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goferchan posted:I've been playing that lately. It has some major flaws where the game can end in a stalemate (where players don't even know it, because they don't know if the cards necessary to win the game are in the draw pile somewhere or if they're in dead players' hands) but it's fun for My First Traitor Game. Trying to get my friends I've been playing with to upgrade to Battlestar Galactica though, it sounds like a much better way of scratching the same itch. If your group digs Panic Station, they'll really love BSG. My group has had some very animated playthroughs of PS, and when we finally had our first playthrough of BSG, a couple of players nearly came to blows.
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Feb 17, 2013 04:25
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bobvonunheil posted:If you are playing with less than 6 people, make the unoccupied areas impassable instead of conquerable by the right number of units (except Eyre and King's Landing) Some people also replace Lannister with Tyrell in the four player game to prevent Lannister from effectively being right in the middle of every other player. I'm pretty sure that with less than 6 players, the other house areas are made impassable already in the rules.
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Feb 17, 2013 13:34
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I've been playing with a regular group of pretty hardcore players since September and want to give some general impressions on the games we've been playing (a pretty broad selection!) Risk: Legacy (14 games, 4 and 5 pl) - The game that started our merry band. The permanently altered board is a mechanic that we definitely would like to see in future games. It's still ultimately Risk, so there have been more than a few WTF moments, and people haven't banded together enough to prevent one player being the runaway winner in the long term campaign, so his big pile of nukes has only gotten bigger. Once we hit game 15, I can't imagine the game will get dusted off much more except for the odd quick nostalgia trip to revisit the board, but it's easily kept us playing enough to reach game 15. There's literally nothing else like it, so this is easy to recommend. Game of Thrones 2nd Ed. (3 games, 5, 6 pl) Despite the length and the occasionally static nature of the game due to the randomness of the Westeros deck, this game really evokes its theme ridiculously well. The combat mechanics force a very considered approach to war, with negotiation an absolute essential element of any offensive. We love the intrigue caused by the influence bidding. It's probably not the most balanced or dynamic game in terms of how the board plays out, but it is one of the most tense and since our group enjoys cloak and dagger gameplay, it is one that will get a lot more play. I think it would be better with a broader map that allowed more fronts and maneuvering. Power Grid Core (3 games, 4 and 5 pl) I honestly didn't like this much at all first time through, but it definitely has shone after repeated play. There are a ridiculous number of economic permutations to ponder and strategic considerations to make each turn. Very aggressive game, but in a way that rewards out-of-the-square thinking. Plays relatively swiftly with a large group and is deep in the way good Eurogames only can be. Highly recommended. Carson City (2 games, 4 and 5 pl) Worker placement games haven't really grabbed me before. Caylus is yet to win me over, and I can't wrap my head around Dominant Species (playing the ios app - I think I just need to play a fair bit more to see the strategies behind it) but this one is brilliant. Has a similar economic emphasis to Power Grid, but much more directly competitive. The limited turn count and character changing mechanic make this play very tightly and forces you to really ponder each cowboy's placement. Speedy mechanics, tight design and strongly competitive. One of the group's favourites. Eclipse (1st game last week, 6 pl) Ridiculously elegant mechanics and probably the most dynamic game we've played. Players can be very tempted to turtle up, in fact the design seems to encourage it, but don't be misled. Aggression is rewarded heavily as the discovery tiles and extra income generated by seeking out high value, high resource hexes give a strong advantage to early game aggression. The technology and ship building give the game a lot of flavour. Admittedly, we've only played one game, but it is high on the list of games to play again soon. Can't emphasise encouraging players to plan during other players' turns heavily enough with a large group though. The game time can balloon if people aren't on the ball. Ascension Core and with newest expansion (3 or 4 games, 4 pl) Great fun. Fast and fluffy. One player is adamant there's no strategy, but he's wrong. There's a tiny sliver of strategy. Enough to give an edge to players who think about their deckbuilding. But it is very random. Panic Station (4 games, 5 pl) We love