What BOARD GAME(s) have you been playing?

SuperflyTNT wrote: I played Ferox twice. For those who don't know, Ferox is a 2P card battle game that Doc Mabuse will be reviewing. The setting is in a jungle; one side plays 4 cannibal tribes, one side plays 6 film crew members who crashed in a chopper and need to escape the jungle (preferable un-nibbled).

I love the presentation. LOVE. It's something Nate Hayden might have done. Even the "Be Kind Rewind" sticker on the box is perfectly executed. Gameplay is really fast and the gameplay, from a 10,000 foot perspective, is amazing. Unfortunately, we didn't like it very much. It's way, way too long, and while I love the fact that it's asymmetrical, the Filmies' cards have a much higher percentage of attack cards (or so it seems) whereas the Tribals have more cards that are utilitarian and fewer attack cards. So, when you start with the "starter decks" that are provided, it's a bit of a slog shuffling through the cards to get to the few attack cards. When you draft, however, you have a better chance, and that's when it becomes more interesting. There's still not enough attack cards, at least from what we've seen.

Maybe our opinion will change. I want to LOVE it, but I don't. I have a hard on for 2P battle card games anyhow, they're my least favorite of any kind of game. But setting goes a long way, so I figured I'd at least like it. And my partner has no such hatreds, and she hated it more than I did.

We'll see.

I played this once this weekend also and liked it a little bit more than you but didn't love it. I like the Rage mechanism and how the drafting works so you only see a small number of those large decks.

I like the attacking mechanic too.

I felt like the length did drag at times. Part of that is because you don't auto-draw cards so you have to expend your one action to draw and this can happen repeatedly. Plus your opponent can bogart rage and just hold off until he's drawn a full hand which dicks with the tempo.

I had fun but it did overstay its welcome for the type of game it is.

SuperflyTNT wrote: Gameplay is really fast and the gameplay, from a 10,000 foot perspective, is amazing. Unfortunately, we didn't like it very much.

This is why I hate reviewers.

Columbob wrote: I wasn't sure about sending an astronaut in suborbital flight: if you want to send him to orbit, must you stop by S-O flight first (so need at least 2 different rockets, the first to push you to S-O flight, then the rest of the way) or can you still explore S-O flight on your way to orbit in a single operation?

There's a comment from the designer that you stop at each card. I never had him answer the question as to why the "8" is on the card, suggesting that you could do the whole launch to orbit in one shot though. I'm thinking that you should just be able to do the launch into orbit directly. I have that as an open question with Joe now. Still, I find that mixing up the missions solo, it still holds its own. It's certainly little more than a balancing act with risk-taking on one side, and testing everything on the other. You can't do both and succeed. There has to be that balance -- and luck. The key is to minimize that luck.

I find this to be a great title for anyone who is homeschooling kids.

As a follow up to my post, a $5 picture frame and some printer ink and we now have a trophy:

Ancient_of_MuMu wrote: As a follow up to my post, a $5 picture frame and some printer ink and we now have a trophy:

Good medicine for your daughter.

Columbob wrote: I wasn't sure about sending an astronaut in suborbital flight: if you want to send him to orbit, must you stop by S-O flight first (so need at least 2 different rockets, the first to push you to S-O flight, then the rest of the way) or can you still explore S-O flight on your way to orbit in a single operation?

Ah, I have a minor misunderstanding on all of this, making my life harder (in just this one area, thankfully).

If a card has a maneuver, you can perform it. So, the "8" can put you into orbit directly. It won't qualify for the suborbital mission, but since the "8" is there, you can go directly there. Joe's comment, that I referenced earlier, addressed a situation whereby someone wanted to just add numbers across cards and go. That's certainly not permitted.

I learn something new every day.

Legomancer wrote: In addition, we both did shitty space race rolls (the Marshall Plan got shot into space twice but alas, Margaret Thatcher was unable to get airborne) but he did less shitty than me and got all the VP bonuses.

Assuming you aren't just painting a picture of your progress along the track (if you are, then ignore the following), the spaced card is always discarded regardless of your die roll and progress along the space race track.

