Is the Arkham Horror LCG the end of LotR LCG?

By JsBingley, in The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game

Yet, it has ton of content, and if you're itching for pure Arkham universe PvP - CoC LCG is the right way to go.

Yes, I have a back-breaking amount of CoC cards myself - it was my first LCG after all :)

Judging from all the official things said by FFG there's little to no risk of LotR LCG dying just yet. It's selling better than ever - so well that they'll continue to print it long after the last box is developed. More or less paraphrasing them there.

The Arkham LCG is just frickin' weird with all the existing co-op games in the same series. But ****, does it sound good to me. If it's + a Cthulhu Mythos LotR-like with streamlined rules I'm in. I now basically collect every LCG except AGoT 1e, so what's the harm in another expense, right?

We can pretty much expect a learn to play book and a reference from now on, which I'm happy with. Some really hate it, but those complainers should be forced to read the LotR rulebook. When the tears stop they'll never complain again.

Thanks for the tip. I can't STAND sloppy rules....

We don't know if it is similar enough or not, we have absolutely no details about the game, aside from that obscure description from the image.

We know that they have several other Arkham Horror games where you play one investigator per player.

And? As I said "aside from the obscure description from the image". And in that description, there is confirmed to be only 1 hero per player, which goes against the similarity with LotR, not towards it.

Which is exactly what the designers said they wanted to do. (Who were designers of LoTR by the way so that explains the "release" schedule.) They wanted to design an experience that was more about the individual players and that felt less like controlling a group that wasn't really character focused. Their words.

Edited by xodarap

I think it is an interesting issue with IP in general. Like do you think Tolkien's works will ever be in the public domain? Would it be better if it is always owned by some entity that determines what is a respectful use of the source material? Would it be better if someone still owned the rights to all of Shakespeare's works to prevent crazy interpretations like that Leonardo DiCaprio version of Romeo + Juliet from 1996? I'm sure there are some Romeo and Juliet slot machines out there as well :)

To sorta bring it back to the OP, is it a bad thing that Cthulhu mythos stuff is public domain? Has it ruined reading H. P. Lovecraft? It definitely seems like it might have a little bit what with all the indescribable creatures and locations that would drive you mad just to witness that are now illustrated in FFG products.

I'm just gonna' go with the simple here. YES it is ALWAYS important that a creator and their estate control their works and their vision. Think about it as if you were a creator. Also the Arkham Files stuff is not just Lovecraft based it also takes from the VERY extended universe that is more due to Chaosium and Call of C'thulu than Lovecraft. That's why it feels more like an adventure and less like a really boring walk that always ends with either and ellipsis or the *stunning* revelation that the protagonist IS the monster. The central idea that there can even be something entirely unknown is not a "cool theme" it's an affront to Science. You can always know, learn or find out, and this is coming from a "retarded" person. The same thing that makes the Arkham Files games fun, is the same exact thing that made Monty Python funny. It's ABSURD. Some people however, find something personally profound in Tolkien's work. Including his estate. It should be their right, to protect what their family created.

Holy cow Julia! 8000 posts?!

I tend to overtalk...

You're also responsible for a fair few Arkham Horror / Elder Sign / Eldritch Horror rules interpretations, that's probably what 5,777 of them or so? See ya' when we start the card game! Y'know I've been dying to ask you: Who IS your favorite investigator and why if you would be so kind to assuage my curiosity? I mean there's something about the Arkham Files you find irresistible right? It can't be the "horror" So what is it then? : )

Man, you know there is a "miltiquote" function?

I know this will never happen, but I would love to see a co-op LCG for some of my favorite games like Final Fantasy or D&D. Now that I think about it, Dark Souls would be really cool. It's co-op but also has the option for PVP with other players invading your world, i.e. your current game haha. I doubt any of this would happen, but a man can dream. :3

Check out the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game.

