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[zulux21]

Did they pull due to "backlash?" I thought they just decided to hold off but I didn't follow it closely. I am probably maxed out on Pandemic stuff, especially with Legacy Season 2 coming out soon but so far I pretty much love all the offshoots so wouldn't be surprised of it was worth it especially with the Splotter guy mixing things up.

I know for a fact they released the press release and the pulled it because because it was deemed insensitive/inappropriate to announce at the time.

I am not 100% sure if they came to that conclusion on their own or if social media yelled at them first.

 

[TerminalDogma]

Thanks for the Race for the Galaxy suggestions, guys. I've watched a couple vids on how to play (Rahdo and someone named Ricky Royal, though his was only for solitaire mode), I think I've at least got the basics down? But I also went ahead and followed the suggestion to get the app, had $10 in google play money anyhow so no money lost. Out of the four games I've recently bought (Race, Hanabi, Scythe and Not Alone) I think I'm most excited to try this one.

 

[CarbonatedFalcon]

Thought I'd ask here since it seemed appropriate:

Is there a specific tabletop RPG thread, or do you all discuss those in here as well?

Talking Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, etc.

Because I might be getting involved with a group to play Star Wars: Edge of the Empire or D&D 5th Edition, and I'd be curious to read GAF opinions on some of these games.

There's also Starfinder which just came out, or Shadowrun that I'd like to try sometime as well.

And if anyone has any favorite vodcasts/streams/youtube series they watch of some of these games, I'd love to get some recommendations.

 

[zulux21]

Thanks for the Race for the Galaxy suggestions, guys. I've watched a couple vids on how to play (Rahdo and someone named Ricky Royal, though his was only for solitaire mode), I think I've at least got the basics down? But I also went ahead and followed the suggestion to get the app, had $10 in google play money anyhow so no money lost. Out of the four games I've recently bought (Race, Hanabi, Scythe and Not Alone) I think I'm most excited to try this one.

I haven't played the later two but both race and hanabi are great games.

hanabi is an amazing game in the sense that it is very easy to teach/learn but hard to actually master. it's a great game to get people who don't like learning a lot of rules or many board games playing a game with you.

I hope you enjoy the race app. I haven't played it a ton, but what I did play showed it was a well made app. the main thing that it will help with is the consume and produce phases which are things that can be very tricky to teach people.

 

[SCHUEY F1]

Thought I'd ask here since it seemed appropriate:

Is there a specific tabletop RPG thread, or do you all discuss those in here as well?

Talking Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, etc.

Because I might be getting involved with a group to play Star Wars: Edge of the Empire or D&D 5th Edition, and I'd be curious to read GAF opinions on some of these games.

There's also Starfinder which just came out, or Shadowrun that I'd like to try sometime as well.

And if anyone has any favorite vodcasts/streams/youtube series they watch of some of these games, I'd love to get some recommendations.

Here you go.

http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=465327

 

[CarbonatedFalcon]

Here you go.

http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=465327

Thanks for the link! The abbreviation used in the topic title probably made it difficult to find via search.

 

[SCHUEY F1]

Thanks for the link! The abbreviation used in the topic title probably made it difficult to find via search.

No problem.

 

[SapphiCine]

Celebrated my birth week by opening up Gears of War.

Opened it up to some disappointment. The cards were loose in the box and two of the miniatures had broken off their stands. The game was still in the shrink wrap and sold to me as in new condition. I think it was handled poorly over the years and not necessarily the seller's fault if they had bought it from someone else. It had a Barnes and Noble price tag on it so retail neglect is likely what happened. Still a big bummer but that's the risk of buying anything I guess.

 

[Mr E.]

Celebrated my birth week by opening up Gears of War.

Opened it up to some disappointment. The cards were loose in the box and two of the miniatures had broken off their stands. The game was still in the shrink wrap and sold to me as in new condition. I think it was handled poorly over the years and not necessarily the seller's fault if they had bought it from someone else. It had a Barnes and Noble price tag on it so retail neglect is likely what happened. Still a big bummer but that's the risk of buying anything I guess.

