I have really been enjoying Cache Refresh, but I think it won’t be nearly as interesting without new releases. I’d like to propose a Cache Refresh-derived format to tide us over, starting in about three weeks when we’ve had Crimson Dust in Cache Refresh for a month.
Each Cache Update deck may use:
one core set
Terminal Directive
one deluxe
Red Sand
Any cards in the data packs in the cached packs list (see below)
The cached packs list will have one data pack added to it when the format starts and then one more every two weeks. The pack will be randomly selected from the following list:
The Spaces Between
First Contact
Up and Over
All That Remains
The Source
The Valley
Breaker Bay
Chrome City
The Underway
Old Hollywood
The Universe of Tomorrow
Kala Ghoda
Democracy and Dogma
Salsette Island
The Liberated Mind
The logic behind this list is: no Flashpoint because it’s been in Cache Refresh forever and is due to leave; no Genesis or Spin because they’re about to rotate; no Fear the Masses, Business First, or Upstalk because, based on Saetzero’s quick pack review and Know the Meta, they have significantly more strong Corp cards than strong Runner cards.
It occurs to me that something semi-random like this still might be an interesting way to shake things up in the absence of new releases. And we’re definitely facing an upcoming absence of new releases.
I’ve done up a rough draft of an algorithm. It’s inspired by XKCD’s geohashing algorithm, so the list updates can be calculated by anyone with an SHA256 generator and access to stock exchange websites. This means that no one knows the cardpool changes much in advance, and everyone can confirm that they were chosen fairly.
Short version: We get a “new” deluxe or campaign expansion every January, May, and September; we use the Original Core Set instead of Revised in December only; we get a “new” data pack every other month of the year. The latest two “new” deluxe/campaign expansions and the latest five “new” data packs form the legal cardpool. These numbers can of course be tweaked if need be. MWL is mostly the current MWL.
At the moment, the cardpool would be:
Revised Core Set
Data and Destiny
Creation and Control
The Universe of Tomorrow
Free Mars
Chrome City
True Colors
All That Remains
EDIT: When I generated the first version of this, I messed up copying several stock prices and constructing strings the way I said I would. Both are now fixed! And the cardpool is now way different. Hopefully in the future either I won’t repeat those mistakes or multiple people will check the results.
Cardpool change for July: First Contact enters the cardpool, The Universe of Tomorrow cycles out.
Total cardpool for July:
Revised Core Set
Data and Destiny
Creation and Control
Free Mars
Chrome City
True Colors
All That Remains
First Contact
(I realize there likely won’t be much interest in this until after worlds, but I think it’s interesting to look at how the algorithm changes the cardpool anyways, so people can see what the format would be like and point out any problems with the current algorithm.)
We haven’t started playing the format yet, NZ hasn’t gotten R&R so we’ve still got a fair bit of actual Netrunner to get through before we start on our own formats, just wanted to get the framework in place so that it’s up and running properly if we need it
Post regionals, we are going to “rotate” Lunar, SanSan, and Creation & Control for like a month and see how it goes.
Post world’s we are going to “rotate” the top 30 cards from each side used at Worlds.
After that, there are SO MANY possibilities. I’m actually really excited.
Rev Core and only big box expansions
Rev Core and only data packs
Rev Core and 2 randomly chosen big boxes and cycles.
One interesting side effect of the game ending is now local metas can do what they want and creative deckbuilding free of the influence of the internet hivemind can flourish.