After attempting to play Warhammer: Invasion via Video Skype successfully I've decided that I want to try and play The Lord of the Rings this way. It's a bit different since one person would have to control the encounter deck while the other player(s) would have to rely on this player to know what is going on in the encounter, but I think it wouldn't be too bad.

I've only played online with a real life friend before, but I was thinking since I think we've got a nice community here we could maybe play online with each other. I, for one, think it would be great to play with some of you. This is also a great chance for those who don't have any other players nearby to play with others.

If this works out well I'd consider setting up some sort of online league on my website.

Anyone interested?

I'd be keen to give it a go. I'm Australia though, so there'd be a time difference to consider. How exactly would you go about playing online?

It's pretty simple actually, as long as you have a webcam (laptop probably works best). You download Skype, add someone as a friend, then start a video chat with them. Point the cameras at your playing area and play like normal.

It's not quite the same of course. The best way to go about it I've found is to have any player drawing or playing a card simply read off the card name and the text on the card if necessary. For LotR one player will have the encounter deck setup and will do all the work with that. You probably won't be able to read the text on other players' cards, but you can probably tell a number of them just from pictures or watching where they are placed as the player plays them. If necessary you can just ask the other player about the cards they have out.

I think it's a great idea. I was actually suggesting it to a friend of mine i play over the phone with. i don't even need to get my laptop out, I can use my ipad with Skype using the back camera while it's proped up in landscape mode. If anyone wants my username to play some time it's will.fuqua

I'll be in it, why not just use lackeyccg ?

booored said:

We COULD use something like that or OTCGN but personally I prefer real cards.

Well we all would rather use cards, but that isn't the point.

I think it would be so much easier, I mean how can you play with out it.. you would need some way of getting a camera to a location were you can use a table space. So even if you had a laptop you would need to pick it up all the time and point it about the place to see everything. Then reposition it so you can see the screen. Things like LackeyCCG are designed just for this kind of thing and would be the way to go imo. I would like to play but I just can not see how it would work with out a playing aid like lackeyccg.

Maybe make a rule to enter you need to show that you currently own the cards.

As I said, I've played Warhammer: Invasion this way with a friend and it works quite well. Yes, you have to sometimes ask what a card is, but it's not that big of a deal. We had no problem positioning the camera so that the full play area was visible. I played on the floor, but you should have plenty of space on a table. Remember you only need half the playing space, so you can place the laptop where the other player would be set up. It was almost like sitting across from each other.

I do not think i will be able to play then, as there is no way my wife will let me move an entire computer out onto the table in the living room...

But if you decide to play in LackeyCCG let me know.

That sounds interesting. I wouldn't mind trying it.

Sounds like we've got a couple people interested. You guys wanna grab skype if you don't already have it and post your usernames so we can start friending each other? I am svennethir.

Hi everybody!

i often play with my brother (~600 km distance) that way. But we used a program called galaxee4free, so we are able to make a video conference with up to four persons. My brother can use his large table to place his play area + staging area. So he has the control about the encounter deck.

This works very well and makes a lot of fun.

I even tested LackeyCCG .. and i'm trying to modify the lotr-lcg plugin, so you can play other scenarios and use the new cards. Also adding german cards

Lackey is perfect, if you want to play with persons without having the game at home.

*looking for the i-like-button*

JanB said:

lackeyccg is imo the best way to play on the net.. gameplay wise.. I also use it to test decks against new scenarios and it allows my co-op partner and I to play online to practice between gamedays with out having to drive 40mins to each others houses.

I really have no idea why FFG doesn't start a computer game department. Sure there is a die hard fans that hate all things computer but MTGo and especially Duels of the Plainswalkers on the consoles and steam have done nothing but increase the exposure and popularity of these types of awesome games. Personally I would love to see a DoTP style ps3 game for Call of Cthulhu or LoTRs. Just seams FFG is loosing out on so much money.

I digress

Anyway.. yea.. lackeyccg is awesome. I recently saw a post on BBG of a guy doing playthoughs of LoTRs. www.youtube.com/tragictheblathering#p/c/8A22BF9C1D87F757/0/rnjL6NP4NgE I subbed to his channel and he posted on it but not on BBG a game he played in LackeyCCG if you want to see how it plays.www.youtube.com/tragictheblathering#p/c/8A22BF9C1D87F757/5/uwOHoHdWk-I

I was thinking about the time difference, being in Australia like I am would mean that I would be up at stupid o'clock while you folks in the Northern Hemisphere are up at a reasonable hour. wouldn't be so bad on a weekend though

silverhand77 said:

If it helps, I'm often up at stupid o'clock anyway, which would be a reasonable hour for you. I'm in EST. I don't know the Australia time difference off the top of my head, but I imagine it's somewhere in the range of 12ish hours?

booored said:

Btw, I am not opposed to trying out lackey. If people want to try playing this way we can also test that, or OCTGN.

EDIT: Having sat down with lackey for a few minutes it seems overly complicated. Personally, I'm leaning towards OCTGN atm.

I know how to use lackeyccg but I have nvr used that other one. .I had a look but I couldn't even see how to make a solitaire game.. made me go online and try and find a partner to play with... but if you use it let me know .. just a few words over skype will be enough for me to grasp it..

If you do it with a video link, record it and post it on youtube

Well, first grab the LotR files here: octgn.gamersjudgement.com/viewforum.php

Run OCTGN and go to Manage Installed Games and add all those files. From there I think it gets pretty simple. Go to Edit Your Decks and build your decks there, then Start a New Game.

It's very similar to lackey in a lot of ways, but I personally like the UI layout better. It's cleaner and easier to read I think.

I'm on Skype and I'll be around the house today. Feel free to send me friend requests and maybe we can play at some point!

what is your skype nick?

It's a couple posts up... I'm svennethir.

What a cool program!

I normally play with my wife, but we don't get too many chances to play.

I would love to play with some other folks online.

My Skype is "TMJonsson" Just send a friend request mentioning LotR LCG and we will set it up!

I took a look at it... I think LackeyCCG is better...

I can not see a way to pull a shadow card...... how do you put a card form encounter deck face down in that app? Also the double sided cards do not work for quest, and the encounter deck has the same backs as the player deck... Also you need to have the quest decks loaded into your "deck" so you need a copy of your deck for every quest, and another copy for any hero subsitutions...

So yea.. lackeyccg is way better imo... but i am happy to play either.

Mine is: Jynkies

Send me a tell

booored said:

I've always thought a good CCG would make more money online then a cardboard one, and would be easier to maintain from as a developer (just think of how easy it would be to erata cards).

When I am deciding to buy into any gaming system, whether it's a board game like Catan, or the Game of Thrones LCG, the biggest factor for me is "will I be to actually play it?"

Using OTGN to play Game of Thrones online is extremely janky and hard to set up, yet is it very popular and easy to find other players.