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Tabletop Freeplay discussion

24

Posts

  • XomasXomas Dork Windsor, CORegistered User regular
    I know it isn't necessarily a table top game, however I am looking forward to a pretty epic game of Monopoly. It is odd, slightly not fit for the scene, but you know there has to be some great players there. And by epic, I mean a game that lasts half the night and the winner is tweaking out because they just skipped Park Palace and landed on GO to watch the other guy land on Baltic Ave. to lose the game. Yeah, I might just have to bring a copy with me and see if I can get one going.

  • the_fuzzy_penguinthe_fuzzy_penguin OhioRegistered User regular
    Scorpius wrote: »
    I need to correct something I said earlier. The signup emails for D&D Volunteers have gone out. Learn to play D&D 4e is not on the schedule. In fact it does not appear that there will be any official D&D 4e events.
    Oh man, really? Our group has been considering D&D for a little while now and I was hoping a learn to play session at PAX would push us over the edge to finally dive in and go for it!

  • scottyb1218scottyb1218 BostonRegistered User regular
    Too bad to hear that. Was thinking I would get into D&D again this year...

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  • zerzhulzerzhul Registered User, Moderator mod
    It is very possible that they will be pushing dnd5

  • ScorpiusScorpius Registered User regular
    Yes my understanding is there will be D&D Next events as well as D&D Adventures (the board game line).

    If you want something more akin to the D&D experience, but not in beta like D&D Next, stop by Games on Demand to play Dungeon World. Tabletop recently ran an episode for Dragon Age. If you've never played a Tabletop RPG then that'll be a good reference for what DW will be like.

  • the_fuzzy_penguinthe_fuzzy_penguin OhioRegistered User regular
    Scorpius wrote: »
    Yes my understanding is there will be D&D Next events as well as D&D Adventures (the board game line).

    If you want something more akin to the D&D experience, but not in beta like D&D Next, stop by Games on Demand to play Dungeon World. Tabletop recently ran an episode for Dragon Age. If you've never played a Tabletop RPG then that'll be a good reference for what DW will be like.
    Ok, great! I'm actually waiting for the new Tabletop episode on Thursday so I can see the conclusion of their game. This is probably a topic that should be moved elsewhere, but with D&D would you recommend new players stick with 4e, or would the beta be fine to start off with?

  • ScorpiusScorpius Registered User regular
    D&DNext is free. It's also not done. It should play fairly well, but there's bound to be rules missing or less than balanced elements.

    4e has no new content, but the published content is still readily available.

    If I was teaching someone D&D, it would be 4e. They even have a Red Beginner's Box that contains what you need to get started and can often be found in Barnes & Noble.

  • flatlineflatline Registered User regular
    Scorpius wrote: »
    I need to correct something I said earlier. The signup emails for D&D Volunteers have gone out. Learn to play D&D 4e is not on the schedule. In fact it does not appear that there will be any official D&D 4e events.

    Is Willie B running things again? I didn't get any emails this year.

    East 2014 Status: Badge [ Friend got it ] Hotel [Crappy] BYOC [YES] Transport [ ] Name on Forum Badge [ ] Challenge Coin [ ]
  • the_fuzzy_penguinthe_fuzzy_penguin OhioRegistered User regular
    Scorpius wrote: »
    D&DNext is free. It's also not done. It should play fairly well, but there's bound to be rules missing or less than balanced elements.

    4e has no new content, but the published content is still readily available.

    If I was teaching someone D&D, it would be 4e. They even have a Red Beginner's Box that contains what you need to get started and can often be found in Barnes & Noble.
    Thanks Scorpius! Sounds like I'll probably try out Dungeon World at PAX instead.

  • ScorpiusScorpius Registered User regular
    flatline wrote: »
    Is Willie B running things again? I didn't get any emails this year.

    Yes, I believe the email was sent out by the Willie of B.

  • iltailta Registered User regular
    edited February 2013
    Back to board games:

    I'd second the suggestions already here: Small World (or Small World: Underground) is the logical evolution of Risk, plus it's hilarious and goofy fun. Who doesn't want to be the Pillaging Halflings, or the Dragonmaster Giants? It's all the great area-control, hasty-alliance-making, and frantic risk-taking of Risk, without the 8 hour playtime and Australia-centered gameplay. There are also a number of expansions that add to the replay value.

