Magic: The Gathering Drive to Work Podcast - #774: Replies with Rachel #5

Episode Date: September 11, 2020

Before Rachel heads back to college, I thought it would be fun to do another mailbag podcast with her.

I'm not pulling out of my driveway. We all know what that means. It's time for the Drive to Work Coronavirus Edition. Okay, guys, so while there's a lot of downside to having a pandemic, there's some upsides. One of which is we're going to do replies with Rachel number five. So say hi, Rachel. Hello. So Rachel, my eldest daughter, has been off in college, but she's back home for a little while. And we realized we had an opportunity to do another Replies with Rachel. So the way this works is I asked on my Twitter and people send us questions. Rachel is going to pick out questions and then she and I are going to answer them.

That's how Replies with Rachel works. Okay. So the first question is from Michael Riley. And he asked, how was college? Did you do anything you can't tell your dad about? I feel there's always this thing with college. I'm like dangerous things and dangerous times. College is pretty decent.

I feel like anything I do, I do safely. College has been decent. Man, I'm halfway through college. I know, you're halfway through. I'm halfway through college, which is kind of weird when I think about it. But overall, it's been pretty decent, doing well at classes. One of my roommates this year is finally my friend, someone I know. So that's very exciting.

So college has been good. Hopefully it will be good. We're going to see about that. Okay, next question. College has been good. Hopefully will be good. We're going to see about that. Okay, next question. All right. From Chartate101 to both of you, which board game do you do best at when you play with your family?

Okay, so one of the things that make people aware is Friday nights is Rosewater Game Night. Yes. And one of the things we've been doing during the pandemic is every Friday we've been doing a theme day. Yes. And so we've been doing this all summer long. And then a different member of the family picks a theme. And then we'll decorate in the theme. And we'll make dinner based on the theme.

And we'll pick a movie based on the theme. And then we'll play games based on the theme. Unless the theme's too abstract. And then we just do whatever we want. Well, I mean, but we try to pick themes. Mostly we pick themes. We do, we do. There's some that it's a little harder to do.

I don't know, like, what was our hard day that we couldn't find any games for? Oh, what was it? Mommy had picked Caribbean Day. Oh, yeah. And while there are a lot of Caribbean, like, we found a Caribbean movie and a Caribbean food,

the Caribbean game was trickier. Just beach games? I don't know. Yeah and a Caribbean food. The Caribbean game was trickier. Just beach games? I don't know. Yeah, a little harder. Yeah. But it's been fun. It's been fun trying to, you know, work on the theme. So, as far as games, we tend to play party games mostly.

But it says, what do you do best at? Like, what games do you crush at? So, we recently played a game of boggle um where at the end it was my entire family versus me and it wasn't remotely close really trying to flex on us here i do not appreciate this um what four games do you do best that i like funny answer ones and my favorite answer is when we did loaded answers like a week ago yeah and it's where you like ask questions and then everyone writes down an answer and someone has to give the judge, the person who asked the question, all the answers. And they have to match answers to people.

Yeah. And my fun, I think my funniest answer was the question was you. And it said, if you were a wedding planner, what would your signature touch be? As in like you as a wedding planner? Yeah. And everyone else was like, oh, like comic books and games. And I was like, no, he burned himself on the candles because he burns himself all the time.

Well, they don't know this. But in the household, yeah. No, he's cursed. Like it's the house or it's him, but he's cursed and he will burn himself on every stow top or candle in our household. There's a new fact about me you did not know. Yeah. I burn easily apparently. I'm constantly burning myself.

Yeah. Not burn easily as in like the sun. Just like will always touch hot things. Or they splash on me. Or they splash on you. Yeah. So that was my signature touch was that you would just burn yourself. Somehow at the wedding. Rachel is good at the games where you're predicting how other people will do. that was my signature touch, was that you would just burn yourself somehow at the wedding. Rachel is good at the games where you're predicting how other people will do.

What was my other good answer? I feel like I had another good answer. I don't remember. That rounds. What was it? Did we keep the papers? Because I feel like my memory would be refreshed. I forget.

Oh, yeah. There's a bunch of different stuff. But anyway. Okay, so next question. Next one. From Clarkness. Okay, so next question. Next one.

