Looking to start playing this...

I've read the rules and tried to play on the JoL server, but it's unfortunately quite slow and rather frustrating to play on. As well, I'm not a huge fan of ripping off the dedicated folks who create these wonderful games, so that was a rather short lived jaunt into the world of V:tES that took place last fall.

My big worries are that I can't seem to find anywhere that carries the cards nearby, and my online searches for other players have turned up pretty much zero for other players in the Ottawa area. Now, I'm willing to buy the cards online, although I'd prefer to have a hobby shop or what have you to purchase them from, that's not a major sticking point for me. I'm just worried that if I go to the trouble of buying them, I'm still going to have a grand total of no one to play with, and have sunk a bunch of money and time into what would ultimately amount to a huge waste of time and effort.

So, long story short:

• Are there any good ways to find players in my area (Ottawa, Ontario) that I've overlooked?
• What sites do you recommend purchasing cards from, assuming I'm not missing a hobby shop in the area that someone can point me towards?
• What would you recommend for a "first purchase"?
• Thanks for your time!

Hello,
Here's a good thread that started when a player in the UK was considering starting the game:

www.vekn.net/index.php/forum/5-generic-vtes-discussion/5259-getting-into-the-game

In my experience, JOL is not VTES. It is also a horrible way to learn the game. The interface is clunky, technical and unappealing, negotiations are difficult if they exist at all, and games run at an unpredictable pace (but guaranteed slower than in real life).

Try this page to see if there are many players in your area:

www.vekn.net/index.php/player-registry

We're very happy to help new players, so don't be shy about any questions you may have.

I'd definitely look for Canadian players here:

www.vtes.ca/lurk/

If you are going to purchase online, buy direct from White Wolf, they have the best price by a mile. ($13-17 less per box than Potomac Distribution)

store.white-wolf.com/VTES-C15.aspx

Looks good; how many different sets are there? It looks like the ones linked are Sabbat-heavy, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I'm curious.

Thanks as well for the registry information; I suppose my best bet is private-messaging some of the guys on there. It unfortunately looks like most of them haven't done anything since 2005, and I can't actually just click to e-mail them. Heh.

One thought I'd had was of a Skype-conference-call-run-game. Do those crop up much?

The supply of 3rd tradition has exceeded demand for a long time, so you're seeing WW try to sell off their remaining stock. There are some other sets, like Black Hand, Gehenna, and Sword of Caine, that go well with 3rd edition because 3rd is considered a "base set." 3rd edition has more of the basic cards in it than the other sets that are available.

The latest camarilla set, Keepers of Tradition, sold out a while ago and it was the latest set for many years to support that sect. If you want to play camarilla, I'd suggest buying a collection from someone. Otherwise, you'll have to trade and ebay a lot.

The most basic investment you could buy to supply four players is a box of 3rd edition starters. If you want to get more while this sale goes on at white wolf, you could get some boxes of 3rd edition boosters or starters from black hand. That's a pretty straightforward way to go, but not the only way.

As for skype, Lackey is a program that might work for that sort of thing.

Interesting. Unfortunately Lackey seems like a rather poor substitute, but I'll keep looking into face-to-face possibilities in the area. I'd rather not waste money, but I'm certainly intrigued by the game.