OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu May 10, 2012 2:24 pm

If this were available today, I'd already have an order placed.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Thu May 10, 2012 2:26 pm

Smoove_B wrote:Did anyone mention (play test? preview?) the Second Edition of Descent that is due out sometime soon-ish?

I know a bunch of you have played the original and that apparently it can be a real slog at times, but I'm keeping a watch out to see if the experience is improved for the updated edition

I liked Descent. I'm a bit bummed they are doing another edition rather than expanding and changing the last one. I spend $300 or more on the last edition. I liked the game. I didn't like it enough to buy it all over from scratch.

Maybe someone else locally will buy it.

Remus West · Post by **Remus West** » Thu May 10, 2012 2:39 pm

LordMortis wrote:
Smoove_B wrote:Did anyone mention (play test? preview?) the Second Edition of Descent that is due out sometime soon-ish?

I know a bunch of you have played the original and that apparently it can be a real slog at times, but I'm keeping a watch out to see if the experience is improved for the updated edition
I liked Descent. I'm a bit bummed they are doing another edition rather than expanding and changing the last one. I spend $300 or more on the last edition. I liked the game. I didn't like it enough to buy it all over from scratch.

Maybe someone else locally will buy it.

Looking at some of the images on there they seem to have really nerfed the heroes.

edit: and looking at more images it seems they have buffed some of them.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Thu May 10, 2012 2:41 pm

Smoove_B wrote:Did anyone mention (play test? preview?) the Second Edition of Descent that is due out sometime soon-ish?

I know a bunch of you have played the original and that apparently it can be a real slog at times, but I'm keeping a watch out to see if the experience is improved for the updated edition

I'm set to play it at Gencon (or at least I will be when the processing part of the event registration is brought online).

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Thu May 10, 2012 2:52 pm

Remus West wrote:
LordMortis wrote:
Smoove_B wrote:Did anyone mention (play test? preview?) the Second Edition of Descent that is due out sometime soon-ish?

I know a bunch of you have played the original and that apparently it can be a real slog at times, but I'm keeping a watch out to see if the experience is improved for the updated edition
I liked Descent. I'm a bit bummed they are doing another edition rather than expanding and changing the last one. I spend $300 or more on the last edition. I liked the game. I didn't like it enough to buy it all over from scratch.

Maybe someone else locally will buy it.
Looking at some of the images on there they seem to have really nerfed the heroes.

edit: and looking at more images it seems they have buffed some of them.

Looking at BGG, it looks like they created a schema for cost for heros and that they nerfed the overlord.

Compared to the first edition of Descent: Journeys in the Dark, this game features:

Simpler rules for determining line of sight
Faster setup of each encounter
Defense dice to mitigate the tendency to "math out" attacks
Shorter quests with plenty of natural stopping points
Cards that list necessary statistics, conditions, and effects
A new mechanism for controlling the overlord powers
Enhanced hero selection and creation process
Experience system to allow for hero growth and development
Out-of-the-box campaign system

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Thu May 10, 2012 2:55 pm

Yeah, I saw all those listed I just had no idea if that made for a better experience. I guess I'll be looking for post-Gencon impressions.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Thu May 10, 2012 3:38 pm

FFG runs a huge booth at Gencon and usually has demos and games running for all their upcoming stuff...sometimes months in advance. I'm scheduling a game of Fortress America as well as Descent 2nd edition.

Chaz · Post by **Chaz** » Thu May 10, 2012 5:39 pm

I totally missed that FFG are also re-doing Fortress America. That's awesome! I may have to buy that.

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Thu May 10, 2012 11:23 pm

I have never been able to finish a game of Fortress America. In college, we would play Axis & Allies for days. But someone in the group would always get frustrated and throw the board in Fortress America. The one time we had a hope to finish, one of the roommates where we were running the marathon session tossed the board because our agonizing turns kept waking him up.

It's a long slog with a few turns that will turn the tide of the game. The Americans keep getting reinforcements while the invaders slowly wear themselves down, so the first few turns are amazingly painful for the Americans and the later turns the invaders watch their plans fall apart.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Fri May 11, 2012 10:55 am

Got through all of the rules of MK walk through last night. It's weird that it's pretty dense and yet pretty simple at the same time. The first round (and every new player introduction) is going to take a long time to get through but once having played it looks like really simple and intuitive.

