Front Page

Content

Authors

Game Index

Forums

Site Tools

Submissions

About

KK
Kevin Klemme
March 09, 2020
35142 2
Hot
KK
Kevin Klemme
January 27, 2020
20819 0
Hot
KK
Kevin Klemme
August 12, 2019
7405 0
Hot
O
oliverkinne
December 19, 2023
3967 0
Hot
O
oliverkinne
December 14, 2023
3495 0
Hot

Mycelia Board Game Review

Board Game Reviews
O
oliverkinne
December 12, 2023
2075 0
O
oliverkinne
December 07, 2023
2583 0

River Wild Board Game Review

Board Game Reviews
O
oliverkinne
December 05, 2023
2252 0
O
oliverkinne
November 30, 2023
2495 0
J
Jackwraith
November 29, 2023
3014 0
Hot
O
oliverkinne
November 28, 2023
1971 0
S
Spitfireixa
October 24, 2023
3692 0
Hot
O
oliverkinne
October 17, 2023
2619 0
O
oliverkinne
October 10, 2023
2461 0
O
oliverkinne
October 09, 2023
2289 0
O
oliverkinne
October 06, 2023
2505 0

Outback Crossing Review

Board Game Reviews
×
Bugs: Recent Topics Paging, Uploading Images & Preview (11 Dec 2020)

Recent Topics paging, uploading images and preview bugs require a patch which has not yet been released.

× Talk about whatever you like related to games that doesn't fit anywhere else.

Warfighter: your impressions?

More
18 Jan 2015 11:38 #195364 by stoic
I ended up sleeving the cards with penny sleeves and rearranging everything. It's a tight fit, but, it works. For anyone with an interest, here's a picture of the base game and its expansions 1-4 inside the box.


Attachment IMG_1210.JPG not found

Attachments:
The following user(s) said Thank You: PavingMantis, charlest

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
27 Dec 2015 10:55 #218303 by Gary Sax
I'm confused so I'm reviving this thread. How do you buy this game (ideally)? That is, what set of expansions and base game provides a solid base for a solo player to play through missions? Base and expansions 1-3?

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
28 Dec 2015 05:11 #218352 by ThirstyMan
You might, quite reasonably, think this is the best game since EVAR from reading the orgasmic reviews from people who should know better and don't, as a rule, play wargames much. I'm here to tell you that it is NOT the best game EVAR. It does NOT 'fire' Up Front never mind Fields of Fire and is not a patch on ASL (yeah, I know, different eras).

It is a pathetically abstract attempt at drawing boring grognards into the field and, mostly, it fails. It seems to me that DVG spends most of its time trying to desperately find the latest bandwagon to jump onto. Is it solo gaming? Maybe, but I'm a solo gamer and I need significant depth before I will bother investing time on a dice fest. This game has no positional manoeuvre and is all about resource management...that's it. If you were thinking this is going to be about flanking the enemy, firing suppressive fire, advancing into close combat with the enemy, you would be sorely mistaken. There is no way this should be described as a tactical game because, in a tactical game, different approaches are available which give different results. Not the case here.

ASL has a large active community and, as a business, I might be tempted to try for this market but not with this. ASLers will just laugh at you. Maybe the tactical air market. Have to simplify it right down though because no one wants a heavy game of air combat. I know, let's make it a load out game and resource management then we don't have to deal with tricky tactical combat made in split seconds above the ground. Maybe, we can add Cthulhu, come on that HAS to be good for a few more customers, it's permanently in vogue.

If you actually like tactical gaming at the squad level there are WAY better options than this.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Gary Sax, Msample

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
28 Dec 2015 11:36 #218382 by SuperflyPete
I have to agree with Andy. I played it twice now and while my buddy is all about it (and plays it solo) I just couldn't help but think I'd rather be playing Eldritch Horror if I wanted a co-op. Basically, the entire game is a sort of resource management game, kind of like Pandemic in a lot of ways.

I'm no expert, only two plays and the first was the 'starter game' but I wouldn't go out of my way to play it again, and if something else were offered, it would almost always be that other thing I'd rather play.

