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[joeyjoejoeshabadoo]

The only thing I dug about Nightfall (the physical version mind you) is the personal stash. That mechanic is a neat way to introduce variable player powers in a deck builder. Other than that I wasn't too impressed. The wasn't anything gameplay wise that grabbed me. Also the theme is fucking lame ass. Maybe it's just because we live in a post Twilight world but the appeal of werewolves Vs. Vampires is lost on me.

 

[Flynn]

The only thing I dug about Nightfall (the physical version mind you) is the personal stash. That mechanic is a neat way to introduce variable player powers in a deck builder. Other than that I wasn't too impressed. The wasn't anything gameplay wise that grabbed me. Also the theme is fucking lame ass. Maybe it's just because we live in a post Twilight world but the appeal of werewolves Vs. Vampires is lost on me.

My first impressions weren't all that great as well. I got a demo at BGG and was totally MEH on it. I think it is a little more palatable on iOS.

 

[AstroLad]

It does not play well on the first five or so plays. Has a Quarriors vibe. But after that it's actually quite fun imo. Works best in 2P because I hate targeted attacks in abstract games, but 3+ is fun in its own goofy way. Even more importantly, it looks really pretty on the new iPad. Kinda hard to go back to Ascension.

 

[Flynn]

Kinda hard to go back to Ascension.

I don't know about that.

 

[AstroLad]

I don't know about that.

Resolution-wise. I don't mean it literally, but the cards in Nightfall are so nice and clear and Ascension is relatively fuzzy.

 

[Flynn]

Resolution-wise. I don't mean it literally, but the cards in Nightfall are so nice and clear and Ascension is relatively fuzzy.

hehe I get what you're saying. I'm still playing on an original iPad, so when it isn't randomly crashing everything looks great!

 

[AstroLad]

hehe I get what you're saying. I'm still playing on an original iPad, so when it isn't randomly crashing everything looks great!

There is definitely still some jank to work through. I have to log in twice to get the online to work. And I can't send invites b/c my friends list is >100. Really a nice fresh game to play though.

I do fear intense brainscrambling taking turns in Carc, Ascension, Nightfall, Tigris & Euphrates, Ticket to Ride, Caylus, and Samurai every day. And that's not counting 5+ different games on Yucata.

 

[ParityBit]

Just got back from PAX day one. Love that convention. I picked up the expansion of zombie dice, Blood Bowl and Kittens in a Blender! Haha.

What should I buy tomorrow is the question. I was thinking Roborally maybe!

 

[Cardigan]

Just got back from PAX day one. Love that convention. I picked up the expansion of zombie dice, Blood Bowl and Kittens in a Blender! Haha.

What should I buy tomorrow is the question. I was thinking Roborally maybe!

I just played Roborally for the first time a couple of days ago and it's a lot of fun. Foam Brain Games, my local game store, is at PAX and they have an exclusive The Resistance promo deck which is free with any Indie Boards and Games purchase.

 

[ParityBit]

I just played Roborally for the first time a couple of days ago and it's a lot of fun. Foam Brain Games, my local game store, is at PAX and they have an exclusive The Resistance promo deck which is free with any Indie Boards and Games purchase.

Oh man, Roborally is a game I wanted too! Since they brought it back into print, maybe I'll get that one. I will look for that game store this time. Nothing better than free swag! Tonight I plan on staying late and playing games and rpg session of pathfinder.

 

[platypotamus]

Haven't played any of my new games yet (parents in town, new games probably too heavy for them), but they dig Kingdom Builder a lot. I finally won a game of it yesterday (my record is now probably 1-10, LOL)

 

[besada]

If anyone's up for it, we're looking for more Saboteur players on Board Game Arena right now.

 

[AstroLad]

If anyone's up for it, we're looking for more Saboteur players on Board Game Arena right now.

I need to try out this place. Between mobile board games, yucata, and actual real board games it's tough sometimes!

 

[besada]

I need to try out this place. Between mobile board games, yucata, and actual real board games it's tough sometimes!

It's good for live, quick games. Coloretto, Saboteur, Hawaii, Race for the Galaxy, Dominion, Stone Age, and others.

