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Any thoughts on Big Book of Madness. I skipped through a couple videos, and it seems like potentially a good co-op to play with my 8 year old, but curious if anyone here has thoughts? VVV: Thanks for comments! I went ahead and bought it, and will try it out tomorrow. jmzero fucked around with this message at 06:02 on Dec 10, 2016 |
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Dec 10, 2016 03:12
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Phi230 posted:Is Scythe good? I've heard a lot of hype and read the Ars Cardboard review but I trust boardgoons and I wanna hear what you guys have to say about it before I sink over $100 on a board game. Love it. Worker placement/exploration with combat that isn't punishing, a ton of options to do every turn, each player has different options each game, the art is beautiful.
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Dec 10, 2016 03:12
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PlaneGuy posted:Well that's the point. He talks about having his feelings hurt and such, but when you actually play Robinson Crusoe, he clearly didn't make any changes based on the feedback. I feel the point of that blog was "~oooooh my hero tore me down! he is my hero no more!! I resolve to be even shittier a designer" which makes me just hate him on a personal level. My takeaway from reading that blog post was pretty different from that, it read to me that he didn't "get" what was being explained until he got handed a couple concrete examples, and that he agreed on it and thought it was pretty impressive to see and be able to spoon someone sensible feedback so easily. I thought he made some changes as a result (& they were discussing an early version) but maybe I'm remembering that part wrong. He didn't seem pissy or resentful to me 
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Dec 10, 2016 03:38
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The big thing I noticed was Vlaada saying "hey you can't have these decks be a mix of good and bad things, because you're balancing the game around the right mix coming out which means the balance is poo poo when it randomly comes up in a different proportion" and the Ignacy goes "oh okay" and changes the one case explicitly mentioned but none of the other places that same problem comes up
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Dec 10, 2016 03:46
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jmzero posted:Any thoughts on Big Book of Madness. I skipped through a couple videos, and it seems like potentially a good co-op to play with my 8 year old, but curious if anyone here has thoughts? I mentioned it further up the thread. I've played a ton of co-op games (my wife doesn't really like 2p confrontational games) and in my opinion, BBoM is one of the best. The basic game mechanics are really simple, but the strategy and decision making seems relatively deep and pretty interesting. I fairly rarely had turns where the best move was obvious, as you have a range of options all of which can be beneficial (cure curses, improve your deck of mana by buying new cards/curing madnesses, or improve your options for later turns by buying/upgrading spells). It also necessarily generates a lot of discussion between players as you don't know what's in each other's hands, so lots of working out who to give actions to, who has the right colours to cure the curses that are out, whether to go all-in on trying to cure curses for a round or use it to power up instead. I also really liked that it generates challenge not through random bullshit (like very many co-ops, Eldritch Horror, Robinson Crusoe to name just a couple) but through providing a puzzle where you don't have quite enough information to make guaranteed plays and so have to balance the different mechanics of the game. The only flaw I could possibly see is that I don't know what replayability would be like after more plays as the different monsters that come out aren't really all that different. However, many of the spells you can learn are pretty different so I think it would hold up fairly well. It's more in the vein of something like Pandemic though where the replayability comes from it being mechanically interesting rather than having varied setups each time. Anyway, I recommend it for sure not just as a co-op game for younger people/non-gamers but as a really solid co-op game all round.
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Dec 10, 2016 04:03
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Phi230 posted:Is Scythe good? I've heard a lot of hype and read the Ars Cardboard review but I trust boardgoons and I wanna hear what you guys have to say about it before I sink over $100 on a board game. I kickstarted it, so I didn't realize it costs more than $100 now. That said, it has the highest quality components of any game I own (I have the premium edition with custom metal coins). Stonemaier also provides clear, well-organized rulebooks with good examples. They deserve credit for that, because other highly praised game designers/publishers often fail on this point. Aside from that, I've had fun playing it with 3 and 5 players, and also with the Automa solitaire system. It doesn't necessarily make a great first impression, though. You see the mechs and expect more focus on combat. It also has some fiddly bits. For instance, the Upgrade action isn't exactly intuitive, which is exacerbated by every player having a unique action mat. This combined with asymmetric faction abilities also makes some people cry "Unbalanced! Broken!" during their first game. But it doesn't take long to get a better grasp on strategy and I feel like there's still a lot of depth I haven't yet discovered. I expect it to win most 2016 Game of the Year awards, and it would be my choice if not for Falling Sky.
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Dec 10, 2016 04:06
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$100 for scythe is 3rd party scalper prices. It should come down from that once stores can keep it in stock for more than an hour.
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Dec 10, 2016 04:34
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Kerro posted:Big Book of Madness stuff I jumped on this when Amazon had it for 22. It won't be here for a bit, but how similar do you think it is to Shadowrun: Crossfire? I feel like you're trying to accomplish the same thing looking at the game from the outside in.