traitor games. The group is very treacherous and a couple players having blazing rows at the drop of a hat. This game is deeply flawed, but with a lively group (and beer) it's fun enough. Looking at reeling out some of the variant rules to make it work better though. Battlestar Galactica Core (3 games, 4 and 5 pl) Mixed success with this. Our 5 player game was brilliantly tense, but both 4 player games suffered due to the sympathiser. Definitely keen to play again, but enthusiasm has dampened for some of the group. Dominion Core (2 games, 4 pl) Don't go too heavy on the attack cards. No fun at all then. Zombies!! Core (3 games, 4-6 pl) Awful game. Skip it at all costs. Sessions I missed - impressions from others in the group. Descent - Very favourable responses. Reminds them of the old HeroQuest game. Fury of Dracula - Positive impressions about the gameplay, but apparently pretty easy for the vampire hunters. On the pile to be played: - What would people recommend next? Manhattan Project Dominant Species Warrior Knights Risk: Metal Gear Solid Arkham Horror Race for the Galaxy Automobile Gears of War - We tried to play this one last weekend, but the owner neglected to learn the rules prior, and we gave up after 40 mins without a single turn played.
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Feb 25, 2013 14:59
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Just picked up Rise of the Ancients for Eclipse. Any pointers on the best way to integrate it with the base game?
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Mar 15, 2013 09:15
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First Time Caller posted:Bought Eclipse yesterday. Two plays later (both 2er) and I'm completely hooked. Goddamn I want to play this with 6 people. It's a bloody great game. I've played it 6 player and 4 player and it really is such an elegant design.
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Mar 18, 2013 11:27
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Would it be redundant to buy both Space Alert and Space Cadets?
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Mar 31, 2013 11:56
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If you want to see inscrutable rules, the first printing of Carson City is a master class. For a simple worker placement game it was incomprehensible. It looks like they've fixed the later printings, but holy hell.
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Apr 16, 2013 02:40
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Trastion posted:If anyone else has any other suggestions or comments I would appreciate them. Eclipse + Expansion is a no brainer. That game has deep depths and plays extremely elegantly. Plus it's an empire building 4x game that 4 people can play through in 2 to 3 hours.
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Apr 18, 2013 00:03
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Sodomy Non Sapiens posted:Hey Ausgoons where do you buy your boardgames from online? I've been shopping with both Games Paradise and Milsims recently but they've both irritated me recently - Games Paradise far, far more than Milsims. Are there any better alternatives out there or is this the best I'm going to get? Games Empire can be good. Ozgameshop is usually cheapest, but being UK based can mean long waits.
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Apr 18, 2013 15:16
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XyrlocShammypants posted:How should slavery be treated? The white slave to black slave ratio for starters. I don't know the significance of those 'native heads' in the corner either but they are are bit cartoonishly "savage natives".
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Apr 21, 2013 00:58
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There's always going to be tension when you try to use history as a setting, at least for broad strokes. It's kinda like when you see WW2 as setting for a movie or game, and the Nazis are treated as cartoonishly evil or fetishised - how much can you dance within the margins without being historically insensitive. Sid Meier's Colonisation back in the 90's was heavily criticised for not properly acknowledging African slavery by including 'Indentured servants' but not slaves, despite being a somewhat ahistorical game by the end of proceedings. Context is everything, really. If Archipelago is simply a game set in a generic 'age of sail/colonialism', it can probably get away with it, but the moment it starts tying into real history (even just with using historical nations/figures/time) it could drift into historical whitewashing with it's 'white slavery' card.
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Apr 21, 2013 02:43
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Buckwheat Sings posted:I got lucky in that my group freaking LOVES TI:3. We managed to get it down to about 5 hours now. I thought Eclipse was shorter? Eclipse with players who know the rules genuinely is 30 min per player. 4 players can be a pretty quick and breezy game.