I will they made a big central board for all of the stuff they recommend you put in designated areas but I suppose that board would have cost me another ten bucks, so it's all good.

Without having actually played yet, I also think the walk through game should have been a co-op game.

I'm thinking it's going to be a cool game and one that's played in reasonable time frame once the learning curve has established.

Chaz · Post by **Chaz** » Fri May 11, 2012 11:10 am

I tried to get through the tutorial scenario last night. Didn't make it. Got everything sorted and set up, then made it through to the end of the combat section, and found out I was too tired to brain any more. Like LM, it looks like everything's pretty straightforward once you get how cards are played for points to do stuff, but there's a lot of different options on a turn, so they have to explain everything in a big chunk.

I also discovered I was out of sandwich baggies. This one really needs separate bags for each player's components. Not sure when I'll be able to finish up teaching myself the rules.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Fri May 11, 2012 11:14 am

Chaz wrote:I also discovered I was out of sandwich baggies. This one really needs separate bags for each player's components. Not sure when I'll be able to finish up teaching myself the rules.

If it all goes into separate baggies (which the rules recommend) how does it all fit back in the box? The made a tight fit for organization.

The worst part about having gone through the entire walk through is knowing that realistically I have to go through it again with people to teach them the game.

One thing I'm not clear on that I can remember. Do Marauding Monsters move? I know they come after you if you move next to them and then move next to them again. I don't know if they move on to your hex to attack you though.

Chaz · Post by **Chaz** » Fri May 11, 2012 11:54 am

From what I've read in the starter rules, I think they're stationary, but have a zone of control on the surrounding hexes. So while they don't move, they still effectively limit movement in the surrounding area, so they're best murdered in the face.

I'm planning on ditching the insert that's holding the minis. I think they'll survive just fine without being encased in plastic, and that thing takes up a ton of space. With that gone, I think everything else will fit with no problem. Could also just put things under that insert too, I suspect.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Fri May 11, 2012 11:59 am

Chaz wrote:I'm planning on ditching the insert that's holding the minis. I think they'll survive just fine without being encased in plastic, and that thing takes up a ton of space. With that gone, I think everything else will fit with no problem. Could also just put things under that insert too, I suspect.

If I go the billion baggies route, I think that is what I'll do.

SpaceLord · Post by **SpaceLord** » Fri May 11, 2012 12:04 pm

LordMortis wrote:
Chaz wrote:I'm planning on ditching the insert that's holding the minis. I think they'll survive just fine without being encased in plastic, and that thing takes up a ton of space. With that gone, I think everything else will fit with no problem. Could also just put things under that insert too, I suspect.
If I go the billion baggies route, I think that is what I'll do.

I was able to fit all the bagged player components underneath the large mini insert. But just barely.

Boudreaux · Post by **Boudreaux** » Fri May 11, 2012 1:04 pm

I ditched everything except the minis insert. All of the components for each player are in their separate bags, cards are in two deck boxes, and the rest of the tokens are in bags. I realized immediately that while the insert holds everything, there was no way I wanted to put all the encounter tokens back in those slots each time. I have the same issue with Lords of Waterdeep - I hate the slots for the money and point tokens, I immediately just bagged them.

Leaving the minis in their insert, there is plenty of room for everything else. I admit, I have very little attachment to game inserts. Since many of my games are stored standing on edge, I think bagging helps keep the components in better shape rather than having stuff falling around all over the inside of the box every time I put it on a shelf.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Fri May 11, 2012 2:54 pm

Chaz wrote:From what I've read in the starter rules, I think they're stationary, but have a zone of control on the surrounding hexes. So while they don't move, they still effectively limit movement in the surrounding area, so they're best murdered in the face.

Yup, that's the way they work.

I ditched my insert in favor of a small plano box and a bunch of lunch baggies and it works great, by the way.

