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[Board games] I choose poorly.

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Posts

  • Jam WarriorJam Warrior Registered User regular
    ... I think that last one gets me the hardest, and is why I strongly dislike that Betrayal At House On The Hill has a cult following. The game isn't bad. In theory. In practice, you'd better not walk into it with anyone competitive or "Rules As Written Or GTFO." Seriously, how hard would it be to edit the haunt books? It's not like you need to play every one of them to spot the problems - most are readily apparent just from reading the damn things.

    Betrayal is an especially egregious case as the game appears fairly light and newcomer friendly, but then suddenly hits a situation where you hand someone a rulebook and say:

    'Here, you need to read and understand this entirely new set of rules, and you can't ask me or anyone else any questions about them or it'll probably ruin the game. And if you get them wrong you've probably broken the game for everyone and rendered everything up to this point a waste of time, but we might not find out for another hour or so. Good luck, no pressure!'

    Like that's fine with some groups, but with many people it really isn't.

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  • FairchildFairchild Rabbit used short words that were easy to understand, like "Hello Pooh, how about Lunch ?" Registered User regular
    edited July 2018
    GMT has some luxury in being able to lay out section->point form as it's a great format to find what you need quickly, knowing your players will constantly reference the rules for a while.

    This came over from the old wargame company SPI (Simulations Publications Incorporated) from the 70's and 80's, who really pioneered the case-number rulebook format.

    Fairchild on
  • InquisitorInquisitor Registered User regular
    My favorite are games that have GMT style point rulebook that are purely functional but also playbooks that are designed to teach by example. Ideally designed so that you are meant to read the playbook first to get big picture ideas, then rules for specifics, and then the playbook again to see how those rules really work in action.

  • Hahnsoo1Hahnsoo1 Make Ready. We Hunt.Registered User regular
    edited July 2018
    Can we take a moment to again appreciate how well constructed Fog Of Love is? :P
    It has an incredibly effective tutorial, and it introduces its crazy elements slowly over the course of the scenario packets. Girlfriend and I just played through another one last week. I think the only thing that the rules/book fails to explain is the benefit of choosing the more dramatic/serious scenes (not as benign as happy scenes, but potential for more personality points if you need them. Also, dramatic scenes can give you a chance to reroll a trait or occupation, if you are stuck).

    I wish all games put some thought and care into how it is introduced. I know that Magic: the Gathering has a similar approach with its Beginner Packs, which has two decks in a predetermined order in addition to a rulebook that walks you through the predetermined game.

    Hahnsoo1 on
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  • DarricDarric Santa MonicaRegistered User regular
    edited July 2018
    Mojo_Jojo wrote: »
    Founders of Gloonhaven just turned up!

    I hope the reports of the rulebook being awful are exaggerated

    Where do you live?!

    Darric on
  • MrBodyMrBody Registered User regular
    ... I think that last one gets me the hardest, and is why I strongly dislike that Betrayal At House On The Hill has a cult following. The game isn't bad. In theory. In practice, you'd better not walk into it with anyone competitive or "Rules As Written Or GTFO." Seriously, how hard would it be to edit the haunt books? It's not like you need to play every one of them to spot the problems - most are readily apparent just from reading the damn things.

    Betrayal is an especially egregious case as the game appears fairly light and newcomer friendly, but then suddenly hits a situation where you hand someone a rulebook and say:

    'Here, you need to read and understand this entirely new set of rules, and you can't ask me or anyone else any questions about them or it'll probably ruin the game. And if you get them wrong you've probably broken the game for everyone and rendered everything up to this point a waste of time, but we might not find out for another hour or so. Good luck, no pressure!'

    Like that's fine with some groups, but with many people it really isn't.

    That's exactly why I can't stand Betrayal (aside from the pre-haunt being a drawn out setup with the same interactivity as Candyland). It appeals to very same casual players who are most likely to screw up the haunt rules.

    Betrayal is the friend who swears they're not going to get too drunk this time and ruin the whole night like they've done every other night. They finally convince you to "just grab one drink" with them, and 3 hours later you're cleaning up their puke.

  • The MantizThe Mantiz BONK! DenmarkRegistered User regular
    The Eclipse Kickstarter is live.

    149 USD.... That was more than I expected.

    3DS - 2878-9572-9277
  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    The Mantiz wrote: »
    The Eclipse Kickstarter is live.

    149 USD.... That was more than I expected.

    The 149 dollar tier doesn't seem to have enough extra stuff to justify its existence over the 100 dollar one

    Also that is a lazy as hell Kickstarter.

