Meh…no reason. I just wanted to use an an emoticon. I had never used one before. to bad you live in England, old chap. If your ever in Washington drop me a line. Benhanses knows where all the good American beer is kept. Glad you don't hate my posts…

I kind of do…

Brownmantle said:

thanks!….ill keep that in mind, beer+gaming is always good

Brownmantle said:

HEY NOW!   None of that…  It's a wealth of knowledge that I've labored hard to build up (at the expense of my liver perhaps), and I can't just have my mastery of a thing just tossed out there carelessly…

"Keep it safe, and keep it secret!"

As to the original question, I should hope that nearly anyone playing this game takes the time to enjoy the text and atmosphere of the game…  There are some games (various board-games, etc) that I can just sit down and play.  But this is a game that really is positioned well to not only play on a little Tolkien-lore, but to really develop an interest in even a casual player!  Since there is many references to the various locations, events, and people of Middle-earth, this game could esaily be used as a vehicle to drive interest in the non-LOTR aspects of Tolkien (History of Middle Earth, Silmarillian, etc)…

In a similar fashion, I have trolled around FFG's A Game of Throne's websites to pick up glimpses of what to expect in that storyline…  I am new to Martin's books, and have just started reading them.  The storyline is pretty heavy at first, and you think he just has it in for all the "good" characters…  so it's been fun to "spoil" some of the elements of the story for myself by peaking at some of the card-game's characters and plots, giving me a glimpse at what to expect in his books as I read them.

And now that I've openly admitted to wantonly spoiling a fantasy storyline for myself in open forum, I'll quietly take myself off to gamer purgatory for an appropriate amount of time…

haha that reminds me of the first time i read the fellowship….what did my brother go and do? flick through the two towers and spoil the whole gandalf thing for me ….evil