    Evo is another great area-control game. As a bonus, you are controlling a bunch of dinosaurs, which you evolve over the course of the game to survive better in a changing climate. It's a LITTLE dry in the gameplay department, but it's still really fun when you're actually playing, because dinosaurs. I'd go Small World before Evo, but Evo is still a great game that gets a lot of requests.

    Dominion is the reason that Deckbuilding games are big right now. I've loved it but I'll agree that after a few expansions it starts to get unwieldy, both game-wise and physically (each box has 200+ cards, which is a lot of paper to carry around with you). I have at least two boxes I haven't even OPENED. I played Core Worlds the other day with the Galactic Orders expansion and enjoyed it a LOT, it feels like the deckbuilding experience pared down and focused, with a great narrative and a feeling like what other players do actually changes what you'll do. Don't play without the expansion, though, as many consider the game broken without it. That said, Dominion and about two expansions should keep you pretty happy for a long while, it's very easy to pick up and play, and the strategy is surprisingly deep for how simple the game's rules are (each turn, you play a card, and you can buy a card -- that's it! But maybe the card lets you draw another card and play it, or maybe it lets you buy TWO cards, or maybe it lets you copy the last card someone else played, or it does something else weird and awesome. And towards the end of the game you're slinging some pretty powerful combos around). If you're just getting into deckbuilding it's hard to recommend any other game, except maybe Eminent Domain, if you can get your hands on it.

    I didn't like Race for the Galaxy myself, but I know a number of people swear by it. It could just be that I played my first game with a bunch of veterans, after a long evening of gaming. Not exactly ideal. But I'd suggest a good demo of that game before purchasing it blind.

    7 Wonders is great, although it's very symbol-driven and might confuse new players if you don't teach it really well. Plays very fast, accommodates up to 7 players, and there are numerous paths to victory so each game is different. The Leaders expansion adds another delicious layer of strategy, but even all by itself 7W is pretty great.

    Pandemic (which is a fantastic game) JUST re-printed and the old edition won't be compatible with future expansions. So make sure you get the one that looks the picture on the right. Also worth noting: a few purchasers have complained about misprinted boards and cards. If that happens, you can contact Z-man Games directly and they'll send you a corrected component for free, nice and easy. Pandemic, like any pure co-op game, can suffer from "bossy leader" syndrome, where one player figures out what the best move is and then tells everyone else what to do. There are various ways to deal with this, but if you have That Guy in your group it's going to make the experience not very fun for everyone else.

    Another choice in the same vein as Pandemic is Flash Point: Fire Rescue. The rules are a bit more fiddly, but because the game is less predictable there's less of the bossy leader problem. Also, the firefighting theme is pretty fun.

    I know a lot of people like Munchkin but honestly, there's barely any actual gameplay there and it can take FOREVER to play. Mostly the cards are funny, and it pretty much lives or dies on your ability to be amused by some loving and well-executed DnD-mockery. I find I get sick of it pretty quickly, but then again I play games to make strategic choices, to agonize over carefully considered options and test my mettle against (or with) my friends; others play games to simply pass the time while they hang out, and the gameplay itself is secondary. Consider carefully which category your friends are likely to fall into. Of course, there's nothing wrong with falling into the second type of gaming, even if it's not what *I* might choose, and many people start there before diving into the real strategy. But pound-for-pound there are much stronger gaming choices out there, in my opinion -- Small World, Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan (can't believe nobody's mentioned that one, it's the CLASSIC entrypoint to Euro-style gaming!), and Pandemic.

    Except for 7 Wonders, all of the games I've mentioned top out at 4 or 5 players -- Catan can play 6 with the 5/6-player expansion, but it starts to drag and your time is better spent splitting into two groups and playing two three-person games.

    As for games for larger groups, Shadows Over Camelot is a good introduction to the "co-op with a traitor" mechanic (which also has the benefit of absolutely stymying the bossy player, since you can't always trust him!), and it's gorgeous and very fun. However, the real exemplar of the form is Battlestar Galactica. You don't need to enjoy the show, or even know anything about it, to enjoy the game. It's one of the tensest, most meta-gamey fun games you can play. However, if players aren't focused, or if they're learning, it can take a LONG time to get through -- three+ hours if everyone is new. Both of these games go to 6 officially, and I've played BSG with 7 (you'll need one of the expansion packs to do that, and it adds to the length, but oh, is it ever worth it).

