The Big Board-Gaming Catch-All

edosan wrote:
Natus wrote:
Cragmyre wrote:

I caved and ordered Zombicide. I had wanted a zombie game, and I liked what I've seen of it on BGG.

Please post a review when you play it!

If you're interested...

Anyway, played a couple more times this weekend. Great game. We love co-ops so this was a no-brainer (ha!) for us. Great minis, tons of dice rolling, the company seems to be supporting the game really well with extra scenarios. It gives you a great dungeon-crawl feel.

Thanks for that! I've only heard good things, and a gentleman on another gaming forum painted his zombie minis a beautifully sick yellow.

After hearing a bunch about LNoE, I played it but was (as was usual for me this year) underwhelmed, so I am still on the hunt for a good Zombie board game that isn't overshadowed by similar PC games.

merphle wrote:

Yeah. Intrigue is also a bit intriguing (ha!) to me, as it provides for an official 5-6 player variant. We managed to get through a 5-player game just now using only the base set -- we played with 12 unique card types, and supplemented 3 blank cards as Provinces (to bring it up to 15 total), and set the game over condition to be 4 card types depleted (or Provinces). It worked out fairly well.

Unfortunately, the official 5-6 player variant is to basically play two games at once

shoptroll wrote:
merphle wrote:

Speaking of card games, though -- I've been playing Dominion (base set only) occasionally over the last year. If we were to get another box, is the recommended next set typically Intrigue, or is one of the other expansions preferred?

My second Dominion set was Intrigue, it doesn't really add much in the way of new mechanics, but the dual-purpose cards and higher degree of player interaction is nice. Seaside is also good, and the duration cards add a new element of strategy to the game. I'd pick from either of those depending on what you're looking for.

We started with Intrigue. I'm looking at Seaside or Dark Ages as our first expansion, but MonoCheli is suggesting Prosperity. Anyone have a vote between the three of them?

Teneman wrote:
shoptroll wrote:
merphle wrote:

Speaking of card games, though -- I've been playing Dominion (base set only) occasionally over the last year. If we were to get another box, is the recommended next set typically Intrigue, or is one of the other expansions preferred?

My second Dominion set was Intrigue, it doesn't really add much in the way of new mechanics, but the dual-purpose cards and higher degree of player interaction is nice. Seaside is also good, and the duration cards add a new element of strategy to the game. I'd pick from either of those depending on what you're looking for.

We started with Intrigue. I'm looking at Seaside or Dark Ages as our first expansion, but MonoCheli is suggesting Prosperity. Anyone have a vote between the three of them?

Those are three solid choices. Basically, Seaside has continuing Action cards that carry over effects into your next hand (which makes things interesting and gives slightly more long-term thinking), Dark Ages has good cards that put bad cards into your hand plus lots of cards to trash things (so your hand turns over a lot), and Prosperity is for TEH MONEY BABY. I think of the three, I like Prosperity best, but they're all really solid choices.

Here's my issue with Prosperity: the whole game becomes a chase for Platinum and Colony. Kingdom cards will mostly be ignored and it becomes a game of currency conversion and who can grind out the most Colony purchases the fastest.

In our last few games with it we simply removed those two and only used a few of the kingdom cards from that set.

You're not supposed to use Platinum and Colony for every game though. The official rules say that whatever Kingdom Card you draw first, if it's from Prosperity, put out Platinum and Colony, and if not, then don't, even if you draw other Prosperity Kingdom Cards.

Prosperity and Seaside are my favorite Dominion sets but I haven't got a chance to play with Dark Ages yet. Cornucopia is also underrated but not very good for a first set.

GrandmaFunk wrote:

Here's my issue with Prosperity: the whole game becomes a chase for Platinum and Colony. Kingdom cards will mostly be ignored and it becomes a game of currency conversion and who can grind out the most Colony purchases the fastest.

That's not much different than the base game, just the numbers are inflated.

shoptroll wrote:
merphle wrote:

Yeah. Intrigue is also a bit intriguing (ha!) to me, as it provides for an official 5-6 player variant. We managed to get through a 5-player game just now using only the base set -- we played with 12 unique card types, and supplemented 3 blank cards as Provinces (to bring it up to 15 total), and set the game over condition to be 4 card types depleted (or Provinces). It worked out fairly well.

Unfortunately, the official 5-6 player variant is to basically play two games at once :(

Why do you say that? It seems like the official variant is to do basically what I had done (add 3 Provinces from Intrigue; game ends when 4 Supply stacks are empty -- I shouldn't have added 2 additional Supply stacks; should have added some Curse cards; and I was of course missing out on the additional Treasure cards to combine in).

