Support NeoGAF

[ultron87]

I wonder what the percentage of people who first open a Dominion box and proceed to shuffle the randomizer cards with the normal cards is.

I know I did it.

 

[joeyjoejoeshabadoo]

Thanks! This helps a lot! I saw something about randomizer cards but couldn't tell what they were from the manual. We've only played one game so far but it was awesome.

The backs of the randomizer cards are different as well. Make sure you pull those out.

 

[narcosis219]

I wonder what the percentage of people who first open a Dominion box and proceed to shuffle the randomizer cards with the normal cards is.

I know I did it.

Well, I didn't know that they were randomizers when I opened the box, but it made 0 sense to shuffle em in because of the different backs, so I just left them out

 

[Admiral Bone to Pick]

This thread is huge, so chances are I'm late to this. But while Risk is a pretty broken game, I think Risk 2210 A.D. is actually an incredibly well made and enjoyable game. It can drag on forever, but it also has a 5 day rule that makes the play time very reasonable.

 

[Harry Dresden]

This thread is huge, so chances are I'm late to this. But while Risk is a pretty broken game, I think Risk 2210 A.D. is actually an incredibly well made and enjoyable game. It can drag on forever, but it also has a 5 day rule that makes the play time very reasonable.

The only Risk game I have played from beginning to end was a four-day marathon while we were snowed in at the dorms in college. It was on a weekend so the dorms were pretty bare and there were five of us playing.

Dear lord... that game.

 

[narcosis219]

The only Risk game I have played from beginning to end was a four-day marathon while we were snowed in at the dorms in college. It was on a weekend so the dorms were pretty bare and there were five of us playing.

Dear lord... that game.

If only you guys had a real game...

 

[Harry Dresden]

If only you guys had a real game...

We dug it out of the storage closet in the RD's appartment.

I have never played a game of risk since, and probably will never play one again.

 

[Evlar]

Well, it's up to number 50 on BGG already. Granted that is probably largely HYPE!.. but I've seen some really mixed stuff on it. Some say it's a really fun solo or co-op game with others saying it's the worst thing ever.

Wanted to see if someone I trust here had played it.

I have it and played it both solo and with a friend. We play it as a CCG-lite, i.e. use the deck-building rules to come up with our own strategies for defeating the game. Some people at BGG are simply determined to NOT play it as a customizable game and use only the simplified deck constructions listed with the game manual... This is completely nonsensical in my view and cuts against the spirit of the game, but everyone's entitled to their own fun.

One issue is that, as with other LCGs, the base set does NOT contain enough cards to construct a viable, legal deck. The decks listed in the manual are mono-sphere (mono-color for MtG reference) and are short... 30 cards if I recall correctly while legal constructed decks are 50 cards at minimum. To build legal decks you MUST buy at least 2 core sets; this will happily also provide you with multiple copies of several of the most powerful cards in the game. With two core sets you are able to build at least two viable decks (as long as the two players avoid overlap in card selection or dominant sphere type). That's what we've done, and it works well enough. Going forward this shouldn't be as much of a problem as each booster will contain the legal maximum number of each card for one deck; you would only need multiple boosters if players want or need multiples of the same card.

At the moment the strategic space is quite small. The game provides the possibility of quite a few strategies, but not many are developed enough with the limited card pool to actually beat the adventure decks provided. Speaking of, they're pretty damn hard, ranging from "difficult" with an optimal deck to almost literally impossible with certain builds. I expect this to open up as time goes on in two ways: New adventure decks will provide different types of stresses to overcome, and new player cards will flesh out the builds that don't yet make the cut.

It scales funny... It's certainly playable as a solitaire game but the strategic space shrinks even smaller. It's most palatable as a two-player or three-player game; four players is almost broken, though I have no experience of that myself. There's some suggestion that a lot of the four-player games reported on BGG involve small, 30-card player decks, which will make the game easier than intended in 4-player settings.

It's a lot of fun if you enjoy optimizing a deck and testing it against the luck of your draw and the luck of the adventure deck. Being successful requires being adequately capable at many different challenges, and the actual gameplay constantly requires evaluation of risk and reward with the resources already at hand. Oftentimes after a loss you'll feel both unlucky (why did the god damn Ungoliath Spawn have to come out back-to-back?) and be able to identify flaws in your play (I could've pushed through if I had dedicated Aragorn to questing more frequently).

