Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 28, 2024, 06:47:45 PM

Login with username, password and session length

Search:     Advanced search
we're back, baby
*
Home Help Search Login Register
f13.net  |  f13.net General Forums  |  General Discussion  |  Topic: The Boardgame Thread 0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.
Pages: 1 ... 7 8 [9] 10 11 ... 78 Go Down Print
Author Topic: The Boardgame Thread  (Read 585298 times)
lamaros
Terracotta Army
Posts: 8021


Reply #280 on: December 22, 2011, 08:08:46 PM

I bought dominant species the other day.

I'd exchange it if I could. Game is too slow, too fiddly and a bit ugly. When the mechanics of the game are so intrusive its no good that everything else is fun. And it is fun: It seems like a very deep game that will reward for a number of plays. But the execution is pretty off putting. I doubt I'll get many games out of it for those reasons. I goes way past any general play possibilities. If I knew what it was like I would have bought something else. (I wanted to get Earth Reborn, but went for DS on the thinking - maybe I can convince family and friends to play DS. I now think I'd have equal chance with either.)

Also everything doesn't fit easily into the box, which is super annoying.

If you are thinking of getting it I would read this: http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/710530/feeling-based-review-after-one-2-player-game-ds

It makes good points that I agree with. It feels like a good game, but with serious obstacles.
« Last Edit: December 22, 2011, 08:18:07 PM by lamaros »
Ragnoros
Terracotta Army
Posts: 1027


Reply #281 on: December 22, 2011, 10:24:01 PM

Late replies, but figured I would try and contribute something.

Anybody tried Risk Legacy? It's gotten some pretty good buzz at BGG and other reviews I've read.

Having played about six games, we have introduced most of the mechanics and such.

tl:dr If you like Risk AND have a consistent gaming group, it can be rewarding and is the best Risk you will find. However, it is still just Risk.

Sure, some places will become more valuable, or harder/easier to defend/capture, but you still just get some dudes, put em on the board, and roll dice. Yes you will scribble enough dick jokes on the board to make a Goon proud, but for the most part, it's still going to be the same board you have played on since you were twelve. I can give it a soft recommendation it if you have a consistent gaming group. The give and take (especially the possibility of permanently screwing your friends favorite strategy over) can be rewarding over several games and lead to investment in the world. But if you tend to play with different people frequently then no one will really give a damn about the changes they had nothing to do with, much like in real life.

Any good suggestions for (board)games for folks...who should be smart enough to pick things up, but aren't gamers in the classic sense? The two I'm looking to get now (just because they're generally well liked by anyone) is Catan and Loaded Questions, but more game-y options would be nice too. Also, they need to be purchasable via Amazon, and cannot contain batteries (not likely to be an issue here, but just in case).

I don't recommend Catan. Everyone in my group found it tedious. However, the version on the 360 is alright as the computer does all the tedious bits for you. There is a demo.

My default recommendation for a intro boardgame is Shadows over Camelot. Of the twenty or so games our gaming group owns, we all agree SoC is our favorite.
First, it just looks good. Colorful, well drawn boards and cards. Good quality pieces. It is not a cheaply made game.
Second, it is really fun. You start off playing totally coop against the board. But once you get a couple games under your belt and grasp the simple mechanics you then introduce a traitor who secretly works against the rest of the players, adding a great political element.
Third, it is fairly simple to teach. Each turn you only have to do two things, and all your options are in front of you on your hero card for easy reference. But figuring out the best course of action and getting everyone to work together is a real challenge.
Finally, it is a good setting to get you and your group into in a nerdy frame of mind, whilst still waiting a bit to ease them into d20's and space orks.
Hold off on the expansion til you try the base game. It does not add a whole lot, but is moderately worth it if you find you love the game.

Edit: Video review if you are interested. http://boardgamegeek.com/video/3601/shadows-over-camelot/drakkenstrikes-shadows-over-camelot-components-bre
« Last Edit: December 22, 2011, 10:28:18 PM by Ragnoros »

Owls are an example of evolution showing off. -Shannow

BattleTag - Ray#1555
Mosesandstick
Terracotta Army
Posts: 2474


Reply #282 on: December 22, 2011, 10:43:00 PM

SoC was one of the most fun things I've ever played, once I figured out what to do  awesome, for real
IainC
Developers
Posts: 6538

Wargaming.net


WWW
Reply #283 on: December 23, 2011, 01:16:37 AM

Played Smallworld yesterday for the first time. Was a fun little game with some interesting strategies. I like that the races and bonuses are randomised so that the game changes dramatically with each replay. We were 3 players but I'd imagine it gets a lot more interesting with more.

