OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

All discussions regarding Board, Card, and RPG Gaming, including industry discussion, that don't belong in one of the other gaming forums.

Moderators: The Preacher, $iljanus, Zaxxon

Post Reply
User avatar
hepcat
Posts: 51302
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:02 pm
Location: Chicago, IL Home of the triple homicide!

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by hepcat »

Played two games of Altar Quest today. 2 player both. The first game went well enough, but we lost.

The second game was kind of a disaster. We played the quarantine quest with the outlaw threat deck and the Bradford Heston villain deck. We ended up running through the villain deck and spawning him before we even had half the quest goals. After that it was just a constant flood of minions as you have to draw two threat cards during the villain phase if you defeat the villain. It went on for way too long. I’m going to have to try the other quests and some campaign stuff soon to wash the taste of that one out of my mouth.

My problem is that after you finish off the villain, the game just reverts to flooding you with enemies. So I suspect that the game wants you to be near the end game by that time...and we weren’t even close.

Going to try AQ solo again this week though. I’ll just avoid that quest.
Covfefe!
User avatar
disarm
Posts: 4951
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 6:50 pm
Location: Hartford, CT
Contact:

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by disarm »

Two rounds of Castle Panic with my 6yo son so far...lost the first with only 5-6 monsters left to put on the board, and squeaked out a win thanks to some very lucky draws in the second. We've been playing enough that my son is now starting to learn the strategy and is able to think ahead at least one move...very cool to see him understanding the game now instead of someone older do all the work.

Maybe I'll talk my wife and older kids (12yo twins) into joining us for Forbidden Island tomorrow...owned it for a while now, but still haven't played because I think it may be too advanced for my youngest. We'll see... eager to finally give it a shot
User avatar
Skinypupy
Posts: 20331
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 10:12 am
Location: Utah

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by Skinypupy »

disarm wrote: Sun Nov 22, 2020 12:46 am
Maybe I'll talk my wife and older kids (12yo twins) into joining us for Forbidden Island tomorrow...owned it for a while now, but still haven't played because I think it may be too advanced for my youngest. We'll see... eager to finally give it a shot
Played that for the first time this morning with the kids, 11 and 7 (x2). They absolutely loved it, and it was nice to see them playing cooperatively instead of being at each other’s throats.
When darkness veils the world, four Warriors of Light shall come.
User avatar
Skinypupy
Posts: 20331
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 10:12 am
Location: Utah

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by Skinypupy »

Played a ton with the kids this weekend. Forbidden Island (x4), Hero Realms, Sushi Go (x3), Boss Monster, Clank!, and Ticket to Ride.

I gave Warp’s Edge a go, which was...frustrating.
When darkness veils the world, four Warriors of Light shall come.
User avatar
Malificent
Posts: 1472
Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2005 10:43 am
Location: Durham, NC
Contact:

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by Malificent »

Wife and I played 3 games of Altar Quest over the weekend (all using The Search quest), with increasing levels of success (both in execution and results).

Game 1
This was a disaster on all levels. I spent most of the time searching the rulebook for rules questions, some of which were there, some of which were not, or were buried in weird spots. I let my wife pick my hero and it was the one with the built in Ally, which was confusing. We played a bunch of stuff wrong and got crushed in the first (or second) revealed room.

Game 2-3
Before these games, I went to Board Game Geek and printed out some handy cheat sheets and read through the FAQ. This helped tremendously, and we figured out a bunch of stuff that we didn't understand or had missed, like:
  • Anything not on the list of Hero actions does not cost an action. Exhaust? Free. Use? Free. Feat cards? Free.
  • Exhaust and use can be done any time, not just on your turn.
  • You can spend a hero action to heal - missing this was probably a big factor in our first loss.
  • The search test generates supplies and search cards, even when its something you're doing with a card rather than being next to a feature.
  • You only ever have 8 feature cards, so if you added in the extra features, make sure to take some out each game.
Our speed of play was probably also helped by me Zenithal priming some of the minis to make it easier to see them and figure out which lurkers I needed. Figuring a system for determining where the different minions are will be a big priority. Once they're painted, I imagine that will help, but that's going to be a while, as I also have to finish painting Folklore. I'll probably break briefly from that and paint Altar Quest heroes and features though.