It was just kind of boring, and I'd normally like this kind of game.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Gary Sax

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
29 Dec 2015 09:07 - 29 Dec 2015 09:08 #218481 by charlest
It's just a card game guys. One that happens to be awesome and boast maybe the strongest narrative of any card game I've ever played, but I don't see people saying this replaces anything.

To me this fits in perfectly with Space Hulk Death Angel and now the Warhammer Quest Card Game (probably PACG too), but does much better when it comes to organically constructing a story from events that occur in play, as opposed to dictating a story for you.

I love those event cards that have civilians popping up or result in your squad getting lost in the wild. I love flipping the enemy cards and seeing an RPG team or technical and my gut swelling up. I love seeing one of my guys take a hit and referring to him by name when I'm exercising my anguish.

It's a damn good game that does its own thing. It doesn't have to replace anything else because it's comfortable excelling what it's best at - narrative.

I haven't played Hornet Leader or Thunderbolt Apache Leader in awhile, but I am still playing Warfighter.
Last edit: 29 Dec 2015 09:08 by charlest.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Gary Sax

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
29 Dec 2015 10:29 - 29 Dec 2015 10:30 #218490 by ThirstyMan

charlest wrote: It's just a card game guys. One that happens to be awesome and boast maybe the strongest narrative of any card game I've ever played, but I don't see people saying this replaces anything.


Then you haven't read all the posts in this thread.

What annoys me about it, is the impression it tries to give of being a TACTICAL game. It is not a tactical game. It is a card game with zero tactics apart from resource management. Plenty of people are happy playing any number of worker placement euros, but I am not. It doesn't have narrative because of the game play, it has narrative because of the event cards. In this sense, it has about as much narrative as Arkham Horror (which is none, if you don't read the cards out). I don't care if you think it's a good game or not. My opinion, from the wargamers side of the fence, is it is an awful game that does a disservice to the word 'tactical'. It's a card game and nothing else but far worse than say Up Front or Fields of Fire which have narrative due to game play.

My views are firming up on whose opinions I trust on this site when it costs upwards of $150 to get a game to me. This one is going on the bonfire. Lesson learned, don't listen to orgasmic reviews with no substance.
Last edit: 29 Dec 2015 10:30 by ThirstyMan.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
29 Dec 2015 12:15 #218511 by charlest
The narrative isn't simply from the event cards. When you hit a village and an RPG comes out, then one of your dudes suppresses the team while another takes them out with a grenade - I get a visual scene in my head of suppression and flanking and enemies being pinned down.

When I hit a location with a huge pool of enemies and decide to high tail it past them in desperation to get to the VIP chopper objective and then take it out with a SAM - that's narrative.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
29 Dec 2015 12:51 #218513 by ThirstyMan
I see and how do you advance into melee combat, flank left, feint right? What about concealment? Grenades don't 'take people out' they assist in close combat. See the difference between an actual tactical game and a card game? Oh I get 'it's just a game' and 'it's not supposed to be a simulation'. Maybe, they could chuck in Cthulhu to make it even better. A huge disappointment from someone who expects more from a reviewer than that.

I get a scene in my head when playing chess, it doesn't mean the narrative is actually there, it just means I have a good imagination and you need one for this game.

I typically spend money based on a sober analysis of a game worth playing

"but Warfighter is right now my top release of 2014. This game is not good, it's fucking great."

"Building narrative in a natural and unobtrusive way is quite difficult. There’s a delicate balance between abstraction and detail and many games with strong story prose suffer from being bogged down in overwrought mechanics. Warfighter gets the mix just right"

This last comment was the one that persuaded me to buy it. Unfortunately, it really doesn't get the mix right. It's abstraction with cards, that's it. For a wargamer, this is next to useless.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
29 Dec 2015 13:09 #218514 by charlest
Sorry, I'm not a wargamer (don't claim to be). I like thematic card games like Space Hulk: DA and now Warhammer Quest Adventure Card Game. I believe this is better than both of those. I still wholeheartedly agree with what I wrote. Wave 2 of Warfighter was excellent as well and I really dig the new footlocker expansion.

My number 2 game of 2014 would probably be Fallen, another card game without tactical leanings.