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Dec 10, 2016 04:55
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Jabor posted:Galaxy Trucker owns with a stable group. It's definitely a bit rough when playing across skill levels. In particular, once you reach the point of "I'm not going to build the perfect ship, I'm going to build one good enough to get through and flip the timer as fast as possible" (which is honestly not very far, but still...), it becomes very difficult to play with newbies. Just give every player a rough roads card handycap based on how good they are. So the number of rough road cards that apply to you gets increased when you win. that way newbies can still survive, or even win.
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Dec 10, 2016 10:03
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Something of interest to EU gamers: I got an email last night from GMT. Starting in 2017 they're going to be offering EU-friendly shipping on P500 products only. It'll cost a bit more for the game, but you won't be hit with any VAT or customs charges. I also played Captain Sonar last night. It isn't good except as a social experience.
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Dec 10, 2016 11:31
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All this negative talk about Trzewiczek and yet I really want Pret-a-Porter because of its theme! (which is apparently getting reprinted as a video game developer board game??) My only experience with Knizia really is Battle Line and Samurai so ignoring everything else he's good. Jedit posted:I also played Captain Sonar last night. It isn't good except as a social experience. Why are your opinions so bad?? Galaxy Trucker and now Captain Sonar, it's like you're allergic to real time.
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Dec 10, 2016 12:37
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al-azad posted:Why are your opinions so bad?? Galaxy Trucker and now Captain Sonar, it's like you're allergic to real time. You're right, I don't like real time games. This is not a bad opinion, it's an opinion. In the case of Captain Sonar, though, there are other problems. In the three rounds I played I saw that once a team started losing they kept losing, and a direct hit always saw the game end a minute later with a second. The First Mate's job is an appendix, added so you can play with more people. As Radio Operator I often couldn't hear the enemy Captain because my own Captain was projecting into my ear (and please don't say "realism!", we were basically being penalised for playing fair). As a social experience it may work, but it's too complex to be a social game.
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Dec 10, 2016 13:08
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Jedit posted:You're right, I don't like real time games. This is not a bad opinion, it's an opinion. I've played 3 rounds with 6 players each, and 5 out of the captains involved (we rotated all the time) all agreed that taking over first mate duties while doing the captain's job did feel like too much, and it slowed them down. Yes, first mate doesn't do a lot, but he can also be useful for coordination purposes. Being between the captain and engineer can help him direct the engineer (without taking away the captain's precious attention), and same with the radio operator. This way the captain doesn't need to ever look at the map until the first mate comes up and says "hey they're next to one of our mines/in torpedo range". Also the "realism" argument isn't an argument for realism, it's an argument for chaos. Some of us like our games to be hectic and to pile on a lot of pressure. That's not a problem with the game.
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Dec 10, 2016 14:35
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Jedit posted:You're right, I don't like real time games. This is not a bad opinion, it's an opinion. If you're hit directly you get the gently caress out of dodge. The opposing team has to move four times to charge their torpedos again and torpedos destroy mines so they need to activate mines first then torpedo to destroy you outright. If you were directly hit by a torpedo you can ascertain the opposing team is within 2-3 spaces and counter attack. If your mines are charged you can drop one and run away or use silent movement. If you know where your opponent is you can run through them and they can't chase. Getting hit by a mine followed by a torpedo means the enemy perfectly tracked you and earned the win. If you boxed yourself in and are forced to emerge after getting hit you played poorly. The first mate has the important job of running the tracking equipment. In a serious game the captains are so engaged with the engineer and radio operator they will easily forget about sonar and drone. Sure they're not the most engaging but it's not just a gimmick for another player, a captain acting as first mate is going to get bogged down. The captain is supposed to give the order with the engineer and first mate repeating it. You should be listening to the enemy engineer since they're the ones marking off damage but if you're missing three people confirming directions then someone is dropping the ball. Captain Sonar is the best in its class, better even than Galaxy Trucker (the first game I played which I considered a "10") which is more goofy than directly competitive. It's largest weakness is what's inherent in every social game which is everything hinges on the weakest player. If you have even one person who isn't engaged in it the entire experience gets dragged to the bottom. e: Like don't ask me to play Resistance I will literally cast a random vote because I just don't understand the meta behind it. al-azad fucked around with this message at 14:44 on Dec 10, 2016 |
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Dec 10, 2016 14:40
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I just paid $68 shipped for Scythe from boardgamebliss. We just talked about this a couple of pages back....
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Dec 10, 2016 17:00
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Jedit posted:The Gallerist is much less intimidating than it initially appears. I've taught it to a number of players who had never played anything of that weight before, and without exception they all said they saw what they were meant to be doing around the midpoint. The most important thing is how to use the Influence track for maximum free money and bonus actions. If you're teaching it, be sure to let everyone know that your Curator and Art Dealer will account for between 10% and 20% of your final score so don't focus on them too hard. They're a nice bonus, not an essential. I just did a quick solo game to teach myself the rules. This turned into a VERY quick solo game, because I misunderstood the dummy player, advancing the time tracker even when he kicked his own assistants. Other than that, I am pretty sure I know all the rules now, and like you said it "clicked" for me after a few turns of playing.