Anyway, I'm going to head over to Games People Play with my girls this afternoon to check things out, and may end up walking out with a copy of Intrigue or Seaside. Yes, I realize it's on sale at Amazon, but I'd like to have it for some familial gaming time today/tomorrow.

If you're interested, the Up Front kickstarter is nearing its end, quite a good deal to get one of the best card games ever.

So in response to our recent holiday gaming, the wife has given the go-ahead (hell, she initiated it) for what looks to be a fairly massive game order: Descent 2nd edition, Thunderstone expansions, Agents of SMERSH, and maybe some other stuff. (Oh -- and the Power Grid map we don't have)

Yes, my wife is awesome.

I finally got Power Grid to the table with a couple of great guests last night we had a great time. I had played it a couple times before but the guy teaching it was near the end of finishing his PHD in math something and he housed us all very soundly every time. I like how it punishes you for being in first and through out the game you are trying to not be the best player while not completely loosing either. I think it a very good game and hope to play it more. Sadly my wife has stated after seeing it played that she will never play it "It has too many numbers on the board and you have to plan ahead, so you'll win every time"

5-6 player Dominion will be VERY slow. So much down time.

shoptroll wrote:
GrandmaFunk wrote:

Here's my issue with Prosperity: the whole game becomes a chase for Platinum and Colony. Kingdom cards will mostly be ignored and it becomes a game of currency conversion and who can grind out the most Colony purchases the fastest.

That's not much different than the base game, just the numbers are inflated.

This. Change Platinum/Colony to Gold/Province and you could make that same statement about the base game. All games can be reduced to something like "it's just a race for the goal." There are a lot of ways to get to that goal, which is where the fun is.

SixteenBlue wrote:
shoptroll wrote:
GrandmaFunk wrote:

Here's my issue with Prosperity: the whole game becomes a chase for Platinum and Colony. Kingdom cards will mostly be ignored and it becomes a game of currency conversion and who can grind out the most Colony purchases the fastest.

That's not much different than the base game, just the numbers are inflated.

This. Change Platinum/Colony to Gold/Province and you could make that same statement about the base game. All games can be reduced to something like "it's just a race for the goal." There are a lot of ways to get to that goal, which is where the fun is.

The axiom of "first to buy Gold will win" has held true for the last 3 games we've played...

jonnypolite wrote:

If you're interested, the Up Front kickstarter is nearing its end, quite a good deal to get one of the best card games ever.

I went in for the whole ball of wax. Since it looks like they're going to hit all of their stretch goals, it was just too good a deal to pass up.

edosan wrote:

So in response to our recent holiday gaming, the wife has given the go-ahead (hell, she initiated it) for what looks to be a fairly massive game order: Descent 2nd edition, Thunderstone expansions, Agents of SMERSH, and maybe some other stuff. (Oh -- and the Power Grid map we don't have)

Yes, my wife is awesome.

Played through most of a game of Agents of SMERSH to learn the game. The rulebook is absolute trash. One of the worst I've ever read, but the game is actually quite simple. Make sure you download the popular cheat-sheet on BGG to learn to play.

As I said, it's a very simple game. The co-op isn't very deep in terms of working together; you're not coordinating your missions or helping the other players, but you are all contributing to beating the big bad (Dr. Lobo). The book of scenarios is pretty well done and makes for some fun, interesting stories. The rewards and status for completing missions are all very steeped in 60's/70's era spy kitsch. Overall, it's very light, and light hearted. I can see it being fun as a solo game, or with a small group of people looking for a light but heavily themed narrative game.

I imagine some will find the gameplay too light, the cooperative elements too thin, or the tension not high enough (in opposition of something like Pandemic).

I plan on playing a bunch with my kids as they get older, as well as with friends on evenings where we're wanting to mix martinis and have a light romp through a decidely cheeky Bond-meets-Get Smart game.

merphle wrote:

Why do you say that? It seems like the official variant is to do basically what I had done (add 3 Provinces from Intrigue; game ends when 4 Supply stacks are empty -- I shouldn't have added 2 additional Supply stacks; should have added some Curse cards; and I was of course missing out on the additional Treasure cards to combine in).

Huh. I think I stopped reading the "More than 4 Player Rules" after the first paragraph which states: "Our recommendation is to use both sets of Treasure, Victory, and Curse cards
in order to play 2 separate games (for example, 7 players can play one 3-player game and one 4-player game). Each group can select their own 10 Kingdom cards from both sets to play with."

