If gaming groups are going to ask their FLGS to pay money for the OP kits, there has to be things in the OP kits that players actually desire .

I, and many others, simply have no desire for over-sized novelty cards of unique cards we already have. A lot more imagination and creativity has to be used. Oversized novelty cards of unique cards that players already have and cannot really make much use of? Really? Seriously, FFG.

As I've stated before on these forums, rather than oversized unique cards, I'd rather the monthly OP kits gave us more cards than we can actually use more of, like more Stealth cards , more Push the Limit cards , etc. Cards that players actually WANT more of. FFG could even get the online community involved with a monthly vote for the next cards to be included in future OP kits. What excitement and involvement that would generate! "Hey, loyal customers, what cards would you like us to include in your next OP kit?"

OP kits could also contain interesting scenarios and new tokens with rules to use them, like Death Star Gun Tower tokens, the rules to use them, and Death Star maps, rather than just a poster. Look how much excitement the Kessel Run event generated!

Future OP kits could also contain alternative cards with alternative base tokens for pre-existing models, so you could have new pilots for your ships, like a card and base token that could allow the Imperial player to use the YT-1300 - Grand Admiral Thrawn sent a Falcon doppleganger YT-1300 to fool Leia in the Heir to the Empire series.

Please put down some of your ideas to make the monthly OP kits something worth buying. I used to play Star Wars Minis and their OP kits used to include new maps and repainted minis that people actually wanted.

Give FFG some better ideas on these. As they are, I have no desire whatsoever for the two current OP kits.

They're more interested in providing extremely limited quantity of durable accessories that should probably be available for sale….and those ridiculous cards. Heck, I'd rather them make smaller pilot cards. I have enough difficulty managing my sideboard. I hate to complain, but these kits really just aren't desirable to me.

CaptainRook said:

I agree that durable gaming aids are something we all want, but that's what makes them great prizes for Game Night Kits. If they sold them, I would probably buy them. I'd also gladly play at game nights for a chance to win some of them. They could ditch the cards and make all the prizes some kind of acrylic token.

The over-sized ship cards baffle me. Why did they think this was a good idea? Here's a different take on that idea: regular-sized ship cards with alternate artwork, like a picture of the pilot instead of their ship. That would be cool, and definitely give you bragging rights. There are plenty of drawings to choose from in the new Star Wars: The Card Game that they could cut and paste, so it wouldn't even require a new commissioned painting (though I'd love to see Biggs, and I don't think he's in the LCG yet).

Slightly less cool would be holographic ship cards, but they would still catch your opponent's eye and be a badge of honor.

I would like to see more acrylic tokens and templates. I know there are Focus tokens from Worlds, and (red & green) range rulers from the Kessel Run events. Why not make a set of each movement type available for each sanctioned OP event. That should ensure a decent turn out for the events -- in order to get the next set of acrylic movement templates. And eventually get into the other tokens used for the game, e.g. red acrylic "stress" tokens and "evade" tokens.

As far the over-sized cards, I kinda like them for what they are -- a nice piece of art, but I would never use them in play. I would also stop right here with the Luke Skywalker/Darth Vader card. Any more would become tacky.

OR … FFG could simply no longer supply anything. Seems to me people no longer appreciated companies doing something extra. It seems that it is simply expected now days. Maybe I'm just too old, but I appreciated any company doing something extra to keep interest up.

Once again, just my 2 cents

As a newer player I have not seen any of the game nght stuff yet. I did attend KRT and was amazed they would put something together like that . The host store charged $10 and even though it was a smaller turnout basically broke even on the kit investment and everyone walked away with something.

As for game nights I recall other companies putting out product for prize giveaways, basically a unique Mini, cards, terrain feature, map, or even a nicely printed scenario pack with some tokens that you could not get anywhere else. The big difference is theres were CMG type games.

I am also of the opinion that I would not expect anything especially on a monthly basis, but if they want to go above and beyond I will provide my input.

My Thoughts :

Without a big production investment on FFG part the following would definately get me to come out on a regular basis:

Weekly prizes/Monthly top player prize :Tokens, templets, range rulers, upgrade cards. The standard ones would be fine, but I would not turn down something that looked different and made them slightly special. The Unique pilots with a base would be nice, but this does require a bit of production.

The upgarade cards alone would be nice weekly prizes as we all know that they can only be had by purchasing expansions. Right now I am guessing many would show for a cahnce to win Wave 2 upgrade cards that are not available until FEB.

If they really wanted to go all out a re-piant of an existing model that can only be obtained through the monthly game night prizes.

The way I recall other game night workig was that each week a small prize was handed out and tournament points were maintained for those that showed. At the end of the month the top point getter would get something a little extra. If the store was charged for the kits I would have not problem playing a few dolloars a week to participate.

Just my thoughts from past eperience where game nights were successful at attracting new an current players.

Slamdunk74 said:

It cost the LGS money to bring the kit in, it is not free, and thus is not extra. It is another product FFG produces, and why would anyone want to buy a bad product? Because that's what it is to be honest. If the choice is between making a bad product and no product, I'd vote no product, because at least it won't sour an LGS towards your future products.

Slamdunk74 said:

My intent here is to provide good customer feedback and advice.

I very much want this product to succeed, but no one I've talked to is the least bit interested in oversized novelty cards. I'm trying to let FFG know that they could save money by not making those and instead put other things in the OP kits, like normal-sized cards players do want multiple copies of (Push the Limit, Stealth, etc.).

