Let's Talk BSG Pegasus

Some Pegasus discussion in the "games you've been playing" thread, along with a few fairly well considered negative reviews on BGG has me wanting to know more about this expansion from the F:ATties. I just got it today for X-mas, but I won't be playing it for a little (a month or two at least) while since my current BSG crew, which doesn't meet often, are all newbs. I think they should really experience the original first. I've only played 6 times anyway.

I don't really have any impression on it so far having read the rules, other than to say that BSG is probably one of, if not the, tightest design of the last few years I've played. It's pretty much perfect. I wonder if that's not playing into people's opinions. Since the original game is so complete I'm curious how adding these chunks onto it will work.

There have been opinions of it added in separate threads and plenty of talk, but I'd really like to hear opinions just about Pegasus instead of spread all over.

Gary Sax wrote:

I think they should really experience the original first. I've only played 6 times anyway.

Absolutely, play the base game with them 5+ times before playing Pegasus. I think the base game is overall slightly better than the expansion. But Pegasus does help out people who have played the base game and want a change.

The Pegasus expansion is kind of like the Arkham Horror expansions. The base game is great but its nice adding some twists and new characters.

I have yet to see the humans reach New Caprica. It's just too bloody hard to get there.

Mr Skeletor wrote:

I have yet to see the humans reach New Caprica. It's just too bloody hard to get there.

Even with the new help (i.e. Pegasus, Admiral Cain, executions, etc)?

How have Cylon leaders worked for people? I know there are a couple people at my table who would die to play the Cylon leader.

I'm not a fan of playing with the Cylon leader but its worth playing a few games with the Cylon leaders to see how you like them. The big part of the fun BSG is figuring out who the Cylons and humans are and the game is best when trying to figure out who 5 or 6 players are. The Cylon leader cuts that number down by 1. Yes, you will be trying to figure out what the Cylon leader is up to but that is secondary most of the game. The other problem with Cylon leaders is that they are limited in what they are doing. They get less cards and players don't tend to trust them to give them executive orders and you won't be President or Admiral.

I like using no Cylon leaders and the game variant on page 18 of Pegasus Sympathetic Cylon for a 4 or 6 player game. In this you don't use the hated "You are a Sympathizer card" and you use the "You are a Sympathetic Cylon" card. The person who gets this card during the sleeper phase gets to draw a Cylon Agenda card and basically becomes a Cylon leader with a secret agenda at the midway part of the game.

The Cylon Leader works out best in games where there would be a Sympathizer (4 or 6). Less gaming of the system and having to guess what the Cylon's agenda really is. I've been thinking about combining the agenda decks regardless of how many people are playing. Put them in colored-backed sleeves so you can't tell if their agenda is Hostile or Sympathetic.

Haven't tried it with the Sympathetic Cylon yet.

KingPut wrote:

I'm not a fan of playing with the Cylon leader but its worth playing a few games with the Cylon leaders to see how you like them. The big part of the fun BSG is figuring out who the Cylons and humans are and the game is best when trying to figure out who 5 or 6 players are. The Cylon leader cuts that number down by 1. Yes, you will be trying to figure out what the Cylon leader is up to but that is secondary most of the game. The other problem with Cylon leaders is that they are limited in what they are doing. They get less cards and players don't tend to trust them to give them executive orders and you won't be President or Admiral.

I like using no Cylon leaders and the game variant on page 18 of Pegasus Sympathetic Cylon for a 4 or 6 player game. In this you don't use the hated "You are a Sympathizer card" and you use the "You are a Sympathetic Cylon" card. The person who gets this card during the sleeper phase gets to draw a Cylon Agenda card and basically becomes a Cylon leader with a secret agenda at the midway part of the game.

I think the Sympathetic Cylon is unplayable in it's current form. At the halfway point (which could be distance 4 to distance 6) you suddenly get told you have an agenda to complete - and then 2 - 4 turns later the game ends. FUCK ME ! It's hard enough completing your agenda when you are a Cylon Leader and have the whole game to work at it. And if you agenda is friendly then you need to infiltrate straight away otherwise you end up as a cylon on NC with very little to do to help the humans.
My suggestion is that if you fulfil the 'Who Wins' condition then you can share the win, and if - somehow 'cos you have superhero powers - you fulfil your whole agenda then you are the ONLY winner and everyone has to feed your beer and snacks at your next session.

