Octopus Overlords

Finally managed to beat Omaha and Utah beach battle maps yesterday. Omaha beach was tight but I got lucky on Utah and managed a blowout victory - ended in the bunker with 40+ soldiers, 4 stars, and 5 courage. I found almost every item available.

For those who are just getting their copies and will be trying their hand at some games soon, moving laterally on the battle maps (especially in the lower, easier sectors) is critical to winning. You want to build up your unit as much as possible before hitting the really dangerous stuff. Once you get into sectors with 10+ defense and machine gun fire, you can't hang around very long.

We're going to give this a try tonight. Can't wait to try it out.

I've been really surprised at how much I enjoy playing this solo. I have a few games that work with one player (Runebound, Mage Knight, etc.) but I have never really enjoyed them by myself. D-Day Dice is a blast to play solo.

In a desperate attempt to increase my chances of getting the game today, I'm going to say I'm not getting the game today.

I still haven't seen any movement on my tracking number either, so don't feel too bad.

I was at the $75 officer level, but I now have no idea what I'm actually getting with all the stretch goals.

Isgrimnur wrote:I still haven't seen any movement on my tracking number either, so don't feel too bad.

Me either, but delivery is still scheduled for last friday.

Isgrimnur wrote:I still haven't seen any movement on my tracking number either, so don't feel too bad.

I was at the $75 officer level, but I now have no idea what I'm actually getting with all the stretch goals.

Should be everything that hentzau posted on the last page. Off the top of my head:

Base game
Atlantikwall expansion
Collector tin
Messenger bag
Operation Neptune expansion
2-3 other battle map expansions I can't remember
Speckled dice upgrade
Cloth dice bags (5)
Several card packs (K-pack, Gott Mit Uns, couple others)

It's a LOT of stuff. I have barely scratched the surface.

MonkeyFinger wrote:Got my notice today, my copy arrives tomorrow!

Well crap... rescheduled to Thursday.

Wednesday here. Doraville, GA? She better not be exploring my expansion packs!

Grrr... I've still yet to hear anything regarding my order I just double checked and I did respond to the shipping survey from months ago when the project was funded and they asked everyone for their shipping address.

Isgrimnur wrote:Wednesday here. Doraville, GA? She better not be exploring my expansion packs!

Same update for me, shockingly.

So we got in our first game of this last night...played with 3 players, and did the Exercise Tiger maps just as they stated you should try in the rule booklet:

• Just with troops and courage, igoring all terrain features except for courage needed to advance and the troop loss due to defenses.
• Adding in Specialists, and the Machine Gun Fire and Landmines
• Then using all of the toys...all terrain features, plus items

After the first couple of turns it was pretty easy to get into the flow. I think we probably could have jumped from the inital scenario right into the full deal, because the rules changes really aren't that complicated or numerous. We really breezed though the game once we figured it out, and at no time were in danger of losing any units, since we pretty much stuck together and advanced at the same speed into the same areas each time, so we could always trade resources to help each other out.

And I did find an answer to a question we had last night...we were wondering what happens if you've spent your 3 turns in a sector and are forced to move, but don't have enough courage to do so. Apparently, if this happens, you lose. (Found this rule in the "Losing" section of the rules, not the moving section.)

Also, we played our 3rd scenario using the optional "Badges" rule. I found these to be VERY powerful, especially if the first one you draw happens to be the one that gives you a "Battle Cry" result on only 2 dice instead of 3. Stuart just kept racking up the Badges after that, by the time we ended the scenario he had about 5 of them.

But it was a lot of fun, and we were pretty much astounded and some of the defensive numbers we saw on later scenarios. Might try some solo tonight if I have a chance.

Oh, and still trying to figure out storage for all of the cards. Regular Specialists go in the bags for the dice, but the rest I guess I'm going to steal some small baggies from Tommy to store the rest of them. Any other brilliant ideas?

sigh...UPS was just here...sans my game.

hentzau wrote:Oh, and still trying to figure out storage for all of the cards. Regular Specialists go in the bags for the dice, but the rest I guess I'm going to steal some small baggies from Tommy to store the rest of them. Any other brilliant ideas?

I have the same problem with all my games that use these little Euro-size cards. Short of making your own tuckboxes or putting them in bags, I don't have any brilliant ideas. I've heard of some people using Hugo's Amazing Tape but I've never tried it. Someone needs to take a regular playing card deck box, make it just slightly larger, put a partition in the middle and you could store two decks of this size card side-by-side.

I did the same as you - regular specialists in the cloth bags with the dice and everything else in two small plastic bags. I did separate out the Atlantikwall cards and put them all together in a bag. I also went ahead and put all the Kickstarter card packs in with the regular decks, I didn't see any reason to keep them out and separated.

I have no idea how big your cards are, but would these work? If so, be sure to use the Amazon link!

http://www.amazon.com/Sunnywood-2709-Wo ... g+card+box" target="_blank
http://www.amazon.com/Bicycle-Clear-Pla ... g+card+box" target="_blank
http://www.amazon.com/Playing-Cards-all ... g+card+box" target="_blank
http://www.amazon.com/Rivers-Edge-White ... g+card+box" target="_blank

According to the Internet, the cards are 43 x 67 mm, which will fit inside the Mayday Mini Euro Card Sleeves.

stessier wrote:I have no idea how big your cards are, but would these work? If so, be sure to use the Amazon link!

http://www.amazon.com/Sunnywood-2709-Wo ... g+card+box" target="_blank
http://www.amazon.com/Bicycle-Clear-Pla ... g+card+box" target="_blank
http://www.amazon.com/Playing-Cards-all ... g+card+box" target="_blank
http://www.amazon.com/Rivers-Edge-White ... g+card+box" target="_blank

They're actually small cards...quite a bit undersized from standard playing cards. Plus, I'm looking for something that will fit inside of the boxes and tins that the game came in. I think I will probably go with the plastic baggies for now...someone may publish tuck boxes for them at some point and I'll move to them. Or some kind of elaborate foam slotting system (this is what Tommy recommends, but he's a bit of a loon about organization...)