From Clarkness. It says, What's it been like having Mauro work from home for the last few months? Does he ever have any of you help playtest? Does he have a home office he stays in? Or does design work just bleed across the house? You can answer personally how you think working from home is. Why don't you answer, then I'll answer. Why don't I answer?

Well, you just stay. I mean, we have like a, we call it the den, just like a little computer room filled with books and you just like stay in here for majority of the time. I mean, it's not like things are all across the tables or whatever. Like, mom, when she's doing stuff, like her stuff is across the table.

But like, you have like here, like your room, your section. We're recording in that room, that's what we're recording. Yes, this is the room we're recording in. I mean, you haven't made me help you like playtest or whatever. Have I ever playtested

with you like once? I don't think you've ever playtested with me. I don't know. I don't do it. I mean, my family hasn't been playtesting with me. I've been doing my playtesting

with coworkers. I mean, I play games with you. I just don't get playtested. And then you do have a home office. This is like your home office, I guess. Yeah, well, we turned our den.

It's our mini library, game room, computer room all in one. It's where my computer is. So that's where. And basically all my work now is on my computer because I'm doing meetings with people and typing cards. How has it been for you working from home? How are you feeling about this? Well, I mean, it's been awkward for my podcast, but other than that,

one thing I have liked about being home is I get more time with you guys. So normally it takes me half an hour to drive to work and half an hour to drive home. And I guess I am recording my podcast, but still I'm not, I get home much faster. Like when I walk out, every like six o'clock rolls around, I'm done with my last meeting.

I'll walk out of the den and then I always say, I'm home. That's how your day was. You're just like meetings and I'm like, okay. Well, that's what I do. I talk with people. I guess. And then I make cards on my own. Okay.

Next question is from Barakasios. I don't know. It says, what were the biggest lessons you have learned from each other, and how do you use those lessons in your work or education and other areas of real life? Lessons we've learned from each other. I don't know. Okay, well, I have an answer, so you

can think while I give my answer. Fine. Compliment me in the meantime. So I think one of the biggest lessons I had, and this is just having kids in general, but you being my first child. One of the things that's really interesting about raising children, which is actually very similar to the creative process, is your children are going to be who they're going to be. I mean, you have some influence on them, but they're going to be who they're going to be. And that part of being a parent is letting the child be what the child wants to be, Not making them be something, but recognizing them for what they are

and then letting them be the best that they can be. And making a magic set is a lot like that. Meaning, I'm going to make a set, but the set's going to become what it's going to become. I'm just trying to figure out

what it wants to be and help it get there. I don't think I'm the right child for this. I'm just the female version of you. I don't think this is the lesson to be like, let your children grow and expand. I'm like, oh, a child who enjoys board games and musicals and writing. This is the child

I let differ from me. That's out of her, Sarah, I guess. We have overlaps. A lot of overlaps. Okay, we have some overlaps, but I let you be you. I let you be you. What are our differences? Something that you

just don't understand about me. We're a different generation just the slang you keep saying things for example one of the things I've learned is how you guys interact with social media and how I interact it's a different animal I mean I do interact

with it but it is you've grown up with it where to me it was not part of my formative years and I'm learning about it, but it's not. No, but you're decent about it. Like I met people who definitely like, I'm fine if you don't want to be part of social media or whatever, but this whole thing of like, you know, phone bad, book good. And I am better. Cause I don't like technology.

I'm like, you're not like one of those like people, you know, like you at least trying to learn and adopt yourself. And that's better than someone who's like, generation was better you know this and that like you're you're learning and you're growing okay so there's a question that kind of connects to this okay with lessons and stuff okay what actually i didn't answer what did i learn what did i learn from you uh what did i learn from you i don't know i feel like a lot about like creativity and mostly just about like putting all your ideas you can out there and then collecting a few like that's always my thing whenever i'm like directing or writing

it's just like let's you know get everything we can and then we can always go back from there it is much better to have things to whittle down than to try and like grow from because i feel like i feel like that's i'm learning the most from you restrictions for your creativity because i don't know where you got that from but you're just like acquainted with it but oh well uh so from raf key i don't know how to pronounce his name to be like a really bad substitute teacher uh so wishing me well for college and then again with lessons it says what is the biggest life lesson each of you have learned while in or during college thus far? It's a lesson that I've learned in college and the lesson you've learned from me being in college. This should be easier for you because that's happening right now.

