Sol Badguy said:

Yes sir, that's how it is with most card games based off anime TV-shows. Once they end, the card game doesn't have anything to go on with.

I love UFS, and wish for it to be once again one of the top 5 CCGs in the world like it once was. Scott Gaines and I both agree that it has the best potential of every CCG out there, just the people behind it have to unlock that potential. It's a really good game, but if I am not gaining anything back from the game that I pour into it like it has been for the past two years, then I don't see myself wasting more hard-earned money on it. Sounds harsh, but it's the reality of everybody. Admit it or not.

Shaneth said:

And theeeeeeeeeeere we have it.

I apologize if I am sounding harsh in my above rants. I tend to get very heel when it comes to certain issues.

I tend to get very angry when something is done that hurts the game I love. So bad that I sound real negative.

If prize support was good then I wouldn't have posted those rants.

Awaken said:

Wow, very nice point backed by various logical statements.[/sarcasm]

If better prizes were there from the start, then where would your statement fall? It wouldn't be necessary, sir.

Shaneth said:

Hey I can't say stuff like this anymore so anyone who's doing so I approve of (A: I've other crusades to lead and B: To be fair, I'm all raged out but I won't bore you with the details).

I think it's also a problem, but it's one of many, and not the only problem.

You can PM me, good sir.

I am always here to lend an ear.

dutpotd said:

Yes sir, timing is everything.

Now that I look at it, it's really not the rotation that killed my playerbase, everyone was all about it: It's the horsefuck that FFG calls prize support.

Shaneth said:

If you are American. Apparently the rest of the world can get boned by FFG's shipping making it entirely unworthwhile. Or by not sending pre-release material when it was ordered thereby making it IMPOSSIBLE to obtain promo cards such as Paid to Protect.

FFG clearly don't care about their player base anymore (as evidenced by the lack of communication with players etc etc) so why don't they reduce their shipping costs to compete with other online retailers (brick and mortar be damned it's fairly clear that idea failed)? It would encourage me and others i know to purchase items we can't get anywhere else. Also, if they put their product in major retailers such as Wal-Mart etc I am sure Street Fighter alone would sell 10 times as much product.

Just on the subject of prize support, the participation prizes at UK Nationals this year consisted of 2 copies each of Jin, Astrid, Kisheri and Clash of the Ages (one of the "never-before-seen" promos from the Fight Life kit, well we've all seen it) plus some other random bits and pieces. All that for everybody who entered, plus more for the top cut.

So the prize support doesn't always suck.

That's because Steve has carried this game as a baby for a long time now. Kevin for even longer before that. The only reason we get those kinds of prizes is because our organised play overlords have hearts of gold and want us all to have a good time. I'm sure people elsewhere don't have such luck.

I'm not sure whether the problem is that the FFG staff behind the game are unmotivated because they'd rather be doing something else with their lives than messing around with what they consider to be a dead game, or because the game isn't yielding nearly enough profits to warrant a great deal of investment into prize support and they're doing the best with what they have; but either way, it's unlikely we'll ever see the kind of support that the game used to see.

That said, I can't describe how much I respect the people responsible for the Pro Tour ****. It warms my heart to see people so devoted to the game and the player base that they would put such a personal investment into the development of it with little to gain in return. It's just further proof that this is the players' game now. God knows, there are some players that could probably do a better job with the artwork having seen the new champions' cards and Tekken.

If you guys love the game so much, it's you that's going to have to work for it, because FFG either will not, or cannot do it themselves.

On the off chance someone from FFG is reading this: Prove me wrong please.

Duckman said:

I doubt they'd even stock the game at this point.

Sell at Walmart? And give a big middle finger to every brick and mortar store that does carry UFS?

Sorry that things suck in Europe. I witnessed it firsthand when I was in Germany. But just because things are sh*tty over there because of customs and the distributor, it doesn't mean FFG doesn't care.

guitalex2008 said:

But that's the thing, they don't care. From absolutly no interaction with their player base, to the pathetic excuse for prize support.

guitalex2008 said:

It means they don't care... about that particular region of the world. Solutions could be offered, yet none are. Maybe it's because the affected populace don't pester FFG enough (a side-effect of the lack of visible ways to contact the UFS portion of FFG), I wouldn't know.

I remember we had to fight with the company just to get standard prize support. Do you know how fun that was? Hint, it wasn't. I play this card game as a hobby that I happen to like. When I have to downright fight with the company just to get an iota of respect as a customer? It becomes entirely not fun.

Why should people carry on playing a game that isn't fun for them anymore?

Canada doesn't go through the same problems as Europe, but I see what you mean.

Your prize support is handled through your crappy distributor of which I've heard countless complaints over the years. From you guys, actually.

