The Big Board-Gaming Catch-All

maverickz wrote:
Demyx wrote:

Hopefully it's just because Netrunner is unexpectedly popular. Hopeful if you want more Netrunner cards anyway.

I heard people were buying four, five, even six copies of the base game at GenCon. Could be just rumors, but that's what I heard on the geekvine.

Wouldn't be surprised--I have a buddy that bought three copies of the base game so he could be sure to be able to customize his deck as much as possible--which seems ridiculous to me, but whatevs

What's even more hilarious is that my other buddy who doesn't even own the game created a corp deck with the base game that has basically been unbeatable so far.

Johnvanjim wrote:
MilkmanDanimal wrote:
maverickz wrote:

So uh, it appears that the first Netrunner expansion, What Lies Ahead, is entirely out of stock across the whole of the internets. Is anyone aware of a place that still sells it for a sane price? The wife and I are really into it and were hoping to expand. Just last week all was normal, and now this happens.

CCG Armory has it for $18 including shipping. Just googled it, clicked Shopping, and there it was. Even though I've played it once, I've already bought two expansions. Sigh.

IT'S ALIVE!!!!! *grins* Seriously, I should stand in an alley, "Gotcha netrunner expansions here, you know you want em!"

So far board game night at your house has resulted in my purchase of Netrunner (plus two expansions), Small World (plus two expansions), Quarriors (one expansion, need to get the others), Seven Wonders (one expansion), Resistance, and Dixit. That's in what, a year or so?

Nevin73 wrote:

This seems like a pretty good tutorial for Netrunner:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/FFGflash/Netrunner/netrunner_tutorial.html

Bad form to quote your own post, I know, but I just wanted to add that the above link is the best Netrunner tutorial that I've seen yet. It makes so much more sense now.

Gencon is another animal though as August was months before the street date so people are anxious to get it and/or sell the extra copies. Pretty annoying FFG doesn't limit purchases at the con per person/group though.

Given all the press A:NR has received, and the fact that none of the local FLGS seem to be able to keep the base game or data packs in stock, I'm willing to bet it's just that popular right now

Such a remarkable departure from the CCG days where WotC overprinted the game, failed to publicize it properly, and eventually had to destroy boxes of boosters/starters to make room in their warehouses.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Quarriors (one expansion, need to get the others)

Speaking of which, they just announced a 3rd big expansion for the game which adds another dice type: quests.

CptDomano wrote:

What's even more hilarious is that my other buddy who doesn't even own the game created a corp deck with the base game that has basically been unbeatable so far. :lol:

Which faction?

rabbit wrote:

Man, Go is one of the games I just don't get. I mean, I know the game. I know the rules, I know the 10 page version of basic strategy, but I never, ever win a game. Ever. Even against plants.

The guy who teaches my Go class said that there are many proverbs in Go, and the most relevant one to a beginner is:

"Lost your first 50 games of Go as fast as you can", the idea being that in the process of being beaten, you learn an awful lot about what you did wrong.

I actually though of you when I posted about it, Rabbit. As someone who's on a podcast called "Three Moves Ahead", I figured this would be right in your wheelhouse.

Minarchist wrote:

I figure I only have room for one ludicrously deep tactical game in my brain, and between go and chess I chose chess. C'est la vie.

He also said "Go is to chess as chess is to checkers". He's probably a little biased though

*****

I'm actually finding it really refreshing. Modern games are so laden with themes and intricacies that the sparse simplicity of the mechanics of Go ("Place one stone anywhere each turn. Capture pieces and territory. The end") is a welcome change.

For comparison, I played a game of Summoner Wars last night, and the relative paucity of strategic depth and tactical options at any given time, along with the clockwork-like churn through turn phases just felt kinda empty after a few weeks of staring at a Go board with my brains leaking out of my ears.

I think that last point is really what's doing it for me. I feel mentally exhausted after a game, like my brain has just run 10 miles.