Do you think that's better than the LoTR LCG? I had it at first but everything released so SLOW and the art was SO basic and bland so I traded it for ......well we won't talk about that on a board game forum, I'll get banned for life, but now I'm looking for a card based solo game and considering LoTR. Do you think Pathfinder was better? Did you finish it? Does the art get (a lot) better? It'll be just my luck that the art from LoTR is just what I want to look at (having never explored the Tolkien universe) and Pathfinder has the mechanisms I crave. Figures....

I disagree. I think picking up Nickola Tesla as an ally (etc.) would be a good part of the game. Not anymore abstract than what we have now in LOTR. The suggestion of skills as an attachment as well as artifacts is great though.

I say again that if this happens I hope they find a way to keep that brilliant resourcing.

Dr. Tesla wouldn't be found anywhere NEAR an Arkham investigation he's the complete opposite of lovecraft (his work was actually RELEVANT to humanity for one.) That's completely ABSUR-.........0_0 Oh god no. FFG don't. You. DARE.

Man, you know there is a "miltiquote" function?

I'm gonna go wiiiiiiith "No?"

Edited by xodarap

Just wanted to add that while I think the new Arkham LCG looks really cool I have absolutely no interest WHATSOEVER even though I am a big fan of Lovecraft, King and Ligotti. Just doesn't look like the game for me and I don't think it'll even compare to how great the LOTR LCG is.

If anyone else is a fan of these writers and their works and you also like graphic novels check out the following: Neonomicon, Nameless and N (Stephen King graphic novel adaption). HIGHLY recommend all three!!! (first two are NOT for the faint of heart OR mind!).

I'm so happy to see the news.

_(:з」∠)_

It looks like somebody wasn't drunk or trolling after all, eh? Nice scoop! By the way you also have the patience of a SAINT. These people would have driven me mad long before the game got it's chance. I admire that. : )

And I guess the miniature game replaces Forbidden Stars? :P

maybe Runewars?

Runewars-expansion-components.jpg

In any case; Jabba's realm is gonna replace my wallet.

Dear sweet Gods and Godesses that's a GAME?? It looks like a toy box threw up....

Man, you know there is a "miltiquote" function?

I'm gonna go wiiiiiiith "No?"

It's a magical button that allows you to quote and respond to several posts within one, and prevents you from unnecessarily spamming the thread with single posts.

2016-10-26_1222.png

Just wanted to add that while I think the new Arkham LCG looks really cool I have absolutely no interest WHATSOEVER even though I am a big fan of Lovecraft, King and Ligotti. Just doesn't look like the game for me and I don't think it'll even compare to how great the LOTR LCG is.

If anyone else is a fan of these writers and their works and you also like graphic novels check out the following: Neonomicon, Nameless and N (Stephen King graphic novel adaption). HIGHLY recommend all three!!! (first two are NOT for the faint of heart OR mind!).

I'm quoting you to showcase this great forum functionality!

Edited by John Constantine

Man, you know there is a "miltiquote" function?

I'm gonna go wiiiiiiith "No?"

It's a magical button that allows you to quote and respond to several posts within one, and prevents you from unnecessarily spamming the thread with single posts.

2016-10-26_1222.png

Just wanted to add that while I think the new Arkham LCG looks really cool I have absolutely no interest WHATSOEVER even though I am a big fan of Lovecraft, King and Ligotti. Just doesn't look like the game for me and I don't think it'll even compare to how great the LOTR LCG is.

If anyone else is a fan of these writers and their works and you also like graphic novels check out the following: Neonomicon, Nameless and N (Stephen King graphic novel adaption). HIGHLY recommend all three!!! (first two are NOT for the faint of heart OR mind!).

I'm quoting you to showcase this great forum functionality!