Anyway, we lost Game 2, but it was generally a better experience and even though we lost, it felt competitive. We switched villains and threat (to Gert and the Raglanders) in Game 3 and I switched to the priest-like hero and we basically sailed through easily. I really enjoyed figuring out interplay between my abilities and the altar dice.

Questions
  • If noone has threat cards in their area, does that mean nothing happens during the threat turn? Or do we have to draw lurkers?
  • I'm still not completely sure how Allies work. Are they just another character you control that can't use Focus?
We're going to play another quest, villain, and threat tonight and then after that I think we'll start moving in on the campaign.
User avatar
Lorini
Posts: 8282
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 8:52 am
Location: Santa Clarita, California

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by Lorini »

Euro Queen acquired Paris, Whistle Mountain, Babylonia and The Red Cathedral all within a week. However have to play Praga Caput Regni because good friend is the manager of Rio Grande and our first play was a bust. Faiyum is coming this week as well. Hope gaming partner is up to the task!
Black Lives Matter
User avatar
AWS260
Posts: 12663
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:51 pm
Location: Brooklyn

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by AWS260 »

That's a lot of game to churn through, Lorini!

Over the weekend I played Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy. It was a journey:

The Orion Hegemony struck first, mounting an assault on the neighboring Terran Directorate. Unfortunately for the Orions, the Terrans not only survived but struck back with a vengeance, wiping out planet after planet and leaving the Orions with only a couple of systems left. The Terrans were clearly the dominant power in the galaxy.

Until they weren't. By growing so large, so early, the Terrans had painted a target on their back. After a slow start, the Mechanema managed to push back the Terrans, while also conquering the homeworld of the Hydran Progress. On the opposite side of the galaxy, the Descendants of Draco were also doing well, expanding peacefully while amassing a powerful fleet that would eventually conquer the galactic center.

At game end, we had a surprising winner. While the Draco, Mechanema, and Terrans all had sprawling, wealthy empires, the nerds of the Hydran Progress pipped them at the post. Despite controlling a measly three systems at the end, the Hydrans scored big points from their advanced technology and from the numerous (usually losing) battles they had fought in throughout the game. Everyone was surprised, including the person playing the Hydrans.
User avatar
Zarathud
Posts: 16433
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:29 pm
Location: Chicago, Illinois

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by Zarathud »

Love it. Losing early to pull the 4/5 VP tokens out of the bag can be worth it!

While you can only keep a few VP tokens, it can be worth losing a system you can’t hold anyway.
"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein
"I don't stand by anything." - Trump
“Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” - John Stuart Mill, Inaugural Address Delivered to the University of St Andrews, 2/1/1867
“It is the impractical things in this tumultuous hell-scape of a world that matter most. A book, a name, chicken soup. They help us remember that, even in our darkest hour, life is still to be savored.” - Poe, Altered Carbon
User avatar
RMC
Posts: 6739
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 1:49 pm
Location: Elyria, Ohio
Contact:

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by RMC »

Zarathud wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 5:30 pm Love it. Losing early to pull the 4/5 VP tokens out of the bag can be worth it!

While you can only keep a few VP tokens, it can be worth losing a system you can’t hold anyway.
Or just play with me, I'll stab you in the back and take the traitor token... Not that Zarathud has any experience with that from me. :)
Difficulties mastered are opportunities won. - Winston Churchill
Sheesh, this is one small box. Thankfully, everything's packed in nicely this time. Not too tight nor too loose (someone's sig in 3, 2, ...). - Hepcat
User avatar
Skinypupy
Posts: 20331
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 10:12 am
Location: Utah

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by Skinypupy »

AWS260 wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 12:29 pm Over the weekend I played Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy. It was a journey:
I watched SU&SD's review of that over the weekend. Looks amazing, wish I had someone to play it with. :(
When darkness veils the world, four Warriors of Light shall come.
User avatar
AWS260
Posts: 12663
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:51 pm
Location: Brooklyn

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by AWS260 »

Zarathud wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 5:30 pm Love it. Losing early to pull the 4/5 VP tokens out of the bag can be worth it!

While you can only keep a few VP tokens, it can be worth losing a system you can’t hold anyway.
In his last two battles, the Hydran player managed to pull a 4 to replace a 1, and a 3 to replace a 2. He won by a single point!
User avatar
hepcat
Posts: 51302
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:02 pm
Location: Chicago, IL Home of the triple homicide!