Finally got to play Netrunner by teaching a buddy at work on lunch. My explanation was pretty rough, but it was surprisingly easy to teach. I played corp and flatlined him pretty quickly. He used a backdoor program to be able to access my hand by running my archives (and I couldn't get a piece of ice on them), and twice pulled one of the two Scorched Earths I was sitting on. Then he played a card that got him some credits while landing two tags on him. Apparently he forgot about the Scorched Earths, because when he did that, he was down to two cards in his hand. Then it was my turn and he died.

Now I need to start looking for booster packs.

Jonman wrote:

The guy who teaches my Go class said that there are many proverbs in Go

Go proverbs and expressions are a whole separate level of awesome... some of my favs: "Nets are better than ladders", "Big dragons never die", "attack from thickness, not with it" and "when in doubt, tenuki!"

Jonman wrote:

The guy who teaches my Go class said that there are many proverbs in Go, and the most relevant one to a beginner is:

"Lost your first 50 games of Go as fast as you can", the idea being that in the process of being beaten, you learn an awful lot about what you did wrong.

I'd almost say this is true of any H2H "tactical" games. When I started playing Warmachine, the first few battles I had with just starter boxes was pretty easy - your options are limited to 2 or 3 different models, the playfield is usually simplified, etc.

Once we started ratcheting up to bigger games, adding in more units, models, and terrain, it opens into a whole new game - similar to what you mentioned about Summoner Wars. There would be months where I would show up, twice a week, get in 4 or 5 games, and lose every single one. Frustrating as hell, but when you get beat by some trick, or some a unit you've never seen before, it sinks in deeper than just winning.

Now I'm intrigued by Go...

shoptroll wrote:

Given all the press A:NR has received, and the fact that none of the local FLGS seem to be able to keep the base game or data packs in stock, I'm willing to bet it's just that popular right now

Such a remarkable departure from the CCG days where WotC overprinted the game, failed to publicize it properly, and eventually had to destroy boxes of boosters/starters to make room in their warehouses.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Quarriors (one expansion, need to get the others)

Speaking of which, they just announced a 3rd big expansion for the game which adds another dice type: quests.

Yep, the Quest of the Qladiator. Speaking of which, the guy who creates Quarriors needs to realize IT DOESN'T ALL HAVE TO INVOLVE A "Q'.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:
shoptroll wrote:

Given all the press A:NR has received, and the fact that none of the local FLGS seem to be able to keep the base game or data packs in stock, I'm willing to bet it's just that popular right now

Such a remarkable departure from the CCG days where WotC overprinted the game, failed to publicize it properly, and eventually had to destroy boxes of boosters/starters to make room in their warehouses.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Quarriors (one expansion, need to get the others)

Speaking of which, they just announced a 3rd big expansion for the game which adds another dice type: quests.

Yep, the Quest of the Qladiator. Speaking of which, the guy who creates Quarriors needs to realize IT DOESN'T ALL HAVE TO INVOLVE A "Q'.

Don't be Quazy!!

Cragmyre wrote:
MilkmanDanimal wrote:
shoptroll wrote:

Given all the press A:NR has received, and the fact that none of the local FLGS seem to be able to keep the base game or data packs in stock, I'm willing to bet it's just that popular right now

Such a remarkable departure from the CCG days where WotC overprinted the game, failed to publicize it properly, and eventually had to destroy boxes of boosters/starters to make room in their warehouses.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Quarriors (one expansion, need to get the others)

Speaking of which, they just announced a 3rd big expansion for the game which adds another dice type: quests.

Yep, the Quest of the Qladiator. Speaking of which, the guy who creates Quarriors needs to realize IT DOESN'T ALL HAVE TO INVOLVE A "Q'.

Don't be Quazy!!

Qut the qrap before I qick you! I'm at qritiqal mass, ready to qill!

