I know this will be a weird topic, and most of you will be dumbfunded by it, saying "Huh? Is he stupid?" But, I just had to let it out.

So, in my vocabulary there is such a thing as "too much good," and lately that is how I feel about Netrunner. I love the game to death, but the expansions come in such a rapid rate that I feel overwhelmed. I barely open my last datapack in the Spin Cycle, and the next deluxe expansion is already here, while the newest data pack is also only a few weeks away. I might be alone with this, but I feel the rate of releasing expansions is too fast. I feel like I cannot keep up with the influx of new cards. I don't have time to study them, to come up with new strategies because the new ones are already here.

I hate to admit it, but I am actually thinking of taking a break and won't buy new expansions for a while...

I'm new to the game (few weeks) and am currently playing catch up on the packs. Unfortunately I'm unable to just pick them all up, so have had to limit myself to far to the first cycle.

Next month it will be the first deluxe and hopefully a couple packs of the second cycle. At this rate, cycle 3 will be well under way by the time I reach it (if not finished!).

So as well as feeling like it's a never ending process, barely a couple of weeks since starting the game I've got 6 packs worth of new cards to take in and try plan strategies with.

Reading deck lists and browsing forums is difficult as there are still more cards I don't own for the game than I do own, so many discussions are about cards I've never seen.

So yeah, I can see where you're coming from. On one hand lots of releases for a game is good, but on the other hand, it can be overwhelming!

I am in the same boat, I get to play maybe once a week and competitively every two weeks. I usually get two days of real testing before I am opening a new pack.

I wish they would commit to a 1 full cycle per year calendar. Something like:

Sep - Data Pack 1
Oct - Data Pack 2
Nov - Data Pack 3
Dec - Data Pack 4
Jan - Data Pack 5
Feb - Data Pack 6
Mar - Deluxe Expansion
Apr to Aug - Tournament season for Regionals/Nationals

I understand how you feel as I also play the LOTR LCG and though I love the monthly "fix" of a new pack I also find the card pool overwhelming. As for Netrunner I try avoid placing pressure on myself to immediately learn every combo and perfect card use and best strategy from the new cards but rather just enjoy the gaming and make decks that are fun for me to use. They may not be Tournament winning and I don't always crush my oppenent but I still have fun playing the game. A case in point would be my "splashing" a Gingerbread program in my recent Criminal deck just for fun even though its not that great I card. Enjoy the game and don't let the fun be taken away. Play as you like. Life has enough other pressures you can't change.

I'm in the same boat too, but for a lot of people it's not the case. It really does come down to how often can you play? Generally I play once a week plus occasional tournaments, so I don't get as much time as I'd like for new cards to 'bed in' before the next batch comes out either.

Thankfully though, none of those cards leave the pool either, so I can always go back and pick up the cards I haven't yet tried another time.

That's why I netdeck a lot. Just ridin' the wave.

Of course, sometimes that means wiping out by a rogue Tennin deck that wtfpwned me.

That's why I netdeck a lot. Just ridin' the wave.

Of course, sometimes that means wiping out by a rogue Tennin deck that wtfpwned me.

Mind if I ask what kind of deck it was? I'm working on a Tennin destroyer-heavy deck right now which is seeing results, but it's too early for data to be significant (too few games). Best I can see for Tennin is either go heavy on EtR or heavy on taxing/scary servers to put the runner off running.

I ran into the Niles IL Regional tournament winner in Round 2. It's up on Stimhack.

Cards are coming out roughly on par with some of the CCGs of secondary degree popularity like VTES. It's just that they're coming out in smaller chunks more often and you don't have to rare chase, so there's a bit of information overload.

I am in the same boat, I get to play maybe once a week and competitively every two weeks. I usually get two days of real testing before I am opening a new pack.

I wish they would commit to a 1 full cycle per year calendar. Something like:

Sep - Data Pack 1

Oct - Data Pack 2

Nov - Data Pack 3

Dec - Data Pack 4

Jan - Data Pack 5

Feb - Data Pack 6

Mar - Deluxe Expansion

Apr to Aug - Tournament season for Regionals/Nationals

I would be totally okay with this. On the other hand, most peole would probably think this is too slow.

My cousin and I started playing when the game first came out. We are just recently finished getting the first cycle and are now adding in Creation and Control.

I agree with the OP. It's very over whelming. They even have a new set of draft packs out; that require you to buy another starter set to play with the new draft packs (I know the starters are only 4.99, the price isn't the point) . It would be nice every once in a while; to just buy something once, and know that you have the complete game. So many board and card games have exspansions come out way to soon. It's like they're trying to follow the video game model of DLC.

