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In particular, BGG's treating of "dismissive" comments and discussion as being unhealthy and good only for stamping out is one of the most effective and under-rated moderation policies applied to a formerly insular hobby, IMO.
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Jan 4, 2022 03:03
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| # ¿ May 17, 2024 22:06 |
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My tabletop gaming life has had numerous "before" and "after" moments, where nothing was the same after, and discovering Splotter games was one of moments for me.
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Jan 19, 2022 22:10
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armorer posted:This is true. I have a number of 3d printed accessories for Gloomhaven that make it much easier, so if you have a 3d printer you can definitely fix some of that, but stock it is a ton of fiddly bookkeeping My biggest pain point in Gloomhaven was managing all the health tracking for all the enemies (and when you get to four players, there are a LOT of enemies and they have a lot of health). Even using some small d10 dice to track health gets super clunky as enemy count rises.
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Jan 26, 2022 07:22
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PRADA SLUT posted:I bought some little stands that have life spinners built in. xiw posted:We used stacks of small d6s and it felt pretty fine - I did fill in in another group who were carefully putting life counters on the segments on the monster sleeves though and i felt like i was playing blind. Both of those are huge improvements, but IMO 3d printed dials or dice also take up enough real estate on the boards -- they are considerably "bigger" than the standees themselves -- that once you are into 4p numbers of monsters in groups all adjacent to one another, it no longer feels like an elegant solution and becomes clunky. I think an app that is screen casted to a monitor or TV screen everyone can easily see would be a great solution, but I never did get around to trying that.
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Jan 26, 2022 18:50
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armorer posted:I never had a board space issue with the standee bases, and played exclusively with 4 players. I found that most of the dice-based or 3d printed solutions for tracking the standee's health ended up basically taking up the whole hex, so when we had bigger groups of monsters all adjacent to one another there's not much room to get fingers in and fiddle the indicators (not much visibility of them either.) You end up lifting it out, making the adjustment, then putting it back down and doing that for a ton of monsters is what really made me wish for a better way.
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Jan 26, 2022 19:25
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With one exception, all of the really good players I know are fast, fast, fast. The one exception I know is an outlier of a player who consistently takes a disproportionately long time to play, but also fairly consistently wins. But I've also come to realize that in games with this person I end up disengaging from the gameplay in a kind of self defense so I don't gnaw my fingers to the knuckle in boredom & am definitely not playing the way I would with other like minded players. But they enjoy it and I can (just) manage it so it works. Also shows that gaming definitely exists in different contexts, some I love, some of which I'll tolerate for certain people, and others I won't touch with a ten foot pole.
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Feb 4, 2022 21:08
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Control Volume posted:The Doctor Who Game: The Game Where You Play Doctor Who My idea of a best game that will never exist is a Dr.Who licensed tragedy-looper reboot where you're trapped in a time loop trying to solve it before the mastermind player fences you + the other players in for good.
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Feb 16, 2022 20:33
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Through kickstarter I have discovered some creators whose work gels with me so much that anything they make is an instant purchase/pledge/preorder for me. Then again I was also flat out lied to on another project & they for all intents and purposes stole my pledge with afaict zero repercussions. So I guess it's impossible to say whether KS as a whole is good or not 
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Feb 17, 2022 01:08
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I finally got around to playing Space Empires 4x and it has some interesting ideas, although there is a fair bit of hex-and-counter bookkeeping to do. Its main thing is that the identity and composition of opposing fleets isn't known (until they are encountered) which opens up a whole lot of options with regards to feints, positioning, etc. I've only just started with it but it's interesting so far.
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Feb 24, 2022 04:04
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We haven't progressed past just the basic "destroy your opponent's homeworld" scenario (or concede when it's obvious who's going to win)  It did occur to me that one could try to blaze through unexplored space and hope to be lucky and not run into hazards, but seeing the mix of tiles out there I would not have a lot of confidence in getting through unscathed.
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Feb 24, 2022 04:23
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I own a copy but actually still haven't opened it. Just haven't gotten around to it -- too many games, not enough time. I bought it sight unseen on release, not because of Gloomhaven, but actually because of Forge War which I really really enjoyed.
