OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

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

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hepcat
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

Hopefully not meeting a stranger from Craigslist to buy games in a Walmart parking lot after 10pm.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Skinypupy »

Well, shit.

I picked up the updated version of LotR card game today. Really been looking forward to giving it a shot. Unfortunately, the text on the cards is so small, I can’t read most of it without using a magnifying glass. Not sure that’s how I want to play the game.

Getting old really sucks. :(
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

Skinypupy wrote: Sat Mar 05, 2022 9:15 pm I picked up the updated version of LotR card game today. Really been looking forward to giving it a shot. Unfortunately, the text on the cards is so small, I can’t read most of it without using a magnifying glass. Not sure that’s how I want to play the game.
:lol:

I did the same - the last time I tried playing this game was in 2014. As I'm looking at the cards 8 years later, I'm thinking, "I don't remember the text being so tiny..."

I bounced off this game hard back then, and knowing what I know now, I fully understand why. It's not complicated (mechanically), it's the amount of openness involved and the number of [If] [Then] conditions you're rolling through every round trying to optimize your turn. I'm more into it now that I'm not overwhelmed with trying to understand the framework, but I am also not sure I'll get more than this revised core set either.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by tylertoo »

hepcat wrote: Wed Mar 02, 2022 9:41 pm Hopefully not meeting a stranger from Craigslist to buy games in a Walmart parking lot after 10pm.
Nope, he was a good guy with too many games and needed space. Now I have too many games and need space. That said, I can't wait to dive in to the new ones!
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Skinypupy »

Smoove_B wrote: Sat Mar 05, 2022 9:36 pm I bounced off this game hard back then, and knowing what I know now, I fully understand why. It's not complicated (mechanically), it's the amount of openness involved and the number of [If] [Then] conditions you're rolling through every round trying to optimize your turn. I'm more into it now that I'm not overwhelmed with trying to understand the framework, but I am also not sure I'll get more than this revised core set either.
It's been interesting to go back and watch Rodney Smith's how to play videos, since they're over 10 years old at this point. He's vastly improved in many ways, but does a really thorough job of walking through a few turns of this one and explaining so many of the details. Which is good, as the manual is nearly worthless.

I doubt that this is a game I'll really dig into the expansions for, mostly because I don't particularly enjoy constructing customized decks. I'll probably play through this core set a few times with the different starter decks (and the magnifying glass Mrs. Skinypupy found in a drawer) and call it good.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

Really, the best thing we have access to is a site like RingsDB that allow you to see what other people have created (and tested) and let you just copy it. I also have zero interest in deck construction or tweaking but if someone came up with something interesting or fun, I'll absolutely give it a try.

Definitely (no really) make sure you're using the pre-constructed sample deck they tell you for solo play (pg 27 in "Learn to Play") guide. If you try to solo a single aspect deck, you'll likely fail. If you try to play two handed with each hand as focused aspect, you'll likely be on overload in 5 minutes.

I hadn't thought to check Rodney, but I did watch a bit of a few play through videos on Youtube. Once you can see the flow and all the "tricks" in how you want to start thinking about each round, I think those videos (playthrough) do a great job of making things clearer.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Skinypupy »

Smoove_B wrote: Sun Mar 06, 2022 8:26 pm Definitely (no really) make sure you're using the pre-constructed sample deck they tell you for solo play (pg 27 in "Learn to Play") guide. If you try to solo a single aspect deck, you'll likely fail. If you try to play two handed with each hand as focused aspect, you'll likely be on overload in 5 minutes.
That page says:
To help players start exploring the exciting possibilities of deckbuilding, this page includes two dual-sphere decklists for you to try. We recommend that you use the starter decks on page 5 (the single sphere decks) for your first game. Once you have learned how to play, we encourage you to play a game with these dual-system decks.
I took that to mean that the easiest and simplest way to play is with the single sphere decks, but it sounds like that might not be the case. Or maybe it's just easier to figure out the flow of the game when you're not having to worry about purchasing skills using heroes from different spheres.