Gosh that's swell of you but since I'm not a member of this "community" and just a consumer doing his research about a product (and saving a TON in the process so thanks for all you're incessant whining and unintentional revelation about your "beloved" game franchise, you represent it SO well!) I'm just gonna' take a "pass" on your direction there Mon' Capitain! Kinda' the same way I'm gonna' take a pass on LoTR, and I'm no Nostradamus but I predict.......naw. I'll let you superior types figure it out for yourselves. See above. I DON'T have the patience of a saint and I also don't appreciate not being able to use a public resource provided by a company I support up the wahzoo without a reprimand from someone with nothing better to do! My research is done, and so is my interest in the game. Well done Sparky! Now go find someone to bark orders at that isn't worried we're somehow going to run out of space on the internets or that my misuse of FFGs sliver of it will somehow convince them that they don't want my money anymore 'kay?

Edited by xodarap

Good riddance.

wow dude, John was just trying to help you. He might not have sugar coated what he said but your reaction and tantrum are a vastly exaggerated response. Have you not been on the interwebz before? Don't let your jimmies get rustled so easily...

I stayed as nice as I possibly could and even tried to provide you with information about the game to help in your decision as you are extremely misinformed about this game and seem to have some mysterious grudge against it (literally EVERYTHING you have said about it has been negative) but you are just an extremely nasty individual and I should not have wasted my time.

Just for the record I wasn't trying to be negative but honestly think this game is not for you. You aren't a tolkien fan, seem to have a massive grudge against the game to begin with and have multiple concerns about it so I was trying to give honest feedback/advice. For many people the main draw of this game is the IP and you have zero interest in that IP. You also already play several solo games so it isn't like you are trying to find a main game to play on your own. This game is extremely time intensive because deckbuilding is such a major part of the game so if you already play several other solo games you might not have time for this one if you don't absolutely love it. Perhaps I should have been more explanatory and said this in that other post originally but how negative you were being right off the bat was frustrating so I didn't feel like breaking it down that much for you. Also you didn't respond to myself or even Crusader Lord who did a really informative write up of the game and solo play just for your benefit.

I don't really understand what sort of reaction you thought you were going to get being so negative and dismissive about this game on its official forums? This game is definitely not for you. Go back to the Arkham forum. Also solo games definitely seem like a good fit for you as you clearly do not play well with others!

The worst part of this is that then people over at Discord and the podcasts crap on all the forum saying that we're all doomsayers and that we're always saying the game is dead when in fact everyone here knows it's not except for afew very vocal ******.

This game is definitely not for you. Go back to the Arkham forum. Also solo games definitely seem like a good fit for you as you clearly do not play well with others!

No God no, don't send this troll back to us!

Yeah I had a look at his various posts on the Arkham Forums and he is pretty awful to people on there. Saw him calling everyone who has any interest in the lore and storytelling aspect of the game (which I imagine is one of the main draw cards for the vast majority of players) "obsessive fanboys and girls". Really he should get off the forums all together if he can't show civility or respect for others! Doubt that will happen though.

I know this will never happen, but I would love to see a co-op LCG for some of my favorite games like Final Fantasy or D&D. Now that I think about it, Dark Souls would be really cool. It's co-op but also has the option for PVP with other players invading your world, i.e. your current game haha. I doubt any of this would happen, but a man can dream. :3

Check out the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game.

Do you think that's better than the LoTR LCG? I had it at first but everything released so SLOW and the art was SO basic and bland so I traded it for ......well we won't talk about that on a board game forum, I'll get banned for life, but now I'm looking for a card based solo game and considering LoTR. Do you think Pathfinder was better? Did you finish it? Does the art get (a lot) better? It'll be just my luck that the art from LoTR is just what I want to look at (having never explored the Tolkien universe) and Pathfinder has the mechanisms I crave. Figures....

The Pathfinder Adventure Card Game is great mechanics, but it really needs "rpg" added to it... The story and gameplay direction is so simple... you really can destroy the game in a few lucky turns, or grind it out with worthless encounter after worthless encounter. The enemies and "story" are far from memorable...

My plan is to simply use it as an RPG tool. Sometimes you want to do an rpg but you don't want to dive into a bunch of books, or you want to have some fun action but don't want to break out miniatures... I feel the card game is a good RPG medium for people who don't want to get too involved in the rules / measurements and just want fun, but the game NEEDS a storyteller to actually make a story with it.