FFG was sending prize support to Germany when I was there. BUT:

1) The scout had to pay taxes or whatn ot to get his FREE support...
2) The player base was nonexistent because they'd rather play a game in their language, and...
3) Whatever you pay in Canadian dollars for a pack, take the dollar sign out and put a Euro sign in front of them. It's THAT ridiculous.

I was in a store that sold UFS PACKS for FOUR EURO, which back then was about SEVEN U.S. DOLLARS. Who in their right mind would get into a card game where they have to pay SEVEN dollars for a pack, nearly THIRTY for a starter deck AND you have to learn the terminology in another language?

They don't JUST have the crappy distributor. Sure, FFG could use a different distributor... but has anyone actually complained TO FFG? They don't exactly patrol the forums like STG did.

The ONLY resolution to that issue is to thave UFS printed in EUROPE, so the shipping is less and store owners don't have to overcharge anyone. It would also help in non-English-speaking coutnries if they translated UFS.

But doing that is a huge risk for FFG. Back in the STG days it would've been nearly impossible.

guitalex2008 said:

At one point prize support switched to FFG, we've had less problems since then. We still had to renew the fight... with a different target. Right now it's peaceful - the only problems I've seen when it comes to distribution is really Europe, Singapore (if they still play) and NZ.

Still, a solution should be offered, and FFG should reach out to communities it cannot serve properly, if only to show that, y'know... they matter somewhat.

guitalex2008 said:

Yes

Most people who go to "brick and mortar" stores already play another card game. It's a stupid marketing scheme. If they want money AND a playerbase, they ought to consider whoring-out to a market that kinda, iuno, works?

Of course, they need permission from Capcom, SNK, etc...

MarcoPulleaux said:

Except that it doesn't. Wal-Mart has to accept stocking the thing, same with other stores. And they won't. Not at this point in time. You have to make them desire to carry the product first.

I think they would desire to sell it

But then again, I also don't care, nor have knowledge of what Wal-Mart does want to sell.

The first thing that I thinki really needs to improve is just Local prize support. Now more than ever...Sending us 12 copies of 2 new promos was good when the characters were stackable but no one wants a playset of White Crane. And sending me 4 legacy card packs does nothing for me as my store has no desire to play an unsupported format. We also do not want to recive a bunch of legacv boxes of product "Free of charge" as they put it instead of playmats. I want some freaking playmats.

You want playmats? I'm sure many a person who has gone to a UFS event has many extras. I have 1 of each property if I'm not mistaken.

Hell, I got one as prize support for getting into top cuts in teams earlier this year in Florida. I don't have the Morrigan one because I don't approve of censorship and they airbrushed out her nipple. lol

The point is, there will always be promos in the support no one wants. There will always be a chase promo. THAT'S INCENTIVE. Otherwise, if everyone's getting the same promo, why play?

You can't expect a company who is struggling with the game (they raised prices, then removed foils... this should be an impossibly blatant sign) to get cash from out of pocket and send to the several hundred stores worldwide five playmats every month for no good reason. Be realistic and stop asking more than what is possible by FFG at this point.

Unless you want to pay for your prize support. THEN you can ask for whatever, as long as you got the moolah to pay for it.

Even when they charge for prize support (store championships and regionals) it's so incredibly lackluster anyways. $20 for 8 promos, some card images printed on some printer paper, and a cheap plaque. Wow. The life counters for the regionals were nice but everything else was promos and playmats we already got for normal prize support for FREE, yet the regional kit had a ridiculously overpriced cost of like $120 if I remember correctly. Mainly to pay for a champions dinner that never happened anyways.

JDub said:

You think $20 for 8 Kiliks is overpriced? Please tell me who sells your weed to you, that's some high quality ****.

Not to mention you get a banner for the store. The plaque itself is almost as expensive as the price we're paying. Go to a trophy shop and ask for a plaque and get an estimate of the cheapest plaque they have. Then go to Kinko's and ask how much for a banner like the one they're offering. Then substract that again. Then substract the cost of two packs of sleeves. THEN divide that remainder by 8 to see how much the Kilik's actually cost you. You'll find the answer is negative dollars.

The life counters given are GOLD-PLATED, I would hope they cost some money to get 8 of them. Color playmats aren't free to make, either.

guitalex2008 said:

I'm not saying it's over priced I'm saying its crap. I don't want a cheap plaque or a banner. I don't want to pay for some **** no one cares about. The only thing in the kit that interests me or any of my players is the promo and I'm not paying $20 for 8 of them, when I will probably be able to buy them on CSI for $2.50 each in a month. Just because they are barely covering their costs for the kits doesn't mean what's in them is any good.