    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
  • iguanacusiguanacus Desert PlanetRegistered User regular
    The Mantiz wrote: »
    The Eclipse Kickstarter is live.

    149 USD.... That was more than I expected.

    That's for the one with the extra human ships, and unless they've redone the humans to actually be interesting can safely be ignored for the $99 tier

  • ArcticLancerArcticLancer Best served chilled. Registered User regular
    They've also been very loose with details on what you're actually getting. Their "updates" are from a post in March.
    Main post:
    Rules
    - Discoveries can be claimed without placing an Influence Disc when*:
    - - *Exploring and placing a new hex.
    - - *Destroying all Ancient(s) / Guardian / GCDS in a hex at the end of Combat Phase.
    - The first player to pass receives 2 Money.
    - Game lasts only 8 rounds.
    - One Influence action may not be used in the same hex twice.
    - If you have Diplomatic relations with another player, you may move through his empty hexes (ie. hexes without a Ship). If you have Ships in another player’s hex at the end of your action, it is considered an attack.
    - Player elimination when all discs and Ships removed from the board: same as bankruptcy.

    Components
    Species:
    - Balancing to the starting ship blueprints as well as starting resources.
    - Changes to starting technologies.
    Hexes:
    - Revisions to base game hexes.
    - Additional outpost hexes which were first introduced in RotA as Ancient Homeworlds.
    - Galactic Center has significant changes.
    Tech tiles:
    - Minor changes in prices.
    - Inclusion of Rare tech tiles.
    Miniatures:
    Ship pack 1 comes in the base game, new miniatures for Orbital, Monolith, Ancients, Guardians, and GCDS.
    Dice:
    - All dice are custom with hit and miss iconography.
    - Additional 6 blue dice.

    I don't like Eclipse at the best of times, but it's never a $260CDN shipped board game. If you're going to cost more than Twilight Imperium at retail, you kinda need to justify it. :/

  • tzeentchlingtzeentchling Doctor of Rocks OaklandRegistered User regular
    I mean, it also has extra bonus-tier support and a 124-page storybook, which some people (like myself) actually would find interesting. And the human ships are nice, people do play humans every once in a while.

  • DarricDarric Santa MonicaRegistered User regular
    edited July 2018
    I'm gonna be honest, I was expecting there to be a lot *more* price gouging with the Kickstarter. $150 for the all-in is certainly a lot, but a lot more reasonable than the likes of your average CMON Kickstarter, 7th Continent, etc.

    I'm also struggling to find the value differential for the extra $50, but I hope time expands on that a little.

    Edit: It's going to be super interesting to see what happens with the absurd looking Death May Die Kickstarter going live imminently.

    Darric on
  • PowerpuppiesPowerpuppies drinking coffee in the mountain cabinRegistered User regular
    Manhattan project has a hilariously excellent rule book. Everything is explained precisely, everywhere you might try to look it up, and included in at least one pictured example.

    sig.gif
  • DarricDarric Santa MonicaRegistered User regular
    The Death May Die KS goes straight from $100 for the base pledge, to $225 for the next tier.

  • DissociaterDissociater Registered User regular
    Darric wrote: »
    The Death May Die KS goes straight from $100 for the base pledge, to $225 for the next tier.

    I'm sure I'm over simplifying but it looks to me like Eldritch Horror + minis.

  • Casually HardcoreCasually Hardcore Once an Asshole. Trying to be better. Registered User regular
    The $250 level comes with a massive cthulhu statue. I would buy the statue by itself if if I had the option.

  • HydroSqueegeeHydroSqueegee ULTRACAT!!!™®© Registered User regular
    The $250 level comes with a massive cthulhu statue. I would buy the statue by itself if if I had the option.

    He would be a little tough to hide amongst my minis. Can't pretend I've had him forever with a best the size of my desk is sitting there.

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  • TimFijiTimFiji Beast Lord Halfway2AnywhereRegistered User regular
    Darric wrote: »
    I'm gonna be honest, I was expecting there to be a lot *more* price gouging with the Kickstarter. $150 for the all-in is certainly a lot, but a lot more reasonable than the likes of your average CMON Kickstarter, 7th Continent, etc.

    I'm also struggling to find the value differential for the extra $50, but I hope time expands on that a little.

    At least the storage and player organization seems to be a lot better with 2e

    Switch: SW-2322-2047-3148 Steam: Archpriest
      Selling Board Games for Medical Bills
    • RickRudeRickRude Registered User regular
      Got my FF card sleeves in today and I must say I'm really impressed. Think I'm glad I went with them over cheaper options. Quality seems great and it was an ease to put cards in. When I was a kid it was always a pain with the cheap sleeves I bought for baseball cards.

