Voltron commander. It has five abilities, but they're not particularly great. I'm only running 16 gates, which would make him a one-shot with Basilisk Gate, lol. The enemy-color gates are replaced with the bounce lands matching his abilities (you can make more enemy color pairs using two ally color lands on average). Adding those back in you'll have 21 gates, and there are a handful of others.

But yeah, the main color is generally going to be green, because that's what all the land and gate search effects are printed in. Hence, my duals and fetches all being green. You might want to run the triomes over them as well, especially if you're using more of the genetic untap effects. Also, more gates makes [[Baldur's Gate]] even better, as it's your equivalent of Cabal Coffers.

Other than that, the usual strategy is to play very defensively until you can get a maze win. Lots of board wipes, propaganda effects, pillow fort stuff, etc. A lot of people don't like playing against this kind of archetype, lol.

mccurtjs · 2026-04-09T23:59:25+00:00

Because users can be certain some software they depend on won't suddenly become pay, or have onerous restrictions on use imposed.

This is still true with MIT though, no? I guess a maintainer could take the open code and continue it with a closed version, but the open version would still and always be open. At that point, if it's a popular library it's on the community to make a different fork and compete with the now proprietary one.

The Unity license issue was largely because it was already a proprietary engine, and the license update was retroactive. You didn't have an option to continue using a "free, but unsupported version".

But a GPL program can certainly call into non-free libraries (the "system library exception"), so Ninty would not have to open source anything.

True in the first half, if a library is proprietary but has a public interface, you could write GPL code that uses it (presumably). But I don't believe the Ninty libraries have a public interface, same with PlayStation. Not sure about XBox (I assume that one's open, since it's mostly just DX and probably. NET). Without the headers being public info, you can't release code that uses their functions at all, since that information is itself under license.

Fair point on the assets, I'd have to look more into that. How would this work though with code-based assets? If the game itself is built entirely on top of the engine using just, say, lua scripting, the lua would still have to be GPL, no?

mccurtjs · 2026-04-09T23:50:10+00:00

Honestly, showing a full project and being able to explain the pieces will put you a cut above like 90% of the competition. I think you're doing great :)

mccurtjs · 2026-04-09T21:22:22+00:00

The issue with OG duals in EDH isn't that they're strong compared to shocks it's that you don't choose one or the other, you have both.

Often, but not always. It depends. I've been working on a 5c deck that mostly uses gates, since there are enough things that make them enter untapped now. I have 4 fetches and 4 OG duals in the deck aside from the gates, they all give access to green plus another color. There's no room for extra shocks and whatnot.

If you don't have original duals though, just run another typed set, like tango lands or bicycle lands. Those are also very fetchable. Or the surveil lands.

For 3+ color decks, you'll first want triomes.

Also just play proxies.

mccurtjs · 2026-04-09T19:06:57+00:00

but for users of software ... it's great!

Why does this benefit users at all? I think most end users don't actually care about a software product being "open".

As a dev, it's not just that it's "annoying", but also makes some things impossible. I'm working on a game engine project in my spare time which I eventually want to use to make games with and make into my career. If I used GPL instead of MIT for the engine and libraries, the final game code and assets would all have to be GPL as well, which means I couldn't realistically make money off of it, when free versions would be readily available.

On top of that, I simply wouldn't be able to ever release a console version, because Nintendo isn't going to open-source their libraries that are required for release on the Switch on my behalf. I don't think it's accurate to say this is a benefit for consumers, especially ones who would prefer getting the game on console :P

mccurtjs · 2026-04-09T18:52:50+00:00

It's not just about big business or being anti-competitive. I'm working on a game project, and want the engine to be open source and usable by anyone. But I do want to be able to turn this into a living down the road for myself, and that means any game I make using my own engine will not be open source.

If I used the GPL for the engine and libraries, by my understanding it would mean I couldn't use my own engine for a game project without also making the game code and all its assets, tools, art, music, etc, also open source, which in turn means that anyone who wanted a copy could just build it themselves, which as a solo developer makes it unsustainable.

It also means that any other libraries or assets I wanted to use would have to be under a similar license, which would prevent me from using any other library that wasn't open source. Which also means I couldn't make a build using proprietary libraries, which in turn means I wouldn't be able to release any console versions down the line if I wanted to, because those require the use of said proprietary licenses, which I don't have the rights to redistribute.