    Another choice for large groups who just want to have fun is Cash n Guns. It comes with a big bunch of orange foam pistols. Basically you are a group of criminals having a Mexican Standoff over the loot. You point guns at each other and try to bluff your way to victory. This one gets requested at basically every party I go to. I'll almost certainly be bringing this to Pax so if you come to the freeplay area and see a bunch of people pointing orange guns at each other while shouting and laughing uproariously, I'll probably be one of them.

    ilta on
  • MaawdawgMaawdawg CT, USARegistered User regular
    edited February 2013
    Thanks for all the recommendations, I have done a ton more digging into game and have quite a list going. I don't know how much I will end up trying to buy at PAX as far as comparable prices to my online hunting and also for the reason of having to lug stuff around the show, with the swag alone a backpack fills quick. I ended up just ordering Munchkin Deluxe and that should be here in the next few days and with the tone of our group and the video game RPG history of everyone the dungeon themed jokes should play well. We just got into the Survival of the Fittest expansion for Last Night on Earth in our session last night and ran three full plays in about 5 hours starting with 6 people and losing 1 each play due to time. The game is fun but it is so streaky and luck based it seems to fight long term thinking and strategy. Throwing card draws on top of dice rolls makes the game super luck based and that can get frustrating at times. We started playing it more towards roleplaying the movie theme in the game it is more bearable, i.e. last night we found out the Sheriff has been hiding he is blind in one eye and that is why he missed shooting at zombies with his pistol at point blank range 5 turns in a row. It lightens the mood of the competitive game and takes the sting out of feeling like you can't accomplish anything no matter how sound your strategy is Once we have a bigger library I don't know how much this one will get played because we have been filling all of our game nights with it since the first week of January already. It will be nice to have Munchkin to mix in for the next month or so.

    This is part of the list I have put together for now, until I can get a chance to try some stuff out at East. I may be able to get more bang for my buck than I thought due to some recommendations at BoardGameGeek. More than likely I will only grab what seems very cheap at PAX and then put in a big order for what we decide on with CoolStuffInc early in the week when we get back. They are a FLGS based in Florida, and their online prices are competitive or better than Amazon in most cases. I won't be supporting my "local" (30-45 minute drive) FLGS but at least I will be supporting a FLGS instead of just feeding a giant faceless corporation. Anyway, this is what I am thinking now after researching all the recommendations here and the ones I got at BGG...

    Pretty much sure buys: Munchkin 2: Unnatural Axe, Dominion, Cutthroat Caverns, Pandemic: Second Edition, Gloom
    Hoping to fit in the budget: Descent: Journeys in the Dark, Small World, Marvel Legendary

    Also interested in (to varying degrees): 7 Wonders, Ingenious, King of Tokyo, Shadows over Camelot, Lords of Waterdeep, Merchants&Marauders
    On the radar but probably not soon: Thunderstone Advance, The Adventures: Pyramid of Horus, Risk Legacy, Defenders of the Realm, Eminent Domain

    If I can grab the majority of the top 2 lists above we will have a library to hold us for a while. If I got everything in those two lists it would be about $250 so I will likely omit 1 or 2 to maintain a bit lower budget. Then I can add in other games slowly once we get some play in on the first batch. If Dominion goes as well as I think it will in the group I will likely grab the Intrigue expansion, then Thunderstone Advance and/or Eminent Domain after that at some point. If Pandemic gets a lot of play I could add Defenders of the Realm, etc. A lot of it is just going to have to be played by ear as we go along and see what the group takes to most.

    Beyond that I am going to be hitting the big flea markets around here in the spring and summer looking for the more common "classic" games because I know I have seen copies of them there pretty cheap before (Catan, Puerto Rico, Ra, Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, etc). That will be the cheapest way to fill out that section of the catalog.

    Anyway, that is where I stand after three weeks of researching and watching youtube videos. Thanks again for all the help and recommendations, they have helped immensely in giving me a direction to start in. :D

    Maawdawg on
  • SchmulkiSchmulki Registered User regular
    ilta wrote: »
    Who doesn't want to be the Pillaging Halflings, or the Dragonmaster Giants?

