Anyone else notice that this forum, which is for a game that isn't even getting released until 2017 Q4 (which for FFG often means 2018 Q2, if it follows their X-Wing/Armada releases) has about as many posts (~23,000) as the Star Wars LCG and The Call of Cthulu LCG, and more posts than the Android Netrunner forum? Those games are pretty popular and have been around for literally years.

Seriously... how is it possible that the forums for a game which hasn't even been robustly previewed and won't be on store shelves for at least 6-7 more months has already spawned 23,000 posts of discussion?

L5R already has a very loyal player base that's been around for 20 years. That's how.

It also has a very strong online community that are used to blabbing in forums.

Before the sale, there was at least one active forum for each clan as well as the main AEG forum.

Many of the recent topics compare and contrast the LCG with the CCG or simply try to gather information.

Early topics also pointed out what they loved and what they hated about how AEG treated the property to give their hopes and expectation to FFG.

Clan Loyality is also a thing. Mantis and Spider Clan are no more, but the L5R fanbase always had a strong affiliation with their clans.

And then there is the RPG, which lurks on the horizon.

There is simply much you can talk about.

If you carry a three foot razor blade with you around then suddenly talking to others instead of violence seems so much more of a reasonable idea... that is why we love to talk so much.

This doesn't happens because you carry a blade. It's because they have one too.