Players Committee Action Plan Mark II

[chompers]

I don't think banning of large groups of cards that players have access to is the best way to go about expanding the player base and bringing new and old players back to LOTR tournaments. If you can find someone to play with and an agreed format - go for it - the proposed PC is not about stopping that from happening. The biggest issue with LOTR is a huge card base, multiple playing formats and a heap of out-of-print cards creating an unfair playing field for new players.

Focussing the attention of the proposed PC towards creating an entry point for new players is the best way forward IMO. It seems that many veteran players essentially have what they are after with GCCG and TLHH, other than perhaps a tournament circuit (but then again I don't know what it is that everyone wants to get out of LOTR).

If the proposed PC supports the FOTR block with all the necessary resources, and make it accessable to new players with printable proxies - creating an entry point for new players that is fair and accessable - you may find that everyone benefits in the long run (more players to play against, more collectors, higher value cards, etc).

I am not going to say this way is the right way - but i know it has worked well for Star Trek.

If you use this forum, surely you must still enjoy playing LOTR or at least like the game. Promoting the game is one thing, but making it accessable to new players has to also be a priority, and this has got to benefit everyone in the long run. .LOTR is a dying game if new players can't access the game - and that is a shame Whilst GCCG is a great way to play the game, it is not for everyone - some people like the social interaction and challenges that come from playing with real cards.

[chompers]

As pointed out - the issue with the proposed PC is not a lack of ideas - it is getting the right people on board that are willing to do something about it.

If you oppose the idea of the PC - just saying no is worthless. State your case - convince us. If you don't like the ideas of others - stating you oppose an idea but offer nothing in return is also worthless. Propose your own ideas. Disagreeing with others ideas is OK - but explain why.

I believe the core vision of the PC is to expand the player base and marketing the game helps, but i think we can do more. However, if anyone out there opposes the concept of more players, more collectors and more demand for cards - i really want to know your reasoning behind it.

The model i have proposed is tried and tested - albeit for a slightly different card game.

I guess you don't need a unified PC to put this (or another model) into place as long as your local playing group agrees to use the model (but then again this can be a challenge in itself).

[Kenddrick]

Chompers, I'm ready to follow you all the way in pursuit of the PC.

[Thranduil]

As for the last three sets, I stopped playing well before they were released, but just from looking at them some of those cards are remarkably overpowered.

I would argue the contrary: a lot of the cards from Hunters block are at about the right power level as a lot of previous sets are significantly underpowered. Firstly, think about how many useless underpowered cards there are in earlier sets when the designers didn't really know enough about the game to do it properly. Secondly, think about the power-houses of the early game - you can't pretend that ludicrously powerful cards were not created before Hunters, between Greenleaf, Aragorn, Ranger of the North, Shire Countryside, Lady of Light and several others. So claiming Hunters block is overpowered doesn't hold water for me. Sure there are powerful cards like Thorongil and GatS, but there always are in any game - there are also useless cards like The World Ahead, and really fun cards like the Sting of Shelob. And what about cards like Last Days of My House that are just perfect?

I think the main issue with these later sets is not the power level - some of the cards are too good/useless, but a lot of them are the light level as I've vaguely demonstrated above. The issue where I think hawkeye is right is availability. I don't really know what the market is at the moment as I haven't tried to buy cards in several years, but if there are cards that some players simply can't get access to without great difficulty, then they should not be included in tournaments, or else there should be proxies available so that they can.

* Establish a set of promo cards to be won at tournaments (these would be most lilely from RoTEL - the best and most needed cards to play the game effectively).

I had a thought about this. Obviously erratas and the other methods you were talking about above for expanding the player base are excellent, but few things can match the excitement of new cards. What if the first virtual set was launched as tournament promo cards? I envisage a 5 card set, 2 minions, 2 companions and The Ruling Ring (V) that can be distributed at tournaments before the online release. One of those cards (probably the ring?) could even be a tournament only card for several months. I think done well this could generate a lot of excitement and really get the ball rolling.

I'm also working at the moment on some LotR cube drafts and other methods for existing players to do exciting things with their collection, which I will share when they're in a more finished state!

So basically, I'm definitely up for it!

[sharkey]

Sweet!

[Ranofer]

I've been watching what people have said and really keeping my opinions to myself, but I'm glad this is getting talked about.