I also have reservations about the Admiral being able to do anything in Detention (i.e. Jump Galactica and win the game for the humans or cylons). First all it does is usually get the scripted moves of execute the Admiral (and Ellen), and second how could he/she do this when he is under cature by the cylons.

I also hate how the cylons (occupation forces) can't kill humans - just send them to Detention or the Medical Centre, and even then the odds of getting sent to the medical centre are higher than detention (and that's before the dice roll may get modified)!! At least even the odds - and give the cylons a bone and the game some realism - and make an 8 roll Killed.

We still use the expansion when we play, but I still am not that keen on 4 or 6 player games.

PS I also had thought about hiding the information of which deck the agenda game from, but I was thinking along the lines of having two Cylon Leaders (7-player game, & maybe a cutthroat 5-player) and each leader draws a card from a different (original) deck - just that both decks have coloured sleeves so the humans have no way or working out the odds of who is helping or not.

Mr Skeletor wrote:

I have yet to see the humans reach New Caprica. It's just too bloody hard to get there.

How is it any harder than reaching Kobol? It's even shorter.

Southernman wrote:

I also hate how the cylons (occupation forces) can't kill humans - just send them to Detention or the Medical Centre, and even then the odds of getting sent to the medical centre are higher than detention (and that's before the dice roll may get modified)!! At least even the odds - and give the cylons a bone and the game some realism - and make an 8 roll Killed.

I think there are enough Crisis cards that can kill some humans already, it could be a question of balance.

Columbob wrote:

I think there are enough Crisis cards that can kill some humans already, it could be a question of balance.

If I'm a cylon I want to KILL some humans directly.

I love the expansion. It might make the game a little less polished, but I'm at the point where I don't see a reason to play without it.

The New Caprica phase is great. It adds a ton of tension to the endgame, which is a point where the base game can bog down. I do think that it evens the odds a little for the humans, so the Cylons need to try and kill the humans before they get there.

The Cylon Leaders are perhaps not as balanced as they could be, but I think they add to the theme of the game. I would agree that they are best in games where there would otherwise be a sympathizer, but we played a five-player game the other night and it was fine. This could be something that gets a little more refined in a later expansion.

Everything else is great. I think my biggest problem is that the base game is one that needs to be played with the right people, or else it'll be a little dry. The expansion does have the effect of making the really good games even better, although it is probably too much for newbs to play everything at once. I think they might be able to handle Pegasus/Treachery though.

Southernman wrote:

Columbob wrote:

I think there are enough Crisis cards that can kill some humans already, it could be a question of balance.

If I'm a cylon I want to KILL some humans directly.

I'd rather have it done with a check than a die roll though, kind of like the executions on board. That way the humans have a way out, but you're still making them spend cards so even if it doesn't work, you're still weakening them by making them spend resources.

I took a long, careful look at the expansion and decided to pass on it.

First, my love for all things Battlestar Galactica was waning while I was watching third season last summer. Then the season three finale and the word-of-mouth on season four just killed the show for me. Meanwhile, I was noticing that the games seemed kind of samey with the same players, and that at least half of my friends have no concept of a poker face. So I wasn't in the mood to just get more BSG unless it was really, really good.

From what I've been reading about Pegasus, it's a whole grab bag of new stuff that doesn't look like it all works well together. As typical for Fantasy Flight, the new characters seem more powerful than the characters in the base set, and the new Pegasus board allows for more powerful actions that are also more risky. Airlocking people seems fitting from a thematic standpoing, but very problematic from a game balance standpoint. Overall, what I'm hearing suggests that Pegasus unbalances the game even more in favor of the Cylons. The Cylon sympathizer doesn't have enough time to earn a win, and really just needs to hope for lucky circumstances. In general, it seems like the winning strategy is to be a Cylon, which of course isn't really a choice that the player can make.

Shellhead wrote:

Overall, what I'm hearing suggests that Pegasus unbalances the game even more in favor of the Cylons.

This hasn't been the case at all with us. The wins are completely even using the expansion for us. The Cylons used to win about 80% of the time.

Shellhead--buzz says this expansion favors the humans, FWIW.

Columbob wrote:

Mr Skeletor wrote:

I have yet to see the humans reach New Caprica. It's just too bloody hard to get there.

How is it any harder than reaching Kobol? It's even shorter.

Yellow card that turns cards face up got nerfed. Trechery cards are always negative, the new event cards seem harsher.