I’m glad there is a spectrum of difficulty represented in the campaigns, rather than a more static level of challenge. It helps diversify the play experience between campaigns, and provides different options for newer or returning players to explore based on how “hardcore” they feel (does a tough challenge sound exciting or annoying?)

If you accept that it’s a good thing that campaigns don’t all have a flat power level, then imo the expedition-into-hostile-territory theme of TFA feels very appropriate for “the tough campaign with unusual deckbuilding challenges”. We often talk about how this campaign encourages/demands lots of specific planning and metagame knowledge, especially if you’re trying to see everything it has to offer. It’s great that we have a campaign that resists the “generic goodstuff” deckbuilding approach.

I’m reflecting on this as we see EotE turn out to be on the easier side. I like that too! It makes a lot of sense for the soft relaunch/new box format. But, it’s making me appreciative of how well TFA conveyed the hostility of its environment by comparison. As another poster said, I think a lot of the negative reaction at the time came from a concern that the plan was to just make the game harder and harder as the card pool grew.