This has me a bit nauseous, especially after my enthusiasm about rotation and how great the next cycle spoilers look.
For me, Core 2 threatens to change the game, on an experiential level. Some are confident we will see ‘replacement’ cards for the iconic ones we are losing, but as of now I’m not sure this pushes the game in a more dynamic direction.
I’m in the minority of players who don’t want every game of ANR to be a mathematic equation. Big plays (enabled by cards like Siphon, Breaking News, Parasite) are what has kept me in ANR. IMO these were part of the core experience and provided a welcome respite during games amidst the grind and cost-analysis of runs and calculated risks. As someone who has almost exclusively played Anarch and NBN for 3 years, I’m excited to see NBN get Beale, Pop Up, and Wraparound (not at the cost of BN and SSCG, though)
The Anarch in me is quite frankly reeling at the loss of cards that drew to me the faction. Coupled with the loss of Siphon, Core2 without support seems to homogenize the factions, which is not something I am interested in. I loved the Anarch faction from my beginning, thanks to cards like Parasite and Yog. I played Anarch through their weakest time and up to now, at their dominance. I’m not sure I want to play the Core2 Anarch, which for me removes most of the impetus to play the game at all.
I think I’m an extreme case in ANR, having stuck very closely to factions despite their power level. Even so, I can’t be alone in thinking that the experience of trashing/losing a piece of ICE or landing/stuffing a Siphon were exciting moments in games.
It’s impossible to say what the game will look like in a year. Maybe exciting cards will fill these voids. For awhile, though, it’s going to be hard to adjust, and today after seeing this announcement, I’m truly reeling.