Cost for printing cards (PoD/LCG/...)

4) Ban Enkil Cog and Ashur Tablets so they don't need to be reprinted?

More seriously though, I can see that as a business model there may be some merit in overpricing bespoke single card picks, but offering a lower per-card price if cards are bought in fixed blocks of say 40, 50 or 60 cards - i.e. something analagous to the old starters or the FFG LCG expansion packs.

johannes wrote:

Also print cost is interesting but only partially relevant since it doesn't figure cost for operating a website, licensing, development, artwork, product management, free prize support etc...

So, is the V:EKN still a volunteer organization dedicated to promoting tournament and casual play?

Jeff wrote:

johannes wrote:

Also print cost is interesting but only partially relevant since it doesn't figure cost for operating a website, licensing, development, artwork, product management, free prize support etc...

So, is the V:EKN still a volunteer organization dedicated to promoting tournament and casual play?

Where in that list do you see "salaries for VEKN members?" This is going off topic, so please create a new thread if you want to rant (or if others want to counter-rant).

Jeff wrote:

So, is the V:EKN still a volunteer organization dedicated to promoting tournament and casual play?

Unless I have missed the press release, I assume the vekn is still what you ask it to be.
I see the PoD story as an opportunity for the community*, not as a threat. It is not unlikely that this community would come up with starter-deck-like decklists and provides those to the printer as decks for new players. There are enough examples of well worked out decks:
Barbed Wire Project
Reasonably Priced decks
And of course there is Thelasombra's archive

Unless all those people slam copyright on those decklists, those decks are ready to send to the printer.

*community: the group of current, past and future v:tes players.

@Ralf:
I had no idea that VTES cards aren't basically US Poker Card size. I've been having a horrific time trying to find more than 2 or 3 suppliers in the world who will do POD printing for 3.5" square cards (to use as the VTES Counters).
Getting cutting dies made, so that I could use a local Australian producer, cost something like $250 up front before paying for card printing. It's prohibitive unless you're doing big runs.

johannes wrote:

Also print cost is interesting but only partially relevant since it doesn't figure cost for operating a website,
Licensing, development, artwork, product management, free prize support etc.. But it serves as a good indication that 20 cents is totally unrealistic when the printing costs already half of it.!

I know it takes money beyond the simple print cost to make the print-on-demand work. But I sees this from new player's perspective (or for purpose of recruiting new players for the game if you will). I also acknowledge, that it's dirt cheap for existing players then to reprint Ashurs, Baltimore, Enkil, ...

But .. if a full deck with ~90 cards cost more $22.50 (more 25 cents per card) can I really convince new players to join? Honestly, I could not. For comparison, previously VTES starter decks with 89 cards had cost (and still cost for those available) $9.95 (iirc).

Maybe we need some mixed approach. Have some starter-like decks as before with a fixed set and with lower price, and on top of that have the pick-some-cards-print-on-demand for totally individual decks.

With 40 cent per card and 90 cards, a full deck would cost $36 dollar. That's prohibitive cost for new players, even if they could freely customize their deck.

P.S.: I could saved some time if I had read Izaak's post first.