OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

Chrisoc13 · Post by **Chrisoc13** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 1:30 pm

I'll back it. I really enjoy small world and I wouldn't mind some new races or the six player map. There are only a few ways to play 6-players right now (realms, tunnels, and necromancer) and I would like to play normal small world 6 players if possible. The 3 new races are a given, I will get them for sure.

hentzau · Post by **hentzau** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 2:18 pm

Just got in a game of Love Letter over lunch. Man, that was fun. I was a bit concerned we were laughing too loud for the corporate crowd in the work cafeteria though.

wonderpug · Post by **wonderpug** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 3:07 pm

Daveman wrote:I'm not putting up another Kickstarter thread... but wanted to post that the new, revised KS for the Small World 2 app is up now.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/day ... ref=search" target="_blank

It's a much better campaign now, clearly stated as being solely for the development of the app for Android/Kindle/Steam. The iOS version is already a done deal. There are only a few pledge levels, but with a few add-ons. If all you want is the app it looks like $15 will do it, plus a few new exclusive races/powers. If you're a board game version fan, for $40 you can get the app plus a doublesided 6-player board for SW/SWU... and with a $10 add-on cardboard versions of the new races and powers. If you're nuts you can get a deluxe edition boardgame for $320... which, as much as I love Small World, is crazy.

It's already 2/3 funded in 2 days! I'm looking forward to playing it on Steam.

Sweet! Thanks for the heads up. I already have the board game and the iPad game, so I went for the $8 tier + the $9 for the cardboard add-on.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sat Mar 16, 2013 11:10 pm

Netrunner, Gloom, Mage Wars (I still hate it), Flashpoint, and more Netrunner.

EzeKieL · Post by **EzeKieL** » Sun Mar 17, 2013 12:31 am

Tales of The Arabian Nights.

I love that game ^^

MythicalMino · Post by **MythicalMino** » Sun Mar 17, 2013 7:49 am

Got a few games of Zpocalypse...and tomorrow probably some more Zpocalypse mixed with a little Sentinels of the Multiverse for good measure

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Sun Mar 17, 2013 11:36 am

EzeKieL wrote:Tales of The Arabian Nights.

I love that game ^^

Ditto. Agents of Smersh, while a fun game, still can't hold a candle to TotAN.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Sun Mar 17, 2013 11:43 am

Isgrimnur wrote:Netrunner, Gloom, Mage Wars (I still hate it), Flashpoint, and more Netrunner.

Izzy beat the poo out of my newly put together Haas deck. Then I made him use that deck and beat up on him with my Gabriel deck. Playing corp stinks.

Gloom is a very light, but nifty little game. I'm not sure my wife would appreciate the theme. She's picky about things like killing off your family.

This was the first time I got to play a full game of Mage Wars. I built Warlock and Beastmaster decks a couple months ago and gave Izzy his choice. He took the beastmaster and never really had a chance. I got Mana Crystals out early for a small mana advantage that really compounded. Mana generation is the key to the game... well that and having fireball on your wand for repeated 7 die plus burn obliteration.

Flashpoint was probably the easiest victory I've ever had. One of these days I really have to try the expansions.

I didn't get Zpocalypse out. Mage Wars took WAY longer than I expected, largely because neither of us really knew the decks so there was a lot of time lost in the planning/picking your spells phase. 3+ hours.

hentzau · Post by **hentzau** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 10:14 am

Alright...let's see if I can remember everything I played this weekend.

Village: 4 player game, narrowly lost (VPs were tied, but the other player had sold more good than I had so he won the tiebreaker.) Love this game.
Twilight Struggle: Learning game for my buddy, who is prone to a bit of AP, so it went on forever. Lost that game, but I lost it due to a rules mis-interpretation on my part, so I really didn't lose.
Pirate Dice: 4 player game, ended in a draw when we ran out of time.
Crokinole: twice yearly game against Kristie, I remain undefeated.
Love Letter: Played this one about four times over the weekend, won once.
Risk Legacy: Played one round of this one, not a big fan. Lost fairly handily
Defenders of the Realm: Four player game, had one of the WORST starts I've ever seen for DotR. By the time we had each take our first turn, we had two generals within two of Monarch City, were down to four taint crystals, and had had 5 overruns. On our first run at taking out Varkolak, we failed to take him out, and lost two heroes to wounds. Needless to say, that one did not end well.
Legendary: One four player game, won fairly easily
Memoir '44: One game, won four VPs to 3 vs IMLawBoy. It was a learning game for him, so, I had a bit of an edge.
Alhambra: Four player game of this one. Came in second. Really enjoyed it. Glad I was able to play it.
Railways of the World - Eastern US Map: 3 player game with ChrisOC13 and his wife. I had a pretty clear advantage, because I had played before and it was both of their first games, and won fairly handily. But this was probably the most fun game I played all weekend, mostly because of ChrisOC13's wife's reaction at the end of the game. She clearly played a much better game than he did, but he ended up beating her by about 4 VPs anyway. His rail lines were scattered all over the place, and he had more bonds out, but somehow still ended up beating her. She was quite indignant at his slap-dash railroad system.

