The 3 Core environment, while it hasn't even fully started yet, IS starting to be solved. The last thing FFG wants is for players to come into the game with an already solved meta game before Worlds even finishes. This can introduce diversity, which is good for catching interest.

1 minute ago, feydruatha said:

If true (I think it might be) I see this as a one time boost, to prevent the stale core only meta for 3-6 months that developed with other LCG's.

Great for those who have (a) already bought 3 cores and (b) still have enough spare cash to buy all 6 dynasty packs before Christmas.

Not so great for everyone else.

3 minutes ago, qwertyuiop said:

I'm kinda ok with either. Just that initial money sink of buying the rough equivalent of two booster boxes in 2.5 months doesn't keep up with the LCG "cheaper and easier to access than CCGs" mantra.

I don't see it as breaking from that mantra. For one 2 booster boxes would never give you all the cards.

It doesn't change the pricing, it is still cheaper, just in a more compressed time span that makes it seem less so. And it's still way easier, since it isn't card hunting. And the fact that it's sinking 2 booster boxes worth of money in 2.5 months is still way better than sinking 2 booster boxes at once, which is far more common with CCGs.

I realize this comes from guy who spoke to some guy and that I am also just some guy on the internet saying I spoke to some guy but....

I spoke to the owner of one of our local FLGS and he confirmed it as true to me.

2 minutes ago, Radon Antila said:

Great for those who have (a) already bought 3 cores and (b) still have enough spare cash to buy all 6 dynasty packs before Christmas.

Not so great for everyone else.

It's $90 tops for all 6 packs, less if your FLGS has discounts in whatever method they may or you shop discount. You are not talking about a huge chunk of change for a significant boost to the game.

And they would make a perfect stocking stuffer.

The turn around for any of the LCGs is about a month of printing and six months of shipping (roughly). That's without the playtesting phase. It makes adding and making changes based on player input an eventual process - make a choice, 4-8 Dynasty(?) packs later, it's implemented. Maybe this builds the pool, then we can see tournament results weight in.

3 minutes ago, Radon Antila said:

Great for those who have (a) already bought 3 cores and (b) still have enough spare cash to buy all 6 dynasty packs before Christmas.

Not so great for everyone else.

Depends on how long the next release is after the burst. If they have the standard cycle time, but release them all up front, you can always buy based on need and spread the cost out over the 6 month cycle duration.

I think it's a good thing that they experiment with the LCG format and the slow trickle can lead to an unexcited and drawn out built up of the card pool where one huge dump of cards can be much more excited even if it is followed by a lull. I think though the better way to do this would be to start off with a big box or two. Releasing a pack a month is a logistical nightmare. I'm pretty sure those packs are all going to be sold somewhere on week 1 so might as well have just boxed them all up in one go. I still think increasing the cost of entry for the game will do more harm than good rather than stagger the expense out through the year. Especially when you talk about doing it into the Christmas season where money is tight.

I would actually like for this to become the norm, provided they start the six week release process every 3-6 months. That way I feel you get the best of both worlds. You get the low cost of entry ($120 every 6 months is the same as $20 a month) while also getting to enjoy a meta. My problem with the current LCG model is once I start to enjoy my deck there's a new pack that changes everything. I would much rather get that hit all at once and get a few months to enjoy it.

Sounds like they're trying to avoid what happened to Destiny when it started, where low availability and lack of expansions meant you kept going up against the same two or three builds for months.

Yeah I'm coming around to the idea of a burst of cards then a lull, but it still feels like too much too soon right at the launch of the game. You are asking someone to pay for 3x cores and 6 packs in a couple month period. that's quite an investment. Also if they plan to do this long term I think it would be better logistically if it was just one big box rather than a bunch of packs.

2 minutes ago, JRosen9 said:

I would actually like for this to become the norm, provided they start the six week release process every 3-6 months. That way I feel you get the best of both worlds. You get the low cost of entry ($120 every 6 months is the same as $20 a month) while also getting to enjoy a meta. My problem with the current LCG model is once I start to enjoy my deck there's a new pack that changes everything. I would much rather get that hit all at once and get a few months to enjoy it.

Agreed. 6 packs in 6 weeks. Then 3 months in, the Deluxe Box. Then 3 months later, 6 packs in 6 weeks. Lather, rinse, repeat.

1 minute ago, DailyRich said:

Sounds like they're trying to avoid what happened to Destiny when it started, where low availability and lack of expansions meant you kept going up against the same two or three builds for months.

Then they should do this every cycle.

I'm happy for this piece of news, but confused about the game's future schedule ¨(maybe change it to a biweekly plan?).

