Sooo .... anyone still playing... ?

[ScottieB]

Sooo .... anyone still playing - with actual cards?  I got all excited the other day and opened up the huge box I have of them.  Unbelievable how may of these little cardboard things I actually purchased!  (I'm almost fainting thinking of the $$$ that have disappeared from my wallet)

I ended up making 3 new decks, all concurrently... (seriously, I either have no life or am a glutton for punishment) and have a 4th on the way.  I managed to get some ideas off here from random posters, but was disappointed to see that the old Decktech site doesn't seem to be working these days (requires a membership, but you can't register as there's script errors, etc).

Wondering if anyone has it archived at all?  Or perhaps there's an even better resource?

It's true that this game went off the rails after the movie block, but really, I had such good times with it and many fond memories.  Wish there was an anniversary set or something we could wait for down the pipe... *sigh*

[ununtrium]

I actually have several physical decks ready, but I rarely play, either.

Prices for cards (except set 15+) are also down, i.e. nobody apart from collectors is currently taking an interest in the game physically. All the players seem to convene on gemp which actually makes perfect sense given how excellent the online experience for this game is.

There are efforts for a second edition of the game underway, but nothing like the players' committees for Trek or Star Wars. I guess the vast majority of LotR TCG people are happy with playing the game on gemp. I don't think that new (virtual) cards are likely to come soon.

[thetimewarptrio]

I play with five of my friends every other week.........I know I (we) are in the minority, but I prefer it so much more. We play for whole afternoons/evenings at a time, building and rebuilding decks, doing sealed leagues, and drafting. There's just something about the camraderie of physically playing, and to a point collecting.

Even though when I get married, I'm sure my wife will tell me to umm.... Cast It into the Fire

[sgtdraino]

Sooo .... anyone still playing - with actual cards?  I got all excited the other day and opened up the huge box I have of them.  Unbelievable how may of these little cardboard things I actually purchased!  (I'm almost fainting thinking of the $$$ that have disappeared from my wallet)

I would, but nobody I know who plays lives anywhere near me, anymore. I do all my playing on gemp, which frankly is a lot easier anyway.

One thing that strikes me whenever I get out my physical cards: They look totally HUGE after playing on gemp for a while!

It's true that this game went off the rails after the movie block, but really, I had such good times with it and many fond memories.  Wish there was an anniversary set or something we could wait for down the pipe... *sigh*

It went off the rails financially, and perhaps popularity-wise, but I'm finding that Expanded Format is still the best format out there, the most balanced, with the most variety of different viable deck strategies. I myself stopped buying physical cards after Hunters, because (a) I didn't have spare money then, and the new Shadow cultures really bugged me. I didn't like the idea of rebooting the cultures, it turned me off. However, now that I've been back playing for a few years, the new cultures don't bother me as much... though I still prefer the old ones.

[ScottieB]

Can't say I've actually played Gemp ... although I'm tempted.  I typically play cards for the social aspect though (not one for online poker either...)...

*sigh* between work and family (I have a little one on the way as we speak), it's hard to find time, or more importantly, the same time as everyone else - but gee do I miss a good pizza, bourbon and the usual rule disagreements (umm... clarifications)!  LOL

[sgtdraino]

There's often a fair bit of chatting during gemp games, I find. Not a bad social aspect!

[jdizzy001]

Gemp is great. Take some time on a saturday, a sunday, or a late night when you can't sleep and give it a whirl!

I still have my physical decks but no one around here plays, so they are sitting in storage.

[Panch]

Every saturday I play, im lucky there are still some of us left

[jdizzy001]

The gemp community is alive and well. I even see folks like sgt and maubdin on there from time to time.

[Jens]

Plus we get new players from time to time <--

[Larry5000]

I see most of these posts are March 2015, here we are 2 years later is Gemp still very popular? There are 3 of us who play locally every now and again and we do enjoy it, however we pretty much play open I guess it would be putting whatever cards together, no particular set blocks. I did join Gemp the other day and with my 200 gold brought some cards, although I have to admit I do not understand the purpose of buying cards when I guess you have access to all the cards anyway for free to make decks out of is that correct?

I have not really put any one particular deck together yet, as I am a little leary playing with anybody not knowing what I am doing up there. When I was up there I did not see hardly anybody there especially playing a game to even sit in on one to watch.

Any thoughts to anything along this line would be much appreciated, thank you.

[ket_the_jet]

I did join Gemp the other day and with my 200 gold brought some cards, although I have to admit I do not understand the purpose of buying cards when I guess you have access to all the cards anyway for free to make decks out of is that correct?

There used to be "Collection" tournaments in which "My Cards" collections were the basis of decks. At this point, gold (acquired at 50g per active week) is mostly used to register in tournaments.
-wtk

[Larry5000]

I did join Gemp the other day and with my 200 gold brought some cards, although I have to admit I do not understand the purpose of buying cards when I guess you have access to all the cards anyway for free to make decks out of is that correct?