Every time you guys banter back and forth, I imagine your avatars slapping each other in the face with a leather glove. "SEE HERE!" "NO YOU SEE HERE!"

Played through the Gold Beach map last night - you have to capture both bunkers in solo play, which really requires careful planning and movement so you don't screw yourself up. Used the Badges expansion to help, and made it successfully to the end with 211 VP. Had five badges. You can tell those are hugely powerful when you lose VP for every badge you have at the end.

Boudreaux wrote:Every time you guys banter back and forth, I imagine your avatars slapping each other in the face with a leather glove. "SEE HERE!" "NO YOU SEE HERE!"

Actually, that's how we talk in real life.

I would love to know where my set is and when it's getting here. Glad to hear it's fun though.

/grumbles

Delivery notice received. Whether or not I go bowling tonight will determine whether I can get my box. While the nearby Fedex/Kinkos is large and open 24/7, the UPS store is in a shopping center and only open until 7.

Smoove_B wrote:I would love to know where my set is and when it's getting here. Glad to hear it's fun though.

/grumbles

I feel your pain. I haven't even received a shipping notice yet. I'm guessing I was one of the last shipped out so I should be getting one as the first batch was the only one that had the issue with notices going to one person.

hepcat wrote:

Smoove_B wrote:I would love to know where my set is and when it's getting here. Glad to hear it's fun though.

/grumbles

I feel your pain. I haven't even received a shipping notice yet. I'm guessing I was one of the last shipped out so I should be getting one as the first batch was the only one that had the issue with notices going to one person.

Don't feel too bad. I never got a shipping notice. If not for UPS My Choice, I would have no idea the game is being delivered this afternoon. You will likely never get a shipping notice.

have fun playing MY copy of the game, you bastard!

I got home, saw a note to UPS on a neighbor's door, and realized I forgot to go get my box. I tossed my stuff, turned around and went back out to go get. I came home ... and had to drive around the UPS truck to get to my parking spot.

I'm kind of disappointed in myself for not upping my level to the 75 dollar level from 50 when I had a chance. Ah well, still sounds like there's a lot of game with the base and atlantikwall expansion.

MonkeyFinger wrote:

MonkeyFinger wrote:Got my notice today, my copy arrives tomorrow!

Well crap... rescheduled to Thursday.

And my box o' dicey goodness arrived yesterday.

Now I just need to find some time to play...

I wanted to try a solo game last night, but I got sucked into practicing the banjo instead.

hentzau wrote:I wanted to try a solo game last night, but I got sucked into practicing the banjo instead.

I have this image of you with a piece of straw in your mouth and wearing a pair of overalls without a shirt underneath, sitting on a rocking chair and making your neighbors uncomfortable as hell as you slowly pick out the theme from Deliverance on your front porch...

...of course, I have that same image for everyone I've ever met.

note: latest update verifies that they shipped in order of pledge. L4L got theirs first, then officers. They have some officers left and then they'll move to non-comms (where I'm at) and finally enlisted. So it looks like late next week/early the week after for yours truly.

hepcat wrote:I have this image of you with a piece of straw in your mouth and wearing a pair of overalls without a shirt underneath, sitting on a rocking chair and making your neighbors uncomfortable as hell as you slowly pick out the theme from Deliverance on your front porch...

That's funny. I have this image of him fencing in his garden as a neighbor accompanies him with an accordion...

Tommy20 wrote:

hepcat wrote:I have this image of you with a piece of straw in your mouth and wearing a pair of overalls without a shirt underneath, sitting on a rocking chair and making your neighbors uncomfortable as hell as you slowly pick out the theme from Deliverance on your front porch...

That's funny. I have this image of him fencing in his garden as a neighbor accompanies him with an accordion...

That was a very memorable Labor Day cookout, wasn't it?

fencing as in "italian grip versus french grip" or fencing as in "containing the evil that is hentzau"?

hepcat wrote:fencing as in "italian grip versus french grip" or fencing as in "containing the evil that is hentzau"?

Both, actually...

You guys are really just rubbing it in that I have no idea where my copy is or when it's getting here, eh?

Sign up at UPS yet to avoid this kind of thing in the future?

Smoove_B wrote:You guys are really just rubbing it in that I have no idea where my copy is or when it's getting here, eh?

I'm in the same boat... but I'm in South Jersey Still no email or notifications of any kind.

Isgrimnur wrote:Sign up at UPS yet to avoid this kind of thing in the future?

I was under the impression the fault lies between the developer and UPS, not UPS and Smoove_B. Maybe I'm wrong.

Still nothing, and I'm guessing we're looking at some time next week now.

I've read a bit of the manual but haven't had a chance to do anything else with it.

I showed my 6 year old his name in the manual (way more fun than my name) and he was thrilled.