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Dec 10, 2016 17:04
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al-azad posted:The captain is supposed to give the order with the engineer and first mate repeating it. You should be listening to the enemy engineer since they're the ones marking off damage but if you're missing three people confirming directions then someone is dropping the ball. Must have been the guy who wrote the rulebook, then, because I read it personally in addition to having it read to me and it said the First Mate and Engineer have to say "OK". They don't have to repeat the order.
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Dec 10, 2016 18:40
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al-azad posted:Why are your opinions so bad?? Galaxy Trucker and now Captain Sonar, it's like you're allergic to real time. Real time board games suck rear end.
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Dec 10, 2016 18:48
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I like Captain Sonar but it does suffer from having resolution also happening in real time. It's why Galaxy Trucker and Space Alert are so good.
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Dec 10, 2016 18:51
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Jedit posted:Must have been the guy who wrote the rulebook, then, because I read it personally in addition to having it read to me and it said the First Mate and Engineer have to say "OK". They don't have to repeat the order. I don't know if this was lost in translation (probably not because the Japanese version says the same) but it's a disappointing omission because the designer Roberto Fraga was a sailor. Any salt knows when you get an order you repeat it with "aye!" for the exact reason of clarity. You'll get your rear end chewed for saying "ok" in the Navy.
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Dec 10, 2016 19:05
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Tekopo posted:I like Captain Sonar but it does suffer from having resolution also happening in real time. It's why Galaxy Trucker and Space Alert are so good. I think it's exactly what makes the game. Hectic tension and organized chaos are great for team vs team games. Some people really don't like the stress though, which is understandable.
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Dec 10, 2016 19:09
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I got Dominant Species as a secret Santa gift and I remember everyone talking about this years ago but nobody told me it was a worker placement/action draft with area control!!! As a firm believer that El Grande is GREATEST OF ALL TIME my life has been missing this game for 5 years because I just had such apathy for what I thought was, I don't know, not this!
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Dec 10, 2016 19:27
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Shadow225 posted:I jumped on this when Amazon had it for 22. It won't be here for a bit, but how similar do you think it is to Shadowrun: Crossfire? I feel like you're trying to accomplish the same thing looking at the game from the outside in. Crossfire is one co-op I haven't played (mostly cos the reviews made it sound pretty bad) so I don't know for sure, but looking at the cards/reading the rules for Shadowrun I'd say that Book of Madness is a lot less random and a lot more of a 'Euro' game. The negative effects that the game throws at you in BBoM are all visible in advance, apart from the effect when a new monster is revealed which only happens every five turns. The only real randomness in the game is in what cards you draw into your hand, but your deck is basically like a Dominion deck if it was only money (and eventually curses) - so the only variable is how much of different colours of mana you draw. In fact, off the top of my head I can't think of another co-op game that has as little unpredictability/randomness as BBoM which is one of the things I love about it.
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Dec 10, 2016 20:43
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I just noticed The Blood of an Englishman was finally released.  al-azad posted:After school. Playground. Let's go. The shipbuilding phase could be good but there are too many different tiles, so it's too random. Then you go trucking in space with your horrible trash can of a ship and somehow something that sounds so promising manages to be a waste of time without any meaningful decisions. You'll probably get to laugh at someone getting half their ship blown up because of some card. That's the highlight of the game (although the actual game ended already) and even that ultimately feels completely hollow. Wizard Styles fucked around with this message at 20:48 on Dec 10, 2016 |
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Dec 10, 2016 20:46
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Like someone said earlier, the decision to go with a "good enough" ship and force the timer onto everyone is a really key part of the game. I feel like Galaxy Trucker is best as a "gateway game," since I can teach it really fast and all the rules about ship construction are really intuitive.
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Dec 10, 2016 20:51
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Wizard Styles posted:Seriously, though, I don't understand why Galaxy Trucker is so well-liked. Especially in this thread that tends to scoff at luckfests. I feel your use of "random" here is a bit different than what people normally get angry at. It's true that you mix up the tiles and turn them over and there's an element of luck in turning over the right ones, but this balances out over the course of the build phase since things get gradually more revealed and you have to build an entire ship, so there's more skill, awareness, speed and planning involved than merely luck. There's also a few core goals (defense, offense, utility) and multiple tiles of each so it's not like you will be completely unable to find a cannon for your ship at any given time, it just might not be the perfectly optimal one that you wish for (like maybe on the round 1 ship you want a single cannon for the nose but get a double cannon with pipes one the left or right that leave it open to meteor strikes). Contrast this with a single deck card game where drawing the wrong cards means you just play suboptimal turns, the idea that you keep drawing the exact wrong tile and that no others you need get revealed that you need seems far fetched when you need a couple dozen parts to build a ship and there are hundreds on the table all with multiple repeats. I do agree the resolution phase could be more fleshed out and have more direct interaction there, but I understand his reason for making it the way he did.
