The Boardgame Thread

[eldaec]

Played Homeland last night. It is the half finished piece of nonsense you expect from the IP. A hidden role game where you draw cards which variously help terrorists or the cia, then pile them up on cases and eventually reveal the cards to see if the "team" stopped each terrorist plot. The core mechanic is ok but basic, and extra fluff such as abilities you can buy rarely have an impact as game is too short. There is an exception if you happen to get the opportunity to buy a card depicting a TV series main character, as they are hugely overpowered and somehow even less fun than the worthless abilities.

Also played a few games of Steampunk Rally, an engine building game about building an engine which was on Kickstarter just before Christmas. Very random but good frothy fun. You draft engine parts which generate/convert/spend three types of fuel in order to move along a track trying to avoid too much damage. The machines you build end up feeling very different and getting parts to combo is nice - but there is nothing strategic or especially deep in the game.

[Sky]

On the other hand there's such an insane amount of games coming out today - most of which is crap - that the label is entirely earned.

This is what gets me. Even with video games, I like to pick a few fun games and enjoy them, rather than play a different game every week. So I tend to go for more replayable stuff like Civ or Rocksmith; or longer rpgs like Skyrim or Risen.

Same with board games. I'd rather learn a ruleset for one game and just enjoy that, house rule out the worst of the problems. But I can't hang with the library's gaming night because it's split between BGG cork-sniffers more interested in debating the merits of various rules and mechanics than actually playing the fucking game and raw newbs who eat glue.

Then again I still favor our old house-ruled AD&D 1st ed over any other rpg, so I may be an outlier :)

[jgsugden]

I came to the decision not long ago that anything over 20 games on the shelf was going to be a waste of shelf space.  I just don't have time to play everything I own anymore. 

However, when I tried to pick the 20 games I would keep so I could purge the rest, I found I couldn't bring myself to get rid of more than a few of the 100 or so games I have... and I have bought three more games since then.

We're sick.

[jgsugden]

Anyone have any comments on Cthulhu Wars?  Worth owning?

[Goldenmean]

Anyone have any comments on Cthulhu Wars?  Worth owning?

Haven't played my copy yet (and probably won't any time soon given the usual gaming tastes of my group), but the components are gorgeous.

[lamaros]

I'm not a fan of the look, and never that engaged by the theme. But as far as kickstarters go it could be worse?

Edit. What a nothing comment. I must be brain dead today.

[eldaec]

Anyone have any comments on Cthulhu Wars?  Worth owning?

Do you like 'roll dice to resolve' and enjoy long games? If so,  sure, why not.

Do you prefer your lovecraft to be lovecraftian and not primary colour mega-monster smack down? Avoid.

Do want to paint miniatures? If so, much more definitely yes.

[jgsugden]

The figures would certainly be a plus, but as I have ~1000 unpainted figures right now and paint slowly (and have spent a grand total of 8 hours painting over the last 3 years...) I'm primarily focused on the quality of the game.  It sounds like MOnsters Menace America levels of dice without any of the true Lovecraft/Cthulhu feel.  I'm glad I passed.

[Sky]

I'm actually getting a bit tired of some minis being locked behind board games. I really love some of the Blood Rage minis but I'm not buying another damned board game just to get them (in plastic, no less). At least for the gnashing of teeth about Sedition Wars and the horrible restic, I have resin versions of most of the models (though I had to win a painting contest to get a few unreleased ones...).

Though I did buy Imperial Assault because there is a serious lack of SW minis out there.

[jgsugden]

...
Though I did buy Imperial Assault because there is a serious lack of SW minis out there.

I bought a large number of Star Wars minis pretty cheap for use in other RPGs (primarily D&D and future setting games).  I think you can still get pretty large collections of Star Wars minis on Ebay for not too unreasonable of a price... (closed auction for example purposes)  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-of-170-Star-Wars-Miniatures-Plus-Album-of-Cards-/121579793430?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c4eb86c16

[Sky]

I meant real minis, not that the FFG plastic is any display standard, though Aaron painted them up pretty nicely...

I do have a couple 25mm old SW minis I got in a trade, though the bastard kept the Vader to paint himself, dammit. He threw in a big, maybe 75mm Kenobi in recompense (didn't make me feel better).

[jgsugden]

Fair enough.  Thanks for pointing out Blood Rage - I'd overlooked it.

[Sky]

I'm a sneaky enabler 

[Soln]

The urge to paint?  It's growing.   

[Sky]

I have three minis going into the 2014 CMoN Annual 

[MrHat]

Barnes and Noble is running their clearance at the moment.

I went in for half price Agricola All Creatures Big and Small and left w/ that + Eldritch Horror + Descent 2.0 for <$90.

[schild]

http://antiquity.boardgamecore.net/

[Rendakor]

Finally played TTR: Europe. We all liked America better.

[schild]

America is better.

[eldaec]

Personally, prefer Switzerland and India.

[grebo]

You guys are crazy, Europe is better than America

[Sophismata]

You guys are crazy, Europe is better than America

We're talking about TTR, right? 