There used to be "Collection" tournaments in which "My Cards" collections were the basis of decks. At this point, gold (acquired at 50g per active week) is mostly used to register in tournaments.
-wtk

OK thank you..Do many still play quite actively on a regular bases?  Except for the posts that I actually start up here on the forum I know that most that I reply back too are from posts clear back in 2008 and 2009 etc. Not getting a lot of responses back to my posts, I can only assume that many of the regulars that once posted up here back in those earlier years are no longer around or if they are rarely check up here that much any more?

[ket_the_jet]

OK thank you..Do many still play quite actively on a regular bases?  Except for the posts that I actually start up here on the forum I know that most that I reply back too are from posts clear back in 2008 and 2009 etc. Not getting a lot of responses back to my posts, I can only assume that many of the regulars that once posted up here back in those earlier years are no longer around or if they are rarely check up here that much any more?

The truth is, the majority of TLHH's vanguard has moved on. For this, there are several explanations. A new set has not been produced in ten years. This is likely the Occam's razor explanation. There are very few trading card games that have a robust playing group a decade after production. Enola is creating a new format based on The Hobbit films. Maybe that will bring in a few new players? I am skeptical. I enjoyed the Second Edition when it was play-tested on Gemp, but those efforts seem lost to the goblins.

The game is over fifteen years old. Many of the core players are simply at a different place in life with families, jobs, etc. Fewer players buy and trade the cards; the trade market was a substantial source of traffic for this website. Without active tournaments, competitive gamers lose interest.

I do think Gemp has a solid player foundation. I would anecdotally note that the traffic of this site decreased as Gemp replaced GCCG as the best way to play online. An active chat room lessens the relevancy of these message boards--why post a rules question here when you could get an immediate answer there?--and tournament and league play on Gemp is still a draw.

I do wish I had more time to play the game--they finally instituted King Standard as a format on Gemp!--but I just don't get around as much as I'd like. My friends who played locally have all grown up or moved away and I have even gotten rid of all of my decks, save one. Even still, nostalgia grasps from the darkest chasms of Moria and I check this site every couple of days, secretly hoping that Gil-Estel or Kralik or Dain or Thranduil have posted a deck for review, or started a chat about some esoteric card to break.

Apologies for the melacholy sentimentality and longing for better times.
-wtk

[Larry5000]

OK thank you..Do many still play quite actively on a regular bases?  Except for the posts that I actually start up here on the forum I know that most that I reply back too are from posts clear back in 2008 and 2009 etc. Not getting a lot of responses back to my posts, I can only assume that many of the regulars that once posted up here back in those earlier years are no longer around or if they are rarely check up here that much any more?

The truth is, the majority of TLHH's vanguard has moved on. For this, there are several explanations. A new set has not been produced in ten years. This is likely the Occam's razor explanation. There are very few trading card games that have a robust playing group a decade after production. Enola is creating a new format based on The Hobbit films. Maybe that will bring in a few new players? I am skeptical. I enjoyed the Second Edition when it was play-tested on Gemp, but those efforts seem lost to the goblins.

The game is over fifteen years old. Many of the core players are simply at a different place in life with families, jobs, etc. Fewer players buy and trade the cards; the trade market was a substantial source of traffic for this website. Without active tournaments, competitive gamers lose interest.

I do think Gemp has a solid player foundation. I would anecdotally note that the traffic of this site decreased as Gemp replaced GCCG as the best way to play online. An active chat room lessens the relevancy of these message boards--why post a rules question here when you could get an immediate answer there?--and tournament and league play on Gemp is still a draw.

I do wish I had more time to play the game--they finally instituted King Standard as a format on Gemp!--but I just don't get around as much as I'd like. My friends who played locally have all grown up or moved away and I have even gotten rid of all of my decks, save one. Even still, nostalgia grasps from the darkest chasms of Moria and I check this site every couple of days, secretly hoping that Gil-Estel or Kralik or Dain or Thranduil have posted a deck for review, or started a chat about some esoteric card to break.

Apologies for the melacholy sentimentality and longing for better times.
-wtk

Thank you for the explanation. I clicked on the link for second edition and saw some card names but no links to pictures I guess, I can only assume they are similar in nature to what we all play. I have been checking out the Wiki site for a long time now, (within the last year or so maybe) but never really caught on to the forum itself until about 2 weeks or so ago. I can usually ask my friend who I play with  certain questions and he is very knowledgeable about the game, but asking him certain questions may lead him to understand a deck I maybe trying to put together, so it is better to ask others for advice or such.

Yes I guess I am just a way to late finding this site with those as you say that have moved on, so I am sure that many old posts that I have replied back to will never get an answer anymore.