 

[MichaelBD]

At PAX today I got to play the prototype for the next Innovation expansion (called Figures in the Sand). We played it without the Echoes of the Past expansion, though Figures does incorporate some of the elements from it (foreshadowing, echoes, etc.).

There are figures for each age and whenever you would get a reward (from someone else sharing a dogma or I Demand action) you take a figure card instead of a regular innovation card (same rules as in if you would draw a 4, you draw a 4 figure). Also, whenever you get an achievement your opponents draw figure cards.

There was also a "mood" effect that could be triggered with certain figures, but we never saw it happen.

I have played Echoes a couple of times and didn't like the complexity it added, but I tried it after only maybe half a dozen plays of the base game. Now that I'm close to a couple of dozen plays maybe it would sink in better.

Anyway, figures were interesting, though they didn't seem to play a huge part of our game (2 players with the owner of Asmadi running our demo). Looking at the decks they have some really fun and interesting figures (like Shigero Miyamoto, Chuck Norris, Gene Roddenberry, and Steven Spielberg). We were told the emphasis was not on fame, but on innovations the figures brought to the world (duh).

From what I saw I'm more interested in Figures than Echoes (which you don't need in order to play Figures, but you will need to know the Echoes rules). Since it's not expected out for a while, I think if I get more plays in on Innovation I'll be comfortable enough to add some variety in.

I also ended up buying Puzzle Strike (with the new upgrade pack) on a whim. Played a learning game and enjoyed it.

 

[TwiztidElf]

I think having real life Nightfall experience helps, but wow, the iOS version is fantastic. For me it's up there with the top tier stuff, but I acknowledge that it is not as accessable as Carc and TtR.

 

[lettermassing]

Bought my first proper boardgame from this amazing shop in Glasgow called The Dragon & George, decided to go with Arkham Horror. I played some games on my own to learn it and then played it with my girlfriend, it's a really cool game.

 

[cozo]

is that the one down next to static that only opens odd hours? seems to be a little cluster of three or four games shops down by king street

 

[lettermassing]

It's on the same street. The owner is great, I learned so much about boardgames.

Is Static any good? The only reason I decided to go to Dragon & George was because of that Rock, Paper, Shotgun article that Robert Florence wrote about it.

 

[AstroLad]

I think having real life Nightfall experience helps, but wow, the iOS version is fantastic. For me it's up there with the top tier stuff, but I acknowledge that it is not as accessable as Carc and TtR.

They did a good job getting a lot of different information on the board. And I commend them for squeezing it all onto the iPod/iPhone though I'll definitely be sticking with the iPad version tyvm. My only real complaints are the tutorial (which is pretty bad imo for new players), and the same little missing features from Ascension (no persistent rating, no chat).

 

[Neverfade]

Played the latest version of "BSG Express" last night, and its still a lot of fun. Its shaping up nicely. I feel a big hit incoming. It certainly helps that Joel Eddy did a glowing review of it on BGG. I just wish it could keep the BSG theme.

 

[StoOgE]

Played brass last night. I think we messed up one minor rule. Still love that game.

I've also decided to buy 1830 and 18al. A shorter and a longer 18xx game. There is one I really want called 1827, but even 18xx players said its complicated.

 

[RyanDG]

My wife and I finally won a 6 epidemic game of pandemic. We've been bashing our heads against this wall for a while so it is great to get that monkey off our back. We've won a 6 epidemic game before, but just not with only two players. For laughs, my wife flipped over the next card in the deck and had it been drawn we would've ended up losing the game. We just barely snuck in there...

She's still kicking my ass in Agricola though... I think all of the Harvest Moon games she plays gives her an unfair advantage. We ended up purchasing the 'Gamer's Deck' a while back, and though there were a few good cards in there, I was a little disappointed with the overall performance. Some of the cards drastically alter some of the relationships with the default deck's rules in some unusual (but deliberate) ways from what I can tell. There's also a handful of cards that are essentially "I Win" cards in a 2 player game which is a bit of a shame it can become so lopsided.

 

[Screaming_Gremlin]

I'm digging it so far. The tutorial is very inadequate at explaining the game but the game itself is very well done and the core game is a pretty fun twist on deckbuilding. Like Quarriors but better.