Just now, StompingGrounds said:

It's $90 tops for all 6 packs, less if your FLGS has discounts in whatever method they may or you shop discount. You are not talking about a huge chunk of change for a significant boost to the game.

And they would make a perfect stocking stuffer.

In the interest of disclosure, I live in a country where $90 is, in fact, considered a hunk of change.

Most of the players in my country have probably already bought 1 core, 3 for the very passionate ones - but that's cash they saved up for two years in anticipation of L5R's return.

All this is doing for us, is ensuring that the local Kotei will either remain at 3 Core for the better part of 2018 (meaning we'll never win at Worlds), or never coming back online.

Hopefully we'll get an article today explaining it better than this leak with no context.

5 minutes ago, phillos said:

Yeah I'm coming around to the idea of a burst of cards then a lull, but it still feels like too much too soon right at the launch of the game. You are asking someone to pay for 3x cores and 6 packs in a couple month period. that's quite an investment. Also if they plan to do this long term I think it would be better logistically if it was just one big box rather than a bunch of packs.

I will agree that this does seem to be pushing this early, but I'd bet it's only because of Christmas.

1 minute ago, Radon Antila said:

In the interest of disclosure, I live in a country where $90 is, in fact, considered a hunk of change.

Most of the players in my country have probably already bought 1 core, 3 for the very passionate ones - but that's cash they saved up for two years in anticipation of L5R's return.

All this is doing for us, is ensuring that the local Kotei will either remain at 3 Core for the better part of 2018 (meaning we'll never win at Worlds), or never coming back online.

With all due respect, Radon, I respect and sympathize with your country's economic woes, but companies cannot make business decisions based upon those that are not in their target audience. If they saved up that long for 1 or 3 core sets, it's unlikely they were too worried about the Dynasty packs, anyhow, as $15 a month would still be considered significant.

Just get them when you can. They will still be available when people are ready to purchase them.

I already have friends who loved the game but won't touch it because the 3-core entry fee is too much for them. Add 6 packs practically right of out the gate and that's a significant hurdle. I was able to spread out my purchase of cores from GenCon to now, but telling a brand new player that they'll need over $200 to get in is going to be rough.

4 minutes ago, RandomJC said:

I will agree that this does seem to be pushing this early, but I'd bet it's only because of Christmas.

Maybe that was their thinking, but I find it hard to believe that cycle pack sales will be a popular Christmas item. Most people that are committed to the game are gonna be buying these things as they release to stay current with their local meta. I can't see waiting till after Christmas to find out if my wife took the hint to throw these packs in my stocking. Talk about a stressful gamble considering LCG products do often sell out on initial release.

1 minute ago, theninthguardian said:

I already have friends who loved the game but won't touch it because the 3-core entry fee is too much for them. Add 6 packs practically right of out the gate and that's a significant hurdle. I was able to spread out my purchase of cores from GenCon to now, but telling a brand new player that they'll need over $200 to get in is going to be rough.

Exactly my concern.

6 minutes ago, Barbacuo said:

Then they should do this every cycle.

I'm happy for this piece of news, but confused about the game's future schedule ¨(maybe change it to a biweekly plan?).

Maybe, but it's more important early on when there's a limited card base. Everybody gravitates to the handful of power builds and it gets boring playing against the same decks over and over again. Getting more cards out early leads to greater variety in deckbuilding and more interesting games.

2 minutes ago, theninthguardian said:

I already have friends who loved the game but won't touch it because the 3-core entry fee is too much for them. Add 6 packs practically right of out the gate and that's a significant hurdle. I was able to spread out my purchase of cores from GenCon to now, but telling a brand new player that they'll need over $200 to get in is going to be rough.

My country's playerbase in a nutshell.

2 minutes ago, phillos said:

Maybe that was their thinking, but I find it hard to believe that cycle pack sales will be a popular Christmas item. Most people that are committed to the game are gonna be buying these things as they release to stay current with their local meta. I can't see waiting till after Christmas to find out if my wife took the hint to throw these packs in my stocking. Talk about a stressful gamble considering LCG products do often sell out on initial release.

Christmas causes very odd schemes from the outside that only make sense because it's Christmas on the inside.

I for one would be 100% down with this. I hear that the meta in LCGs is very slow to develop and I would be all over these cards and the accompanying events. But something tells me there may be more to this that we aren't privy to.

But it's a bold move Cotton. Lets see if it pays off...

LCGs stagnate. For whatever reason, they do. Unless this model sells like hotcakes and does it consistently.. retailers aren't going to be on board.