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22 Jun 2016 15:57 #229230 by san il defanso
Just played the second scenario while the kids were napping, and I love this game. I would have blown through the third scenario as well, but it'll have to wait until tonight.

I have this thing when I solo games where my brain is in a hurry to move along, so I sometimes skip sections of a turn or skim over important card text. This has caused me to incorrectly end both of the first two scenarios. The first one I thought I lost because one hero was defeated rather than both. (I got confused with the D&DAS.) In the second scenario I thought I'd won when I fully explored, rather than killing all the enemies and fully exploring. I don't know if the outcome on either would be different, but the results of this campaign are definitely in dispute.

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22 Jun 2016 19:38 #229239 by Sevej

san il defanso wrote: I like Scrabble a lot. The only real problem I have with it is that, like Chess, it's only really fun when everyone is roughly equal in ability.

So I've played the first scenario of Warhammer Quest: The Adventure Card Game twice now. The first time was kind of a dry run to see how it worked, and then I started the campaign proper this morning. I really liked what I saw. I can definitely see the similarities to Death Angel and LotR LCG, but this feels pretty distinct still. I definitely like it better than the latter at any rate, and it does feel like the Pathfinder ACG done much better.

I think what I like best is how distinct the enemies feel without much in the way of mechanical weight. They behave in unique and thematic ways, and there's some real challenge in how best to resolve them because of it. I also like that the different characters feel so distinct. Hopefully the new POD characters will be able to continue that. The travelling is where I see Death Angel the most, though it feels much more appropriate here than it does in DA. Though there's a lot of abstraction, it really does have the feel of a dungeon crawl.

It does feel like it could use just a touch more content in the box, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that it'll have legs for a while. The campaign certainly can go a million different ways based on what cards come out when, which is pretty cool. I have yet to try the delve quest, but I wish more campaign games had something like that (looking at you, Imperial Assault). While I'm fine with something this short, I am, for the most part, campaigned out.


You know, I first dismissed the idea of WHQTACG as a traveling game, but imagine if you can make an A4 sheet filled with 2 characters and their skills, and the peril sheet included. Hmm... need to hit Photoshop...
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23 Jun 2016 01:14 #229251 by SuperflyPete
Origins Rundown:

Machi Koro: Like it well enough, but don't ask to play. Expansions make it way better. Dave Roswell TROUNCED ME. Like, fecal position style beating.

Suburbia: Really like it. Got to play twice so it rocked.

Octo Dice: Rules were hard to understand but after a couple of 20-min games we got the hang. HotSeatGames loathed it but the rest of us liked-to-loved it. I gave it to a guy and preordered it. 14$

Thunder Road: Dopeness^10

Hell Rails: Ugly as shit but actually really cool. 4$ win for Dave

Spartacus: played on bad ass BoardgameTables table. Mark bought one and I'm building one. I finally won one, albeit due to this cool ass guy who we played with.

Vault Wars: LOVED IT.

Ferox: Totally player and deck dependent. LOVED IT. Totally changed my tune. Love it now. I figure I just "got it".

Fiasco: Name says it all. The story was awesome.

Xia: Converted Mark on it. Had a blast despite repeated deaths. Lots of people came by to see it.

Tiny Epic Galaxies: Finally!!! Rad ass game. Totally bad ass fun. Nailed the "light cosmic sim".

Aethersteel: Bad ass mini's game. Not yet available but I offered to buy demo copy. Great models, cards. Simple rules but not too wanker. Squad activation like Heroscape and special cards. Tape measure game. Dave loved it too.

Will do mag this year for those who care
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23 Jun 2016 11:26 #229263 by Joebot

SuperflyTNT wrote: Origins Rundown:

Machi Koro: Like it well enough, but don't ask to play. Expansions make it way better. Dave Roswell TROUNCED ME. Like, fecal position style beating.


Jesus, I hope that's just a typo. If not ... ewwww ....

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23 Jun 2016 11:42 #229265 by hotseatgames

Joebot wrote:

SuperflyTNT wrote: Origins Rundown:

Machi Koro: Like it well enough, but don't ask to play. Expansions make it way better. Dave Roswell TROUNCED ME. Like, fecal position style beating.


Jesus, I hope that's just a typo. If not ... ewwww ....


