I recently start a blog over at http://www.cardgamedb.com/forums/index.php?/blog/24/entry-89-a-game-of-thrones-agot-online-play/ . I will be trying to post bi-weekly to it with my throns rants. My most recent of which is on online play and what it means for the game. I think its an intresting topic and i have included it below for those to lazy to follow a link.

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The move to play A Game of Thrones (AGoT) online through application such as Octgn is a relative new one but it is something that I see as very shortly forever changing the competitive AGoT scene as players currently know it. Competitive play is going to see more competition and better players in general showing up this year to tournaments then ever before. Some of this can be attributed to the rise in popularity of the game thanks to the HBO series and the release of Dances with Dragons but online play has also significantly change things for AGoT.

Online AGoT has significantly increased the range of opponents against whom people can play the game. Widening the range of competitors has made AGoT more interesting to many players. Playing online enables people who might otherwise have had to wait weeks for a game to find an opponent to play almost at any time. It has enabled people to play opponents on the other side of the world just as easily as they can play someone living right next door, which has increased the spill over between what was once desperate meta's. Which by it self increase the amount of “teck” and “combos” players see / experience drastically. This has resulted in players being able to quickly move from beginner to intermediate to advance to champion level player to very soon champions. This process would have taken years in the past but now it can happen in months.

The most important reason that this is occurring is the simple fact that you can play 5-10x as many games online as you can at a live table. Programs like Octgn have allowed new players to gain experience through play in a fraction of the time it would have taken a player in the live environment by allowing players to play whenever and as often as they like, so there is no longer any need to wait until there is a good game to be played locally. Instead, you can go online and find your own game. No longer is experience in AGoT measured in years; now it’s measured in games played, and online tools allows players to put in a hell of a lot more games in a short period of time.

The world of online play even now is expanding with tournaments like the one run by Staton recently generating challenges for the top players, as well as boosting the recognition of existing championships by widening the interest in the game. In the past many of the top players made their names because of major wins at large events once a year. These players are still some of the best but today I rank them along side some of the top online players who have also proven them selves in larger live tournament events.

The old school players must now step up to an expanded player base with many new players who are using everything at their disposal to get better at this game they love.

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Darksbane made a grant point in a comment about OCTGN not being the program that will change online play...that FFG needs to step up and bring something better to the table..maybe something with a ranking system etc...

Online play only changes those who play it.

Facebook only changes communication for those who use it. Now what does that mean for changing competitve AGOT? I could point to the literally hundred scholastic and journalistic articles that talk about the impact of online actions on "real" actions. The general verdict is that online is only as real as we make it.

If the most "competitive" players play on OCTGN but cannot make it to worlds then technically yes the best competition will be found online. However, when we talk about things such as metas, skill etc things get more complicated.

Additionally, is there really a point for FFG putting together an online system? How many of us really want to buy virtual LCG cards for the same price as "real" virtual cards?

darknoj said:

You mean something as epic as these message boards?

Professor Nomos said:

You have my point to a tee. Since online play only changes those who play it, those that play it will have an advantage in live play, all other things being equal, since they will have more “practice” at AGoT then those that don’t.

To say that online is only as real as we make it, is interesting but I would think it’s hard to argue that the option to play online does not increase the speed by which players can improve their game. Which means if these same players play in the live events already…a greater general skill level at live events.

Professor Nomos said:

I agree that if FFG did make a product for online play it would need to have a costing model much different then the one Magic the Gathering uses. They would need to find a price point that would work with their customer base. Maybe a micro transaction or low monthly fee model…

You might want to read what I just posted about this: javascript:void(0);/*1331923647341*/

I definitely agree with Darknoj's point that the availability of online play can decrease the amount of time it takes to become proficient at the game. I've been playing a bit over 2 months now and having a weekly play group. If I could only play with those guys I would have about 25 games or so under my belt. With online play as an option I probably play about 3 games per day. So instead of playing 25 games in two months I'll estimate that I've played about 175 games in that 2 month span. That is a massive increase in the amount of experience I've been able to get playing the game. Also, online play provides access to a much more diverse meta. I've already played games against players from metas all over the world. Now I'm not sure that this will bring me anywhere near champion skill level, but it will allow me to reach my maximum skill level much quicker. Also, it should be noted that unlike some games, playing online is nearly identical to in person play especially if you use skype. That is, the skills and tricks you learn are directly applicable to in-person play.

I dunno if octgn "changes" much. Competitive players have always used online portals to maiximize their exposure to different decks and techniques. Raven was aorudn for years in the CCG era. But yeah: the more you play, and the more opponents you face the better you are going to be.