You've got a great game regardless.

 

[SapphiCine]

You've got a great game regardless.

Still really looking forward to playing it. I have all the cards sleeved and tokens punched. Now to read the manual.

 

[Daedardus]

We played Scythe for the first time in group! First hour was a bit rough to learn all the rules and getting a good hold in the game, but we enjoyed in nonetheless. I do feel that there's a bit unbalance in the factions however, especially if you don't know the optimal paths for each of the factions yet, the Rusviets faction ability seems too easy to abuse. Two of us got uppercutted in the endgame by it, even though I could have scored two to three stars in the two following turns. I still have a lot to learn how to properly play this game. But I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing it, there will be a second time very soon.

 

[antiquegamer]

We played Scythe for the first time in group! First hour was a bit rough to learn all the rules and getting a good hold in the game, but we enjoyed in nonetheless. I do feel that there's a bit unbalance in the factions however, especially if you don't know the optimal paths for each of the factions yet, the Rusviets faction ability seems too easy to abuse. Two of us got uppercutted in the endgame by it, even though I could have scored two to three stars in the two following turns. I still have a lot to learn how to properly play this game. But I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing it, there will be a second time very soon.

Some factions are easy to play especially pair with certain favorable production board, that said I think the game is pretty balanced if you have equal level players. This is a game where you have to disrupt your opponents engine especially so if the person close to them let them go unhindered they will run away with the score.

 

[-tetsuo-]

Red is definitely the best faction for new players.

 

[Daedardus]

Some factions are easy to play especially pair with certain favorable production board, that said I think the game is pretty balanced if you have equal level players. This is a game where you have to disrupt your opponents engine especially so if the person close to them let them go unhindered they will run away with the score.

I guess if you're with 4-5 people it becomes easier to disrupt each other. Meanwhile I was trying to assemble my engine while being at the completely opposite side of the board. I was just outpaced. I do not know what the best amount of workers are at some points in the game, the power cost to produce always seems like a big hurdle in the beginning.

 

[Polioliolio]

Any thoughts on Vasty Wilds?

Relaunched kickstarter, which seems to be successful this time, ends in 5 hours.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chuckstover/vasty-wilds-the-card-based-board-game/description

 

[SapphiCine]

Lost my first game of Gears of War. I am going to give the game another shot but I am less enthusiastic about it now. Corey Konieczka really likes his randomness and not giving the players much certainty, which this game only further makes clear to me. I think the worst aspect is how ammo is handled, since enemies rarely drop ammo. He made the game more survival horror than the video game. If ammo is going to be so scarce, at least make it more potent. The overkill attacks are not surefire with how wounds are handled.

The "Distraction" event card is even more a dick move by Konieczka than the "Resupply" event in Space Hulk: Death Angel.

 

[-tetsuo-]

That Corey Konieczka guy is a real asshole

 

[Izayoi]

My group played 7 Wonders on Friday and we had an absolute blast with it. Played 4 rounds. It was a ton of fun! I'm a big fan of the game, I really like the different paths to victory. The drafting and engine building aspects were the best part to me, in terms of mechanics. The theme is great for our group and I'm impressed by pretty much every aspect of the game, especially the production values.

It was a little intimidating at first (everyone had already been drinking so it took a bit to get the game started in earnest). We never got proficient enough to really keep track of what other players were up to (sans the last half of the last game, when my wife had enough of a grasp on it and decided to go for the jugular), so I think there's a lot of room for additional plays with our group.

I suspect that one mistake we made was reading the whole manual before we started. Is there a better way to do this? We always start by reading the manual in its entirety, but for some larger games I imagine that might not be a great idea.

There is no doubt we'll be picking this one up sometime soon. I want to thank everyone here who encouraged me to give it a try!

 

[zulux21]

I suspect that one mistake we made was reading the whole manual before we started. Is there a better way to do this? We always start by reading the manual in its entirety, but for some larger games I imagine that might not be a great idea.

reading rules is good. alternatively finding a how to play video or locating rules reference sheets on boardgamegeek is also a good thing to do.

