Octopus Overlords

Isgrimnur and I played in a 6 player game of Formula D today using the beginner rules since he was the only one that had played before. We ended up only doing one lap of Monaco due to time. He won and I came in second. Awesome game. Thanks to Izzy for dragging his group over.

No problem.

I was actually about a minute away from leaving, as it looked like no one had shown up this week, but as soon as I saw coop had made it, I was groovy. I kind of strong armed the group, as one guy started listing off his games after we finished Ticket to Ride: Europe, and I was adamant that we needed to race some cars. I have been wanting to play it again, and I knew that you had yet to break it in, so I wanted to kill two birds with one stone.

That 3-stop turn is monstrous in packing the drivers together, but stuff strung out on the ensuing straightaway. I can easily see that a large group with multiple laps and experienced gamers making it one that takes a substantial time commitment.

...and now I'm toying with the idea of trying to run a forum game of it.

I got my Tanga "Mystery Box" today (three random games). Not bad - I wound up with Genji, Master of Rules, and Magnet. Not bad for $8, especially since I'd been eyeing Genji anyhow. So I'll gave to give these a whirl sometime.

Isgrimnur wrote:I was actually about a minute away from leaving, as it looked like no one had shown up this week, but as soon as I saw coop had made it, I was groovy.

That's 2 months in a row Curtis has been a no show and the room wasn't reserved.

I played Formula D with my 5 year old son a couple times this weekend post-meetup, using the beginner rules. I guide him on gearing... and he beat me both times.

I also played two of my other new games with him over the weekend:
Micro Mutants Evolution - We played a simplified game and I walked all over him. The carpet is not the best place for this game.
Lost Cities: The Board Game - It's a 4 player adaptation of the wife friendly Lost Cities Card Game. It adds a little bit to the card game and I enjoyed it. We had to play it with open hands so I could guide him, but I think with some practice he'll be able to figure it out.

If I recall, Isla Dorada might be suitable for kiddies. MFG recommends 10 and up, BGG, says 8. It's a bidding/movement game with matching card sets from your hands. It's got three big figures that the kiddies might like. The "powered" cards add extra elements to it, but a stripped down set where you stick to the main movement rules might work.

Just got an invite to a full six player game of Here I Stand for this Sunday. This should be interesting. I do loves me some GMT games.

hepcat wrote:Just got an invite to a full six player game of Here I Stand for this Sunday. This should be interesting. I do loves me some GMT games.

Let me know how long it takes. I've been wanting to play this for probably close to two years now, but the time commitment seems pretty daunting.

These guys are seasoned players and we're starting at 11am, so hopefully it won't be a midnight or later type of game. I was sent a helpful link to read before the game. It's called Here I Stand in 20 minutes.

I think 11am to 1am is a conservative estimate for a first game of Here I Stand. I've always wanted to play it, but the box admits it takes longer than Twilight Imperium, 3rd to play and that boggles my mind.

Just finished reading the excellent HiS in 20 minutes paper I linked to earlier and I can see where the game slows down considerably: the diplomacy phase. While an essential part of the gameplay and the game experience itself, allowing players to strike verbal agreements in secret during a game invites a whole lot of downtime.

Other than that, it plays like a bit more fiddly version of Washington's War or The Successors. I'm looking forward to it because of that.

Had an awesome guys' weekend with a couple of old friends, and lots of boardgaming occurred (partly because it's still so damn hot out). Ascending Empires, Rune Age, Wrath of Ashardalon, Thebes, End of the Triumvirate, and Carson City all made their way to the table over the weekend. Nothing new for me, but it was nice to introduce them to the games.

I played one game solo of Rune Age and one game against Seppe. The two player game left me very UNimpressed...but I think that's because I basically broke the game by forgetting that cards can be held from turn to turn by spending influence AND we played the first scenario in the rules as if it were a coop. I think you really need to attack other players to make the game any fun (at least for scenarios that don't explicitly call for coop). What's your take on the game?