They DID share a room...
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23 Jun 2016 12:14 #229268 by Msample

SuperflyTNT wrote: Origins Rundown:

Will do mag this year for those who care


AWESOME, can't wait. Thanks Pete.

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23 Jun 2016 12:18 #229269 by Michael Barnes
WTF is a "fecal position beating"???
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23 Jun 2016 12:25 - 23 Jun 2016 12:26 #229270 by SebastianBludd
A friend of mine picked up Zombicide and Zombicide Season 2: Prison Break from Barnes & Noble for 50% off a couple days ago so he brought Prison Break to our weekly game last night. I was already predisposed to dislike it - even though I talked my friend into getting it at that price because we'd both been wanting to play it - because I view CMON as being a Kickstarter mill where they always seem to have a campaign in progress, including Kickstarters for expansions to base games whose campaigns have just ended.

My prejudices aside, I really liked it. We played a large scenario for our first one and despite screwing up about a dozen little rules we eventually prevailed. I really like how the game handles doors and I absolutely adore the sound propagation system. It reminds me of the system that All Things Zombie uses - where guns and noisy activity attracts zombies - and it is a very clever touch. It's one of the few mechanics I've seen in a co-op game where exploiting it to manipulate the enemy AI comes across as thematic rather than gamey. We even had a great moment near the end of the mission where one of us spent their entire turn making noise inside a locked room to draw a large horde away from an objective room.

It looks like the weapons from the equipment deck are a little bland but I definitely want to play it a few more times to see if it holds up.
Last edit: 23 Jun 2016 12:26 by SebastianBludd.
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23 Jun 2016 14:10 #229273 by san il defanso

Sevej wrote:

san il defanso wrote: I like Scrabble a lot. The only real problem I have with it is that, like Chess, it's only really fun when everyone is roughly equal in ability.

So I've played the first scenario of Warhammer Quest: The Adventure Card Game twice now. The first time was kind of a dry run to see how it worked, and then I started the campaign proper this morning. I really liked what I saw. I can definitely see the similarities to Death Angel and LotR LCG, but this feels pretty distinct still. I definitely like it better than the latter at any rate, and it does feel like the Pathfinder ACG done much better.

I think what I like best is how distinct the enemies feel without much in the way of mechanical weight. They behave in unique and thematic ways, and there's some real challenge in how best to resolve them because of it. I also like that the different characters feel so distinct. Hopefully the new POD characters will be able to continue that. The travelling is where I see Death Angel the most, though it feels much more appropriate here than it does in DA. Though there's a lot of abstraction, it really does have the feel of a dungeon crawl.

It does feel like it could use just a touch more content in the box, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that it'll have legs for a while. The campaign certainly can go a million different ways based on what cards come out when, which is pretty cool. I have yet to try the delve quest, but I wish more campaign games had something like that (looking at you, Imperial Assault). While I'm fine with something this short, I am, for the most part, campaigned out.


You know, I first dismissed the idea of WHQTACG as a traveling game, but imagine if you can make an A4 sheet filled with 2 characters and their skills, and the peril sheet included. Hmm... need to hit Photoshop...


Actually I was referring to the traveling mechanism, where you go to the next room in the dungeon. Death Angel has something similar, but I like it better here.

I played 4 games of the WHQACG yesterday. I really like how they create the different scenarios, and how they feel mostly distinct. Also a big plus: failure doesn’t require you to replay the mission. That's almost a must for a campaign in my book.

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23 Jun 2016 18:49 #229284 by SuperflyPete

Michael Barnes wrote: WTF is a "fecal position beating"???


Being beaten so badly that you're left bleeding in the fetal position....and you shit your pants.

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23 Jun 2016 19:35 #229285 by boothwah

SuperflyTNT wrote:

Michael Barnes wrote: WTF is a "fecal position beating"???


Being beaten so badly that you're left bleeding in the fetal position....and you shit your pants.


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23 Jun 2016 19:41 - 23 Jun 2016 19:41 #229286 by SuperflyPete
You can't unsee that.

NEVER TRUST A FART AFTER THE SECOND ROUND
Last edit: 23 Jun 2016 19:41 by SuperflyPete.
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23 Jun 2016 23:37 #229301 by ubarose
I went to Francie Pant's house for a game day. I played some games but I don!t remember any of them. So I guess, at least they weren't terrible.
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24 Jun 2016 01:22 #229305 by san il defanso
I just got in my second game of Star Wars: Rebellion and I love it, Here are some thoughts on it...

