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Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game

Gandalf_the_CrazedGandalf_the_Crazed VigiloConfidoRegistered User regular
edited October 2010 in Critical Failures
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Welcome to BSG: The Board Game, guaranteed to make you paranoid within 5 minutes or your money back. ;-)
After forty years passing without a single word from the Cylons, they returned, and all but eradicated the human race. In this time of strife, they must put aside the petty differences that once separated them and focus on one thing — survival.

Humanity's only hope of a future is to find a new home; a place called Earth. The Cylons, however, are in constant and tireless pursuit. They now look, breathe and bleed exactly like humans. Cylons have infiltrated the Fleet, destroyed resources, and threaten to finish the extermination they have begun. The humans have no choice but to run, plagued by the paranoia of an indistinguishable enemy.

Are you a Cylon who will help to erase any memory of the human race? Or will your resilience and determination to survive prove to the Cylons that humanity is worth saving?

This thread is intended to contain all the houserules discussion and such that is currently clogging the general board games thread. Ideas for new characters, new crisis/super crisis cards, and just general brainstorming all go here.

For more information on rules or play-by-post games, check out the following:

Rules and Utilities
Rules, from the Fantasy Flight Games website
FAQ and Errata, from the Fantasy Flight Games website
Variant Rules, including the No Sympathizer variant, from the Fantasy Flight Games website
Player Aid 1, on BoardGameGeek
Player Aid 2, on BoardGameGeek

Current and Previous Games
Game B01 - Host: Akinos
Game B02 - Host: Darian
Game B03 - Host: Valkun
Game B04 - Host: MrBlarney
Game B05 - Host: Darian
Game B06 - Host: Valkun
Game B07 - Host: Hippie
Game B08 - Host: Gandalf_The_Crazed
Game B09 - Host: Hylianbunny
Game B10 - Host: Darian
Game B11 - Host: Hippie
Game B12 - Host: pablo_price
Game B13 - Host: Nosaji (Role Play Game)
Game B14 - Host: Darian / Hermenegilde
Game B15 - Host: Hippie
Game B16 - Host: pablo_price
Game B17 - Host: Valkun
Game B18 - Host: Osvik

Game P01 - Host: Nosaji
Game P02 - Host: MrBlarney
Game P03 - Host: Hylianbunny (Role Play Game)
Game P04 - Host: Osvik[/QUOTE]

To kick things off, someone had mentioned the idea of an expansion pack which would add the Pegasus onto the board, with a few locations of its own. I think this is an interesting concept. The primary questions it raises, however, are:
  • Space Combat - How would the space sectors surrounding the Pegasus mesh with those surrounding the Galactica? Would they be entirely separate boards, or would there be overlap?
  • Would the Pegasus provide extra Vipers/Raptors?
  • What locations could the Pegasus possibly contain that aren't already covered within the Galactica?

Personally, I think it would be interesting if the admiral had to choose a separate commander for the Pegasus, and the two characters could not enter each other's ships. There could also be an additional objective card which included a step about halfway through, where for one or two jumps, no travel was allowed between the two ships at all.

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Gandalf_the_Crazed on
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Posts

  • ValkunValkun Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    That sounds terribly complicated, but if you can find a way to add Pegasus, then adding a rebel Basestar should be pretty much the same.

    Valkun on
  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    I've been waiting to say this in the [Epic] thread, but I didn't want to interrupt the game:

    THAT GAME, alone, made me drop $42 at my LGS for this, and I'm getting my roommates to play it as soon as we have the time. Oh my god I'm in love.

    Athenor on
    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • Gandalf_the_CrazedGandalf_the_Crazed Vigilo ConfidoRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Yeah, win or lose, I am hesitantly hopeful about the game I'll be playing with some folks Saturday night. I am hesitant, because I cannot imagine that it will be so intense and epic as Valkun's game. But I am hopeful, because I realize that it will be equally epic in other ways.

    Best game ever.

    EDIT: I've been thinking, there really needs to be some kind of Airlock location that we can use in situations like the one we find ourselves in with Boomer right now. :P

    Gandalf_the_Crazed on
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  • HylianbunnyHylianbunny Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Yeah, win or lose, I am hesitantly hopeful about the game I'll be playing with some folks Saturday night. I am hesitant, because I cannot imagine that it will be so intense and epic as Valkun's game. But I am hopeful, because I realize that it will be equally epic in other ways.

    Best game ever.

    EDIT: I've been thinking, there really needs to be some kind of Airlock location that we can use in situations like the one we find ourselves in with Boomer right now. :P

    Like this?

    Airlock

    Action: Select your pistol, and then, select your Cylon.