I agree with the OP. It's very over whelming. They even have a new set of draft packs out; that require you to buy another starter set to play with the new draft packs (I know the starters are only 4.99, the price isn't the point) . It would be nice every once in a while; to just buy something once, and know that you have the complete game. So many board and card games have exspansions come out way to soon. It's like they're trying to follow the video game model of DLC.

If you want to buy something once and be done, then you're in the wrong type of game! Lol.

Board games are good for that, which is why I play them for the most part. I've done my time with CCGs and will never go back, but the LCG format for me is a nice compromise between the buy things once and expanding a growing collection.

It's just a lot of cards to get into for a new player. But I don't think I'd have it any other way.

I agree with the OP. It's very over whelming. They even have a new set of draft packs out; that require you to buy another starter set to play with the new draft packs (I know the starters are only 4.99, the price isn't the point) . It would be nice every once in a while; to just buy something once, and know that you have the complete game. So many board and card games have exspansions come out way to soon. It's like they're trying to follow the video game model of DLC.

If you want to buy something once and be done, then you're in the wrong type of game! Lol.

Board games are good for that, which is why I play them for the most part. I've done my time with CCGs and will never go back, but the LCG format for me is a nice compromise between the buy things once and expanding a growing collection.

It's just a lot of cards to get into for a new player. But I don't think I'd have it any other way.

Lol.... don't get me wrong. I don't hate the LCG format, it's leaps and bounds better then the CCG. It's just the pack a month that feels over whelming. I like the idea of 1 cycle a year.

I agree with the OP. It's very over whelming. They even have a new set of draft packs out; that require you to buy another starter set to play with the new draft packs (I know the starters are only 4.99, the price isn't the point) . It would be nice every once in a while; to just buy something once, and know that you have the complete game. So many board and card games have exspansions come out way to soon. It's like they're trying to follow the video game model of DLC.

If you want to buy something once and be done, then you're in the wrong type of game! Lol.

Board games are good for that, which is why I play them for the most part. I've done my time with CCGs and will never go back, but the LCG format for me is a nice compromise between the buy things once and expanding a growing collection.

It's just a lot of cards to get into for a new player. But I don't think I'd have it any other way.

Lol.... don't get me wrong. I don't hate the LCG format, it's leaps and bounds better then the CCG. It's just the pack a month that feels over whelming. I like the idea of 1 cycle a year.

At the moment, while playing catch up, that time scale does sound good. But I suspect once I've caught up, getting them more regularly will appeal to my inner love of new and shiny things.

One full cycle and a deluxe expansion per year would be nice

It will even allow me to take on the train of more LCGs

One full cycle and a deluxe expansion per year would be nice

It will even allow me to take on the train of more LCGs

I'm already craving the next purchase like an addict, I don't think I could handle more than 1 game at a time! Lol

I am in the same boat, I get to play maybe once a week and competitively every two weeks. I usually get two days of real testing before I am opening a new pack.

I wish they would commit to a 1 full cycle per year calendar. Something like:

Sep - Data Pack 1

Oct - Data Pack 2

Nov - Data Pack 3

Dec - Data Pack 4

Jan - Data Pack 5

Feb - Data Pack 6

Mar - Deluxe Expansion

Apr to Aug - Tournament season for Regionals/Nationals

I would be okay with this. I would also be content to do an "every other month" release such as:

Jan - Data Pack 1

Mar - Data Pack 2

May - Data Pack 3

July - Data Pack 4

September - Data Pack 5

November - Data Pack 6

Then you would throw in December - Delux Expansion

It does mean that Nov-Jan would be jam-packed full of action, but the rest of the year would have time to develop between Data Packs

I've been playing Fantasy Flight games for a while and they're pretty much the EA of board games when it comes to expansions. They definitely make a solid product but they'll be damned if they're noy going to make it a little better for ten bucks. I play lots of different games and Netrunner is one of them that I just started to get in to. I might pick up an expansion or two but I just found out about these "draw play" packs and rolled my eyes. I thought I was buying a stand alone game and FF touts how Living Card Games are NOT ccg's yet its starting to look an awful lot like one. As it stands I have the core set and I might pick up one of the deluxe expansions once I play the game enough to be as comfortable with the rules as I am with other games. But I'm not going to sink too much money into this game and FF is starting to actually scare me off.

