Lots of stuff to respond here, so I'm not going to quote individuals and instead address it all in one go:

-Point buy seems like the most pressing concern atm since it isn't very clear how it worked. Aside from how you saw it in the screenshot, I merged the OOC system with an IC card shop. Players were part of an academy that wanted to encourage dueling, so their point credit was tracked so they could get new cards from the on-ground card shop. The system was inspired by the DP system you find in videogames mainly, where dueling gained you points to spend on packs or password machines. If I re-use it, it's not without some major retooling. If anything, I'd give an equal amounts of points for winning or losing so you care less about the result and powergaming. The reason it was in place was to let players be on an equal playing field at all times, and while it didn't quite work the way I intended it to, a sense of progression helped retain some interest I found. I'm willing to do away with it, but that just means I'll be extra strict on how your deck is looking throughout the RP so you don't put in a [url=https://yugipedia.com/wiki/Divine_Go-D/D/D_Zero_King_Zero_G.O.D._Reiji]Divine GO-D/D/D Zero King Zero G.O.D. Reiji[/url] right at the [url=https://www.rpnation.com/threads/yu-gi-oh-dueling-legacy-character-sheets.450704/#post-9858233]start.[/url]

-Rule fucking. Thing is, only DM was *really* bad about this, and even then, it was mostly because the game was only taking shape battle city forwards. It actually did have rules it followed, they're just not entirely like ours; Stuff like a Fusion monster being unable to attack the turn it is summoned. Most of the other stuff in the anime is them not entirely understanding how timing works and the like, but that's more on rules lawyering than it is not following concrete rules. Yuma wasn't able to activate Number 39's effect in half the situations he did, but the anime didn't really care too much. My take is: Stick as close to the rules as you can and don't try to fuck them on purpose, but if there's a minor error in the duel at some point, I'm not going to get on your ass for it. 

-Duels: At this point I'm going to adopt a "anything goes" policy. Everyone seems to be pretty in favor of whoever the two individuals dueling are to be doing it in a way they both can agree to. While I'm a contrarian cunt, I'm not silly enough to go against a clear majority here.

-List of rare cards: I did that, once. It's not a very good idea.

-Story: I'm not 100% on board with any particular one idea proposed yet, but not everything isn't worth my time. I could set up a Battle City situation, only without a strict tournament. Basically invent a fictional city which is essentially the Mekka for duelists around the world. There's only one rule, and that's the Ante rule. Duelists compete to win cards off each-other, both to hone their skills and to upgrade their decks as they go. They go to one of the local (Company)-mandated stores to register themselves, their deck, and their collection of cards and be given a rating. The characters could have any one reason for coming to the city; Winning it all, becoming a true duelist, revenge for or on their father. Mysterious duelists show up in town and y'all end up saving the world. How's that sound for a pitch?

-Underdogs: Don't set out to be one, just become one if it works out that way. I've had a spot of trouble before where players expected to lose everything and then go on a winning streak, as well as players setting out to be the strongest duelist and then lose all their duels. Have your character adapt to whatever happens, especially if we're going to improv like some people here are wanting to. Besides, if everyone sucks, nobody does.

[quote=@King Cosmos]
+1 to Appropriate Culture - Has Yu-Gi-Oh done anything with Mesoamerica yet? I'm feeling in a Mesomaerican mood today.
[/quote]

did you sleep through 5D's the entire first third was all about Nazca lines and a Quetzalcoatl knockoff lmao