What's the lesson I've learned in college? What's the big lesson? What's the big lesson in college? What have I learned in college? Something, I hope. Yeah. I don't know. Golly gee.

college something i hope yeah i don't know golly gee uh i feel like i mean this is a thing i'm trying to improve on majority of my life but i guess just like you know asking for help and stuff because a lot of times education is like you should be smart and figure these things out on your own and that's something that should just like come to you or work hard at but it's like the smartest people like ask for help and they have a community around them to support them. So I guess it's college and also just what I've been learning since high school, I guess. That's been the biggest thing for me.

I don't know what your lesson is about. Me being in college. My lesson for me being in college. You being in college, okay. Your lesson from college. Yeah, my lesson from college. That's what they're asking, I believe. Sure, sure. What's your lesson from college? One of the things that's interesting, when I went into college, I think I really had this

attitude of, well, I just have to find something to do that I don't mind doing. And I think what college made me realize is, no, no, no. Aim higher than that. Let's find something I really have passion for. And now, interestingly, the thing that I studied in college

and I decided to dedicate my life to, which was writing for television, okay, that didn't end up being my life's passion. But it got me down the path of follow your passion. And one passion led to a different passion, so obviously I ended up on a different path. But the idea of doing something you really love I thought was college really imbued

in me. I just love the people who ask you, like, why didn't you learn game design when you were in college? And you're like, I was born before game design was put in the college courses. I am taught in introductory classes for game design. Flexin'. All right, next question. Where is it at?

From James Dean, at dat underscore communist. Okay, James Dean. I love that. Okay, for you, Mark. If you were given the chance, are there any sets you would go back and redesign in any way

that you wish something had turned out a little different? I mean, there's no set that I couldn't go back and improve upon it. One of the things that's interesting is one of the reasons for deadlines is so you finish something. Because you can always make something better, and it's very easy to not lay things down.

I kind of like once I let something go to let it go and let it be what it's going to be. I mean, for example, probably the set I regret the most is Battle for Zendikar. Because I knew better, like there's some early stuff I did where I improved since then, but that was a set where I really, I fell down at a time when I shouldn't fall down

as much as I did. It's the set that I definitely look back and I'm like, ah, that is not my best work. So if I had a set to do over again, I guess it would be that one. But anyway, I've talked at length. Go listen to my podcast on lessons learned from Battle for Zendikar. I'm very harsh

with myself, so you can go listen and hear me talk about how I thought I messed it up. Okay, next question. This is going to be a theme for the next three questions, I think. Ooh, some theme questions. This is an overall arching theme, I think, for three. Ooh, some theme questions. Okay. Three questions. This is an overall arching theme, I think, for three questions, which is

musicals. Okay, musicals. Musicals. I'm gonna ask, like, three questions like, back to back. Okay. Well, let me explain real quickly that Rachel and I both love musicals, so... In case you're not aware. You didn't know. Actually, I did two... You and I went to BroadwayCon for two different years, and I did a podcast on each of them, so you can go listen to those.

But anyway, that's how people know we like musicals, because we went to BroadwayCon. Yeah, so these next questions are about musicals. Do we share musical tastes? We overlap some, but we... I like some older musicals, and you tend to like

some of the newer musicals. What's your thing? I always say, like, Golden Age, but I feel like that's not the... What's, like, the category musicals. What's your thing? I always say like Golden Age, but I feel like that's not the category. What's like the category musicals? Not like Golden Age. No, no, no. My favorite musical is Little Shop of Horrors. I know that.

Which is, I mean, that's from the 80s, right? That's not. I guess, yeah. Like the Golden Age, like the 40s and 50s, but you know, that goes back a little bit. Mine's definitely a little more modern. Like anything that's like,

especially 2010 and like. So what's your favorite musical right now? Right now? I feel like I can never ask that. That's like. Oh, I mean like so what's your favorite musical right now right now i feel like i can never ask that that's like oh i mean today what's your favorite today i i don't know i mean it depends on the mood you know because if it's like funny it's like you go for a book of mormon or something rotten but if i'm feeling sad you go for something like spring awakening you want to get all emotional. Spring Awakening hits differently now in this time. Yeah. Because especially it's like children who are progressive