- And in stranger Iains, even Death may die -

SerialForeigner Photography.
Ghambit
Terracotta Army
Posts: 5576


Reply #284 on: December 23, 2011, 08:02:55 AM

I bought dominant species the other day.

I'd exchange it if I could. Game is too slow, too fiddly and a bit ugly. When the mechanics of the game are so intrusive its no good that everything else is fun. And it is fun: It seems like a very deep game that will reward for a number of plays. But the execution is pretty off putting. I doubt I'll get many games out of it for those reasons. I goes way past any general play possibilities. If I knew what it was like I would have bought something else. (I wanted to get Earth Reborn, but went for DS on the thinking - maybe I can convince family and friends to play DS. I now think I'd have equal chance with either.)

DS is not a 2-player game, not even slightly.  You need 3+ for it to be enjoyable and ideally gamers.  Earth Reborn is ONLY a two-player game, with some team rules bolted on.
That being said, I do believe ER is the better game, but it requires a much deeper commitment to learn/play as it's basically a storytelling wargame.  It's also slower to setup then even Descent.

You could likely trade DS for ER on the geek if you wanted.

"See, the beauty of webgames is that I can play them on my phone while I'm plowing your mom."  -Samwise
Strazos
Greetings from the Slave Coast
Posts: 15542

The World's Worst Game: Curry or Covid


Reply #285 on: December 23, 2011, 03:53:08 PM

That looks cool...too bad I don't think I could enough other folks to play.

I know me and one other guy here would play just about anything (though with an infant he kind of has a 2 hour time limit). The problem is finding other folks who would play anything beyond, I don't know...Trivial Pursuit?

Fear the Backstab!
"Plato said the virtuous man is at all times ready for a grammar snake attack." - we are lesion
"Hell is other people." -Sartre
ghost
The Dentist
Posts: 10619


Reply #286 on: December 23, 2011, 06:08:07 PM

Going to the store for Earth Reborn and coming home with Dominant Species is a bit like going to the store for a shotgun and coming home with a tea set.  They're totally different games, and I wonder if that didn't make it more off-putting for you.

Just so you know, Earth Reborn is totally kick ass.   Oh ho ho ho. Reallllly?

But then again Dominant Species is pretty awesome too, they're just nothing alike.
lamaros
Terracotta Army
Posts: 8021


Reply #287 on: December 24, 2011, 01:03:44 AM

Going to the store for Earth Reborn and coming home with Dominant Species is a bit like going to the store for a shotgun and coming home with a tea set.  They're totally different games, and I wonder if that didn't make it more off-putting for you.

Just so you know, Earth Reborn is totally kick ass.   Oh ho ho ho. Reallllly?

But then again Dominant Species is pretty awesome too, they're just nothing alike.

They're alike in that getting other people to play them is hard, and that I was interested in them.
ghost
The Dentist
Posts: 10619


Reply #288 on: December 28, 2011, 07:31:44 PM

You really only need one other person to play Earth Reborn.  Surely somebody around would be willing to play that with you. 

In other news, Fantasy Flight is reprinting Fortress America.  I'm excited. 
Teleku
Terracotta Army
Posts: 10510

https://i.imgur.com/mcj5kz7.png


Reply #289 on: December 29, 2011, 08:31:18 AM

Haha, that's awesome, I hadn't realized they were.  New set looks pretty nice as well, though I kind of miss the old box cover.

"My great-grandfather did not travel across four thousand miles of the Atlantic Ocean to see this nation overrun by immigrants.  He did it because he killed a man back in Ireland. That's the rumor."
-Stephen Colbert
lamaros
Terracotta Army
Posts: 8021


Reply #290 on: December 30, 2011, 05:37:54 AM

You really only need one other person to play Earth Reborn.  Surely somebody around would be willing to play that with you.  

In other news, Fantasy Flight is reprinting Fortress America.  I'm excited.  

I know literally no one who shares my nerdy interest in games irl (moving to a new city a couple of years ago didn't help this). I've actually been thinking of trying to find some sort of club to remedy the situation.

Also, after getting a little bit more out of the games I played this holiday season:

Dominant Species: A fun game. I find it a bit long, with the last hour or so dragging on a bit, but it's also lots of fun. I managed to play three games in the end (2,3 and 5 players) and most enjoyed it (each person who played it came back the next time). It was a bit frustrating in that for such a long game the final few turns can make or break a player, and the luck of what cards and elements are turned over then can have a large effect given the final turn scoring ("here's three elements of your type - hello wasteland! goodbye survival strategy"). Might just be some novice play, though. My brother liked it enough to go and buy it himself.

