I'm kind of there, but thats just because im hooked on ascension real bad. Once i start as many Nightfall games as Ascension, i'll freaking love it
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
iOS Online Boardgaming Megathread (Carcassonne, Everything Playdek, & Many More)
- Thread starter AstroLad
- Start date
I'm kind of there, but thats just because im hooked on ascension real bad. Once i start as many Nightfall games as Ascension, i'll freaking love it
roodiculous
Member
I think I need to play the game a bit more, potentially reread the rules. I'm going to give it some more time since I'm biased towards deck builders.
I dig it, just because it executes so much better on the concept of direct-conflict deckbuilding than Quarriors ever did. I really do think the attack and wound mechanics are quite clever. Super different from Ascension though and a bit more thinky but still has tons of crazy twists and turns in my experience (about 30 games now).
I'll start one once done updating.
EDIT: what;s with all the hate in Nightfall
EDIT2: Ah you started one, then I won't.
Had another in now what is becoming a series of insane Nightfall games with Flynn. Just lead changes constantly until the game comes down to the final card in a chain of about ten. Think that wound counter is a must now actually. Makes things more tense and interesting imo.
butzopower
proud of his butz
Some thoughts on Nightfall:
"Rend and Tear" and "Overwatch Two" make a cheap, mean, and safe chain, and is especially damning if you can start the thing with a "Franz Orlok".
I feel like there has to be some strategy to damaging yourself for like 3 wounds that you know you will draw immediately, maybe due to something earlier up in the chain.
"Rend and Tear" and "Overwatch Two" make a cheap, mean, and safe chain, and is especially damning if you can start the thing with a "Franz Orlok".
I feel like there has to be some strategy to damaging yourself for like 3 wounds that you know you will draw immediately, maybe due to something earlier up in the chain.
Jill Sandwich
the turds of Optimus Prime
I just got Carcassone, and I'm so bad at it. I've gone through the tutorial but even the Maid keeps beating me. Got any tips?
I'm loving it. While I also like Ascension, I much prefer the aggressive approach Nightfall has.
RaySpencer
Member
That stupid google dock just makes me want to buy all the games I don't have to just to fill it in!
I think im pretty close to buckling and buying tikal, tigris, Puerto Rico and fealty. They all seem interesting, I was just trying to hold out on some sales...
I think im pretty close to buckling and buying tikal, tigris, Puerto Rico and fealty. They all seem interesting, I was just trying to hold out on some sales...
Awesome Animals
Member
AstroLad, I sent you a twitter follow request as well. Since we're buds on G+, you should recognize the handle, but its @tfisher21
Gamecocks625
Member
Honestly just keep playing and asking questions. It will come with experience. I feel like I'm just now getting the hang of everything.
superrobot
Member
...and it's also worth playing the Count and Countess in AI mode.
Watch what they do as a lot of their evil game style is based around stealing your cities and roads or trapping your pieces so you can't finish a city or road.
All lessons that will stand you in good stead in the future. (Mwuhahaha etc etc)
Crazy idea time: Since a lot of these games don't even have chat and are async but great live as well, be cool to do a Google+ Hangout over a live game of Nightfall, Tigris & Euphrates, Ascension, whatever. I've actually done this with friends for yucata.de game and it worked out well. I forget which of the games from the OP show you the live game in play -- I know Carc, Ascension, and Nightfall do.
roodiculous
Member
A tantalizing idea, I'm game for anything. Plus its a great way to learn games you may not be familiar with.
Sounds pretty awesome. I really need to get t&e, but I'll wait for a sale
Google+, you serious? What is that, like some forgotten weird fb-alternative attempt that noone uses? - ohwait.
hahah.
it's easy, you add people and then you can do a hangout with them which is a simultaneous video chat. actually rooda you're right it would be really good for teaching
Of All Trades
Member
This is sort of a broader question, but what is the "point" of cooperative board games where the need for multiple players is greatly reduced due to near-perfect information? I've been playing Forbidden Island and Elder Signs, both of which feel more suited to a single-player experience than not. Forbidden Island in particular seems extremely dependent upon tight coordination between players, and that in a table-top (or pass-n-play) setting the player with the highest ability to look forward multiple turns ahead should be given full control over all decision making.