    You didn't even mention my 2 favorites:

    Muddy Mudmen (from the redundancy department of redundancy) and the best one ever, Wise Kraken.
    ilta wrote: »
    Dominion is the reason that Deckbuilding games are big right now. I've loved it but I'll agree that after a few expansions it starts to get unwieldy, both game-wise and physically (each box has 200+ cards, which is a lot of paper to carry around with you). I have at least two boxes I haven't even OPENED.

    I....disagree. I kinda stopped playing just before Dark Ages, but until then, had every expansion (other than Alchemy, cause it sucks) and every promo (other than Governor, which is just lolOP). I also had all my cards sleeved, and with some creative cutting of a couple of card boxes, fit almost everything into the box for the Base set, only. Player Mats and a few extra cards were put in one other card box that went on the side and that long box would have EASILY fit 2+ more expansions. It was quite empty.

    As for being unweildy game-wise, I'm not sure what could be considered difficult about it. Every expansion adds maybe one new mechanic, but it's VERY rare to be playing with more than a couple of extra mechanics per game and, at worst, it's just a matter of reviewing rules for those mechanics before the start of the game, and everyone who knows the game should be good.
    ilta wrote: »
    I played Core Worlds the other day with the Galactic Orders expansion and enjoyed it a LOT, it feels like the deckbuilding experience pared down and focused, with a great narrative and a feeling like what other players do actually changes what you'll do. Don't play without the expansion, though, as many consider the game broken without it.

    I'll have to give it a shot with expansions. I played the base a couple of times, and it just felt....a tad off. I never felt like I had enough control over my deck (the speed it moves, trashing cards, etc.) and the runaway leader problem was a real one. Also, of course, compared to Dominion or most other deck-builders, it's a MUCH longer play-time. Hopefully expansions fixed that.
    ilta wrote: »
    If you're just getting into deckbuilding it's hard to recommend any other game, except maybe Eminent Domain, if you can get your hands on it.

    I have had a copy of Em Do since it came out. I didn't know it was tough to find! At this point, I am looking to trade/sell it, so if anyone's interested, let me know :) The only warning I have about the game is the learning curve. The "advanced" cards you can add to your deck are all available all the time and are all technically unique (some are very similar, but no 2 are EXACTLY the same). It takes a few games for it to really "click" and get all those cards down, but once you do, it's a fun game. It's just a matter of everyone in your group putting in that effort to start.

    Also, there's expansions coming out (came out? I haven't looked) for it. I play-tested them a while back and at least at that time, they felt like they didn't add a ton to the game other than more complexity. Hopefully they've been worked on since then and they'll be in better shape, but they add even more of those "advanced" cards so that learning curve goes even steeper.
    ilta wrote: »
    I didn't like Race for the Galaxy myself, but I know a number of people swear by it. It could just be that I played my first game with a bunch of veterans, after a long evening of gaming. Not exactly ideal. But I'd suggest a good demo of that game before purchasing it blind.

    Agreed. I've played it a whole bunch of times, know it well enough. It's the definition of a 5/10 game for me. It's.....there. It's not bad. It's not broken. Absolutely NOTHING about it excites me. I like what Em Do did with the theme/role selection MUCH better.

    Oh, there's also San Juan, which is literally a dumbed down version of Race (backstory: Race was originally made to be a card game version of Puerto Rico, then after making it, were told it was too complex, so it was rethemed and released as Race, while San Juan was made to be the card game version of Puero Rico).
    ilta wrote: »
    7 Wonders is great, although it's very symbol-driven and might confuse new players if you don't teach it really well. Plays very fast, accommodates up to 7 players, and there are numerous paths to victory so each game is different. The Leaders expansion adds another delicious layer of strategy, but even all by itself 7W is pretty great.

    I think Cities adds even more than Leaders did, as they give more attack options, more ways to avoid Military, more ways to get big Military, and so on. The symbols are tough at first, but there's a good player guide on the back of the rules (which I imagine is on Boardgamegeek to print out extra copies, or of course, just photo-copy it), but after you get them, they just make sense. Again, not my favorite game, probably a 6/10 for me, but it works well when you have a larger group.
    ilta wrote: »
    I know a lot of people like Munchkin but honestly, there's barely any actual gameplay there and it can take FOREVER to play.