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Mar 1, 2022 17:30
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quote:Forge War Tired: pretending you're adventurers in an adventuring guild Wired: pretending you're the accountant for an imaginary adventuring guild
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Mar 1, 2022 17:34
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Pan Am also has a mechanic I generally enjoy and appreciate: round-robin action selection, followed by action resolution in a fixed order. (Dominant Species and BUS are other examples of this) It works really well in Pan Am and gives the game a depth that otherwise wouldn't be present.
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Mar 10, 2022 23:40
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Mayveena posted:Biggest hotness is Ark Nova, Capstone Games publisher. It's been delayed to mid April for retail because of shipping issues but if you don't mind paying MSRP you can get it now from Capstone Games. How are the cards handled / what role do they play gameplay-wise in Ark Nova? Frankly a big stack of cards (each of which looks to have a bunch of text and special rules) was originally a turn-off for me so I glossed over Ark Nova originally, but it sounds like maybe it's not what I feared.
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Mar 10, 2022 23:49
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Mayveena posted:It is a big stack of cards with a bunch of text that's for certain. However the reason we have liked it is that the cards seem reasonably balanced, we love the theme, it's a fairly easy teach, and there are interesting decisions. Note that I don't like Terraforming Mars but the cards are similar I think. The game is mostly the cards but you need to have a plan. I thought Rahdo's Final Thoughts were good (noting he does them in his usual overly enthusiastic style). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrsWGfUjCM8 Thanks, that and the video link was pretty helpful in filling in the blanks for me. (I see it's on Tabletopia too, so there's a kind-of digital option for trying it out.)
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Mar 11, 2022 00:15
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I finally got around to playing Res Arcana and this game is legit. I can see the heritage of games like MtG in there, but it's definitely its own thing with a lot of clever implementation. The digital version on BGA is especially nice to learn from since the computer handles the upkeep, therefore intrinsically teaching/demonstrating the finer points of spending, etc.
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Mar 12, 2022 20:50
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Yeah it's got two digital implementations for trying it out, it's all right there in the ks page 
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Mar 17, 2022 03:51
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!Klams posted:Hello, it's me with my only contribution to the thread: DUNE CHAT I recently finally got to play DUNE with a good group for it. It's some of the best gaming I've done. Buuuuut on the other hand I tried to introduce it to a group I THOUGHT would be a good fit but it kind of seriously flopped. I learned a few lessons from that, but oh well. The problem with that second one was mainly that people didn't dial into the game and its unique mechanics very well, and I could have helped that happen better. As a result, the game dragged along, people didn't really perceive the game state well, and as a result didn't feel they had much agency. When it ended -- with a dramatic Treason on a key battle -- instead of people feeling like it was a good play that leveraged a core mechanic (the defender had no other leaders and therefore had to play the traitorous one), they felt it was just a bullshit GOTCHA that came down to luck of the draw. More evidence that gaming is a fundamentally neutral activity. Every fantastic hit has to be cosmically balanced by a complete and utter flop !Klams posted:The third time, when they did buy it? Donkey. I could have stopped playing right there. GotY. But then I'd have missed out on getting someone to commit a whole heap of troops to my 0 troop no-field token. AH DUNE 
The Eyes Have It fucked around with this message at 19:06 on Mar 21, 2022 |
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Mar 21, 2022 18:50
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Inflexible player counts is one of those things that permits interesting angles (but limits accessibility) and I wish there was more of it in a way. There are some really interesting two player only games, for example. Djambi and Mah Jong come to mind as both 4 player only and don't really work at any other count. Can't think of any other three-only at the moment other than 3KR. The Eyes Have It fucked around with this message at 18:57 on Mar 25, 2022 |
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Mar 25, 2022 17:44
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Radioactive Toy posted:An unofficial digital Mage Knight did recently come out, it just has a different name. There's a demo available if you want to try it. It's legitimately just Mage Knight as far as I could tell playing the demo. Super late on this, but thanks for the heads up, I have to check this out. Also I got my hands on SCOUT and it really is a clever game, but it took me a few plays to wrap my head around it. The rules are there, but honestly feel like a disconnected bunch of translated specifics. For anyone who hasn't played: it's a set-playing game where you generally want to a) be the first to play all your cards (ending the round), or better yet, b) play a set so strong that no one can top it before play comes back around to you (therefore also ending the round). (In the first case, cards left in players' hands are worth -1 point each. In the second case, your own remaining cards are exempt from counting as -1.) One of my friends joked about how paper-thin the theme is, but after a few plays I don't think I agree. I have come to think that the theme is in fact a really good metaphor for the gameplay: cards are performers, and you're spending your turns either putting on a show (playing a set) that's better than the existing one, or poaching a performer from the existing show (i.e. taking a card from it and into your hand) which helps build your own sets, while simultaneously weakening the existing one. The different mechanics make a whole lot more cohesive sense in this light, and it's far easier to explain the gameplay rules in this way. It's a good example of how symbolism (like a game's theme) can be an effective way to communicate more than one idea at a time, and that can help communicate ideas like "how to play this".