I'm still watching tutorials and reading the manual...haven't actually played it yet. :oops:
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

Maybe...but it might be more frustrating as you're going to be missing out on the "synergies" you experience when you're playing with another person using a complimentary sphere. Or just playing with mixed spheres in general.

If you skip around in this video:



they do a good job of reviewing the basics and then showing the flow of each round. There's quite a bit a fill early in the video (so you can skip all that noise), but they do a solid job of taking each element slow and explaining what they're thinking and/or why they're doing it (when they have multiple options).

They're also using mixed sphere decks so you can see it's not really that bad (in terms of playing/activating cards). The only difference is they're playing a campaign, not a single-shot adventure, so they have some extra things to monitor.

Regardless, if you look at the turn flow chart in the actual rule manual (pgs 20-22) and it doesn't melt your brain, you're all set. :D
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

Kinda bummed out - my copy of the newest printing of Machina Arcana arrived and I've read through the rules (they don't seem to bad), sorted the parts, sleeved up the cards, etc... and was ready to go when I noticed the gaming boards had warped severely in the few hours between when I removed them from the plastic and had them in my office. They were packed with desiccant and my house is low humidity right now because of the weird snowy weather, but somehow they still managed to warp.I have them under a pile of heavy things but it really just took the wind out my sails - the curve was severe - enough that you couldn't place things on the board without them sliding around at the edges. I guess if this doesn't work I'll contact the publisher, but it doesn't seem to be a problem being reported by others.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Blackhawk »

Smoove_B wrote: Sun Mar 13, 2022 2:38 pm I guess if this doesn't work I'll contact the publisher, but it doesn't seem to be a problem being reported by others.
Others would disagree. And so would other others. And others. The FAQ would also disagree.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by TheMix »

That sucks. I haven't noticed any issues with my copy. But I guess I'll have to be vigilant.

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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

Blackhawk wrote: Sun Mar 13, 2022 2:48 pm
Smoove_B wrote: Sun Mar 13, 2022 2:38 pm I guess if this doesn't work I'll contact the publisher, but it doesn't seem to be a problem being reported by others.
Others would disagree. And so would other others. And others. The FAQ would also disagree.
Yeah, I think those are all from the 1st and 2nd printings - not the most current one.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

I have the last print and didn’t even realize they were making another, so I missed out on the upgrade pack.

One of the things I really, really hate is backing games that get “fixed” on the backs of previous backers..and usually within less than a goddamn year. I’m at the point where unless I’m absolutely sure a designer isn’t going to pull that shit, I just avoid first….and sometimes second…printings of Kickstarter projects.

I sent an email to the makers asking if they’d be offering the upgrade pack on their site, and was told it was unlikely they’d have extra copies. To quote a personal hero of mine….this is some bullshit.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

Ugh, that's terrible. That being said, I *think* the differences between 2nd and 3rd edition/printing are relatively minor - lots of color corrections and the addition of a few words on the cards to help clarify the rules. I don't think there are major differences, but I could be mistaken.

Also, if you go to Bridge Distribution (they're dealing with post-KS delivery and sales), you can pick up a set of game mats.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

Smoove_B wrote: Sun Mar 13, 2022 8:55 pm
Also, if you go to Bridge Distribution (they're dealing with post-KS delivery and sales), you can pick up a set of game mats.
I’m listening….
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

Here you go, my dude.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by TheMix »

The game mats are pretty nice. Can't argue with that. :D

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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by baelthazar »

Smoove_B wrote: Sun Mar 13, 2022 9:09 pm Here you go, my dude.
Are these currently in stock? I was interested in Machina Arcana, but missed out on the KS.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

Yeah, if you follow that link, it goes to the website. They're also selling copies on Amazon and Ebay (Bridge Distribution) - so depending on if you have credits or coupons, one option might be better than the other.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by baelthazar »

