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This isn't a question about LOTR but why doesn't alot of people play it????

Like i go to my GW every Thursday night and im there for a few hours and NO ONE comes in with LOTR and some Saturdays im there for 10 hours and again no LOTR and I want to know why not alot of people play it?

It has failed to interest me as it's a simple carbon copy of the imagery from the films. Don’t know about the game mechanics but from a model/hobby point of view it just does not grab my attention, epically such a long time after the films.

Because LOTR does not have Sphess Mehrinz.

The biggest problem I have with it is that (and this goes for Fantasy too), any time I could be playing, I could also be playing D&D.

I'd so much rather be playing D&D.

GW doesn't promote it near as heavily as they could either.

So are you saying they promote 40k and fantasy more than LOTR????

Hi FeForFar,

Thank you for a good question. For myself, I didn't get into it, in spite of being a huge fan of the books, because I don't think you can recapture the books with random dice rolls, no matter how wonderful the rules are (and I'm sure they are).

Think of the films...if each encounter, peril, and danger were an even odds challenge, -all- of them would have been dead by Return of the King.

Anyway, that is my reasoning. Not from knowing the game, I don't, I just didn't expect it to last that long.

A few people in my gaming circles tried it, but it didn't take off, and they went back to Privateer Press and Warhammer and 40K. Now no one plays it, so there is no incentive at all for anyone new to pick it up...

That's how it's been in Hawaii, at least my part of it.

Be well, be blessed!
Frankie

If I'm being serious, I actually really like the LOTR games, but I think the problem is this-The system is fairly 'recent', and most people wil already have an army for WHFB or 40k, so won't want to start another game. That means that most people starting it will either be kids, who probably won't stick with it for long, or adults who dislike playing kids. Obviously there are exceptions (for instance, fellblade and the good Uruk from Dakka come to mind), but there are so few players overall that getting a game is difficult, so no-one bothers to play it. That's just my opinion anyway.

I love the models. People who buy the stuff probably buy them just for the models.

I don't have a feeling either way for the game. Anyway, no time for the game.

To be honest, I think the only reason why the system isn't dead already is that GW mandates that any store carrying their product also carry LOTR.

Not that it's not a bad game, but it can't be getting enough sales to justify its existence in a real market.

Does anyone else think LotR might be better suited to an rpg system similar to D&D?

I do not care much for LotR. The rules are actually very good for a skirmish system, and they are great for the Warhammer historicals/pirates game (High Seas?). The use of might points to change dice results or interrupt the game flow is a really clever mechanic.
That said, I rarely want to play scenario-driven games and LotR works best when you are playing scenarios with definite objectives (rather than just 'kill all the other side'). That's why it works so well for pirates, too- get in, seize the loot/free the prisoners/rescue the governor's daughter from the evil Dons- and get out. None of this driving the other side out of their fortress and taking control of the port for England.

My favorite is WotR. I think it is one of the best rules sets I have ever used. Frankly, I would never have started WHFB if there had been a good Middle Earth miniature game back in the day. Now that we have WotR, I have pretty much abandoned WHFB- especially with the changes they've made in 8th ed.

Today at my GW there were only 4 people playing , its not working aswell as they planded .

4? that would be a record high at my local store.
Skirmish is fairly popular amongst the younger gamers in my area. apparently, at the last tournament, every one in the top 3 was under 14 years old.

I love both the skirmish game (which I think handles heroic skirmish the best of any game I've seen, and is incredibly flexible in what you can build while still being pretty well balanced) and the mass battles game. The minis are pure awesome, because for the most part they're designed by someone not from GW, so they don't come covered in skulls and with exaggerated features. It makes for a nice change. I think people probably don't play it because they don't want another system, and really, LOTR isn't that exciting to a lot of people. I love it though, and I have a friend who enjoys playing it too, but I know it's gonna be a "one game every six months" system for me rather than the "two a week" that Hordes, 40K and Fantasy are.

