Lord of the Rings Roleplaying 'Adventure' Game. Two Shelves of Gaming - Episode 3.

Welcome back listener(s). Following on from my tour of my Two Shelves of Gaming and solo RPG experimenting, I'm switching systems this week and taking a closer look at Decipher's Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Adventure Game. Not just a role playing game, but a role playing 'adventure' game no less! Like many games in my collection this was a charity shop purchase I picked up for pennies and something that was many years old. Almost as if from another era. In many ways it was. I first saw the Decipher's LoTR game back in the early 00s when I was working in Manchester. I would regularly wander around the large Waterstones on Deansgate during my lunch hour and while away the time leafing through books on the many floors inside. One of the areas I would peruse was the sizeable rpg and gaming section. However, at this time in my life I wasn't an active gamer yet still carried with me a residue of interest in the hobby. Thus I would take a look at things and 'umm' and 'ahhh' about maybe making a purchase. Anyhow, one of the products was said game, however as I wasn't up to speed with contemporary developments in the hobby I assumed that ICE's old MERP system has been re-skinned with flashy a production and stills from the Peter Jackson films. I didn't realise it was an entirely new game. In either case I didn't buy it and that was that. Fast forward over a decade and a half when I picked up the boxed Two Towers set. I assumed it was a starter set or introductory set of rules connected to the larger game system. While it is, the core rules and other Decipher products aren't called out or clearly highlighted in the product. I find that a huge shame and mistake on the part of the company. Only a small line contained inside states the contents are a condensed version of the main rule book - blink and you'll miss it. There's no 'If you like this, then buy the full rules!' emblazoned on the box. Shame. For this podcast I'm trying to get in the mindset of original owner of my game in an attempt to suppose what they thought of it all - so excuse me if things come across as negative or cynical. That's not what I'm trying to be. Was the original owner a superfan of the films? Someone with zero experience of knowledge of RPGs? Did they even know what the game was when they opened it? I can see from the unpunched counter sheets that the game was either never played or not tested out as fully as it could be. Also the actual adventure itself within the box may have lead to much head scratching or confusion.  This is a quick skim through things and I dare say I may have gotten something wrong or misspoke in the heat of recording, yet overall it's an honest take on things. So without further ado, sit back and lets all go to Middle Earth for a while. (Special thanks to Purple Planet Music, track 'Free Spirit')