Octopus Overlords

Ultimately dropped my Frostpunk pledge. It really just seems like a solo game with tacked on multiplayer.

And immediately got drawn towards Endless Winter. I am a sucker for games set in frozen wastelands apparently.

Smoove_B wrote: Tue Oct 27, 2020 12:07 pm

Sigh..I forgot this was launching this month. Guess I'll need to sell blood again.

hepcat wrote: Tue Oct 27, 2020 1:23 pm Sigh..I forgot this was launching this month. Guess I'll need to sell blood again.

Make it a double because tomorrow you have Core Space: First Born.

Alright, I'm going to see if I can get Seppe or Zarathud to buy into that one. I figure if I use my Jake Blues eyes, they'll fall for it.

Dire Alliance is going bonkers. Apparently when you offer a core game designed by David Thompson and add in optional miniatures by the Sadlers (and the solo/coop mode) it's a solid bet.

Speaking of the Sadlers, I got my Altar Quest final shipping address notice from the logistics folks, so I expect to get it sometime in November. Woot!

I received my Altar Quest last week (New Zealand). The Kickstarter stretch goals box is as big as the main game box and has just about as many components!

So I jump onto Townsfolk Tussle on Saturday and now there’s something else?

There's always something else.

Zarathud wrote: Wed Oct 28, 2020 2:09 am So I jump onto Townsfolk Tussle on Saturday and now there’s something else?

Here ya go



Either you or Seppe needs to back this. If you don't, I'll be forced to. And I don't have that much blood left...

Although it's discouraging to see them admit it has lame components.

hepcat wrote: Wed Oct 28, 2020 9:41 am

Zarathud wrote: Wed Oct 28, 2020 2:09 am So I jump onto Townsfolk Tussle on Saturday and now there’s something else?

Here ya go



Either you or Seppe needs to back this. If you don't, I'll be forced to. And I don't have that much blood left...

Although it's discouraging to see them admit it has lame components.

I have it backed, and I have all of the first Core Space components. But I can never work it out to to get together with you guys.

You hate us. That's the only conclusion we can come to.

I dismissed Townfolk Tussle because the name sounded dumb and then I made the mistake of actually looking at it. Argh. It's soooo up my alley. I love the 1930s/Cuphead cartoon look and those minis are amazing. Also it's Kickstarter exclusive.

Think I may have to jump on that one. Freedom Five I've decided to wait for retail. I want Core Space but I just can't swing it right now and in the end it's a dungeon crawl and my shelves are already full of dungeon crawlers.

Zarathud showed me pictures of Townfolk Tussle last Saturday and I fell for the look. It really is unique.

So OO Hive Mind, tell me of this Core Space and how it plays solo...

$iljanus wrote: Wed Oct 28, 2020 2:06 pm So OO Hive Mind, tell me of this Core Space and how it plays solo...

My game of the year for 2019. And it plays great solo! The game at the core (heh) is semi-cooperative. You are the captain of a team of traders (read:scavengers) that are working on the outer edge of safe space. They go into areas that have been mostly abandoned, and it's a race against time/push your luck to scavenge as much equipment as possible to sell off for money to improve your ship or keep to make you more powerful.

The gameplay is simple, rules are able to be learned in 15 minutes. AI runs the enemy forces, and it can be brutal.

The core game set comes with 2 crews, the Purge (PVC miniatures), a 2x2 game mat, and cardboard terrain. For each game, you set up the terrain (a bit of a slog when you first start, but gets much easier when you have a few games under your belt) walls and lay out storage crates that you fill up with stuff. You move your figure to the crate, you get to search, you can decide what to keep, you dump everything else. You have a very limited amount of space available on your crew members, so it's always a struggle to decide to keep that medkit in case you get shot up, or take that shiny new grenade that you found. Crew members that survive get to level up, adding new skills and abilities.

I have a walkthrough of a game posted here. It's a whole load of fun.

Yes, everything Hentzau said. I haven't played in a while because of my office being rearranged and having lost my gaming room (it's now a classroom) area.

However, the small setup (2'x2') is very reasonable, though the actual build time is long - it's a game you want to leave up for multiple sessions. It plays relatively quick and offers an excellent mix of tactical combat plus lite RPG elements. I said it months and months ago, but it feels like the Core Space team really did their design homework and it's amazing to me this was their first attempt at a game based on their terrain. I backed this in a heartbeat but I'd also try to just get a copy of the original core as I don't think waiting a year (!) to play the new one will be fun.