    Hylianbunny on
  • scrivenerjonesscrivenerjones Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Guy Normal: great character, or greatest character?

    scrivenerjones on
  • MaddocMaddoc I'm Bobbin Threadbare, are you my mother? Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Yeah, win or lose, I am hesitantly hopeful about the game I'll be playing with some folks Saturday night. I am hesitant, because I cannot imagine that it will be so intense and epic as Valkun's game. But I am hopeful, because I realize that it will be equally epic in other ways.

    Best game ever.

    EDIT: I've been thinking, there really needs to be some kind of Airlock location that we can use in situations like the one we find ourselves in with Boomer right now. :P

    Something very similar in MrB's game at the moment, too.

    Good quote from DA, playing Zarek.
    Can I use my ability to sacrifice very specific portions of the population?

    Maddoc on
  • abotkinabotkin Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Yeah, I think it actually runs counter to the spirit of the game to have an openly revealed cylon who is not actually "revealed".

    abotkin on
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  • ValkunValkun Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    I've been thinking about it, the easiest solution would be to prevent characters in the Brig from using Skill Cards. The phrase "It's a good strategy to keep people in the Brig" should never be uttered.

    Valkun on
  • MaddocMaddoc I'm Bobbin Threadbare, are you my mother? Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Well to be fair, the circumstances are just slightly different.

    That being the Admiral's Quarters are busted, the President has basically been cut off from the Quorum deck, and the shit is hitting the fan far too fast and hard for anyone to waste time repairing it and also trying to throw me into the brig.

    Maddoc on
  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    You should probably send a link to your game to Fantasy Flight, Valkun. The way it's been played and handled would be grat fodder for them to look at. Maybe they do intend for semi-revealed cylons to act like that.

    Athenor on
    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • MrBlarneyMrBlarney Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Actually... might it be a good idea to supplement the first post with links to reference materials and the games we've been playing here on the forum? Like the following:


    Rules and Utilities
    Rules, from the Fantasy Flight Games website
    FAQ and Errata, from the Fantasy Flight Games website
    Variant Rules, including the No Sympathizer variant, from the Fantasy Flight Games website
    Player Aid 1, on BoardGameGeek
    Player Aid 2, on BoardGameGeek

    Current and Previous Games
    Game 01 - Host: Akinos
    Game 02 - Host: Darian
    Game 03 - Host: Valkun
    Game 04 - Host: MrBlarney
    Game 05 - Host: Darian

    MrBlarney on
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  • Gandalf_the_CrazedGandalf_the_Crazed Vigilo ConfidoRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Yeah, it might be a good idea. ;-)

    What about having two separate brigs, since that actually happened in the show? One could allow you to contribute 1 card to skill checks and you could activate to try and get out. The other, no skill check contributions, and there's no way out except to Reveal Loyalty if you're a Cylon. You could make the skill check necessary to throw someone in the second brig much more difficult, if you wanted. But I don't really think that would be necessary, since no one wants to risk throwing a human player in an inescapable brig -- they'd have to be damn sure (like in this case) that the frakker's a toaster.

    Gandalf_the_Crazed on
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  • DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Needless complexity. It doesn't add a whole lot.

    The revealed "unrevealed" cylon thing is a little annoying but not horrible. Typically it's the result of some specific actions (like leaving the damn Admiral's Quarters blown up) than anything else.

    DevoutlyApathetic on
    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
  • Gandalf_the_CrazedGandalf_the_Crazed Vigilo ConfidoRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Well, what's frakking us over in this case isn't so much skill checks or whatever, because she's already in the brig. But her ability to play evasive maneuvers, strategic planning, etc. is problematic. Furthermore, she's holding on to her once-per-game ability, where she could auto-fail a crisis for us.

    It just seems like there ought to be a way for us to counter-act that more effectively than getting into rounds of "nuh-uh, I'll use Evasive Maneuvers too!"

    Gandalf_the_Crazed on
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  • DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    ....I had not thought of that use of Evasive Maneuvers. That is somewhat silly.

    My concern about fixing this would be a human player who is put in a no-skill card brig is essentially not playing the game anymore.

    An effective way of stopping Strategic planning would be to flip the cylon attack rolls so Strategic planning is always of use to the colonials and not the cylons.

    DevoutlyApathetic on
    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
  • DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Ugh. XO should also likely not be allowed to be used on revealed cylons.

    DevoutlyApathetic on
    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
  • ValkunValkun Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Ugh. XO should also likely not be allowed to be used on revealed cylons.

    As far as I know, there's a rule it can't. Revealed Cylons can't be affected by cards or abilities.

    Edit: At least I thought they weren't, trying to find it now.

    Valkun on
  • DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Hmm.....that's good at least. That would be a fucking nightmare.