Daveman · Post by **Daveman** » Fri May 11, 2012 4:18 pm

OK, now that the Ogre Kickstarter is out of the way, lets get working on Tammany Hall!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/872 ... l?ref=live" target="_blank

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Fri May 11, 2012 4:20 pm

Daveman wrote:OK, now that the Ogre Kickstarter is out of the way, lets get working on Tammany Hall!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/872 ... l?ref=live" target="_blank

If we're taking requests then I want to replace my favorite "Kill the president!" card game

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1687/red-empire" target="_blank

baelthazar · Post by **baelthazar** » Fri May 11, 2012 8:44 pm

Smoove_B wrote:Did anyone mention (play test? preview?) the Second Edition of Descent that is due out sometime soon-ish?

I know a bunch of you have played the original and that apparently it can be a real slog at times, but I'm keeping a watch out to see if the experience is improved for the updated edition

My problem with this is that they made it MORE expensive for previous owners - as they have to buy the new edition AND an "upgrade box." That sounds like crap to me.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Fri May 11, 2012 8:53 pm

Why would you need to buy both the new, second edition AND the upgrade box? Wouldn't just buying the second edition be enough?

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Fri May 11, 2012 9:18 pm

hepcat wrote:Why would you need to buy both the new, second edition AND the upgrade box? Wouldn't just buying the second edition upgrade kit be enough?

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Fri May 11, 2012 9:24 pm

FFG

The Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition Conversion Kit includes everything you need to transfer your first edition heroes and monsters to second edition.

With Second Edition-compatible cards for every monster and hero ever produced (including promotional heroes!), this convenient conversion kit is an indispensable tool. So whether you want to bring your extensive Descent collection with you on new adventures, or you’ve got a favorite hero that you choose every time, we’ve got you covered.

So second edition is completely revised, invalidates all the monsters and characters from the expansions, and makes it so that you won't have to repurchase the second-edition expansions, if they actually produce 2nd-edition versions of such?

Am I reading that right?

Turtle · Post by **Turtle** » Sat May 12, 2012 7:22 am

Not sure how you're reading that, or if you're being sarcastic about it.

But simply put, the conversion kit is all you need to bring all of your 1st edition descent stuff into 2nd edition.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sat May 12, 2012 12:43 pm

Nope, no sarcasm. I'm honestly confused.

My initial thoughts would be that a conversion kit would be a patch to the old game to allow you to "fix" the old stuff and play with the new rules. That way, someone that owned all the 1st Ed stuff could play with 2nd Ed rules with the fixes without having to purchase the new game.

And after reading it all again, I'm still not sure if that's the case, or the kit is useless without purchasing the 2nd Ed base set.

baelthazar · Post by **baelthazar** » Sat May 12, 2012 6:41 pm

Turtle wrote:Not sure how you're reading that, or if you're being sarcastic about it.

But simply put, the conversion kit is all you need to bring all of your 1st edition descent stuff into 2nd edition.

No, it is not. You actually have to have the base 2nd Edition as well.

And after reading it all again, I'm still not sure if that's the case, or the kit is useless without purchasing the 2nd Ed base set.

From what I have read, if you want to use your old stuff (characters, monsters, heroes) in the 1st edition when playing the 2nd editions you have to buy the base 2nd edition set AND the conversion kit. The conversion kit only provides new statistics and upgraded skills, etc. for the old heroes/monsters and such but does not include the new tiles, items, dice, and other components.. You still need the new 2nd edition tiles and ruleset.

So, as I said, previous owners of Descent get penalized (if they want to use all the stuff they bought before) by needing to buy the new edition AND the upgrade kit.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sat May 12, 2012 6:45 pm

A $25 upgrade kit seems to be a small price to pay to leverage in all the expansions rather than wait on them to be put out again (if ever). One could always just play the old version without any additional outlay.

But for me, this is rather drive-by anyway. I've never played the game and have no idea what the "upgrades" are between Ver 1 and Ver 2.

baelthazar · Post by **baelthazar** » Sat May 12, 2012 9:20 pm

Most notably - streamlined (or *fixed*) rules, shorter play time, and a class-based hero system.

