CCGs are based on a model of adding new stuff every few months. This is good. It keeps the game fresh etc etc. But it also means new players only become more behind the later they start and we need some way of managing that. Duelyst, like many ccgs, introduced set rotation and formats to manage this and that’s a great start. But we still need a way to get new players caught up if we want them to play unlimited. So what do we do? No one knows for sure (but lucky for you I have some proposals).
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No extras from core orbs.
The core set will always be in standard, and there’s a few hundred cards in there. It’s a good idea for new players to start by buying core orbs because they’re a safe investment and the cards are simpler and good for learning the game. But most new players are going to want to play the cool decks with the latest cards. So why not disable extras? CPG would also probably have to disable disenchanting core orbs to prevent cheating tons of extra spirit, but the benefit is that new players can know exactly how many core orbs away from a full core set they are. You could even offer a bundle of the entire core set for however many diamonds. -
The return of monthly cards.
Those of us who have been playing a while remember getting new cards added to the game every month. CPG stopped doing it for a bunch of reasons, but I’d guess a lot of people miss them. So why not use them to help new players with their collection? Every month, reward players who hit gold with 3 copies each of an old epic and legendary. These would be neutral cards from expansions that are no longer in standard, and the monthly cards would be in standard like all other cards released that year (so monthly cards rewarded in 2020 would be in standard until the first expansion of 2022.) -
“Best of” sets
That’s all well and good for neutrals, but what about faction cards? Great question! These could be released as mini sets between main sets. Like RotBB and AB before they merged in a tragic teleporter accident. So if full expansions are released every March, July, and November, the Best ofs could be released in May and September. Maybe January. We’ll see. These sets would be 3-4 old cards from each faction and like the name implies, they would be cards that saw a lot of play when they were in standard or see a lot of play in unlimited. Most or all of these cards would then be legal in standard for the normal time. I’m allowing for these to include cards that don’t come back to standard for flexibility. -
Clearance sales
Big discounts on sets that are about to leave standard. These sales would last some amount of time leading up to duel year’s eve (ie the release of the March expansion). So Next January/February/March (or however long it lasts) Bloodbound Ancients, Unearthed Prophecy, and Immortal Vanguard would be on sale. So if someone were to start playing during, say, the July expansion, they could expect to pick up a ton of stuff for unlimited in a few months when they’re more comfortable in the game and want to see everything.
So those are my ideas (I’m pretty sure this isn’t the first suggestion thread I’ve started at 2:00 am. I’m also pretty sure this won’t be my last.) They’re a mix of getting new players caught up and shaking up standard more often. Any other ideas for achieving those goals? Feel free to post them here.