A brief discussion on expectation and courtesy in a duel
Just this week, I've come back to Master Duel after being absent for several months. One thing that has hit me like a truck, much more than during previous hiatuses, is just how rude most decks are - even casual strategies, such as Dark Magician. As an example, I was playing on the ladder against someone running a Stardust deck, and just going through my regular effects (Circle, Combination, Soul + Dragon Knight, Magician's Right-Hand, Ebony magicians, Rivals, etc) was enough to shut down my opponent every time they tried a new play. Osiris forbid I actually went for a full combo with Apollousa or Dragoon or any number of other bothersome negates. I actually felt bad for them, their fun was effectevely being prevented by my regular plays, even running a fairly low power deck.
This brings me to the discussion - is it really okay for Yu-Gi-Oh to be this toxic as a game? Other TCGs and CCGs tend to not be nearly as bad in this regard. Is it really okay to expect your opponents to accept that being fully shutdown is just a normal part of the game?
Lastly, how do you guys feel about how long it takes to make a play in Master Duel? I'm always worried that my opponent is getting bored after the 10th card activation.
I wouldn't say Yu-Gi-Oh is toxic. There are a handful of decks or cards that could be considered toxic, but most aren't. The main difference between setting up a strong endboard or just using toxic cards like continuous floodgates is that you can break through the first one with your own strategies, while the second requires you drawing specific cards that, if aren't in your deck, you instantly lose.
In most most card games, the fun is slowly strategically gaining power while keeping your opponent in check over many turns, but in Yu-Gi-Oh that is condensed into 2-3 turns. The fun then is more in trying to set up a board of interruptions that stop your opponent, or trying to break down your opponent's board for a lethal strike; which is basically the same as other card games, just more streamlined.
As for turns taking too long, just know that most players are probably watching YouTube videos or doing some other task while you're playing your turn, don't worry.