High quality components, excellent minis (but not an overwhelming number) and it has its own organizer system for storage in the box. A+ company as far as I'm concerned.

If you need help justifying Townsfolk Tussle, watch the YouTube reviews of Quackelope and Boardgameco. I enjoy they way they compare new games to other games.

Okay, you're off the hook. Seppe said he's backing it. We need a xia/core space day when it releases.

I played through the first boss of Townsfolk Tussle a couple of times on TTS.

First fight went something like this:

Player 1: Roll d10. Miss. Player 2: Roll d10. Miss. Boss: Move to closest player, automatic 1 damage.

Repeat above sequence 2 more times.

At this point I'm down to 1 health and I haven't even done anything. I was close to just flipping the table and calling it a day because it was decidedly UNFUN.

However, I decided to give it another go with new players, and this time it went a bit better. Got the boss down to about half health before dying. I was able to use some ranged shots and some hit and run tactics to whittle him down a bit more.

I started to get an inkling of the game's potential with that second run. Because I think with the variations in gear, you could have some very interesting decisions on how to play it out. I think it's going to take a mindset change and realize this is more of a strategy puzzle than a combat game. Because let's face it, rolling a single d10 isn't fun combat. But moving out of a boss's range to whack him with a bat using an extendable arm definitely IS.

There are a few things I'm still not completely sold on - the game is VERY luck dependent, at least starting out, ranging from the market cards you draw to the roll of those blasted d10s. However, that also forces you to be very creative in how to mitigate that luck, and I did like that my first humiliating defeat had my gears turning to figure out how I could have played it differently.

I'm also a tad concerned about buying this for solo, as I could tell even playing two-handed that it probably benefits from the more the merrier. However, the game is also so simple that I don't think even running four players would be too fiddly. And at some point I will be able to get this into a group's hands and I think it would be a blast because it's so easy to teach.

The game's in my head though, which is always a good sign. It's ridiculously simple, yet brutally hard, which means I haven't quite clicked on the strategy. At any rate, nothing made me not want to back it. I just love the feel of it.

I said I wasn't going to do it, but I went in for the Hero tier on FREEDOM FIVE. Some of the new scenarios included only in the gold tier stretch goals and that sweet box put me over the edge. While I have no doubt that I'd have a perfectly good time with just the retail box and standees, I just feel like this game is going to be winner. I'm a big fan of both the Sadlers and Richard Launier's game designs, and everything I've seen from playthrough videos and messing around with it on TTS scream "I WANT THIS GAME!"

I've also pledged for TOWNSFOLK TUSSLE, but I'm still not ruling out canceling it before the campaign is over. I want to get another good session in on TTS before I make up my mind. There are some flaws about it that still bother me a bit, but at the same time I see the potential.

I caved on Freedom Five as well last weekend. I took a chance on the Sadler name and the game hitting a few stretch goals and it definitely paid off. I feel like there is a really good amount of content and components now. Now I just need to stay out of this thread for the next couple of months or start looking for a second job. I definitely went overboard in October.

Yeah, my KS spending has been pretty rough, not even including the Wyrmwood Gaming table. But too many of my favorite companies/creators have launched campaigns at the same time.

Just to add in, the Sadler brothers said in one of the interviews I watched last week that Freedom Five is really Richard's game and I don' think they had all that much to do with it. They might have been added as advisors, play testers and tweakers but they made it clear it's really his game and design.

I love the art, theme and the minis. I just don't know if I'm sold on the game play - but it does look good.

As a Sentinels fan, I'm trying really hard not to look to closely at the page.

Some reviewers have been comparing it to Pandemic which kind off turns me off tbh.

I'll give it a second look in the future but for now I'm off the wagon.

I believe there are demos for Freedom Five on Tabletopia and TTS. IIRC there are links to each on the kickstarter page.

Never knew I was interested in desert adventures until I saw this...

Desert Adventures 3D Print Files

Wow, those models/terrain look fantastic.

Now you can do that Neverending Story campaign that you always wanted to do.

Had a buddy of mine try out TOWNSFOLK TUSSLE again last night. I was feeling a bit better about it after watching a 3-player playthrough, and wanted to give it another go.

Our game went kind of swingy - we had the boss down to 2 health when he suddenly got a chance to take two vicious attacks in a row which killed us both without warning. However, we both agreed that had we known the boss's catalog of potential attacks, we would have been able to avoid that outcome. In other words, in true rogue-like fashion, a second run with better knowledge would have likely led to a better outcome.