Pandemic: Fun and quick, enjoyed a lot by nearly everyone who played it. It was played the most of the lot, with a lot more willing/able to give it a go (only my brothers and cousin played DS, but my sisters and aunt and brother in law all managed to have a game of this). Can be dominated a bit by one or two people, and the fun can be determined by the cards a bit too much - a number of games were boringly easy, and a number were impossible. However when everyone is enjoying it and the cards are turning over in a nice way it can be heaps of fun: one game was won memorably with no cards left in the deck after three turns of advance planning involving most of the special skills. A much better family game given there is less conflict between players.

Carcassonne: I bought this for my cousin and it was ok. Not really my kind of thing in the end but diverting for a game or two. A bit simple for me. I never played it with just two people and it looked like that might have been the best way to play it.

Go: I really enjoy this. I wish I had a proper board. Makes all the other games look a bit silly in a way.
« Last Edit: December 30, 2011, 07:33:52 PM by lamaros »
trias_e
Terracotta Army
Posts: 1296


Reply #291 on: December 31, 2011, 11:02:18 AM

If anyone is in need of a party game along the lines of Bang or Mafia, then I highly recommend 'The Resistance'.  5-10 players.  No one is ever removed from the game (unlike the previous examples) so no one gets bored.  Tons of fun as long as your group is social and likes to argue with one another.  It's definitely my favorite as far as the secret role/deception games go.
lamaros
Terracotta Army
Posts: 8021


Reply #292 on: January 02, 2012, 06:37:37 AM

Might be interesting to get a forum game going of mafia/ww/the resistance if people are interested.
Strazos
Greetings from the Slave Coast
Posts: 15542

The World's Worst Game: Curry or Covid


Reply #293 on: January 02, 2012, 08:53:04 AM

This idea interests me...go on.

/monocle

Fear the Backstab!
"Plato said the virtuous man is at all times ready for a grammar snake attack." - we are lesion
"Hell is other people." -Sartre
luckton
Terracotta Army
Posts: 5947


Reply #294 on: January 02, 2012, 03:50:59 PM

I'm honestly surprised we don't have a Vassal subforum somewhere around here.

"Those lights, combined with the polygamous Nazi mushrooms, will mess you up."

"Tuning me out doesn't magically change the design or implementation of said design. Though, that'd be neat if it did." -schild
trias_e
Terracotta Army
Posts: 1296


Reply #295 on: January 02, 2012, 06:44:05 PM

Might be interesting to get a forum game going of mafia/ww/the resistance if people are interested.

I would have been interested, but the semester is starting in a week and there is no way I can make the commitment, unless it was a fast game.

They play werewolf on 2+2 (poker forum) all the time.  It is a ton of fun but also can be very time consuming if you have a large amount of people playing and want to take it seriously.  Also the people there are far too good at it and eat noobs like me for breakfast.

For what it's worth, I think mafia/ww is probably a better forum game than the resistance, while the resistance is the better party game.  Mafia/WW's main problem is that once people get eliminated it can be lame with bigger live groups.
Bunk
Contributor
Posts: 5828

Operating Thetan One


Reply #296 on: January 03, 2012, 12:58:43 PM

So we played Dominant Species for the first time on the weekend. Really enjoyed it, nice mix of mechanics - Agricola's planning mixed with some basic wargame strategy. Problem was, we all think too much. Now admitedly, we were also watching the fight, learning the game, dealing with other people, etc - but it took us 5.5 hours to finish the game.

"Welcome to the internet, pussy." - VDL
"I have retard strength." - Schild
ghost
The Dentist
Posts: 10619


Reply #297 on: January 05, 2012, 12:12:50 PM

Just ordered the following for research on my own game:
Twilight Struggle
Grimoire
Arcana
Super Dungeon Explore

I really need to start a boardgames/card game blog thing of some sort. Or open a board game sub-forum. With the lack of magic players here though, it may need to be a totally separate new thing.

Did you ever get around to playing Super Dungeon Explore?  I've been thinking about buying it, but the reviews are mixed.
schild
Administrator
Posts: 60345


WWW
Reply #298 on: January 05, 2012, 12:14:58 PM

Friends put their own copy together, played it, loved it. It's very "light" they said, but enjoyable if you can tolerate lightness.

I'm too lazy to put the fucking figures together with the other games on my shelf.