Elder Signs seems to pull back from this problem somewhat due to the higher emphasis of chance and the level of apparent autonomy given to an individual character (if I only have control over my character I'll be more inclined to do things to keep myself in the game to the detriment of the group), but because there is no endgame benefit to the individual player (other than still being there) the game still seems to lend itself towards having a mastermind player controlling most or all decisions due to perfect sharing of information (I could see a sort of enforced-silence async play fixing this); if a player is in control of a character with specific benefits and there is an opportunity to exploit those benefits, then the mastermind (and everyone else at the table not in charge of the character) would presumably put a lot of pressure on the active player to comply with the mastermind's directives and just act as a Dice Hand.
Elder Signs seems to pull back from this problem somewhat due to the higher emphasis of chance and the level of apparent autonomy given to an individual character (if I only have control over my character I'll be more inclined to do things to keep myself in the game to the detriment of the group), but because there is no endgame benefit to the individual player (other than still being there) the game still seems to lend itself towards having a mastermind player controlling most or all decisions due to perfect sharing of information (I could see a sort of enforced-silence async play fixing this); if a player is in control of a character with specific benefits and there is an opportunity to exploit those benefits, then the mastermind (and everyone else at the table not in charge of the character) would presumably put a lot of pressure on the active player to comply with the mastermind's directives and just act as a Dice Hand.
Probably a question best suited for the main board-game thread because it's a pretty common topic on BGG!
My take is for games like FI and Pandemic, they are more social/party games than anything. Pandemic technically forces you to play with a closed hand, just to encourage communication, and I think FI does the same. Really it's just more about solving a puzzle together. The only place where this becomes a game-breaking issue for me is if there is a huge disparity in skill/experience where the new players won't be able to give any valuable input, but then again show me again where a huge disparity in experience isn't an issue and I'll show you a crappy luckfest. I do take your point though -- it's definitely one of the standout issues with those games.
There are ways to mitigate the problem though. FI and Pandemic sort of halfheartedly do it by making you hide your cards. Ghost Stories and especially Arkham Horror directly engage each player more by making you perform rolls, have unique items, etc. These are actually fairly superficial but they go a long way towards giving people real ownership of their characters. (Part of the reason why Ghost Stories is my favorite co-op at the moment.) Then you have games that deal with it by just not being pure co-ops -- traitor mechanic like Battlestar Galactica or Shadows over Camelot, ad hoc single-player victory condition like Red November, or individual goals like some of the Arkham expansions.
RaySpencer
Member
Could be cool. It would certainly make Eradicate seem more playable
God yes. i like the idea of Eradicate, but without someone there to help me along, im kinda lost
Of All Trades
Member
FI-iOS does not seem to do this (unless there's a setting I ignored).
Yeah, it's just that in the case of FI (Elder Signs does seem to back away from this by having so much going on) the simplicity means that the solution becomes too apparent too rapidly, and even a new player could likely be quickly able to optimize to at least a, say, 50% chance of success regardless of card draws (whereas Elder Signs is just brutal until you get a grip on what's going on*).
FI is fun as a single-player game, don't get me wrong. I just don't think it works as a local multi game on the iPad, and kinda wish it had chatless online multi; a mode like the Top Chef challenge where the team is blindfolded and builds off each other's ideas seems like it would be a strength of internet play, though.
*also see: Nightfall, where the AI just brutalized me because I didn't understand things like "attack a minion" means ANY and EVERY minion.
bigwinnerx
Member
Didn't want to derail the brilliance of the thread by Astro or discussed g+ options, but, any worth to a Facebook group where people could post if they want to play/organize a game? I'm on there more than I care to admit and think it could work well if enough people joined. Depends on your social network of choice I guess...
Gamecocks625
Member
Just bought the Carcassonne expansions. I'll need to get a few AI games in before I figure out the strategy involved. I'm open to anyone giving me a quick rundown on the best strategies for them, though! I feel like it's a whole new game now.