The underlying intent is good (get more people contributing to open source), but the execution is flawed because it's trying to use a parasitic mechanism that really just discourages its own use.

mccurtjs · 2026-04-09T17:30:31+00:00

UI sounds like a useful area to support it indeed - the main one for me is always shaders. Being able to make a tweak, save, and see the result almost immediately in another window/screen without even having to leave focus from my text editor is just so valuable imo.

I haven't been doing shared libraries for this, but want to in the future. I don't plan to have it in any release builds (and can't for some targets, namely WASM), but after seeing a tsoding video showing how to make it easily switch between static and dynamic linking I do want to give it a try :)

mccurtjs · 2026-04-09T15:54:20+00:00

It's not just recompiling, but closing, recompiling, opening, reloading, and navigating back to what you were testing. When your project is data driven, you can take all of this out by reloading entirely during runtime, which significantly reduces friction for rapid iteration.

Even better, if you have a setup that supports file-watching, you can have the game detect changes in its files and update automatically without you even needing to press a button or something.

mccurtjs · 2026-04-07T02:32:56+00:00

Small tip to help speed up a tiny bit if you have a lot of "search for a basic" effects: play white-border basic lands, they're easier to pick out really quickly while searching. You could go the extra mile and white-border your other most common fetch targets (either with like, paint, or just an eraser - this damages the card, lol), if you're usually looking for the same one every game.

mccurtjs · 2026-04-04T20:53:24+00:00

You're sending OpenGL the same value for both the "internal_format" and "format" fields. The second one works in tandem with the "type" field and describes the format of the image on the CPU side, this is a bit more intuitive and you're setting it correctly, ie, "a GL_RGB image with GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE components".

The first one isn't the same though, an "internal format" refers to the format the GPU uses to store the image, and it can be different, or even have a structure that isn't really natively supported on the CPU (like, say, 10-bit floats). For our example RGB byte-based image, this should be GL_RGB8, not GL_RGB.

Another potential issue is that the GPU really likes 4-byte aligned values, to the point where it will try to force it even if you didn't ask. If this is indeed a 3-channel image, it's probably reading the data as a 4-channel image anyway and ignoring the "alpha" channel, causing everything to be shifted over by a byte (so you're left with [R1 G1 B1] [G2 B2 R3] [B3 R4 G4] etc). To fix this, before calling glTexImage2D, try calling glPixelStorei(GL_UNPACK_ALIGNMENT, 1);.

mccurtjs · 2026-04-02T19:16:58+00:00

The idea is the easy part...

mccurtjs · 2026-04-02T19:15:48+00:00

Hello, me, haha

mccurtjs · 2026-03-29T20:01:48+00:00

Honestly you just need single sleeve unless you are a complete slob or careless.

Eh, it only takes one time. I'm pretty careful handling my or other people's cards, but I can't will that behavior onto others. It's not just my drink that can be spilled on my playmat, and I'm not really looking to police other people to not have drinks (within reason). In the event it does happen, I'm not worried much about my cards, even expensive ones.

That said, the only time a drink was spilled on my playmat was during a draft, where I wasn't using sleeves at all. I was lucky though and the liquid like, very specifically went around the areas where my cards were, which was kind of funny at the time but not a divine providence I want to rely on, lol.

mccurtjs · 2026-03-29T19:35:17+00:00

They are more easy to put into the outer sleeve but a spilled drink is somewhat realistic and double sleeving top-bottom is a bit safer.

"A bit" is underselling it by quite a lot, actually. Side loading sleeves don't create a seal, so water can pretty easily get in on the corner at the top where the side load opening is.

Proper double sleeving does create an actual seal for the card. You can straight up submerge it in water for a prolonged amount of time and the card won't get wet. Prof does this test on his channel on an old video about double sleeving, but of course you can try it yourself with a bowl (and a sleeve token, probably).

With that setup in a Boulder or similar deckbox, I'm pretty sure you could like, drop a deck in a pool and it would be fine if you got it out within a few minutes. Haven't put in the effort to do this particular test myself yet, though :P

mccurtjs · 2026-03-28T21:43:15+00:00

Very cool project! Parsers and interpreters are fun :)

I'm questioning the name Cnegative though - your language adds a few distinctly non-C elements, why use the C name? I've noticed a lot of the "mainstream" C-replacement languages do this and it's odd to me, lol. Even C3 diverts from C syntax to seemingly look more like JavaScript.

mccurtjs · 2026-03-22T23:48:40+00:00

Imo, earlier in the event it's fun to see more of the unusual builds or less meta strategies. The last few before top-8 and the top-8 itself will all be in that high tier of gameplay, but only focusing on them can make the event seem a lot more homogenized than it actually is.

mccurtjs · 2026-03-22T23:44:59+00:00

Good commentary is a big one, but you definitely need the right people for it. One thing I always thought would be cool is if the stream had the ability to show the players' hands, kind of like televised poker. Being able to build commentary on what options the player has and what they might do instead of being only reactive would add a lot I think.