MilkmanDanimal wrote:
Cragmyre wrote:
MilkmanDanimal wrote:
shoptroll wrote:

Given all the press A:NR has received, and the fact that none of the local FLGS seem to be able to keep the base game or data packs in stock, I'm willing to bet it's just that popular right now

Such a remarkable departure from the CCG days where WotC overprinted the game, failed to publicize it properly, and eventually had to destroy boxes of boosters/starters to make room in their warehouses.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Quarriors (one expansion, need to get the others)

Speaking of which, they just announced a 3rd big expansion for the game which adds another dice type: quests.

Yep, the Quest of the Qladiator. Speaking of which, the guy who creates Quarriors needs to realize IT DOESN'T ALL HAVE TO INVOLVE A "Q'.

Don't be Quazy!!

Qut the qrap before I qick you! I'm at qritiqal mass, ready to qill!

Hehe, that was very cwick of you

And speaking of expansions this news on Boardgame geek shows an expansion for Legendary, as well as another expansion for Quarriors called Quarriors! Quartifacts

Can people just stop making games I want for a little while? I've been waffling on Legendary, and think the Netrunner purchase will put it off for a bit, but I see Legendary every week when I take the boy to D&D night at the local game store, just staring at me, the heartless bastard. My kids are currently going through the 90s X-Men cartoon, so the presence of Magneto and such would make them seriously play the thing.

Also, the wife asked the kids to go through the game cabinet this weekend to clear up space, and they pulled out all the Parker Brothers/Hasbro/Milton Bradley games. Sorry, Battleship, all those, now gone. My wife wanted to know why, and my ten-year-old explained "Those games are dumb, they're all luck. You don't even need to think to play them."

GEEK PROUD.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Also, the wife asked the kids to go through the game cabinet this weekend to clear up space, and they pulled out all the Parker Brothers/Hasbro/Milton Bradley games. Sorry, Battleship, all those, now gone. My wife wanted to know why, and my ten-year-old explained "Those games are dumb, they're all luck. You don't even need to think to play them."

GEEK PROUD.

IMAGE(http://rlv.zcache.com/father_of_the_year_mug-p168389046573905252b7w42_400.jpg)

FWIW, I like the 3rd Quarriors expansion simply because the box has a tray big enough to hold the base game, all 3 expansions, and still room for more.

Jonman wrote:
MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Also, the wife asked the kids to go through the game cabinet this weekend to clear up space, and they pulled out all the Parker Brothers/Hasbro/Milton Bradley games. Sorry, Battleship, all those, now gone. My wife wanted to know why, and my ten-year-old explained "Those games are dumb, they're all luck. You don't even need to think to play them."

GEEK PROUD.

IMAGE(http://rlv.zcache.com/father_of_the_year_mug-p168389046573905252b7w42_400.jpg)

QFT!

Cragmyre wrote:

And speaking of expansions this news on Boardgame geek shows an expansion for Legendary, as well as another expansion for Quarriors called Quarriors! Quartifacts

That was the one I was referring to above. Based on our past experience, we'll probably miss the shipping notice, and just find it in the back of the FLGS like Qladiator. Upon which we will quommence qlorious quelebration again.

EDIT: Also, Qladiator is pretty cool with the new "locking" mechanic. Hoping we get to play a 4 player game tonight with our quasi-weekly game group.

Natus wrote:
Gravey wrote:

Yes, I was being serious! (Except for the Formula D bit.) If I want to try a block wargame while getting my medieval on, is Hammer of the Scots or Crusader Rex the better game?

They are both great games. Not sure which is better. Really depends on which one floats your boat. If you are going to play CRex, get the new 2nd Edition.

Gravey wrote:

I had others, but I've forgotten them. BGG is usually good for this, but I think 85% of those comparisons are "Combat Commander vs Lock 'N Load" over and over again.

Do some! Or you can read through this Geeklist, created by my friend Andy Young: http://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/50286/games-that-fired-other-games

I have read and enjoyed much of that Geeklist in the past.