The theme fits extraordinarily well. In case you hadn't heard, the actual setting is neither The Hobbit or the main adventure of The Lord of the Rings; it takes place in between chapters very early on in LOTR, after Bilbo leaves the Shire but before Frodo starts his quest, a period of about 17 years. You aren't going to be running the exact same scenarios from the book... But the scenarios presented share features with the main LOTR quest; hunted by enemy minions, searching for some object, trying to cross some dangerous landscape, or escape from enemy control (the Escape from Dol Guldor adventure from the base set is particularly evocative of a prison break). Many familiar names make appearances and retain their flavor translated into game mechanics; Gandalf's abilities for example have him appear for a moment, provide immense help toward one or two immediate challenges, then vanish from the table, very much as he does in the Hobbit (and parts of LoTR). The adventure decks provide a flood of properly middle-earth flavored baddies, and the overall sense of striving against great odds is recreated admirably.

 

[StoOgE]

I have zero experience in deck building right now (outside of say Dominion and it's clones).. so is the (illegal) 30 card decks that you can get with a single base pack make the game too simple since the "powerful" cards would come up more often?

I assume at some point the idea would be to keep a pure deck (mono-sphere) with 100+ cards with which to build a 50 card deck from? Or is the idea to have say 30 of one sphere and 20 of another right now and simply craft a deck that works with the heroes you want to play?

When you construct a deck are there rules behind it like you might see in a miniatures game? Say, a 500 point deck, and each card is worth x points so you need to balance cards to keep from building an uber deck of powerful cards?

The theme seems to be really great, and I assume at some point in the life of this thing they will likely move into the fellowship storylines as well?

 

[MrMan2k3]

This thread is huge, so chances are I'm late to this. But while Risk is a pretty broken game, I think Risk 2210 A.D. is actually an incredibly well made and enjoyable game. It can drag on forever, but it also has a 5 day rule that makes the play time very reasonable.

I've always enjoyed Risk 2210. Throughout high school and college my friends used to play it every few months. While it can be pretty long at times, at least it has a set end point. We have mostly moved on to other games, but I still like to break it out at least once a year.

I'm actually planning on getting together with some friends for a game of Galactic Risk this Saturday. It's a variant of Risk 2210 that adds other planets and has a few extra commanders, one of which allows interplanetary travel/attacks. To set it up, I'll need to use my whole dining room table (with leafs).

I've played on the Mars map instead of the Earth map before, but I have yet to try multiple planets. Since my group of friends usually takes at least 3-4 hours for a standard game of Risk 2210, I assume this will pretty much take all day (with break for meals). I'm still undecided at where to end the game: the standard 5-years, a few more years beyond the original, or play for total global domination.

That includes Earth (plus Antarctica) and the moon, Mars and it's moons, an asteroid belt, and Jupiter's moons (Io and Europa).

Also, I hadn't played the original Risk in years until last month. Ugh... I'll take any Risk variant over it.

 

[AstroLad]

can't really add much to what evlar said -- it's a hugely popular quality game. but one that i picked up a few months ago and had very little time with. one thing that drives me nuts about FF games is all their damn corner cases. makes the first few playthroughs way more unpleasant than they need to be but i guess welcometofortressameritrash.gif

 

[Evlar]

I have zero experience in deck building right now (outside of say Dominion and it's clones).. so is the (illegal) 30 card decks that you can get with a single base pack make the game too simple since the "powerful" cards would come up more often?

Yes, that's right. Smaller decks allow powerful combos to come up faster and more often, just as in Dominion.

I assume at some point the idea would be to keep a pure deck (mono-sphere) with 100+ cards with which to build a 50 card deck from? Or is the idea to have say 30 of one sphere and 20 of another right now and simply craft a deck that works with the heroes you want to play?

More of the second, really. Succeeding against the "enemy" adventure decks requires a lot of different types of abilities: defense, attack, embarking on "questing", and more. Each "sphere" excels in certain of those tasks and is less effective at others. Building winning decks for single or 2 player games means using decks with a good mix of 2 spheres, which is a careful balancing act.

When you construct a deck are there rules behind it like you might see in a miniatures game? Say, a 500 point deck, and each card is worth x points so you need to balance cards to keep from building an uber deck of powerful cards?

