New Years 2E Update

[Hobbiton Lad]

Exciting times ahead!

We've finished all the preliminary design for the cultures, and now we are just putting the finishing touches on sites. All told, we have 471 cards drafted and should be ready for playtesting by the end of the month!

We've already done a soft launch for the new forums, but stay tuned because very soon we will be officially opening the website and forums and will put out regular content that includes card previews and play test updates.

Speaking of playtesting, we will soon begin accepting applications for playtesters. The first round of playtesting will be limited to a closed group because we need to ensure that the people we allow to playtest will actually put in the time to play games and give detailed feedback on cards, strategies, and rules that need tweaking. MarcinS has generously offered to digitize the cards, so we will be using the Gemp platform for playtesting.

Stay tuned!

[sgtdraino]

I have to say, I'm a bit unclear on this 2E stuff. Until recently (when that ring showed up in Gemp), I just figured it was some kind of dream card thing. What is the objective with this? Will 2E be compatible with the original? Or is it a reboot? Will it utilize stuff from the new Hobbit movies? What's the deal?

[Hobbiton Lad]

What is the objective with this? Will 2E be compatible with the original?

Second Edition is a complete reboot of the game using custom made templates so that the game can be expanded without violating any of Decipher's visual copyrights. As of right now, there are no plans for backwards compatibility. This will be a complete, stand alone game that starts with a core set and then moves forward with expansions.

Will it utilize stuff from the new Hobbit movies?

There are no plans to utilize content from the current Hobbit films. The reason 2E is viable now is because the original trilogy films are over ten years old and fan images have proliferated across the Internet. Using images from the LotR films, while technically a copyright violation, is unlikely to draw the ire of New Line Cinema. Using images from the Hobbit movie, however, is not feasible at this time because New Line will work harder to prevent those images from getting out.

[Not a Zombie]

I wish I could playtest some, but with work and school I don't see it happening. Glad to see you are making good progress!