Suggestion: LCG Core Complement Packs

By Grrhawk, in Living Card Games

Posted at

Kirath said:

Would it be possible to make a Core Set that only contains a single copy of every card, or would that ruin the consistency of the starter decks? I think that the Call of Cthulhu Core Set is made like this, but I'm not entirely sure. It would surely make it a lot easier for me to pick up multiple Core Sets. ^^

That's how the Star Wars LCG core set works (for the most part… there's 2 objective sets that you get 2 off because they're used in 2 of the starter decks, so you can keep all 4 starter decks built).

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Yes, Call of Cthulhu has 1x copies of all the cards. In my opinion it works great. You can buy 2xCores and be pretty good, or buy 3xCore which is only necessary if you want to be a completist and whatever way you go there are zero wasted cards.

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As far as I'm concerned there are two good solutions that FFG could impliment, and one "bad" solution.

1) include the additional cards in a single product - probably package it with some new cards, and maybe new mechanics. (For example the catalcyism expansion for warhammer could include the missing cards from the core as well as all the new cards - everyone's going to buy it, now they have complete playsets).

2) include the missing cards peicemeal. This expansion comes with all these new cards and 1 copy of card X from the core set, this would lower the extra cost across multiple packs.

3) They could use PoD to complete the play set. These cards would be "marked" however because POD isn't the same cardstock.

Posted at

As far as I'm concerned there are two good solutions that FFG could impliment, and one "bad" solution.

1) include the additional cards in a single product - probably package it with some new cards, and maybe new mechanics. (For example the catalcyism expansion for warhammer could include the missing cards from the core as well as all the new cards - everyone's going to buy it, now they have complete playsets).

2) include the missing cards peicemeal. This expansion comes with all these new cards and 1 copy of card X from the core set, this would lower the extra cost across multiple packs.

3) They could use PoD to complete the play set. These cards would be "marked" however because POD isn't the same cardstock.

Posted at

This is a great debate. And I'm more than glad to see it surface. My meta and I had played this game many a years ago when it was still a CCG. We had the same arguements when it switched to the LCG model:

1. Why aren't there enough cards in one chapter pack for a full deck?

2. What do you mean I have to buy 3 packs if there's a really cool single that I want?

3. Wait, we know EXACTLY what's in each pack? Dude… that takes away the surprise and Christmas aspect of opening each pack.

4. Etc, Etc.

We actually didn't like the changes so much that the meta for Agot disappeared in our town. We all stopped competing, went on with our lives, and occasionally pull out an old deck or two to play with family. We loved this game and absolutely hated the new model. Sure, you would spend more money in the long run buying boosters. But that whole aspect of trading with friends and not knowing what you were getting was important to us. We tried playing with the "new" core packs; and it was just awful. I sincerely hope that they do something to add packs or boosters or something back in. It would be a real shame if FFG couldn't capitalize on this time period where the tv show is approaching a peak of popularity. I mean really, they could have had people that didn't ever think of card games go, "There's a Game of Thrones card game?! And it's not for kids?! Dude, I'm totally gonna try that!" They still can, but with our metas not being what they were, no one to get excited with them about it. Purely subjective, I know. Point though. Game seemed like it was more popular about 5 years ago… before the changes. Don't believe me? Where's Ktom? Where's that cool dude that ran AGOT in his basement and had walls of booze? Where's that red headed Morgan chick? Where's Lucas recruiting game stores across the midwest? And finally, where's Tzumainn? If these names and places mean nothing to you, you haven't played in the Golden Age of the game.

Just my two cents. Good to see the game is at least alive still.

Later, heroes.

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Believe me, I know about the surprise aspect of CCGs. I love opening a pack and finding new cards. This is what got me into Magic, On the Edge, and Battletech back in the 90s. This is part of the reason why I still love CCGs like the Spoils, and enjoy collecting things like Go-gos.


But I'd much rather have a balanced game that anyone can buy into. This is why I love LCGs, and think that any CCG would be much better as an LCG. The game aspect is so much more important to me than the random, collectible aspect.

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JasperIII said:

It would be a real shame if FFG couldn't capitalize on this time period where the tv show is approaching a peak of popularity. I mean really, they could have had people that didn't ever think of card games go, "There's a Game of Thrones card game?! And it's not for kids?! Dude, I'm totally gonna try that!" They still can, but with our metas not being what they were, no one to get excited with them about it.

No, what they'd really say is "What, another CCG? Where whoever has the most money wins? Like Magic? Dude, there is no way in hell I'd buy into that!"

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skwizzle said:

JasperIII said:

It would be a real shame if FFG couldn't capitalize on this time period where the tv show is approaching a peak of popularity. I mean really, they could have had people that didn't ever think of card games go, "There's a Game of Thrones card game?! And it's not for kids?! Dude, I'm totally gonna try that!" They still can, but with our metas not being what they were, no one to get excited with them about it.

No, what they'd really say is "What, another CCG? Where whoever has the most money wins? Like Magic? Dude, there is no way in hell I'd buy into that!"

Which is why you patiently explain to them what a LCG is and how it is a superior model to the older TCG model. Works every time for me.

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Toqtamish said:

Which is why you patiently explain to them what a LCG is and how it is a superior model to the older TCG model. Works every time for me.

The guy I was replying to wants Fantasy Flight to take A Game of Thrones back to the CCG model; I was arguing why that's a bad idea. You explain it to him, if you think you can do a better job.

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He wants a CCG back ? WTF!

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Toqtamish said:

I don't know if you know this already but this has been brought up about a million times before and FFG has said very clearly they will not be doing this. They have said it is not cost effective to do this. The reason core sets are the way they are is because they prefer card diversity over a full playset in Core sets. Also you do not need 3 of every card. I have two core sets for both AGoT and Android: Netrunner and that is more than enough and the only reason I did that is to build multiple decks.

Netrunner is Ok if you get 2x Core Sets (unless at some point for a specific deck/meta you need 3 copies of the singles included to run smoothly).

But if you try Call of Cthulhu you will be surprised at how many of the core cards run 3x in almost any deck (especially competitive decks)!!!

An Advanced Core Complement Pack would be God sent!

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I only really play Netrunner, but I'd like to see a complement pack of some sort…even if it's just for the one-offs (as I didn't have a huge problem buying another core set…having 4 possible decks at a time might be nice). There aren't too terribly many, like 10 maybe, if that?