I need some sort of Geekcagematch function:

Space empire card game: Eminent Domain vs Race for the Galaxy
Build a castle game: A Castle for All Seasons vs Caylus

(Those were a couple more I remembered.)

Gravey wrote:

Space empire card game: Eminent Domain vs Race for the Galaxy

I feel like it makes much more sense to cage match games based on their mechanics than their themes. Eminent Domain has more in common with Dominion than it does with Race for the Galaxy, and Race for the Galaxy has more in common with San Juan (or even, I would argue, Puerto Rico) than it does with Eminent Domain. Otherwise you might as well be comparing Eclipse to RFTG.

shoptroll wrote:
Cragmyre wrote:

And speaking of expansions this news on Boardgame geek shows an expansion for Legendary, as well as another expansion for Quarriors called Quarriors! Quartifacts

That was the one I was referring to above. Based on our past experience, we'll probably miss the shipping notice, and just find it in the back of the FLGS like Qladiator. Upon which we will quommence qlorious quelebration again.

EDIT: Also, Qladiator is pretty cool with the new "locking" mechanic. Hoping we get to play a 4 player game tonight with our quasi-weekly game group.

So close to my location...yet so far I tend to buy games I can solo ( and boy do I live vicariously through all of the people here ) but I'm glad my daughter is into them a bit too. Someday I'll either be able to get out of the house to join others, or have a few others over. Still, keep up the posts, all of you

The next game I plan on diving into with her will be either Thunderstone Advance or Legendary. Well, the next time I get to pick the game, this week it is her turn Btw, one of her favorites happens to be Quarriors - we don't have Qladiator just yet, but do have all the others.

Dysplastic wrote:
Gravey wrote:

Space empire card game: Eminent Domain vs Race for the Galaxy

I feel like it makes much more sense to cage match games based on their mechanics than their themes.

Maybe, but I've never been accused of making sense. I was thinking about that after I posted it, and concluded that what often attracts me to any board game is the theme: there's what you do in the game, and then there's what you do in the game. I, for the most part, like games that immerse me in the pretend action, whose mechanics serve the theme. In Dungeon Petz, I really feel like I'm raising monsters; in Descent, I'm dungeon-delving; in Wings of War, I'm engaged in a dogfight. (Obviously this isn't a hard and fast preference: I never feel like I'm building a city in Citadels, for instance, which I love for its bluffing and double-bluffing.)

Sometimes a mechanic will attract me to a game (e.g. Battle for Germany's method of having the Allied player also play the east Germans, and the Soviet player the west Germans), but most of the time it's the theme. I'm interested in Flash Point because I would love a good game that really evokes what it's like to make the decisions of a firefighter; I'm interested in Libertalia, not because it's a [whatever] game (I don't even know), but because it's a good pirate game, and I don't own any pirate games yet. I'm not looking for a good worker placement game, I want a good castle-building game. It's too easy to compare games just based on shared mechanics.

For me, the mechanics are almost irrelevant—that is to say, good mechanics will serve the theme, so exactly what those mechanics are don't need to be specified ahead of time—if the game is holistically good. The game still has to be fun to play, but I first have to want to play it.

So when I say I'm interested in a good space empire card* game, I think it's totally valid to compare RftG and Eminent Domain. Which best evokes the feel (i.e. best uses its mechanics, irrespective of what they are, to evoke the feel) of building a space empire?

Anyone else approach board games like this, to any degree? Obviously it's easier to feel this way with video games, since you can spend so long skimming along the aesthetics, whereas board games leave their mechanics bare.

*Okay, so I snuck in "card" there—that's only to eliminate million-piece sprawling all-nighters like Twilight Imperium.

Gravey wrote:

So when I say I'm interested in a good space empire card* game, I think it's totally valid to compare RftG and Eminent Domain. Which best evokes the feel (i.e. best uses its mechanics, irrespective of what they are, to evoke the feel) of building a space empire?