I would also like players to have a chance to let FFG know what they would like in the OP kits that would make the customers ask their FLGS to purchase these kits.

Slamdunk74 said:

This implies the Game Night Kits are a favor, and they're not. They cost money, and right now, they're not worth that money. They provide very little incentive, and their entire purpose is to do that. This is no different than criticizing a Pilot Ability or Upgrade Card that is not worth it's points. The frustration from everyone stems from the fact that we agree Fantasy Flight should do this, but that they're doing it ineffectively. What's worse is that the range rulers and tokens are almost teasing us all with the fact they could put those demanded products out there. Which is why I disagree with Parakitor that making such accessories as prizes is a good idea. I can understand why acrylic gaming aids aren't included in he Core Sets, but there are enough of us regular players who are handing third-parties money to upgrade.

CaptainRook said:

So, put stuff into the OP kits that players really want, but not stuff so exclusive that they could only be found in the OP kits.

I understand that as many players who can't get access to an OP kit might become frustrated with having to be gouged on e-bay for game pieces they desire. Agreed.

So, like I said before, cards the players want more of could be the main incentive for the OP kits.

I like the idea of putting upgrade cards in the OP Kits.

Nobody at my venue is excited about the oversized cards at all, nobody.

Stormtrooper721 said:

This, totally.

Nothing turns me off a game where some content is only available at events that my playing group can't get to. And then you have the problem of ensuring that those exclusives are balanced with the rest of the game. And then the further problem of future expansions that have to be balanced against a bunch of exclusives that a minority have.

Cards with alternate artwork/flavour text? Great idea. If said cards are tied to the event scenario and missions? Even better. Exclusives that I can't get without paying some ebay gouger? No way.

Battle Damage said:

Exclusives create a gaming environment that exhausted me from wanting to play games at all. I ran several MechWarrior and Mage Knight events a week for a long time. It creates a competitive environment that tends to sap the creativity to from a group. FFG's history with supported play has been good in this way, and my criticism of their kits is only that they could be better, not that they're bad. They're at least not on the wrong course. It's just that I can't really do anything with two range rulers and those novelty cards that will draw players to an event…and unfortunately, the enjoyment of the game just isn't enough right now. Maybe they're just holding out for the game to get it's feet under it before the good hits become available. I just feel the need to remind everyone that these kits are not free, and the stores/leagues must pay for them…if they were free, I'd shut up and let it ride. The fact is, they're a product…and I feel as if they're off base.

These Game Night Kits just highlight the fact FFG do not understand how Organized Play works, and how the relationship with local Game stores work. FFG seems to think that Game night Kits are something they should produce and sell at a level that makes them a profit. Wheras Organized Play should basically be an extension of advertising budget. Having local stores play your game is the best advertisment possible.

For example Wotc produces lots of Promos for MTG. Pre-release promos, Friday Night Magic Promos. They also used to run a scheme where they mailed Full-art versions of popular cards out to player directly, based on how many tournaments the person played(encouraging people to play MTG in local stores), and these were all given out for free. Another example of this is the Pro Tour, which is run at a massive loss. There are 500+ Pro tour qualifiers(PTQ's) a year and every one of them offers an invitation to the PT and a free flight(for example I took part in the world Magic cup this year and got a free flight to Gencon worth $1500). These prizes are highly desirable and PTQ's are super popular, and cost about $20-40 entry, and all of this money goes to the local stores while WOTC gets nothing but pays for the flights etc.

They do this because having these events, and having people play your game in store every week promotes your game and gets more new players to play, and in the long-run makes more revenue than if they just charged for all these services. Creating strong tournament scene incentivises people to pick up the game because of the rewards, which makes local tournaments more popular, which means more people playing the game in stores, or talking about it their friends. There are huge knock-in effects.

Another thing WoTC does is that they release very limited runs of special box sets, which are only available through local game stores. These products are sold to the game stores for basically production cost and the store is able to sell them for $100+ each, making massive profits. These products are done as a way to reward local stores for supporting their game. Wheras FFG holds events like the Kessel Run Event where they sell Kits to local stores at something close to normal wholesale, and then tell the local stores to hold events for free.

It's a very long road to get a successful competitive scene going but you need to start by being prepared to make a loss in the short-run. FFG don't get this and they'd rather make a profit on a game night kit that might sell a few hundred copies, and creating basically no interest or excitment in local stores. They need to do a better job at getting local game stores on board. I know from personal experience that all the game stores I go to have a very negative veiw of FFG's service, support and reliability. Everyone speaks highly of the consistant quality of the games though.

If they want to start making some progress they should offer things like alternate art cards(that can be produced relatively cheaply) in their Kits and giving them out to stores for free, based on the number of unique players and total players each store manages to attract, as well as the amount of product they sell.

Deku_the_Evil_Clown said:

Well spoken, and it's very good to hear from someone with such tourniment experience. X-Wing Minis doesn't have the following of MTG yet though.

Alternative art cards, more already produced and much desired cards such as Push the Limit and Stealth, and new scenarios to make the OP kits an event worth generating excitement, but no exclusive new product that is not easily attained elsewhere. This is good market research.

I'm not convinced that FFG has to take a loss for these, however. The players at my venue, GameKnight in Winnipeg, are willing to pay the store to bring in the kits once they become worth it but, if FFG lowers the price to break even and counts it as advertising, that would sweeten the deal.