In addition to the above games, I helped folks learn Defenders and Legendary and watched a few other games (SMG, TtR, Legendary, Love Letter, Tsuro). Great weekend.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 10:22 am

I backed the third flash point expansionjust to get another box for all the expansion.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 10:41 am

coopasonic wrote:I backed the third flash point expansionjust to get another box for all the expansion.

I just did the same thing...but more for those fantastic looking minis!

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 10:44 am

I already have 2 sets of the previous firefighter minis, plus the wood meeples, plus the original generic pawns... I don't need more ways to represent my firefighters!

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 11:20 am

Are you a gamer? You don't SOUND like a gamer.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 11:20 am

Looking at those minis, all I can think is, "Are you my mommy?'

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 11:22 am

Now I am too...

I just like that they're role specific. It doesn't hurt that Flash Point is one of my favorite games.

RMC · Post by **RMC** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 11:42 am

hepcat wrote:

Now I am too...

I just like that they're role specific. It doesn't hurt that Flash Point is one of my favorite games.

After playing Flash Point this past Christmas at the Hepcat "Batcave" I can say that it is now on my list for purchases. I really liked the flavor and the overall mechanics of the game.

Now just to decide to back a kick started for an expansion for a game I do not own yet...hmmm...

Chaz · Post by **Chaz** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 11:53 am

I want....but I just can't justify the $65 for all three expansions when I haven't even managed to play the full version of the base game yet.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 11:56 am

RMC wrote: Now just to decide to back a kick started for an expansion for a game I do not own yet...hmmm...

You can get the game and all three expansions and the new promos for $100 through the kickstarter, which is a pretty good deal.

RMC · Post by **RMC** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 12:03 pm

coopasonic wrote:
RMC wrote: Now just to decide to back a kick started for an expansion for a game I do not own yet...hmmm...
You can get the game and all three expansions and the new promos for $100 through the kickstarter, which is a pretty good deal.

Now why did you have to tell me that.... My wife is not always very understanding when I drop 100 bucks on board games...

Maybe I can tell her I will be teaching our kids about the duty and dedication of our fearless fire fighters. Not sure I can sell that BS, but I might try it anyway.

Thanks for the info.

Montag · Post by **Montag** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 12:51 pm

General questions first:

What are the best websites for ordering stuff? CoolStuff?
In general do you agree with the Dice Tower Reviews? Vasel/Healy/Garcia/Metzier?

I have just ordered Rolling Freight, Suburbia, and Village. I am looking for some quality time coming up!

Chrisoc13 · Post by **Chrisoc13** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 12:59 pm

Montag wrote:General questions first:

What are the best websites for ordering stuff? CoolStuff?
In general do you agree with the Dice Tower Reviews? Vasel/Healy/Garcia/Metzier?

I have just ordered Rolling Freight, Suburbia, and Village. I am looking for some quality time coming up!

I tend to use coolstuffinc.com or miniaturemarket.com If the price is within a few bucks I just use Amazon with prime.
No idea about the Dice Tower Reviews.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 1:04 pm

I order 90% of my stuff from Amazon because Prime shipping kicks ass. My only local option is a Hobby Town franchise and their prices are ridiculous. I do watch Dice Tower reviews as part of my decision, but after three years of monthly gaming I'm finally zeroing in on exactly the types of games that work best for our group. I also trust the local knuckleheads here to offer honest opinions.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 1:05 pm

I am a big fan of coolstuffinc. They generally have everything in stock and I like the customer rewards. They also have been very helpful every time I have requested anything of them.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 1:10 pm

I USED to shop miniaturemarket.com, but they screwed up my last order and have been taking longer to ship the last few months, so I'm leaning towards either Amazon (if the price is right) or Coolstuffinc.com now.