Picked up the Ascension Expansion (Storm of Souls) this week - which is excellent - and Prêt-à-Porter, which I haven't had a chance to play yet.
ghost
The Dentist
Posts: 10619


Reply #299 on: January 05, 2012, 12:22:32 PM

I wasn't particularly impressed with the base Ascension game. 
Ard
Terracotta Army
Posts: 1887


Reply #300 on: January 05, 2012, 12:53:35 PM

I picked up super dungeon explore for my wife over the holidays.  We've only played it once, but I like it a lot so far.  It's extremely similar to descent, but for me felt \ more gamey than descent which felt more like dungeons and dragons.  The only comments I would make would be that the mini's might be hard to assemble (one of the bigger ones in ours had a bent stem which was somewhat hard to fix and get seated in the base, and that the rules and base characters are clearly set up for many expansions further down the road, none of which I can find any info at all about right now nor appear to be immediately on the horizon.  Without expansions to add more monsters, the replayability might get a bit old.
ghost
The Dentist
Posts: 10619


Reply #301 on: January 05, 2012, 02:02:35 PM

What is the playtime like?
Ard
Terracotta Army
Posts: 1887


Reply #302 on: January 05, 2012, 04:59:47 PM

Depends on the set up you're using.  3 heroes is around an hour, 5 isn't supposed to be much longer.  There are more or less built in timers in the game rules to keep game length reasonable.  There's basically a track that counts wounds done by heroes or monsters, and eventually spawns the boss mob, although that's not the only way, but the other way would be the end result of a steamroll from the hero player(s).  Turns actually go pretty fast once you have an understanding of what you can use your turns to do.
ghost
The Dentist
Posts: 10619


Reply #303 on: January 09, 2012, 01:28:59 PM

Schild-  a couple of other games you might want to look at for your research are The Ares Project and Blood Bowl Team Manager.  Both are card games that are semi-drafty and might give you some good ideas.
Yegolev
Moderator
Posts: 24440

2/10 WOULD NOT INGEST


WWW
Reply #304 on: January 11, 2012, 01:16:37 PM

Six losses in a row to Arkham Horror.  No lessons learned last night other than our character picks were shit and we are not as smart as a pile of printed cardboard.

Why am I homeless?  Why do all you motherfuckers need homes is the real question.
They called it The Prayer, its answer was law
Mommy come back 'cause the water's all gone
Samwise
Moderator
Posts: 19212

sentient yeast infection


WWW
Reply #305 on: January 11, 2012, 01:59:35 PM

Six losses in a row to Arkham Horror.  No lessons learned last night other than our character picks were shit and we are not as smart as a pile of printed cardboard.

If you're playing a game that's supposed to be representative of Lovecraft and you feel that you are "winning" on any sort of regular basis, the game is doing it wrong.

"I have not actually recommended many games, and I'll go on the record here saying my track record is probably best in the industry." - schild
Thrawn
Terracotta Army
Posts: 3089


Reply #306 on: January 11, 2012, 02:37:35 PM

Six losses in a row to Arkham Horror.  No lessons learned last night other than our character picks were shit and we are not as smart as a pile of printed cardboard.

I've heard of this game more than once, but is it still any good if you have never read or had any interest in any Lovecraft stuff?

I picked up super dungeon explore for my wife over the holidays.

This looks like a lot of fun and something the people I game with would enjoy for sure...but ouch at the price tag.  Does stuff like that go on sale very often or is the $100 pretty locked in?
« Last Edit: January 11, 2012, 02:40:05 PM by Thrawn »

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the Universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
schild
Administrator
Posts: 60345


WWW
Reply #307 on: January 11, 2012, 03:00:24 PM

You should really read the Lovecraft stuff.
Ard
Terracotta Army
Posts: 1887


Reply #308 on: January 11, 2012, 05:34:15 PM

This looks like a lot of fun and something the people I game with would enjoy for sure...but ouch at the price tag.  Does stuff like that go on sale very often or is the $100 pretty locked in?

Depends on how many were initially printed and how well it does, and if it sees another printing.  Could very easily only ever actually go up in price.  I have no clue how many copies were printed, but the print run didn't seem that large if my game shop and amazon were any indicators at christmas.  It's actually gone up in price since I bought it, since I found it for $85 a few weeks ago.  Amazon seems to be down to 3 copies, one of which is from the manufacturer of the game, so unless they do a reprint, it's likely to get expensive for a while.  That said, the game is clearly set up for expansions, so not reprinting the base set would be shooting themselves in the face.
Sheepherder
Terracotta Army
Posts: 5192


Reply #309 on: January 11, 2012, 05:35:10 PM

Six losses in a row to Arkham Horror.  No lessons learned last night other than our character picks were shit and we are not as smart as a pile of printed cardboard.