Smoove_B wrote: Mon Mar 14, 2022 9:21 am Yeah, if you follow that link, it goes to the website. They're also selling copies on Amazon and Ebay (Bridge Distribution) - so depending on if you have credits or coupons, one option might be better than the other.
I thought this was hard to get, but apparently online retailers are selling it for $30 less than this list price. Hmmm.....
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

It was just KS delivered and I think only just sent to backers (and late backers) like me. Wouldn't surprised me if some retail copies started to appear as well now, yes. But I didn't get the impression this was going to be something you could ultimately grab through retail channels for long - that's why I jumped in as a late backer, guaranteeing someone could get it for far cheaper via random retailer. :D

EDIT: The only thing I'd add is that if you're a person that sleeves cards, they're not all standard size. Your best option (in the long run) might be to get the sleeves directly from Bridge Distribution. I gave up trying to find adequate replacements and just purchased the "official" ones.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

I'll be honest, the one time I did play it, I didn't walk away impressed. I haven't tried since then. The mechanics were a bit clunky and the rules were a mess. I'll have to download the new rules and review the card changes that are in this new edition...that I will never be able to buy because I supported them previously and they hate me for that, apparently. Maybe it will work this time for me.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

While I haven't played yet (just set everything up), read rules, watched videos, etc... it feels like a less-dense version of Dungeon Alliance. But instead of a classic fantasy theme, it's Cthulhu Steampunk-y. It doesn't seem all that deep and there's lots of random elements. But at the core, it's a puzzle game (making the best of your options each turn) nested inside a dungeon crawl - how do you get to [Objective] while avoiding monsters and/or using the environment to help you? Lots of decisions like activating traps, closing doors (to block them), shooting exploding barrels, closing spawn points, etc... added with character abilities and random loot/gear cards.

I *think* some of the other revisions might have streamlined game play a bit or possibly included options for shorter game play - the manual I have at least indicates you can modify each of the included campaigns and shorten them by only playing specific cards in the story deck.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by YellowKing »

Grabbed CTHULHU: DEATH MAY DIE Season 2 for $44 during Miniature Market's sale. That's been on my wish list awhile, and that's the cheapest I've ever seen it. I didn't really *need* to drop $45 on a game right now with VAGRANTSONG on the table and ARK NOVA around the corner, but it was too good a deal to pass up for a game I absolutely know I'm going to get my money's worth out of.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

I finished season 1 over the holidays, and I’m going to start season 2 soon. I love the game. But right now I’m back into Middara and Descent Legends of the Dark.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by baelthazar »

hepcat wrote: Sun Mar 20, 2022 8:37 pm I finished season 1 over the holidays, and I’m going to start season 2 soon. I love the game. But right now I’m back into Middara and Descent Legends of the Dark.
I really love CDMD too. I need to get it back on the table.

Right now I am obsessed with Dune Imperium with the Rise of Ix expansion. I don't normally like App-enhanced games but Direwolf did this one right - using it basically for an easier House Hagal card draw. The solo game feels very dynamic and the opponents are no pushovers.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

I just got that expansion. Glad to hear it’s good!
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Fardaza »

I don't know anything about the Dune universe. Is it the kind of game where I'll be missing out because of that lack of knowledge?
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

No, it's a solid game that is fun even if you aren't familiar with the Dune books/movie. However, just watch the movie and you'll have an even greater appreciation for the game. And you'll experience a fantastic movie in the process. :wink:
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by YellowKing »

I'll second what hepcat said. I bought Dune: Imperium last year and loved it. I had not read the book since I was 14 (and didn't recall any of it), and had not seen the 1984 movie (which was the only one out at the time).

