FAQ: The Cycle of KARDS

Hello everyone!

Following the announcement in Lead Game Designer Keli’s dev blog about the new content cycle, we have prepared a list of the 10 most frequently asked questions from the KARDS community. If you missed Keli’s dev blog, you can check it out here: The Cycle of KARDS

You can also check out the latest episode of the official 1939 Games podcast, The Frontline, where Keli and Chief Creative Officer Gummi talk about the content cycle and answer some community questions.

FAQ

1. Why are you introducing a rotation?

As we are introducing a new cycle of regular content delivery, with a major expansion every 6 months and potential smaller releases in between, this could lead to up to 200 new cards coming into the game each year. This can lead to a number of issues (e.g. deckbuilding becoming tedious, power creep issues, inaccessibility for newer players). We want to implement a good and stable mechanic that deals with these potential issues before they become actual, big problems that can cause a lot of trouble. This is how we aim to lay the groundwork for a long lasting, successful and enjoyable game where players have a framework they can trust will last in the long term. We see the rotation as a necessary step to take as the game matures, to create a healthy cycle for the longevity of the game.

2. Why is 800 cards the number you aim to maintain?

In deciding on this exact number, the ratio of competitive versus filler cards was an especially important point. Compared to many other card games out there, KARDS has a relatively high number of competitive cards. Another main point taken into consideration is the overall diversity and depth of the meta, which we feel is achieved well in KARDS at around 800 cards. That said, there’s always the possibility that this number may be adjusted in the future.

3. What happens to cards in the Reserve pool?

Cards that move into the Reserve pool will remain a part of your collection. You’ll still be able to use them in Training matches, challenge matches against players on your friends list, as well as an upcoming PvP game mode, Classic. Cards in the Reserve pool may be reintroduced into the game alongside a new expansion. You will also be able to keep creating cards that are in the Reserve pool with Wildcards, but you’ll receive a warning prompt as you try to create a Reserve pool card.

4. Why is there no ranked/leaderboard in Classic?

As our playerbase is not as large as some other popular card games out there, we have decided not to have a competitive leaderboard in this game mode for the time being, as this may be detrimental to the overall health of the game. There is however the possibility that this may be introduced in the future.

5. Will there still be balance patches?

Yes! While balance patches will play a much less significant role in shaping the meta of the game, you can still expect some balance patches. Balance patches will especially be used to address any serious bugs or power issues, such as overpowered cards or particularly toxic cards or card combos.

6. When will I know which cards will be rotated out?

We’ll communicate about the specific cards to be rotated into the Reserve pool several weeks ahead of time - you can generally expect about 4-6 weeks notice. The full list will be communicated through dev blogs and we’ll make sure that this is communicated in the UI as well - potentially marking them in your collection and warning you when you’re trying to create a soon-to-be Reserve card with Wildcards. These cards will also stop dropping in packs well in advance.

7. Will I be compensated when my cards move into the Reserve pool?

Yes - we are currently planning for a one-time larger compensation when the first full rotation hits with the summer expansion. Going forward, we are reworking the crate mechanic, which includes cards that you own entering the Reserve pool going towards filling your crate. Other things, such as gaining a national level may also go towards filling your crate. The crate will also be filled more frequently but each crate will offer reduced rewards (overall similar gains, but you’ll open your crate more often).

8. Will any card packs aside from Core and the latest expansion be available?

National packs will continue to be offered as rewards as they are now. We may also put together some specific pack types down the line and make them available in the shop for a limited time.

9. Duplicate protection - what does it mean?

Duplicate protection means that you will not receive duplicates in card packs if possible. Duplicate protection will not affect rarity distribution within the packs, so if you have a fully completed collection of cards of a certain rarity you will then receive duplicates in that rarity (e.g. if all standard cards have been collected you will start getting standard duplicates).

10. When will the first rotation happen?

The first phase of the rotation will happen in spring, that is most likely to happen in late April. This will be a very minor rotation to test the feature and gather more feedback. Around 5 very infrequently used cards will be moved into the Reserve pool, all cards except the latest expansion (Legions) moves into the Core set, and Theaters of War and World at War bundles will be removed from the shop. The first real rotation will hit this summer, when the summer expansion is released, at which point around 80 new cards enter the game and the same number of cards move to the Reserve pool. We also aim to introduce the Classic game mode around the same time.

Please let us know in the Content Cycle Feedback channel on Discord if you have any feedback or questions about the new content cycle!