You're also losing the metagame.
Yegolev
Moderator
Posts: 24440

2/10 WOULD NOT INGEST


WWW
Reply #310 on: January 11, 2012, 05:49:31 PM

Six losses in a row to Arkham Horror.  No lessons learned last night other than our character picks were shit and we are not as smart as a pile of printed cardboard.

I've heard of this game more than once, but is it still any good if you have never read or had any interest in any Lovecraft stuff?

I haven't read any Lovecraft.  At all.  The appeal is that this is by far the most complicated game that any of us have played.

You should really read the Lovecraft stuff.

This is what two of the other players say.

You're also losing the metagame.

Agreed.  We decided during the first play that the game was indeed designed to drive its players mad.  That is still fun, but that was the part about last night that wasn't fun... which was that it wasn't fun!  It's fun to lose, normally.  Usually we have a plan that we throw together as we play that is based on the characters we draw, but this time we picked characters and came up with a plan beforehand.  I'm not sure if that contributed to the lack of fun but we either need to get smarter about playing or just go back to random characters and running around Arkham and Dunwich like idiots.

Well, one thing that contributed was definitely the Dunwich expansion, since we have not won since we got it.  Besides the usual horrors from space and slowly-awakening Old One, the god-damned King In Yellow and the Blights can really pile on the hurt.  We can't get another expansion until we win this one twice, but we may amend that rule.

Why am I homeless?  Why do all you motherfuckers need homes is the real question.
They called it The Prayer, its answer was law
Mommy come back 'cause the water's all gone
Ingmar
Terracotta Army
Posts: 19280

Auto Assault Affectionado


Reply #311 on: January 11, 2012, 05:51:28 PM

Are you playing with multiple expansions or just one at a time? Because we found that with multiple expansions - especially multiple map expansions - it got really annoying for various reasons.

The Transcendent One: AH... THE ROGUE CONSTRUCT.
Nordom: Sense of closure: imminent.
Yegolev
Moderator
Posts: 24440

2/10 WOULD NOT INGEST


WWW
Reply #312 on: January 11, 2012, 06:41:05 PM

We are playing with two expansions.  Beat the base game a few times and got the Dunwich Horror, then King in Yellow.  Now stuck. Ohhhhh, I see.

We would have gotten the first expansion, Curse of the Dark Pharaoh, except it's been revised in 2011 and so we placed it at the end of the series and instead added Dunwich Horror, then The King In Yellow (I earlier forgot it was a separate expansion, it is cards only while Dunwich adds a board).  So I suppose next would be Kingsport Horror per the timeline.  Which we would add, not substitute with.

We do need a bigger table, yes.

Why am I homeless?  Why do all you motherfuckers need homes is the real question.
They called it The Prayer, its answer was law
Mommy come back 'cause the water's all gone
lamaros
Terracotta Army
Posts: 8021


Reply #313 on: January 11, 2012, 09:51:15 PM

I wrote a longish review on Dominant Species over on BGG. I will share it here for those interested. I have emphasised the negative aspects in the review, as there are lots of good reviews which mention the positive stuff.

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/749141/good-cop-bad-cop-dominant-species
Bunk
Contributor
Posts: 5828

Operating Thetan One


Reply #314 on: January 12, 2012, 06:28:05 AM

Well, I've only played it twice now, and while I can see where a couple of your points come from - I would generally completely disagree with your review.

I actually like the asthetic look of the game. I do. Really seems like a silly thing for people to rag on about. Is it long? Yes. Our second play through cut it from five hours to about three though, which for a five player game isn't that bad. We can probably get it under three hours if we pay attention.

I like the fact that there is enough randomness to force some change of strategy mid game. Yes, it can lead to over-analyzation, but at least you won't feel like you've lost the game two turns in because someone picked a strategy that's trumped yours and its too late to change (see Puerto Rico).

Yes, we did refer to the food chain list enough to justify its presence on the board.

One issue I do have - there are a few game steps whose functionality are not entirely obvious by their name - Wasteland, Depletion, etc. Some you have to pick to protect yourself, some to actualy trigger on someone else. Those did require some of us to constantly refer to the rules card to clarify their function, because if you didn't and you missed what was coming up, it could completely screw your game.

"Welcome to the internet, pussy." - VDL
"I have retard strength." - Schild
Pages: 1 ... 7 8 [9] 10 11 ... 78 Go Up Print 
f13.net  |  f13.net General Forums  |  General Discussion  |  Topic: The Boardgame Thread  
Jump to:  

Powered by SMF 1.1.10 | SMF © 2006-2009, Simple Machines LLC