I'm not a big fan of the idea of playing a game thats based entirely on a book and movie series. I like the LOTR movies and books, but playing in it doesnt appeal to me.

I love the Fellbeast model and their trolls blow GWs other trolls away, but i have played the game around 3 or so times and form what i have seen its not a mechanic for someone looking for a wargame, it is very skirmish and i dislike a few dude brawl game instead of a massive wargame.

The whole reason I started wargaming in the first place was because of Lord of the Rings. The system is simpler and more realistic than 40k (cause hey, sometimes that goblin just doesn't want to die today) and I still enjoy the occasional game when I can.

The thing with the SBG game is that it is ridiculously easy to get started with, one box of warriors, one command blister (if you want) and you're good to go with a small army. The 40k equivalent might get you a decent squad.

I don't like the models, and the game just seems un appealing to me.

Expecially with the options of

Warmachine
40k
Fantasy
Warlord

to name afew

Not saying its a bad game or anything.. It could be fun.

Its just.. there is alot of competition in the tabletop mini games these days..

I tried it out and found it to be really slow. It seemed like one combat could last the entire game just because you have to roll sixes to even attempt to do damage with your rank and file troops.

The very idea that LotR would be dead without independant stockists is sickening to me. Do any of you know how much it makes, despite the seemingly low number of players?

Believe it or not, but LotR might be the best way to learn to play WFB or 40k. The simple rules make it easy for beginners, and lower the amount of rules that need to be learned for its older brothers.

I think it is a good way to start 40k and WFB

Lotr games are generally smaller and faster, i mean since every unit is independent you don't want huge armies and still get the feel of customizing it

Good point, I started playing LOTR about 4 years ago and from about 1 year ago I've been realizing that its slowly fading out.

And I've wanted to know 'WHY'?

Yeah it might be boring to some people or it just may not be that interesting aswell but still.
I personally rather LOTR than 40k or WFB because its easier/quicker and definitely ALLOT less rules to remember.

its easier/quicker and definitely ALLOT less rules to remember.

I believe it was more a rule set for a younger group. I think it was possibly a pull to get more people started on war-gaming.

It's booooooring....How many times do I actually want to re-live the battle of mordor or the shire? It's silly. All the battles are in the books. Nothing else could even happen.

Again, it's booring.

Just make your own battles!

The War of the Ring lasted around 13 months (the entire journey of the Fellowship), and before that Mordor's power had been growing for years and years ... so many untold battles that happened in Middle Earth that you can represent on the table top.

On that same thought, then there's not much point in playing 40k is there. All the important battles are canon, nothing else could ever happen.

I must admit, I like 40k more, but my starting game was LotR, and I can say I have a pretty firm grasp of the rules. There are 4-5 players (including me) locally, and a lot more in Newcastle, my "local" GW. Although I do enjoy 40k more, I still like to play LotR, and I find that is very enjoyable. I have found the gameplay does vary sometimes, going from one game in which it is just "line up and move forward" to a very tactical game, with Heroes meaning the difference between victory and defeat. I also think the rules, more so then 40k and Fantasy were designed to be tweaked to certain gaming group's preferences. My local group have a lot of house rules that add to the game, including one where the Fight value of a model is added to its dice roll, meaning that a Hero such as Gil-galad has no chance of losing against an average Goblin, but against 3, all backed with Spears, he would have a lower chance of winning.

I would say that I prefer SBG over WotR any day.

Peace

Doop

I assume that it just plays 2nd fiddle to warhammer and gw seems to have little interest after its launch (even with other launches such as "War of the Ring" which I hear is interesting) another set of problems is that its a different scale so your humanoids will only fit in truescale games rather than proxying into warhammer. shame too, I much prefer the lotr dwarves over the short "santa clause" ones in fantasy. Heck even thieves dont want lotr. I bet theres more scans of a semi obscure historical game that lotr books. I heard of a story about a store breakin one time and the intruders only stole 4ok and some fantasy