Heroscape Takes a Rating Hit

mads b. wrote: When playing Magic I hate playing against blue control decks because they rely on destroying the game I want to play. So basically they take away my possibility of playing my own deck and having fun with that which sucks.

The same goes, to some extent, for decks that rely on looking through your deck and going after one or two specific cards. But here the problem is more that I - as a rather novice player - can't follow what is happening meaning that I don't feel like I'm part of my opponent's play.

The thing is though that there are players that find playing control decks fun. Control magic is fun, counterspelling a dragon is fun. There is a problem with customizable games where match ups can have a disparity between how fun the game is for either side based on their builds or why that player plays the game. There are ways to avoid this with play between friends, but to take your squad/deck into the wild of an open play or tournament setting, you really just have to accept that this is how these games work. If you don't include units/cards to deal with certain general strategies, you might end up in a bad matchup. I'd just concede, or do a suicidal charge. You've got to know when you're beat, and it isn't the games fault.

Funny enough, this is one of Richard Garfield's core design principals. Create a game with enough luck that a novice could upset a skilled player (albeit a rare happening), and a losing player can push the blame if their loss off on that luck rather than themselves. Both of those make players feel good about playing or having played.

I don't mind control decks as such - and I certainly don't mind getting a solid beating in a tournament. But that doesn't change that decks built around destroying the opponent's game will make the experience less enjoyable for the recipient. And while losing - or even being beaten thoroughly - is fine, not being able to do your best can be a really frustrating experience.

Is it a deal breaker? Not at all. Is it a fault in the game? Definitely not. But I think it's a good example of what Sag brought up, namely a part of a game that can be a fun murderer.

If I was sat there getting my ass owned by a blue control deck I would fall back on the Summoner Geeks classic and just keep shouting out at the opponent "I cast magic missile on the darkness"

This isn't a problem with Heroscape...all minis games have this issue.

If a unit of models with decent range attacks are higher elevated and have a clear killing field in front of them, you're going to have a real problem. It's like this in any minis game I've ever played.

There's a reason the rule of scenario-less battlefield design is that prior to the game the sides take turns placing terrain. Then randomly deciding which table-edge each side will start on. Due to table-edge uncertainty, the players will aim to set up terrain in what appears to be the most balanced way. It's self regulating.

You either set-up like above, or you play a specific scenario design.

This shouldn't impact Heroscape's rating at all.

The Aubrien Archers have a very low percentage of activating. They are widely considered some of the worst, but most fun, characters in the game. My wife hit 13 (THIRTEEN, TRECE, DREIZEHN) in a row and totally fucked up my fun. Sitting powerless for 13 consecutive turns sucks, no matter the game. She loved it, I hated it.

The flying guys suck. Yes, they can SOMETIMES get a nice advantage if they all attack the same character, but they have low range, and if the opponent is worth his salt, he'll bunch up his models knowing that it will make returning fire a cinch.

As the Great and Powerful Launius once said, "Anything that makes someone lose a turn sucks." I hate the Aubrien Archers because of that alone.

Once I played a guy from our group at a tournament. I had brought Q9, the king of chesse, and he had gone with the fun but sucktacular Venoc Vipers (same ability as the Archers, but in melee form). These guys have 0 defense, and Q9 is the kind of figure who can pick them apart with ease. Usually. That is, until you do something like roll 0 skulls for 9 attacks straight, and watch the other guy hit 3 frenzies in a row. It was awesome.

And that's what makes Heroscape eternally awesome. SO MANY stories. Even when I lose, I'm in awe of how bad ass it can be.

It's like my buddy Mickey (Renshi in Shorin-Ryu) always says: Anyone can kick someone's ass. Not everyone can do it, and make it look pretty.

@the M:tG subthread, above: Counter-based decks can be fun, sure. The old draw-go deck would put you on the hook as to what you let hit the table, and what you counter.

IMO, what made the game suck back in the day (Combo Winter) was combo decks. "Can I get my combo down first?" I played mono-red just to be different, and would lose to some guy with 2 life when his combo went off on turn 4.