are angry with adults who are conservative. But I'm like, hmm, like Subwood should revive this. So I feel like we do share some musical taste. I mean, definitely. And when we went to look for colleges, we were driving around LA looking at colleges and stuff. We were sharing music back and forth um and that's when we realized that my favorite musical

and one of your favorite musicals have the same plot so oh yeah little shop of horrors and be more chill is just be more chill is just little shop of horrors if little shop of horrors is with technology instead of like supernatural stuff yeah it's the difference between the twilight zone and black mirror Like they're essentially the same tale, but one just got more technology to it. That's how I can

best describe it. Okay. So Be More Chill is also a very cool musical. I did like Be More Chill. And that question was from Coco El Aspacat. So thank you for that.

Okay. Next one from The Triple Oracle. Which musical can you each sing most like from memory? A little bit of horror for me. Just because it of horrors for me just because here's the thing i don't know all the falsettos yeah but if you started playing it i could probably get through most of the first act i don't know the second the second act's where

it gets sad and i haven't put my energy yeah into the second act because that's where things just go downhill for me i know like the beginning of the second act, like, before things start happening, it's very sad. But I feel like I know most of the first act. Yeah, I mean, one of the things that's different between you and I is, for example, when we were,

we went to see Beetlejuice when we were in New York, and I listened to that soundtrack, like, 50 times. Like, you listen to the soundtrack before you go to the musical. Right. And I like getting things, like, stuck in my ear.

And it's like, this song is good if I can't get it out of my head is, like, the way that I feel. Right, but you won't listen to stuff until you go see it. Yeah. You want to experience it

the first time in the thing. And I'm like, no, no, I want to know the songs. So I listen, listen, listen. So when I'm there, I'm like, oh, I know the songs and now I can enjoy everything else about it

because I know the songs. Yeah. And... I liked everything in it at once. And if I go back, I mean, you know, there's bootlegs and stuff. I'll figure out a way to suffice but i don't know i feel like i definitely know like certain songs like entire musicals i don't really know but like definitely like certain songs i feel like i could just like whip them out and that's from memory okay next very intense okay and then

the last like of the musical section i think okay uh cast it says cast mark in a broadway musical this is from david wright by the way okay but also i feel like for each other if we could cast each other in a broadway musical let's imagine we're both good at singing okay okay what what yes neither of us can sing imagine well well you sing better than i sing. I'm horrible. I'm mediocre. You're tone deaf. And I'm like, I can't riff or anything. I'm not like Ben Platt. But I'm like, I could be okay. But you're tone deaf. But can you cry on demand?

Side note, we've been watching The Politician and Ben Platt literally cries in every episode. Like every other scene he cries. Every other scene. Like Ben Platt's doing the most on The Politician. Any Ryan Murphy show is so chaotic. Okay. but cast each other in a broadway show okay um that's a hard one um i don't know what vibe do you give off in terms of broadway musical i don't know what do i give off what what's a good like father figure i'm why is my mind going to like dear evan hansen like the father and dear ev Hansen? Just because he's very much about me. Oh, I also was thinking of going to Dear Evan Hansen for you.

We just love the subtle... We were talking about Ben Platt and we were just all of a sudden thinking about subtle emotional musicals. I don't know. Because see, I would go to its predecessor, which is like Next to Normal, which very much has Dear Evan Hansen vibes, but the father in Next to Normal is like concerned about his wife a bunch,

and he's a little bit chaotic. So, I don't know. You have the caring elements. But, I mean, mine definitely went to, like, Dear Evan Hansen, because obviously, like, Evan Hansen's father's out of the picture,

but the father for the other family, Larry Murphy, like, he definitely, like, cares a lot about, like, his son and stuff, and he definitely has, like... I feel like you're definitely a lot more emotional than the father musical is like another one more muted as emotion uh so you're more emotional another one i would think of is musical that you might not know that well

um you're very political and so uh you're not oh i am but i mean but but anyway um that you know the musical hair. And Hair is a lot of like political songs. It's a lot of... I mean, definitely it's like 60s, 70s. I mean, it's politics of the 60s. Yeah. But there's a lot. It's interesting.

