Red Arrow's Point presents: MECCG Lists 1 & 2
URL:http://www.eGroups.com/group/metw/  &  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/metw2
 
 

An MECCG Haven...
If there was a thing, a site that an MECCG player can call a Haven on the net, it will be the MECCG List. This is the companion to Chris Cable's trade site. Chris Cable is to trading as the list is to the discussion of rules. This site can speak for itself  and needs no introduction. This is a tribute to the people who keep this game alive and have been part of the list at one time or another. And a chance for those new to the game to find out about this very important tool to MECCG gaming and get to meet players too.

Rules Rules Rules...
MECCG is a fun game, period. But as fun as it is, the game is complex. The rules can get intimidating and confusing. That is a fact. So what do you do? Where do you go if you have a rules question? Yes, you got it! The mailing list. 

This is the place to learn and ask about rules. It is owned and maintained by Mario Butter, the list I believe, started in 1998. It is archived and hosted at the silent-tower.org. as well as on yahoo.groups. You can visit the list and its goings on at yahoo.groups. It is the place where players and designers and crownsguards brainstorm on the net. A forum for rules clarification. A place to discuss Tolkien.

When ICE was still producing the cards this list reached 800-1000 posts in a month. Whew!!! Yep, pretty heavy in volume! Want proof? Go check the site's url at yahoo.groups. Now we still reach around 300-500 posts a month. Not bad for a game that has had no more company support for almost two years now. Yes its been about two years since Iron Crown Enterprise (ICE) lost the license to produce the cards... and players are still here showing to all that even if Numenor (ICE) is gone the dunedain (meccg players) are still capable of doing great works.

The Works of the Dunedain...
When ICE lost the license to produce the game in late 1999. Players found themselves in a situation no game fan ever wants to be in... playing a game with out support. No support almost always means the game dies.

Instead of languishing the loss of company support, they decided to move on. The players decided to continue supporting the game by organizing themselves. Out of this effort was born the Council of Elrond.  An organizing committee of volunteers and players. It has replaced ICE as the body that  organizes the world tournament. Its members voted into office by the members of the list. With it came the reorganization of the different local and national councils around the world. 

And yes there is still a world championship for MECCG. No support from a company and still a world championship event! Held in the Netherlands last August of 2000. One list member said it best, "if ICE was around, they'll be very proud of us." or something like that.

Another world championship for the year 2001 is coming soon. This time it will be in Montreal,  Canada. And this has been made possible mostly by volunteer work. An amazing group of people if you ask me. Beat that Sauron! 

The Citizens...
The list is visited by players from around the world from the countries in Europe to North America and even as far as Asia like Hongkong and the Philippines. They have come to support the game they love with or without company support. 

If you are new to MECCG and don't know who's who in the MECCG world.... look no further. All you have to do is visit the list at  yahoo.groups... join or lurk or read  the archives... you will find out who are the people that tries to keep the  shadows from prevailing on this game.

To Be Alone and Unadvised
Lately though the list has faced a major setback. Some unscrupulous elements have hacked the servers that host it. Effectively crippling the list. After reaching a remarkable 500 posts in February 2000, something that hasn't happened in the last quarter of 2000, the list just stopped. Like a giant machine that somebody threw a monkey wrench in. Disabling it. For a time i was thinking, "maybe people are busy..." but as the days passed and no one was posting. I wondered, "What happened?" I tried to post, and they kept returning to me....hmmmmm this is not good. Finally I learn from other members of the list via off list e-mail that the servers were down. 

The net helped to keep the MECCG community from fading. The list has been the main entity that kept the community tight. So what if you don't have anyone in your immediate area who plays meccg, you have an online community. Then that gets pulled from under your feet...and you find yourself alone again. No one to banter with, no one to ask, none to give you advise. Scary. Its like finding out that ICE is no more.

The Cock Crows!!!
But when all was dark and seemed hopeless, the cock crowed and the sun shone!!! The community did not stop when ICE lost the license. Why stop when the mailing list does? For now the list members have moved to a temporary list aptly called MECCG List2. Hosted at yahoo.groups and maintained by Andrew Sitte, the community moves on again. 

The list is the embodiment of the MECCG community and makes it very important. For MECCG to move on it needs the list. It needs people to continue to play it and discuss about it. It needs people who are willing to share the fun of the game... That's why they're still here. To share the fun of the game.

What do you mean you're not subscribed? Hey, hey, hey!!! What are you waiting for? Join the list!

(To join the mailing list send a blank e-mail to metw-subscribe@silent-tower.org or you can view its archives at  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/metw/  )
 

Aiming for the Mark,

The Red Arrow