- I love that the game focuses on characters more than anything. It really revolves around what you have Darth Vader, Leia, General Veers, etc., do on their missions, more than the maneuvering of the ships. Even when the ships move it's because a character (usually a recognizable one) commanded them to do it. That's the best possible way to do a game like this, because it centers the narrative around the characters and what happens to them, rather than on what game actions you did.

- There are so many mission and action cards that every game feels surprisingly different. In my first game the Death Star blew up planets all over the place, but the Empire ended up losing. Turns out they had a devil of a time trying to capture anyone. Tonight's game was just the opposite: Leia was captured early and eventually frozen in carbonite. The Death Stars never actually flexed their muscle, but the Empire was able to pull off the win. There are so many huge things I haven't seen yet, like Yoda, Luke Skywalker, any attempts to blow up the Death Stars, or a Super Star Destroyer. It's remarkable to me that for as epic as the game is it doesn't collapse under all that stuff. The narrative that develops is highly organic and specific to that session. That's a magical bit of design.

- It's great that it really rewards good play and reading your opponent. I've lost twice now, both times because I simply wasn't playing well or anticipating my opponent. With more familiarity I expect the game will really open up, as you know the kinds of missions that are in the game and the kinds of strategies your opponent might employ. In other words, it's not just a big fun narrative game, but it seems like a good strategic design with a lot of depth too.

- So about the combat. This has been the sticking point with a lot of people so far, and I do see why. It seems pretty overwrought and it does kind of make the game take a break while you fight. But I'll be honest, I kind of like this. The tempo of the game tends to be characters doing a lot of things, then a big battle setpiece, and then the aftermath of whatever happened in the battle. I can see how people might find it just a little random too, but I don't really mind. At this point (just two games in) I actually kind of like the combat. I would not at all be surprised to feel different after 10 games, however.

- Finally, the best thing you can say is that it really forces you toward decision-making processes like the characters in the movie had to make. You need to set plans into motion over a couple of turns, especially as the rebels. The empire needs to comb the whole system, and set up logistical ways to do so effectively.

I am frankly amazed at the game. It's the Star Wars game I always wanted, and one that I never expected Fantasy Flight could pull off.
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26 Jun 2016 21:26 - 26 Jun 2016 21:28 #229375 by Grudunza
Star Trek Panic is a reimplementation of Castle Panic. I had Castle Panic for a while a few years ago, played 6-7 games, enjoyed it okay, and then traded it away and haven't really missed it. I would have had no interest in this version, but heard some good buzz and picked it up on whim. Yes, it's still Castle Panic, in essence, but there are several nice changes that I think do elevate this version.

In addition to the usual card play to kill off the advancing enemies (Romulan/Klingon ships), there are missions that require different types of fulfillment. There are about 20 missions in the deck, all based off TOS episodes, and you need to complete 5 to win. The missions have time limits, so sometimes you put in effort to complete them but don't quite finish them off and need to start again with another one. This adds a nice side element to the game, and something else to put cards and actions and attention towards.

The Enterprise can be maneuvered. This is particularly cool. Instead of your fortress or tower (or whatever it was you were defending in Castle Panic) just sitting in the middle, in ST Panic the Enterprise can turn to different facings, and also advance (you don't really move, but all ships in the two forward sectors move closer to the Enterprise). I really like what this adds to the experience, and sometimes it factors into the missions, where you need to maneuver to catch up with a ship that needs rescuing, or something to that effect.

There are also character cards for each player for Kirk, Spock, McCoy, etc., each with a special ability. I think that's a different thing than Castle Panic. And there are some unique Star Trek-ish enemies, like cloaked ships that move randomly and can't be attacked when cloaked.

It's still a pretty straightforward co-op "tower defense" game, that has a light Star Trek theme, but it is well integrated and makes the whole game more interesting. As with the original game, I don't expect to keep this after another 6-7 plays or so, but I am glad I picked it up and it'll be fun revisiting this game system with a little bit more added to it. The first game I played came down to the wire, where I completed my 5th mission among a barrage of Klingon attacks, which had damaged or destroyed much of the Enterprise.
Last edit: 26 Jun 2016 21:28 by Grudunza.
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