    Ehhh, that really hasn't been true for a couple of years now. In JUST the base set, the ratio of cards is just a bit off, and there's this early-game slog that just drags the game out early on. There's too many high-level monsters, too few mid-level monsters, not enough cards in the Door deck that help the players, and too many items that just give a +1 power or are only usable by a certain race/class. Later sets fix that ratio a LOT and with the rules they released a couple of years back to start with 4 cards form each deck instead of 2, it gets you through the early game MUCH faster. It's honestly been a LONG time since I've had a game of it last more than an hour (unless someone's stupid enough to play a game of it with over 5 players, then the game will just never end).

    As for gameplay, it is what it is. It's not meant to be a euro, it's very random, and it's a lot of being "munchkin-y." There's been more than 1 time where I'm the highest power person, in a game, purposely screw someone in a fight by himself when I'm the only one who can actually help, then offer to help for a treasure or 2. There's been a lot of crazy card combos and comeback wins/losses. It's all part of the game.

  • iltailta Registered User regular
    To clarify on what I meant by the Dominion "weight" issue -- it's primarily the actual, literal physical weight of the cards. I sleeve too and I agree, there's no problem fitting a million cards in the box even with the sleeves. But basically at that point you're carrying around a literal ream of paper, plus a not-insignificant number of metal bits from Seaside. It's a lot to carry around for a 30 minute game, is what I mean. Also, the more new cards you add to your set the more people have to read when you deal them out. But yeah, it's not like Catan: Cities and Knights or something, where you're basically overhauling the game. It's a consideration but it's a fine game and there are definitely worse ways to spend your money.

    Maadawg: I will say that your first Dominion purchase should probably be Intrigue. Dominion vanilla is fine but Intrigue features more interactivity and, simply, more interesting cards. Both come with everything you need to play, whereas the other expansions (such as Seaside, another good purchase) require either Dominion or Intrigue. You'll end up buying both, though, trust me.

    7 Wonders: I haven't played with Cities but it's on my list too. Maybe I'll end up picking it up at PAX. :)

    The Em:Do being hard to find isn't based on anything except that it was a VERY popular Kickstarter that's been out for a year. Generally speaking similar products (Flash Point, when it was at a similar moment in its production cycle) are hard to find. So before you offer to sell yours you may want to check my work; perhaps a second ship has since arrived, flooding the market! :)

  • iltailta Registered User regular
    edited February 2013
    BTW, all, if you guys want to make requests for what I pack from my collection, here's the list, as posted in the pre-PAX gaming discussion but we should continue the conversation about it here:

    http://boardgamegeek.com/collection/user/ilta (make sure to set the filter to "owned: YES")

    Almost certainly bringing: For the Win, Eminent Domain, X-Wing Miniatures (enough for both sides to wage 100+ point battles), Cash n Guns.

    Requested: Ground Floor (hoping it'll fit in the bag). EDIT: Khadour to the rescue!

    ilta on
  • SchmulkiSchmulki Registered User regular
    ilta wrote: »
    To clarify on what I meant by the Dominion "weight" issue -- it's primarily the actual, literal physical weight of the cards.

    Fair enough. That set I'm talking about weighed about....35 lbs. Throw in my Power Grid (with most expansions) and that bag, before adding anything else, was over 50 lbs.
    ilta wrote: »
    The Em:Do being hard to find isn't based on anything except that it was a VERY popular Kickstarter that's been out for a year. Generally speaking similar products (Flash Point, when it was at a similar moment in its production cycle) are hard to find. So before you offer to sell yours you may want to check my work; perhaps a second ship has since arrived, flooding the market! :)

    Well, it's in stock for just under $30 on amazon, so I don't think it's "that" hard to find. It's just a game I kinda played to death and if I can get something for it (especially a trade for another game I'd like!) then I'd love to do so. I like to churn my collection as much as possible, so I'm not sitting on games I'm not really playing. :)

  • KhadourKhadour Dinosaur Cupcake Hillsboro, ORRegistered User regular
    ilta wrote: »
    Requested: Ground Floor (hoping it'll fit in the bag).

    If you don't want to schlep your copy down, I can bring mine - I'm a local, so bag limits are not especially problematic for me. Also, I will happily bring stuff from my collection down for people to play, even if I wind up doing the PokeCrawl instead (which is about 50/50 at this point) - just let me know what you would like me to bring!

