The State of the Game: October
by Nate French
A Fond Farewell…
Six years ago, I played the A Game of Thrones card game for the first time. Since that day, I've spent countless hours building and fine-tuning decks. I've pounded out thousands of games. I've driven across the country and back in pursuit of AGoT competition. I've followed the road from casual fan to competitive tournament player, and turned a hobby into a career. I've made acquaintances and built relationships that have moved beyond the confines of the hobby world, and met a handful of people worth calling "friend," in any context. Some of you might know what I'm talking about. You were there.
I'd like to share a story…
Years ago, when I was in college, I was involved in a relationship with a young woman named Sara. At the time, neither of us could have asked for anything more. We had enough in common that there was always something to bring us together, yet at the same time we had just enough difference to introduce novelty and a fresh perspective to each other's lives. We were young, athletic, and intelligent; we were going somewhere, and we were going there together. Yes, we were in love, but we were also best friends who were able to have fun and enjoy any situation. There was very little reason for us to not spend the vast majority of our time together, so that was what we did.
Four years. Four good years was what we had, and I wouldn't change it for the world. What happened? College came to an end. Our world changed. So did we. We tried to keep things together, make things work. As is usually the case with this kind of thing, "making it work" didn't work at all. We were no longer in love with each other, but rather with our shared, romanticized past. And those kind of things always look better in hindsight.
We didn't go down without a fight, and we had our share of moments in the process. Moments that reminded us of what we had and almost--almost--took us back to our college days and the memories of that time. But we were always looking backwards, and never ahead. And that was our mistake.
Even when we realized we had to let go, it was difficult to follow through. Over the years, the possibility of getting back together has presented itself a couple times, and the seductive promise of the past is hard to deny. That said, I feel that going back down that route would be unhealthy, denying the realities that drove us apart in the first place, and that instead of moving forward with our lives, we would once again be trying to reclaim a past that we had both outgrown. It was only our conscious decision to let the past lie that has allowed us to cherish it for what it was. And it is only by maintaining that decision that we treat the past with the respect it deserves.
It's no secret that the past year has been difficult for the A Game of Thrones card game. We have survived personnel changes, as Eric Lang, Lucas Reed, Nick Agranoff, and Morgan Stana have all moved on to other endeavors. We have survived a major format change, and the controversial introduction of the "Melee" format to the world championship program. We have survived the transition from the CCG model of starter decks and blind buy booster packs to the LCG model of a core set and fixed purchase Chapter Packs. We have survived a major printer change, and struggled against the chaos and unforeseen obstacles such a move entails. We have survived quite a bit, and some might say it's a testimony to the strength of the blah blah blah…
I don't know about you, but I'm a little fed up with all this "survival."
Maybe it is time to let go.
I'll admit, these words carry with them an element of heartache. From the start, I've been as close to the AGoT CCG as anyone, and letting it go is hard. At the same time, there is also a sense of relief. The game, its past, and its community deserve more than a constant sense of "survival;" they deserve the sense of completion, the sense of time well spent, that can only come after such letting go has become a reality.
It's been an amazing run, and I'm glad to have been a part of it. To everyone who's added to my experience with the AGoT CCG: thank you. It's been one of the most satisfying experiences of my life, and the game wouldn't have been the same without you.
Dawn of the LCG…
We at FFG have high hopes for the LCG model, both within the context of AGoT and beyond, and I hope that each member of the AGoT community is able and willing to join us on the journey into this new gaming frontier, and share a part of that excitement.
Working with Paul, Steve, and Christian over the course of the past couple months, we have ironed out a number of initiatives that will carry the new game and the new format through 2009, into 2010, and beyond. The remainder of this "state of the game" article will take a look at the specifics behind these initiatives, giving you an idea of where we'll be going and what we'll be doing with AGoT and the LCG format in the weeks, months, and years to come.
So let's get on to the good stuff…
First an update on the Core Set, the product for which we've all been waiting. As of Thursday, October 23, the Core Set is going through customs, its last stop before it arrives at the FFG warehouse. We're optimistic that we'll have this game soon, and with its arrival we'll at long last be able to officially launch the industry's first LCG.
On the design front, I've been putting the finishing touches on a series of six Chapter Packs (slated to follow the A Time of Ravens cycle) that has come to be known as the King's Landing expansion. This set marks King's Landing, the capitol city of Westeros, as its focal point, and takes a look at some of that city's shadowy secrets. A new crest, a new "shadow" template, and a new cycle of traited plot cards are some of the many features of this exciting, theme-driven set.
Organized play rules (PDF, 836KB) for 2008-2009 tourney season are available now. With the launch of the Core Set we are bringing you two tournament formats, "LCG" and "Legacy," as well as a "limited" League play environment.
LCG format is played with the contents of the Core Set as well as any cards available as Chapter Pack releases. This is the game's primary tournament format, and the 2009 AGoT World Championships will be held in the LCG format. This format allows the game to be played at a competitive level against the best players in the world. And because the entire card pool is available in fixed distribution, building up a random collection is no longer an obstacle to showing up at a tournament with the deck of your dreams, and LCG tournament results are all about deckbuilding and over-the-table play.