The board game actually piqued my interest in the book and films rather than the other way around.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Fardaza »

Maybe I'll check out Dune: Imperium when I feel the need for a new game.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

Picked up Mini Rogue based on a recommendation and I'm pleased with it. It's so weird how I've gone from casual games to insane sprawling cardboard and miniature monstrosities and now back to quicker, lower-barrier games. My capacity to do much of anything that requires brain power is rather limited lately so this hits in all the right spots. Lots of randomness and dice chucking, but you still need to make decisions and gamble on outcomes. You can play it as a one shot or use the campaign rules to unlock additional abilities and skills. There's a co-op mode as well, but in terms of having a game for a lunch break or to travel with? I'd definitely recommend it - especially at the ~$20 price point.

Probably would have liked the KS edition more as it has recessed boards (to hold the cubes) and a few expansions, but for what you get with this retail version? I can't complain. It works.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Fardaza »

How is Mini Rogue different from One Deck Dungeon?
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

They're definitely similar, but I ultimately didn't enjoy One Deck Dungeon. What I like (instead) about Mini Rogue is that when you visit a card, there are any number of things that can happen depending on the die roll. It's not simply revealing two options and picking one. Instead you're revealing options and choosing possible paths. Do I explore the Tomb and take a chance that I'll find treasure? Or do I take a much safer option in moving to the Armory where I am guaranteed a purchase of something (if I have the gold)? Much more risk/reward interaction. For ODD, I always felt like I was flipping a card and dealing with consequences. For Mini Rogue, I'm making more decisions. And since you're not rolling a fist-full of dice, the game gives you mitigation options for the dice you do roll - where sometimes you can modify a result (for free) by +/- 1 or spend health or XP to re-roll. It definitely feels like a closer implementation of a rogue-like video game than ODD (if that's what you're looking for).

The game started out as a Print and Play, and you can still get the files here if you're motivated and want to try it. I believe this is a link to the official demo via Table Top Simulator (that was used for KS) if that's another route you'd try.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by YellowKing »

Started on my grand campaign from the AuZtralia Big Box.

I decided to play with just the TaZmania expansion and not Revenge of the Old Ones, which makes them significantly harder. I don't need that kind of stress in my life. :D

I did, however, decide to play on the TaZmania map. This is double-sided, with one side representing a traditional map and the other side allowing for random tile placement, which is kind of neat. For my first go, however, I decided to stick with what I knew and used the non-tile side. The fun thing about the TaZmania map is that it's much more close quarters than the base game's maps, meaning the Old Ones are right on your door step from the get-go.

Another crazy thing about the TaZmania campaign setup is that your port placement is random. This can make things significantly easier or significantly harder, but I enjoyed getting "stuck" with the location and figuring out how best to get myself into a better position. For instance, in my first game my port was far from everything, so I had to spend a significant chunk of time just building an extended railway into the outback. This wound up paying dividends later on, however, as my armored train was able to put the hurt on a lot of the Level 3s that found themselves moving into my rail lines.

The solo campaign works like this. You have to play 10 sessions of increasing difficulty. If you win a session, you get a reward which will carry to the next session and XP you can use to buy military units ahead of time. If you lose, you get a penalty. However, If you get on a losing streak and lose 3 times in a row, there is an official rule that you can ignore the third penalty and take a reward instead. Each session has a fixed solo objective (taken from the solo objective deck of the base game), which will require you to achieve a certain objective to get bonus VPs. For instance, in the first match I had to end the game with one of every military unit. As an added incentive, if you *don't* achieve the objective, the VPs you would have earned or instead subtracted from your score. Yikes!

The sessions start out on Easy difficulty and ramp up to Insane by round 10. I managed to win my first session pretty handily even though I missed the objective bonus due to a nasty Shoggoth that took out my only airship at the last possible minute.

I just started the second session and it looks like it will be a cakewalk. I got REALLY lucky with the survey tiles and have an embarrassingly low number of Old Ones on the board. This has always been a fact of life with AuZtralia, however - random setups mean things can get swingy. I love the campaign format, however, as it spreads this swinginess out over the course of 10 plays vs a single session.