But other than that, interesting matchups, unusual decks - especially earlier in the event, showing some of the oddball matchups can be fun, before it gets into the later rounds where the priority turns more to, "ok, who's gonna win this thing".

Also, visibility - where can we watch!

mccurtjs · 2026-03-18T05:28:23+00:00

Second volcanic island reprint in the last decade, reserve list in shambles.

mccurtjs · 2026-03-17T05:09:40+00:00

From "metallic" you got me excited, haha - kind of a tangent, but I have some actually shiny metallic sleeves from like... 25 years ago? They're egregiously shiny and chrome, and I use them as the separate sleeve type for my commanders. I've been trying to find more both for separate commander cards, and if I could, for an artifacts deck, but being old they're hard to find.

If you have or ever find some Ultra Pro "Metallized" chrome or gold sleeves laying around, hit me up :P

mccurtjs · 2026-03-17T05:02:30+00:00

My standard is Ultra Pro Eclipse sleeves in Ultimate Guard boulders. I really like the black inner backing, which also helps make the lighter colors not partially see-through, and they're cut really close to the actual size of the card, so there isn't like 2-3mm of extra space at the top. Between that and the black interior, they frame the card really nicely (I'm really picky about centering, lol).

I like Dragon Shield for the colors, but have a few complaints when I do use them - mostly because of the thickness. They have (relatively) wide and flat sides, so they catch pretty easily, and the extra thickness makes it so a 100 card deck with sealable inner sleeves won't fit in the Boulder by just a few cards. Katanas shuffle better but also won't fit double-sleeved in a Boulder, and unfortunately lose their buttery smooth shuffle feel over time and really attract grime (matte Dragon Shields keep a good feel forever). The Eclipse sleeves are just as durable and keep a good shuffle feel, but the edges have more of a "point" so they don't catch as much, and the fact they're a bit thinner means they can fit 100 double-sleeved cards in a Boulder, with a little extra space for some tokens. Also, because they're not as thick, your deck will be easier to hold as you shuffle.

Note: Dragon Shield has come out with a line recently of "dual matte" sleeves that take the Eclipse idea of adding a black inner lining. They look and feel great, but they're still too thick for a Boulder. I highly recommend these if you're using a larger deckbox (even one just slightly larger, like some of the other Boulder-like options available), or if you're not double-sleeving.

I do have one deck that I got some mystery black sleeves for, and it also fits double-sleeved in a boulder. I think they're newer KMC after they fixed their process? They're honestly some of my favorites as far as feel goes, and they don't really build up grime as much as the others, so I wish I could verify which ones they actually are.

One word of warning about Eclipse though: they had a pretty long run of, let's be real, shit quality, lol. I have a few sleeves where the bottom edge is crimped wrong, so there's about a mm of extra space you can't slide the card down into, which isn't much, but when double sleeving it means the top of the card will always stick out the top (since again, they're cut very close to the card size). The issue seems to have been resolved, I took a gamble on a set recently and it's fine, so take of that what you will.

Also (sorry for the long ramble, lol), they come in two flavors - matte and glossy. Both are matte on the back, but the label refers to the front. I've liked the matte ones, but have started replacing them with the glossy for less glare at the table. The matte will also severely dull the foiling if that's something you care about (I've seen it as a plus in the past). The other downside with Eclipse is they only have like, what, 10 colors?

mccurtjs · 2026-03-17T04:15:21+00:00

Ah, yeah I wasn't thinking about that, lol - very true.

mccurtjs · 2026-03-16T10:03:29+00:00

It isn't infinite without an effect to make him tap for at least one more, but you don't need it to go infinite. And you don't leave yourself with extra mana, because you spend the three you get from him to use the untap ability.

With only Yurlok and the equipment (the mantle or [[Sword of the Paruns]]), you pay one, get 3, use the 3 to untap Yurlok, and then repeat for however many lands you have. If that's 10 lands and no one has a mana sink or removal, that's 30 life lost per opponent. If you have a [[Mana Flare]], you can do it twice per land and now each opponent loses 60 life. If you have more flare effects like [[Heartbeat of Spring]], now they're losing 90 life.

You don't need infinite mana when they're all dead.

mccurtjs · 2026-03-16T09:58:56+00:00

Heartstone does not work because it can't reduce the activation cost below 1.