As for Dice Tower, once you realize theme is more important to Tom when it comes to games than mechanics (within reason, of course) you can take his advice accordingly. I tend to lean more towards theme myself when it comes to gaming, so I've found him helpful in the past. However, he's got a fair amount of detractors for that very reason.

Chaz · Post by **Chaz** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 1:12 pm

I use coolstuff for big orders so I can get free shipping. If it's just a single game, I try and order from Amazon when I can. Sometimes their prices with free shipping are good, but sometimes not so much. Usually if it's sold direct from Amazon, the prices are good, but their stock of games seems spotty. It's not unusual for their best price to be from Funagain, which means they're expensive and charge crazy shipping.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 1:16 pm

If Isgrimnur and I both did reviews of Mage Wars you probably wouldn't think they were for the same game. Just like with computer or video game reviews, the review is going to be colored by the person giving it. It's more important that you get to see the game and form your own opinion. Of course if the game is broken, that generally transcends reviewer preference.

I think Vasel does a good job of explaining what the game is about and the mechanics. He does go a bit overboard on some things, but you still get the message.

I really like "Watch It Played" as a way to decide if I will like a game, unfortunately he doesn't have the ability to do as many games as Dice Tower since he is going so much deeper.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 1:55 pm

...and the Sentinels of the Multiverse Shattered Timelines expansion along with all the promo stuff I ordered to complete my game collection arrives TODAY instead of last Friday so I could play with them at Octocon.

I'm a little disappointed that the expansion and ALL of the promo stuff has been available in stores since last Thursday too. I know the point of kickstarter isn't necessarily to ensure that backers get it first, but I've come to expect that courtesy. I guess I'll just have to adjust my expectations in the future.

MythicalMino · Post by **MythicalMino** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 3:27 pm

My Sentinels of the Multiverse stuff arrives tomorrow, from miniaturemarket.

Hopefully, I will not suffer an order fiasco from them!!

I also have pledged to greenbriar's expansion/upgrade to Zpocalypse. A friend of mine came over yesterday, and we played two games of that. He offered to go 50 bucks on the expansion...

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 3:29 pm

MythicalMino wrote:I also have pledged to greenbriar's expansion/upgrade to Zpocalypse. A friend of mine came over yesterday, and we played two games of that. He offered to go 50 bucks on the expansion...

You've played Zpoc a few times, is it that good? The rules aren't really exciting me. Are you playing the base game or using ZMaster? How many players and how long is it taking to play? Anything you would compare it to?

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 3:33 pm

coopasonic wrote:I am a big fan of coolstuffinc. They generally have everything in stock and I like the customer rewards. They also have been very helpful every time I have requested anything of them.

CSI (whom hepcat actually introduced me to) are the way I go. Their free shipping level is reasonable and I save up my orders until there is something on sale I want and there is enough other stuff I want to get the free shipping level. I'd actually prefer to just buy from a brick and mortar store if only to keep gathering places around but I haven't found any of my local stores to be friendly/helpful/etc... enough to warrant my not so outgoing personality to keep me from saving nearly 50% on my purchases. There's little point in supporting community if I don't feel supported by that community. I don't feel like I'll lose anything if all of the B&M stores near me shut down and that is sad.

MythicalMino · Post by **MythicalMino** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 3:47 pm

I have played it, I would say, about 7 or maybe 8 times now. My son and I have been playing it almost every day.

We both really like it. We have not used the Zmaster set (yet). We have mixed in the tiles for Zmergency, though. We have played 2 players (mostly), last nights two games was 3 players. And we have played 4 players two times I think. It takes, around 2 hours, sometimes more, but usually right around 2 hours. But Jacob (my son) and I are laughing so much throughout the game, that time flies by (the humor in the game is pretty good, at least in our joint opinions).

What would I compare it to? I am not sure I have really played anything like it. Especially a Zombie boardgame. It does sorta remind me of the video game, Zafehouse Diaries, in that you need to try to build up your base, scavenge, and that type of stuff. Looking at all of my boardgames (too many to mention), this one is, in my opinion, quite unique. There are parts that remind me of one game, but another part reminds me of another completely different type of game. In some ways, it reminds me of Descent, in another way, a Game of Thrones boardgame, in another way, a different game. I just know that we really do enjoy it, on so many levels.