It's more fun with 3 or 4 players, and it's more fun when you play with direct player conflict. We played the co-op scenario with 3 players, and while it works there are a lot of cards and units in the decks that aren't applicable in the co-op game. As an example, there are multiple units that can eliminate enemy units during a battle - but in the co-op game, there never ARE any enemy units, so those abilities are useless.

I think the co-op scenario is a good way to learn the game in a less difficult environment, but after that I prefer the scenarios with direct PvP gameplay.

played a 4-player game of Merchants & Marauders today. I really like this game. A lot.

I lost, but it was fun.

Nightfall - review by Drakkenstrike. Has anyone played this? I'm now intrigued.

No, but I remember reading a quick review of the game on GeekDad back in the spring.

SpaceLord wrote:Nightfall - review by Drakkenstrike. Has anyone played this? I'm now intrigued.

I have it and the Martial Law expansion and have played quite a bit. I taught Issie to play at Origins and he liked it so much he bought a copy the next day. I would suggest that you start with the Martial Law expansion as it's standalone, meaning you get everything you need to play with it. If you like that, you can add in the original game for more variety. But Martial Law has a lot more going for it with new wound cards, a new "feeder" mechanic that makes sacrificing your hand an option, etc..

I would say if you like deck builders but have always wanted one that allows direct attacks AND has a neat chain mechanic, you'll love Nightfall.

We played a couple games of Guillotine (recently discovered in storage), then Emperor EDH Magic four games, and rounded out the evening with Bang! six players, with the LONGEST shootout between The Sheriff and lone remaining Outlaw I have ever seen.

hepcat wrote:

SpaceLord wrote:Nightfall - review by Drakkenstrike. Has anyone played this? I'm now intrigued.

I have it and the Martial Law expansion and have played quite a bit. I taught Issie to play at Origins and he liked it so much he bought a copy the next day. I would suggest that you start with the Martial Law expansion as it's standalone, meaning you get everything you need to play with it. If you like that, you can add in the original game for more variety. But Martial Law has a lot more going for it with new wound cards, a new "feeder" mechanic that makes sacrificing your hand an option, etc..

I would say if you like deck builders but have always wanted one that allows direct attacks AND has a neat chain mechanic, you'll love Nightfall.

Yup, yup. The purchase was made easier by crushing all who stood before me at the Origins event and getting it cheaper. I was handed two promo packs, but it turned out to be two copies of Lisaveta Florescu, so one is still wrapped.

Played my first game of Founding Fathers last night - I was James Madison (not that the founder you play makes much of a difference game-wise). Came in second to Roger Sherman. Our constituion wound up heavily federalist and small-states oriented; notably the President in our constitution is elected by Congress for a seven-year term.

I definitely enjoyed it, so I'm pleased. Rules aren't too complicated, but I can already see that there's some interesting and complicated planning possiblities, vis-a-vis getting the articles passed on sides you want, planning both the assembly and the committee room votes at the same time. And the game clocked in at roughly two hours, so given that it was a learning game that's not bad at all - makes it more likely to hit the table, especially given that it's flexible on number of players.

Glad to hear you liked it!

Anyone buy from Gamefest.com? They seem to have really good prices.

I just played half a solo game of Star Trek: Expeditions - found it a little dry for solo play but I think it'll be fun with more players. hoping it is successful enough to spawn a couple of expansions with more missions (they've announced a first expansion but it merely rounds out the crew to seven, the base game comes with Kirk, Spock, Bones and Uhura only)

Jag wrote:Anyone buy from Gamefest.com? They seem to have really good prices.

Prices aren't much different from coolstuffinc.com from the little looking I did and these guys don't seem to have any free shipping (plus coolstuff gives me 3% off ).

coopasonic wrote:

Jag wrote:Anyone buy from Gamefest.com? They seem to have really good prices.

Prices aren't much different from coolstuffinc.com from the little looking I did and these guys don't seem to have any free shipping (plus coolstuff gives me 3% off ).