 

[Blizzard]

My group played 7 Wonders on Friday and we had an absolute blast with it. Played 4 rounds. It was a ton of fun! I'm a big fan of the game, I really like the different paths to victory. The drafting and engine building aspects were the best part to me, in terms of mechanics. The theme is great for our group and I'm impressed by pretty much every aspect of the game, especially the production values.

It was a little intimidating at first (everyone had already been drinking so it took a bit to get the game started in earnest). We never got proficient enough to really keep track of what other players were up to (sans the last half of the last game, when my wife had enough of a grasp on it and decided to go for the jugular), so I think there's a lot of room for additional plays with our group.

I suspect that one mistake we made was reading the whole manual before we started. Is there a better way to do this? We always start by reading the manual in its entirety, but for some larger games I imagine that might not be a great idea.

There is no doubt we'll be picking this one up sometime soon. I want to thank everyone here who encouraged me to give it a try!

It's always good for at least one player to know the entire rules (from reading them, or watching a rules video, or even just knowing MOST of the rules and following an outline sheet).

However it's probably best not to TALK through all the rules for a game before starting. Therein lies the challenge of teaching games, how best to summarize the important information ("This is what triggers the end of the game, this is how you score points, this is how you determine who wins, these are the steps you do on each turn") without repeating the entire rulebook.

 

[Izayoi]

I've always been wary of watching videos because I'm worried about them spoiling the entire experience, or at least the feeling of exploring and learning a new game with my friends.

Maybe that's the wrong mindset to have. I will ask everyone next weekend and see what kind of opinions they have about it. I know they like learning as well, but I'm curious what they think about someone watching a video in order to prepare.

At some point I know we busted out the phones and all read the rules independently, from cover to cover. We reconvened and set up the game together afterward. It would definitely be more efficient if everyone showed up ready to play and maybe I'm just being a stick in the mud :lol

 

[zulux21]

I've always been wary of watching videos because I'm worried about them spoiling the entire experience, or at least the feeling of exploring and learning a new game with my friends.l

well I mean if you locate videos just watching other's playing the game that is more possible. but for most games there are plenty of videos dedicated to just teaching you the rules and basic gameplay, with perhaps some basic strategy going on.

I mean aside from symbol learning 7 wonders is a relatively light game to learn (when not playing with every expansion at least) so reading the rules to that isn't to bad but if you were to play a game like Mage Knight or Robinson Crusoe for example without someone that knows the rules learning the game from the rule book is a nightmare.

and that is from personal experience with those two games

I mean a lot of what you will need is based on what type of game it is. A lot of times I just watch something like a dice tower review of the game since they give a basic run down on how the game plays, and that is typically enough. but some games require you to learn a ton of mechanics to play them.

 

[Blizzard]

Are there any game mechanics people feel aren't used often enough? I know there's an unusual rondel mechanic some euros use and bidding isn't very common.

I wouldn't mind more deckbuilding games but I know that mechanic has a decent number of games. I own Dominion (and like 3 expansions), all the Valley of the Kings games, and Great Western Trail.

 

[KingHenrik30]

Might have just lost my mind but just ordered these all at once:

Raiders of the North Sea
Tak
Wasteland Express Delivery Service
Troyes
Axis and Allies Anniversary Edition

Can't wait!

 

[zulux21]

Are there any game mechanics people feel aren't used often enough? I know there's an unusual rondel mechanic some euros use and bidding isn't very common.

I wouldn't mind more deckbuilding games but I know that mechanic has a decent number of games. I own Dominion (and like 3 expansions), all the Valley of the Kings games, and Great Western Trail.

I mean the obvious one would be the legacy mechanic but that one is not easy to implement.

and yeah deckbuilders have quite a few games at this point I still love the mechanic though.


I am not really sure what mechanic I am trying to say here, but I don't feel enough co op games do a good enough job making it so each person has something unique to the game.

for example you can't have a single person in hanabi tell everyone what to do. but for a lot of other co op games you can.

games like dead of winter get around this a bit by having a hidden objective.
or spirit island just has so much to worry about for each player that one person can't really tell everyone what to do.

but a lot of co op games fall into a place where one person can tell everyone what to do, and that can be an issue.... so mechanics that avoid that are good.