There are rules, but not based on a point system. LOTR:LCG (and most card games) have two types of rules for governing how you build decks: restrictions or requirements for certain types of cards, and limitations on the use of cards with the same name. For instance, player decks consist of two types: Hero cards, and "Player" cards. Each type has its own composition rules. For the hero cards,

• You may have 1 to 3 heroes. (I can't imagine why anyone would use less than 3, but that's the rule).
• You may not have two copies of the same Hero in the same game. (Only 1 Aragorn, only 1 Galadriel, etc.) This particular rule extends to ALL players... so if you play with a friend, only one of you can use Aragorn in a particular game.

For the "Player" cards, which will be shuffled into a random draw deck,

• You must have at minimum 50 "Player" cards.
• You may only have at most three copies of the same card. If there's a particular sword you really want to give to Legolas you must content yourself with 3 copies of it, and hope it'll pop out of that 50 card deck by the time you need it.

The issue with the core set box is that it's very difficult to build one deck that can beat the harder adventures while following those rules. If you try to play with a second person it becomes even harder.

The theme seems to be really great, and I assume at some point in the life of this thing they will likely move into the fellowship storylines as well?

Hard to say; the setting of "17 years between Bilbo's birthday party and Frodo's quest" is written into the rulebook, but who knows what their intentions are or where the limits of their license lie. The first stand-alone adventure pack includes cards for both Bilbo and Gollum so they certainly intend to keep adding Tolkien characters into the mix.

 

[eznark]

Puerto Rico for ipad today. Anyone excited?

 

[StoOgE]

Cool,

I guess I'll go ahead and order a single set and the first expansion. It seems 1 to 2 players is the games sweet spot in any case, and I'll have to deal with the fact that the decks I build will be fairly iffy at first.

So, when playing a 2 player game, is the point to each build a deck to start the game then hit the quest, or should I put together some pre-built decks for use? I asume like Magic, the meta-game is half the point?

I like Dominion a ton but feel it's clones are all pretty iffy at best, and felt the card drafting in 7 Wonders was a bit "meh" after a few plays. So, getting into some pre-built deck construction without the money suck that say M:TG is would be pretty nice. Co-Op and the theme are also big winners since I could help someone play with me instead of being a rule nazi in a competitive game.

 

[AstroLad]

you should do Gric with drafting then

 

[Evlar]

We tend to play, then tweek decks, then play again, then tweek again, and so on, but we're analytic types who love the metagame. The adventures play fairly slow for a deckbuilding game in my experience, maybe an hour to 90 minutes per session.

 

[Neverfade]

Read the rules to Elder Sign. Looking forward to a Arkham game I can truly enjoy.

 

[AstroLad]

Read the rules to Elder Sign. Looking forward to a Arkham game I can truly enjoy.

baby arkham!

 

[Item_Screen]

I just started getting into board games about a month ago and I could use a few recommendations. It's mostly just me and my girlfriend playing, so I need games that still work with only two people. Right now we have Talisman, Forbidden Island, and Munchkin. There are a few more expensive games on my list(Arkham Horror, D&D: Ravenloft), but I'm trying to stay in the $20-$30 range for now.

 

[Deadstar]

The backs of the randomizer cards are different as well. Make sure you pull those out.

This is funny but when we opened the decks we put all the same cards into piles not knowing what we were doing. So we shuffled the randomizer cards in with the regular cards not noticing the backs were different. I've sorted everything out now and it's glorious. Might play another game tonight.

Does anyone recommend any of the Dominion expansions as the first to get? It seems like a lot of the expansions have great reviews. I also don't really understand how it works. So, these expansions are themed, however you can mix the new kingdoms in with the old ones?

 

[StoOgE]

I just started getting into board games about a month ago and I could use a few recommendations. It's mostly just me and my girlfriend playing, so I need games that still work with only two people. Right now we have Talisman, Forbidden Island, and Munchkin. There are a few more expensive games on my list(Arkham Horror, D&D: Ravenloft), but I'm trying to stay in the $20-$30 range for now.

Carcassone works well as a 2p game and expans well for more players.

The deck building game we have been talking about the last few posts (Lord of the RingsBG) is also 2 players and under 30. Though, I haven't played it yet.