(If that's you're criteria, by the way, go with Eminent Domain. I've never played it, but RftG feels like building a space empire in the same way that Citadels feels like building a city, ie, not at all.)

I have pretty much the opposite opinion: Eminent Domain felt like no theme at all, like just plain min-maxing to me. RftG, while not the most thematic of space games, still feels like it has a lot more flavor to it. This is partially because I prefer RftG's pulp-fiction sci-fi illustrations to ED's more sterile "corporate logo" type illustrations.

Fair; I was more commenting on lack of theme in RftG. Quite frankly, I'm impressed that there's a "thematic" game out there with less theme.

Demyx wrote:

I have pretty much the opposite opinion: Eminent Domain felt like no theme at all, like just plain min-maxing to me. RftG, while not the most thematic of space games, still feels like it has a lot more flavor to it.

I think the issue with RftG is that it draws heavily on space/sci-fi tropes but without really doing anything of its own with them. They basically took a bunch of sources and threw them in the blender and ended up with a mashup I guess you could call bland. I don't have an issue with this though since I think while there's no overarching style/theme I can point to and say "oh that's RftG, not generic sci-fi thing X", I think they do a great job with the art and overall pulpiness.

ED is incredibly sterile and bland by comparison as far as art/theme goes. Seriously. This is ED, these are RFTG.

EDIT: Final Data Pack of the current A:NR block is coming Q3 2013. Looks like they tweaked Corp War to be less broken (here's the old version for comparison), and Runner is getting Deep Thought (old version) back on the Shaper faction. Also, looks like frying runners is going to be a lot more fun now

I'm hoping that if they're wrapping up Genesis Cycle packs in Q3, that means we're getting a big box expansion in Q4.

shoptroll wrote:
Demyx wrote:

I have pretty much the opposite opinion: Eminent Domain felt like no theme at all, like just plain min-maxing to me. RftG, while not the most thematic of space games, still feels like it has a lot more flavor to it.

I think the issue with RftG is that it draws heavily on space/sci-fi tropes but without really doing anything of its own with them. They basically took a bunch of sources and threw them in the blender and ended up with a mashup I guess you could call bland. I don't have an issue with this though since I think while there's no overarching style/theme I can point to and say "oh that's RftG, not generic sci-fi thing X", I think they do a great job with the art and overall pulpiness.

I have considered using the Race for the Galaxy cards for a sci-fi storytelling game along the lines of Once Upon a Time...

Suprised no one's posted this yet. Sure, nobody around here plays the game, but it's not every day a board game makes national news.

Gravey wrote:

So when I say I'm interested in a good space empire card* game, I think it's totally valid to compare RftG and Eminent Domain. Which best evokes the feel (i.e. best uses its mechanics, irrespective of what they are, to evoke the feel) of building a space empire?

Ah ok, I think I follow now. I think my problem was that my answer would honestly be "neither". I agree with both Chumpy and Demyx that the theme feels pasted on in both. Take RFTG - the role selection mechanic doesn't speak to me thematically at all, the cards in your hands are an abstraction of some kind of resource, but also being the things you build doesn't really make sense, etc.

So when I look at two games where I think the theme is pasted on to begin with, it makes more sense for me to make comparisons based on mechanics, since the theme doesn't really matter for either.

Overall, I do think I look at games the same way, though. My favorite games are those I think have mechanics which evoke the theme, I just might be harsher regarding the mechanics.

Minarchist wrote:

Suprised no one's posted this yet. Sure, nobody around here plays the game, but it's not every day a board game makes national news.

It's not a mechanical change; Hasbro is doing it for the publicity.

That said, Hasbro has been doing some interesting things on their other games (Battleship with hexes, Risk Legacy, etc.) so maybe someday they'll manage to make a version of Monopoly that isn't horribly broken?