Yes, the $25 kit seems a small price to pay... but add that on top of the $50-70 they will charge for the 2nd edition and think about how many of us spent $100-300 already for the base game and additions and that starts to look a little ridiculous. IMHO, they should have found someway to upgrade for previous users for $25 and not made us add the stock game.

The sad thing is that I will probably leap. Descent is one of my favorite games and a favorite of my group, but the rules are a mess and the play time a bit too long. If the play time is reduced (or more flexible) and the rules more workable, then it will be REALLY hard to resist.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sun May 13, 2012 10:00 am

Mage Knight in my Gold Box deal of the day? Are you kidding me? Happy Mother's Day to Smoove_B's wife...I think she would want me to have this...

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Sun May 13, 2012 5:49 pm

Nice. Let us know what you think of it. I was going to start up a game this morning but got sidetracked by work.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Sun May 13, 2012 9:17 pm

Did the intro scanario for MK with Remus and Redrun today. Even though I read the walkthrough ahead of time there was a lot of stuff I kept forgetting and then going through it took some time. We played the intro (without PvP) twice in about 7 hours. It will get much faster but there's always going to be some hard core analysis going on for your turn, so it's never going to be a quick game. But I really like the mechanic. I hope the two of them do as well. The one pain will be introducing new people. Every time someone plays for the first time, you really need to do the intro scenario and will have to wait the entire game for them to come up to speeds and that's going to be time consuming and potentially intimidating for the new player.

But I really like it. The game works the exact opposite strategically than it seems like it should and I think that's way cool. It seems like it would make sense to blow through your cards quickly to get the most out of your turns while limiting others ability to act but both in games we played, the player holding (and therefore blowing through less cards) won mainly by amassing mana and choosing when and how to be explosive.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Sun May 13, 2012 9:21 pm

Isgrimnur wrote:FFG

The Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition Conversion Kit includes everything you need to transfer your first edition heroes and monsters to second edition.

With Second Edition-compatible cards for every monster and hero ever produced (including promotional heroes!), this convenient conversion kit is an indispensable tool. So whether you want to bring your extensive Descent collection with you on new adventures, or you’ve got a favorite hero that you choose every time, we’ve got you covered.
So second edition is completely revised, invalidates all the monsters and characters from the expansions, and makes it so that you won't have to repurchase the second-edition expansions, if they actually produce 2nd-edition versions of such?

Am I reading that right?

While I'm happy they did that, I'm not sure I can warrant another $100+ to upgrade. I'm also not sure how well I'd be able to get people to play again. OTOH, it does make it more tempting to know that for another $25 the $300+ I spent before isn't a waste.

Remus West · Post by **Remus West** » Mon May 14, 2012 12:00 am

LordMortis wrote:Did the intro scanario for MK with Remus and Redrun today. Even though I read the walkthrough ahead of time there was a lot of stuff I kept forgetting and then going through it took some time. We played the intro (without PvP) twice in about 7 hours. It will get much faster but there's always going to be some hard core analysis going on for your turn, so it's never going to be a quick game. But I really like the mechanic. I hope the two of them do as well. The one pain will be introducing new people. Every time someone plays for the first time, you really need to do the intro scenario and will have to wait the entire game for them to come up to speeds and that's going to be time consuming and potentially intimidating for the new player.

But I really like it. The game works the exact opposite strategically than it seems like it should and I think that's way cool. It seems like it would make sense to blow through your cards quickly to get the most out of your turns while limiting others ability to act but both in games we played, the player holding (and therefore blowing through less cards) won mainly by amassing mana and choosing when and how to be explosive.

I think that to teach others you loan them the game for a few days so they can play the intro walk through on their own.

I liked it. I may even look into getting my own copy if it is replayable as a solo and it seems like it should be.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Mon May 14, 2012 9:09 am

Remus West wrote:I think that to teach others you loan them the game for a few days so they can play the intro walk through on their own.

I liked it. I may even look into getting my own copy if it is replayable as a solo and it seems like it should be.

As far as I can tell in the solo game you play with dummy players as a timer. You play a real scenario. The dummy player plays with 16 cards. He uses two cards per turn plus a random number between 0 and 3 based on dice rolls. So he can end the turn before you do. He also takes a tactic card, I think but I can't remember how.

