There was opposition to Homelands within Wizards
It fits in an Energy deck, sure, but it can also go into decks with Experience, +1/+1 counters, and all kinds of other counters
The snow-covered basic drop, the Cats drop, and the Rats drop are all valuable enough that they would have been good purchases even if you don't especially want the cards
Core Strategy
This card is great with artifacts like Winter Orb and Static Orb because you can tap them on the end step before your turn so you arent affected while your opponents cant play the game
Like most Magic: The Gathering cards, the value of Alter Reality depends on a few consistent factors: its rarity, the printing and finish (regular or foil), its physical condition, and the set it was printed in (Torment)