Diamond Edition FAQ

I'm posting this with a caveat that you take a bit of time to digest everything here. This FAQ is going to be printed the next herald (February), but because there have been so many questions, I thought it'd be a good idea to share with you now.

You've all probably heard the rumblings about diamond Edition. Below are some frequently asked questions and answers.

As we have information, we'll keep you in the loop. Please continue checking in with us in the Herald and on our website at http://l5r.alderac.com.

Q: I just got used to the Gold format and I really like it. Why are we changing over to a new format already?
A: Two reasons. One of the biggest reasons CCG's die is lack of players. As players leave L5R players slowly leave any game, no matter how successful To replenish our retiring players, new players are needed in the mix to keep the game alive and to keep your opponent pool fresh. We want to make it as easy as possible for new players to get into the game. While a large legal card library is great for allowing flexible, varied deck design, it greatly inhibits new players from getting involved with the game. There are just too many cards for a new player to have to try to start with.
The second reason is as a card pool grows, game development becomes progressively less manageable for designers and playtesters. A smaller card pool gives our designers the flexibility to try new ideas that would not have been available to them in the past and allows playtesters to better balance cards in the initial stages of development.

Q: Is Diamond Edition going to end the current storyline and start a new one?
A: Diamond Edition is going to be like Gold: a partial reset of the card base, the beginning of a new arc in the story. And, just like with Gold, the Diamond tournament format won't be a complete reset. About half the cards in 1,000 Years of Darkness and every card in every set from The Fall of Otosan Uchi onward are both Gold- and Diamond-bugged, so players will hit the ground running and be able to play with many of the cards they already own. Players should note that at the start of the Diamond environment, there will be over 1,000 of their cards which are legal.

Q: When will Diamond Edition be released?
A: It's currently scheduled for release October-November of 2003 and is expected to be the same size as Gold Edition (500 550 cards).

Q: How will the Diamond format change how I play?
A: The Diamond format is going to address some of the imperfections in the Gold environment as well as make changes we'd like to see in the flavor of the game. For instance, Secrets on the Wind and The Wind's Truth won't be in Diamond because dishonoring and honor manipulation are something courtiers, not shugenja, should excel at. We're also removing cards available in the Gold format that are too strong or too weak.

Q: Will I be able to use my Gold-bugged cards?
A: We expect to carry over a great number of Gold-bugged-only cards, since they fit the designs we're setting for Diamond (i.e. flavor and power level) but not all of them will be carried over. On the other hand, we expect to bring back some previously printed cards that are currently only legal in Open. We're looking at cards like Doom of the Dark Lord, Feign Death, and other such popular cards.

Q: Which strongholds will you include in Diamond?
A: Although we haven't made any specific decisions, Diamond Edition will certainly include Strongholds for all ten currently Gold-legal factions. (Those in Gold Edition, Mantis, & Ratling)

Q: Will Diamond continue to use the Winds?
A: The Wind mechanic for separating the power of the Imperial Favor will continue to be used in Diamond, though the actual powers of the Wind cards could change.

Q: How will the Gold and Diamond cycle work in the future?
A: The best way to explain this is with our schedule:
June 2001
· Gold Edition (Gold-bugged only)
July 2001 August 2002
· Next 4 Expansions (Gold-bugged only)
September 2002 August 2003
· Next 4 Expansions (Gold and Diamond-bugged)
October 2003
· Diamond Edition (Diamond-bugged only)
December 2003 August 2004
· Next 3 Expansions (Diamond-bugged only)
September 2004 August 2005
· Next 4 Expansions (Diamond and Shogun*-bugged)
October 2005
· Shogun* Edition (Shogun* bugged only)
December 2005 September 2006
· Next 3 Expansions (Shogun* bugged only)
You'll notice that with the exception of Gold (it was the first cycle), each cycle is 3 years lonf. Instead of a hard reset, we want to ease you into the new cycle by printing double-bugged cards one year in advance of the reset.
* Note: Shogun is only a working name, and is not final.

Raymond Lau
L5R Brand Manager
Alderac Entertainment Group