This time around we really took advantage of the terrain, and that made ALL the difference in my enjoyment level. Ignoring terrain leads to a rather dull game of hit/run, hit/run. However, using terrain leads to all kinds of unpredictable events. For instance, in my session I made a crit roll on a barrel of wine that gave me stat increases for the rest of the match. And in one memorable sequence we attempted to lure the boss near an outhouse because attacking it would cause it to explode and deal him 2 damage.

I also really enjoyed the boss mechanics. Each boss has a unique ability AI deck that tells what it does each turn. They are all wildly thematic. We fought a big Scarecrow boss, and in one attack he rammed a pole into the back of my buddy's shirt which limited his movement but also increased his melee range. Other attacks including sending crows to hurl insults at us, or hiding in a haystack to leap out and attack.

At the end of the night, a lot of my worries had been appeased and I had a fantastic time with it. My buddy had fun but was less enthusiastic about backing it. He wasn't really a fan of the cartoon theme, and he tends to back games that are lighter/more casual. While the theme of this one appears light, underneath the surface it's a pretty unforgiving brawler and I think he was a bit discouraged at getting whipped on the first battle. He also thought it was overpriced, but given the component quality I've seen I don't think it's unreasonable.

Long story short, pretty sure I'll still back it. It's unlike any other game in my collection, and the replayability seems insanely high.

hentzau wrote: Tue Nov 03, 2020 11:31 am Never knew I was interested in desert adventures until I saw this...

Desert Adventures 3D Print Files

Wow, some of those are amazing! The houses and ruins really catch my eye. One of these days!

If I had a timeline for getting a printer, I'd actually be tempted to back this one and just pack the files away somewhere.

Blackhawk wrote: Tue Nov 03, 2020 2:07 pm

hentzau wrote: Tue Nov 03, 2020 11:31 am Never knew I was interested in desert adventures until I saw this...

Desert Adventures 3D Print Files

Wow, some of those are amazing! The houses and ruins really catch my eye. One of these days!

If I had a timeline for getting a printer, I'd actually be tempted to back this one and just pack the files away somewhere.

Yeah, his stuff is all really fun, and he keeps getting better. I've also backed these projects from him:

Pirates vs Cthulhu

Asian Adventures

For the miniature painters out there, Minipedia just launched. It's a 10-volume set of painting books published by Scale75 (and established company.)

I was hoping to get in on this one, but it is more than I expected, and we just had to do some phone replacements so I'll likely have to sit it out.

Blackhawk wrote: Thu Nov 05, 2020 1:25 pm For the miniature painters out there, Minipedia just launched. It's a 10-volume set of painting books published by Scale75 (and established company.)

I was hoping to get in on this one, but it is more than I expected, and we just had to do some phone replacements so I'll likely have to sit it out.

I posted this in the Mini Painting Tips thread last night. I will most likely get the books which cost wise seems pretty fair, comes out to $13 per book. I was going to throw in the 4 minis but they seems really pricey. Scale75 is charging $110 if you want to add 4 miniatures, $28 bucks per mini? I know they are different sizes/scales but that seems pretty high unless I am missing something. I already backed the Instant Color KS so not really looking for paints which is good since that's another $200. So yeah I agree this is a pricey package for anything beyond the books. Would also be cool if they add the books to their web store after KS that way folks could buy one or two at a time rather than the whole set at once.

That type of mini is usually more expensive. They're extra-large artist pieces sculpted with extremely high detail and produced with higher quality materials intended as display pieces. I'd love to fiddle with some one of these days, but even if I had them right now I'd put them on the shelf until I felt my skill was more up to the task.

Tao wrote: Thu Nov 05, 2020 3:15 pm
I posted this in the Mini Painting Tips thread last night. I will most likely get the books which cost wise seems pretty fair, comes out to $13 per book. I was going to throw in the 4 minis but they seems really pricey. Scale75 is charging $110 if you want to add 4 miniatures, $28 bucks per mini?

I did just notice that the minis pledge has free shipping, which shaves $40 off of the price (€144 with just the books, €205 with books plus minis, so €61 difference, about $18 each.

Just got my notification that Etherfields is shipping. I'm kinda excited and early reviews seem good...

Altar Quest is getting ready to ship... hopefully I can clear Journeys in Middle Earth off the table in time.

Yeah, that might be here by Friday or Saturday. I have so many KS projects that were delayed and are now shipping and/or on track to be delivered before year's end or early January 2021. I'm definitely going to be stocked up for winter.