It's a musical that hits a lot of different themes about different ideas. I've never seen this musical. So which character? I don't know. Just any? Well, I mean, the characters have names, but I don't... It's not like their names are mentioned other than um the the main characters mentioned in song uh none of their names are mentioned like in song other than the main guy

other well one of the two main guys his name is mentioned and um because he's in a song but i don't even know any of like the women's names are in the songs. Side note, I know nothing about hair. Yeah. I know nothing about hair. I think they maybe get semi or fully naked on stage and I feel like that's all I know about hair. That is not why

I'm putting you in the way. No, yeah. No, but I feel like that's all I know about hair. You said, tell me the plot of hair. I'm like, I don't know.

I could like, I could make up a plot. Well, the movie ended up making more of a plot than the Broadway musical. The Broadway musical is very loose in its plot. It's more about a lot of issues than it's about a plot um but anyway it's good music i should have you listen to it's good music all right um from bill just from just from bill okay what is what is bill what does bill want to know uh bill wants

to know how covid's affected r andD and how they operate day to day. Last week, I think last week as I recorded this, I recorded a whole podcast on how making magic has changed in the COVID times. So the deep answer, you can go listen to that. The real brief answer

is mostly I'm at home. I'm interacting with all my coworkers, but through a screen. We're making magic and we're doing it. It's just I'm at home. Like, I mean, I'm interacting with all my coworkers, but through a screen. So, I mean, we're making magic and we're doing it. It's just, I'm here and I'm here every day. And I feel like maybe once a week I leave the house. So I'm... For your daily walk around the block.

Well, my wife, Laura, and I, we walk every day during lunch. So I do physically leave the house once a day to go on a walk. But, I mean, actually, like go somewhere. Like we do take out once a week just to support. And our groceries. And our groceries. Yeah, we do take out once a week.

We go shopping once a week. We got our events. Okay. From Alec Corrine says, Hi, Rachel. If you had to take over for your dad for a week, do you think you could do it

given you had some prep time? and in what ways do you think you'd be better or worse than him? Well, I feel like I have a decent amount of writing skill. How much writing would you say you do, like, in a week? Like, an average week? I write a column every week. I answer questions on my blog every week. And there's some of my writing I do for my work.

Like, internal writing. Like, philosophy documents or hand-off documents and stuff like that um but writing is actually a i mean a smaller portion of what i do um like i do a lot more car design and you know set creation and um in fact i don't think you know nine percent of what i do yeah see that's the thing here's the thing about about being someone in college thinking about post-grad life is just because I feel like I'm decent at school. Like, being in a classroom, being a student, and I'm worried about how a job is going to go just because I'm like, oh, what are my skills?

What do I provide to the world? Like, your productivity is not your worth, but also, like, am I capable of anything? Like, is the question, I'm like, I'm good at writing, creativity. Like, I'm looking into advertising I think that'd be an interesting way to like combine elements but I don't know give it some prep time you have many skills do I know

I have those skills I don't know if you know yeah but I don't know give it some prep time this is a normal in college thing so don't give it some prep time depends on how a normal in college thing, so don't... Give him some prep time. Depends on how much prep time.

I feel like I definitely could. There are parts of my job that, yes, I think you could do. There are other parts you would be lost. Yep. Like, for example, designing magic. You don't know magic very well, so you might have some problems there. I just run the podcast and that's it. Right, you do the podcast.

No more writing. Replies with Rachel 89. There is no more writing. It is only podcast now. Always I think I can do better or worse. Yeah. I feel like, yeah, the things that we share, like common traits, like writing and creativity are basic.

But in terms of just like magic knowledge, that would not fare well okay uh next question is from kairi baros i feel really bad about i think you always put a question mark at the end of every name this is it this okay we're doing the best we can we're doing the best we can we apologize if we mingle your name okay okay what's the next question? Hi, Mark and Rachel. Love the podcast. The question is for you. It says, if Rachel were Imagine the Gathering set slash block, which would she be? Okay. I don't know what that means. Okay, well, we make a

so we put a lot of different sets, right? Yeah. And each set has its own flavor. Okay. So the set I'm on. What's my flavor? My flavor is, so we made a set called Kaladesh, and then Kaladesh was a world of inventors. And so it was a world of creativity and invention. And so that's what I would pick for you.

