“Magic players like to complain.” I hear this sentiment echoed often in the Magic community. It troubles me because it implies that Magic players should not express their views and opinions on the game. It whispers: “Be quiet and accept what you are given.”
While there is much about Magic: the Gathering to be thankful for—and I am, indeed, thankful—I still cast a critical eye on elements of the game as I discover them. I do that because I love Magic. Criticism is an act of love. The act is misunderstood in our community as negative, or being mean. But criticism is not a bad word.
Criticism, the constructive kind, is a gift. Being told what you did well, what you did poorly, and how you can improve helps you to grow. This is so, whatever your passion—be it writing, artwork, design, or marketing. Without criticism, we do not grow.
When you begin to create—often at a young age—you are naturally sensitive to criticism. A young creator’s ego is tied to the value of their work. You might feel if you write a bad story, it means you are unworthy. This can hurt your self esteem, can cause you to scrunch up your creation and throw it away.
But here’s the thing. If you truly love creating, if it calls to you, you will return. It compels you. Your natural drive to create will not allow you to quit. You might take a break for a few years, but if the urge is within you, it will persist. The desire lies dormant until you get over your early failure. As we mature, we learn. We realise that unless we improve, we do not serve our desire to create to the best of our ability. We develop a tolerance for criticism. And when we are given helpful, constructive criticism, we bloom.
Constructive criticism is a kindness. It is not an arrow to pierce you, though your ego may feel its blow on first impact. Constructive criticism is a light that illuminates your work, burning away impurities. It shows you the weaknesses and strengths. It shows you how to improve, how to heal. It is a door into someone else’s mind. Hearing feedback on your work is like gaining a glimpse into another person. We each have a unique perspective.
I may be an odd fish, but I enjoy even non-constructive criticism of my work. If someone says, “that sucks,” it’s not very helpful. I don’t learn what specifically they dislike, or what to improve. But still, I consider it valuable information—I file it away. That person says my story sucks. Perhaps they’re right. Perhaps they dislike me personally. Perhaps they don’t know what they are talking about. Perhaps they do but don’t know how to give criticism properly. It is a data point. When added to all the others, it tells me whether I am on the right track. That said, I much prefer constructive criticism.
When I studied writing at university, one of the first things I was taught was how to give one another constructive criticism. Some of us were better at this than others, but we all learnt do it, to varying degrees of helpfulness. We would write short stories and critique each other’s work in class. The result was amazing. My writing improved dramatically as a result of their criticism. I never finished my degree, but I got what I needed most—I became a better writer. And I would never have done so if all I ever heard was “that’s nice,” or no reaction at all. Even worse is false praise, declaring my work good when in reality it has serious flaws. If you buy a house and ask a building inspector to survey it, you don’t want them to tell you what you want to hear. You want them to tell you the truth. Truth, when wielded with kindness and respect, is a treasure.
Some of you may think that only experts can criticize. While it is true that people with a broad knowledge and expertise in the medium are highly valuable, that does not mean that the average consumer’s view is not also valid and helpful. In fact sometimes those who are less familiar with a subject will spot flaws that experienced eyes miss.
We, pro and casual alike, are Magic players. We consume this game. We buy it. We look at the cards as we build and play our decks. Some of us read the Magic story online, while others gain snippets from flavour text. When you immerse yourself in any field, you gain an understanding almost by osmosis. This is why aspiring writers should read widely. By reading voraciously you are exposed to good grammar and style. Unconsciously you adopt it in your own writing.
So I don’t hold with the idea that the player has no right to give criticism. Magic players have a unique perspective that is valuable to the game’s creators. Consider Shivam Bhatt’s critiques of the Kaladesh block. He is an expert in both games design and Indian culture, so he was uniquely positioned to give useful criticism. And he did so—boy did he! Many of us found it endlessly interesting, and I believe the game makers would have found his criticisms very helpful. His insights gave depth to the set and pointed out flaws where greater depth or research could have helped. He pointed out what was done right along with areas to improve. His criticism helped me enjoy Kaladesh more deeply. His was very constructive criticism, and I believe future magic blocks will be improved by his contributions on Kaladesh. (Here is a video with some of his criticisms of Kaladesh with Graham from Loading Ready Run.)
If Wizards of the Coast never heard any feedback from the community, they would be creating blindly, with no idea about the audience’s wishes. They wouldn’t learn from their mistakes or improve. Yes some improvement can be self-directed, but constructive criticism from a wide variety of sources, especially your target audience, helps ensure you grow in the right direction.
So, how do you criticise constructively? I was taught the “sandwich method,” which means structuring criticism like this: positive comment – critical comment and idea for improvement – positive comment. You “sandwich” your criticism between positive comments, making it far more palatable.
Here is an example regarding the Invocations cards: “I love the artwork of the Invocations. I dislike the font for the rules text, which is hard to read, and think a different font be better. But I love the gold border and the Bolas horns.”
Or a longer criticism about Magic’s story: “I really enjoyed the latest Magic story Impact by Michael Yichao. The interplay between Liliana and Gideon was enjoyable and fit their characters. However, I found it unrealistic that Jace would pause in a crisis to ponder his feelings towards Liliana. I would expect during a crisis he would focus on the task at hand. I would have preferred to see him think of Liliana during a peaceful moment, so it did not feel out of place. I enjoyed how the story gave perspectives from each member of the Gatewatch. This added interest and made the story easier to digest. It also makes the story more palatable for those who dislike one Gatewatch character—here they shared the spotlight. My favourite part was the final paragraph, which lent a timeless, foreboding, and mysterious air.”
Leading with positive feedback shows the recipient that you appreciate their work and acknowledge their success. The kindness sets them at ease, makes them more receptive to the criticism. They can trust that you are not attacking them personally and bear them no ill will.
On that point, avoid making comments about the person. Compare “You’re bad at x” to “I don’t think x was conveyed well.” See the difference? One focuses on the person as bad, while the other focuses on how to improve the work. No one deserves unkindnes. Appreciate their efforts. Treat them with courtesy and respect. Detaching the work from the person makes it not about them, which in turn helps them separate their feelings from their work.
Ending on a high note will improve the creator’s mood. In my experience, this is very comforting to hear after a criticism. It is balm to the wounds. The recipient feels encouraged to try again, to keep going.
Be specific in your comments. Rather than saying, “I don’t like the Invocation’s frame,” say why: “The frame is too wide. It makes the art too small.” If you are going to suggest improvements, tell them how. Be specific. This gives the recipient a direction to follow if they wish to follow your advice.
The Magic community is full of lovely people and boundless energy. Constructive criticism is not commonly given, perhaps even frowned upon. This is unfortunate. A culture of “don’t say anything unkind” discourages open conversation and could weaken the game. If more Magic players learnt the benefits of constructive criticism and implemented the “sandwich method” of giving feedback, our community would be better for it.
I hope this article has been useful. Constructive criticism is, as always, appreciated.
Gemma Hammens (Twitter: @GemOfMagic) is from Brisbane, Australia. She loves aetherborn creatures and brewing black/red or mono-green decks. Her other passions are writing and building Lego spaceships with her toddler.