 

[betapeter]

Any thoughts on Vasty Wilds?

Relaunched kickstarter, which seems to be successful this time, ends in 5 hours.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chuckstover/vasty-wilds-the-card-based-board-game/description

Wow that looks lush, wish I backed it in time. The look reminds me of Mice & Mystics

 

[Olorin]

I suspect that one mistake we made was reading the whole manual before we started. Is there a better way to do this? We always start by reading the manual in its entirety, but for some larger games I imagine that might not be a great idea.

I usually read the manual long before we play (like a week in advance) and then think of the best order to explain things. I never read the rulebook out loud to others because I think it's much harder to absorb the information that way. If the game has a solo variant, I might play that first to get a better feel for the game, which also makes it easier to explain the rules.

 

[Blizzard]

I mean the obvious one would be the legacy mechanic but that one is not easy to implement.

Legacy is a good pick, but I'm not sure the legacy / changing mechanics with a story mechanic is a good one in general. Gloomhaven is probably the only game I've tried that I think did it well. I know Pandemic Legacy was well-received in general, but I seem to recall even that got a bit stale towards the end.

I suppose I feel legacy is almost a fundamentally flawed mechanic since it depends on:

1. Having a dedicated group who can experience the progression (difficult for many adults with busy schedules who can't always have the same composition).
2. Or, having a final game configuration that works no matter what path was taken, whether because of an "all-inclusive" configuration or because all paths are somewhat balanced (quite challenging from a balance perspective, and/or can result in a game feeling bland and same-ish for balance reasons).

I am not really sure what mechanic I am trying to say here, but I don't feel enough co op games do a good enough job making it so each person has something unique to the game.

for example you can't have a single person in hanabi tell everyone what to do. but for a lot of other co op games you can.

games like dead of winter get around this a bit by having a hidden objective.
or spirit island just has so much to worry about for each player that one person can't really tell everyone what to do.

but a lot of co op games fall into a place where one person can tell everyone what to do, and that can be an issue.... so mechanics that avoid that are good.

I get what you're saying and they're good points. One thing you're referring to is often called "quarterbacking", where someone with a strong or obnoxious personality tries to tell everyone what to do in a cooperative situation. Some game(s) try to avoid that by giving one person a guaranteed final pick on their turn, like Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective. Other game(s) try to avoid that by hidden objectives as you mention, or making players choose cards without discussing exactly which cards they pick, like Gloomhaven.

The second thing you might be referring to is uniqueness of a role (healer, tank, etc.) which is easier to provide.

 

[Lyng]

That Corey Konieczka guy is a real asshole

What has he done?

Thanks for the Race for the Galaxy suggestions, guys. I've watched a couple vids on how to play (Rahdo and someone named Ricky Royal, though his was only for solitaire mode), I think I've at least got the basics down? But I also went ahead and followed the suggestion to get the app, had $10 in google play money anyhow so no money lost. Out of the four games I've recently bought (Race, Hanabi, Scythe and Not Alone) I think I'm most excited to try this one.

Check out the how to play series from Modern table gamer on YouTube. By far the best how to play on race.

 

[JavyOO7]

I really like the games that Fowers makes... Burgle Bros., Fugitive, and now getting through his KS Now Boarding and the 3rd Ed of Wok star. He makes nice, simple little games and he hasn't failed me yet.

 

[Experien]

What has he done?

Pretty much most Fantasy Flight Games; Destiny, Rebellion, Battlestar, etc

 

[Lyng]

Pretty much most Fantasy Flight Games; Destiny, Rebellion, Battlestar, etc

Hehe Yeah I know that. I was asking what he has done to be called an asshole. :b

 

[Dimitri2401]

Are there any game mechanics people feel aren't used often enough? I know there's an unusual rondel mechanic some euros use and bidding isn't very common.

I wouldn't mind more deckbuilding games but I know that mechanic has a decent number of games. I own Dominion (and like 3 expansions), all the Valley of the Kings games, and Great Western Trail.