EDIT - oh yeah, and the art is crap all the way through, and I would never recommend the game for solo play... It's too simple to play solo. Its much more a casual group game. Great for people who want to play board games, but maybe don't have the patience for a game with depth (or as I recommended, if you write an rpg story for your group)

I would recommend LoTR as a solo game. I've played it solo, and found it has a very different feel from playing multi-player, so you can enjoy the game both ways differently. You can also dive into the Doom cards alone, which are a real bad thing to pull out in a multi-player session but add some spice to the solo experience.

Edited by shosuko

I know this will never happen, but I would love to see a co-op LCG for some of my favorite games like Final Fantasy or D&D. Now that I think about it, Dark Souls would be really cool. It's co-op but also has the option for PVP with other players invading your world, i.e. your current game haha. I doubt any of this would happen, but a man can dream. :3

Check out the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game.

Do you think that's better than the LoTR LCG? I had it at first but everything released so SLOW and the art was SO basic and bland so I traded it for ......well we won't talk about that on a board game forum, I'll get banned for life, but now I'm looking for a card based solo game and considering LoTR. Do you think Pathfinder was better? Did you finish it? Does the art get (a lot) better? It'll be just my luck that the art from LoTR is just what I want to look at (having never explored the Tolkien universe) and Pathfinder has the mechanisms I crave. Figures....

The Pathfinder Adventure Card Game is great mechanics, but it really needs "rpg" added to it... The story and gameplay direction is so simple... you really can destroy the game in a few lucky turns, or grind it out with worthless encounter after worthless encounter. The enemies and "story" are far from memorable...

My plan is to simply use it as an RPG tool. Sometimes you want to do an rpg but you don't want to dive into a bunch of books, or you want to have some fun action but don't want to break out miniatures... I feel the card game is a good RPG medium for people who don't want to get too involved in the rules / measurements and just want fun, but the game NEEDS a storyteller to actually make a story with it.

Adding a storyteller for Pathfinder tACG is a great idea for a group like your talking about, but for someone who is just into mechanisms (me) who has to play pretty much solo, I think I was right to trade it away. Thanks for the honesty shosuko! I think I have found something else for just the strategic mechanism side of things without the setup of MageKnight, however. Waitasec. You *recommend* LotR for someone looking for solo mechanisms that also loves deck building? Okay then. I won't ask what makes it better than Pathfinder but what would I buy to get the best SOLO experience? See it may sound weird, but it's true, I know nothing about the Tolkien story, so my idea was that since it would all be new to me, the exploration would be amazing! Yet the reviews I've seen don't always make it seem so. I don't trust them (which is why I wanted to ask people who were most likely to be weary of samey mechanisms and contradictory rule sets.) not because they are bad reviewers, but because they are biased by experience within the theme. So if it wasn't JUST what they wanted to see....I feel they may have allowed that disappointment to color their judgment. Also, I mean no insult here but the mechanisms look, simple so I fear the game will become a "digfest" as I try to mill just the right cards with just the right composition of starting pieces. If I'm not right and I'm missing something please let me know. Also, I will give it a shot if you can recommend "a real starting set", if that makes sense. I realize that may include multiple cores as well as expansions but it may be awhile before I can be a regular with my play group again. MageKnight *sigh*......., sorry, I'm back. MageKnight and Eldritch Horror/Mansions of Madness are just too big, I've played so much Elder Sign my box LOOKS like an ancient tome, but cards (yes, even a lot of them) are fine. Sorry for being so cautious but I realize that this game represents a significant investment, and I tend to not do things in half-measure so I'm being really careful, but I DO see real potential in it. I appreciate your help and in return will at least give it a shot up to the point that you recommend if you can tell me if those fears are justified or not, or if the game's expansions corrected those initial impressions that sadly most reviewers and teachers of the game seemed to convey. Many thanks again for your help and understanding! : )

Edited by xodarap

wow dude, John was just trying to help you. He might not have sugar coated what he said but your reaction and tantrum are a vastly exaggerated response. Have you not been on the interwebz before? Don't let your jimmies get rustled so easily...

