I seem to be seeing titbits hinting that this cycle will be the last. Is this correct? I don’t actively use this forum ( or any other) so may have entirely missed a big announcement. Thanks

The former Games Head of Studio Andrew Navarro said the game is going on hiatus and it will return in a new iterration.

I wouldn’t put a whole lot of stock into the “new iteration,” though. Both FFG and Asmodee have been cutting game lines, sister studios, and fantastic designers/developers over the past two months. Add that to Asmodee’s recent raise in prices and wiping their part replacement policy, things aren’t looking too great for the future.

The game of course will probably still be incredible, but their may not be much left to support it.

This isn't a popular opinion, but I still feel like the game is pretty complete as it is. Do we really need new cards? I know some people want certain characters or certain spheres of characters, and probably want to flesh out certain factions, and that would be cool. But if you bought everything available now, you'd be spending around $1800, and there's a lot of gaming there.

I'm cool with the game going on forever if that's what people want, but I just don't really see the pressing need. Chess hasn't had an expansion released in years, and a lot of people still play that. What would be nice is if they kept the products they do have in stock so new people who want them could get them, but that's a whole different discussion.

It's not just a question of need. Before the current cycle there was already enough LOTR that the combination of decks and quests I would like to play exceed my lifetime -- but I don't want to give the cards from the current cycle back, all the same! Dominion doesn't need more content either, but I'm still looking forward to the new expansion for it.

There's a *practical* impact to new content, though. As long as the times between reprints have been for older content (and how quickly they sell out), as long as the game is in active development I would reasonably expect those reprints to happen sometime. When development ceases, that becomes less likely.

Besides, there's thousands of years of Tolkieny goodness the game *doesn't* cover yet. And I still want my Lobelia Sackville-Baggins card.

It would be nice if maybe every four months or so they would put out a special expansion or pack kind of like an MMO that contains player-requested characters or quests. At least have some print on demand of certain events in the books that didn't make it into the Hobbit and Saga expansions. More Hobbit ones would be nice to give you a chance to use the treasures you get from the Troll hoard.

Lord of the Rings has had a great run and though I agree that the game is done well enough to justify its continuation, given the circumstances of the economy and the state of the company, I think it's fair to speculate that its time has come.

My hope is that I will be able to finish my collection, Im missing a few quests from a couple of cycles I would like to complete, but frankly if I never bought another thing for Lord of the Rings, Im very happy with my collection.

As for new versions, frankly I would be fine with it as long as its backward compatible somehow but Im not down for collecting a whole new Lord of the Rings card game. Im very invested in the game, so much so that I passed on the electronic version as well for the same reason.

Once was enough, whatever new version they come out with, regardless of what it is, I will pass on it unless its backwards compatible with the current version.

On 3/12/2020 at 10:35 PM, Vince79 said:

This isn't a popular opinion, but I still feel like the game is pretty complete as it is. Do we really need new cards? I know some people want certain characters or certain spheres of characters, and probably want to flesh out certain factions, and that would be cool. But if you bought everything available now, you'd be spending around $1800, and there's a lot of gaming there.

I'm cool with the game going on forever if that's what people want, but I just don't really see the pressing need. Chess hasn't had an expansion released in years, and a lot of people still play that. What would be nice is if they kept the products they do have in stock so new people who want them could get them, but that's a whole different discussion.

So, for me personally it's just the knowledge that theres nothing new coming as opposed to a NEED for new content. Even if it was a couple quests a year, a sprinkling of more player cards, it wouldn't make me feel bad as I steadily clear all the content. I know I am probably in the minority, with me only having a couple saga quests to do before I only have nightmare mode as totally new experiences.

That being said there are still so many decks I want to try and there are plenty of quests I want to experience with different player counts etc.

Another element is that if a game dies, the community generally slowly fades, even if there is an initial consolidation. Honestly they should just put things on hold until the amazon series comes out, then release something. Also my OCD self would love them to finish nightmare decks for all the existing content, but alas. If not for the Amazon series I'd expect to see no new content for sure, but it gives me a flicker of hope even if its down the road.

What regions in Middle Earth are left to explore?

1 hour ago, qwertyuiop said:

What regions in Middle Earth are left to explore?

The Far North, Forodwaith.

The Western parts of Eriador: Shire (only in the Saga Campaign), Tower Hills, Ered Luin (We went there in a POD.)

South Western Gondor: Andrast could be interesting as it is a largely unexplored region thought to be inhabited by Pukel Men.

The Far East

Far Harad

Khand

Rohan has only been touched on.

I honestly do not foresee any cycles in any of these regions because most are either too unknown (Forodwaith, Khand, the Far East, &Far Harad) or else would be too similar to previous cycles (Fighting Corsairs along the coast of Gondor, Defending Western Eriador with the Dunedain, Hunting Orcs and warriors of Dunland in Rohan).

I could see any of these as possible mini-campaigns with 3 - 4 missions, but beyond that strikes be as excessive for any of these locations. In the event that the game comes back, I could see scenario boxes with 3 - 4 scenarios and no player cards being sold for $25 - $30 US. (Possibly more for inflation and quite possible with a hiatus.)