I'd like to see the peculiar deckbuilding mechanic of Mombasa, or the one from Rokoko, used more often.

I also find that, even if they are physical objects, boardgames usually don't have any 3D gameplay element. Games like Town Center are very rare.

 

[cooltrainer]

Are there any game mechanics people feel aren't used often enough? I know there's an unusual rondel mechanic some euros use and bidding isn't very common.

I wouldn't mind more deckbuilding games but I know that mechanic has a decent number of games. I own Dominion (and like 3 expansions), all the Valley of the Kings games, and Great Western Trail.

I think deduction is underused in general. It's so satisfying when you use some logic and get the right answer. Like the guards in Love Letter for example. You can eliminate certain possibilities through what's publicly available and what people have done or not done to make a reasonable guess. I'd also like to see more games with inductive logic like Zendo.

 

[EYEL1NER]

I really like the games that Fowers makes... Burgle Bros., Fugitive, and now getting through his KS Now Boarding and the 3rd Ed of Wok star. He makes nice, simple little games and he hasn't failed me yet.

He makes some solid games and the artist he works with has a nice style that fits with the games. I own Buegle Bros, Fugitive, Paperback, have backed Hardback, and will probably back Now Boarding and Wok Star. Unfortunately I've only been able to play Burgle Bros twice and Paperback twice.
There just has to be something 'off' about my game group, that I can bring Burgle Bros with a nice etsy foamcore insert, the highrise tower, and the flashing led lights to place on the alarm tiles, and they can all look at it and decide to play something else. One of those guys is one of the ones who played it with me twice and he said he really liked it and I know all of them love co-op games. That was a while ago that I was taking it with me, like the beginning of Summer, but I eventually got tired of getting the tower out of the garage, driving it over, carrying it in, carrying it back out, driving it home, and putting it back in the garage every week. Now we typically have too many to play it every week, so I wouldn't think about bringing it to game night again soon.

 

[NuffDREW4two]

Hehe Yeah I know that. I was asking what he has done to be called an asshole. :b

In the Gears of War board game, there's an AI deck that you cycle through - it's made up of enemy AI cards for that specific enemy type, as well as general AI cards that could affect multiple enemy types, or just be a kick in the nuts. These general AI cards also usually cause you to draw another card as well. SapphiCine's example was a card called "Distraction" which causes the 1st player to deplete one of their already limited "ammo" resource tokens and the draw another AI card. Ammo tokens can be used to cause extra damage, but if you don't have any on the gun, then you can't shoot the gun even with its basic shot.

The thing with the AI deck is that if you draw an enemy AI card (such as a Drone), and you have none of those enemies on the board, you draw a new card. That means you can cycle through the deck quickly if you've eliminated the enemies from the board and keep getting a lot of these kick in the nuts cards. People usually try and game the system by leaving one model of the weakest enemy type alive on the board so that you don't run into the nut kicking cycle.

The game can be challenging enough as it is when you first start out, so these types of cards can seem overly punishing.

In defense of the card, the video game on higher difficulty levels is very much about ammo conservation and having to scrounge around for more ammo or a new gun.

 

[SapphiCine]

"Distraction" is infuriating because the effect of the card spits in the face of it's thematic qualities. You've got a picture of Dom shooting his gun in the air to distract some enemies. Okay, makes sense that ammo is depleted to distract the enemies, except it does fuck all to help. You have to still draw another AI card. It's disingenuous at worst and poorly thought at best.

 

[Lyng]

"Distraction" is infuriating because the effect of the card spits in the face of it's thematic qualities. You've got a picture of Dom shooting his gun in the air to distract some enemies. Okay, makes sense that ammo is depleted to distract the enemies, except it does fuck all to help. You have to still draw another AI card. It's disingenuous at worst and poorly thought at best.

