Lack of Masterpieces in Bought Ixalan Packs.

Kinesia

Is this deliberate and is it going to continue?

It's a very serious and misleading issue and other people have brought it up but never gotten an answer.

It _looks_ like masterpieces are _only_ avaialable through the Elite Packs but this is a huge huge change that should've been announced because knowledge of it affects buying patterns.

I'm holding of buying more Ixalan in case it's a mistake and Masterpieces are getting put back in the proper packs later. But doing this (without announcement and against expectations) is basically hiding in the fine print of the lottery "PS you cannot win".

Yes, you've released the drop rates, but it seems like a bad faith exercise since you aren't entering into _any_ of the conversations to explain the figures you are using and -that- is the point of the law, for you to explain things and make them _clear_ so customers never ever ever buy something with full and perfect knowledge, but things are not clear, because your ongoing policies are _part_ of the needed information for our informed purchasing.

khurram

I have a dreadful feeling that this was what they were referring to as becoming a resident of the Valuetown.

Coilbox

I'm not even interested on any Ixalan cards... MP's are a joke, so are most of the mythics and rares.

What a dissapointing set...

FindingHeart8

khurram said:

I have a dreadful feeling that this was what they were referring to as becoming a resident of the Valuetown.

noob question here: saw the references...still don't know what valuetown means lol

ElfNeedsFood

FindingHeart8 said:

khurram said:

I have a dreadful feeling that this was what they were referring to as becoming a resident of the Valuetown.

noob question here: saw the references...still don't know what valuetown means lol

It was in the January dev chat that they were going to bring us to Valuetown, but, to be fair, that was in reference to deck slots that did indeed get more accessible on the runes side, both in cost and in not requiring level 60 any more. 

FindingHeart8

ElfNeedsFood said:

FindingHeart8 said:

khurram said:

I have a dreadful feeling that this was what they were referring to as becoming a resident of the Valuetown.

noob question here: saw the references...still don't know what valuetown means lol

It was in the January dev chat that they were going to bring us to Valuetown, but, to be fair, that was in reference to deck slots that did indeed get more accessible on the runes side, both in cost and in not requiring level 60 any more. 

so valuetown means we're going to be showered with affordable, appealing stuff?

Enygma6

ElfNeedsFood said:

FindingHeart8 said:

khurram said:

I have a dreadful feeling that this was what they were referring to as becoming a resident of the Valuetown.

noob question here: saw the references...still don't know what valuetown means lol

It was in the January dev chat that they were going to bring us to Valuetown, but, to be fair, that was in reference to deck slots that did indeed get more accessible on the runes side, both in cost and in not requiring level 60 any more. 

Aside from Nicol Bolas, rune-purchased deck slots still require level 60.

span_argoman

Well, considering the Masterpieces aren't even from Ixalan in the first place, I don't see why they would need to be lootable from the Ixalan regular packs.

I guess it would have been less confusing to have created a separate Iconic Masters icon for these Masters cards so people would be less confused.

Nonetheless it would be nice to have an official clarification.

Sarahschmara

FindingHeart8 said:

ElfNeedsFood said:

FindingHeart8 said:

khurram said:

I have a dreadful feeling that this was what they were referring to as becoming a resident of the Valuetown.

noob question here: saw the references...still don't know what valuetown means lol

It was in the January dev chat that they were going to bring us to Valuetown, but, to be fair, that was in reference to deck slots that did indeed get more accessible on the runes side, both in cost and in not requiring level 60 any more. 

so valuetown means we're going to be showered with affordable, appealing stuff?

Good grief! I’ve finally joined the ranks of “cynical vet” and I very much miss your naive optimism

khurram

FindingHeart8 said:

khurram said:

I have a dreadful feeling that this was what they were referring to as becoming a resident of the Valuetown.

noob question here: saw the references...still don't know what valuetown means lol

From the January Q&A

"Is it possible to make Masterpiece Boosters award a non-duplicate card?
For now, a couple of things will change regarding the newly-named Elite Collection (the name change will be explained in the upcoming developer blog post for Ixalan):

• We’ve adjusted the drop rates and card pool for the Elite Packs in Ixalan.
• This means that you should have a much lower chance of getting a duplicate from your Elite Packs, and opening them will get you right on the way to becoming a resident, if not the mayor, of Valuetown!"

Volrak

Sarahschmara said:

FindingHeart8 said:

so valuetown means we're going to be showered with affordable, appealing stuff?

Good grief! I’ve finally joined the ranks of “cynical vet” and I very much miss your naive optimism

And yet... if you think about it, and your main interest is mythics and above, then by playing just 3-4 games in Across Ixalan (to get 40 points at plat level), you can earn the equivalent of 500 crystals worth of rewards.  Sounds crazy but it's true.

You get net 10 crystals, 60 crystals worth of XLN booster, and 430 crystals worth of jewels (25 jewels).  The jewel value in crystals comes from a masterpiece taking on average 24k crystals to buy in packs (by old drop rates), and a mythic taking1.2k crystals on average.  That makes an elite pack, which you can earn every 16 Across Ixalan events, worth on average 1/4 of an MP and 3/4 of a mythic, worth 6.9k crystals.

So, really, who *isn't* in Valuetown?

TomB

Ummm, maybe those of us not yet at Platinum mastery level?