It's funny how that little CSI extra loyalty % off for having spent so much tends to make the difference. I went from not knowing who CSI were to doing most of my ordering from them in the space of about... one order... I'm on a game buying sabbatical now though. I had about a $400 hepcat level of purchasing month several months ago and I had to kabosh on that.

LordMortis wrote:

coopasonic wrote:

Jag wrote:Anyone buy from Gamefest.com? They seem to have really good prices.

Prices aren't much different from coolstuffinc.com from the little looking I did and these guys don't seem to have any free shipping (plus coolstuff gives me 3% off ).

It's funny how that little CSI extra loyalty % off for having spent so much tends to make the difference.

Hey that 3% tends to be $10 on my orders.

Speaking of what boardgames I played, I *finally* beat my 5 year old at Formula D last night. I got an early lead and he blew his car up trying to catch me.

I'm thinking about ordering the 1st expansion track set. The others didn't really look all that interesting to me, but the first one has a jump and crossover.

Boudreaux wrote:It's more fun with 3 or 4 players, and it's more fun when you play with direct player conflict. We played the co-op scenario with 3 players, and while it works there are a lot of cards and units in the decks that aren't applicable in the co-op game. As an example, there are multiple units that can eliminate enemy units during a battle - but in the co-op game, there never ARE any enemy units, so those abilities are useless.

I think the co-op scenario is a good way to learn the game in a less difficult environment, but after that I prefer the scenarios with direct PvP gameplay.

I was thinking about ordering Rune Age in a few minutes, glad I stopped by. So would you guys say that it isn't all that great for 2-player? I skipped 7 Wonders because of the "meh" reviews on 2-player, so I don't want to make a mistake here.

baelthazar wrote:I was thinking about ordering Rune Age in a few minutes, glad I stopped by. So would you guys say that it isn't all that great for 2-player? I skipped 7 Wonders because of the "meh" reviews on 2-player, so I don't want to make a mistake here.

If you're going to play 2-player with direct conflict, then Rune Age is fine. In fact, the last game I played was surprisingly tight. My opponent surged out to a huge lead, gaining a ton of influence and a bunch of powerful neutral units. Through taking advantage of a timely event card though, I was able to attack him instead of the big bad boss and win the game.

Really, my only complaint with the game is that several of the units have special abilities that trigger off of defending units, and in a cooperative game there never are any defending units, so they become less interesting. Otherwise it's very fun.

Let's see, 3% discount at CSI ... Over $1,000 purchased! Damn, dude!

And with the $100/free shipping, I'm tempted to pick up all three board packs for Formula D and several Gloom series decks.

Drakkenstrike's Video Overview and Review of Eaten by Zombies - EbZ is a deck-building game that DS claims is totally different than the rest. It was funded via KickStarter.com, and he loves it. I love DS' videos and explanations. I'm interested.

Isgrimnur wrote:Let's see, 3% discount at CSI ... Over $1,000 purchased! Damn, dude!

And with the $100/free shipping, I'm tempted to pick up all three board packs for Formula D and several Gloom series decks.

Does it help if I mention that was just 4 orders? How about if I say it was over a period of 19 months?

Isgrimnur wrote:Let's see, 3% discount at CSI ... Over $1,000 purchased! Damn, dude!

And with the $100/free shipping, I'm tempted to pick up all three board packs for Formula D and several Gloom series decks.

I'm awaiting the arrival of my cthulhu gloom deck.

while at gencon, redwarlord and i met up with a friend of ours who had split off earlier to hit some bars. while he enjoys gaming, he enjoys bars far more. so when we caught up with him that night, he was fully expecting an evening of drinking since you can't play a decent board game around beers that can spill and ruin a game, right?

...that's when we produced the plastic gloom card deck.

I think i detected a hint of disappointment in his face at that point.

coopasonic wrote:

Isgrimnur wrote:Let's see, 3% discount at CSI ... Over $1,000 purchased! Damn, dude!

And with the $100/free shipping, I'm tempted to pick up all three board packs for Formula D and several Gloom series decks.