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Apr 30, 2013 21:49
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Ashenai posted:Prez (human Gaius Baltar) blew his ABF earlier (it seemed like a good idea at the time, with 3 raiders molesting our civships and no vipers around). This all happened really early in the game, though: the Cylon revealed on her first turn, then got us with the supercrisis that places 2 Centurions. A couple of turn cycles and 12 die rolls later, and both centurions marched right into HUMANS LOSE. We never even hit Sleeper. That's BSG. The dilemma deck can gently caress you, no matter what level of experience and savvy you bring. I've had 45 mins games where Cyclon fleet after Cylon fleet pops up. All you can do is shuffle and set up again.
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May 2, 2013 13:18
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On a somewhat related note, what kind of play time can I expect for a first play of Rex with four players?
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May 7, 2013 15:12
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Milsims is probably the most reliable. Ozgameshop is usually cheapest but is very hit and miss with stock.
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May 14, 2013 10:31
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They're out of stock on a lot of stuff though 
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May 16, 2013 11:36
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Their packaging leaves a bit to be desired, sadly. My poor Archipelago box arrived with some denting :/ I'm sure they'd replace it but its here now and I just wanna play it.
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May 16, 2013 13:46
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Malloreon posted:Playing Game of Thrones: The Board Game for the first time this Saturday, first time for everyone including me. I'll be teaching the rules first. Anything I should know that people often get wrong? Watch a couple video tutorials. The rules around naval deployment and ports especially can be very vague and convoluted. Beyond that, I would suggest either removing the tides of war deck or culling it down to +1, -1 and effects only, as it makes the Valyrian steel useless otherwise. You may wish to also seed the Westeros decks - space the mustering and supply cards through the deck - as it can make for some very static games if they are all at the beginning or end of the deck.
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May 31, 2013 01:24
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PopZeus posted:Whoa this looks awesome. One question for anyone who has played it: Is there any issue with players intentionally torpedoing the cooperative aspect if they know they won't win in the endgame? Or does the secret objective element make everyone feel like they've always got a shot at winning? I haven't had a play through yet, but the hidden objectives really should reduce that. I can't imagine anyone would let themselves get so far behind as to think that necessary.
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Jun 2, 2013 05:56
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Responding to a post on the previous page: Ghost Stories is friggin amazingly good. Because it's so drat hard, it doesn't suffer from an obvious 'best move' quarterbacking problem, and the art is gorgeous. Just a lovely, lovely game.
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Jun 6, 2013 15:48
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KirbyJ posted:Hey, are there any suggestions for good board games that emphasize exploration and discovery? Archipelago and Eclipse come to mind, if you want something complex and bitey. Purely exploration based, I dunno.
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Jun 19, 2013 06:14
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PaybackJack posted:The problem with exploration with games, like Eclipse is that you're not exploring as a theme you're doing it for a meta reason (such as building the map in Eclipse or the FFG Civilization game). The rewards are really not about finding a new place or information but instead about having control of the way that piece/tile/card interacts with the board. Comes down to whether you want exploration as a mechanic or a central theme, really. A 'Seven Cities of Gold' discovery based game would be rad.
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Jun 19, 2013 07:52
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Dr. Video Games 0029 posted:Or should I skip the men in tights and just head for Netrunner? I know Dominion is considered the king of these types of games, but I'm concerned the setting would be a major turn off for my friends (can't get ANYONE to play Twilight Struggle because ewwwwww history). Time to get new friends. Sounds like trying to get them to play Twilight Struggle is like casting pearls before swine.
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Jun 24, 2013 04:06
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Looselybased posted:Never invite this person to games day again. Ever. If you need bodies to fill up spots I always see tons of folks on places like Meetup that want to play. Hooray new non lovely friends! Agreed. The guy sounds like an aggravating man-baby.
