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Me and my friends tried to teached kids at a christian school's after school thing. The school is on a church's campus so you would think there wouldn't be a problem. Well they said that since they've told kids they can't play games like yugioh, MTG, and other secular card games it wouldn't be fair to those children if they allowed others to play Redemption.

That is one problem that some prople face when trying to get other people from christian schools or churches, everyone has to be fair and PC these days.

The last time I played a game was in sometime around Oct or Dec, and the reason is me and my friend got a little bored with the cards, and we have tried different strategies. We even made proxy cards to spice the game up, but over all when the only way currently to play other experienced players is to meet with others on the EC of Florida which is only about 45min to 1 hour drive or the group in Orlando which is a little more than 3x the drive or more. So I can say that in Florida groups are pretty scattered.

The largest our play group was is back in 5th grade for me which was the 2002-2003 school year. After that our group dropped from about 20 or 30 o only 2 people.

So I can say that in Florida groups are pretty scattered.

I think people don't realize just how big of a state Florida is. When I lived in the Northeast, you could hit seven states in less than 300 miles, whereas here in Florida you could drive for 700 miles and still be in Florida. I realize that this is true in other states as well, but I was comparing what it is like for me. From CT, I used to be able to get to both Roy's tournaments in NY and John M.'s tournaments in MA in half the time that it would take the Delarosa's to come to my tournaments here in FL.

Quote from: Arrthoa on January 21, 2013, 05:44:25 PM

So I can say that in Florida groups are pretty scattered.

I think people don't realize just how big of a state Florida is. When I lived in the Northeast, you could hit seven states in less than 300 miles, whereas here in Florida you could drive for 700 miles and still be in Florida. I realize that this is true in other states as well, but I was comparing what it is like for me. From CT, I used to be able to get to both Roy's tournaments in NY and John M.'s tournaments in MA in half the time that it would take the Delarosa's to come to my tournaments here in FL.

I know what you mean.  I'm in the central valley in CA and to get to Bryon's tournaments, I drive about four hours one way (which is why I can go to only one or two of his tournaments per year).

Two major things have been hindering my playgroup from growing more than a couple of people:

1)   My personal life.  I am a husband to a woman that I still can’t believe God has allowed me to marry ,  I am a father to three kids that God has blessed us with (which only one of them plays), and I work full time Monday thru Friday.  I am also a devote family man in the sense that I do not want to spend a lot of time away from my family.  Due to all this, finding a time to have the playgroup has always been hard.  We have finally settled on Wednesday nights before Bible study.  This is also great since my lovely wife also does a book club at the same time.  However, this leads to the second issue

2)   Transportation.  Since Bible study is at 6:30, we meet twice a month at 5:30.  However, it is extremely difficult for parents to get off of work at five, rush home, and get their children to Redemption by 5:30.  Since I do get off at 4:30, I do end up picking up one of the players before I go to church (the other player lives across the street so he just walks).  I will probably start picking up a potential new player before our next meeting but then I’m max out on time.  We do have a church shuttle but the drivers are not available to drive across town in time to get back, drop the people off, then go get the usual people that they pick up that night.

Right now, our play group is just four of us (with hopefully a fifth one joining soon  (he actually used to play with us when I was doing the Kings study/Redemption nights during Wednesday night church but when the pastor moved Sunday school to Wednesday night in order to have two services on Sunday, I stopped teaching that class)).  If all the rumors on how good the new starter decks is for teaching are true, I will try another push at my church.  Also, since my kids do go to a Christian private school that goes up to eighth grade, I might approach them next year in regards to Redemption.

I have tried giving up on Redemption a few times but God keeps bringing me back in for some reason.  So though I’m not really passionate about it right now, I’m staying until His will is completed.

700 miles where the tallest mountain is an overpass.   

Someone needs to come to my tournaments... 

I live in Lake County, FL, which has miles and miles of rolling hills (and lakes, too!). Granted they do not match mountain-type heights, but they are much higher than an overpass (unless you are including overpasses of a gorge). I guarantee that most people would not want to ride their bikes up and down our hills, unless they were using PEDs.

I'd be more afraid of the gators than the hills

Hence the need for PEDs, because you know the Florida Gators are using them.     

The future of Redemption, is about two hours away when my wife is sitting across from me. Of course she'll be close to decking before she even draws her first lostsoul...............   As per usual..

I dont think that the game will die out completely. It may slow down but there is always word spread and people wanting to learn. I wish more stores would sell packs and things again. Only place to buy them know is online.

My local Family Christian Store still sells them. Unfortunately, every time I go in there, my son and I find several opened boosters and TexP packs. Good ole' Pine Hills. 

My local Family Christian Store still sells them. Unfortunately, every time I go in there, my son and I find several opened boosters and TexP packs. Good ole' Pine Hills. 

I have found the same thing at several big chain fcs.and was very disharted at that until I realized that atleast those that need to read the cards the most, are getting to one way or another.

There was also that one game that had artwork from the same people behind Magi Nation. Principality I think was the name.

4th Edition starters (plus a card pack for RoA # 26 and promo cards) should go to printer soon.  Overall Cactus is doing well. It's first by God's grace and then thanks to Cranium, Scrabble, Apples to Apples, Taboo and the toy line.  I still care about Redemption and have not given up.  Even so, it only represents 5% of our sales these days.  Therefore, I have to be careful not to let it take too much of my time.  We will hope for and work toward the new starters making it easier for new players to enter the game and see what happens.  I still get calls or e-mails from parents who have discovered the game and have children old enough to play.  They are very excited.  This more than anything drives me to keep it going.  Whatever happens, Redemption has already done much good and given me some of my best friends these last 17 years.

Blessings,
Rob

I'm late to this thread, but let me say, I have stock-piled cards should something ever happen to the game. 
Was an avid player in the warriors/apostles era, my friends have since sold their decks. I still can't wait to buy another booster pack any chance I get, and eagerly wait for my handful of kids to get old enough to teach them to play.

I'm a fairly new player and I've recently exposed some of my friends to this game. They've taken to it quickly and really well. Bring from Canada, I noticed the market for Redemption is mainly in the states. Looking at games like MTG, which are international, bring in great money. Perhaps more promotion in Canada would be great. I noticed that there are only a few spots in Manitoba and one spot in Ontario that really have tourneys and playgroups. If I had more experience and more know how, I'd bring this game to NB and make it my goal to make sure the whole province plays it. (For those of you that don't know, New Brunswick isn't a very big province lol) Also, since the Atlantic provinces are smaller and close together, the potential to spread the game is greater. Basically, and untouched market with a lot of churches and a lot of youth.

Quote from: The Guardian on January 22, 2013, 04:21:28 PM

Ban Gatorade!

sorry guardian, i had to dislike your comment for this reason;

ever since when i first started this game, there has been one drink to me that goes together with the game like peanut butter and jelly and thats gatorade or powerade. its weird ik but still, powerade/gatorade and redemption just click to me cause while im playing the game i love, i take a drink of powerade or gatorade to help keep me focused and just get me in the zone when im playing. in my mind, powerade/gatorade is the drink of redemption.

Mountain Dew.