I still find it hard to believe that many of the places selling physical cards are still asking somewhat outrageous money for cards mostly in the latter 3 major sets, Hunters, RoS, and T&D. Just as I came to this forum later I also got into the game somewhat later then my friends did. Of course all the sets I believe were completely out, however most of them up to Black Rider and maybe even Bloodlines were still fairly reasonable and most cards were easy to obtain. I managed to get a half way decent handful of commons and some uncommons in the latter 3 sets but most of the rares have been a real pain with the amount of money they are asking.

You would think if in fact the physical game is not what it use to be, how in the world are they still justifying on a low end $35.00 and a high end of $90.00 or more for one card. A box of T&D on Ebay when last checked was $555.00. I may be wrong but I got a feeling they will be sitting on that box for quite a while.

Maybe I will get lucky and somebody that has the latter sets and looking to get out altogether might be willing to let them go cheap...I know wishful thinking. I am not a collector and just need a good handful of some of the rares to make me happy. Anyway thanks for letting me ramble on and I will continue to look at this forum as often as I can, and maybe even get around to trying a game on Gemp sometime.

[Larry5000]

Just wanted to say from my previous post that I did see the cards for second edition by putting my mouse cursor over the name. I have to say that I am somewhat impressed with the cards the backgrounds look nice and most of the cards seem to have a vibrant look to them, so nicely done that way. What is the story again with the second edition to be sure? They were to be used Online in an online card game format similar to Gemp or what? I see that was back in 2016 so what happen did they stop, is it over with or what for sure?

[ket_the_jet]

I still find it hard to believe that many of the places selling physical cards are still asking somewhat outrageous money for cards mostly in the latter 3 major sets, Hunters, RoS, and T&D...
Maybe I will get lucky and somebody that has the latter sets and looking to get out altogether might be willing to let them go cheap...I know wishful thinking.

Even with a dead card game, it is simply supply and demand. The latter sets were produced at such limited quantities--Decipher was mired in legal expenses and had laid off almost one hundred employees--that they have remained hugely collectible. Decipher needed every set to be a financial success and, after losing the majority of play-testers, increased the power of cards in an effort to drive sales.

Obviously you will play the game to your meta, but I would recommend focusing game play to the earliest formats: Fellowship, Towers, Towers Standard, Movie, and War of the Ring Standard. If everyone is playing decks with, for instance, cards from 1-3, then you don't need to worry about the bloated power of the later sets.

You can see the power creep with the Shadows block reset of the game (compare Uruk Guard and Uruk-Hai Guard, for instance), but it was actually happening as early as set 8 (just compare an Fierce Witch-King with the fierce, enduring Castamir of Umbar).

Like I said, you'll do what works for your group. But the game is a lot more fun when everyone is playing on the same level and it isn't that one guy happens to have a base strength 10 Aragorn because he scoured eBay until he found something he could justify spending big money on. I've suggested it once and I'll suggest it again: King Standard (sets 1-7) is the most fun and balanced format, in my estimation.

Best,
-wtk

[Larry5000]

It is like I told one guy  I get some cards off of. I understand Supply and Demand but I also understand greed. lol  Anyway I do understand what you are saying. I sort of fell in love with the hunters cards to some degree.

You did not elaborate on the Second Edition cards I was also asking about in an earlier post, can you tell me about them?

[Gil-Estel]

OK thank you..Do many still play quite actively on a regular bases?  Except for the posts that I actually start up here on the forum I know that most that I reply back too are from posts clear back in 2008 and 2009 etc. Not getting a lot of responses back to my posts, I can only assume that many of the regulars that once posted up here back in those earlier years are no longer around or if they are rarely check up here that much any more?

The truth is, the majority of TLHH's vanguard has moved on. For this, there are several explanations. A new set has not been produced in ten years. This is likely the Occam's razor explanation. There are very few trading card games that have a robust playing group a decade after production. Enola is creating a new format based on The Hobbit films. Maybe that will bring in a few new players? I am skeptical. I enjoyed the Second Edition when it was play-tested on Gemp, but those efforts seem lost to the goblins.

The game is over fifteen years old. Many of the core players are simply at a different place in life with families, jobs, etc. Fewer players buy and trade the cards; the trade market was a substantial source of traffic for this website. Without active tournaments, competitive gamers lose interest.

I do think Gemp has a solid player foundation. I would anecdotally note that the traffic of this site decreased as Gemp replaced GCCG as the best way to play online. An active chat room lessens the relevancy of these message boards--why post a rules question here when you could get an immediate answer there?--and tournament and league play on Gemp is still a draw.

I do wish I had more time to play the game--they finally instituted King Standard as a format on Gemp!--but I just don't get around as much as I'd like. My friends who played locally have all grown up or moved away and I have even gotten rid of all of my decks, save one. Even still, nostalgia grasps from the darkest chasms of Moria and I check this site every couple of days, secretly hoping that Gil-Estel or Kralik or Dain or Thranduil have posted a deck for review, or started a chat about some esoteric card to break.

Apologies for the melacholy sentimentality and longing for better times.
-wtk

William my man! I will try to build a deck for this purpose alone! I will see it done!