Interested to hear what you think is broken. This is probably getting played tonight.
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The New Board Game Thread (Newcomer Friendly)
- Thread starter AstroLad
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Interested to hear what you think is broken. This is probably getting played tonight.
I have played one game, it was great fun for my friends and I, but they are not into the real heavy stuff so it works great as a quick fun play. Is not the best balance in the world, but I think is part of the deal. Plus its obvious there are way more decks coming so that will be welcomed, we just put the decks face down and did a random draw that way.
joeyjoejoeshabadoo
Member
The main problem I've found is if you have one gladiator that is faster than the other, the faster gladiator can just run around the arena with no need to fight.
The problem can also happen with gladiators of the same speed. No one wants to get first strike so people just circle each other.
BattleMonkey
Member
Theres 28 deck combinations which can take a bit to get through. It's a decent game but the fun comes from the randomness of the deck mixing, so its begging for more factions to be released. It's super simple and looks great, but really screams for more expansions which are already planned.
I got there late two weeks ago so I only watched it being played, but it looked like it could be kinda fun without taking forever (maybe 30-60 minutes for 4-5 players?).
Gaming Truth
Member
I've encountered both scenarios and I thought it was fine. In every gladiator movie, you see gladiators circling at the start of a fight, so you guys were doing it right. The key thing is: When you win the initiative roll, you get to choose who goes first. Yeah, at equal speed, there's some maneuvering at first, but the shape/size of the arena prevents this from happening for long.
The running away stuff works great too! A guy with 5 speed could, if he won the initiative roll and started next to his opponent: strike and run out of reach of the opponent. That's in fact how some fights happened in the show. All three dice are equally important and this example shows exactly how the speed one is.
Edit: If a player is intentionally avoiding fighting by staying min distance away each turn, that's a player you shouldn't be playing board games with. There's strategy and there's being a dick. As I mentioned above, if a player has this kind of speed advantage, he can attack essentially two turns for every one for the opponent.
Seems like an easy fix. No attacks after X rounds shames the Dominus and they lose an influence.
Yeah?
Alternatively: let players sacrifice a die for that round to boost another stat? Over exert to catch at the expense of a weaker attack. Seems like a much more complicated solution, but I like the thematic applications that could come from it.
Yeah?
Alternatively: let players sacrifice a die for that round to boost another stat? Over exert to catch at the expense of a weaker attack. Seems like a much more complicated solution, but I like the thematic applications that could come from it.
timetokill
Banned
Basically, people with the same speed tend to just stay "just" out of range to start with, meaning the opening initiative rolls are meaningless and it really just comes down to one guy saying, "hell with it" and moving next to the other guy just before the next initiative roll. The problem is there is no incentive to do this. Everyone wants to get first strike, so if you win the initiative roll you feel like you should be rewarded, but you're not -- the other guy isn't going to just allow it to happen. If you have a trident but you're slower then it's even worse. The other guy can just run away pretty much perpetually.
We created a rule where if you stand on a blood spot (the center space or adjacent) for 3 turns without being attacked, you win the match automatically and the opponent loses 1 Influence for his poor showing. His guy is still up for execution as well.
It's also too easy to "throw" fights, which kind of goes against the spirit of the game but is in a player's best interest some of the time.
I'm not sure I agree. These Domini are all about the shady shit. If they can't win, then pulling a profit out of it (by betting on injury or decap) seems perfectly inline with the under the table dealings I'd expect from them.
We did play last night and I did like it. We didn't have a problem with perpetual running away. A couple quick steps to position yourself, but no one just held the game up, so I don't imagine my group is going to have a problem with all that jazz.
BomberMouse
Member
That's very uncommon, did you remember to shuffle back the discarded cards when *insert special card here that I can't remember* occurred?
joeyjoejoeshabadoo
Member
Running out of a player deck is a common way to lose. When you draw an epidemic card you shuffle the discard pile for the infection deck. The player deck (the one with all the cities) doesn't get reshuffled at all.
BattleMonkey
Member
Don't really see any of this happen in our games, and with how random initiative is anyways it's not something that a person can easily do, nor would it be very fun. As for throwing a fight, why not? Goes well with the theme of the show.
timetokill
Banned
I guess what I mean is more the spirit of the competitors.
Throwing a match from the perspective of the Dominus makes sense. Nobody has a problem with that.
But when a dude is in the arena, and he's like, "okay, dude, make sure you decapitate me" it doesn't really sit right. And that's what happens when you are playing both the Dominus in control and the gladiator himself during those arena sections.
Maybe it's just because I haven't seen the show, but do guys really go into the arena and start going like... "okay, I'm not gonna attack you, make sure you cut my head off real good with this roll, I'm not even gonna use my shield to get rid of a wound?"
Anyway, it's fine, and we still love the game, but the Arena has become an area where my group has a bit of a sticking point.