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by hepcat »

Malificent wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 11:32 am
Questions
  • If noone has threat cards in their area, does that mean nothing happens during the threat turn? Or do we have to draw lurkers?
  • I'm still not completely sure how Allies work. Are they just another character you control that can't use Focus?
We're going to play another quest, villain, and threat tonight and then after that I think we'll start moving in on the campaign.
I don’t envy you going into the game without playing Street Masters or Brook City first. Their rule books are notoriously crappy. I’m still finding stuff that isn’t even mentioned in the rules. But coming from Street Masters made it a heck of a lot easier as many of those rules you mentioned are taken straight from it.

To answer your questions

1) nope, don’t draw anything, just enjoy a moment of respite as it won’t last. Furthermore, after you kill the villain, you’re going to be drawing even more threat cards. The villain deck is a timer in this game. If you don’t complete the game before the villain is killed, you’re just going to get swarmed with enemies.

2) I haven’t played with allies yet, but I assume they’re the same as those in SM. Put them in your player area and use their exhaust to move, fight, etc.. They’re considered characters for all other intents and purposes though (except they can’t use focus, as you noted). Same with rivals mostly. Put them in your threat area and activate them like a minion.

I’m still trying to make up my mind after Saturday’s fiasco of a second game. I REALLY think the quarantine quest is unbalanced to a ridiculous degree. But more importantly, the game became a grind after we killed the villain with just wave after wave of minions. You need to move fast in this game as that villain deck doesn’t have many cards.

However, the encounter mode seems to be a way of bringing the tightness of SM to the game. I want to try that next.

But right now I’m actually enjoying the escape quest with two heroes. Especially since I learned that each hero can open one room on their turn each round, not one room per all hero action phases as I initially thought. That’s making a big difference in my race against the clock to get out.

..plus the dwarf character just rocks with all his stuns.
Covfefe!
User avatar
Zarathud
Posts: 16433
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:29 pm
Location: Chicago, Illinois

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by Zarathud »

I have found a rule gimp to be more effective than a book.
"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein
"I don't stand by anything." - Trump
“Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” - John Stuart Mill, Inaugural Address Delivered to the University of St Andrews, 2/1/1867
“It is the impractical things in this tumultuous hell-scape of a world that matter most. A book, a name, chicken soup. They help us remember that, even in our darkest hour, life is still to be savored.” - Poe, Altered Carbon
User avatar
hepcat
Posts: 51302
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:02 pm
Location: Chicago, IL Home of the triple homicide!

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by hepcat »

You just make up any rule you don’t know. I still don’t think that if you fail a saving roll in zombicide while trying to evade, you get 4 rerolls if your last name begins with a D.
Covfefe!
User avatar
Zarathud
Posts: 16433
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:29 pm
Location: Chicago, Illinois

OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by Zarathud »

Zombicide 1.0 has some stupid rules. I’m all for deciding a sensible compromise and making that a house rule for a game until an official ruling is located.

Otherwise we risk triggering my internal rules lawyer. And that’s not a fun scenario. You won’t like me if I go all Mecha-Shiva and start citing the Treaty of Tolerance. It’s bad enough when I bring down the Rules Hammer.
"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein
"I don't stand by anything." - Trump
“Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” - John Stuart Mill, Inaugural Address Delivered to the University of St Andrews, 2/1/1867
“It is the impractical things in this tumultuous hell-scape of a world that matter most. A book, a name, chicken soup. They help us remember that, even in our darkest hour, life is still to be savored.” - Poe, Altered Carbon
User avatar
RMC
Posts: 6739
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 1:49 pm
Location: Elyria, Ohio
Contact:

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by RMC »

Zarathud wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 12:05 am Zombicide 1.0 has some stupid rules. I’m all for deciding a sensible compromise and making that a house rule for a game until an official ruling is located.

Otherwise we risk triggering my internal rules lawyer. And that’s not a fun scenario. You won’t like me if I go all Mecha-Shiva and start citing the Treaty of Tolerance. It’s bad enough when I bring down the Rules Hammer.
It's the bondage bear rulles that got me the first time we played THAT game together.. :oops:
Difficulties mastered are opportunities won. - Winston Churchill
Sheesh, this is one small box. Thankfully, everything's packed in nicely this time. Not too tight nor too loose (someone's sig in 3, 2, ...). - Hepcat
User avatar
Zarathud
Posts: 16433
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:29 pm
Location: Chicago, Illinois

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by Zarathud »

The druid bear in Super Dungeon Explore just cries out to be played as a BDSM furry with those chains.