    Do unto others 20% better than you would expect them to do unto you, to correct for subjective error - Linus Pauling
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  • iltailta Registered User regular
    edited February 2013
    Well, obviously Penny Arcade: The Card Game is a pretty safe bet. :) I'm eager to try Lords of Waterdeep at some point, but I'm pretty sure the WotC guys are gonna be there in force to push it. If you bring GF that would be great, especially if I can't get a play in and don't know it ahead of time.

    ilta on
  • Black Flame ZealotBlack Flame Zealot D&D Program Manager Renton, WARegistered User regular
    Just so folks are aware...

    We are running D&D Next games that are beginner friendly all weekend long. The adventure is called Danger at Darkshelf Quarry, and it's a great 2 hour low level game with characters provided.

    We'll also have board games on hand for you to play all weekend, as well as other D&D events for more experienced folks. All games are free to play, and we will have a special feature game running on Friday and Saturday evening at 7 pm.

    We can also let you check out a board game to take over to the free play area if we happen to run out of table space, which is only likely to happen during the feature event times.

    More information to come on the Wizards site, and we'll have an ad in the program book with all the times and event descriptions.

    Looking forward to seeing you there!

    D&D Program Manager
    Wizards of the Coast
    http://www.twitter.com/christulach
  • lefthandpunklefthandpunk Registered User regular
    Hey everyone. Usually at PAX I end up gaming among the handful of friends I attend with, but seeing as they aren't Netrunner players I'm looking for some folks to engage in cyberpunk shenanigans with. I'm new to the game but I'd really like to give it a shot against some other people. As of right now I've only played a couple times with a friend (who is not attending).

    Anyone interested in meeting up and having a go at it?

  • SnazzyGentSnazzyGent Registered User regular
    I'm in much the same boat. I haven't played yet, but Netrunner is something that's been on my wish list for a while now. Count me in.

  • SysErrSysErr Registered User new member
    I have decks from the first release, but I see it's now a boxed set. I was looking forward to checking it out at PAX East. I'd be happy to sit in for a game and try it out.

  • lefthandpunklefthandpunk Registered User regular
    SysErr wrote: »
    I have decks from the first release, but I see it's now a boxed set. I was looking forward to checking it out at PAX East. I'd be happy to sit in for a game and try it out.

    Yeah I mean I've got my decks built from the new edition + two of the data packets. I have my Runner and Corp deck. If I can't find people with their own I would be happy to switch off with the ones I brought. I'm just hoping to find some other players to test my build against.

  • mala_cavillamala_cavilla Registered User new member
    I poked through this thread and didn't see anyone hosting any tabletop RPG games. I'm attending solo and would like to do some sort of quick campaign. I'd prefer Vampire the Masquerade (V:tM), or any oWoD content. But if someone is willing to have me in a rule set I'm not familiar with, I'm down to try anything.

  • ScorpiusScorpius Registered User regular
    Hey Mala,

    Games on Demand is all tabletop RPGs. If you're looking to play a one shot they'll be your best bet. I'm not sure if anyone is running Vampire but its certainly possible.

    Most GMs there are more than happy to teach a new system. I'll be running Pulp!, Fiasco, Dungeon World, Marvel Heroic and Dragon Brigade in my hours with them.

  • MaawdawgMaawdawg CT, USARegistered User regular
    Scorpius wrote: »
    Most GMs there are more than happy to teach a new system. I'll be running Pulp!, Fiasco, Dungeon World, Marvel Heroic and Dragon Brigade in my hours with them.

    I may hit you up for a crash course in Marvel Heroic, I have had it for a year and we still haven't played. I need to bounce the idea off the couple people from my group going with me. If they are up for it I will try to drop you a PM here and try to figure something out if that is alright.

  • ScorpiusScorpius Registered User regular
    Go right ahead. I don't know my what hours are devoted to GoD versus other activities yet. That won't get sorted out until after the official schedule drops.

  • 38thDoe38thDoe lets never be stupid again wait lets always be stupid foreverRegistered User regular
    APacMan wrote: »
    I'd really like to see / partake in a game of Chaos of the Old World (Warhammer), or a session of Dresden Files - RPG (Both more time consuming than the Geek & Sundry / TableTop games). Those have been on my list to try for a while, but being so specific to their setting it can be tough to get a group together.

    Maybe my group is just really open to new games, but everyone loves Chaos without really knowing anything of the setting. Our problem is getting a group of exactly 4 which rarely happens. I'd bring my copy to PAX if I were staying at the Westin this year. Hopefully someone will bring their copy.