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Jun 26, 2013 15:45
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angramainyu posted:If any in your group are prone to AP or be slow, a timer might be worth considering. I've only played AGoT once -- it was with 6 and took somewhere around 5 hours. I don't think I'd be willing to play it again unless there was some guarantee that turn lengths would be kept under control. The game was fun, but not 5 hours worth of fun. Be prepared to mess certain mechanics/rules up. Be comfortable with that.
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Jun 27, 2013 15:09
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Radio Talmudist posted:Any recommendations for a 4x Space Opera-y game that isn't as long as Twilight Imperium - but is still fair deep? Not even sure if that's possible, but a man can dream. Eclipse is a great fit for this, once you add the expansion. Without it, it's pretty much an economic driven war game. With it, it's still an economic war game, but the new factions and techs bring more assymetry to the game, and the universe becomes more flavoursome with more ancients and unique hexes. Responding to the other guy. Power Grid is the arch Euro-game. The theme is a micron thin veneer over a very very cool, quickly learned but never mastered set of mechanics. Once you have a set of players who are completely au-fait with the rules, it becomes very cut-throat and can be very tight. A classic for a reason IMO.
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Jul 6, 2013 00:28
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Eclipse is probably my group's favourite game, especially with Rise of the Ancients. We've played it a out a dozen or so times and it always shakes out differently each time. 4 players is probably the sweet spot but it scales very well. It is a must buy as far as I'm concerned.
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Jul 23, 2013 13:21
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DarkSun6890 posted:I've been looking for a solitare scifi game and I'm thinking about getting the Artifact and Last Frontier from print play games. I haven't seen anyone post about these games, any opinions? Should I grab Hidden Intruder as well? I'm also checking around for Napoleon's Triumph. Tough to find! Napoleon's Triumph has become nearly impossible to locate without getting fleeced, as it's very much out of print. However, the follow up Guns of Gettysburg is currently in print and not rarer than rocking horse poo poo, and by many accounts lives up to the pedigree.
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Jul 29, 2013 08:02
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Morholt posted:No, the player mats keep track of everything in a really clever way. It's a cool game and I've had fun with it but then again AP's gonna AP. It's such an elegant design, considering how complex 4X can be as a genre. I think AP guy would poo poo himself if confronted with Throgh the Ages.
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Jul 30, 2013 10:12
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Having only played Automobile from that list, I was underwhelmed. Ugly, obnoxiously mathsy game that wastes a good theme. It has complexity, but the game just didn't have enough charm or cleverness to make me want to take the time to master it. (Note - mathsy in of itself isn't a bad thing. Powergrid is tits. Automobile is just unpleasant.) The End fucked around with this message at 07:22 on Jul 31, 2013 |
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Jul 31, 2013 07:12
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I guess area control/screwing over other players is more my thing than clever maths :P
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Jul 31, 2013 12:40
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I reckon some speciality categories would be fun: i.e. Best 3 gateway games Best wife-friendly games Best coop etc.
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Jul 31, 2013 15:19
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Yikes, didn't mean to be exclusionary at all. Maybe 'S.O.-friendly' is a better term. It is a really woolly definition, so maybe it doesn't bear up to scrutiny. Anecdotally (i.e. based on my wife and the partners of friends), SO-friendly would encompass... - No player elimination - Limited conflict - Clear player actions (i.e. quick to get started - not necessarily simple though) - Coop is favoured For example: From unsuitable to suitable would be: Risk < Power Grid < Archipelago < Agricola < Agricola: Creatures Big and Small Maybe this category is far too situational. Just spit-balling ideas really.