You are certainly correct about the tutorial. I downloaded the game to my iPad the night before I went to PAX, as something to play besides Ascension. Even after going through the tutorial, I still had no idea what I was actually doing. I'm going to download the rules and just read through them. I have to imagine they make more sense.

As far as games at PAX, I only was able to play Cards Against Humanity and Blood Bowl. CAH I think would make an absolutely fantastic party games, as long as your friends aren't people who get offended about everything. We were getting some strange looks from the tables surrounding us, between the laughter and just some of the stuff they overheard.

Blood Bowl was also a lot of fun. I played it with 4 people, which for a first time did make the game seem a bit overly long. I am sure that would come down with more experience. I really enjoyed the game, as did my friend who picked up a copy to add to our collection for our board game group.

 

[Neverfade]

Anyone at PAX see anything about Paint the Line TCG? There was a tweet from Kiko with a pic of some cosplayers playing it, but I haven't seen a lick of information about it since last summer.

 

[Quake1028]

Anyone want to help a total Carcassonne newbie learn the ropes on iPad? PM me.

 

[Jokey665]

I just got Smallworld the other day and my friends and I are having a blast with it. Which expansions are good/worth it?

 

[AstroLad]

Anyone want to help a total Carcassonne newbie learn the ropes on iPad? PM me.

sure: nick is astrolad

also fwiw there are a bunch of us that play iOS board games over in this thread: http://neogaf.net/forum/showthread.php?t=468889

 

[besada]

I just got Smallworld the other day and my friends and I are having a blast with it. Which expansions are good/worth it?

All of the race expansions are worth having. Especially since you can get them for around $7 online. And the upcoming map expansion looks to be killer.

 

[joeyjoejoeshabadoo]

I just got Smallworld the other day and my friends and I are having a blast with it. Which expansions are good/worth it?

The Legends deck is completely unnecessary and you shouldn't bother with it. The race expansions are the ones to get.

 

[Neverfade]

Just got done playing Lords of Waterdeep.

I don't get it.

 

[cozo]

It's on the same street. The owner is great, I learned so much about boardgames.

Is Static any good? The only reason I decided to go to Dragon & George was because of that Rock, Paper, Shotgun article that Robert Florence wrote about it.

static's pretty good. has a great selection, you'll pay RRP but support your local game shop and all that. will have to try D&G

 

[mrkgoo]

Can I have some opinions about the next Dominion set I should buy?

I have Dominion, Intrigue, and Prosperity. Love them. I love how they are new card types, keeping the balance int eh game, but also mixing it up without going crazy - just twists ont he existing formula, like how intrigue has the hybrid cards, with new victory cards, and prosperity has a bunch of interesting treasures and the platinum/colony.

I also have Stash, Walled Village, Black Market and Envoy.

I've hear Alchemy is interesting, but can be weird mixed in with a lot of other sets (like why would you buy a potion, if only one Alchemy card in the in the kingdom pile?)... so probably want to avoid this one.

Cornucopia sounds a bit kind of off the wall.

I like the idea of Seaside or Hinterlands. Seaside with duration cards, and Hinterlands with reaction hybrids and new 'gain' effects sounds interesting.

Which sets do you guys like, and why? Which sets do you think are interesting, without breaking the balance? Which sets do you hate and why? Which ones change the game, either too much or too little?

Sweet thanks!

 

[InaudibleWhispa]

I have the expansions you have + Seaside and Alchemy. Between those I'd definitely recommend Seaside. Alchemy is the weakest, for me. I don't know how Hinterlands compares to Seaside, but I don't think you can go far wrong with Seaside. It's a great addition.

 

[shrimpjive]

Can I have some opinions about the next Dominion set I should buy?

I have Dominion, Intrigue, and Prosperity. Love them. I love how they are new card types, keeping the balance int eh game, but also mixing it up without going crazy - just twists ont he existing formula, like how intrigue has the hybrid cards, with new victory cards, and prosperity has a bunch of interesting treasures and the platinum/colony.

I also have Stash, Walled Village, Black Market and Envoy.