 

[AstroLad]

check out gf games in the OP!

so many good games:
lost cities
carcassonne
campaign manager 2008
san juan
innovation
battle line

 

[Evlar]

I just started getting into board games about a month ago and I could use a few recommendations. It's mostly just me and my girlfriend playing, so I need games that still work with only two people. Right now we have Talisman, Forbidden Island, and Munchkin. There are a few more expensive games on my list(Arkham Horror, D&D: Ravenloft), but I'm trying to stay in the $20-$30 range for now.

Dominion. Each player has their own deck of cards; you draw cards then play them in order to acquire better cards and, eventually, victory points. Very fast, easy to learn, strategic, fantastic replayability, can be purchased in your budget, and great for 2 to 4.

It kicks Munchkin in the teeth.

 

[StoOgE]

Does anyone recommend any of the Dominion expansions as the first to get? It seems like a lot of the expansions have great reviews. I also don't really understand how it works. So, these expansions are themed, however you can mix the new kingdoms in with the old ones?

The theme on all of them is fairly light and they mix just fine. But essentially they are just additional kingdom cards. You still only play with 10 kingdom cards per game, so it ups the diversity of the kingdom card pool leading to greater variety in games.

1) I would avoid Cornucopia or Alchemy. They are not "bad" expansions, they are just the weakest. They are also the cheapest though, and come with fewer cards.

2) Of the 3 big expansions, Intrigue is the weakest.. not that it is bad, but it can slow the game down a bit.

3) I prefer seaside, a lot prefer Prosperity. I don't think you can go wrong with either.

 

[AstroLad]

3) I prefer seaside, a lot prefer Prosperity. I don't think you can go wrong with either.

This! Intrigue has its fans too -- I just don't like it quite as much because it feels more basic and less adventurous and themed than Seaside (Duration actions, lots of cool attacks) and Prosperity (money money money).

 

[Neverfade]

Does anyone recommend any of the Dominion expansions as the first to get?

Anything but Alchemy. Seaside is a majority (but not everyone's) favorite here I believe.

 

[StoOgE]

This! Intrigue has its fans too -- I just don't like it quite as much because it feels more basic and less adventurous and themed than Seaside (Duration actions, lots of cool attacks) and Prosperity (money money money).

Yeah, Intrigue feels the most like the base set of the 3 big expansions. Sort of a meaner version of the base set. It's "hook" is cards that give you a choice between actions when you play.

Seaside and Prosperity have the highest concentration of cards that completely change the feel of a game when they enter it.

 

[Deadstar]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I will probably pick up Seaside and Prosperity. Maybe even Intrigue if I need more.

 

[Flynn]

I just backed The Glory to Rome art re-design on Kickstarter. You should too!

 

[Neverfade]

Oh I did.

 

[platypotamus]

This! Intrigue has its fans too -- I just don't like it quite as much because it feels more basic and less adventurous and themed than Seaside (Duration actions, lots of cool attacks) and Prosperity (money money money).

I think I'm the biggest Intrigue fan around this thread. It's definitely not skippable, but yeah, it doesn't feel as game-changey as Seaside. Really does have some awesome cards though!

 

[Agyar]

I think I'm the biggest Intrigue fan around this thread. It's definitely not skippable, but yeah, it doesn't feel as game-changey as Seaside. Really does have some awesome cards though!

I like Intrigue, it feels like the other half of the base set. Not being overly different is a good thing, as base/intrigue provide a good foundation that doesn't get swallowed up by game-changing expansions.

 

[eznark]

I just backed The Glory to Rome art re-design on Kickstarter. You should too!

Is the game good?

 

[joeyjoejoeshabadoo]

I just backed The Glory to Rome art re-design on Kickstarter. You should too!

Way ahead of you.

Eznark, the game pretty damn good. The point of contention with GtR was not the gameplay but the art. To put it nicely it looks like shit. The kickstarter rectifies that problem.

 

[Flynn]

The game is good -- it feels a little like Innovation in a way.

 

[Hero]

The theme on all of them is fairly light and they mix just fine. But essentially they are just additional kingdom cards. You still only play with 10 kingdom cards per game, so it ups the diversity of the kingdom card pool leading to greater variety in games.

1) I would avoid Cornucopia or Alchemy. They are not "bad" expansions, they are just the weakest. They are also the cheapest though, and come with fewer cards.

