Rare Cards: Do They Need to Exist?

[Essence]

Basically, what the poll says.  I believe that the card supply has changed enough that Arctic Octopus and Miracle are no longer the just-slightly-too-powerful-for-mainstream badasses that they once were.  Anyone who farms t-50 or above just takes Miracle for granted; it's not even a thing.

Arctic Octopuses are still rare to come across, but I believe that that alone indicates that they're not overpowered.  t-50 farmers can easily come across a dozen Eternities, Pulverizers, and SoGs in a day of dedicated farming, because those are the power-cards that everyone is after.  No one puts up an Octopus farm except on request, because they're just not that strong compared to the other options out there.  In fact, I'd argue that mono-Water is pathetically weak without them, and still lags behind Dark and Fire with them.

So, this is my plea: Let's get together and agree that the Rare cards need to be mainstreamed, and let Zanz know before real life drags him kicking and screaming away from Elements again.

[coinich]

I like the concept of rare cards here, but I dare say we have an unlimited source with the format (ie flash) that we're dealing with here.  In a regular TCG, rares are something that are hard to come by, theoretically, and often give good benefits.  They are sought after, and take a bit of effort or money to claim one as your own.  Here, you can just more or less request a farm; that rare in that farm is near duplicated; both people have them.  The only thing in this game that truly qualifies as a rare card are the old fire mark/pillars, and even then given enough time and probability, and they could propagate.

[yeehaw]

They range from "cute" (Octopussies which I am still hunting for, anybody  ) to "essential." (Pulvs, Eternities).
Though I am not in favor of it, I suppose some cards could be rared for the collectors out there. The essentials should be un-rared for those that don't read the forums and don't know how to farm top50. (And let's face it, farming top50 is boring.)
Make them cost more or whatever, just make the essentials buyable.

[Essence]

I should be specific, because I miscommunicated: I mean specifically we should mainstream Octopi and Miracles.  I believe the weapon rares should stay rare, for fun's sake.

[Cisco]

There should be more rares not less. They don´t have to be stronger than the rest. This gives you incentive to keep playing as you may wan´t 6 of all.

[bobcamel]

Getting rares is just more grindquest, and... well, with their unique/cheaper uses they're better than out-of-bazaar cards and it just makes a gap.

Being better at this game shouldn't be about having to sit on it for 3-4 weeks repeating similar things over and over, but rather about building a deck so it's as not luck-prone and effective as possible. Oh, and tactical decisions inside, probably.

[Bloodshadow]

Personally, I think you should be able to win rare cards by completing "challenges" or things like that.

[Nihilus]

Without rares to colect the game will become boring in little time.

[coinich]

I dare suggest splitting the system into uncommons and rares.  The key difference is that rare cards cannot be won on spins from T50; you cannot farm them like you could uncommons.  Both would not be available in the bazaar.

[mightyhat]

I dare suggest splitting the system into uncommons and rares.  The key difference is that rare cards cannot be won on spins from T50; you cannot farm them like you could uncommons.  Both would not be available in the bazaar.

so, you are proposing that the current rares become "uncommon" and a new class of ultra-rares be created? if the new rares could not come up on the t50 spinner, how would you get them? some new quest feature?

[bobcamel]

No, random AI drops. So people actually farm AI like it was intended instead of T50 rarefarms.

Bad idea at its best.

I personally suggest there could be some random minutes in a day when rare cards would show up on the bazaar stalls, but just for aminute or two. It'd be hard to spot and/or different for every player based on a random number generated by his client. This way... something.

[coinich]

No, random AI drops. So people actually farm AI like it was intended instead of T50 rarefarms.

Bad idea at its best.

I personally suggest there could be some random minutes in a day when rare cards would show up on the bazaar stalls, but just for aminute or two. It'd be hard to spot and/or different for every player based on a random number generated by his client. This way... something.

I didn't say it was a great idea, just an idea.  I think the spirit of the T50 farms, while well meaning, somewhat defeates the purpose of the rare cards.  I do kinda like your idea a bit better though; it would certainly slow down the proliferation of rare cards.