[Soln]

By chance I watched 15mins of a 90 mins warhammer 40k minis tabletop battle last night on youtube.  First time I've ever really seen minis at play, excluding xwing games.  It seems really awkward and convoluted to play.  For example, one guy had a large squad of orcs and he dropped 30 d6's for their attack.  Is this normal?  I guess I'm curious about the appeal -- if it's just the minis or meta or something else.

[Rendakor]

Mini-wargaming is a hobby that's pretty diverse. I know more WHFB than 40k but people get into it for all kinds of reasons. Some like the lore, others the painting and converting of minis, some play for the tactical, competitive aspect. Personally, I like playing the game but I lack the patience to assemble and paint tons of models.

30d6 doesn't seem really excessive for an attack roll; those dice boxes with 36 tiny little d6 mostly exist for Warhammer.

Finally got in a few games of Settlers of Catan; it's pretty fun but the board always feels cramped. Much moreso with 4 people. Are any of the expansions good? I know there's one that lets you play up to 6 people, but the one guy I know who's played it said it wasn't great.

[Sophismata]

Some like the lore, others the painting and converting of minis, some play for the tactical, competitive aspect.

Finally got in a few games of Settlers of Catan; it's pretty fun but the board always feels cramped. Much moreso with 4 people. Are any of the expansions good? I know there's one that lets you play up to 6 people, but the one guy I know who's played it said it wasn't great.

It's supposed to be cramped, the game IMO does not play well unless there is a shortage of resources (and one of those resources is space). While I have not played it, I've heard very good things about Seafarers of Catan.

And if you're like me (highly competitive with a bent towards strategy and mind games) I recommend this variant for Settlers play.

[Sky]

I want to get into mini gaming (because I enjoy collecting and painting the toy soldiers), but the larger scale stuff holds no interest. Smaller skirmish stuff like Infinity is what I'd like to get into. It also seems much cooler with elevation/cover and LoS stuff.

[Mazakiel]

I've been wanting to get into Infinity and/or Warmachine for awhile, but I've had to just accept that I won't have time to until I've graduated.  I've heard lots of good things about both, though.  There's some decent local groups who play them both, apparently, so I have that to look forward to at least.  There's supposedly a decent WH following here as well, but the cost of entry in time and money pretty much means it will never be an option to me. 

[Rendakor]

Sophismata, why the ? The tournament scene around here for WHFB and WH40k is pretty active; we have like 3-4 weekend long tourneys a year and one-day events at least once a month. It's the part of the game I personally enjoy the most.

[Lucas]

A few days ago I purchased the Lord of the Rings LCG (my first LCG); regarding card games, beside some CCGs and Seasons, I really don't have that much experience.

So far, I love it!  ; I'll probably play it solo 90-95% of the time, at least 'til a digital version comes out. I'm pretty intimidated by all the content that has come out (money pit): I've already read some purchase guides and I think  I'll slowly purchase some deluxe expansions along the way, then be more choosy about the adventure packs.

[Sophismata]

Sophismata, why the ? The tournament scene around here for WHFB and WH40k is pretty active; we have like 3-4 weekend long tourneys a year and one-day events at least once a month. It's the part of the game I personally enjoy the most.

Oh wow, goes to show how different people are. The WH tournament scene here (or the parts I am exposed to) died after the latest changes to WH40k and WHFB. They were widely regarded as terrible, and there was a mass migration to Warmachine. Warmachine now sees almost all of the tactical miniature and tournament play for me - even the international stuff. I don't play tourneys anymore (work FT as a consultant and the travel and hours don't mix with painting and collecting and playing) but I still have a solid group of friends hat regularly play in local and international tournaments.

In general Warmachine is viewed to be more competitive, and I forgot that obviously that view isn't universal.

tl;dr I was being a smartass and I apologise.

[Sky]

On a forum I moderate there is a rule against linking to commerce sites, so one board's loss is another's gain :p

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/star-wars-imperial-assault-bundle?mode=guest_open

Basically a group buy where the price goes down as more people sign up. Bundle is the game + current expansions and extra dice, a pretty nice deal at $125 already (if I didn't have most of it...).

[schild]

On a forum I moderate there is a rule against linking to commerce sites

What a stupid, terrible policy.

[Sky]

One of MANY weird policies there. But it's an awesome community, so I put up with it.

Though in defense of the commerce rule, it is a commercial entity and otherwise pretty supportive of competition. Stuff like 'no nudity' when they sell nude models? Yeah, that's a weird one.

[Thrawn]

On a forum I moderate there is a rule against linking to commerce sites, so one board's loss is another's gain :p

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/star-wars-imperial-assault-bundle?mode=guest_open

Basically a group buy where the price goes down as more people sign up. Bundle is the game + current expansions and extra dice, a pretty nice deal at $125 already (if I didn't have most of it...).

Is the game actually any good though or is it just another minis game that is all about random dice rolls and didn't really need minis?  I've played XWing a little and enjoyed it if that is a good comparison at all.

[Sky]

No idea, my hermit gaming buddy is hermiting again.