Image
"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein
"I don't stand by anything." - Trump
“Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” - John Stuart Mill, Inaugural Address Delivered to the University of St Andrews, 2/1/1867
“It is the impractical things in this tumultuous hell-scape of a world that matter most. A book, a name, chicken soup. They help us remember that, even in our darkest hour, life is still to be savored.” - Poe, Altered Carbon
User avatar
hepcat
Posts: 51302
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:02 pm
Location: Chicago, IL Home of the triple homicide!

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by hepcat »

Man, I miss that from Origins. Hopefully next year we can make up for it. :cry:

It also sucks that we cancelled our Christmas Mansions of Madness game day. I know RMC loves 14 hours straight of Lovecraft gaming. :mrgreen:
Covfefe!
User avatar
Isgrimnur
Posts: 82085
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2006 12:29 am
Location: Chookity pok
Contact:

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by Isgrimnur »

Zarathud wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 9:42 am The druid bear in Super Dungeon Explore just cries out to be played as a BDSM furry with those chains.

Image
I mean, it's already called Angry Bear.

Enlarge Image
It's almost as if people are the problem.
User avatar
RMC
Posts: 6739
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 1:49 pm
Location: Elyria, Ohio
Contact:

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by RMC »

hepcat wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 5:06 pm Man, I miss that from Origins. Hopefully next year we can make up for it. :cry:

It also sucks that we cancelled our Christmas Mansions of Madness game day. I know RMC loves 14 hours straight of Lovecraft gaming. :mrgreen:
I actually really do. I refuse to play Mansions unless it is with my Heppy Poo.
Difficulties mastered are opportunities won. - Winston Churchill
Sheesh, this is one small box. Thankfully, everything's packed in nicely this time. Not too tight nor too loose (someone's sig in 3, 2, ...). - Hepcat
User avatar
Zarathud
Posts: 16433
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:29 pm
Location: Chicago, Illinois

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by Zarathud »

Grrrrrr. :wink:
"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein
"I don't stand by anything." - Trump
“Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” - John Stuart Mill, Inaugural Address Delivered to the University of St Andrews, 2/1/1867
“It is the impractical things in this tumultuous hell-scape of a world that matter most. A book, a name, chicken soup. They help us remember that, even in our darkest hour, life is still to be savored.” - Poe, Altered Carbon
User avatar
hepcat
Posts: 51302
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:02 pm
Location: Chicago, IL Home of the triple homicide!

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by hepcat »

RMC wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 7:48 pm
hepcat wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 5:06 pm Man, I miss that from Origins. Hopefully next year we can make up for it. :cry:

It also sucks that we cancelled our Christmas Mansions of Madness game day. I know RMC loves 14 hours straight of Lovecraft gaming. :mrgreen:
I actually really do. I refuse to play Mansions unless it is with my Heppy Poo.
Well have to have a make up game day this summer after things hopefully start to die down with the pandemic.
Covfefe!
User avatar
RMC
Posts: 6739
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 1:49 pm
Location: Elyria, Ohio
Contact:

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by RMC »

hepcat wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 9:46 pm
RMC wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 7:48 pm
hepcat wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 5:06 pm Man, I miss that from Origins. Hopefully next year we can make up for it. :cry:

It also sucks that we cancelled our Christmas Mansions of Madness game day. I know RMC loves 14 hours straight of Lovecraft gaming. :mrgreen:
I actually really do. I refuse to play Mansions unless it is with my Heppy Poo.
Well have to have a make up game day this summer after things hopefully start to die down with the pandemic.
Once it dies down, maybe I can make it to Chi Town. :)
Difficulties mastered are opportunities won. - Winston Churchill
Sheesh, this is one small box. Thankfully, everything's packed in nicely this time. Not too tight nor too loose (someone's sig in 3, 2, ...). - Hepcat
User avatar
AWS260
Posts: 12663
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:51 pm
Location: Brooklyn

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by AWS260 »

Tonight we played The Cost, a new heavy-ish economic game about of one of the most popular themes in boardgaming today: the asbestos industry. I'm pretty sure it's brilliant.

