I have been looking at this game some and I believe that this game is designed with casual play in mind. For those who want to play ccg like games but would rather avoid a bunch of tier one net decks. Now then, I am not trying to tell you how to play such games, merely that I think this game is designed with a certain type of audience in mind. The play style seems to be trying to capture the feel of having a limited card pool and having to just shove what you have into a deck. I get that this game will not be for everyone. Mainly I just felt like sharing my thoughts so far.

Those are all valid points. I think it will appeal to casual card gamers. I’ve also notice that the non-card gamers I discussed the game with were very enthusiastic about it.

Personally, I’m very intrigued about the competitive aspects of the game. I’d like to build up a nice winning record with a deck, then when I want to play something different trade, sell, or give it away. I can then follow my old deck on the app to see how others fare with it. I suspect you will see deck variety at events as opposed to a few different power decks, another perk for the competitive scene.

As for the people it’s not targeting, those who enjoy creating decks more than playing them, and those who want to play decks that are optimized with the most powerful combination of cards.

I think the potential for competitive play is there. I'm of the opinion that given the sheer number of decks and combinations that are available for them to create, that the power level of the decks will be on a bit of a bell curve with the vast majority of the decks being in the middle and relatively on a level playing field. Given that, it feels most games aren't going to come down to who has the better deck, but who knows how to play their deck the better to get the full advantage of it.

I would not say this game was designed for casual players, however this model doesn't have the same problems that casual players hate about games like mtg. With that said I do not believe casual players are the only ones that feel that way and this game will appeal to people that dislike seeing the same meta decks, don't like spending $250 on one competitive deck and also dont like chasing rare cards to begin with. This game is definitely friendly to those who dislike tcgs for the reasons above and like card games.

OP is completely right and that is not a bad thing at all.

Tournaments however can be structured to facilitate skillful playing. Quick example: an entry fee of $15 will allow the organizers to provide the decks to be played with and those decks can be rotated between players or auctioned using Chains as currency. And these are only two options that will eliminate power decks and bring skill and tactical play to the front. Had to remind myself that this is not a game for deckbuilders to justify why the above is a good thing.

This game seems designed to be played only in tournament mode.

At the start everyone gets a new deck, looks through the cards, and tournament starts. You can tweak in many ways. For example, first you have friendly matches for everyone to learn their own deck, drafting to choose decks, any security measures you may want to implement, and so on.

But how do you play in a casual non-tournament mode? Say I have played this for a while and I own a few decks. The plan is to go to a club, I pick the one I like to play and my opponent does the same? After a couple of weeks I get tired of it and buy a new one? I miss something to do with the cards of a deck that I have played a few times. Trade? Sell? Use for some unofficial deckbuilding option?

2 hours ago, Kalrhin said:

But how do you play in a casual non-tournament mode? Say I have played this for a while and I own a few decks. The plan is to go to a club, I pick the one I like to play and my opponent does the same? After a couple of weeks I get tired of it and buy a new one? I miss something to do with the cards of a deck that I have played a few times. Trade? Sell? Use for some unofficial deckbuilding option?

Take multiple decks, and swap between them as desired. Presumably, use the app for handicapping if you care about that. If you get tired of a deck, convince the store owner to have a swap meet tournament, or find someone who's tired of his deck and wants to trade.

19 hours ago, Nohwear said:

I have been looking at this game some and I believe that this game is designed with casual play in mind. For those who want to play ccg like games but would rather avoid a bunch of tier one net decks. Now then, I am not trying to tell you how to play such games, merely that I think this game is designed with a certain type of audience in mind. The play style seems to be trying to capture the feel of having a limited card pool and having to just shove what you have into a deck. I get that this game will not be for everyone. Mainly I just felt like sharing my thoughts so far.

I only partially agree with this. I think you are right in that this format will attract a lot of casual gamers who do not wish to spend hours upon hours perfecting a deck and learning a meta (let alone chase cards for a deck). However, as a competetive gamer I'm really excited for sealed tournaments for this game and trying to prove my skill at the *game* rather than at a particular deck or having answers for the current meta.

Of course, we have no clue yet what FFG OP is going to make of this, but I'm excited to try it.