Okay, so this discussion derives from my recent comment on whether should I buy packs of HOD or wait for XLN. Until the release, I was really hesitating, but would rather buy at least one pack of XLN. After this, the update came, and I saw the prices: 320 for the Ixalan 5-pack, and 195 for Hour of Devastation 5-pack. At this point, I was still not confident enough about spending gold on good ol’ HOD, part of me still wanted to get some of the new cards.
But then, I checked out the new “rarity breakdown” thingy (screenshot attached). What I saw was the tipping point, so I bought HOD and I am going to buy HOD after that, and I am probably going to buy Origins when they remove HOD from the store.
Here comes the question: Octagon, why would you do this? Do you understand that at the moment no one wants to buy and try the new set, why making this even worse? Aren’t people disappointed enough in your opinion?
Actually people are buying Ixalan despite what has been said.
But lower rarity drop than other sets, no masterpieces in Ixalan boosters and higher costs are all low blows.
I can imagine they did this to absorb part of the mass of crystals players have been hoarding.
I also suppose the discount on HOD packs is another way to manage it.
I’m considering getting an Ixalan pack just for access to a ton of new cards (that I’ll probably never use but whatever). Probably not a second one after that though.
So, ummm, if the “pack includes 1 guaranteed Rare card” then the probability of getting a rare “within the entire purchase” is 100%.
Just saying.
I think it’s implied that the guaranteed rare is separated. Meaning the chance of rare percentage is for an additional rare.
This should have been announced as it seems really punishing us for wanting the new stuff. Lower probability is annoying but for a higher price? Wow, you really bargained on us buying those packs, huh? (And, yes, of course we do, we have been staaaarved). But I don’t like this very much. The last thing I expected was to be hesitant to open new packs today. Oktagon, do you hear this? You don’t want your players to feel this way!
@cpeyton3535 it should be obvious that the probability does not include the guaranteed rare. Though, what is the rate of getting a mythic here? No one knows!
Oh I know, but that’s not what it says, literally speaking. Clarity and all that. Shouldn’t say “within the entire purchase”. It should say exactly what you just said. Somehow.
Maybe I’m nitpicking, but it doesn’t instil confidence.
Yikes! This is weird and disappointing
We can at least thank them for trying to use transparency, its been a while since players ask for the droprates and they did give them … Even if the results highlights a commercial trick, it would be unfair to complsin about transparency.
Realized I didn’t actually comment on the OPs topic. Oops.
Pretty disappointing that we are being asked to pay more for lower odds. Maybe if XLN had cards that knocked your socks off that would be palatable but, well, it just doesn’t.
Oh and HOD is not the Newest Set any more. Just saying. 
Hope the attention to detail shown in designing the pack storefront isn’t indicative of the attention to detail shown to, say, new mechanics. Might take a while to find that out since I probably won’t be buying any packs for a while.
I get what you’re saying. It should probably be changed to referencing chance of drawing a rare from the 5 packs, not including the additional rare that comes with the purchase
Precisely. Minor thing, but seeing a bunch of minor things makes me nervous when you are seeing them right after a major deployment.
Sigh, I know it’s completely off topic but case in point, Demolish is now missing from my card pool. Try to add another card in it’s place to repair my now invalid deck and get stuck in an endless Retry loop.
And so it begins.
Demolish, sure strike, dual shot and cancel all disappeared https://forums.505go.com/discussion/70552/bug-missing-4-cards-post-ixalan#latest
Probably because of their reprint in Ixalan.
That’s an interesting catch! All of them except for dual shot were already legal in standard events. I wonder if they’re looking at updating legacy cards to standard legality if they’re reprinted. It would certainly save them some design space as they can just update the art and throw the same card into new packs.
I do not think it is a reprint, just a bug.
I hope they never take me away a card that I own, at least as long as the game is alive.
They really had no choice in the matter though, so I’m not really sure they deserve any thanks for this specific thing. Apple recently came out and said they’d be forcing any game with loot options like this to disclose drop rates if they want to sell that app on the app store.
If anything, I think OP has it right. The failure to openly announce the disparity in drop rates across different sets strikes me as somewhat shifty, and absolutely an attempt to bleed the hoarders dry. I spent ~5K, but I had no idea that this difference in drop rates was a thing. I probably would have spent half that amount if I’d known.
I also spent about 5000 crystals and I’m not happy about the reductions in drop rates. The 5 common packs are especially irritating.
What it is not fair at all, is that with higher cost than others sets premium packs, in Ixalan premium pavks have the worst drop rates and without options of getting a Masterpice. I did not realized this just after spending 2500 (more or less)
Also I do not like that the others Ixalan boosters, 1 and 3 cards, have different drop rates and even worst.
Now I can understand that they varied the drop rates whenever they wanted.