    DevoutlyApathetic on
    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
  • ValkunValkun Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    It lists it in the Errata/FAQ but not in the rulebook itself.

    Valkun on
  • scrivenerjonesscrivenerjones Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    so in Valkun's game, it looks like it's going to come down to a coinflip (unless starbuck does something insane).

    to preclude situations like this, or at least keep them to a minimum, what if the rule was that you couldn't use FTL control to make your final jump? obviously this would be a boon to the cylons, so you'd have to increase humanity's starting resources to compensate, or something. but it seems like it would make the final rounds more exciting and more based on actual gameplay.

    of course, a lot of the final round is based on chance anyway, but it's more fun having it played out via crisis cards and such than just a die roll. :P

    scrivenerjones on
  • Gandalf_the_CrazedGandalf_the_Crazed Vigilo ConfidoRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    I really hope Starbuck does come up with a crazy plan, it would be so in-character for her.

    I don't much like that houserule, Robo-Bill, because it reduces some of the tension of the last round. Part of what we're facing here is the decision to risk the jump vs. trying to survive long enough to auto-jump. If one of those options were removed, it wouldn't be as stressful, because there's really only one thing you can do.

    Gandalf_the_Crazed on
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  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Without giving jack and shit away, I'd say last night just gave us a fuckton of fodder for expansions to this game, no?

    Athenor on
    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • Gandalf_the_CrazedGandalf_the_Crazed Vigilo ConfidoRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Plz 2 not be spoiling, kthxbai. ;-)

    Gandalf_the_Crazed on
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  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Plz 2 not be spoiling, kthxbai. ;-)

    I know, I know.. I'm just sayin. The board game seems based on seasons 1 and a bit of 2. You could have a season 2, 3, 4, and 4.5 expansion without much difficulty.

    Athenor on
    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • Gandalf_the_CrazedGandalf_the_Crazed Vigilo ConfidoRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Yes, definitely. I pointed out in the general boardgames thread that the episodes "The Oath" and "Blood on the Scales" provided one motherfrakker of a super crisis possibility.

    EDIT: It is possible that it would be worth playtesting a variant of the game with the airlock location, to see how it gets used in practice, with human players who get airlocked being removed from the game entirely, and Cylon players being revealed without a chance to use their loyalty card ability. It would definitely be more in keeping with the canon. EDIT2: Possibly only the admiral and president should be allowed to activate the airlock, but they are then not allowed to contribute to the resulting skill check?

    Gandalf_the_Crazed on
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  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Ehhh. I don't like anything that would remove a player from the game. It just doesn't seem in the spirit of the game. Then again... isn't saying "Hi I'm a cylon" count as revealing one of your cards, which breaks the secrecy rule and thus.. well.. breaks the game?

    Athenor on
    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • MacGuffinMacGuffin Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Yes, definitely. I pointed out in the general boardgames thread that the episodes "The Oath" and "Blood on the Scales" provided one motherfrakker of a super crisis possibility.

    EDIT: It is possible that it would be worth playtesting a variant of the game with the airlock location, to see how it gets used in practice, with human players who get airlocked being removed from the game entirely, and Cylon players being revealed without a chance to use their loyalty card ability. It would definitely be more in keeping with the canon. EDIT2: Possibly only the admiral and president should be allowed to activate the airlock, but they are then not allowed to contribute to the resulting skill check?

    You have to consider that this is a board game that plays over period of multiple hours or in the case of beeing played in this forum mulitple weeks. I think giving the players the option of removing a player entirely is worse then the possibility of a semi-revealed cylon inducing chaos.

    MacGuffin on
  • Gandalf_the_CrazedGandalf_the_Crazed Vigilo ConfidoRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Well, Boomer was being fairly overt at that point, so her "reveal" was more stylistic than anything else.

    I understand it's not much fun if you get removed from the game via airlock or something. Maybe it can only be activated after 6 or 7 distance has been accumulated? That way, no matter what, you get to play most of the game, but in that last phase, Cylons have to reveal or stay covert lest they get airlocked. EDIT: At the 7/8 distance mark, I don't think there's much chance a human player would get airlocked.

    Gandalf_the_Crazed on
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  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Well, Boomer was being fairly overt at that point, so her "reveal" was more stylistic than anything else.

    I understand it's not much fun if you get removed from the game via airlock or something. Maybe it can only be activated after 6 or 7 distance has been accumulated? That way, no matter what, you get to play most of the game, but in that last phase, Cylons have to reveal or stay covert lest they get airlocked.

    Still sounds too complicated and against the heart of the game.

    I think a stronger lockdown would make more sense. I mean, isn't Boomer playing ability cards from the brig? Doesn't that seem... er... wrong? I mean, chipping in on skill tests is one thing, but.