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Dec 10, 2016 21:00
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You can also look at the cards so it's not like the game is a blind draw. It's a risk mitigation thing. If you see small meteors striking your port side then it's your fault for having a bunch of exposed connectors.
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Dec 10, 2016 22:38
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What's the thing that's better than bad gaming?
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Dec 10, 2016 23:02
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LongDarkNight posted:What's the thing that's better than bad gaming? Good gaming.
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Dec 10, 2016 23:08
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LongDarkNight posted:What's the thing that's better than bad gaming? bad game dot net check it out friend
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Dec 10, 2016 23:10
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LongDarkNight posted:What's the thing that's better than bad gaming? Sex.
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Dec 10, 2016 23:13
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al-azad posted:I got Dominant Species as a secret Santa gift and I remember everyone talking about this years ago but nobody told me it was a worker placement/action draft with area control!!! As a firm believer that El Grande is GREATEST OF ALL TIME my life has been missing this game for 5 years because I just had such apathy for what I thought was, I don't know, not this! Enjoy! It's a difficult game to master!
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Dec 10, 2016 23:14
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Wizard Styles posted:I just noticed The Blood of an Englishman was finally released. Like, I'm not going to say "we like it ergo you must like it also", but for me at least, I don't mind the lack of meaningful decisions in the flight phase because I consider that little more than an extended scoring mechanism (with some built in tension). I would probably choose Galaxy Trucker if I had to choose one single favourite game, and the fun for me is from building the ship. You have to be fast, and you have to add useful components, and you have to figure out how to make the components match, and you have to match the components you're adding to the challenges that are coming (which you should've checked), and ideally you are also keeping an eye on other player's ships because of those cards that directly punish the person that has the least X.
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Dec 10, 2016 23:42
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I just changed phones to android and know jack poo poo about any boardgame apps on this platform. Is there a good list somewhere or can someone recommend any?
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Dec 11, 2016 00:05
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Oldstench posted:I just changed phones to android and know jack poo poo about any boardgame apps on this platform. Is there a good list somewhere or can someone recommend any? Galaxy Trucker is on it, it has an in-depth campaign and some interesting variations (like a turn-based building mode). I've also played Suburbia, Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, Catan, Splendour, San Juan, and Coup, among some. Castles of Mad King Ludwig is available but recommended for tablets, too. Being able to speed up the game is a godsend. Something like Catan is a lot more bearable when you can knock out a game on a 5-10 minute bus ride.
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Dec 11, 2016 00:12
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Oldstench posted:I just changed phones to android and know jack poo poo about any boardgame apps on this platform. Is there a good list somewhere or can someone recommend any? Patchwork is really good on mobile.
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Dec 11, 2016 00:33
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Reposting mine iOS board games (not saying they're all good games, but decent app versions if you like the games): Agricola Agricola: All Creatures Big And Small Tigres & Euphrates Puerto Rico San Juan Lost Cities Summoner War Ticket to Ride Ascension Carcassonne Galaxy Trucker Patchwork Pandemic Dominion Splendor Eclipse Twilight Struggle Le Harve Glass Road Lords of Waterdeep Small World Caylus Stone Age Neuroshima Hex Suburbia Castles of Mad King Ludwig Star Realms Warhammer Quest Galaxy of Trian Brass Scotland Yard Baseball Highlights 2045 Digital only games that I recommend for board gamers: New World Colony Polytopia Hearthstone Hero Academy Coming soon to iOS: Terra Mystica Through the Ages Tokaido Codenames
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Dec 11, 2016 00:47
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Oldstench posted:I just changed phones to android and know jack poo poo about any boardgame apps on this platform. Is there a good list somewhere or can someone recommend any? The unofficial implementation of San Juan called Condado is pretty simple but it's nice.
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Dec 11, 2016 00:49
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Oldstench posted:I just changed phones to android and know jack poo poo about any boardgame apps on this platform. Is there a good list somewhere or can someone recommend any? Androminion https://github.com/mehtank/androminion MtG Forge http://www.slightlymagic.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=14534
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Dec 11, 2016 00:51
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Bottom Liner posted:Reposting mine Not IOS but have you heard of Gremlins, Inc? It's a digital only "boardgame" getting some good reviews. Heard good things about Militia. I'm torn on Tharsis. It's literally a dice fest but all about probability and crisis management with some nice graphics. Hoplite is pretty good too. And free.
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Dec 11, 2016 00:56
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