Author Topic: New players?  (Read 2482 times)

Offline DukeWard

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New players?
« on: July 07, 2013, 08:29:02 PM »
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Just a general question.  I've recently become interested in CCGs and I know Redemption has been around for a long time (I bought a starter pack in the late 90s at my local Christian bookstore that somehow got misplaced before I was able to do much with it).  Based on what I've seen on the forums here it seems like the game is in its twilight so I'm reluctant to invest time and money into it.  I'd like to read some opinions about where people think the game is going and if it's worth it for someone who has little to no experience with this kind of game to begin learning and playing now.  I live in Winchester, VA and thus far I haven't found any local playgroups.

What do you all think?

Offline 777Godspeed

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Re: New players?
« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2013, 11:37:40 PM »
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Welcome to the boards. From what I have seen over the last 6-7 years that I have been involved, Redemption is far from being in its twilight. Recent growing pains.... possibly, but twilight?!? I'm just getting back into playing again after a couple years of having life throw curveball my direction, but during that time I would still shadow the boards to keep tabs on what was going on. With the release of the New Starters and Tin this year I am excited about where Redemption is going and how it is growing. The recent/continuous sluggish economy has really made people tighten the purse strings on "extra" spending, so that may be a little of what you are seeing. Redemption is worthy of you time and money investment. If you don't have a playgroup near you, you can always start one. Since my recent move, I am having to start all over again, but I have no doubt it is worth my time, effort and money investment. Other boards members will most certainly post also and they are a great bunch and I am proud to call them my Redemption Family. Once again, Welcome Aboard........


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Mike
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Warrior_Monk

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Re: New players?
« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2013, 12:27:40 AM »
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It was very disappointing when there was no set last year, and I personally looked elsewhere for a CCG. I have been playing Redemption for almost 10 years now, and will always be faithful to it, but the game grew stale for me, and I suspect I wasn't the only one. This may be some of the negativity you were seeing, causing you to believe it was in it's "twilight".

That said, there's been a lot of positivity lately with the release of the new starters, with the new design, ease of learning, and product appearance (putting Guardian on the starter decks was really cool). There have also been new and exciting Player projects, like Redemption MetaGaming, the Wiki, and the Redemption Card Builder. The game is definitely heading in the right direction, and I think we'll see growth in the next few years. I'm not sure Redemption will ever rival the Big 3, but I'm not sure that we've yet seen the pinnacle of Redemption. Last year I would have said Redemption was twilighting, but the new starters have given me hope.

Finding local playgroups is tough. The best option is to start your own, but it's tough to learn and catch up on without somebody teaching you in-person. It does take time and money (though it's pretty cheap for TCGs, certainly not as expensive as YGO or MTG), so I'd suggest finding out how to play and seeing if you enjoy the basics. If you do, stick around and play online awhile. If you still like it, start a playgroup. That's the best way to ensure the game stays around and find people to play.

Offline soul seeker

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Re: New players?
« Reply #3 on: July 08, 2013, 01:24:29 AM »
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It is a shame this wasn't posted a week ago...I could have shown you the game with one of my starters when I was in Winchester.  I was only there for a couple of hours, but that would have been enough time to give you a good grasp of the game.

It is hard to really guess when a game is in its twilight years, but it is hard to imagine that Redemption is there with the release of these new starters. Ideally, having someone to show you the game is helpful, but I would think a $12 investment (the approx. price of a new starter) wouldn't hurt.  If you are worried about Redemption's future, then start small.  If you like it, then expand your collection because you like it not necessarily as a future investment.  There are some decently close playgroups (read a couple of hours) to you across the border. (I'm thinking the PA and MD groups.)

I find it sad that you have found negativity on the boards because I enjoy the game for a variety of reasons.  I hope you will end up enjoying it too.  :)

noob with a medal

Offline _JM_

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Re: New players?
« Reply #4 on: July 08, 2013, 08:26:29 AM »
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Speaking of PA/MD groups, we'll be having the PA State tournament in Hanover, PA on Saturday, July 20.  Looks like that's about two hours from you.  PA States is one of the better higher level tourneys to go to, because we're expecting a number of newer players to be there, and we'll have a lot of experienced players willing to help new people learn the game.  Further details in this thread.