    Athenor on
    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Lots of horribly contrived rules and exceptions do not good rules make.

    I'd look at limiting the impact of skill cards for the cylons. They aren't supposed to use them anyways.

    DevoutlyApathetic on
    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
  • Gandalf_the_CrazedGandalf_the_Crazed Vigilo ConfidoRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Just to clarify, I'm not complaining about what Boomer's doing right now. I think Hylianbunny is a genius, a worthy adversary.

    I'm just trying to figure out a way that doesn't seem so game-ish. There's no good reason someone sitting in the brig should be able to Launch Scout, or help a Raider shoot down a Viper outside.

    Gandalf_the_Crazed on
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  • MacGuffinMacGuffin Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    How about this:
    A player in the brig can only play a skill card if the current admiral agrees. This means, if the player wants to play a card from the brig he has to say so, without revealing the card, he then needs permission from the admiral to actually do it. It's in context since people in the brig helped the fleet with Adamas permission.

    MacGuffin on
  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Just to clarify, I'm not complaining about what Boomer's doing right now. I think Hylianbunny is a genius, a worthy adversary.

    I'm just trying to figure out a way that doesn't seem so game-ish. There's no good reason someone sitting in the brig should be able to Launch Scout, or help a Raider shoot down a Viper outside.

    That's my thought exactly. Hence restricting the use of skill cards in The Brig. It's an obvious solution that fits the theme of the game. I don't know how it would affect games, as my first real playing of the game will be tonight, but just looking at the scenario it makes sense. And it gives the cylon a reason to get out of the Brig, beyond just playing the loyalty cards.



    ... Hell, if a non-revealed Cylon had that much power there would be no reason whatsoever to reveal yourself in the endgame, right?

    Athenor on
    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • Gandalf_the_CrazedGandalf_the_Crazed Vigilo ConfidoRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    I like that. Under that rule, Boomer could have frakked us over once, but that would be it.

    Good.

    Gandalf_the_Crazed on
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  • DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    You don't get a situation like Gaius in the brig organizing a massive labor union then.

    Hell, Zarek can make it easier to elect himself president from the brig. That makes no sense in that context.

    DevoutlyApathetic on
    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
  • UtsanomikoUtsanomiko Bros before Does Rollin' in the thlayRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    The strangest thing to me is that the rules allow (or fail to prevent) players in the Brig to play cards at the benefit Cylon ships. I'd think you'd have to be forbidden from playing cards on raiders/baseships' attacks, or only be able to play Action cards in the brig. The former ability gives remaining unrevealed many more advantages, as does the later by making the brig less effective at stopping overt un-cooperative actions. I don't mind players using Launch Scout while in the Brig to make a 'bad' destination choice, but you shouldn't be able to tell Raiders to evade or boost their rolls.

    Running around during a Cylon attack while the Admiral's Quarters are damaged is one thing, but covert Cylons should have good reasons to reveal themselves soon after making a bad action but before getting sent to the brig.

    Utsanomiko on
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  • DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Utsanomiko wrote: »
    The strangest thing to me is that the rules allow (or fail to prevent) players in the Brig to play cards at the benefit Cylon ships. I'd think you'd either be forbidden from playing cards on raiders/baseships' attacks or only be able to play Action cards in the brig. The former just gives never revealing many more advantages, as does the later by making the brig less effective at stopping overt un-cooperative actions.

    Running around during a Cylon attack while the Admiral's Quarters are damaged is one thing, but covert Cylons should have good reasons to reveal themselves soon after making a bad action but before getting sent to the brig.

    I really think the answer to this is adjust the skill cards so that they aren't much use to cylons. Evasive Manevers to "When a Viper would be damaged or destroyed...", change raider/basestar attacks to be defense checks by vipers/galactica (making Strategic Planning only good for humans). With the already existing ban on cylons using cards I think that makes a good compromise.

    It leaves Launch Scout but frankly Cylons have much better things to be doing over in Cylon ville than that.

    DevoutlyApathetic on
    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
  • HippieHippie Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Anyone have any ideas for new player characters? I think Anders would make a good choice, although I wouldn't know where to start with the character specific skills.

    Hippie on
  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Hippie wrote: »
    Anyone have any ideas for new player characters? I think Anders would make a good choice, although I wouldn't know where to start with the character specific skills.

    Cally and Tori better be there. I'd also like to see more of the Cylons, like... well.. all of them.

    Athenor on
    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    There's a list of them in the boardgames thread, somebody already made up a bunch. I wasn't really impressed. With some maths I think I might go through and rework them a little later.

    DevoutlyApathetic on
    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
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