Pax Porfiriana Discussion and Strategy

Anything new in the collector's edition?

It comes with a mounted board, bigger box, new rulebook (large sized).

The back of the mounted board has a Pax Pamir board as well. There's some bitching about the Pax Porfiriana side of the board being pretty pixelated with the image not being high enough res when sent to the printer.

You don't want to use a bleedin' board for it anyway. That's just to appease BGG jagoff mentality bullshit. Felt and poker chips = winning.

Sorry guys, I'm cranky today.

Hex Sinister wrote: You don't want to use a bleedin' board for it anyway. That's just to appease BGG jagoff mentality bullshit. Felt and poker chips = winning.

+1 on this. You don't need a board.

Pax Porfiriana isn't a complicated game. However, it evokes the vibe of the Mexican Revolution: Chaos! All of the Hacendados, from intellectual, businessman, revolutionary, profiteer, imperialist to soldier had to deal with the flux of surfing the chaos that revolution brings--everything travels on a razor's edge and is ready to collapse. This game brilliantly forces players to surf the flux of that revolutionary chaos using the actual historical events and players--just like the historical Hacendados experienced, there are no long term plans in the game--you either float like chum on the ebb and flow of revolution, survive, and then, hopefully, make your move at the right moment for a win through diplomacy, treachery, or otherwise.

Having a surface with the costs listed certainly is better than having nothing.

I would have been fine with felt.

I should be getting Pax Poriforina Collectors edition, Neandertal, and Pax Pamir this week. Stoked! I am selling copies for Phil at BGG.CON, whcih at the moment, I have more people wanting a copy than I have copies coming.

charlest wrote: Having a surface with the costs listed certainly is better than having nothing.

I would have been fine with felt.

I was being a grumpy ass. You memorize the prices in 9 seconds of play. To aid, there is a ref. card to keep in the play area that shows the costs. You might look at it twice. In practice, it's easier to grip and lift flat cards off a cloth surface than a board. I will change my statement to:

felt iz moar elegant i give this component a ten
buying last copy from Phil without a boxs and keeping PP in Thunderstone exp. box rates mehven. Because looking at game library I will forget I own PP and thus it gets played less.

From memory (I'll probably f*** this up) the prices are 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16.

just got an email from Eklund, Pamir is in the post

Sexy time, sexy time!

Nice.

I ordered Pamir and the board (mostly for Pamir, being a computer dork my whole life I can count in powers of two well past 16). I didn't spring for the Collectors, I like my small box edition just fine.

I got a ship notice late last week, hopefully I'll see it soon.

The basic gist of Pax Por is really simple, but it's a notorious bitch to explain because all the little systems interlock and reinforce each other. However, that's why it's such a great game to me. The interlock and interplay in the rules make it a joy to play for me, even when I'm getting stabbed in the back. At some point, it should all just click for a player, and then they'll have the game internalized.

I hope Pax Pamir holds up, the theme in that is extremely interesting to me. There's a Vassal module if anyone wants to give it a go, but I don't think it's had the JoelCFC automation treatment.

(speaking of, I haven't seen Joel around much...)

Hex Sinister wrote:

charlest wrote: Having a surface with the costs listed certainly is better than having nothing.

I would have been fine with felt.

I was being a grumpy ass. You memorize the prices in 9 seconds of play. To aid, there is a ref. card to keep in the play area that shows the costs. You might look at it twice. In practice, it's easier to grip and lift flat cards off a cloth surface than a board. I will change my statement to:

felt iz moar elegant i give this component a ten
buying last copy from Phil without a boxs and keeping PP in Thunderstone exp. box rates mehven. Because looking at game library I will forget I own PP and thus it gets played less.

From memory (I'll probably f*** this up) the prices are 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16.

I don't have a problem playing without the costs listed on the surface (I played 5 or so times on the previous edition with no board), but it makes it easier to teach or come back to after a long hiatus.

charlest wrote: It comes with a mounted board, bigger box, new rulebook (large sized).

The back of the mounted board has a Pax Pamir board as well. There's some bitching about the Pax Porfiriana side of the board being pretty pixelated with the image not being high enough res when sent to the printer.

All those bitching about the Pax Porfiriana side of the board, I'll make it look more authentic. Please send a self-addressed and stamped envelope for the board return, two bottles of tequila and a box of .45 Long Colt or .44-40 Winchester cartridges. I'll make sure the board is filled with a suitable number of bullet holes, has bottle and drink rings, and, of course, reeks of tequila.

My Pax board came today (but no Pax Pamir game yet, maybe tomorrow).

The pixelation really is sort of hokey. The Moiré effect in the Gulf of California is actually the worst part. That's quite bad. It won't really be noticed much once the board gets covered in cards, there's not a lot of empty space there.

However, I bought it for the Pax Pamir side, and that looks great, compete with built-in play aid.

It also quad-folds to surprisingly small, which makes me happy. It looks like it will fit pretty nicely under the two boxes side-by-side.

Come on, Pax Pamir!