Yeah it seems pretty dumb

 

[Blizzard]

He makes some solid games and the artist he works with has a nice style that fits with the games. I own Buegle Bros, Fugitive, Paperback, have backed Hardback, and will probably back Now Boarding and Wok Star. Unfortunately I've only been able to play Burgle Bros twice and Paperback twice.
There just has to be something 'off' about my game group, that I can bring Burgle Bros with a nice etsy foamcore insert, the highrise tower, and the flashing led lights to place on the alarm tiles, and they can all look at it and decide to play something else. One of those guys is one of the ones who played it with me twice and he said he really liked it and I know all of them love co-op games. That was a while ago that I was taking it with me, like the beginning of Summer, but I eventually got tired of getting the tower out of the garage, driving it over, carrying it in, carrying it back out, driving it home, and putting it back in the garage every week. Now we typically have too many to play it every week, so I wouldn't think about bringing it to game night again soon.

Try bringing Burgle Bros in the original tiny box with no add ons. Lots of other stuff and the tower might make it look more like a toy, or more intimidating and complicated than it is.

 

[emag]

I'd also like to see more games with inductive logic like Zendo.

Have you tried Tragedy Looper?

 

[Polioliolio]

Wow that looks lush, wish I backed it in time. The look reminds me of Mice & Mystics

Yeah, it's a shame. It didn't meet funding a year ago when the creator tried to pitch it then. He comes back with it and still I didn't hear about it until the final few hours, and by chance I think.

 

[Excelsior]

does anyone have experience trading in things to Noble Knight Gaming? thinking about clearing out my inventory of mostly terrible games

 

[-tetsuo-]

I didn't see them reannounce it.

when they first announced it it was just after Harvey and they pulled the announcement due to blacklash to it being insensitive.

As someone who lives in Houston the outcry for the announcement was ridiculous.

 

[Seganomics]

Want to grab a good worker placement game as I don't own one and like the look of a few. With Feast of Odin just out of my price range, I'm looking at either Caverna or Viticulture with the Tuscany expansion. Anyone played these and can give me an idea of which one to go for?

 

[Neverfade]

Want to grab a good worker placement game as I don't own one and like the look of a few. With Feast of Odin just out of my price range, I'm looking at either Caverna or Viticulture with the Tuscany expansion. Anyone played these and can give me an idea of which one to go for?

Out of those two, I'd pick Caverna. And if I were picking Caverna I'd just go with the superior Agricola. And if I were potentially buying Agricola, I'd just go with Le Havre. 👌🏽

 

[platypotamus]

I haven't played Caverna, or the expansion for viticulture, but generally am with Neverfade that Agricola > Viticulture. I'm less particular about which Uwe worker placement is better than he seems to be though. Both Le Havre and Agricola are fantastic.

Is Caverna supposed to be a little lighter than base Agricola though? If you don't want something super heavy, you might not want to go Uwe...

 

[Seganomics]

I haven't played Caverna, or the expansion for viticulture, but generally am with Neverfade that Agricola > Viticulture. I'm less particular about which Uwe worker placement is better than he seems to be though. Both Le Havre and Agricola are fantastic.

Is Caverna supposed to be a little lighter than base Agricola though? If you don't want something super heavy, you might not want to go Uwe...

From what I can gather Agricola has card drafting and is not as freeform as Caverna. Agricola seems to be the more hardcore gamers choice. I just don't know. Le Havre also looks good also. I'm not sure if the whole lack of player interaction with these games and the whole end scoring stuff is going to be my thing.

Inis has caught my eye now......

Too many games!

 

[Neverfade]

To clarify, the only thing that puts Agricola over Caverna for me are the cards. If Caverna had the variety Agricola did it'd be the clear winner.

But you've see Inis now so you can just buy neither and get the best game of 2016! 👌🏽

 

[-tetsuo-]

Caverna isn't as punishing as Agricola.

 

[zulux21]

Want to grab a good worker placement game as I don't own one and like the look of a few. With Feast of Odin just out of my price range, I'm looking at either Caverna or Viticulture with the Tuscany expansion. Anyone played these and can give me an idea of which one to go for?

Personally I think both Caverna and Agricola are super boring games that I never want to play again.

while Viticulture was actually decently fun and I would be up for playing it again.

but I in general am not a huge fan of worker placement games