2) Of the 3 big expansions, Intrigue is the weakest.. not that it is bad, but it can slow the game down a bit.

3) I prefer seaside, a lot prefer Prosperity. I don't think you can go wrong with either.

Intrigue is the best of the big expansions. It offers a wide variety of powerful cards of all types including Minion and Torturer while having dual types like Nobles and Harem.

Big money is just boring because there's very little interaction or disruption. That's just my take though. If your group prefers solitaire play then yeah get Prosperity. Seaside is interesting but I believe it really needs another expansion to have a lot of cards. Otherwise it's just mostly setting up your next turn for some bigger and better things which is again more akin to playing solitaire.

 

[AstroLad]

akin to playing solitaire.

welcometodominion.gif

All joking aside, I'd say Seaside has tons of interaction (for Dominion) -- Ghost Ship, Pirate Ship, Smugglers, etc.

 

[Neverfade]

Is the game good?

Oh yeah! Wanna buy a copy?

 

[Horseticuffs]

Hey guys. While I'm waiting for my finances to recoup after back-to-school shopping I've been doing more research into the best way to get my daughter into tabletop gaming.

I'm realizing that before I can forge her into a partner for games I'm interested in playing, I need first to foster her interest in games she would like to try, like the old standards Monopoly, Life, and Uno. I've, of course, played Monopoly and Uno before but have never tried Life, though I'm certainly open to it.

While searching for games I thought might interest both of us, I stumbled across the Heroscape franchise. This looks really neat, and the way that you actually get to make the terrain makes it sound like it would turn set-up time into part of the fun. It also sounds ideal since the recommended age is 8, and from what I read the basic gameplay would be a great launching pad for her to embrace more advanced concepts down the line.


To my dismay, when I was checking out Amazon I saw that the base Heroscape set is currently at a bit over $150. I was pretty shocked, to say the least. It looks like a really great game, and I can remember seeing it at my local Walmart years ago for exponentially less. I guess I should have jumped on it then!

So, I was checking out WoTC's website since apparently they are owned by Hasbro now, and I see they have a D&D "master set" based in the Forgotten Realm's Underdark setting for roughly $30, and it seems readily available. Is this what I suspect, which is basically a rebranded Heroscape with a reasonable price? Does it have everything I would need to play in the box?

I know it is called a "Master set", and that leads me to believe that indeed everything we would need would be included, but I know very, very little about tabletop gaming in general, and Heroscape in particular, so I just want to be 100% sure.

I see the regular Heroscape expansion sets are still reasonably priced, are they compatible with the D&D set? Once one understands the base gameplay, can you just go friggin' nuts with the tiles and make your own worlds?

Would anyone who has tried it, perhaps with children, agree with an "8" age level? I really want to get into board/card/tabletop gaming but the only person I have to play with in my area is my daughter and I don't want to overwhelm her out of the gate.

Lastly, I'd love to hear opinions on Heroscape, especially this particular iteration. Is it a decent novice game? What's up with the regular base set being so ridiculously expensive? Is it due to WoTC's mismanagement of the franchise? I seem to find a lot of posts online blaming them specifically for selling Heroscape out.

Thanks for any input. I'd love to get into this hobby, but between work and kids and living in the sticks it could potentially be really impractical so I'm just trying to make sure I do things absolutely the best possible way right out of the gate.

 

[mrkgoo]

Hey guys. While I'm waiting for my finances to recoup after back-to-school shopping I've been doing more research into the best way to get my daughter into tabletop gaming.

I'm realizing that before I can forge her into a partner for games I'm interested in playing, I need first to foster her interest in games she would like to try, like the old standards Monopoly, Life, and Uno. I've, of course, played Monopoly and Uno before but have never tried Life, though I'm certainly open to it.

While searching for games I thought might interest both of us, I stumbled across the Heroscape franchise. This looks really neat, and the way that you actually get to make the terrain makes it sound like it would turn set-up time into part of the fun. It also sounds ideal since the recommended age is 8, and from what I read the basic gameplay would be a great launching pad for her to embrace more advanced concepts down the line.


To my dismay, when I was checking out Amazon I saw that the base Heroscape set is currently at a bit over $150. I was pretty shocked, to say the least. It looks like a really great game, and I can remember seeing it at my local Walmart years ago for exponentially less. I guess I should have jumped on it then!

