Do we need a power scale?
Okay, so. We've seen numerous posts about problems with and breaking the bracket system and I had a realization of sorts: Gavin specifically said this was NOT a power scale.
Let me say that again: the brackets are NOT a power scale.
What does this mean in practice? While the brackets limit certain 'negative experiences', they made no attempt to limit or address the individual power of deck within each bracket, so the bracket system doesn't actually REPLACE the 1-10 scale, as this scale focused on deck POWER.
This means it is entirely possible to apply BOTH scales: a Bracket 1 Power 10 deck is well within the confines of both systems.
However, many players are frustrated by this reality, calling it 'breaking' the bracket system, or being frustrated that the bracket system isn't filtering out powerful decks. I myself am frustrated specifically BECAUSE it makes no attempt to be a power scale when I feel tte specific problems the format has are power related.
...
This leads to my question: in order to find balanced games, do we want a system for filtering out 'poor experiences', or do we want an accurate way to gauge power?
I would also like to make an observation while I am here: the idea that 'winning doesn't matter' tends to have some odd consequences. If your 'negative experience' is based on a power imbalance and not specific effects which you find irritable, then the reality is that 'losing' is a negative experience to you. This means winning DOES matter and you're just not being honest [with yourself]. Full of shit, in more vulgar terms.
If we acknowledge that winning DOES matter and that we would like a fair chance of winning when we sit down at a table, we come to the conclusion that we HAVE to have a way to accurately gauge POWER. And the bracket system does not even try to do so.
And if winning does NOT matter, then there should be no problem with a player sitting down with a Power 10, Bracket 1 deck.
The Bracket System is the X axis and Power Scale is the Y axis on a graph. And since the brackets did not even seek to answer the problem of power... I argue that the 1-10 scale is still the only thing we have and we all know that's broken. So. Do we need a new POWER scale?