Thranduil brought up an amazing idea, at least in my opinion.  I don't know how many of you guys know much about the "cube" concept, but I've seen it in SWCCG, as well as Magic.  Personally this really should be brought forward as a way of getting new people into the game, as well as fun way to play.

I would love to see a cube done for each movie perhaps starting with fellowship.

I'm all for working with the PC, I'm not great with rules, but art I can handle as well as tossing in a few ideas here and there

[Jerba]

I've been watching what people have said and really keeping my opinions to myself, but I'm glad this is getting talked about.

Thranduil brought up an amazing idea, at least in my opinion.  I don't know how many of you guys know much about the "cube" concept, but I've seen it in SWCCG, as well as Magic.  Personally this really should be brought forward as a way of getting new people into the game, as well as fun way to play.

I would love to see a cube done for each movie perhaps starting with fellowship.

I'm all for working with the PC, I'm not great with rules, but art I can handle as well as tossing in a few ideas here and there

I really dig this idea.

[Smeagollum]

The old-school players on decktech pretty much agree that the last three sets (Hunters, RoS, and T&D) must be excluded from any "Standard" Format the PC sanctions - there was simply too little of it produced and it creates an unfair advantage for those lucky enough to have any. Even though I've got plenty of all three of those sets, I've got to agree - not only are the cards hard, nay, impossible to find, but they are incredibly overpowered.

I think eliminating those cards from tournaments (aside from specific events or formats - open, for example) has to be one of the first steps we take and will help enormously toward bringing back old players. It probably won't hurt in bringing in new players either, knowing they don't have to worry about $300+ boxes of cards just to compete.

I don't know if I totally agree on this. To me every card is made to be played, without exceptions. In my opinion you should use one format as a standard and that's not the standard which is called standard. I'm a big fan of the austrian format.
Then again the cards from the last block are indeed overpowered. I think the only solution to straigthen that is to give it a plausible arrata or some new ruling.

I aslo want to suggest an idea i;ve got for a long time. Instead of Establishing a set of promo cards to be won at tournaments (these would be most lilely from RoTEL - the best and most needed cards to play the game effectively). You could also create a virtual set and make prints of that which could be won at tournaments. Use pictures from existing cards and give them a new text within the legal rules of v-sets decipher has given for instance to the star wars pc.

[Kenddrick]

That is, IF Decipher's gives us permission. So in the meantime, I propose we set up a Marketing Team, and a Web Team.

Further details about the Marketing and Web Team can be found here.
http://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php/topic,3527.msg42139.html#msg42139

[Kenddrick]

That is, IF Decipher's gives us permission. So in the meantime, I propose we set up a Marketing Team, and a Web Team.

Further details about the Marketing and Web Team can be found here.
http://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php/topic,3527.msg42139.html#msg42139

Setting up those 2 teams should be our first step as a PC.

[Smeagollum]

That is, IF Decipher's gives us permission. So in the meantime, I propose we set up a Marketing Team, and a Web Team.

Further details about the Marketing and Web Team can be found here.
http://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php/topic,3527.msg42139.html#msg42139

I don't see why they should not give permission. They gave star wars pc permission and if we do the same there's no ground for decipher to not give their permission. But maybe it's also an idea to offer them free advertising on the new website.

[5tein]

My 2c:

Forget about Vcards--don't even TALK about Vcards until a strong player base exists.

Run local tournaments as the locals want them. If they want Standard, play standard.

If you have no local scene, start with something cheap and easy to get into: drafting with Fship block and Towers block makes sense. A Reflections draft with Fship draft packs still can't be beat imo (well, with the exception of the King draft pack that was online-only).

Once you get enough folks playing to actually raise a voice about "broken" cards, then think about new xlist or errata. But right now I just want to see people playing the game!

I'm planning on pushing ahead with local Fship sealed and draft tournies as often as we can, and add in some Fship block constructed tournies--maybe with some fun twists, like allowing certain Reflections cards or the Wraith collection--both of which are pretty easy for us to get.

[Smeagollum]

Maybe offtopic, but also maybe needed in the future some info about licenses for lotr products:

http://www.fiercetcg.com/old_site/
click on the site on the image: lord of the rings fanclub

But maybe you already know this....

[Kenddrick]

Maybe offtopic, but also maybe needed in the future some info about licenses for lotr products:

http://www.fiercetcg.com/old_site/
click on the site on the image: lord of the rings fanclub

But maybe you already know this....

I don't understand.

[Smeagollum]

If you go to the website and you click on that image you get a page about licenses.