Other wargamers appear to like it though. George (Sphere) who is a prominent wargamer on consimworld/BGG is one of the most respected and wise online personalities I know of. He's a big fan of the game.

Many people like this game. There's a reason it's DVG's best selling game to date and they're working on a third wave. If you want to sling insults at me fine, but my opinions aren't exactly out of left field.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Cranberries

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
29 Dec 2015 13:24 #218515 by ThirstyMan
Yeah, I really didn't mean 'all the wargamers in the world will hate this', as I am sure you are aware, but there are good reasons why many will not.

You wrote not one single downside for this game in your review. That persuaded me to waste my money. Perhaps next time there might be an effort made to identify those things about the game that would put off a certain type of gamer, as opposed to it being a brilliant experience for all. Then I could save some money.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
29 Dec 2015 13:30 #218518 by charlest

ThirstyMan wrote: Yeah, I really didn't mean 'all the wargamers in the world will hate this', as I am sure you are aware, but there are good reasons why many will not.

You wrote not one single downside for this game in your review. That persuaded me to waste my money. Perhaps next time there might be an effort made to identify those things about the game that would put off a certain type of gamer, as opposed to it being a brilliant experience for all. Then I could save some money.


Fair enough.

My issue is that your downsides aren't a downside for me. I would think someone wanting detailed simulation type narrative would get that from my comparisons to Space Hulk: Death Angel and the Leader series.

I think we fundamentally disagree on the degree of abstractness and how that affects narrative. I think this has a great deal more narrative than Arkham Horror. There is more granularity and context here in the actions themselves, along with the locations, actions taken, and connection to the characters.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
29 Dec 2015 13:40 #218519 by ThirstyMan
I think that is fair enough, if you are writing a review for yourself or like minded friends.

I think, and don't take offence here, that if you are writing for a wider audience (which I think you are), it may be a good idea to identify the downsides even if you think they really aren't downsides, to warn off potentially disappointed buyers. I'm really only saying this because I know that I'm not the only disappointed customer led astray by golden reviews for this game.

No panic, man. I'll still read your reviews
The following user(s) said Thank You: charlest

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
01 Jan 2016 21:45 - 01 Jan 2016 21:49 #218838 by stoic
Replied by stoic on topic Warfighter: your impressions?
This game isn't a simulation. It doesn't pretend to be. It's true that it's about resource management. It's a solitaire story-telling experience of squad based combat. It sucks as a cooperative multi-player experience. The narrative created by the luck of the cards, events, and dice all do allow you to follow your squad in a way that develops a close campaign like connection to your card based "G.I. Joe Dolls" who get assigned cool special forces weapons, equipment and other shit. It's true that there are no real tactical decisions, but, your decisions, luck, and the cards decide how the missions unfold--the narrative tells a timely story about contemporary tactical combat against terrorists and drug dealers. I played-out the base game and its expansions 1-3 after about 5 sessions--then I got bored with it. Overall, it was worth what I payed for it as a fun solitaire game experience. I traded away Warfighter for Chaos in the Old World and expansion. But, I'm already regretting trading away Warfighter and I might buy it again. However, I still have DVG's Thunderbolt Apache Leader.
Last edit: 01 Jan 2016 21:49 by stoic.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
02 Jan 2016 03:43 #218850 by ThirstyMan
Well, I'm really pleased that you can trade away your copy and rebuy it at will.

I cannot do this as I live in a country which has no operational postal service. Next time you write a comment where you whitter about firing Up Front, just make sure that you qualify that for those people that read your comments and then spend $180 to get it shipped to them, only to find it is far from a tactical game, it is a resource management game which I never wanted in the first place.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
02 Jan 2016 09:18 - 02 Jan 2016 09:41 #218858 by Cranberries
I would think that if you were capable of choosing to live where you do, with all the benefits and drawbacks that living there entails, then you could also choose to read reviews at Consimworld, from grognards, before investing $180 in a game. I learned a while ago that enthusiastic reviews on F:AT do not necessarily translate to my gaming context.
Last edit: 02 Jan 2016 09:41 by Cranberries.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Moderators: Gary Sax
Time to create page: 0.177 seconds