AuZtralia is one of those games that, once you've played a lot of sessions, you can really start to master. I'm at the point where my win percentage is really high on anything Easy or Medium difficulty. So it's going to be interesting to see what happens when I get up to those Hard and Insane levels. My current strategy is to just bank my XP during the earlier sessions so that I can use them to buy units for the harder sessions.

Even though I'm not using the Revenge of the Old Ones expansion, it does have some neat additions. Besides the Old Ones being tougher due to drawing effect cards EVERY turn (vs every other as in the base game), it does offer some things to help the player. Outposts that you can build that are essentially like extensions of your port that can retaliate if attacked, and some enhancements to ports. I can see maybe adding that stuff in down the road in a second campaign if this one turns out to be too easy.

Big thumps up from me so far. While base AuZtralia was one of my favorite games to solo, the campaign (and new map) really make it feel more like a lengthy, epic battle against the Old Ones vs a quick one-and-done.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Skinypupy »

Played Terraforming Mars for the first time this weekend. Really enjoyed it.

I know there’s a bunch of expansions. Any of them considered “must have" (or ones to avoid) for primarily solo play?
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Zarathud »

Prelude to give you different starts.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Skinypupy »

After about a half dozen plays, I really like Terraforming Mars, but far less so as a solo game. Mostly because chasing high scores has never been particularly interesting for me.

While I don't know that the actual game will get much table time solo, I've been playing 3-4 games a night on the iPad app against the AI. That's much more fun.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

I know this is going to make me decidedly unpopular with a few people when I share my controversial opinion here, but after avoiding it for ~5 years, I finally decided to play Massive Darkness and I actually liked it.

Enlarge Image

In it, I can see the seeds of Cthulhu Death May Die - at least in terms of getting you right to it. Case in point - that was my second move of my first turn in the picture above. My first action was move one space. My second action was to open the door and when I did, it spawned an Orc ambush on top of me and the evil dwarf mob around the corner. Things went from 0 to 60 in like 2 seconds, and immediately frantic combat began. I wasn't moving with a timer and trying to reach some spot on the map far away while enemies were moving around with a card based AI (or whatever). I wasn't reading through a giant book of text or cards with nested choices, puzzling out my next move. Instead, it was move forward, trouble has arrived.

That said, with the lens of 2017, I can understand why this might have been raked over the coals - this was the same year that he 40,000 lb gorilla (Gloomhaven) was released and I couldn't think of a better example of two games on the opposite side of the spectrum. For the record, I don't like Gloomhaven. I'll play it (and we need to run the app), but I would never try to play Gloomhaven by myself. The diceless mechanics are meh (for me) and on the whole it just feels cumbersome for what it ultimately delivers. I genuinely don't understand the insane over the top love of the game. It's good; it's not great (imho).

Is Massive Darkness orders of magnitude less complicated? Absolutely. But there was enjoyment in just moving through the dungeon like a whirling maniac and ripping through mobs of monsters. To be clear, there were two mobs and the first one killed me (starting gear is the worst), but jumping right back up with the Lifebringer and immediately returning the favor (and then collecting the magic dagger he killed me with)? Satisfying.

It's so weird how it feels like I'm finding (potentially) more enjoyment in these shorter, one-shot board games. On paper, I want to like the sprawling campaigns but in practice they never actually hit the table. I like chucking dice, collecting gear and moving forward. Maybe my opinion will change, but so far after a few hours of messing around with the tutorial scenario to get the rules down, I did want to at least share my positive experiences with it.

I'm also enjoying that for a ~5 year old game, there's plenty of answered questions and the errata has been issued; it's a "finished" game. What actually inspired me to pick this up is the recent delivery of the new KS and some early reports that they tweaked the core gameplay in such a way as to make it not fun. Instead, I saw a few people commenting on how the original felt "better". Not the campaign mode (which I know is trash), but just the one-shot mission mode.

Anyway, flame on! :wink:
Maybe next year, maybe no go
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