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LCGs: Re-imagining Draft
Sep 14 2017 02:40 PM |
istaril
in Articles
Let’s start by saying that I don’t think the draft formats for either game FFG has done are bad - I’ve played draft in 3 different Thrones sets across two editions, and I’ve enjoyed the format immensely. The problem, though, is that they’re not a successful product. Generally speaking, it’s almost impossible to find draft packs in your FLGS. As such, they’re relegated to something you order in for a special event. If you can. Here in Canada, availability is horrendous. It seems like stores don’t want to carry it, distributors don't want to carry it, and it becomes nigh impossible to throw together a quick draft at a local game night. It’s clearly a vicious circle; the stores don’t carry the product, so players don’t buy it, so stores don’t order it, so distributors won’t carry it…
The Draft Drought: Why don’t stores carry draft packs?
I’m speculating here, but I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say that FFG’s print on demand products are generally a hassle for stores; they’re outside of regular releases, they’re multiple additional stock keeping units (SKUs), demand for them is very unpredictable. They don’t get a lot of marketing support. Speculating even further, I assume the profit margins on PoD products are lower (as they can’t justify larger, cheaper printing runs). If I were a store, I imagine what would really irritate me is the “spikiness†of demand; you simply cannot sell 1 draft pack.
Let me elaborate: as a store, you know there’s some interest in draft, so you order 8 packs/starters (16 products). A group of 5 starts a draft, and you’re left with 3 unsellable packs/starters (6 products). Do you re-order 2 packs, but no starters, expecting them to be 5 again next time? More? More starters? Do you just keep the 3 unsellable packs/starters, wasting valuable shelf space?
It may be naive of me to think so, but I think the biggest barrier to draft’s success is making stores want to carry it. How can we set about fixing that?
It’s only a draft. Re-write it.
1) Abandon the “Draft+Starter†model
Package draft product as a single draft box. Someone wants to run a draft, they buy one product that contains everything needed to play a draft for X-Y players. In doing so, you’ve converted a product of 2 SKUs that sells in chunks of 4-16 products to a single SKU that is sold as a standalone.
2) FFG should market the product
Actively promoting the format through organized play (GNKs), events (Battle of the Trident), and marketing materials is a big deal. Remember, if done well, this can be one of the few products you can hope to sell multiple times to the same customers without inducing any ire! Aside from the Core, marketing this should be the biggest bang for your buck. Its launch should be an event. You could even imagine draft boxes that came with prize support for ‘that season’ becoming their own kind of quarterly GNK - developing only a single draft product, but packaging it with different prize support every 4 months. Each game might treat these a little differently (Thrones, which already has a second format for 2-day regionals, is at a bit of a disadvantage), the goal is to integrate the draft experience to the LCG experience as a whole.
3) Design the product & marketing to cast as wide a net as possible
We’re told that a lot of LCG sales are the “Core but (almost) nothing else†player who plays from their home with friends and family. The reason they’re invisible to the rest of the community may be an aversion to FLGS, a prohibitive schedule, no desire to build decks, the disparity of playing with veterans with access to the whole cardpool, or simply giving most of their attention to another game. Draft allows for less preparation and a lower up-front commitment to the game, and puts everyone on something closer to a level playing field. This eases some of the aforementioned considerations. Anything FFG can do to bring them into the FLGS and interact with the community could be an enormous boon. As an illustrative example, I personally have no time to dedicate to collecting, building and playing another LCG, but if there were regular L5R and Netrunner drafts - you bet I’d consider playing in one every once in a while. I haven’t played constructed Magic™ in 15 years, still indulge in the occasional draft...
4) Increase the take-home value for established players
The second draft: polish it up
The idea of a draft box isn’t a new one. Magic™, despite normally running drafts with an SKU stores are delighted to carry, have released draft-only sets, “Conspiracy†- with built-in prize support, a variety of draft-specific mechanics that went beyond draft-specific cards - they actually influenced how the process of drafting itself played out. That’s not only an opportunity that’s been missed with the LCG draft-specific products, it’s also one that becomes easier to build within a large, self-contained draft product where you can include some additional components. To draw a parallel to thrones, you could include melee titles in a draft box that you wouldn’t include in a draft starter or pack. As such, a designer can craft more of a draft experience.
Let's end by contextualizing all this. I like draft, and I wish it were better supported all-around - and I think that might have some nice large-scale payoffs for LCGs if done right. I'd love to see its format revisited. But I also understand why it's not a huge priority for the LCG team; draft hasn't been core to their games, nor does it "need" to exist for the LCG model to work. The limited use of the current draft packs isn't some damning failure of FFG's I'm criticizing; the current system was a welcome addition to the game, and a nice first-step to popularizing draft. Re-imagining it (and promoting it) would take a fair bit of time and resources, presumably from issues I think are more pressing. But still, a boy can dream, right?
- VonWibble, LGB and TreyAlsup like this
7 Comments
Credit where credit is due, a good portion of the inspiration for this article came from a great conversation with Patrick D (of Uncle's Games) when I was ranting about the inavailability of draft product I was trying to secure for a Canadian Nationals Side Event. He made me aware of a few things I wasn't, and pointed me in the direction of the Conspiracy products for comparison!
Good article.
I don't play GoT but getting the draft format to be more appealing to stores and players is always a good thing.
Point 1 is kind ridicolously correct. I am not sure if it is sad or funny. Probably is sad that they do it as 2 sku.
How do you figure? If we had to rebuy the basic cards every draft, imagine the hate they would get...
Take packaging, logistics and relataed out of the price of the starter pack. It would still be better. Even having starter packs, most time i draft I don´t have it with me. I paying more or not playing coz the starter pak is not availeble.
that's the greatest idea you've shared so far :3
Well I don't know. I still think draft and LCG are two inherently incompatible things...