Oh, and they had a little bit of rebellion there. So, you know, you have a little bit of rebellious streak. Or not that rebellious. I voice my opinion a lot. I feel like there is many words. I could write a very nice strongly worded letter like

could I burn down a building no could I make a good speech yes yes you are a very good speech giver that's yeah that's my

that's my point in the revolution okay you're the speech giver okay I'm the speech writer for the revolution okay

well somebody's gotta to do that. Someone's got to do it. Okay, what's the next question? Okay, next question's from Damon. Are there any plans for more shark-type creatures in the future? I'm hoping to make a tribal duck my favorite animal. Shark-type creature? Do you have sharks?

We have sharks. Yes, of course we do. You have sharks? We have sharks. In fact, we just made a card in a set a little while ago that was a shark tornado. Oh, my gosh. We literally had a debate about a ago that was a shark tornado. Oh, my gosh. We literally had a debate about a shark tornado like two weeks ago. Oh, my goodness.

What was the debate? Yeah, no, because you remember we were playing Cineplexity where it's like... Oh, right, right. Cineplexity is a game where you have two cards, and the cards are either like character types or scenes or themes, and you have to name a movie with both of those things combining. That overlap. Yeah. Okay. or scenes or themes and you have to name a movie with both of those things combining. That overlap. That overlap. Yeah.

Okay. And I forget, but I think one of them was like, it said like, sharks or dolphins and the other card was like,

hurricane, snow castle, like something else and I shouted Sharknado and we were debating whether Sharknado was a tornado or a hurricane.

No, no. They said hurricanes and you said, well, it's a hurricane. It's not a hurricane. It's Sharknado. It's a tornado. And I said, it's water-based. It's not dust-based. And I'm well, it's a hurricane. It's not a hurricane. It's Sharknado. It's a tornado. And I said, it's water-based.

It's not dust-based. And you're arguing. I'm like, it's in the name. It's literally in the name. I said they're not going to call it Sharkuracane, because that's not as catchy as Sharknado. I got it, but that makes it a tornado. That makes it a tornado. Oh, my gosh.

It's a snazzier name, but it's water-based, and they're near the sea. Well, guess what? Marketing made them make it a tornado, so it's a tornado. Oh my gosh, it's a snazzier name, but it's water-based and they're near the sea. Well, guess what? Marketing made them make it a tornado, so it's a tornado. They're not in Kansas. It's not like a tornado based dust thing that sharks appear out of. It's from the water. Anyway, when you ask the shark question, okay, let me ask you,

I didn't even answer the shark question. We just made the shark a creature type in Ikoria. Will there be more sharks? I think, I mean, I can't promise specifically any specific sharks, but yes, I do believe there'll be more sharks. Why would we make it into a creature type if we'd never use it again?

Although we have made creature types we've never used again. But I do believe there'll be, I'm optimistic about sharks. That sounds so, okay. Fonzie Lemon says, for Wizards R&D, what college degree would increase my chances

of getting hired? I feel like that's always my worry about college degrees. I'm like, which one? Well, here, I'll give you my answer, which hopefully will give you a little...

Clearly as someone who got this degree. There is no specific degree you need to work in R&D. There's no... What we want is someone who's going to have a cool set of skills that will add to the overall group and help make magic. So what you need is a love of magic and some knowledge of magic and a good set of skills that would be valuable to us that if we added you to our group, you would be additive and help make magic better. But we don't,

it's not like, oh, you need to, you need to major in this one thing or else we're not, we're not going to consider you. Our R&D is filled with like, I think Bill Rose, who's our VP,

like ran a chemistry lab before he worked at Wizard. So. I was just saying where people like come from in terms of things. I feel like it's very interesting to see, like some people have very much like a set path of things. Some people just really change things up. Like it's always weird to see, like, some people have very much, like, a set path of things. Some people just really change things up. Like, it's always weird to hear about, like, you know, like, celebrities or other famous people, like, you know, things they were doing. Like, I heard once that, like, Kelly Clarkson was, like, gonna be a marine biologist. And then she saw Jaws and she was like, I want to be a singer instead.

Like, I don't know if that's true. So, Steven Spielberg pushed her in a new direction. That's, yeah, I don't know if that's true because it's from like a BuzzFeed article, but like, I hope it is. Okay. So. Next question. TJ Borowski says, what is your family's favorite out of the house activity and how have you adjusted due to COVID? What is out of house activities?

I don't understand. Yeah. Okay. Outside world society. Okay. Yeah. So back. Who is she?