      Downside, I evidently need to trim the tops. My forbidden desert cards don't fit in the box as they're slightly too long. I wonder if this will be a problem with sentinels of the muktiverse as well. Not looking forward to cutting off the excess.

    • DarricDarric Santa MonicaRegistered User regular
      I think FFG sleeves always run a little long for their advertised length, but honestly I'm so used to it at this point. It's certainly better than being so close to the opening that they're not actually protected at the top.

    • RickRudeRickRude Registered User regular
      Darric wrote: »
      I think FFG sleeves always run a little long for their advertised length, but honestly I'm so used to it at this point. It's certainly better than being so close to the opening that they're not actually protected at the top.

      Any experience cutting the excess?

    • DashuiDashui Registered User regular
      RickRude wrote: »
      Darric wrote: »
      I think FFG sleeves always run a little long for their advertised length, but honestly I'm so used to it at this point. It's certainly better than being so close to the opening that they're not actually protected at the top.

      Any experience cutting the excess?

      A $20 paper guillotine from Walmart works perfectly for cutting sleeves. I use place index cards inside near the top so cutting is easier, too.

      Xbox Live, PSN & Origin: Vacorsis 3DS: 2638-0037-166
    • DarricDarric Santa MonicaRegistered User regular
      RickRude wrote: »
      Darric wrote: »
      I think FFG sleeves always run a little long for their advertised length, but honestly I'm so used to it at this point. It's certainly better than being so close to the opening that they're not actually protected at the top.

      Any experience cutting the excess?

      Nope, never bothered. I 100% wouldn't trust myself to do this cleanly and consistently :|

    • DashuiDashui Registered User regular
      Darric wrote: »
      RickRude wrote: »
      Darric wrote: »
      I think FFG sleeves always run a little long for their advertised length, but honestly I'm so used to it at this point. It's certainly better than being so close to the opening that they're not actually protected at the top.

      Any experience cutting the excess?

      Nope, never bothered. I 100% wouldn't trust myself to do this cleanly and consistently :|

      It's pretty easy to do, as I suggested above, but then again I also split open my index finger really fucking bad pulling my hand away from the guillotine. So yeah. :3

      Board games! Kickstarter! The $150 pledge for Eclipse seems like a bad value. And The Island of El Dorado is back and looks... really neat! It's a simple game, but boy do I love laying down hex tiles to form the map as you spread out and explore. I want more of that kind of goodness on my shelf. It's also from a local designer. Tempted.

      Xbox Live, PSN & Origin: Vacorsis 3DS: 2638-0037-166
    • RickRudeRickRude Registered User regular
      Dashui wrote: »
      Darric wrote: »
      RickRude wrote: »
      Darric wrote: »
      I think FFG sleeves always run a little long for their advertised length, but honestly I'm so used to it at this point. It's certainly better than being so close to the opening that they're not actually protected at the top.

      Any experience cutting the excess?

      Nope, never bothered. I 100% wouldn't trust myself to do this cleanly and consistently :|

      It's pretty easy to do, as I suggested above, but then again I also split open my index finger really fucking bad pulling my hand away from the guillotine. So yeah. :3

      Board games! Kickstarter! The $150 pledge for Eclipse seems like a bad value. And The Island of El Dorado is back and looks... really neat! It's a simple game, but boy do I love laying down hex tiles to form the map as you spread out and explore. I want more of that kind of goodness on my shelf. It's also from a local designer. Tempted.

      Ended up getting a fiskar cutter from amazon with some replacement blades for $13 that should hopefully work really well. Wonder how many I can do amazon one time.

    • initiatefailureinitiatefailure Registered User regular
      How do you tell the difference between a good/bad Kickstarter? I'm assuming most of the ones that blow up and get funded immediately are either loved games getting reprinted or from designers/companies with track records?

    • ElvenshaeElvenshae Registered User regular
      How do you tell the difference between a good/bad Kickstarter? I'm assuming most of the ones that blow up and get funded immediately are either loved games getting reprinted or from designers/companies with track records?

      Track record of the company / designer prior to the kickstarter, professionalism of the intro video, actual play examples using [probably] prototype components, reasonable scope and scale, lack of unusual stretch goals, pre-reviews from respected industry types ...

    • webguy20webguy20 I spend too much time on the Internet Registered User regular
      edited July 2018
      Elvenshae wrote: »
      How do you tell the difference between a good/bad Kickstarter? I'm assuming most of the ones that blow up and get funded immediately are either loved games getting reprinted or from designers/companies with track records?