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Mar 30, 2022 23:46
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Mayveena posted:2nd edition Eclipse is highly rated but pretty expensive on the second hand market. 2nd edition Eclipse is fantastic. Every aspect of the game is improved, including storage and player piece management, and it shows. It's still Eclipse, of course, but the game is not only meaningfully edited from the first edition, but is also cleaner and faster to both setup and put away as a result.
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Mar 30, 2022 23:49
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The production values certainly look high. I dig the quasi-occult(?) art style, too.
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Mar 31, 2022 00:01
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homullus posted:I think Small World is not a good game and I would never recommend it to anyone older than 12 if better options were available. The hidden VP directly encourages the political campaigning of "nooo, go after THAT PERSON, they're really in the lead" which makes every game about that theatrical complaining rather than the game's actual mechanics. If you can actually see who's in the lead by seeing their VP, you have to win the game by better at Small World, rather than being better at complaining. Hah, last time I played Small World at a board game meetup, as I went into decline I counted out my points. "14 points! WOW!" The whole table agreed. I thought but whatever. After, I realized I had been declared public enemy #1 and was attacked into irrelevance by basically everyone over the course of the rest of the game.The next two players after me and my 14-point turn by the way each quietly scored way more than 14, as the rest of the table stared at their phones. That was a real learning experience. The Eyes Have It fucked around with this message at 05:37 on Mar 31, 2022 |
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Mar 31, 2022 05:35
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Kerro posted:In other news, it looks like Carnival Zombie 2nd ed. has finally shipped only 2 and a half years late, and with no pictures released of the final product before shipping. I'd written it off as my first failed kickstarter but looks like I'll be receiving something, just god-knows what In honor of April 1st you'll in fact be receiving a brick 
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Apr 1, 2022 22:47
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I posted this in the 3D printing tabletop thread, but this online tool is great for designing storage trays, etc. Results can be papercraft or 3D printable. https://deckinabox.sgenoud.com/
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Apr 10, 2022 05:12
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You can also print out some poker chips for your train games with a plastic-saving design (instead of buying nice chips with a nice feel to them, but it's a lot cheaper and a good way to use up ends of filament rolls.) https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/game/efficient-poker-set 
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Apr 11, 2022 20:29
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I at least PLAY other factions once (*) before declaring the game totally unbalanced  * by which I mean always play the new faction exactly the same as I would play my favorite one, taking none of its powers or abilities or limitations into account, and losing badly, then sulking
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Apr 13, 2022 17:56
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e: eh, let's not
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Apr 21, 2022 20:56
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Admiralty Flag posted:(Of course, he didn't view all games the same way. Once he had taught me the rules of chess, he never let me win. It was frustrating but only made me want to do better, and made those times I beat him all the sweeter.) I know this isn't the thrust of your post. but I don't generally take with the idea of "I will never play one whit below my abililty, because to do so would be to disrespect the game/my opponent" for a number of reasons, but the one I will share is that some games -- chess comes to mind -- are the kind of game where "the better I play, the less you get to play" and for such games especially I just don't find it very constructive to come out swinging 24/7, especially if you're trying to get someone interested in what the game has to offer.
