Cactus Game Design Message Boards

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?

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.

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.

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!

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?

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.