Plane Sailing
Astral Admin - Mwahahaha!
If you have points to make, please make them in a civil fashion without dissing people who have a different view.
Fortune Cards: and randomized collectible cards come to D&D
If you have points to make, please make them in a civil fashion without dissing people who have a different view.
TirionAnthion
First Post
Cards
It is important to note that the cards are not required to play the game. In no way do you need the cards. The cards add a random element to the game. The intent is that you should buy a pack and crack it during play to generate some random events.
Despite the use of the word "collectible" in the short description, WotC people stressed several times in Gen Con seminars that these cards are not meant to be collected and used to build decks for play. A DM could build an event deck from his card collection but it is not the most important aspect of the cards.
Once again, they are entirely optional. If you do not want them you do not need to buy them. I for one, will probably pick up a pack occasionally but I feel no need to collect all the cards. If you don't like the cards, you do not have to buy them.
I think all of us here at ENworld need to try spending some more time talking about what we enjoy about our hobby and less time focusing on what we don't like. Reading these boards lately has felt like one group sniping at another constantly. Everyone is at fault. I know it's fun to belittle the things we don't like, that is just human nature. Doing that makes us feel better about ourselves, at least in the short term. Over time it creates a toxic environment.
Sorry, didn't mean to rant a little. <puts soapbox away>
<waits patiently for snarky response.>
It is important to note that the cards are not required to play the game. In no way do you need the cards. The cards add a random element to the game. The intent is that you should buy a pack and crack it during play to generate some random events.
Despite the use of the word "collectible" in the short description, WotC people stressed several times in Gen Con seminars that these cards are not meant to be collected and used to build decks for play. A DM could build an event deck from his card collection but it is not the most important aspect of the cards.
Once again, they are entirely optional. If you do not want them you do not need to buy them. I for one, will probably pick up a pack occasionally but I feel no need to collect all the cards. If you don't like the cards, you do not have to buy them.
I think all of us here at ENworld need to try spending some more time talking about what we enjoy about our hobby and less time focusing on what we don't like. Reading these boards lately has felt like one group sniping at another constantly. Everyone is at fault. I know it's fun to belittle the things we don't like, that is just human nature. Doing that makes us feel better about ourselves, at least in the short term. Over time it creates a toxic environment.
Sorry, didn't mean to rant a little. <puts soapbox away>
<waits patiently for snarky response.>
unan oranis
First Post
They're saying it's not collectible.
But it is randomized?
Why not one full deck?
They figure they'll sell more?
I just can't see how it's not at least as collectible as "garbage pail kids" ... so even if theirs no competitive angle it's still a cheap trick.
I want some.
But it is randomized?
Why not one full deck?
They figure they'll sell more?
I just can't see how it's not at least as collectible as "garbage pail kids" ... so even if theirs no competitive angle it's still a cheap trick.
I want some.
Dire Bare
Legend
Yeah, you're right. Sorry about that. Apologies to frankthedm, Greg K, and Warlock Lord (plus anybody else that got annoyed by the post in question).
I'd double my subscription cost to ENWorld for a feature that sends me an email before each post actually gets posted to the site that basically asks, "Are you sure you want to post this?"
I get frustrated with what I see as valid opinions (do I like this feature or not) that get inflated with hyperbolic language (D&D is now like Magic) . . . . only to sometimes go overboard myself. Way overboard. Looking at my post in retrospect, I was not only being unfair and rude, but exhibiting the very behavior that I was trying to call out (unfairly).
I won't wait for Morrus to add my wished for feature above, I'll work on being more civil and fair to avoid posts like this in the first place.
Plane Sailing
Astral Admin - Mwahahaha!
Much appreciated, thanks.
Dire Bare
Legend
(Sorry to condense your post unan)
From what we know so far about the cards, they are definitely collectible. But they are not collectible in the same sense as other CCGs (Collectible Card Games).