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Apr 26, 2022 17:51
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ROOT isn't exactly news, but after puttering around with it a few times here and there I ended up playing with two other players, and for the three of us it really sings. We all play at roughly the same level, and grasp the game state enough that it feels we play the game the way it feels intended to be played. It's a great feeling to lose (or win) by a few points, to immediately know what it came down to, to think about where you surged and where things stalled, and start to get ideas about what to do next time. Also: the Lizard cult is really challenging to wrap one's head around, and no one likes the Vagabond!
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May 4, 2022 00:05
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Left: potential publisher Right: aspiring game designer
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May 4, 2022 17:39
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I played through The Crew with two, the dummy player works well IMO but it is a somewhat different experience than playing with e.g. three people. The way it works is that the dummy player gets half their cards dealt facedown in a row, and the second half get dealt faceup on top of those. So you only know half of the dummy player's hand at the game start (the other half is facedown, underneath the faceups.) When you choose a card for the dummy to play, you choose among the faceups only. If the faceup card chosen to be played was on top of a facedown card (therefore "exposing" it), the facedown card gets flipped faceup and can now be played on subsequent turns. There's a balancing act between playing cards and exposing new ones that varies somewhat based on the goals and the state of play. As far as dummy systems go, I thought it was clever and worked really well.
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May 5, 2022 00:20
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Hey  Ark Nova is in stock at Boardgamebliss RIGHT NOW
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May 7, 2022 07:03
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I also got to get Furnace to the table and really enjoyed it. Looking forward to playing this one some more. Don't think I have played such a "pure" engine builder before. The bidding and auction phase is pretty interesting and unexpectedly thinky; you have fixed bid tokens (a bit like Ra) but those who don't win a bid get a consolation multiplied by their bid amount. This can be surprisingly lucrative, and the order in which things are resolved can be especially important as well. Amusingly a friend of mine said that when he saw the game he figured it was right up my alley. Turns out he was right
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May 18, 2022 05:46
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Everyone plays a Vagabond, problem solved
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May 21, 2022 19:10
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SelenicMartian posted:Players set their score tokens to 0, take the pads, and put their detectives on Scotland Yard, the one location which never has a clue. As a huge Sherlock Holmes fan: nice sensible chuckle.jpg The Eyes Have It fucked around with this message at 04:57 on May 24, 2022 |
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May 24, 2022 04:54
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I ordered a copy as an indulgence and it arrived this week. Looking forward to playing my big dumb game 
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May 26, 2022 23:34
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Played Return to Dark Tower last night, it's about what I was hoping for / expected. App integration was at a good level I think. App integration does have its downsides. The iPad we were using started to run low on battery (surprise surprise, board games means a device is on for a long time) and it's weird to have a board game get stopped because of low battery on a mobile device. Also, at one point the tower complained of a jam. The app said to troubleshoot according to (URL) which meant pulling out another device and typing in a URL in a browser, which directed to a document that needed a Google account sign in to view, which gave a step one of "turn off the tower" which meant that the connection between the app and tower was gone, so now after following directions, hitting the post-jam button on the app doesn't do anything (no error, no nothing) and ughhhhh what a profoundly thoughtless troubleshooting process to send someone through. Even worse as a first impression.
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May 30, 2022 19:20
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Given the clunkiness of that process, I suspect a jam is a pretty rare occurrence. Even more so for a first game.
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May 30, 2022 20:10
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| # ¿ May 17, 2024 22:06 |
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It warned that the tower was going to rotate (so keep clear) then instead of hearing the top then middle then bottom turn, the top didn't. Then the app warned of a jam on the top and to investigate. I think a skull got somehow jammed, maybe? I didn't find anything obviously wrong and we continued okay once that was handled (by removing all the seals and freeing any skulls behind them, then following instructions to check if there's a physical problem.) After reassembling and reconnecting it seemed ok for the rest of the game. Maybe just a glitch or a freak temporary jam with a skull somehow. If it happens more then I'll contact support.
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May 30, 2022 22:19
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