From scavenging, trying to get enough food to be able to use as many suvivors as you can, to finding weapons, and a mixture of those weapons, to hoping (praying) you don't run out of ammo (CLICK!) when attacking with your brand new shotgun you found on your last scavenging trip...to worrying that you will actually drop the pipe bomb at your feet instead of throwing it where you need to throw it (happened to me). Then add in building your fortifications, and working together, but not really working together (you are trying to win and survive, afterall...but you still do need the other players to survive). Needing to trade for food and/or guns because you were not as successful on your last scavenge outing, which also meant more zombies following you back to the bunker...but then, maybe this time you didn't even get to the bunker, and you gotta start fighting out in the open, surrounded by zombies (not to mention, you couldn't even trade with the other players or help build the fortifications...

There is just so much.

Last night's game (last one we played), I couldn't hardly miss, blasting zombies like crazy...until I ran out of ammo. Fortunately, somehow, one of my squad members were able to roll 6's for 3 attacks in a roll, killing zombies with his bare hands, while my friend had a skateboard and couldn't get a kill for nothing. Then, throw in my son, who lost his entire squad, dropping all of his gear out in the open (he was surrounded), he then charged with his new squad (survivors from the bunker that we were not using at the time) headlong into that same horde of zombies, picking up his gear, only to watch his squad die another horrific death (he was laughing so much, he nearly fell off his chair). The next squad to go was mine...as at the wrong time (is there ever a "right" time?), one of my squad members was turned into a zombie herself. My team was quickly dispatched after that. That game ended with my friend in a hallway, zombies on both sides of him, fighting to the very end, but simply overwhelmed...the game lends itself to such great storytelling (and that game ended in a tie)...

We are simply enjoying the hell out of it...I don't mean to gush about it, but we are really, and I mean, REALLY, enjoying it.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 3:53 pm

Thanks for typing that up. It sounds like it is different enough from those other two zombies games to be of interest. Reading the rules it is really hard to get a handle on how it plays. People gave zombicide grief for the rule book, but man the Zpocalypse rule book gives me a headache just looking at it.

MythicalMino · Post by **MythicalMino** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 3:59 pm

I will say that the manual is pretty rough...but the designers have answered all of my questions on BGG when I have posted any. And once you play it a bit, the game flows really well. The thing is...what can happen in the game makes sense in a zombie apocalypse sort of way. In regards to theme...the game knocks it out of the park all the way to the fence of the next ballpark.

We are no longer really having any issues with the rules, and in fact, the game makes a lot of sense after playing a few times.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 4:10 pm

Will you be near Dallas this weekend and want to stop by and teach it to me?

I had the chance to play it with Jeff Gracia at BGGCon but passed up the chance since I was getting the game anyway. I won't do that next time.

MythicalMino · Post by **MythicalMino** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 4:27 pm

if there was a Dallas, Michigan, maybe...

I don't think the manual is worse than others, especially FFG's manuals. You can also watch the tutorial videos (can get them on BGG)...set up the game and play a solo game, then check all the rules questions on BGG, then set it up and play again. That is what I did, then I would ask questions on BGG as they came up during my games. The game did not take too long to "click" with me.

Chrisoc13 · Post by **Chrisoc13** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 11:04 pm

The Smallworld kickstarter just put up an update (since it has reached it's goal already). At $200k everyone backing at $30 or more will receive a print version of leaders of small world for all races (including all expansions, the 3 exclusive races for the kickstarter campaign, and underground). Pretty cool stretch goal. I have played a bit with the leaders before and while I don't think they are a great addition I like having a complete set so I am glad they have decided to reprint it.

At $250k if they reach it necromancer island will be released again for those in $60. I don't care about necromancer island since I already own it and I think it is not a very fun expansion, but I know (judging by ebay prices) there is a demand for it so good to see them willing to bring it out.

MythicalMino · Post by **MythicalMino** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 4:02 am

Have any of you played Kemet (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/127023/kemet" target="_blank)?

It is another game I now own, really wanting to get to the table...Ancient Egypt mythology game, in the same vein as Cyclades.

SpaceLord · Post by **SpaceLord** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 2:45 pm

These dice are super cute!

Rocket Dice

I need them.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 2:55 pm

Whoa, those are extremely cool!

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 2:58 pm

The Dreidel lives again.