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Jul 31, 2013 22:47
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Had a good little session tonight. Started with Love Letter, which, like Resistance Avalon, packs a helluva lot of game into it's short play time and straight forward mechanics. Utterly brilliant. Very chancy and light, but the breeziness makes it work. Then hit up Space Alert, progressing into Simulations for the first time and getting stomped by forgotten screen-savers that mean that we dealt an enemy frigate a trival 5 damage instead of the 8 needed to kill it. Absolutely gagging to play it some more, but living in terror of full missions. Then on to Sentinels of the Multiverse, with some expansion stuff thrown in for good measure. It's a solid game. I quite like a lot about it... but too often the cards play you. This would be fine for the shared experiences and memorable stories... but some of the games can take soooo bloody long. Either the game needs to be balanced for shorter sessions, or there needs to be a way to give players more options and ways to manipulate the deck. Some characters really are just there to hit one key combo and spam it ad nauseum. Finally, Castles of Burgundy... what can I say but wow. What an elegant and clever euro. It evokes my favourite economics bits of Powergrid combined with the cool town building of Carson City without being mechanically similar to either (which probably makes no sense at all), and also neatly sidesteps AP players with it's simultaneous dice rolls. Really feels like it has depths that go on for miles and miles. Best hobby.
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Aug 1, 2013 16:10
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Put me in the 'like Sentinels but agree with SUSD's criticisms' camp too. There is plenty to like about the game: there's tonnes of variety, it carries its theme well and it leads to some great moments. However, moment to moment it can be terribly dull as well. In the six or so games I've played (including expansions) there's been a number of turns where players had no options but to draw more cards, waiting for something useful to pop up. That's not 'playing a game' nor is it 'being a superhero'. There should be options, risks and trade-offs. It's a nice game that is in desperate need of a couple good house rules. That said, its still going to hit the table, since its fun enough. At an hour a throw and requiring little rules lawyering, it fills a niche.
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Aug 4, 2013 04:38
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'Some' dull turns isn't a big deal, but Sentinels, for me, has a disproportionate amount. When it's clicking it really can be a great superhero engine, but there is a lot of 'doing your taxes.'
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Aug 4, 2013 05:02
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Paper Mac posted:Just finished a 6p Eclipse game with the expansion. This was our first time playing with the alliances, the race that gets cheap wormhole generator (Enlightened), and the warp gates or whatever they are, and I think it's basically fixed the turtling problem that's pretty obvious in the base game. The resident turtle still turtled all game, and a 3p alliance that was utterly devastated in combat in midgame came back to tie him for first- they would have won by a large margin if they'd attacked him, but one of the alliance members was playing a bit too conservatively. In any case, the game is now far more mobile, lots more combat with bigger (sometimes combined) fleets, etc. In retrospect, the base game seems incomplete. I noticed that playing the iOS version after playing the full expanded game. The base game is basically a rush to missiles and computers, whilst trying to get the centre as early as possible. The expansion throws so many more moving parts into the game to really give it replay ability and flavour. Base Eclipse was a 4/5 for me, but 5/5 with RotA.
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Aug 6, 2013 07:48
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Cruisers and Dreaddies loaded up with nothing but missiles and computers are unstoppable in base game. Even with shields, because they hit at 2 damage a throw, a handful of ships can utterly level fleets.
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Aug 6, 2013 11:22
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Napoleon's Triumph was on my hit list from the moment I first heard of it, but the price put it out of reach pretty darn rapidly. You better believe I jumped on the first copy of Guns of Gettysburg I found, even before reviews hit. Can't wait to get it to the table.
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Aug 6, 2013 13:37
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Ugh, played a two player, four hero game of Sentinels of the Multiverse last night against The Matriarch, and I'm liking that game less and less each time through. It came down to a completely arbitrary set if circumstances where two of the heroes were able to resist or reflect the incoming damage, whilst the villain deck spat out swarms of birds. Each round took ages and involved layers and layers of card interactions, without much in the way of interesting synergy between the heroes. Got to a point where I was just wishing for it to be over. First ever play of Memoir '44 was fun though. Won convincingly as both Allied and Axis on Pegasus Bridge, despite diabolical card draws. Terrain usage and fire superioty were crucial to the German defence whilst hitting hard and fast with the Brits was effective. Neat game.
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Aug 9, 2013 12:55
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