Gaming Truth
Member
So, I have a few examples:
One of my friends won a game where he threw a fight. He went the economy/always host the games route and on the last turn, he invited himself to the games (unlike his usual MO of inviting the two strongest fighters to have one die). I send my guy, he sends his starter gimp. We all know he's going to lose, but only he and I know why: He has a reaction card that rewards a Dominus who lost a gladiator 1 influence (game over). Perfectly legit and I applaud him for the ingenuity.
In another game, one of my friends tried to throw a fight to cause a decapitation (he was really poor, placed 5 GP on it). The trick is, we all saw how we bet, so we all won. So, that doesn't work.
Throwing fights can happen (also in show and possibly IRHL) and is part of the intrigue. Really, any level of trickery/backstabbery is what makes the game so good. Now, if two people want to spin around the arena in a never-ending whirlpool, then, I'm not inviting them back to play this (or really, any other game) again. It's really that simple. We play to have fun, some also to win, but this type of action goes against both.
Edit: Slight show spoiler, but in the show, there is an instance where a gladiator wanted to make sure he died via beheading by telling the other gladiator while the fight is happening.
timetokill
Banned
Thanks for the examples. But yeah, like I said -- throwing a chump out there because he's going to get ruined and you can gain Influence? Totally makes sense.
The aspects around the Arena are not the problem for me. It's just what happens IN the arena that seems bizarre. When the two guys are collaborating to try and make the match end in a specific way it just feels to me like... you know, you'd be in the crowd watching a clearly staged fight, but one that is poorly choreographed, and you'd be angry, and shouldn't the Dominus lose Influence in that case? These are two Favored Gladiators with big wins under their belt, dancing around and trying to lose enough dice to make sure Injury happens. It just makes it more ridiculous when it's like, "Oh shit, I accidentally decapitated you! Fuck!"
I love all the intrigue and betrayal and putting out crappy guys to lose, not equipping them, etc. The betting thing you mention is fine as well. It's just the one part of the game where things don't run smoothly because they're like, measuring out probabilities for things and that's when it goes from being a great fight to a chore.
We've had some incredible arena battles overall so it's not every time. It's just a part of the game where all of us feel like it's not as good as it could be.
Anyway I get what you guys are saying but there are flaws with just that part for us. I'm hoping with the expansion and the modified combat rules within that they'll be addressed.
BattleMonkey
Member
If two people are conspiring together then the other players should be doing the same thing. Only one person can win and too much fight tossing is eventually going to go nowhere. The competitive players should be against most of this and it's up the the players to go against such things even though it's clearly in theme.
Karak
Gold Member
The number of times this has happened to our group has to number in the high double digits
Time just runs out for our few remaining survivors.BattleMonkey
Member
http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=3707
Article going into further detail on how deck building works in Star Wars upcoming LCG. Should be interesting since it's going to make it tougher on min maxers as you have to take cards in premade sets of 6.
Article going into further detail on how deck building works in Star Wars upcoming LCG. Should be interesting since it's going to make it tougher on min maxers as you have to take cards in premade sets of 6.
Early on we used to lose like that, now it's typically outbreaks. But it's really common if you have your difficulty set right for all three to be in play at various points of a single game.
BomberMouse
Member
Wow that never happened to me, granted I only played it like 7 times before selling it.
platypotamus
Member
Been awhile since I lost to running out of cards, but it's how I lost my first 4 or 5 games. I think it's pretty common when you've got all newbs to over-concentrate on healing sick people and underconcentrate on the actual research/disease-curing, so you spend all your time plate spinning to prevent outbreaks and lose due to time limit. I think our very first loss we had only cured one disease when we drew out the deck.
I think I normally lose in Pandemic due to running out of cards. But it's also like, if we had 1 more turn, or one more round we'd be able to cure because we just traded all the cards to be able to cure at the beginning of this person's next turn. Would happen less if we could predict that the guy gathering blue cards will draw 4 yellows over his next 2 turns. I've also lost turn 1 because the starting areas had 3 cities close enough to chain and create a 4th city ready to pop, only to draw an epidemic and 2 of the 4 cities in the end phase.
BomberMouse
Member
I always lost because of the outbreaks. Guess I wasn't healing enough and concentrated too much on developing the cures.
Jables Swan
Member
Yeah out of the 20 games we've played we've only lost by running out of the colour cubes once and the rest of the loses were because of outbreaks. We have never run out of cards.
Love Pandemic.
Another rare Friday game night turned out pretty damn cool. Saw/gamed with a few friends I haven't had a chance to. Drank great homebrew. Got taught Merchants of Venice using the cool pnp redesigned map. Game rocks. Played King of Tokyo which was perfect for the group & end of the night. Good times.
joeyjoejoeshabadoo
Member
Seeing Tzolkin is giving me hope that mine will be here soon. Did yours go through New York too? I was/am worried my package got stuck in NY due to Sandy.
Dear BG GAF:
Looking for some thoughts. I have this "problem" at my game night where we always have 5-7 early and things break out in such a way where we rarely split up (which would typically be preferable) so we wind up playing King of Tokyo, 7 Wonders, or RoboRally. All awesome games mind you, but I'm looking for some variety. Thinking maybe Formula D though that was a game I actually sold once upon a time, though Racer Feud iOS has re-piqued my interest in how this might work for our group.