Gary Sax wrote: My opponent and I have been thinking hard about getting rid of CIA created and Lone Gunmen entirely from the game. I hate these cards, the way they can make you lose is not especially strategic or thematic (Defcon loss), and it's all because they are 1 op so can't be space raced. I have gone 3-4 turns with Lone Gunmen as my "extra" card, praying that my opponent does not decide to play something that makes me discard a card randomly from my hand or anything=automatic loss.

I like them, and I think they are necessary. It really forces you to be on your toes. There are ways and conditions to get rid of them. As the USSR, you can/should always play CIA Created on your first Action Round, or if you don't have any influence in the 3 Mid War scoring regions it's safe to play whenever. As the US your options are more limited, but it is still doable. Of course there are always the cards that raise DEFCON, which is a perfect time. Anyway, I think it fits the theme perfectly, and makes it a lot more tense.

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As my usual X-Wing night got changed to a different day, and more people have been showing up, we came up with a format that I like quite a bit. Instead of playing giant multiplayer games, we decided that each person gets 45 points to spend on a single ship (sometimes restricted to small ships only). We split into two teams, unique cards are still restricted by side, but faction is not. We also did a free-for-all when we had 5 players. It's a pretty fun way to play with a bunch of people without the game being a 6-hour affair.

quozl wrote:

SuperflyTNT wrote: Gameplay is really fast and the gameplay, from a 10,000 foot perspective, is amazing. Unfortunately, we didn't like it very much.

This is why I hate reviewers.

I missed a few words: "from a 10,000 foot perspective, ON PAPER, is amazing."

Disgustipater wrote:

Legomancer wrote: In addition, we both did shitty space race rolls (the Marshall Plan got shot into space twice but alas, Margaret Thatcher was unable to get airborne) but he did less shitty than me and got all the VP bonuses.

Assuming you aren't just painting a picture of your progress along the track (if you are, then ignore the following), the spaced card is always discarded regardless of your die roll and progress along the space race track.

Oh yeah, Maggie got discarded, but she didn't get me any VPs, just a lost action.

We so rarely see the Late War cards that I don't even know what she does. Man I want to play again.

aaxiom wrote:

Columbob wrote: I wasn't sure about sending an astronaut in suborbital flight: if you want to send him to orbit, must you stop by S-O flight first (so need at least 2 different rockets, the first to push you to S-O flight, then the rest of the way) or can you still explore S-O flight on your way to orbit in a single operation?

Ah, I have a minor misunderstanding on all of this, making my life harder (in just this one area, thankfully).

If a card has a maneuver, you can perform it. So, the "8" can put you into orbit directly. It won't qualify for the suborbital mission, but since the "8" is there, you can go directly there. Joe's comment, that I referenced earlier, addressed a situation whereby someone wanted to just add numbers across cards and go. That's certainly not permitted.

I learn something new every day.

If you're sending an astronaut straight into orbit, you'll still need to check out the suborbital flight card because of the hazard icon beside the "8" difficulty.

Second game of Talon today during the snow. A much better scenario, with different sized ships and different capabilities. I enjoyed it more.

SuperflyTNT wrote:

quozl wrote:

SuperflyTNT wrote: Gameplay is really fast and the gameplay, from a 10,000 foot perspective, is amazing. Unfortunately, we didn't like it very much.

This is why I hate reviewers.

I missed a few words: "from a 10,000 foot perspective, ON PAPER, is amazing."

While that's a little better, it's not much. I am tired of reading reviews where praise comes out one side of the mouth and damnation from the other. The consumer doesn't care whether the gameplay looks good on paper. The consumer only cares how it plays. If the gameplay sucks, then say so and don't bother with false platitudes.

It's not a false platitude. A lot of you like Dominion. I see what made it popular. I see why it's praised. I also cannot fucking stomach it. Same goes for Mage Knight. Same goes for Pathfinder. Same goes with every LCG the F:AT suckers bought 200$ of and can't find a decent trade for. Just because I don't like it doesn't mean it sucks from a design level.

The gameplay is really cool and unique. It's fast and the rage mechanic is dope as could be. It's just that it feels like they nailed everything perfectly except the card distribution.

It's a Ferrari with a Pinto engine.

As an aside: that's the first time I've ever been accused of delivering platitudes, false or otherwise LOL

aaxiom wrote: There's a comment from the designer that you stop at each card.

Misread: step.

Who designed this thing, Phil Foglio?