In The Cost, you mine raw asbestos, ship it to mills where it's refined, and then ship the refined asbestos to the market to sell. So far, so eurogame. The key thematic wrinkle is whether your mines and mills operate safely. It's entirely up to you. Operating safely costs more. Operating unsafely will lead to worker deaths, which over time will cause regulatory authorities to shut down the asbestos industry in your country.

It's a brilliant integration of theme and mechanics. The game systems encourage you to take the expedient route, paying human lives to maximize short-term profits. But you'll pay over the long run, as countries crack down as a result of your actions.

At the end, I found myself staring at the pile of workers I had let die in my not-quite-successful attempt to conquer the asbestos market. I very much want to play again and explore more ethical strategies, which the designers swear is possible.
User avatar
hepcat
Posts: 51302
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:02 pm
Location: Chicago, IL Home of the triple homicide!

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by hepcat »

RMC wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 12:07 am
hepcat wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 9:46 pm
RMC wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 7:48 pm
hepcat wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 5:06 pm Man, I miss that from Origins. Hopefully next year we can make up for it. :cry:

It also sucks that we cancelled our Christmas Mansions of Madness game day. I know RMC loves 14 hours straight of Lovecraft gaming. :mrgreen:
I actually really do. I refuse to play Mansions unless it is with my Heppy Poo.
Well have to have a make up game day this summer after things hopefully start to die down with the pandemic.
Once it dies down, maybe I can make it to Chi Town. :)
The Comfortron 2000 awaits you. Hopefully we can get Octocon up and running again next year again.
Covfefe!
User avatar
RMC
Posts: 6739
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 1:49 pm
Location: Elyria, Ohio
Contact:

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by RMC »

AWS260 wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 12:59 am Tonight we played The Cost, a new heavy-ish economic game about of one of the most popular themes in boardgaming today: the asbestos industry. I'm pretty sure it's brilliant.

In The Cost, you mine raw asbestos, ship it to mills where it's refined, and then ship the refined asbestos to the market to sell. So far, so eurogame. The key thematic wrinkle is whether your mines and mills operate safely. It's entirely up to you. Operating safely costs more. Operating unsafely will lead to worker deaths, which over time will cause regulatory authorities to shut down the asbestos industry in your country.

It's a brilliant integration of theme and mechanics. The game systems encourage you to take the expedient route, paying human lives to maximize short-term profits. But you'll pay over the long run, as countries crack down as a result of your actions.

At the end, I found myself staring at the pile of workers I had let die in my not-quite-successful attempt to conquer the asbestos market. I very much want to play again and explore more ethical strategies, which the designers swear is possible.
Dude, this game sounds cool, but the subject matter is....difficult to play a game with...
Difficulties mastered are opportunities won. - Winston Churchill
Sheesh, this is one small box. Thankfully, everything's packed in nicely this time. Not too tight nor too loose (someone's sig in 3, 2, ...). - Hepcat
User avatar
AWS260
Posts: 12663
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:51 pm
Location: Brooklyn

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by AWS260 »

RMC wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 11:13 am Dude, this game sounds cool, but the subject matter is....difficult to play a game with...
Yeah, it's an odd experience if you're the type of person who likes to think and talk about theme during a game (which I do). Like many eurogames, it can give you the deep satisfaction of building a point-hoovering combo across multiple turns. But the real-world system that it's modeling is always hovering in the background.

I feel very differently about The Cost than I do about Puerto Rico, another excellent eurogame about a queasy topic (plantation farming in colonial PR). Puerto Rico pretends that the less tasteful aspects of its theme don't exist: your workers are labeled "colonists," but historically they were African slaves. Playing Puerto Rico left me feeling uncomfortable about the game and its designers/publishers. Playing The Cost left me feeling uncomfortable about my own decisions. I will never play Puerto Rico again; I would very much like to play The Cost again.
User avatar
RMC
Posts: 6739
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 1:49 pm
Location: Elyria, Ohio
Contact:

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by RMC »

AWS260 wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 11:39 am
RMC wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 11:13 am Dude, this game sounds cool, but the subject matter is....difficult to play a game with...
Yeah, it's an odd experience if you're the type of person who likes to think and talk about theme during a game (which I do). Like many eurogames, it can give you the deep satisfaction of building a point-hoovering combo across multiple turns. But the real-world system that it's modeling is always hovering in the background.

