Monday featured my third game of
Scythe. I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about the game. If it wasn't for the hype setting high expectations, would I view it in a more positive light? As it is, I look forward to playing it again more than most games that I rate higher. Much of that anticipation, though, is just for attempting to optimize each of the 25 faction + action board combinations, rather than any real interest in interactive play. In fact, each of the three games (all 4P or 5P) I've played have been largely solitary experiences with combat only for end-game star(s) and sometimes the factory, with almost no concern for carving out territory. Terra Mystica feels more cut-throat and competitive, despite that game's lack of combat.
The first and third games were quick affairs, played in about 75 minutes. In both, the most experienced player (not-me and me, respectively) dominated every facet of the game while the less experienced players had pushed a few wooden tokens around on their player mats and were almost ready to start playing by the final, three-star turn.
In the second game, everyone had roughly the same level of experience (i.e., 1 play or no plays but familiarity with the rules) and muddled through with lots of bad decisions, resulting in a longer (~150 minute) game. I believe there were six battles in this game, which is as much as there were in the other two combined.
In each of the three games, two players got to the factory. One of those two always won. In Monday's game, there were some complaints that being first (or early) to the factory was a dominant strategy because the first (maybe second) factory card was so powerful. And certainly the first-to-factory player made good use of that first factory card in each of the games I played. But in the first and third games, the eventual winner could have skipped the factory entirely and still dominated -- perhaps not doubling the runner-up's score, but still winning by a comfortable margin. What really mattered was running an efficient engine for end-game scoring/stars; that is, thinking ahead to what the final game state should look like and then racing to that condition (with realistic expectations and contingencies in mind).
Being traditionally more of an euro gamer I'm curious to discover the ameritrash genre. I have Blood Rage still under shrinkwrap but Zombicide Black Plague is mighty tempting too, for the coop aspect. There would be Arcadia Quest too, mostly because Tom Vasel has a stellar opinion about it, but this genre of game is expensive af, so....
Oh, Imperial Assault too... shit.
And that's without mentionning the great games that are coming our way in the next few weeks or months, like Scythe (in French), Conan and The Others.
...
I think I miss my 30$ euros :-S
I really wouldn't consider Blood Rage or Scythe Ameritrash. Blood Rage is a card drafting game with area control elements and is no more Ameritrashy than El Grande, beyond the theme. Scythe is an efficiency engine race with area control and 30 seconds of combat per hour of play.
Imperial Assault might be closer to what you're looking for, especially for 2P competitive play.