I didn't realize they provided rules for a combined game. My bad.

SixteenBlue wrote:
shoptroll wrote:
GrandmaFunk wrote:

Here's my issue with Prosperity: the whole game becomes a chase for Platinum and Colony. Kingdom cards will mostly be ignored and it becomes a game of currency conversion and who can grind out the most Colony purchases the fastest.

That's not much different than the base game, just the numbers are inflated.

This. Change Platinum/Colony to Gold/Province and you could make that same statement about the base game.

Heh, every game of Dominion (base only) I've ever played has two phases: the enjoyable but slightly tense "cold war" of buying up the action cards and making money; and then the "hot war", when someone finally presses the red button (i.e. buys the first Province) and then it's nuclear armageddon (i.e. a mad rush to scoop up the rest of the Provinces and all other VPs).

Huh, now I'm going to start thinking about a Cold War/MAD/ICBM-lobbing deck-building card game... No one steal my idea! Unless a game like this already exists. Then please tell me.

The difference in cost/value between gold&province and kingdom cards is much smaller than with the platinum&colony.. if you can spot a good combination of kingdom cards to create an engine, it's worth going for it. Yes gold is still important, but good engines will eventually surpass a strictly currency/vp strategy.

the platinum&colony race is simply too quick to allow for those other strategies to be viable, imho, because the jump in scale outclasses everything else when you compare the opportunity cost of a turn.

DanyBoy wrote:
jonnypolite wrote:

If you're interested, the Up Front kickstarter is nearing its end, quite a good deal to get one of the best card games ever.

I went in for the whole ball of wax. Since it looks like they're going to hit all of their stretch goals, it was just too good a deal to pass up.

I keep staring at this. What I keep coming back to is that while it's cool to get all that bonus stuff, it sounds like a lot of it needs other nations, so without spending $80-100, a big chunk of it just takes up space.

Then there's the philosophical question of whether I'd want a WW2 game without the Russians, Brits, and Japanese anyway, so I'm back to it being an $80-$100 buy again.

Look at this this way. You could finance the $40 level to get the game, sell the stretch rewards you don't want to the regretfuls who passed on the KS, and buy the expansion nations at retail. You'd probably make your money back.

That's way too much work.

MonoCheli wrote:

I finally got Power Grid to the table with a couple of great guests last night we had a great time. I had played it a couple times before but the guy teaching it was near the end of finishing his PHD in math something and he housed us all very soundly every time. I like how it punishes you for being in first and through out the game you are trying to not be the best player while not completely loosing either. I think it a very good game and hope to play it more. Sadly my wife has stated after seeing it played that she will never play it "It has too many numbers on the board and you have to plan ahead, so you'll win every time"

I love Power Grid, but I haven't played it in years. It's one of those games that I would love to have on the iPad; however, the auctions would make asynchronous play pretty much impossible. Soon my children will old enough.

Last night my wife played King of Tokyo for the first time, along with the rest of the family (5 total). She really liked that even our daughter, who is 5, could play along with the rest of us. My wife ended up winning. She was just about to finish her turn, when my 8 year old son pointed out that she could buy a card that would bring her down to 1 hit point, but allow her to win the game on points. He's way too nice :). King of Tokyo is definitely my family game of the year.

GrandmaFunk wrote:

The difference in cost/value between gold&province and kingdom cards is much smaller than with the platinum&colony.

That is why Platinum/Colony are only meant to go out with Prosperity cards, some of which cost more than the Kingdom Cards of other sets. The jump to Platinum is not so much when some KCs cost 7 (or Grand Market's 6 without copper).

Not to mention that you're often going to want KCs to help boost you up to Gold in the first place -- you're going to need quite a bit of Gold to buy Platinum.

Anyway, I like Prosperity, but I wouldn't want to play with Platinum/Colony all the time. For one thing, it does generally make the alternate paths to VP (Gardens etc.) more difficult to pull off, since those strategies seem to have been balanced with Provinces in mind and can't hold up against an opponent gathering Colonies.

Well, we returned with Dominion: Seaside, reviewed the new rules & cards, and played a game (using one of the recommended Seaside-only card combinations). Thanks, everyone, for your recommendations!

P.S. The fact that it comes with actual metal tokens makes it so much awesomer.

Having decided we don't own enough Lord of the Rings games, we just bought Lord of the Rings: The Card Game, to add to Lord of the Rings: The Board Game, Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation, and War of the Ring.

