First new products are available!

Kraus wrote:

No.

Just, no.

Why?

Play the game. It's exciting.

I have, and multiplayer is not for me. I like two player better.

PetriWessman wrote:

Real-money gambling aspect is the worst idea for this game I've heard in a long time, sorry. Just no.

Why? You don't have to say sorry before shooting down the idea, but I'm curious why people would not even consider it. Have you tried? Again, it worked well for me when I was showing friends and friends of friends how to play.

PetriWessman wrote:

...frustration of getting N+1 copies of a useless card while trying to get a few copies of the card you need for your decks...

How will it be changed with fixed distribution? From presemt KoT reprints, for example, I need just charismatic auras. But 8 copies. How many useless cardboard I have to buy to get them?

PetriWessman wrote:

As for new players: maybe the guys will introduce ready-to-play starter decks again at some point. Or this-is-all-you-need-to-play starter kits.

After first couple of games any new player, who like the game, will want to start deckbuilding.

So one more time - how you are suggesting to provide opportunity for this to him at a local game store?

I have, and multiplayer is not for me. I like two player better.

I mean, here's the thing: in that case you're not talking about VtES anymore. VtES is a 4-5 player multiplayer deck-building card game. Anything other than that is not VtES as is, but something else entirely. If you want to have kicks on gambling, and don't do VtES, why are you suggesting gambling on a VtES forum?

As a matter of fact, the game used to have playing-for-ante cards. They are banned from competitive play. It's a hobby, not work, and for one I don't want to start making money out of my hobbies. It makes player and fan bases toxic.

People I know want to spend their money on living expenses and life.

So one more time - how you are suggesting to provide opportunity for this to him at a local game store?

This game really goes both ways: hypothetically, if YOU were the designer, and forced out of the random distribution model (let's just pretend that's a thing), how would you do that?

Kraus wrote:

It makes player and fan bases toxic.

This is true. Having money at stake is not a good idea for a card game.

Kraus wrote:

This game really goes both ways: hypothetically, if YOU were the designer, and forced out of the random distribution model (let's just pretend that's a thing), how would you do that?

It's not a game, it's kind of a math exercise. When we have limitations of store (no more than 5-6 products), of player (ability to purchase in $10 bunches) and the game (8+ copies of some cards in a deck are essential) than I see no acceptable "solution" with fixed product contents.

Kraus wrote:

I have, and multiplayer is not for me. I like two player better.

I mean, here's the thing: in that case you're not talking about VtES anymore. VtES is a 4-5 player multiplayer deck-building card game. Anything other than that is not VtES as is, but something else entirely.

Technically, this is false. From the rulebook: "Vampire: The Eternal Struggle is a trading card game in which two or more players take on the roles of ancient vampires known as Methuselahs."

In reality, though, I get that VTES is intended as a multiplayer game, and that 2-player games are not the same as multiplayer games. No argument from me on that. I will argue that I am still playing VTES, although in a different way than most people play it. I'm still using VTES decks and playing the game as outlined in the rulebook. It's still VTES, just not multiplayer.

If you want to have kicks on gambling, and don't do VtES, why are you suggesting gambling on a VtES forum?

Again, I am "doing" VTES. See the quoted section in the rulebook above. It's just different than how you "do" VTES.

As a matter of fact, the game used to have playing-for-ante cards. They are banned from competitive play. It's a hobby, not work, and for one I don't want to start making money out of my hobbies. It makes player and fan bases toxic.

Perhaps I should reiterate that what I am proposing is a variant of VTES, not changing VTES entirely. What I had in mind was a purely casual variant with a "house rule" where people can ante money. I agree that it should not be competitive because of the issue with the uncontrolled region and not being able to check if a restriction is met.

elotar wrote:

How will it be changed with fixed distribution? From presemt KoT reprints, for example, I need just charismatic auras. But 8 copies. How many useless cardboard I have to buy to get them?

How many boosters of would you have to buy to get 8 copies of charismatic aura? Charismatic Aura is listed as uncommon.You get 2 uncommons per pack. Assuming even distribution you'll have to buy 49 packs to get ONE copy of that card and 538 other bits of useless cardboard. Remember that you said your only aim is to get Charismatic Aura. Following that math, you'll have to buy 390 packs to get 8 of that card and as a result have 4,300 more useless bits of cardboard.

The way i see it you have these options:

Wait until Black Chantry offers singles as print on demand and buy singles there.

Wait for the secondary market to get its stock of what i assume will be a MASSIVE influx of stock from the reprints and buy them as singles from ebay or whatever have you.

If that doesnt work for you, then i can only offer you the words of the prophet Jagger: youty.be/82zY9oAIu7A