RaySpencer
Member
Samurai
Been playing this a little bit with Astro, and man it's really awesome. Very simple like carc, but massive strategy like carc
Give me names for this game now! DOIT!
Been playing this a little bit with Astro, and man it's really awesome. Very simple like carc, but massive strategy like carc
Give me names for this game now! DOIT!
You guys got me hooked on ascension, I now have the expansion!
(still have no strategy)
Yes! Join us! And there is no real strategy to Ascension. But i really dont care since its fun anyways.
It's too bad we live in a world of mobile phone racism and discrimination. I would love to be here, frolicking in the Elysium Fields with board games in hand, sharing the asynchronous love - but I have an Android. I wanted an iPhone, but couldn't afford it at the time. Now I have to watch you guys from the grimy, iron-barred window in my tiny cell.
(Just need to save up for an iPad...)
Oh well, back to Elder Sign: Omens (nice recommendation, AstroLad.)
(Just need to save up for an iPad...)
Oh well, back to Elder Sign: Omens (nice recommendation, AstroLad.)
Think I might uninstall Hero Academy. It's weird b/c I was really into it the first couple days but now I'm just not feeling it. Think it's the fact that there's no variability in each shot -- you know exactly what it will be, just comes down to draw order (I realize some might see this as a plus).
Just comes down to I'd rather be playing Carc, Ascension, Nightfall, Samurai, Tigris & Euphrates etc. etc. I suppose. A man can only take so many turns in a day.
Just comes down to I'd rather be playing Carc, Ascension, Nightfall, Samurai, Tigris & Euphrates etc. etc. I suppose. A man can only take so many turns in a day.
Gamecocks625
Member
Went back through the old Carcassonne thread to read up on the expansions. Man, so many new ways to screw people over!
Think I might uninstall Hero Academy. It's weird b/c I was really into it the first couple days but now I'm just not feeling it. Think it's the fact that there's no variability in each shot -- you know exactly what it will be, just comes down to draw order (I realize some might see this as a plus).
Just comes down to I'd rather be playing Carc, Ascension, Nightfall, Samurai, Tigris & Euphrates etc. etc. I suppose. A man can only take so many turns in a day.
Yeah, I dont care for it either.
Edit: Samurai looks good. Typical questions, does it have async? Good implementation?
yes and yes. only bummer is it doesn't use gc at all but my name's astrolad on there too
biggyfries
Member
Good game, Astro!! Sorry it took so long to complete.
I sense a rematch in your future.
I sense a rematch in your future.
biggyfries
Member
Send me an invite please, I'll try the multiplayer.
I had the same idea after listening to Chris Remo talk about playing a game over Google+. The only people outside of my wife who play board games live about 6 hours away so we were going to try doing the same thing.
Seems like a cool idea.
Holy hell I can't believe this finally happened...
VICTORY! My first win after about 40 failures.
(this is Ghost Stories for the unfamiliar)
VICTORY! My first win after about 40 failures.
(this is Ghost Stories for the unfamiliar)
Slacker -- you playing on novice or normal? Ironically novice is harder than Pandemic normal even though Pandemic is reasonably tough itself. We were playing the tabletop on Monday and laughing about Nightmare and Hell difficulty (you get 4 incarnations).
Sweet -- I'm out for a couple weeks (will try to keep up on turns but will definitely have days where I have 50+ waiting for me) so maybe when I get back? As long as we have decent connections, it would be really cool for teaching games like Tigris & Euphrates, even Caylus. Could potentially be super useful when games like Agricola come out (relatively easy to teach but quite hard to learn solo).
Sweet -- I'm out for a couple weeks (will try to keep up on turns but will definitely have days where I have 50+ waiting for me) so maybe when I get back? As long as we have decent connections, it would be really cool for teaching games like Tigris & Euphrates, even Caylus. Could potentially be super useful when games like Agricola come out (relatively easy to teach but quite hard to learn solo).
Awesome Animals
Member
Add me to the group. I think some BoardGameGAF has already been adding me.