Draft play is an entirely optional format, created to appeal to people who enjoy draft.

Nothing forces you to play it, and you wont be chasing 'rares'. It won't affect standard constructed play in any way.

As for your point about expansions... This is going to sound a little aggressive, but what the hell did you expect? Netrunner is a Living Card Game. Part of the definition is that the game evolves over time.

I've been playing Fantasy Flight games for a while and they're pretty much the EA of board games when it comes to expansions. They definitely make a solid product but they'll be damned if they're noy going to make it a little better for ten bucks. I play lots of different games and Netrunner is one of them that I just started to get in to. I might pick up an expansion or two but I just found out about these "draw play" packs and rolled my eyes. I thought I was buying a stand alone game and FF touts how Living Card Games are NOT ccg's yet its starting to look an awful lot like one. As it stands I have the core set and I might pick up one of the deluxe expansions once I play the game enough to be as comfortable with the rules as I am with other games. But I'm not going to sink too much money into this game and FF is starting to actually scare me off.

The LCG format is nothing like the CCG format. This way you get all the cards without sinking hundreds of [appropriate currency] to get them, only for the sets to become invalid down the line (though that's mainly a Magic issue I believe). And they've never hid how the LCG system was designed to work. Core set, then expansions. They've been about for a few years now, so not a recent change designed to suck you in.

I'll Admit that I don't know squat about draft play sinse I don't really play a lot of card games but after rereading the product description of the starter deck where it clearly states that it includes a "random" selection of 40 cards I'm sure you can see where I might draw the comparison to a ccg. Why not market the draft play seperately from the regular game so as to avoid the confusion? But like I said I don't normally play card games and I don't know anything about draft play so I'm probably missing something here. And @ CommissarFeesh you're right it was aggressive but that's the internet I suppose. I have no problem with expansions and I totally get why they're made and I've been known to buy quite a few in my day. But I also play a lot, and I mean A LOT, of games from Europe and there's something to be said for buying one product once and recieving a full experience.

I'll Admit that I don't know squat about draft play sinse I don't really play a lot of card games but after rereading the product description of the starter deck where it clearly states that it includes a "random" selection of 40 cards I'm sure you can see where I might draw the comparison to a ccg. Why not market the draft play seperately from the regular game so as to avoid the confusion?

But... they do market it separately. The packs specifically say Draft Starter/ Draft Pack on them, have a separate section of the website dedicated to them ( http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite.asp?eidm=260&enmi=Android:%20Netrunner%20Draft%20Play ), get separate release announcements: http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=4813

Not sure what more they could do to avoid your willingness to assume they would just abandon the LCG model to become more like EA or somesuch.

I'll Admit that I don't know squat about draft play sinse I don't really play a lot of card games but after rereading the product description of the starter deck where it clearly states that it includes a "random" selection of 40 cards I'm sure you can see where I might draw the comparison to a ccg. Why not market the draft play seperately from the regular game so as to avoid the confusion?

But... they do market it separately. The packs specifically say Draft Starter/ Draft Pack on them, have a separate section of the website dedicated to them ( http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite.asp?eidm=260&enmi=Android:%20Netrunner%20Draft%20Play ), get separate release announcements: http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=4813

Not sure what more they could do to avoid your willingness to assume they would just abandon the LCG model to become more like EA or somesuch.

You're right that the website definitely makes a distinction between Draft Play and the normal game but not so on the retail side, where my friends and I do a majority of our game shopping.

I'll Admit that I don't know squat about draft play sinse I don't really play a lot of card games but after rereading the product description of the starter deck where it clearly states that it includes a "random" selection of 40 cards I'm sure you can see where I might draw the comparison to a ccg. Why not market the draft play seperately from the regular game so as to avoid the confusion?

But... they do market it separately. The packs specifically say Draft Starter/ Draft Pack on them, have a separate section of the website dedicated to them ( http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite.asp?eidm=260&enmi=Android:%20Netrunner%20Draft%20Play ), get separate release announcements: http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=4813

Not sure what more they could do to avoid your willingness to assume they would just abandon the LCG model to become more like EA or somesuch.

You're right that the website definitely makes a distinction between Draft Play and the normal game but not so on the retail side, where my friends and I do a majority of our game shopping.

These days the assumption is you monitor your chosen games online, then buy them once you've made your decisions. If your local shop isn't splitting them up better, to distinguish between them, speak to the manager.

Anybody who's watching the game online, seeing what's coming and when, will know the difference and not have a problem making choices in store.