I've hear Alchemy is interesting, but can be weird mixed in with a lot of other sets (like why would you buy a potion, if only one Alchemy card in the in the kingdom pile?)... so probably want to avoid this one.

Cornucopia sounds a bit kind of off the wall.

I like the idea of Seaside or Hinterlands. Seaside with duration cards, and Hinterlands with reaction hybrids and new 'gain' effects sounds interesting.

Which sets do you guys like, and why? Which sets do you think are interesting, without breaking the balance? Which sets do you hate and why? Which ones change the game, either too much or too little?

Sweet thanks!

Without a doubt, get Seaside. The general consensus is that Prosperity and Seaside are the two best expansions. And of those two, it seems like a 50/50 split on which is better than the other. I give the edge to Seaside slightly.

The duration cards are really a fantastic addition. They allow for whole new layers of depth without being overly complicated.

Attack cards, in Seaside, are amongst the best in the series, too. In fact, Pirate Ship may be too good.

 

[ParityBit]

So I spent a bunch of time at the board game section of PAX East. Although I have access to many game shops and play lots of games, I walked away with a good amount of stuffs!

• Lots of Dragon Dice
• Kittens in a Blender
• Robo Rally
• Summoner Wars
• Guild Dwarves/Cave Goblins Starter Set
• Blood Bowl

I also really enjoyed the Kick Starter room where I got to meet lots of designers/play games. There was a great documentary on board games. I actually knew quite a few of the people interviewed (I was a Unity games attendee a few times)

Now I just need to find time to play them all!

 

[BattleMonkey]

Just got done playing Lords of Waterdeep.

I don't get it.

All the D&D board games people have raved about, I don't understand why though.

 

[bloodydrake]

Just got done playing Lords of Waterdeep.



I don't get it.

I've been reading/watching some mixed reviews..

Do you find its just not a great worker placement game? It really seems to be very similar to an easy version of Caylus from what I can see.

Or are you surprised how well its being received for being what it is?

 

[BattleMonkey]

I've been reading/watching some mixed reviews..

Do you find its just not a great worker placement game? It really seems to be very similar to an easy version of Caylus from what I can see.

Or are you surprised how well its being received for being what it is?

From what I've seen, it seems like the other D&D games in which they are mediocre games that only get attention because of the D&D theme slapped onto them. Without D&D, LoW would likely have gotten very little attention when theres so many popular versions of the similar theme.

 

[InaudibleWhispa]

Having bought and played Lords of Waterdeep for the first time yesterday, I found it to be both a success and a disappointment. It's my first physical worker placement game, though I enjoy Caylus iOS, and I've been reading up on Agricola and a couple of others for a while. I feel like I have fully grasped Agricola, but I bought LoW as a gateway game not only for me, but for my friends.

Everyone I play boardgames with is at my level (noobs, basically) so if I want to play something like Agricola, I have to make sure they're ready too (and they're not the type to watch 30 minute instruction videos and go through PDF files of the rules). In that regard, LoW was a success. They all found it simple and they enjoyed it a great deal. It really helps that the components, card stock aside, are really nice. It probably has the best presentation out of all of the games I own and there are a lot of really nice touches that they really didn't have to do, but they pushed the boat out and it's stronger as a result. None of us have had anything to do with D&D before, so we didn't just like it for that reason.

Personally, I found it a bit boring. Perhaps it was because I was far in the lead throughout, but from my limited research of worker placement games and my time with Caylus iOS, I find appeal in the struggle and the tough, increasingly limited decisions you have to make. With LoW I never felt that struggle. The worst situation I found myself in was "Oh no, there's only one spot to get a white cube and someone is already there. Now I have to wait one round" but that didn't put me in a pickle because there was always other colours to pick up that I knew would be useful in the near future based on the visible quest I know I can just pick up.

So basically, I bought it as a gateway game, but I found it to be too simple. They all managed to pick it up faster than even Catan and 7 Wonders (heck my best friend looked more confused when I first told him the rules for Ticket To Ride). Perhaps I just had a fortunately (or unfortunately) easy first game and I'll find more depth in future. Or maybe I should have went with Stone Age. Either way, it wasn't terrible and I don't regret it. I'm always happy to have more games that I can easily get all of my friends to play.