FindingHeart8

Sarahschmara said:

FindingHeart8 said:

ElfNeedsFood said:

FindingHeart8 said:

khurram said:

I have a dreadful feeling that this was what they were referring to as becoming a resident of the Valuetown.

noob question here: saw the references...still don't know what valuetown means lol

It was in the January dev chat that they were going to bring us to Valuetown, but, to be fair, that was in reference to deck slots that did indeed get more accessible on the runes side, both in cost and in not requiring level 60 any more. 

so valuetown means we're going to be showered with affordable, appealing stuff?

Good grief! I’ve finally joined the ranks of “cynical vet” and I very much miss your naive optimism

half the time, it's the only thing that keeps me from jumping ship (YARRGH PIRATE PUN) 

FindingHeart8

Volrak said:

Sarahschmara said:

FindingHeart8 said:

so valuetown means we're going to be showered with affordable, appealing stuff?

Good grief! I’ve finally joined the ranks of “cynical vet” and I very much miss your naive optimism

And yet... if you think about it, and your main interest is mythics and above, then by playing just 3-4 games in Across Ixalan (to get 40 points at plat level), you can earn the equivalent of 500 crystals worth of rewards.  Sounds crazy but it's true.

You get net 10 crystals, 60 crystals worth of XLN booster, and 430 crystals worth of jewels (25 jewels).  The jewel value in crystals comes from a masterpiece taking on average 24k crystals to buy in packs (by old drop rates), and a mythic taking1.2k crystals on average.  That makes an elite pack, which you can earn every 16 Across Ixalan events, worth on average 1/4 of an MP and 3/4 of a mythic, worth 6.9k crystals.

So, really, who *isn't* in Valuetown?

but what if you want the old mythics and not the new ones?

khurram

FindingHeart8 said:

Volrak said:

Sarahschmara said:

FindingHeart8 said:

so valuetown means we're going to be showered with affordable, appealing stuff?

Good grief! I’ve finally joined the ranks of “cynical vet” and I very much miss your naive optimism

And yet... if you think about it, and your main interest is mythics and above, then by playing just 3-4 games in Across Ixalan (to get 40 points at plat level), you can earn the equivalent of 500 crystals worth of rewards.  Sounds crazy but it's true.

You get net 10 crystals, 60 crystals worth of XLN booster, and 430 crystals worth of jewels (25 jewels).  The jewel value in crystals comes from a masterpiece taking on average 24k crystals to buy in packs (by old drop rates), and a mythic taking1.2k crystals on average.  That makes an elite pack, which you can earn every 16 Across Ixalan events, worth on average 1/4 of an MP and 3/4 of a mythic, worth 6.9k crystals.

So, really, who *isn't* in Valuetown?

but what if you want the old mythics and not the new ones?

Grind grind.
But where would you play with those mythics apart from in TG?
seriously though, Across Ixalan rewards are really really good even if you only get to spend those resources on Ixalan's mythics.

Mainloop25

TomB said:

Ummm, maybe those of us not yet at Platinum mastery level?

Exactly, so get to grinding like the rest of us did! 

FindingHeart8

khurram said:

FindingHeart8 said:

Volrak said:

Sarahschmara said:

FindingHeart8 said:

so valuetown means we're going to be showered with affordable, appealing stuff?

Good grief! I’ve finally joined the ranks of “cynical vet” and I very much miss your naive optimism

And yet... if you think about it, and your main interest is mythics and above, then by playing just 3-4 games in Across Ixalan (to get 40 points at plat level), you can earn the equivalent of 500 crystals worth of rewards.  Sounds crazy but it's true.

You get net 10 crystals, 60 crystals worth of XLN booster, and 430 crystals worth of jewels (25 jewels).  The jewel value in crystals comes from a masterpiece taking on average 24k crystals to buy in packs (by old drop rates), and a mythic taking1.2k crystals on average.  That makes an elite pack, which you can earn every 16 Across Ixalan events, worth on average 1/4 of an MP and 3/4 of a mythic, worth 6.9k crystals.

So, really, who *isn't* in Valuetown?

but what if you want the old mythics and not the new ones?

Grind grind.
But where would you play with those mythics apart from in TG?
seriously though, Across Ixalan rewards are really really good even if you only get to spend those resources on Ixalan's mythics.

sorry I mispoke.  I meant old masterpieces instead of mythics.

I'd take any of the masterpiece cards from the Kaledesh or Amonkhet block, but I don't want any Ixalan masterpieces, most of them are pretty meh

Kinesia

TomB said:

Ummm, maybe those of us not yet at Platinum mastery level?

Across Ixalan is actually worth it for everyone, even bronze. Sure it's not AS good as it is for platinum but you are at a different part of the journey and your main aim is different things.

In platinum I'm aiming for mythic masterpiece packs.
On my bronze alt I want the 20 gold pack because that is far better than saving 60 crystals up. But it also lets me net a tiny amount of pink and the rare pack is actually worth it for me when it totally isn't on my main.

It's also a far far more interesting and fun event than trials was. The extra rules for the nodes change things just a little but it can end up a lot.

Kinesia

khurram said:

FindingHeart8 said:

but what if you want the old mythics and not the new ones?

Grind grind.
But where would you play with those mythics apart from in TG?
seriously though, Across Ixalan rewards are really really good even if you only get to spend those resources on Ixalan's mythics.

Across Ixalan is probably the cheapest way to get booster crafting points to _buy_ the old mythics you want.

Kinesia

@Brigby Could you please get an official comment on the original topic for us please?

Brigby

Kinesia said:

@Brigby Could you please get an official comment on the original topic for us please?

I've brought this up to the development team, and they'll be looking into it. Once I have more information to provide, I'll be sure to communicate that.