    Might want to try Hey That's My Fish at PAX. It was in the freeplay pile last year and it is a nice short game that is a lot of fun. Also it was around $12.

    38thDoE on steam
    🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀
    
  • coolster23coolster23 Registered User regular
    A lot of great information here about tabletop games. I have played a bunch myself, definitely can recommend Dominion and Munchkin as awesome times. Also my group of friends just got into a campaign on Descent 2nd Edition and are having a blast. Just love the quests and how the objectives work between overlord and heroes. We have even managed to play it over google hangout since we live a good distance away.

    Regarding D&D and Dragon Age, I know last year there were tables devoted to teach D&D 4th edition(I think) will there be tables again to teach/GM a group for D&D and what about Dragon Age any word if that will have similar tables?

  • SchmulkiSchmulki Registered User regular
    38thDoe wrote: »
    APacMan wrote: »
    I'd really like to see / partake in a game of Chaos of the Old World (Warhammer), or a session of Dresden Files - RPG (Both more time consuming than the Geek & Sundry / TableTop games). Those have been on my list to try for a while, but being so specific to their setting it can be tough to get a group together.

    Maybe my group is just really open to new games, but everyone loves Chaos without really knowing anything of the setting. Our problem is getting a group of exactly 4 which rarely happens.

    I really dig Chaos. The pieces are great, the theme is REALLY there, it feels well-balanced while at the same time, giving everyone asynchronous powers, which is great. But for someone who isn't used to gaming, it can be daunting. It's finicky. There's a lot of little details, some of which aren't the most obvious on the surface (when things take affect, how effects which look like they stack or conflict actually interact with each other, etc.) and the rulebook, while it makes sense for learning initially, is not easy to get clarification from. I've done more than my share of googling situations in hopes of finding a response on boardgamegeek.

    Additionally, yes, you're right, you NEED 4, for this game. It's just one of those games that does not work with less. It's balanced for 4. The map is the right size for 4. And just blocking off some area will completely unbalance things for/against races depending on what is blocked off.

    And finally, yes, it's completely playable without really knowing the theme. I know NOTHING about the Warhammer universe. All I know of the theme, the races, etc. are what the game/rules tell me, and the jokes we make around the table about them. If you don't know the game, it gives enough to be thematic, but little enough to have fun with, if you want.

  • BigfatasianguyBigfatasianguy Registered User new member
    edited March 2013
    HI just wanted to chime in on this thread. You can always find someone to play games with when your there. If you head to the "free" play area, you can pretty much "borrow" any game they have. Also many vendors will have people there whose only job is to demo games.

    If you can't find someone to play or teach you a game. Head over to pretty much any vendor and ask them. Most will be happy to play/teach you a game.

    zerzhul on
  • jimtherabidcowjimtherabidcow Registered User regular
    Just throwing this out there and seeing if anyone is doing a DnD game at Pax East, or thinking about setting one up, and would love to join if you guys would take a simple noob. I have very few dnd sessions under my belt so my overall knowledge on how to do...basically everything, so if your willing to put up with that let me know. would love to get a game going at some point.

  • ScorpiusScorpius Registered User regular
    Hey Jim,

    Check out the official D&D THread http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/173263/dungeons-dragons-at-pax-east-2013

    They're running mostly the D&D Next playtest rules but Asmodeus Lore also said if enough people want it, he'll run a D&D 4e Learn to Play Session.

  • jimtherabidcowjimtherabidcow Registered User regular
    Scorpius wrote: »
    Hey Jim,

    Check out the official D&D THread http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/173263/dungeons-dragons-at-pax-east-2013

    They're running mostly the D&D Next playtest rules but Asmodeus Lore also said if enough people want it, he'll run a D&D 4e Learn to Play Session.

    Thanks for point this out, will really help me set up what panels i want to go to and set aside some time for it. I was originally looking for someone who wanted to do there own story and keep the game going after Pax East, if something like that could be arranged.

  • revengeancefulrevengeanceful Registered User regular
    Yeah I mean I've got my decks built from the new edition + two of the data packets. I have my Runner and Corp deck. If I can't find people with their own I would be happy to switch off with the ones I brought. I'm just hoping to find some other players to test my build against.
    I'll be there with my Corp and Runner decks that I built from two copies of the Core Set + the first expansion and would absolutely love to play some games with people.

