I guess it's a good time for someone (like me) to get into this game, since it's now not a big chase to track down all of the cards...  Or a big money pit to throw my little spending cash into!  But I have to wonder, would it be worthwhile for a newbie (like me) to buy up any of the CCG version?  Or just pick up the LCG core and APs, and forget about past sets?

Poluekt said:

A CCG is mostly sold in random packages, where the LCG is sold in fixed packs. Also, the LCG has monthly updates (which should kick off shortly...) where most CCG's are quarterly with a big random update every 3 months or so...

Bokrug said:

Well, if you can get them, I recommend them, because it enhances your deckbuilding options. It's not needed to play though, so it depends on how much you're willing to spend (and how cheap you'll be able to get it...)

lordofmasks said:

Well, yeah, it's a new marketing strategy. But given that CCG is also a marketing strategy (and one that, for better or worse, has its own sizable group of detractors), I don't think a new name for a new marketing strategy is out of order. "Living" makes sense, too: they are trying to preserve the expandability of CCGs, without the random packaging. Sure, you can still collect them, if you want. But you can collect anything, from bottlecaps to small elephant figurines: collectible, in the gaming industry, has come to have a more specific meaning which includes random packaging.

I just wish they will NOT stop CCG boxes production.