I feel very differently about The Cost than I do about Puerto Rico, another excellent eurogame about a queasy topic (plantation farming in colonial PR). Puerto Rico pretends that the less tasteful aspects of its theme don't exist: your workers are labeled "colonists," but historically they were African slaves. Playing Puerto Rico left me feeling uncomfortable about the game and its designers/publishers. Playing The Cost left me feeling uncomfortable about my own decisions. I will never play Puerto Rico again; I would very much like to play The Cost again.
Great insight, and I can see the distinction. Maybe it is too close to home, as I have worked around asbestoes when I was in the Navy. There was another game that I played once and was uncomfortable with..Dealing with the underground railroad maybe? It was a good game, but I just couldn't get over the fact that I was uncomfortable with the real world topic in a game form. Want to talk about it, no problem, but play a game based on it...Well..

But a great explanation, and one that I can understand and agree with.
Difficulties mastered are opportunities won. - Winston Churchill
Sheesh, this is one small box. Thankfully, everything's packed in nicely this time. Not too tight nor too loose (someone's sig in 3, 2, ...). - Hepcat
User avatar
Smoove_B
Posts: 54567
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:58 am
Location: Kaer Morhen

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by Smoove_B »

AWS260 wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 12:59 am Tonight we played The Cost, a new heavy-ish economic game about of one of the most popular themes in boardgaming today: the asbestos industry. I'm pretty sure it's brilliant.
I joke all the time there's a board game for every topic, but this is one I'd never heard of. I never would have thought to turn this into a game, it definitely sounds interesting. I'm not into euro economic simulators, but thematically I'm intrigued!
Maybe next year, maybe no go
User avatar
coopasonic
Posts: 20968
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 11:43 pm
Location: Dallas-ish

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by coopasonic »

I got two more plays of Marvel Splendor in earlier this week. The first was a two player game that was pretty straightforward and the new stuff didn't make a difference. The Second game was a 3 player game at the end all three players were in a position to win, but I pulled it off because of the two new rules. My son had more points but hadn't bought a card from the third tier so didn't qualify for victory and with my last move I had more avengers than my wife so stole the 3 pt bonus card from her. My son *should* have won based on his development but he just forgot that he needed a third tier card until it was too late.

With that I can say fairly confidently that the extra rules in the Marvel version have an impact and make the game a little more interesting. Note: that I have not played with any of the Cities of Splendor stuff so I don't know if they are similar or better.
-Coop
Black Lives Matter
User avatar
Lorini
Posts: 8282
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 8:52 am
Location: Santa Clarita, California

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by Lorini »

Smoove_B wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 12:20 pm
AWS260 wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 12:59 am Tonight we played The Cost, a new heavy-ish economic game about of one of the most popular themes in boardgaming today: the asbestos industry. I'm pretty sure it's brilliant.
I joke all the time there's a board game for every topic, but this is one I'd never heard of. I never would have thought to turn this into a game, it definitely sounds interesting. I'm not into euro economic simulators, but thematically I'm intrigued!
I don't know if I told you folks I have a YouTube channel now where I discuss games that I've played. One thing about the channel is that I won't take free games. The first free game I was offered was this one, The Cost. Which I turned down, hopefully politely enough for the designer.

Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXE8oe ... VHinyERXNw
Black Lives Matter
User avatar
AWS260
Posts: 12663
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:51 pm
Location: Brooklyn

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by AWS260 »

I watched your Anno 1800 video before playing it (on TTS) for the first time last night. Your video: great. The game: good, but not really memorable. The play is smooth and fast, and the huge constellation of resources/buildings is genuinely remarkable for being so readable. But it's quite multiplayer-solitaire, and the cycle of using resources to build facilities that produce resources to build facilities, etc, gets a bit old.
User avatar
Lorini
Posts: 8282
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 8:52 am
Location: Santa Clarita, California

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by Lorini »

AWS260 wrote: Thu Nov 26, 2020 1:03 pm I watched your Anno 1800 video before playing it (on TTS) for the first time last night. Your video: great. The game: good, but not really memorable. The play is smooth and fast, and the huge constellation of resources/buildings is genuinely remarkable for being so readable. But it's quite multiplayer-solitaire, and the cycle of using resources to build facilities that produce resources to build facilities, etc, gets a bit old.
It's not multi player solitaire :) But it takes a few plays and/or someone rushing the end of the game to see that. You should watch my impressions video again and really understand how the game actually is interactive and how a player who wants to end the game early can easily win against players who are playing the game as multi player solitaire. I've done just that several times.
Black Lives Matter
User avatar
AWS260
Posts: 12663
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:51 pm
Location: Brooklyn