I stayed as nice as I possibly could and even tried to provide you with information about the game to help in your decision as you are extremely misinformed about this game and seem to have some mysterious grudge against it (literally EVERYTHING you have said about it has been negative) but you are just an extremely nasty individual and I should not have wasted my time.

Just for the record I wasn't trying to be negative but honestly think this game is not for you. You aren't a tolkien fan, seem to have a massive grudge against the game to begin with and have multiple concerns about it so I was trying to give honest feedback/advice. For many people the main draw of this game is the IP and you have zero interest in that IP. You also already play several solo games so it isn't like you are trying to find a main game to play on your own. This game is extremely time intensive because deckbuilding is such a major part of the game so if you already play several other solo games you might not have time for this one if you don't absolutely love it. Perhaps I should have been more explanatory and said this in that other post originally but how negative you were being right off the bat was frustrating so I didn't feel like breaking it down that much for you. Also you didn't respond to myself or even Crusader Lord who did a really informative write up of the game and solo play just for your benefit.

I don't really understand what sort of reaction you thought you were going to get being so negative and dismissive about this game on its official forums? This game is definitely not for you. Go back to the Arkham forum. Also solo games definitely seem like a good fit for you as you clearly do not play well with others!

I don't have a massive grudge against the game. I have an admitted ignorance of how it actually plays. Can you "mutiquote" or whatever anything negative I've said about it? Concerns? Definitely! Anyone about to invest as much as I will would as well, that's common sense! Caveat Emptor are not words lost on me....after being burned by multiple game companies, they're ones I LIVE by. Where did you give any advice about the game? All you recommended was a reading list....a FICTIONAL one at that! I didn't come here for a reading list my non fiction one is what makes me crave a break so I game while I let my mind grind through everything for a bit which is tough enough, I don't want to ADD to that! Where are these informative posts? Seriously I don't get responses to my posts so I must have honestly missed them and I'd like to read them. I'm not looking for a "reaction" to anything but the GAME. I don't live here, OR on the Arkham forum. The only negative thing I said was about a game that looked like a toybox that threw up, and that's because it did! Worse, it looked like it threw up on my beloved MageKnight! (but I left that part out since I didn't want to be negative.) OOps. Look, I'm just trying to make a buying decision that represents a huge investment. Since your SUCH a keen investigator you may have noticed that I only post what? Every coupla' YEARS. So if you don't mind, I apologize if my honestly and directness have offended you sensibilities but I really AM just trying to make a decision here so if you can help - Great, I'd love that! You ARE the people with the most experience. However, if you're just trying to criticize or argue since you have nothing better to do (specifically apparently not this great solo game I've heard so much about.) seek elsewhere.

The worst part of this is that then people over at Discord and the podcasts crap on all the forum saying that we're all doomsayers and that we're always saying the game is dead when in fact everyone here knows it's not except for afew very vocal ******.

I haven't said anything bad about your game Gizlivadi, I only stated that I can't buy it anymore, which is true, and I have a chance to buy it now so I'm doing research on it. That's it. I just want to know which bits to buy, should I buy it at all, and if it's worth the considerable investment or should I just wait for Arkham Horror.

Edited by xodarap

Got to play a demo of it yesterday. It is very very cool. The card upgrades after completing a quest is interesting. We played a 4 player game and got through 2 scenarios. We had to use the alternate ending on both to get out before things got worse. I found that to be really neat, the ability to end the scenario with out necessarily winning, or losing, where the decisions you make in the one scenario directly impact setting up the next scenario. We got a little wrecked in the second scenario but decided we didn't have a good strategy in the first few turns, which turned out to be very critical. Can't wait for this thing to get released!

This game is dieing!

If so, this has been the longest swan song in the history of everything.