 

[AstroLad]

I picked up LoW just because I love worker placement so much. Some of the mechanics seem like a fun tweak on traditional gateway worker placement. Not expecting Agricola, or even Stone Age, just something like with a fun theme (not a D&D player myself, but it does still add spice vs. say Farmers of Watertown -- if this weren't true would FFG even still be in business anymore?).

 

[Neverfade]

I've been reading/watching some mixed reviews..

Do you find its just not a great worker placement game? It really seems to be very similar to an easy version of Caylus from what I can see.

Or are you surprised how well its being received for being what it is?

It's the most stale game I've played since quarriors. On one hand, there's nothing "wrong" with it, but there is no reason to play this if you even remotely like Stone Age or Caylus. And it's quite laughable next to something particularly great like Troyes.

Edit: Inaudible also has it nailed.

It's Stone Age without the hook of rolling dice.

To the trade list!

 

[BattleMonkey]

Lost big game of Rex yesterday to lucky traitor card. Damn you space vampires!

 

[UpperCaseN]

My group LOVES Lords of Waterdeep, me included. We haven't played too many worker placement games, it's like Caylus and Agricola? None of us have ever played or own those

Maybe I should try them on my ipad?

 

[InaudibleWhispa]

My group LOVES Lords of Waterdeep, me included. We haven't played too many worker placement games, it's like Caylus and Agricola? None of us have ever played or own those

Maybe I should try them on my ipad?

The Agricola app isn't out yet, but the Caylus app has really nice presentation. I was new to the genre too and I had it figured out by the end of my first game; it wasn't as overwhelming as I feared. I'm sure I'm playing terribly and missing out on some obvious and common strategies, but I can beat the AI at least. I can't comment on its multiplayer capabilities as I want to get a bit better before trying that out.

 

[piratepwnsninja]

Just got Dungeon Lords, Dungeon Petz, and Arkham Horror and some expansions this past week. Going to be cracking them open soon. Also, haven't gone back through this thread in a bit, but I really enjoy the newest edition of Wiz-War so far. Oh, Thunderstone Advance too.

 

[timetokill]

I'm going to be playing Lords of Waterdeep probably tomorrow night. I've already read the rulebook, very straightforward, and punched out all the pieces.

Let me say this though: The diagram for putting the pieces in the box correctly, as well as the fact that the insert is fucking PERFECT. Thank you! I wish more games had this thoughtfulness put into the packaging and storage of the game. It's got little indents that make taking out any pieces or cards as easy as pushing down on one side of them so the other side lifts up automatically, and the settings for each of the pieces types are well measured and placed.

So even before playing the game, I really appreciate its presentation in the rulebook and the packaging setup.

 

[BattleMonkey]

I'm going to be playing Lords of Waterdeep probably tomorrow night. I've already read the rulebook, very straightforward, and punched out all the pieces.

Let me say this though: The diagram for putting the pieces in the box correctly, as well as the fact that the insert is fucking PERFECT. Thank you! I wish more games had this thoughtfulness put into the packaging and storage of the game. It's got little indents that make taking out any pieces or cards as easy as pushing down on one side of them so the other side lifts up automatically, and the settings for each of the pieces types are well measured and placed.

So even before playing the game, I really appreciate its presentation in the rulebook and the packaging setup.

They did same with Conquest of Nerath board game. Everything goes into the box in a great fashion.

 

[besada]

My group LOVES Lords of Waterdeep, me included. We haven't played too many worker placement games, it's like Caylus and Agricola? None of us have ever played or own those

Maybe I should try them on my ipad?

You can try Stone Age for free on either yucata.de or Board Game Arena.

 

[MichaelBD]

I demo'd LoW at PAX and would have bought it on the spot except the vendors were selling it for retail (and sometimes even more). Amazon is selling it for $32.

With that said, I'm a total impulse buyer and whereas I still want it, my preorder of Mage Knight (with the Stone Age expansion, a M44 map, and some Warhammer Invasion cards) has me holding off for now. I'm confident I'll get it at some point. I think it will fit fine in my collection next to Stone Age. I actually think the theme works regardless of just pushing cubes around.