Back when we used to leave the house. Yeah. What was Outside worlds. Okay, yeah. So back... Who is she? Back when we used to leave the house, what was our favorite activity? My family loves going to movies. We do a lot of movies. Are they asking, like, in general, your favorite house activity or just, like, in these times? No, I think they meant normally.

Like, right now... What do I miss the most? Well, yeah. What does our family do that you miss that, like, we did... I mean, definitely, like, movie theaters. Like, slap. I don't know.

Really just human contact, I feel like. Man, there's people I just want to hug, and I'm just like, oh, my goodness. Like, I don't think I can. Like, there's just things that you just don't understand. And, like, oh, my goodness. I don't know. Favorite out-of-the-house activity. I mean, one of the things we've been doing while we've been in the COVID is we try to go out once a week usually on Sundays and we'll go to the park and we'll walk around or play bocce or just do something.

I'm going back to school and I like being in classrooms and just having a nice open like dialogue and stuff. A lot of them are just like we're going to sit you around in a circle and we're just going to talk about a topic for like an hour. And I always like those. I feel like that's a lot of fun to just go around with and how we adjust to do to covid the best we can you know the best so we're yeah we're we have our theme nights and our movie nights and we have takeout night and we definitely we try to shake it up a little bit without leaving the house all that often but one day i'm gonna leave the mat the house in a mask and realize i don't need it it's like when the new year happens and you keep writing the old year but you're like oh whoops it's a new year like i feel like i'm gonna do that with a

mask i'm gonna just keep wearing a mask and i'm like oh like in 2023 you're like oh i can take this off so yeah that's that's how i'm gonna feel okay so Rachel, we have time for just one or two more questions. Oh, my goodness. I'm almost to work. You're almost... You're almost... I can see the desk. I can see the desk in front of me.

You're almost metaphorically to work. Okay. I guess we got two questions left. Okay, two questions. From Jayski. It says, a sliver planeswalker win. Do they mean silver or do they mean sliver? They mean sliver.

Sliver. What's a sliver playing water? Sliver, many years ago, in fact, the very first set that I made that I was the lead designer for was called Tempest. And in it we introduced these creatures called the slivers which are these

hive mind creatures so they're they can change their shape and if they're near enough to each other they can share their mind and the idea is if one of them knows how to grow a wing then if you're near it, they know how to grow a wing

because they can change their shape and the idea is, oh, if I'm near the one that knows how to grow a wing I can grow a wing and then I can fly because I have wings and we've made the slivers over the years they're very popular the people who love slivers love slivers. They're very popular.

And we've made them. I think we've had five or six different sets, maybe five sets that had slivers. So what they're asking for is we make what are called planeswalkers. So the main character of our story are characters that walk between the worlds because that's what they do. story are characters that walk between the worlds because um that's what they do uh and they want one of these planeswalkers to be a sliver because it is it would be novel and different to be a sliver um the biggest problem i've mentioned this on my blog numerous times is what identifies the sliver what makes a sliver a cool thing is as part of a hive mind so the idea of taking something that's part of a group and making it leave the group and then be all by itself really isn't playing into what makes it like now the sliver is on another world, which it doesn't have the hive mind.

And it's afraid and scared because it's missing its hive mind. The other big thing is while we do do different creature types as planeswalkers and we do a lot of humans, obviously, but we have. Make a shark planeswalker. A shark planeswalker. Make a shark planeswalker. A shark planeswalker. I'm not saying we'll never make a sliver planeswalker, but it is a little bit novelty for the sake of novelty versus making something that truly would be interesting.

Because the thing is, slivers mechanically, a sliver planeswalker, like slivers have to interact with other slivers. That's what makes them mechanically interesting. The idea is if this sliver grants flying and this sliver grants trample and they're near each other, then they both have what makes them mechanically interesting. The idea is if this sliver grants flying and this sliver grants trample, and they're near each other, then they both have flying tramples, the idea. But a sliver planeswalker

who's away from all its other slivers, I don't even know what it does. I don't even know what it... So anyway, it's a weird thing to do. I found one other question, which we're going to do lightning round. Okay, lightning round. James Kent Doble says, when will you make a five color legendary horse? I feel like you could slap any words together and I'd be like, yeah, that's a question.