Legacy format is a nod to the past, as it allows CCG era cards to experience a sort of "life after death," and see play alongside their LCG counterparts. The Legacy format is also played under "highlander" rules, in which players cannot play with more than one copy of any card, by title, in a deck. This format, along with the highlander rule, allows longtime players to dust off their older cards and play them in a competitive environment that is not totally inaccessible to new-comers: It's much easier for a new player interested in the Legacy format to get one copy of a card than it is for that player to track down a playset of three.
League play features a limited card pool in which players can only play with cards that have been appointed for that league, and this format also features ongoing storyline campaigns in which players can earn votes that will influence the direction of the storylines, and these storylines in turn influence the design of the game. There's a lot more to say about LCG Leagues, and I'll be sure to get back to them before this "state of the game" article is over.
The FAQ (PDF, 1.7MB) has also been updated for the launch of the LCG. ACOA "Jaqen H'ghar" has been banned from all tournament and league formats, and "Pyromancer's Cache" has been banned from LCG and league formats. A couple of other points have been clarified in the FAQ, and for the convenience of new players, an "LCG/League FAQ" (PDF, 1.7MB) that only presents information relevant to the LCG card pool has been provided.
Organized play for the 2009 tournament season becomes more and more of a reality on a daily basis. It sounds like a cliche, but our ambitious OP program truly does have "something for everyone," with a number of tiers (Worlds, Nationals, Regionals, Invitationals, Local, and League play) available for every type of player.
The best of the best can compete for honor, prizes, and bragging rights at the 2009 AGoT World Championships next August, at GenCon, Indianapolis. The World Championship tournament is a two day event testing the competitors in both a melee (multiplayer) and a joust (head to head) competition. At GenCon, we will also be running a Legacy championship event, in which players can compete for the top honors in the exciting Legacy "highlander" format.
National Championship events will be awarded to non-North American countries who meet our minimum requirements. These events will be structured similar to the World Championship tournament, with participants competing in a two day melee/joust event. FFG will be working with interested players and tournament organizers all over the world to bring an AGoT National Championship event to your country.
Regional Championships will be held in North America throughout the course of the 2009 tournament season. FFG will be working with interested players and tournament organizers throughout North America to bring an AGoT Regional Championship event to your area. In addition to the Regional Championships and the World Championships, FFG is also looking into hosting a 2009 North American Championship in our own hometown of Roseville, MN. Check back on our website for more information on that front.
In addition to the North American Championship, FFG is also planning the first ever AGoT LCG Invitational tournament. What's an invitational? Basically, it's a private event to which players must earn their bid through achievements at local tournaments. This invitational will also be held in our own backyard of Roseville, MN, and any player showing up with the requisite shield or banner (which will be given out as prizes at local OP events) will be admitted to the tournament.
Local events are monthly tournaments that can be set up and run by any Night's Watch member working in conjunction with a local game & hobby store. Two local events can be scheduled each month, and the following options are available for local tournaments: LCG Melee, LCG Joust, Legacy Melee, or Legacy Joust. Each month, one "LCG format" event per store will be awarded the status of "Hedge Tournament," and supported with House shield pins or House banner pins that double as proof of entry to the aforementioned AGoT LCG Invitational.
LCG leagues are the ideal way to promote and build organized play at your local game and hobby store. The limited card pool makes league games both more accessible and more enjoyable for the newer player, while challenging the established players to rely more on their playing abilities than on the size and scope of their collections. These new players can build up their collections for the constructed formats, while simultaneously building up experience against the veterans on even footing. Leagues also provide structured play, tracking, and game-related incentives that provide unity and purpose to the league experience. Finally, store owners hosting an LCG league will reap the benefits of additional sales each time a new expansion pack is introduced to the current league's legal card pool.
The focal point of an LCG league is the storyline campaign. For the 2008-2009 tournament season, league play will be used to determine the results of 4 distinct storylines. Each storyline is essentially a decision that bears weight upon the future direction of the game. Depending upon how they perform each week, league participants earn votes which can then be cast towards one of three storylines. The House cards that players choose for league play, and the results they acquire with that House, will be used to determine the results of the fourth storyline. Throughout the course of the 2008-2009 tournament season, five league campaigns will be fought, with results from all five campaigns being tallied and applied toward the four storylines. At the end of the league season, the decisions will be cast and implemented by yours truly in the design of the set that is in development at the conclusion of the final campaign.
Final Thoughts
Wow, that was a lot.
If you're a new player welcome to the game. As you can see, the "old game" had a rich history, and we're going to do our best to build a similar experience with the LCG. If you're an older player who's attention has lapsed or faded and you left the game at one point or another over the past six years, but you are intrigued by the concept of the LCG and the new initiatives outlined here, I'd like to welcome you back: there's never been a better time than now to pick up the game.
And finally, if you are one of those older players who have been playing the game all along (and at the time of my writing this, most of the people who come to our AGoT website still are older players), I understand that you've got a lot to think about. If this is the end of the line for you, we understand completely, but we also hope this is not the case. As I learned with my friend Sara, change is tough, especially when the change is moving away from something you once loved. Sometimes, however, "letting go" not only becomes necessary, but also the best thing to do. If you're feeling anxiety, anger, heartache, grief, or any other kind of anguish, it probably is best to take a step back. Games should not be the source of such emotions. On the other hand, if you are able to let go of the old game, acknowledging it for the amazing experience it's been, and are still intrigued and excited about the idea of a customizable card game based on George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels, welcome to the world of the A Game of Thrones LCG. The journey begins again, today.
Nate French
Designer/Developer
Fantasy Flight Games
