So my local gaming store and myself have been throwing random ideas around on small ways FFG could solve their fixing issues and releasing new equipment to enhance the gaming experience. One of the ideas was to have random upgrade card and pilot card boosters. With a chance of getting alternate art or even unique pilots. We could see new named pilots flying old ships for example have Rey as a pilot for the falcon.

No.

This has been yet another edition of Short Answers to Long Questions

Tune in next time!

You'll find no love on these forums for that idea.

The vast majority here appreciate that FFG lets us know exactly what we're paying for, with regard to their products.

So my local gaming store and myself have been throwing random ideas around on small ways FFG could solve their fixing issues and releasing new equipment to enhance the gaming experience. One of the ideas was to have random upgrade card and pilot card boosters. With a chance of getting alternate art or even unique pilots.

Hell. No. I don't play CCGs specifically to avoid random distribution nonsense. Currently I may occasionally buy a ship I likely won't use to get a certain card(or just borrow or go without), but when I go to buy something I know exactly what I'm getting. Why would I want to buy a pack containing random stuff I may already own, may be unique, may be limited, and almost certainly won't contain the card I'm looking for more often than not. On top of that, the lure of alt arts may be interesting, if they were all alternates, but I'd rather not introduce an actual secondary market for rare and shiny X-wing cards.

Card only packs where you know what you're getting have been proposed before and I'd be fine with, but FFG has given a definitive "Not going to happen" on them in the past, so neither of these things is at all likely anytime soon.

No on the random. Simple known card only packs, absolutely. I want Palpatine and C3PO.

The only thing about this idea that I like is the "random alt art" aspect of it. I would be fine if everyone knew that a T-70 expansion had Red Ace and Poe in it... But perhaps 5% of them had an alt art Red Ace card or something. That would be cool as far as I'm concerned.

Random I am not down with, upgrade card packs that come with known cards I would be down for.

No on the random. Simple known card only packs, absolutely. I want Palpatine and C3PO.

C-3PO? I've got seven to give away. Any stores in your area at all?

To the OP, no random contents. Would be fun to have some alt-arts or promos dropped into random ex-packs just for fun.

Random packs, HELL NO!

Are you trying to make this game into MtG where you'd need to buy hundreds of booster to get that one super upgrade you just HAVE TO HAVE to make a competitive squadron? Such a concept flies directly into the face of what X-Wing is at mach speed.

Now special, perhap even limited release, "boosters" that contain a known mix of the popular, but less available, upgrades could sell but it would be at the cost of selling some of the expansions that contain those cards normally. Who's going to buy a second StarViper if you can get the Autothrusters somewhere else?

If FFG wants to get into card packs for X-Wing the best suggestion is to release a stand alone damage deck (same at the FA starter one) and then require it to be THE DD for tournament use. It would also be a great help to anyone who has lost cards or otherwise damaged their DD.

I've heard that card packs might not be allowed in the Miniatures licensing agreement.

Also, random packs would be terrible. I don't want to have to buy 15 packs to have a decent shot at getting the one 'rare' I need for my list.

Well as a scum player I find I must by very specific packs to get cards I require and most not in my own faction. I have also noticed a growing secondary card market selling broken down kits. To help FFG with that problem have random upgrade boosters but have them with set limits like every booster would contain specific types of cards. For example a missle booster or a cannon booster. For more sale value would be one of each upgrade card type with at least one alternative art.

No random packs. Just sell packs with cards, listing the cards in the pack. To make people buy them, add Alt Art cards in the packs, then people who own Chewbacca crew will even buy the packs to get Chewbacca Alt Art.

I believe everyone here has covered most of the bases

But I do like the idea of getting more Alt Art stuff out into the world.

RANDOM?!

There is no benefit to random card boosters for any game.

FFG only includes randomized contents in Netrunner Draft packs, which are one-time products (I mean, you can still use the cards, but I imagine it's a significant amount of work to re-randomize the cards afterword). Everything else, including their CCGs, is uniform in contents. FFG has pushed their "Living Card Game" model for a long time, and they'd lose a lot of fan goodwill if they broke from it.

As far as upgrade cards being spread across faction, I suspect it's an artifact of the LCG model- LCG Expansions contain cards for each faction/alignment. Now, in that case, it's partially to add new cards to all sides with each ~20 card release, and partially because some of the games require players to bring two decks to events (Runner and Corporation for Netrunner, Light Side and Dark Side for Star Wars), but I think FFG also knows it encourages people to try a wider variety of builds (Which same more sales).

Also, FFG generally reprints important Upgrades in another Expansion within a few waves (Wave 4 saw Advanced Sensors and Fire Control System get another release, Wave 5 added another source for Gunner, wave 7 had Predator, etc.)

So my local gaming store and myself have been throwing random ideas around on small ways FFG could solve their fixing issues and releasing new equipment to enhance the gaming experience. One of the ideas was to have random upgrade card and pilot card boosters. With a chance of getting alternate art or even unique pilots. We could see new named pilots flying old ships for example have Rey as a pilot for the falcon.

Hate, hate, hate.

Sorry, nothing personal.

Also, FFG generally reprints important Upgrades in another Expansion within a few waves (Wave 4 saw Advanced Sensors and Fire Control System get another release, Wave 5 added another source for Gunner, wave 7 had Predator, etc.)

Yes, they do. I was so glad to get a couple of Advanced Proton Torpedoes when I bought my Integrated Astromech cards. And the Ghost came thankfully with *yet another* ATP! Because I really didn't have enough of that incredibly useful card!

Aside: Advanced Proton Torpedo useful? Maybe if it didn't require a pretty specific set of conditions and cost so much. To use it requires: Target at R1 and in arc, Target Lock on target or equivalent, Focus token or something else to turn eye results into booms. If the conditions are met there is a good chance of getting five good attack results but it is a one shot device.

On topic:

Even with alternative art I doubt that random boosters would go over big.

Aside: Advanced Proton Torpedo useful? Maybe if it didn't require a pretty specific set of conditions and cost so much. To use it requires: Target at R1 and in arc, Target Lock on target or equivalent, Focus token or something else to turn eye results into booms. If the conditions are met there is a good chance of getting five good attack results but it is a one shot device.

On topic:

Even with alternative art I doubt that random boosters would go over big.

I think Lingula was using sarcasm.

Also, FFG generally reprints important Upgrades in another Expansion within a few waves (Wave 4 saw Advanced Sensors and Fire Control System get another release, Wave 5 added another source for Gunner, wave 7 had Predator, etc.)

Yes, they do. I was so glad to get a couple of Advanced Proton Torpedoes when I bought my Integrated Astromech cards. And the Ghost came thankfully with *yet another* ATP! Because I really didn't have enough of that incredibly useful card!

We also get... less useful cards reprinted, true.

Random cards would mean I'd drop the game.

Seriously. I *hate* random card games with a passion legendary even in hell.

http://www.nooooooooooooooo.com/

[edit; added this just to be sure:]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MLry6Cn_D4

No for randomness.

Yes for card packs, with NEW cards. I don't want to buy pack with all cards i have just to get one i need. So basically yes to miniature-less expansions. Some pilot cards? Titles? More epic options?

Yes for random chance to get alt art.

Go play magic.

If PP sold singles in some manner, even from the Website, I'd be interested in buying a few of them. WHiel I do like buying sips, buying a ship I'm not going to use to get one pesky card is a bit of a detriment in the game.

No. Go back to mtg.