Top 10 myths about Living Card Games (LCGs)
Written by: Ronald Villaver
Edited by: Reg Tolentino
10. LCG is a new and original concept.
A list compiled way back in 2004 at BoardGameGeek.com is about XCGs or Expandable Card Games. An expansion of a board game will have everything you need to play. Board games that mainly use cards are called card games, and a card game with expansions is called an XCG. The popular early ones are Settlers of Catan: The card game, which eventually lead to the series of Rivals of Catan.
9. LCGs are dirt cheap.
LCGs are somewhat “cheaper” than Collectible Card Games (CCGs), but in reality board game collecting as a whole was never inexpensive. The revenue we get from games is the time we spend with friends and family for good competitive fun.
I did an analysis of the cost comparison of LCGs and CCGs in a previous article; you can check it out here.
8. LCGs are too easy.
In CCGs the objective of game design is to provide streamlined mechanics that create a competitive play environment. In board games, it’s all about the experience. It’s all about the back story. In an LCG game you wouldn’t track your damage over pen and paper; instead you will use thematic tokens that will immerse you in the game’s lore. The emphasis on conveying the theme leads to less intuitive mechanics that tend to require a steeper learning curve.
LCGs prefer to encourage long term strategy. In board games you set a goal for the players that often allow them multiple paths to victory. This is very apparent in many LCGS taking you through the experience of conquering planets, infiltrating bases and not just beating your opponent down to a pulp.
7. LCGs are too difficult to learn.
This is partly true. The games themselves are often made up of familiar mechanisms found in many board games, then repackaged together to tell a story. The problem is that makers of Living Card Games are primarily Board Game publishers and their style of presenting the rules and gluing functions together sometimes does not translate well into card games.
6. You have to buy every expansion.
No you don’t. Treat it like you’re following your favorite basketball team. You can cheer for their games; you buy their team shirts and have them signed. But you will never do that for every team in the league. If you buy every single expansion that comes out in every board game, card game or what not out there, you must be ready for the cost.
5. LCGs are forever.
Board Games and LCGs eventually go out-of-print. In this state, the game is not necessarily dead; it may have reached its maturity in the current market and would need some time out. As to when it will be reprinted, no-one can really tell. With the thousands of games coming out every year, many great titles can be lost in the waves. The good thing though, for the games that are with you, as long as you can keep them safe, they can be played for many years to your heart’s content.
4. There is no Competitive Play.
This was true at the start. For years LCGs competed with the secondary CCG markets. Then in 2008, A Game of Thrones: The Card Game was released. For years it grew in popularity and nowadays there’s even a World Championship looming on the horizon.
3. Because of the large card pool, it’s difficult to get started.
This was also true for some time. A person entering a mature LCG would often need to catchup to a daunting number of expansions. This was changed recently. Fantasy Flight Games has even decided to introduce the concept of cycles in their business model. There is a sizeable card pool per cycle, helping welcome newcomers into the hobby.
2. The dispersed pool of cards produces uneven competitive play.
This is difficult to prove, but based on my experience, my friend Gino keeps beating people up with a single core set of Warhammer Conquest (He uses Eldar). Back in my competitive card game days, I couldn’t afford to buy expensive cards, so I built my strategy around cohesive cards. Whenever I face an opponent that has a pay-to-win strategy, triumph always tastes sweeter.
1. LCGs are investments.
It just racks my brain whenever I hear the word “investment” alongside “hobby” in the same sentence. Living Card Games and Board Games follow a similar business model. They are meant for casual play. Sometimes, there are games that create a great following, leading its publisher to organize competitive play. A perfect example is the tiny deck builder Star Realms.
LCGs at their core, are just boardgames with expansions. Board games that become “collectible” are very few. With the plethora of games coming out every month, it is cheaper and more fun to just try out something new.