      Track record of the company / designer prior to the kickstarter, professionalism of the intro video, actual play examples using [probably] prototype components, reasonable scope and scale, lack of unusual stretch goals, pre-reviews from respected industry types ...

      I work in manufacturing supply chain so along with the above I'm always looking at how well made their prototype stuff is, like is this completely made from cardboard and colored pencils at home, or did they go and source/manufacture their prototype materials? Also their lead times. For a board game for example if they're still finishing it and have to have it made and shipped, but promise it to your door in 3 months? Fuck off with that, it's guaranteed going to be late.

      Also how many people do they have working on it. I do not trust solo design unless its a deck of cards style game. Show me your team and what they bring to the product/project.

      Oh yea, if a new company on kickstarter that is supplying a physical product doesn't talk about manufacturing and shipping issues in their cons immediately throws a red flag up for me.

      webguy20 on
      Steam ID: Webguy20
      Origin ID: Discgolfer27
      Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
    • MrBodyMrBody Registered User regular
      So there's been this big publicity push with something called Blood on the Clocktower lately. Tons of people trying to demo it at events and meetups near me.

      It seems like it's...for people who thought Ultimate Werewolf didn't have enough special roles? There are over 20 in it. If that's your thing I guess. Seems like the one differentiating mechanic is that you can still talk after you die, and even get to vote once more?

      I dunno, I checked out when the usual social deduction suspects jumped into play and get angry at you for not voting what they tell you to ("WHAT ARE YOU DOING THAT'S SO STUPID!!!...what, what do you mean you don't want to play again?").

    • RickRudeRickRude Registered User regular
      Ordered thus if anyone else has thought about cutting theirs
      https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003WASFMU/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    • ArmorocArmoroc Registered User regular
      RickRude wrote: »
      Ordered thus if anyone else has thought about cutting theirs
      https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003WASFMU/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

      Wow. Didn't know cutters like those went for that cheap. If I ever do my PnP project I will know what to buy!

    • RickRudeRickRude Registered User regular
      Someone cast confusion on my package. It's now in Bakersfield, and fed ex has handed off shipping duties to USPS. I've never had that happen. It's less than a 2 hour drive from LA to here where the package originated. Now says allow 2-3 days for delivery for what is less than an hours drive. It has to be from china.

    • KetarKetar Come on upstairs we're having a partyRegistered User regular
      RickRude wrote: »
      Someone cast confusion on my package. It's now in Bakersfield, and fed ex has handed off shipping duties to USPS. I've never had that happen. It's less than a 2 hour drive from LA to here where the package originated. Now says allow 2-3 days for delivery for what is less than an hours drive. It has to be from china.

      FedEx and UPS are both using USPS for the last leg of delivery more and more lately. There is nothing unusual about that at all.

      I've also had FedEx misroute packages numerous times, sending them on much longer routes than should be necessary.

      Nothing about this shipping would indicate to me that the item might be from China.

    • JonBobJonBob Registered User regular
      It can get so much worse.

      fedex4.jpg

      jswidget.php?username=JonBob&numitems=10&header=1&text=none&images=small&show=recentplays&imagesonly=1&imagepos=right&inline=1&domains%5B%5D=boardgame&imagewidget=1
    • AuralynxAuralynx Darkness is a perspective Watching the ego workRegistered User regular
      ... egad.

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    • initiatefailureinitiatefailure Registered User regular
      What hell is this?

    • ArcticLancerArcticLancer Best served chilled. Registered User regular
      That's a real good trip. The best I had was someone mailing me some Netrunner cards - a very simple US to Canada trip. When I got the letter a week later than expected, it had stickers on the envelope that showed it had clearly been to Germany before being sent back to the appropriate continent. :P
      Sometimes mail is like a game itself!

      ...
      Wait, is that a good idea for a card game?

    • ElvenshaeElvenshae Registered User regular
      That's a real good trip. The best I had was someone mailing me some Netrunner cards - a very simple US to Canada trip. When I got the letter a week later than expected, it had stickers on the envelope that showed it had clearly been to Germany before being sent back to the appropriate continent. :P
      Sometimes mail is like a game itself!

      ...
      Wait, is that a good idea for a card game?

      ... sort of a reverse Ticket to Ride?

    • FryFry Registered User regular
      I haven't ever felt the need to trim card sleeves, but definitely do not do it with actual cards in the sleeves at the time. Find some other way to do the measurement.

    • BedlamBedlam Registered User regular
      If you use free shipping they find ways to make the package take as long as possible for the window.

      This way they can charge much more for the quicker delivery, if you really want your stuff now you have to pay.

    This discussion has been closed.