  • bschorybschory Cambridge, MARegistered User regular
    edited March 2013
    Game suggestion: Dixit

    I just had a chane to play for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and had a blast with my friends. Basically you all draw cards with pictures on it. The person who's "turn" it is picks one of their cards and gives a vague (but not too vague clue) about the content of it. Then, everyone else at the table picks a card from their hand that fits the clue. These get randomized with the original card and revealed. All of the other players then vote for which they think the original card that inspired the clue was, and points are scored. Basically, the goal for the clue giver is to have one other person guess their card, but not have everyone guess it.

    TableTop (the show on Geek and Sundry) played it, so I'd suggest checking it out there to get a good feel for it.

    For people wanting to try new games:

    I know in the past there have been twitter hashtags at the show where people would say something like "About to start playing =GAME=. Need two players." They'd give a vague location you could go find them at. I recall one year this was particularly useful for finding games to play. Does this still happen? I don't recall it last year, but I was busy with things away from Tabletop most of the time last year.

    bschory on
  • AprecheApreche Registered User regular
    edited March 2013
    Merged from "Android Netrunner at pax east"

    Who's running? Maybe schedule a meetup time? I'll be [E]nforcing and doing panels, so not as much time for gaming as past years. Still I'll be doing a lot of running and corping with the remaining hours.

    zerzhul on
  • revengeancefulrevengeanceful Registered User regular
    edited March 2013
    I'll be running and corping some of the time, in between MtG tourneys and panels. Would like to be able to find people willing to play when I have some free time, but not sure the best way to go about that.

    EDIT: I'll second the Dixit recommendation. I've only met one or two people that disliked the game when I introduced it to them. Great way to spend some time relaxing with (new) friends.

    revengeanceful on
  • ravnos13ravnos13 Somerville, MARegistered User regular
    edited March 2013
    I'll third the Dixit recommendation, that game is amazing.

    I'd be down to do some casual M:tG with anyone, I'll be bringing a few decks. I don't mind teaching anyone how to play either.

    I tend to focus my time in the Tabletop area on board games that I haven't tried before, but I'm always open for some Magic. That said...

    @mala_cavilla, @Scorpius, I didn't see anyone else mention it but I'll throw this out there. If anyone wants to get a short V:tM, Hunter, or nWoD (Vampire/Hunter preferred) game going... I guuueessss I could run one. I've GMed for... a long time (since the late '90s), so I could throw something together for a short-ish campaign. But only if we have about 5-6 people interested (I know my girlfriend would be so that's one right there...). I think the best time to run it for me would be... Friday around 10:30-11 (After Murderous Ghosts) (I won't be going to any more events after then but will be sticking around till late). Outside of that... maybe Saturday night if I can't get into the concerts/don't go to something else.

    I say this hesitantly, because I don't want to disappoint anyone if there is a huge demand, but yeah, I'd be willing to run a Vampire or Hunter game, either oWoD or nWoD. If anyone is interested shoot me a PM and I'll work out some details and then post something here. It would be in the Tabletop Freeplay area, obviously.

    EDIT: For clarification for anyone who doesn't know what I'm talking about - White Wolf's World of Darkness (WoD) tabletop RPG. It's a horror/goth-punk/234345-other-genres universe and is really fun to play. Vampire: the Masquerade (V:tM) is a more social-focused game, while Hunter is focused on... not dying while combating the dark forces in the world (Vampires, etc.). The universe was rebooted (old WoD versus new WoD), and they changes some rules and a lot of the player choices as far as type of Vampire, etc. Both are fun to play, some people have preferences (I'm an oWoD V:tM guy myself, though I love nWoD Hunter too).
    I would be more than happy to teach anyone how to play, but if you're interested I would prefer that you get in contact with me before PAX, as a lot going into running WoD and I want to be prepared.

    Edit: Sorry, kept forgetting about some stuff I was planning to do Friday evening and kept changing the time, but 10:30-11 till 2 is plenty of time to run a short WoD game...

    ravnos13 on
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  • reverend_tobiasreverend_tobias Registered User regular
    I'm seeing a lot of board game talk in this thread, but I hope pnp RPG's are fine too!

    I'll be running 13th Age a couple of times at the convention, and I hope to play some Dungeon World before the weekend is up.

    Also, is there an easy way to find/jump in a game during the convention? I noticed that the Twitter tag #ttlfg is more about staff announcing events and less about attendees getting games together.

This discussion has been closed.