So, I was checking out WoTC's website since apparently they are owned by Hasbro now, and I see they have a D&D "master set" based in the Forgotten Realm's Underdark setting for roughly $30, and it seems readily available. Is this what I suspect, which is basically a rebranded Heroscape with a reasonable price? Does it have everything I would need to play in the box?

I know it is called a "Master set", and that leads me to believe that indeed everything we would need would be included, but I know very, very little about tabletop gaming in general, and Heroscape in particular, so I just want to be 100% sure.

I see the regular Heroscape expansion sets are still reasonably priced, are they compatible with the D&D set? Once one understands the base gameplay, can you just go friggin' nuts with the tiles and make your own worlds?

Would anyone who has tried it, perhaps with children, agree with an "8" age level? I really want to get into board/card/tabletop gaming but the only person I have to play with in my area is my daughter and I don't want to overwhelm her out of the gate.

Lastly, I'd love to hear opinions on Heroscape, especially this particular iteration. Is it a decent novice game? What's up with the regular base set being so ridiculously expensive? Is it due to WoTC's mismanagement of the franchise? I seem to find a lot of posts online blaming them specifically for selling Heroscape out.

Thanks for any input. I'd love to get into this hobby, but between work and kids and living in the sticks it could potentially be really impractical so I'm just trying to make sure I do things absolutely the best possible way right out of the gate.

I don't know anything about Heroscape, but I just wanted to say that neither my wife nor my sister are heavily into games, but recently I was introduced to Dominion with my wife and she is hooked, as is my sister now.

I wouldn't have thought it would be the gateway game, but it's something special. I think it's because it's fun and you feel like you're doing something even when you lose. And it's fast.

Oh, and as much as I LOVE Monopoly, it's NOT the game to get people into games. Relationships are destroyed, and people can simply have a bad time playing if the game ever finishes.


Oh yeah, which Dominion expansion is the one that allows 5-6 players? And does it just add more victory cards and money cards? Are money cards supposed to be limited resource?

 

[Woorloog]

A board game thread!
Good place to ask... Has anyone played Attack Vector: Tactical? What do you think about it? And is there anyway to get it without having to pay $45 shipping costs? $60 for the game and almost the same price for sending it?
I live in Finland but it seems that Amazon.com for example doesn't have so high shipping fees (and no 2. edition of AVT, yet, won't buy the original since a newer version exists)

 

[Stairs]

Oh yeah, which Dominion expansion is the one that allows 5-6 players? And does it just add more victory cards and money cards? Are money cards supposed to be limited resource?

The base game plus Intrigue will allow you to play with up to six players.

 

[Horseticuffs]

I don't know anything about Heroscape, but I just wanted to say that neither my wife nor my sister are heavily into games, but recently I was introduced to Dominion with my wife and she is hooked, as is my sister now.

I wouldn't have thought it would be the gateway game, but it's something special. I think it's because it's fun and you feel like you're doing something even when you lose. And it's fast.

Oh, and as much as I LOVE Monopoly, it's NOT the game to get people into games. Relationships are destroyed, and people can simply have a bad time playing if the game ever finishes.


Oh yeah, which Dominion expansion is the one that allows 5-6 players? And does it just add more victory cards and money cards? Are money cards supposed to be limited resource?

I like the recommendation. Dominion is a game I'm interested in picking up at some point. I've already got my daughter playing card games like Kard Combat on my iPod (She didn't care for Ascension, but maybe that is something experience with the format might change) so that she will learn the basic mechanics and logic behind Card games.

Dominion seems like a really great, but pretty seriously-themed, game. I'm afraid if I busted that out she might get bored, and that's worse than death to her.

I see the guys who ported Ascension to iPhone and iPad are working on a port of Food Fight. From what I gather that is a pretty silly-looking card game, and might be something I pursue with her in the future, but I want to pick up the iOS version before investing in a physical game she might never be willing to play.

 

[BattleMonkey]

Hey guys. While I'm waiting for my finances to recoup after back-to-school shopping I've been doing more research into the best way to get my daughter into tabletop gaming.

I'm realizing that before I can forge her into a partner for games I'm interested in playing, I need first to foster her interest in games she would like to try, like the old standards Monopoly, Life, and Uno. I've, of course, played Monopoly and Uno before but have never tried Life, though I'm certainly open to it.

