I recently undertook some reading of forums from yesteryear to try to understand the history of reprints, and what sorts of promises have been made - especially around the Horn of Plenty or other URs.
I hope you find this as interesting as I did researching it.
Some of the more amazing things I found were:
- Lots of the same people have been involved in these discussions over the last decade
- Almost everything that we're discussing now (loot cap, impact of extra loot, permissibly of lending TE tokens) has been discussed since the HoP was first printed
- In 2007, it would have been very reasonable to assume the Horn of Plenty not only would have been reprinted, but would have been reprinted in 2008.
- I did find Jeff actually saying HoP wouldn't be reprinted - but it wasn't until October 2010.
- As late as August of 2010 Jeff mentioned the potential for a HoP reprint, and no one spoke up saying this was against policy.
- However - as early as January 2008 players were speculating, and in some cases outright claiming, that HoP would never be reprinted.
Truly, there is nothing new under the sun.
==
Historical Context:
Going into In 2007, players would have expected URs to be reprinted.
The first set of URs in packs were in 2005. There were 20 2005 URs, of which:
One was the special Bucknard's Everfull Mug token, and 3 were GP tokens, leaving 16 URs with in game effect.
Of these 16 URs, 13 of the 2005 URs were reprinted in 2006.
So, heading into 2007 there would have been absolutely no reason for a player to assume any particular UR wouldn't be reprinted: after only 2 years most URs had already been reprinted.
2007 was the first "modern" UR set with 20 URs available from standard packs, with only 3 consumable/GP tokens (2006 had 5 consumable/GP URs and 2005 had 6).
The 2007 US class still features 5 reprints - and all five of these tokens: +1 Plate Armor, +2 Great Axe, +2 Long Sword, Girdle of Hill Giant Strength, Gloves of Dexterity
had been available every year, and never been out of print.
So: the point here is people buying tokens in 2007 would have had absolutely no reason to expect any particular token would not be reprinted. In fact they would have had every reason to expect they would be reprinted.
You can see here henwy commenting in June/July of 2007 (emphasis mine):
henwy wrote: I think a lot of the calculus comes into what we think will be discontinued next year and how chagrined we would be if we didn't have one when it went. I actually chose 2 HoP's because I made the wager that it would go the way of the dodo after this year. I have no solid information to back that up but I figure it's an educated guess. More token pulls just means more whozits have to be funned into the treasure boxes. This becomes ecspecially problematic when you have to stock the boxes with things like ingredients and the like. We've already seen Jeff and Dave mention the problems with getting additional tokens printed up. So my gamble was that the HoP would go poof and shoot up in value.
truedungeon.com/forum?view=topic&catid=5&id=40427#40427
Here you can see Jeff discussion 2008 design talking about a big shakeup where as many as
HALF (gasp!) of the tokens from 2008 would be different from 2007. "Heck, we might go with 15 new URs and only bring back 5 from 2007."
truedungeon.com/forum?view=topic&catid=5&id=55452&limitstart=0
Early Desire for no HoP Reprint
As early as October 2007
, players were recognizing the power of the HoP, and when discussing / advocating it not be reprinted. This only makes sense given the historical context above - nowadays no one would think of advocating a current year UR not be reprinted the next year.
truedungeon.com/forum?view=topic&catid=5&id=51254&limitstart=0
Jeff responded to this survey, but not with any indication of what was in or out in 2008:
Jeff Martin wrote: The sales of tokens is a great source of funding for True Dungeon. I have never sat down and figured out how much the sales of tokens lowers the event cost, but it would be substantial. I hazard to guess what would happen to the ticket price if tokens went away. Hopefully, we can all work together to make the tokens fun and interesting for years to come. There will be much discussion in the Fall about tokens for 2008 -- and it will be everyone's great comments that will make the 2008 tokens a success.
Thank you to everyone who has offered suggestions and comments over the years. Many of you have chimed in here. You all have made something pretty dang cool.
January 2008
By January of 2008 a player is speculating "it's a pretty safe bet" that HoP will not come back into print.
truedungeon.com/forum?view=topic&catid=61&id=61853#61855
November 2008
Jeff says directly "We won't be reprinting it [the HOP] any time soon." in response to a question of whether HoP will be reprinted in the 2010 token set.:
There is discussion about version of Questor's Charm of luck which would be slotless and give you treasure when you slide a 20 that Jeff had proposed.
truedungeon.com/forum?view=topic&catid=5&id=83101&start=36#83137
July 2009
A player claims Jeff said we'll never make another HoP - this is the oldest such claim I can find in the forums.
However piecing things together, I think some of the discussion was deleted from the forums (not unusual for token design discussion).
Personally I think it's likely this was a misinterpretation - but it's the oldest claim I can find about a no HoP reprint policy.
truedungeon.com/forum?view=topic&catid=61&id=96212&start=24
August 2010
Jeff mentions how he could sell a lot of tokens by reprinting a HoP or AoW, but that it never really entered his mind to do so.
No one objected to this statement or affirmed an agreement about reprints.
truedungeon.com/forum?view=topic&catid=53&id=119420&start=24
October 2010
Discussion around 2010 reprints, people ask for HoP, no mention of a policy:
truedungeon.com/forum?view=topic&catid=5&id=100214&start=72#100288
October 2010
Jeff mentions he won't reprint the HoP:
truedungeon.com/forum?view=topic&catid=5&id=125324#125364
Final Thoughts
No one who bought a HoP while it was in print should have had reason to expect it wouldn't be reprinted.
Players seemed to begin an echo chamber discussion that the HoP "would probably never be reprinted" long before any such policy existed.
Certainly there was no promise implied or otherwise that other URTEs wouldn't be printed - these were being discussed as early as 2008 token design.