Offline DukeWard

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Re: New players?
« Reply #5 on: July 08, 2013, 09:02:48 AM »
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Thanks for the warm welcome and the information about the tournament.  I'm with the kids on Saturdays while my wife works so getting there will be difficult, as much as I would love to.  It's good to know that there are active players nearby, though.  It sounds like investing in the starter pack makes sense.  I have a fairly large church and might be able to find some interest there.  I haven't even met the majority of the people there, so it's possible that there's already a small playgroup around.  Maybe I could try putting a blurb in the church bulletin.

What is the single best piece of advice that you would give someone just starting out in this genre, and particularly with Redemption?

Offline TechnoEthicist

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Re: New players?
« Reply #6 on: July 08, 2013, 09:12:17 AM »
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My wife and I are about 2 hours east from you according to googlemaps. We are at the eastern end of the Orange Line (New Carrollton, MD). We'd love to teach you the game sometime, especially if you find others in the church who want to learn. I received my 1st edition starter back in 1997 and have been an avid collector/player/reseller since 1999. Let's talk sometime. Feel free to send me a private message for my contact information. Welcome to the boards!

Offline Captain Kirk

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Re: New players?
« Reply #7 on: July 08, 2013, 09:18:28 AM »
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Regarding CCGs as a whole, my advice is to be patient. As you play games you will slowly encounter more and more cards. It can be frustrating facing certain cards for the first time as you don't know how to respond to them with your deck. That is the beauty of CCGs - lots of different deck options to accomplish the same goal.

Regarding Redemption in particular, I advise learning more about the stories behind the cards. It is really cool to learn more about the Bible through the game of Redemtion. Many of the special abilities on cards are based on Bible passages. Redemption has greatly increased my knowledge of God's Word, which is to me a far greater thing than a game.

Kirk
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Offline DukeWard

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Re: New players?
« Reply #8 on: July 08, 2013, 10:55:13 AM »
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I appreciate all the responses.  Thanks!  For a new player, what is the better value, the new 4th ed. starter decks or the gift box set?  For now I'll only be buying one or the other.  It seems to me that I'll get starter decks plus some expandability with the gift box set, but the 4th ed. will include the redesigned cards and the newest starter decks.  What do you all think?

Offline Captain Kirk

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Re: New players?
« Reply #9 on: July 08, 2013, 11:03:06 AM »
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Go with the new starter. It has more playable cards in tournament decks and is easier to learn with.

Kirk
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Offline Professoralstad

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Re: New players?
« Reply #10 on: July 08, 2013, 11:04:04 AM »
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I appreciate all the responses.  Thanks!  For a new player, what is the better value, the new 4th ed. starter decks or the gift box set?  For now I'll only be buying one or the other.  It seems to me that I'll get starter decks plus some expandability with the gift box set, but the 4th ed. will include the redesigned cards and the newest starter decks.  What do you all think?

The 4th Ed. starters were designed with new players in mind, and are easier to learn (you get used to the main rules before you expand into the other card types, abilities, and concepts you see in the expansion sets). They are also the most fun starters to play with according to most players that I've talked to. The Gift set comes with the 10th Anniversary edition starters, and while those might be a helpful addition later on down the road, I'd definitely recommend the 4th Ed. starters to begin with. Once you get the hang of those, you will get a better sense of whether or not you want to continue investing in the game. The Gift Set might be a good next step, as those starters are still relatively simple, but they come with several new card types and abilities that will give you a broader sense of the game.

Welcome to the boards, and we hope to see you around. Feel free to ask any questions about the game, the community, or most anything in general, and we will be happy to help. We may direct you to various forums for certain questions, but it shouldn't take too long to get the hang of things.
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Offline Ken4Christ4ever

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Re: New players?
« Reply #11 on: July 08, 2013, 11:24:37 AM »
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Welcome! I agree with the recommendation to get the newest starter decks, as well. My wife and I have played many games with them, and they seem much more fun than the previous one. :) Feel free to keep Three Lions Gaming in mind as a source for cards since we have single cards in addition to starter decks, tins, and packs. We're also glad to help answer questions you may have.

God bless!
Ken Locklin

 


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