While searching for games I thought might interest both of us, I stumbled across the Heroscape franchise. This looks really neat, and the way that you actually get to make the terrain makes it sound like it would turn set-up time into part of the fun. It also sounds ideal since the recommended age is 8, and from what I read the basic gameplay would be a great launching pad for her to embrace more advanced concepts down the line.


To my dismay, when I was checking out Amazon I saw that the base Heroscape set is currently at a bit over $150. I was pretty shocked, to say the least. It looks like a really great game, and I can remember seeing it at my local Walmart years ago for exponentially less. I guess I should have jumped on it then!

So, I was checking out WoTC's website since apparently they are owned by Hasbro now, and I see they have a D&D "master set" based in the Forgotten Realm's Underdark setting for roughly $30, and it seems readily available. Is this what I suspect, which is basically a rebranded Heroscape with a reasonable price? Does it have everything I would need to play in the box?

I know it is called a "Master set", and that leads me to believe that indeed everything we would need would be included, but I know very, very little about tabletop gaming in general, and Heroscape in particular, so I just want to be 100% sure.

I see the regular Heroscape expansion sets are still reasonably priced, are they compatible with the D&D set? Once one understands the base gameplay, can you just go friggin' nuts with the tiles and make your own worlds?

Would anyone who has tried it, perhaps with children, agree with an "8" age level? I really want to get into board/card/tabletop gaming but the only person I have to play with in my area is my daughter and I don't want to overwhelm her out of the gate.

Lastly, I'd love to hear opinions on Heroscape, especially this particular iteration. Is it a decent novice game? What's up with the regular base set being so ridiculously expensive? Is it due to WoTC's mismanagement of the franchise? I seem to find a lot of posts online blaming them specifically for selling Heroscape out.

Thanks for any input. I'd love to get into this hobby, but between work and kids and living in the sticks it could potentially be really impractical so I'm just trying to make sure I do things absolutely the best possible way right out of the gate.

Heroscape no matter the set uses the same exact rules, they just slap on a brand name to sell more stuff. You can mix and match all the pieces from all the sets, like have Marvel super hero set dudes fighting D&D guys. And yes the tile system is basically to do as you please with.

The base set is more expensive as it's more content really, it's a bigger set with lot more tiles and figures and works better as a an intro that 2 players can play full games with.

WOTC is a shitty company in general, they put out so many games but they often give them shit support as all they care about is Magic the Gathering and D&D products. They will release a new set of a game and wont update the site about it for months later, they wont give any rules answers or help, etc, etc.

Heroscape is also very popular but like most of their games, they seem to randomly stop caring about it and will go silent for months and suddenly announce something.

 

[joeyjoejoeshabadoo]

Hey guys. While I'm waiting for my finances to recoup after back-to-school shopping I've been doing more research into the best way to get my daughter into tabletop gaming.

I'm realizing that before I can forge her into a partner for games I'm interested in playing, I need first to foster her interest in games she would like to try, like the old standards Monopoly, Life, and Uno. I've, of course, played Monopoly and Uno before but have never tried Life, though I'm certainly open to it.

While searching for games I thought might interest both of us, I stumbled across the Heroscape franchise. This looks really neat, and the way that you actually get to make the terrain makes it sound like it would turn set-up time into part of the fun. It also sounds ideal since the recommended age is 8, and from what I read the basic gameplay would be a great launching pad for her to embrace more advanced concepts down the line.


To my dismay, when I was checking out Amazon I saw that the base Heroscape set is currently at a bit over $150. I was pretty shocked, to say the least. It looks like a really great game, and I can remember seeing it at my local Walmart years ago for exponentially less. I guess I should have jumped on it then!

So, I was checking out WoTC's website since apparently they are owned by Hasbro now, and I see they have a D&D "master set" based in the Forgotten Realm's Underdark setting for roughly $30, and it seems readily available. Is this what I suspect, which is basically a rebranded Heroscape with a reasonable price? Does it have everything I would need to play in the box?

I know it is called a "Master set", and that leads me to believe that indeed everything we would need would be included, but I know very, very little about tabletop gaming in general, and Heroscape in particular, so I just want to be 100% sure.

