With the addition of colored expansion symbols, most anybody can arrange their cards alphabetically by color and rarity, without the help of card numbers. Thus, I have been thinking it might be more helpful to put a different meaning into the numbering system. I often end up reading the quotes on cards and wondering where they fit into the story. Granted I could go read the novel, but it would be more compelling to have the story revealed on the cards. What I am suggesting here is that the quotes and pictures should be planned on the cards to tell a cohesive, albeit abridged, version of the story for the set - and that this story plan be the numbering scheme for the cards. This would give the resulting binders of complete sets a sort of graphic novel feel, where you can read through them to understand what's happening in the expansion. One more compelling reason to collect the complete set.
Please think about this for a little bit. I think this idea of making the story a core part of the set is one of the more exciting ideas presented. As a game player, I still look at a card like Topple and go “What is the context for this? Is Volrath really getting killed? What happed next?” Even if it is in the novel, it will be more profitable for you to keep people focused on the cards. Furthermore, if the story is exciting enough, it will instigate even more people to get the novel. The story often feels secondary in Magic these days. I agree that I want playability more than story but I think this is possible without compromising the playability. Mechanics are relatively easy to mold into any needed story position. And honestly, not all cards will playable, thus I think the story is a great way to carry on the momentum on the lesser cards, and just adds to the already good cards. I have been playing Magic for years now, but I still don't feel like I really have a full understating of the world, or all that has transpired. This would give people motivation to keep up with the story, and the cards at the time.
You'll see this theme reoccurring throughout my suggestions, but I want to point it out. I really aiming for a holistic view in this set – and suggesting that we carry this to Magic in general. I want the story to be central, so that everything gives the player a view of the world, and story it creates. Thus, you could make it so that the “Numbering Story” in each main expansion gives an overview of the plane of Dominia and of its current state. Then the expansion sets would build on that world, its people and places. This would go on until the next main expansion, in which the basics about the world would be reviewed, but would be a little different than the last main expansion due to changes on the world inflicted by the expansions. For example, the world described in 7th edition may be very different from 8th, considering Apocalypse (I think) will happen between the two.
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