Actually, the real reason is that my wife wants us to play more board games, but is not so keen on what mainly I've accumulated (who wouldn't want to settle in for a cozy evening of No Retreat? It's the whole Eastern Front in five hours, honey!). She said wanted more card games, rather than tonne-of-bits board games (but I just got the Equipment Pack for Memoir '44, sweetie!), so we poked around the FLGS and she discovered LOTR:TCG: a card game, a theme she likes, and—what it turns out she actually wants when playing games, vis-à-vis with me—it's co-operative. She's competitive and even the prospect of losing (to me) is enough to make her, say, refuse to finish this game of Letterpress we have going on.

So I don't know much about LOTR:TCG, because it's an LCG which was a little too close to CCG for my prejudices—though Dominion is practically an LCG at this point. But it's basically a card game with expansions, and calling it an "LCG" is just a made-up term to attract CCG players, isn't it? I am led to believe it's very good though, and IIRC Demyx and Shoptroll play it, yes? Well it was only $40, so in case I stand one little chance, here comes the jackpot question in advance: what are you doing New Year's Eve? Playing Lord of the Rings: The Card Game.

Gravey wrote:

Having decided we don't own enough Lord of the Rings games, we just bought Lord of the Rings: The Card Game, to add to Lord of the Rings: The Board Game, Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation, and War of the Ring.

Actually, the real reason is that my wife wants us to play more board games, but is not so keen on what mainly I've accumulated (who wouldn't want to settle in for a cozy evening of No Retreat? It's the whole Eastern Front in five hours, honey!).

That's hilarious, and my girlfriend and I can totally relate. Her words as she read over my shoulder was "Oh, I can feel for that woman.". And I feel for you man.

[size=7]I mean, the whole Eastern Front in five hours? It's practically a miracle that you can it done that fast![/size]

Gravey wrote:

So I don't know much about LOTR:TCG, because it's an LCG which was a little too close to CCG for my prejudices—though Dominion is practically an LCG at this point. But it's basically a card game with expansions, and calling it an "LCG" is just a made-up term to attract CCG players, isn't it? I am led to believe it's very good though, and IIRC Demyx and Shoptroll play it, yes? Well it was only $40, so in case I stand one little chance, here comes the jackpot question in advance: what are you doing New Year's Eve? Playing Lord of the Rings: The Card Game.

LCG means Living Card Game. Basically, like you said, appeal to the collector, but every set you buy has the same cards. So if you buy the adventure "The Hunt for Gollum" and I buy it, we have the same cards. No randoms, no rares, just the same

I haven't played it two player yet ( still getting comfortable to be able to teach my daughter ). But Watch it Played did a nice play through that helped me understand a lot.

I think the main difference between LCG and card game with expansions is LCGs involve building your own decks ahead of playing the game, unlike a game like Dominion, San Juan, or any other typical card game.

Other than that, yes, it's basically applying the board game with expansion business model to CCG style gameplay.

MonoCheli wrote:

I finally got Power Grid to the table with a couple of great guests last night we had a great time. I had played it a couple times before but the guy teaching it was near the end of finishing his PHD in math something and he housed us all very soundly every time. I like how it punishes you for being in first and through out the game you are trying to not be the best player while not completely loosing either. I think it a very good game and hope to play it more. Sadly my wife has stated after seeing it played that she will never play it "It has too many numbers on the board and you have to plan ahead, so you'll win every time"

We played PG the other day after a long hiatus. Compared to a lot of newer games out tere, it's almost streamlined in comparison. Great game.

Gravey wrote:

So I don't know much about LOTR:TCG, because it's an LCG which was a little too close to CCG for my prejudices—though Dominion is practically an LCG at this point. But it's basically a card game with expansions, and calling it an "LCG" is just a made-up term to attract CCG players, isn't it? I am led to believe it's very good though, and IIRC Demyx and Shoptroll play it, yes? Well it was only $40, so in case I stand one little chance, here comes the jackpot question in advance: what are you doing New Year's Eve? Playing Lord of the Rings: The Card Game.

We really enjoy LOTR. The LCG aspect makes it less spendy than regular CCGs because you won't be chasing rares all the time since everyone gets the exact same cards. Also, each new pack has another scenario to play on top of the three you get with the base game.

Break time during our first game while Mrs. Gravey feeds the baby. Currently making no progress (literally) through the first stage of the beginner scenario. Verdict so far: "This is like one of your kinds of games."

"Well, we can't return it, so... press on? With no more shadow cards?"

So I'm definitely not going to tell her about the Kickstarter for Up Front.