I see the regular Heroscape expansion sets are still reasonably priced, are they compatible with the D&D set? Once one understands the base gameplay, can you just go friggin' nuts with the tiles and make your own worlds?

Would anyone who has tried it, perhaps with children, agree with an "8" age level? I really want to get into board/card/tabletop gaming but the only person I have to play with in my area is my daughter and I don't want to overwhelm her out of the gate.

Lastly, I'd love to hear opinions on Heroscape, especially this particular iteration. Is it a decent novice game? What's up with the regular base set being so ridiculously expensive? Is it due to WoTC's mismanagement of the franchise? I seem to find a lot of posts online blaming them specifically for selling Heroscape out.

Thanks for any input. I'd love to get into this hobby, but between work and kids and living in the sticks it could potentially be really impractical so I'm just trying to make sure I do things absolutely the best possible way right out of the gate.

You also might want to try Ticket to Ride. If you have an iPad there is an iOS version that is really good. It's a good cheap way to test out the game before you buy a physical copy. It's very easy to play and learn and it's a lot of fun. It's pretty much the best Gateway game out there. If you want to introduce your daughter to the classics I would stay away from Life. I can tolerate Uno and Monopoly but Life just sucks.

If you are interested in Heroscape, The Dicetower did a five video overview on it and is a good look at how it works.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEiMKaXanI0

 

[eznark]

Way ahead of you.

Eznark, the game pretty damn good. The point of contention with GtR was not the gameplay but the art. To put it nicely it looks like shit. The kickstarter rectifies that problem.

Cool, I'm hoping that my wife and I get a chance to play Innovation tonight. If we like that, I might do the $35 kickstarter thing to get a copy of Glory To Rome. What a gorgeous game that (now) is.

 

[InaudibleWhispa]

Hey guys. While I'm waiting for my finances to recoup after back-to-school shopping I've been doing more research into the best way to get my daughter into tabletop gaming.

I got my little brother to enjoy board games the same way I got myself and all of my friends into them -- Carcasonne. Play without farmers at first; it's simple, fast and child-friendly. Hey! That's My Fish is a good place to start too.

 

[StoOgE]

Cool, I'm hoping that my wife and I get a chance to play Innovation tonight. If we like that, I might do the $35 kickstarter thing to get a copy of Glory To Rome. What a gorgeous game that (now) is.

Mechanically GtR and Innovation are very different, but there is a similarity to the feel between the two products. If you like one I have a hard time imagining you wouldn't like the other. GtR seems to be the better liked of the two, but the time I played it I just couldn't get past the awful artwork.

I've thrown 35 bucks into the kickstarter.

 

[Karak]

While searching for games I thought might interest both of us, I stumbled across the Heroscape franchise. This looks really neat, and the way that you actually get to make the terrain makes it sound like it would turn set-up time into part of the fun. It also sounds ideal since the recommended age is 8, and from what I read the basic gameplay would be a great launching pad for her to embrace more advanced concepts down the line.


To my dismay, when I was checking out Amazon I saw that the base Heroscape set is currently at a bit over $150. I was pretty shocked, to say the least. It looks like a really great game, and I can remember seeing it at my local Walmart years ago for exponentially less. I guess I should have jumped on it then!

Heroscape has been the gateway game for our group actually. We ended up getting 17 total spouses into our boardgame weekends due to it. Most likely because you can indeed go nuts and with so many characters and such a person can field a group that they really enjoy. My wife likes Robots and Cowboys ha. So you can just go nuts, also with the amount of sets you can make the gameboard unlimited in what you want to do. Also there are a ton of software programs for making cards for your other game "mini's" so we have made a couple bosses and have some co-op games where is 4-5 players against 1 bad guy who has some armies and some boss characters.

There are campagin makers, plotters, software for making specific new maps and so forth. One I really enjoyed was a couple people have put together maps and army ideas to recreate some fantasy battles from Dragonlance. That was awesome.
Aside from Heroquest(older game) I don't think any game has been a gateway like this one.

 

[StoOgE]

I think some good entry games for kids will largely depend on age and interest.

Ticket to Ride, Dominion, Hey that's my fish, Tikal could all be real winners.

I would stay away from "classics" like Monopoly simply because I think the time commitment to a 3 hour game will put most kids off.

Heroscape looks likes something I would have killed for as a kid. It's like playing with toys the way kids do anyway, but wil actual rules.