As several folks keep trying to point out, the GW cards are an optional expansion to the game. In Magic, you have to collect a decent amount of cards before you can build a competive deck, even in casual play (unless you purchase a pre-constructed deck, but part of the fun of Magic is creating your own deck). In Gamma World, if you want to add more zany mutations and tech to your game, they're there. But if you don't, the game plays just fine without any boosters.
In Magic, you've probably got to purchase 6 - 10 boosters at least to start building your own decks. Or get some sort of boxed set, like the new "Deckbuilder's Kit" or a "Fat Pack". And even then you'd still probably want more boosters to be able to build and play a well-constructed, fine-tuned deck. With Gamma World, you can purchase however many boosters as you want, and you're ability to play the game is unchanged. You can buy a case of boosters to try and get the whole set, or you can buy 1 booster and call it good.
Could WotC have used a similar mechanic, drawing random cards from a deck for powers and gear, but used a different packaging scheme? Sure, they could have released a non-random "Expansion Deck 1" (and so on), or experimented with some other scheme.
So, why random boosters rather than an "expansion deck"? If you have just purchased the Gamma World RPG, and you're curious about getting more cards to expand your game, a single booster (and it looks like they'll be 8-card boosters) will likely only run you $2-$3. An easy purchase to make (and an easy sale for WotC). An "expansion deck" on the other hand, would run at least $10, probably more . . . a 65-card Magic decks run $13 (40 card deck plus one 15-card booster).
Of course, if you want to easily collect all the cards, a deck or expansion box would get you all the cards in one fell swoop . . . but for a non-randomized model would likely end up costing more per card.
Also keep in mind that the complete card set is likely to be much smaller than a CCG card set, so if you must collect them all you'll probably drop less cash to do it than you would with the latest Magic expansion.
Dire Bare
Legend
One aspect of the new cards that WotC is experimenting with has me curious, the different game functions of the Gamma World cards and the D&D Fortune Cards. They are both going to be packaged in random boosters, but how they are used will be different.
The Gamma World cards represent powers and gear your character has access to. You randomly choose what you get during character creation, and certain triggers in the game can cause you to randomly draw new powers and/or gear to either supplement or replace what you started with.
The Fortune Cards (as far as we know) DON'T represent your D&D character's powers and gear, but rather random events of fortune or fate that can change the direction of the story (perhaps in a small way, or perhaps significantly).
Does anybody like one of the functions above and dislike the other? Or, as I mentioned in another similar thread, are folks more bothered by how the cards are used in game . . . or how they are packaged (random boosters) . . . or both?
The Gamma World cards represent powers and gear your character has access to. You randomly choose what you get during character creation, and certain triggers in the game can cause you to randomly draw new powers and/or gear to either supplement or replace what you started with.
The Fortune Cards (as far as we know) DON'T represent your D&D character's powers and gear, but rather random events of fortune or fate that can change the direction of the story (perhaps in a small way, or perhaps significantly).
Does anybody like one of the functions above and dislike the other? Or, as I mentioned in another similar thread, are folks more bothered by how the cards are used in game . . . or how they are packaged (random boosters) . . . or both?
As much as i am always looking for an excuse to gnash teeth over the current stewardship of D&D, this just ain't that big of a deal. It looks like the fortune cards will be no more or less "collectible" and/or necessary than the D&D Minis were -- which is to say, a lot and not at all, respectively. If it's a test bed for adding a CCG element to core D&D game play and character design, it's a piss poor one: the GW mutation and tech cards are a much better idea for that kind of thing. Don't get me wrong, I think for an RPG the idea of using a CCG to build a character is terrible, but it isn't necessarily a bad idea for a game within the D&D brand, if you get my meaning.
Subtlepanic
First Post
I'll be buying these: they sound great. I love things that add a bit more chance to the game: helps keep things novel. In this respect, I fully approve of the collectible aspect. A want a new card every time!
ExploderWizard
Hero
The cards are completely optional and experimental at this stage. Making them a hard coded mandatory part of the game at this point would be like dropping the proverbial frog straight into boiling water. I think we may see more elements like these released slowly and gradually. The success of these elements will determine their impact on 5E.
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