I've been playing Netrunner for a couple months and really enjoy the core mechanics of the game. I also enjoy the continual release of data packs and expansions that invite new strategies for the game.

As most of you all know, Fantasy Flight Games will begin a rotation program for most of their LCGs once the start of the 8th cycle hits the market. The first two cycles will no longer be allowed for tournament play. However, the 'big box' expansion that is the capstone of each cycle will not be rotated out of game-play.

Currently, the big box expansions contain cards for 1 Corporation faction and 1 Runner faction. This is where I see a problem in the future. There are presently 4 Corporations and 3 Runners. Assuming nothing changes with how the big box expansions are released, at the end of the 8th cycle, the following will be true:

- Each Corporation will have 2 big box expansions dedicated to it

- 2 Runner factions will have 3 big box expansions dedicated, and 1 Runner faction will have 2 big box expansions dedicated

This current method will ensure the Runner factions will have a much larger card pool than the Corporation factions. I fear this lopsided card pool will encourage FFG to fix the game by pulling a 'Game of Thrones 1st Edition' by way of releasing Netrunner 2.0

Quickly brainstorming, here are a couple ideas on how this potential problem can be mitigated:

- The capstone of the upcoming SanSan Cycle will be solely dedicated to the NBN Corporation (the only corporation to not be included in a big box expansion).

- Release a separate big box expansion that contains a completely new Runner faction.

What are your thoughts on the above?

I really enjoy this game. I don't want a problem with the card pool to wipe out my large monetary and time investment in the game.

I don't play Netrunner, but I can assure you that your assessment is no cause for alarm. Their decision to reboot AGoT was due to a number of factors, several of which were laid out during their State of the Union presentation. The game was becoming mired by its own complexity. Rules additions like moribund, the draw cap, etc. were attempts to keep things under control, but they were only fixes to a problem rooted in the game's age, and the company's inexperience with CCGs at AGoT's inception. Ultimately the only practical solution was a wholesale reboot so that the game can return to its core experience with a new set of rules that allow for more intuitive gameplay for years to come.

Netrunner, on the other hand, is still in its relative infancy, and FFG has learned much from lessons taught by AGoT, both good and bad. The rotation will help keep the card pool fresh, and let's not rule out the possibility of the Corps getting another deluxe expansion down the road to balance things out.

We have absolutley no idea what form the deluxes will take after Order and Chaos. You're working on the assumption that they will immediately start rotating through the Runners again (presumable NBN vs Shaper). We simply don't know that this is the case.

As I understand it, hitsorically, factions only ever get one dedicated deluxe. After that, who knows? Perhaps we'll see themed boxes that are inclusive of all factions, or official multiplayer or challenge variants. Nothing to panic about until we see deluxe 4 and 5 hit the announcement page.

They could balance things out by making the 4th Deluxe pack half NBN and half round-outs for the singleton and twin cards from the core set.

Currently, the big box expansions contain cards for 1 Corporation faction and 1 Runner faction. This is where I see a problem in the future. There are presently 4 Corporations and 3 Runners. Assuming nothing changes with how the big box expansions are released, at the end of the 8th cycle, the following will be true:

- Each Corporation will have 2 big box expansions dedicated to it

- 2 Runner factions will have 3 big box expansions dedicated, and 1 Runner faction will have 2 big box expansions dedicated

This notion that they'll keep putting out Deluxes until every iteration of every Corp/Runner pairing is covered has always struck me as silly. "Assuming nothing changes with how the big box expansions are released" means each faction will be represented in one deluxe set and that will be it. That's how they've done it in every other LCG, and all the indications are that Netrunner won't be any different.

For one thing, they've said that "Rotation only impacts our LCGs after they have already reached maturity." If you chart out the happy-path of one release per month with zero delays between now and Spring 2017, they only have the ability to put out three more deluxes after O&C without delaying the start of Cycle 8 into the Summer time frame. (I manage schedules for a living, so this was one of the first things I did ) I don't think the smart money's on "no delays."

"Maturity" also likely means that their intended lifecycle of Deluxe set publications are complete. Though it may just mean "Of a large enough size that rotation's impact will be mitigated." I admit this itself is not conclusive, but it's how I read it.

So, in total, my personal bet is that they'll stop at four deluxe sets. This gives them two months of lag across the next three years to absorb production or shipping delays without impacting their Rotation milestone.

Even if there is a rotation keep in mind that once every 8 years is way less than once a year like a certain collectible card game that might just be the most played collectible card game out there for some unknown reason.

Even if there is a rotation keep in mind that once every 8 years is way less than once a year like a certain collectible card game that might just be the most played collectible card game out there for some unknown reason.

Seriously though, the LCG card pool actually will still rotate each year, once the new system takes effect. The difference is just that there will be eight-ish cycles available, and only the two oldest will rotate out, making the impact on deck design much less severe except in the case of ancient mainstays (such as May the Force Be With You, to use a SW example) that will eventually disappear.