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by AWS260 »

Yeah, I would definitely be up for playing it again to try a different approach. In our game, all three players were absolutely loaded with cards before a couple of us started sprinting to empty our hands.
User avatar
Lorini
Posts: 8282
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 8:52 am
Location: Santa Clarita, California

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by Lorini »

AWS260 wrote: Thu Nov 26, 2020 8:03 pm Yeah, I would definitely be up for playing it again to try a different approach. In our game, all three players were absolutely loaded with cards before a couple of us started sprinting to empty our hands.
Yeah you have to recognize when you’re behind in the engine building game and switch to the rush game.
Black Lives Matter
User avatar
coopasonic
Posts: 20968
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 11:43 pm
Location: Dallas-ish

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by coopasonic »

King's Dilemma, Pandemic Season 0 and Unmatched: Buffy just showed up.

I've been waiting on King's Dilemma since the SUSD review. I had a group at work lined up to play it. No idea when that be possible now. My son and I played Pandemic Season 1 last year and had a blast with it. I've heard some good things about season 0. I may wrap that for him for Christmas. I played one of the Unmatched games with Isgrimnur at BGG.CON last year, I think, and enjoyed the wild asymmetry of it. Adding Buffy made it a must purchase.

Hey I don't just buy (and then sell unplayed) kickstarter games!
-Coop
Black Lives Matter
User avatar
AWS260
Posts: 12663
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:51 pm
Location: Brooklyn

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by AWS260 »

This weekend's play was Beyond the Sun, about exploring the galaxy, colonizing star systems, and working your way up a variable tech tree. I came in a very distant third. In retrospect, exhausting my entire starting fleet in order to colonize a world that only gave end-game bonuses was a very large mistake. Had a good time exploring that tech tree, though.

Also, my first-ever Hollandspiele games arrived: The Vote and Aurelian. I'm looking forward to taking these historical bad boys for a (solo) spin sometime this week.
User avatar
LordMortis
Posts: 70098
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:26 pm

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by LordMortis »

Lorini wrote: Thu Nov 26, 2020 12:10 am I don't know if I told you folks I have a YouTube channel now where I discuss games that I've played. One thing about the channel is that I won't take free games. The first free game I was offered was this one, The Cost. Which I turned down, hopefully politely enough for the designer.

Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXE8oe ... VHinyERXNw
The unboxing both is making me depressed at not seeing people to play games and having a happy memory at Rich LaPorte's old walk throughs at buying video games beginning with "the lift test"
User avatar
AWS260
Posts: 12663
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:51 pm
Location: Brooklyn

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by AWS260 »

Last night I played Reign of Witches, the freebie game from Holllandspiele's holiday sale. It is tiny: 25 cards, of which 2 are just the rules.

It's a two-player game about John Adams and Alexander Hamilton jockeying for control of the Federalist Party against the backdrop of the Quasi-War between America and France.

You're competing across three domains: political influence, public opinion, and military control. Winning two of the three domains means that you now lead the Federalists. Congratulations!

Except that beating the other player doesn't mean you've beat the game. You have to compare your final score against Thomas Jefferson, who has been accumulating points in the background. Beat him, and you've won the presidential election of 1800. Fail, and the Federalists will never hold the presidency again.

In our game, neither player won control of the party, since one of the three domains was tied at the end. That meant the party remained in disarray, allowing Jefferson to stroll to victory.

Reign of Witches packs a lot of game into a tiny package. It's easy to teach, plays very quickly, but provides a genuinely meaty experience. I'm really impressed.
User avatar
AWS260
Posts: 12663
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:51 pm
Location: Brooklyn

Re: OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Post by AWS260 »

Last night I learned Iwari, an abstract area-control game. It has a lot going for it: simple rules, see-saw jostling for majorities, multiple scoring avenues to pursue, and a quick playtime. Also beautiful production values, although I was just playing on TTS. I was really impressed, and would happily play it again. The core gameplay loop feels evergreen.
Post Reply