Looking for some thoughts. I have this "problem" at my game night where we always have 5-7 early and things break out in such a way where we rarely split up (which would typically be preferable) so we wind up playing King of Tokyo, 7 Wonders, or RoboRally. All awesome games mind you, but I'm looking for some variety. Thinking maybe Formula D though that was a game I actually sold once upon a time, though Racer Feud iOS has re-piqued my interest in how this might work for our group.
I have no idea where the little shipping slip went, and I can't see any other indication on the box where it went through. Sorry
BomberMouse
Member
You could try Ticket to Ride Team Asia when you got 6 people.
BattleMonkey
Member
I have same problem, and no one really wants to split up ever so the game options become limited. We have sometimes random player who shows up that we didn't expect to come and it kinda screws up the whole night as we got to completely play something else. Got a bunch of games to play but its getting to a point that we are playing same stuff over while some folks are obviously sick of some games or wanting to play things that hit the sweet spot of 4 players. Really majority of games seem to focus on 4 player set ups with a bunch also around 5. After that the options become limited it feels.
Good suggestion -- should have mentioned we played that so much we got sick of it.
(Awesome game for this situation though.)Yep, exactly. There's always those random 1-2 people and for some reason no one (except me) really wants to play a 2p game so we can do 4/2 or even 3/2. After that, well it's pretty much the games that have just been listed. Formula D in theory should work well for this (it scaled up pretty well, is fairly simple to explain, etc.) but it's just a bit dry being a roll-and-move game at its core.
platypotamus
Member
If you like social backstabby gaming, The Resistance would be fun with those numbers.
BattleMonkey
Member
Hmm new thunderstone expansion adds coop mode? Damn it I figured I was done buying cards for this.
depths20XX
Member
If one were to get their first expansion for Dominion is Prosperity generally considered the one to go with? Or Seaside?
I would go Seaside.
depths20XX
Member
Why come?
Because it's orgasmic.
Overall, I like Seaside's mechanics better. Prosperity is good too and has interesting cards, but playing with platinum and colonies make it really easy to snowball a lead to whomever grabs that first platinum.
I also like a lot of the cards in Hinterlands, even though I haven't played with my set yet :x. My only problem with Dominion is now I have so many expansions that bringing it out to anywhere or to play has become a chore if I want to mix all the sets. I really just need to spend time bagging all the cards and putting them in 1 or 2 boxes.
depths20XX
Member
Yeah I didn't know if I'd like the 'big money' aspect of prosperity, I just heard a lot of people say it was the best.
Was just looking at hinterlands too and it looks like a nice simple addition. Hmm, I'll go with Seaside for now I think.
BattleMonkey
Member
So the new Star Trek TOS DBG set came out. It's stand alone and features a much more clear rulebook. The cards look great which was always an issue with the previous TNG based sets, which had lot of card images with footage that looked like taken from bad VHS tapes. Everything is nice and crisp with the TOS set and also they fixed the games biggest flaw, which was players being able to upgrade their ships, as this caused an issue with the first player to get a new ship upgrade, to often win the game due to the higher stat advantages on their new ship. TOS set gets rid of that completely so everyone stays with the same ship the entire game and keeps things equal. I really liked the DBG outside of some rule issues like the ship upgrades, but the TOS set would be a good starting point for someone as it's well done.
We are basically going to take the idea of ship upgrades out of the TNG sets and play that way, as it greatly improves the balance with that simple tweak.
We are basically going to take the idea of ship upgrades out of the TNG sets and play that way, as it greatly improves the balance with that simple tweak.
timetokill
Banned
Played another game of Spartacus.
We've all agreed that Batiatus is the worst character to play as by far. His specials are useless except in the best of circumstances, and he starts off with the least gold of everybody (since you have to do upkeep in the first round, he actually is starting at 8 instead of 10). Further, since he's got more gladiators than slaves, he's constantly at a negative income until he can buy slaves -- which go for a TON of money because they're even more valuable to the other players (well, Solonius and Tullius).
We've all agreed that Batiatus is the worst character to play as by far. His specials are useless except in the best of circumstances, and he starts off with the least gold of everybody (since you have to do upkeep in the first round, he actually is starting at 8 instead of 10). Further, since he's got more gladiators than slaves, he's constantly at a negative income until he can buy slaves -- which go for a TON of money because they're even more valuable to the other players (well, Solonius and Tullius).
Gaming Truth
Member
Huh? You start with three gladiators though. Turn One, yeah, you start with 8 gold, so exhaust your two weaker gladiators and end up with 10 gold during the Intrigue step of Turn One.
And we're just talking about "catching up" in gold in Turn One. For every turn beyond that, you personally have an extra source of 2 gold per turn that no one else has. So go ahead and deny Solonius and Tullius of that Turn One slave in the Market. You'll get that money back by Turn Three and deprive them of a required resource they desperately need.
Solonius is the hard one to play. Everyone else's specials plays to their strengths (slaves, gladiators, and guards). What exactly is Solonius supposed to do?
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