The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth

So I just stumbled upon this:
www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2019/...eys-in-middle-earth/

tl;dr: app driven cooperative LotR game with a map and minis. I kinda need this to be good, but not sure after reading through the news post. It doesn't look like it's just a re-skinned Mansions/Arkham/Descent, but I've only played Mansions. The card play they describe does seem a bit worrying, how you draw them randomly to look for successes (ignoring the rest of the card) but can sometimes do something to activate a card from the deck (presumably you get to go through it when you're not drawing maybe, which just means too much shuffling). Anyhow, maybe one of you guys with ties to FFG can add some color to this.

But if it's good, my son would love this...

Well thank god someone has made a co-op fantasy game. And LOTR at that. It’s about time.

Seriously though...why would I play this over the Knizia game from 20 years ago that is still the definitive LOTR game?

Michael Barnes wrote: Seriously though...why would I play this over the Knizia game from 20 years ago that is still the definitive LOTR game?

Because this one will be readily available upon release?

You can pick up the Knizia one for around $20 pretty easily, can’t you? FFG reprinted it not that long ago in a smaller format. But not Friends and Foes, which is kind of essential. I know that last expansion was short-printed though.

It seems to be pretty good and out of print.

Michael Barnes wrote: ....Seriously though...why would I play this over the Knizia game from 20 years ago that is still the definitive LOTR game?

Because you and me are the only people left in the world who want to play it !

BTW, Sauron was the best expansion for it - baaaaad.

Now if they'd have just been able to use the Warhammer setting then we be talkin'! Amiright??!!

The description of this game makes it seem like it might be cool. However I am leery of games that require an app. Especially an app for content.

A more legit question than the one about Knizia's game is "Why would I want to play this over the recent LotR computer game, Shadows of Mordor?" I think that's what it was called, anyway. If your going to need a computer to play a game then use a computer game to play a game.

repoman wrote: Now if they'd have just been able to use the Warhammer setting then we be talkin'! Amiright??!!

I don’t think anyone has express disinterest over the setting, Jeff, only that there already are co-ops that use it that some folks (certainly not me) are still happy with. The response, or least mine, is that this does seem to be some new iteration of one of FFG’s weaker systems, either Descent of MoM 2.0. They sell though, so I get it.

And yeah, an app is an unfortunate inclusion in any situation, but if it’s a new game in the MoM system, I’m not even going to give this game the time of day. The Descent/Imperial Assual app is pretty good and does make the game better, but MoM 2.0 was too much app. I felt the game had no need to be on the table.

Barnes' comment clearly expresses a level of disdain for the LotR setting.

repoman wrote: Barnes' comment clearly expresses a level of disdain for the LotR setting.

Can’t really deny that it’s a crowded market, especially the co-op fantasy tactical skirmish one. That it’s coming from FFG makes it even more repetitive. Also, so what if he doesn’t get hyped for a new LOTR game? Nobody has to, just as you don’t need to get hyped for a new 40k game. Most of us like the source material, but I know I personally already have a LOTR game that I’d be happy to play for various situations. Even without the app, this is a hard sell.

What follows is an actual transcript of the meeting in which FFG came up with the idea for Journeys in Middle-Earth...

“Alright, fellas, the hype on Imperial Assault is really hitting a wall, Descent is practically dead, what have you got for me?”

“We could do what we usually do with our designs, strip them down a bit and put it in a new setting?”

“I liked that idea the last 49 times we did it, and whaddayaknow, I like it now, too. Where are we putting this thing?”

“Arkham?”

“Nah, that’s too close to Mansions of Madness, and we just put Arkham 3rd edition out, I want to wait a couple of weeks before we start planning our next cannibalization of that brand.”

“Imperial Assault 2.0?”

“Good lord, man, haven’t you read the news? SJWs are ruining Star Wars. Also, this X-Wing 2.0 thing hasn’t exactly been met with high praise.”

“Android? Haha, just kidding, even we don’t care about that one anymore. How about Terrinoth? Maybe Mansion of Madness in Terrinoth? Could even just make Descent again under a different name.”

“Oooh, that’s not a bad idea. I’m getting turgid just thinking about how bland we go. No, no. Needs more nerd bait.”

“Lord of the Rings?”

“YES. YES. That’s it. No one will ever notice that we already publish about 12 other fantasy co-op games, 3 other co-op skirmish games, and 2 co-op games set in Middle-Earth. Never mind the 800 fantasy co-op games our parent company, Asmodee, publishes.”

The remaining portion of the meeting consisted of maniacal laughter, doing lines off of a first-run War of the Ring Collector’s Edition, and one lone voice who suggested bringing back Discwars with the Star Wars IP who, sadly, was again laughed out of the room.

repoman wrote: A more legit question than the one about Knizia's game is "Why would I want to play this over the recent LotR computer game, Shadows of Mordor?" I think that's what it was called, anyway. If your going to need a computer to play a game then use a computer game to play a game.

I though it was so that you and your friends could play the same boardgame together, in the same room. If you're playing solo, though, you're right. I've played Mansions of Madness solo a few times, and for me it's a mediocre gaming experience. Some folks I know will play MoM, but aren't the least bit interested in a multiplayer computer game.

Not saying anybody has to be amped for anything. What I am implying is that if the complaint is that if a game set in Middle Earth is worthy of a sneer because it's been done to death than that same disdain can also be applied to this week's current darling, Warhammer.

Either way, unless this game does something revolutionary with the app, I'm going to steer clear.

One of my all-time favorite games, and one in fact that I have owned since I originally bought it in 2000, is the Knizia LOTR. And the reason I love it so much is that for me nothing has ever so comprehensively and completely expressed not only the LOTR setting but also its themes. Another all-time favorite is LOTR: The Confrontation- another forever shelf one, I bought the original in 2001 and the updated one in 2005. I’ve played virtually every LOTR game that has ever been made, including the ICE RPG, the old SPI war game, the Ralph Bakshi one, LOTR LCG, and on down the line.

So...what are you getting at, Jeff?

How can I be more clear than my preceding post?