I think this might be the best reason to force conversions before the new system goes live.
What is this new system everyone is talking abound?
my calculations are
deck slot = 45k runes = 200 crystals
crystal = 225 runes
dupe mythic = 1k runes(correct me if I’m wrong)
or 4.44 crystals
random guaranteed mythic = 350 crystals
so = 78.8 dupe mythics
by those calculations shteev can have 1 random mythic(approx.)
for his stockpiled dupe mythics. let’s assume all the old top 10
coalitions hoarded a similar amount on average. so x200 extra
mythics given out. my guess is that more than 200 mythics are
opened each time a special mythic pack is available?
I don’t see these stockpiles making much of a difference?
HH
Incidentally, I have another reason for not wanting a forced conversion: I’m rather proud of my collection of 44 Hitchclaw Recluses, and if it’s not worth converting under the new system, I’d quite like to hang onto them 
The people who converted them chose the guaranteed result now, rather than a potential nothing. Those who chose not to redeem dupes for runes were choosing to gamble that there would eventually be a better use for them. Those people shouldn’t be punished.
Doesn’t it depend on the wisdom of the gamble?
If a gambler pumps a grand into a poker machine, even though the expected return is negative, it’s hard to argue she shouldn’t be “punished” when she blows the lot. She made a bad gamble, and has to face the consequences.
So how do we know if this dupe gamble was wise? We check what d3go has told us. Unfortunately they hedged somewhat, and left dupe conversion a voluntary thing, resulting in the current situation. But it’s indisputable that they explicitly said there were “no plans” for dupes to have any purpose other than conversion to runes, right from the beginning of when dupes were tracked. Some players chose to gamble anyway, as is their right; it may pay off, or it may not. But my opinion is that nobody deserves a safety net on a gamble that someone will one day do a thing they explicitly said they have no plans for.
That’s only reinforced when you consider that the “gamble” most people have made appears to involve very little actual sacrifice. I haven’t levelled all my planeswalkers fully, and I have plenty of dupes. But I’ve levelled enough to be competitive in every event. So why not hoard dupes, just in case? If some aspect of the game imposed a high penalty (e.g. miss out on a mythic prize) because of a shortfall of runes, then I, like perhaps most people, would convert.
Perhaps I chose the wrong word with “gamble”, but despite your thoughtful response I’m not convinced. To me, those who spend their dupes are facing the consequences of their action.
However, I question associating wisdom with taking the developers at their word. I fully agree that they indisputably said there were no plans for dupes. I even converted for awhile early on. However, at some point, I thought, you know, they’ve made quite a few unanticipated changes, and down the road there are sure to be more. Maybe I should just hold onto them and see if either duplicates become more useful (and thus I have a store of them to utilize) or runes become more useful (and thus I retain them rather than be tempted to spend them).
In short, plans often change. I banked on that, starting around the release of SOI. Others did not; they made a choice, and that’s on them.
I fully expect them to burn it all down anyway, so it’s probably moot. All of our dupes will disappear, they’ll introduce a fourth currency, and we’ll accrue them at a rate that allows us to get a new card every two months. =p
I stopped converting cards to runes when I draw my first mythic dupe after the kaladesh release.
I don’t think I draw a mythic dupe before that (not surprising if you don’t have a lot).
I voted for a forced conversion, because I think it is the fairest thing to do.
Everybody got the same out of the old system then (“precious” runes) and we can go fresh to a new one and leave this really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really bad conversion system behind us…
With the vote I stated also, that I have accumulated quite a lot of dupes already… This first impression is probably utterly false when I think more about that. Sorry for that!
Wait, whoah!!! I’m disputing this! THIS is what the dev team said right from the beginning of dupes being tracked:
https://forums.505go.com/discussion/37930/developer-q-a-1-12-16
As you can see, no explicit statement of “no plans” for dupes to have any purpose other than conversion to runes.
And, yes, of course, we can shift the argument along to the fact that there was no explicit statement of “some plans” for dupes to have any purpose other than conversion to runes, but that doesn’t change the fact that your original statement was false.
@madwren don’t just take people’s word for things
[edit] Also, of course, a few months later, they said this:
https://forums.505go.com/discussion/comment/509818/#Comment_509818
That’s an interesting quote indeed! The quote I was referring to was:
These quotes are both from over a year ago, so it’s not surprising some players remember one but not the other. I concede that your quote comes “right at the beginning” of dupes being tracked, while mine comes a few months later. While it may be reasonable to take the later statement as an abandonment of previous plans, it may also be reasonable to take these contradictory statements as evidence that anything could happen.
In any case, these statements read together do much to explain the current diversity of views on the topic.
I voted Yes in general, for the sake of balance in the economy. It’s unhealthy to allow a small group of players to get such a huge advantage over the rest of the playerbase. Assumption, of course, is that the new dupe conversion system will allow greater access to cards in the game.
If the dupe conversion system provides a player with something that doesn’t give a direct advantage in a match (eg. extra deck slots) then by all means allow converting to the new system.
If the dupe conversion system will in some way allow acquiring top tier cards, then that would just widen the gap between the haves and have nots. I don’t expect the players who have preserved their dupes to just give them up, nor would I expect them to ever agree with any type of forced conversion. However, it’s not a good idea to hit them below the belt, either. I like the suggestion from @EDHDad where mythics can be converted to Crystals/Jewels.
Am I right in thinking that you bought Baral and Tezz 2? And that you argued against nerfing Baral?
I will have to say that no, he didn’t argue against nerfing baral, in fact he was one of the biggest proponents of nerfing him actually.
Mmm.. no, actually, Steeme was very much in favor of Baral’s raw power, then later altered his position slightly to Baral needing a nerf for the sole purpose of stopping the AI looping with him. He then went on to blame the players themselves for the problems that Baral’s design created, and, well, I don’t know what you think, but this post certainly seems to imply that he considered Old Baral+Tezzeret 2 to be of a reasonable power level.
I’ve linked to the thread in question rather than pulling out quotes so you can read the entire thing for yourself and see what Steeme was saying in context. I’ve been through the thread myself. It makes enlightening reading.
Er what’s the point of this tangent you’re on again?
Good point. Here it is:
With the greatest respect, Steeme, there is a certain hypocrisy in this remark: You have demonstrated that you want a huge advantage over other players by buying Tezz2 and Baral and then defending their power levels.
I’ve been buying a few of the colored packs. They’re on a limited timer. I just got a Mind’s Dilation. That would be kinda nice to convert with whatever the exciting new conversion system is.
Or, will I be forced to turn it into runes? Is it just tough tinykitty toenails for my poor Mind’s Dilation? Is it my own fault for trying to get some of the blue mythics I want, and not sitting on my stacks of cash for even longer?
If I have to force convert, can I save my aer rare
in a pack to open after the duplicate system is in
place?
HH
No (I’ve been saving dupes specifically for this new system and any auto-conversion would be a terrible idea)
But at the same time I wouldn’t scoff at the influx of runes, I have a bunch of Planeswalkers that need leveling and a forced conversion would probably satisfy that. I have also started hoarding reward packs to get a bunch more dupes, just in case.
Presumably, unless they force us to open all our boosters first as well.
Which, I guess, is not outside the bounds of possibility.