So the challenge is to get the most points you can against the randomized timer.

I'll probably give it a try soon, mainly to learn the game mechanic (and how to face castles) better. I also need to learn about PvP.

The looks designed for expansions too. So I look forward to where they go with it in addition to what looks like a lot of replayablity. But this requires motivation to play from others.

Remus West · Post by **Remus West** » Mon May 14, 2012 10:21 am

I ordered the game.

It has shipped.

It should be at my house tomorrow.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon May 14, 2012 10:34 am

LordMortis wrote: He uses two cards per turn plus a random number between 0 and 3 based on dice rolls.

It's based on whether or not you draw a card that's the same color as crystals in the dummy player's "bank".

If you have an android phone or table, do a search in the app store for Mage Knight. A fan of the game from BGG put together a handy app that takes care of the dummy player's actions in a game.

baelthazar · Post by **baelthazar** » Mon May 14, 2012 12:14 pm

LordMortis wrote:Did the intro scanario for MK with Remus and Redrun today. Even though I read the walkthrough ahead of time there was a lot of stuff I kept forgetting and then going through it took some time. We played the intro (without PvP) twice in about 7 hours. It will get much faster but there's always going to be some hard core analysis going on for your turn, so it's never going to be a quick game. But I really like the mechanic. I hope the two of them do as well. The one pain will be introducing new people. Every time someone plays for the first time, you really need to do the intro scenario and will have to wait the entire game for them to come up to speeds and that's going to be time consuming and potentially intimidating for the new player.

But I really like it. The game works the exact opposite strategically than it seems like it should and I think that's way cool. It seems like it would make sense to blow through your cards quickly to get the most out of your turns while limiting others ability to act but both in games we played, the player holding (and therefore blowing through less cards) won mainly by amassing mana and choosing when and how to be explosive.

I completely echo your statements above. I played a solo-version of the walkthrough and I believe it took me the better part of 3 hours to setup and play, if not a little more. It is a very fun game, a little bit too much minutiae and fiddly bits. But I said the same thing to my wife (who sort of watched me play in the living room) - I can't imagine trying to teach this to other people. I suppose the best thing is to just sit down and play the intro scenario and walk them through it. I see this one being a lot like Arkham Horror in the sense that I will be the one playing "arbiter of the rules" while everyone else gets to just play their turns and have fun.

Still, I think the game has some really cool aspects to it.

I also solo played a game of Empires of the Void. The game doesn't strictly allow solo play, but I wanted to learn the mechanics before teaching it. I was pleasantly surprised - it is a light wargame with a bit of a Euro feel and a good amount of strategic options. What really makes the game is the dual way to take territory by conquering or allying with alien planets. Also, I found out that battle if far more difficult than it appears and you can effectively block opponents with a small number of ships - meaning you have to plan ahead and find ways to overcome your opponent that go beyond simply spamming ships. I'm very pleased and can't wait to get a 4 player game.

We had a lot of humidity yesterday and so both games had a little bit of component curling. I hope that isn't going to continue.

wonderpug · Post by **wonderpug** » Mon May 14, 2012 12:37 pm

Any recommendations for something quick to learn, fun for casuals, and good for 6 players? Have some relatives invading for the coming week and it'd be great to have something to bring everyone together and break the ice a bunch.

This group is largely of the Monopoly/Sorry/Clue upbringing, as well as things like Spades/Hearts/Poker.

Current typical gettogether favorite is Rage (Spades on crack with hallucinogens).

Right now, kind of considering buying Dixit

Remus West · Post by **Remus West** » Mon May 14, 2012 12:43 pm

Wizard might work. It is a bidding trump game. I think it plays 6. Might max at 5. I'll try to remember to check at home. I love the game. Chaosraven dislikes it. I believe both LordMortis and redrun enjoy it.

hentzau · Post by **hentzau** » Mon May 14, 2012 12:49 pm

In a casual setting like that, Apples to Apples always seems to be a big hit. Also, we've had great luck in introducing non-gaming people to The Great Dalmuti.