That's magic. Magic has five colors. I don't understand anything. Magic has five colors. A horse is a creature type. And we've yet to make a horse that is a five-color card. We don't make a lot of five-color cards. Like it's a horse that fits all the colors. Well, I mean,

a card can be either zero colors, one, two, three, four, or five colors. Zero colors. It, I mean, so a card can be either zero colors, one, two, three, four, or five colors. Zero colors. It can be colorless, meaning not any color. So you can have no colors.

Color blind. So anyway, the horses are normally in white because they're domesticated. Every once in a while, they'll be in red. There's been one in black. There's been one in green.

I think we did an illusionary horse in blue once. That's cool. But we've yet to make one that's all five colors. Will we ever do that? Maybe. All five colors is... Did they ask for a legendary horse or just a horse?

Yeah, legendary horse. All five colors is Divergent. Yeah, so they... The horse is Divergent. If you've never seen the movie, this joke will not make sense to you. Well, the funny thing is Divergent is about five... Like, Magic has these five different sort of of things and Divergent has five. They don't line up quite, but they're more similar than you think.

Well, why does Am... Actually, I don't really know. Because red is Dauntless and blue is Aerodite and that makes sense. But the other ones are like black and white. Yeah, I think one of them is all about community. That's green and white. One of them is all about... Amity is like the kind ones. Are they green? That about community. That's green-white. One of them is all about... Amity is like the kind ones.

Are they green? That's white. That's more model white. And then there's Kandor. More truth. They're like honesty. My mind's kind of white-black. They sort of represent the good side of honesty

and kind of the dark side of honesty. And then Abnegation, which is like the kind. That's white. That's white. Okay, that makes sense. Okay, last question from Dan Fenton. Rachel, have you been enjoying Chicago so far? And also excellent choice in school.

They're my alma mater. Ooh, go renegades. I don't think no one knows the mess about the school, but it is the renegades. We have no sports and no. Are you enjoying? Are you enjoying school? Yeah. I mean, it's definitely interesting to go back and because i'll be like in

a physical dorm but in like virtual classes so that'll be kind of weird but i've been enjoying chicago a lot so far i mean i feel like like the way i spend money is going to change because i spend a lot of money on theater shows and so i'm going to save money on that but then i'm also going to deliver more things i'm going to spend more money so it all balances out anyway you know what else do I even do in Chicago I feel like anytime I leave. Eat pizza! Eat lots and lots of pizza. It's expensive and I can't

eat all by myself I do my best I know I know every time we visit we got to go to Gino's East and have some pizza so I'm very excited. Yeah I know but I feel like anytime I leave my dorm it's pretty much only for like theater like it's theater at my school or it's theater somewhere else I know. But I feel like anytime I leave my dorm it's pretty much only for like theater. Like it's theater at my school or it's theater

somewhere else. I mean sometimes I go to like movies or whatever but I feel like I don't leave much otherwise. And even like the clubs

I go to are majorly theater clubs. But overall I've been enjoying it so far and it's very exciting. So anyway Interesting to go back

so we'll see. Okay so guys I see my desk I'm here. So we gotta wrap to go back. So we'll see. Okay. So guys, I see my desk. I'm here. So we got to wrap up here. So I want to thank you, Rachel. It's been fun. I missed doing these with you.

So these were, it's been, I went back and looked and like, I think the last one we did was in like the 500s and this is like in the 700s. So it's been a while. I mean, you've been off to school. So, but anyway, it was fun doing this with you again. And so guys, thanks for joining in. Thanks for sending in all the questions. But I'm now at my desk.

So we all know what that means. You seem to be at the end of every podcast now. Yeah, I do. I'm at my desk now. I'm at my desk now. I'm leaving my desk. You've got to let me do my finish. I've got to.

Back to my desk. Let me do my finish. Oh, my gosh. Okay. So I'm at my desk. You all know what that means. We all know what that means. It means it's the end of my drive to work.

So instead of talking magic, it's time for me to be making magic. Although, ironically, we recorded this at the end of the day. It's time for me to be done with work for the day. Yes. Our last thing. The pandemic has messed up my podcast. But anyway, we're still doing it. So thank you.

The myth's been ruined. Thank you for being here, Rachel. But anyway, guys, we got to go. So I'll see you all next time. Bye-bye.