Does it help if I mention that was just 4 orders? How about if I say it was over a period of 19 months?

I know at least one order was over $300. And you're talking about a $50-100/month board game habit over the course of that time. And of course, you've got budding gamers to keep entertained. It would be a bit different if you were a single guy like me with limited opportunities to play.

@hepcat: That's awesome. And that game has been on my mind ever since Origins.

GMT e-mailed around an update on their games. Good news on the Twilight Struggle PC game:

Twilight Struggle (PC): We're still finding a few bugs but are focusing mostly on making the AI better. It's holding its own with some of the better TS players online at the moment (thanks guys, for helping us test), but we are still refining. I think you guys are really going to like the UI on this game - very nice and easy-to-use.

I'm not sure how long this final testing phase is going to take us, as we want it to be right, but we should be ready to show some art and give more details within a month or two and set up P500 preorders in that same timeframe. Note that the P500 program in this case is simply to give you guys who would like to preorder a healthy discount for doing so. Orders don't have to reach a certain number for us to release the game. We'll do that when we are happy with the quality.

Sounds like it's coming along well. Apparently they are also making versions of Space Empires for Android and iOS, which is exciting.

El Guapo wrote:GMT e-mailed around an update on their games. Good news on the Twilight Struggle PC game:

Twilight Struggle (PC): We're still finding a few bugs but are focusing mostly on making the AI better. It's holding its own with some of the better TS players online at the moment (thanks guys, for helping us test), but we are still refining. I think you guys are really going to like the UI on this game - very nice and easy-to-use.

I'm not sure how long this final testing phase is going to take us, as we want it to be right, but we should be ready to show some art and give more details within a month or two and set up P500 preorders in that same timeframe. Note that the P500 program in this case is simply to give you guys who would like to preorder a healthy discount for doing so. Orders don't have to reach a certain number for us to release the game. We'll do that when we are happy with the quality.

Sounds like it's coming along well. Apparently they are also making versions of Space Empires for Android and iOS, which is exciting.

This is awesome!

SpaceLord wrote:Drakkenstrike's Video Overview and Review of Eaten by Zombies - EbZ is a deck-building game that DS claims is totally different than the rest. It was funded via KickStart.com, and he loves it. I love DS' videos and explanations. I'm interested.

I've backed this one on kickstarter. it sounds great.

baelthazar wrote:

El Guapo wrote:GMT e-mailed around an update on their games. Good news on the Twilight Struggle PC game:

Twilight Struggle (PC): We're still finding a few bugs but are focusing mostly on making the AI better. It's holding its own with some of the better TS players online at the moment (thanks guys, for helping us test), but we are still refining. I think you guys are really going to like the UI on this game - very nice and easy-to-use.

I'm not sure how long this final testing phase is going to take us, as we want it to be right, but we should be ready to show some art and give more details within a month or two and set up P500 preorders in that same timeframe. Note that the P500 program in this case is simply to give you guys who would like to preorder a healthy discount for doing so. Orders don't have to reach a certain number for us to release the game. We'll do that when we are happy with the quality.

Sounds like it's coming along well. Apparently they are also making versions of Space Empires for Android and iOS, which is exciting.

This is awesome!

They're actually making a number of these. They're making Dominant Species for iOS, which is fairly far along. Space Empires, FWIW, is listed under the category of "they have a license but are in the early stages of development." The full list of those is as follows:

Nightfighter (PC)
Dominant Species: The Card Game (iOS)
Winds of Plunder (iOS)
Pacific Typhoon (Android)
Space Empires (iOS and Android)

freelunch wrote:

SpaceLord wrote:Drakkenstrike's Video Overview and Review of Eaten by Zombies - EbZ is a deck-building game that DS claims is totally different than the rest. It was funded via KickStart.com, and he loves it. I love DS' videos and explanations. I'm interested.

I've backed this one on kickstarter. it sounds great.

This game looks like it is going to make me lose money and gain yet another game.

I really need to stop coming into this thread, now I am looking to buy "Gloom" as well.

You won't regret it.