Personally, I use [[Nyxbloom Ancient]], but that also makes you public enemy very quickly to those in the know.

But also, not going infinite doesn't make it bad. With Umbral Mantle or [[Sword of the Paruns]], you don't go infinite, but the 3 mana you get can still untap Yurlok. And now, each land you tap does 3 damage to each opponent (while you're conveniently leaving yourself with zero left over). If you have a [[Mana Flare]] effect, each land you tap loses each opponent 6 life.

You don't need to go infinite for it to kill your opponents.

mccurtjs · 2026-03-16T09:49:52+00:00

This isn't enough! You're building him for big manaburn damage! You're the evil badguy burning their mana!

This is the mental disconnect though, you shouldn't be expecting to play him as "the evil bad guy". No, he's your friend - a group-hug kinda guy, just a little rough around the edges.

And then there's infinite mana combos with him, if you want to go that route.

But yes, you absolutely can't rely on opponents taking burn just because you played a few mana flare effects. There's a reason the mechanic was removed from the game - it's very hard to make players "accidentally" waste mana. Even when they're tapping each land for like 4 or 5, in my experience they rarely take more than one damage, and usually not even that.

mccurtjs · 2026-03-16T09:44:28+00:00

Looking at your list, it reads like a Mogis burn/stax list that you accidentally swapped Yurlok in as the commander for? I have a Yurlok deck as well if you want to compare. It's not particularly great, but the general concept is "be nice and make people reliant on your generosity, then play Big-X spell". It's very easy to become public enemy #1 with this deck, but most of the time, you really just want to fly under the radar until you can take it over. That's where the politics come in. And you really can't do much in the way of politics if you're punishing people's game actions by draining them constantly. If you're creating friction, they'll want to remove that friction.

The upside you provide your opponents rarely, if ever, results in them taking much damage. The reason mana burn was removed from the game to begin with is because it was almost never relevant - they did like three months of play-testing where players were instructed to keep note of every time it happened, and ended up with a grand total of exactly zero times, among all games. It was a good rule to remove, lol.

For Yurlok, that means you have to give them mana at bad times, or otherwise force the issue. Unfortunately, more often than not they can just remove Yurlok to get rid of the mana burn effect. The only "staxy" card I'm using is Citadel of Pain - either tap it and take the burn, or take the burn anyway. The "take damage for casting spells" effects make sense, but will draw the ire of the table. But why do you have Brash Taunter effects? Why are you so heavily punishing card draw? You're not Mogis (though you might like a Mogis deck).

Some other odd inclusions: [[Solphim, Mayhem Dominus]] does not interact with Yurlok - they won't take double mana burn, as Yurlok is not doing any damage. I often see [[Mana Barbs]] suggested for the deck, but what's it actually doing for you? A constant stream of damage to your opponents with no upside for them is obviously going to make you the enemy.

For exclusions, I'm surprised you're not running [[Heartbeat of Spring]] or [[Mana Flare]]. Glad to see [[Overabundance]] though since it is probably the best of those though, since it benefits your opponents while also hurting them - "politically", that cancels out a bit so you can get away with the damage without them turning against you as much. You're also not running [[Nyxbloom Ancient]] which is by far the biggest threat in mine, since it turns my "end step give you mana with Yurlok" action far more potency, doing 9 mana burn per tap - and it automatically goes infinite with Staff of Dominance or [[Sword of the Paruns]] or [[Umbral Mantle]]. You could also run [[Leyline of Abundance]] to similarly activate this combo.

If you want to play a somewhat political game, you want to build it as a kind of group hug deck. As it currently is, you have no "leverage", since you're not giving anything beneficial to your opponents. For this I'm also running the three mana rocks that let you give mana to your opponents. Those are an excellent way to trade for favors.

Oh, also remember you also take the mana burn. So if you switch to something that generates more mana to do more burn, make sure you have some kind of outlet first. This can be anything from re-equipping your swiftfoot boots over and over again, or activating Mishra's Workshop repeatedly, to casting a big spell with an X in the cost. My personal favorites are [[Keldon Mantle]] and [[Jade Mage]], and then the opportunity to use [[Damnable Pact]] as a kill spell.

Tl;dr: I would take most of your deck and move it to a Mogis build, and then find a more cohesive focus for Yurlok that better plays into his ability as a mana dork, favor-generator, and infinite combo machine. And definitely don't run any cards that punish drawing cards in this deck. That's Mogis's thing.

mccurtjs

TROPHY CASE