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Post #111 (isolation #1) » Fri May 18, 2012 4:23 am
Postby zoraster »
In post 108, Elmo TeH AzN wrote:So talking to a few friends as work thinking about starting to play some Board games. Not sure what to play though /sigh
what type of games do you guys have experience with? do you think they're more of a "theme" game player or a mechanic game player?
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Post #112 (isolation #2) » Fri May 18, 2012 4:31 am
Postby zoraster »
In post 110, hitogoroshi wrote:Anyone have any opinion on Tigris and Euphrates? It looks pretty sweet.
Been a while since I played it. Great game. A bit fiddly at times (though you're a fantasy flight nerd, which automatically makes fiddly relative). It's got direct conflict. It and El Grande are sort of the start of the new wave of games, and I think deservedly so.
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Post #157 (isolation #4) » Tue Jun 12, 2012 1:40 am
Postby zoraster »
If you have an iphone, the Ticket to Ride app is phenomenal as well. I don't think much of the Catan app as it doesn't allow playing against others (not to mention Catan isn't a favorite of mine). The Carcasonne app is good, but is quite expensive compared to others ($10 for the base game another $2 for an expansion to make the game good)
In post 152, Seraphim wrote:ze. I think the problem with Catan is that people are drawn to numbers that are "supposed" to be rolled often, like the 6s and 8s, rather than cho
It's a great game, especially if you're introducing it to others. It takes about 5 minutes to explain, and people immediately "get it." But it offers enough variety and strategy to continue to be interesting over many many plays. It's the first game I turn to when my friends who have only played games like monopoly, etc. come over to play because it has never failed to be successful and fun.
It also has great component quality, although the little cards are a bit hard to shuffle.
Finally it's a well TIMED game. I don't know why gamers don't spend more effort discussing how long it takes to play a game of something unless it's to revel in how long it is (looking at you, Twilight Imperium lovers). A game of TTR lasts about 60 minutes give or take a little depending on how many people you have playing. That's enough time that it feels like you've gotten a "meaty" game (rather than games that are great but tend to blend together like Dominion and 7Wonders), but it's not so long that you kind of have to plan around the game .
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Post #161 (isolation #6) » Tue Jun 12, 2012 9:12 am
Postby zoraster »
All right. I've registered but haven't paid as I need to check to make sure my fiancee and father still want to come.
My fiancee (who will be my wife at that point) would probably be down for some mafia. As this will likely be the first time we go out of town after our wedding, we'll call this our honeymoon. Right?
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Post #166 (isolation #8) » Tue Jun 12, 2012 12:06 pm
Postby zoraster »
It's possible by the following year's BGG we'll have bought a townhouse and I could probably convince my fiancee to let us host a few people, which would at least cut down on hotel costs for people.
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Post #168 (isolation #9) » Tue Jun 12, 2012 1:13 pm
Postby zoraster »
Texas wouldn't be ideal, although Austin is cool. Dallas is kind of a generic big city with huge suburban sprawl, but with pockets of "new urbanism". The cities don't tend to be as backwards as other areas.
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Post #170 (isolation #10) » Wed Jun 13, 2012 2:19 am
Postby zoraster »
I used to live in DC, and my sister works there now. I worked for a congresswoman on capitol hill. Lots of jobs in DC that aren't being a politician. Still, can't hurt to clean up your online presence.
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Post #174 (isolation #12) » Wed Jun 13, 2012 9:18 am
Postby zoraster »
Working for congress is a lot of fun. Most everyone is young, ambitious, and (generally) attractive. It's a good way to make connections, and it has a SUPER fast advancement rate due to how much turnover there is. Start as a Staff Assistant and if you're good you'll probably be an LA (Legislative Aid) within a year or so. At least that's true on the House side, Senate a little less so.
That said, it's not really a "career" for the vast majority of people. With the exception of a very few people like Chiefs of Staff that can make fairly good (though not astounding, due to the cap of not being paid more than a congressperson) money, you'll be vastly underpaid. But the experience is generally worth it for people.
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Post #196 (isolation #14) » Mon Jul 16, 2012 1:33 am
Postby zoraster »
From BGG wrote:In addition to featuring updated graphics and a clarified ruleset, this second edition of A Game of Thrones includes elements from the A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords expansions, including ports, garrisons, Wildling cards, and Siege engines, while introducing welcome new innovations like player screens and Tides of Battle cards.
$60 is a pretty standard price for a board game from a shop for a game of that quality (both game wise and component) and size. You can likely save 5-10 dollars if you buy online new, maybe even up to 20 if you buy used.
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Post #200 (isolation #15) » Mon Jul 16, 2012 8:13 pm
Postby zoraster »
race/power combinations vary heavily on where you are in the game (turn primarily), somewhat on how many people are playing (as this changes the map, potential attacks by turn, and most importantly number of turns). Sorcerers, for example, are amazing with 5 players but kind of suck with just two. Trolls can be pretty darn good opening race because they're so damn hard to get rid of. Seafaring is another good opener because you can take a sea tile that will never be taken from you. The spirit ability is an awesome, awesome second ability if you can plan for it and get it before anyone else. it works as a first ability too, but you're inflexibly put in a corner of quick declining, and other players will gang up on your declined race.
Abilities like wealthy are terrible except in the end game where they're amazing.
going first in small world is a significant advantage.
Last edited by zoraster on Tue Jul 17, 2012 1:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #205 (isolation #17) » Thu Aug 02, 2012 8:53 am
Postby zoraster »
No no no no no no no. Going first advantage is about the LAST TURN advantage. Picking first is fine, whatever. Maybe it's a big advantage if a huge power combination comes up, but that's context dependent whereas the last turn advantage exists in practically every game you'll play.
But it's a BIG advantage to go first the last turn because every time someone conquers your territory, YOU DON'T LOSE A POINT because you've already gained all the points you're going to get from the game. Compare that to if you're last in a 5p game where every time EVERY OTHER PLAYER conquers your territory, you are placed at a disadvantage. In a close game, that's really very significant. Furthermore because everyone knows that their advantage in targetting you versus the already scored players, they will pick your territories to go after all other things equal.
Think about it. You've got two people to attack. One if you take them out will gain you a point. The other one will get you a point AND take away a point from the other person. No brainer.
And there's really nothing that offsets that. I mean, yeah... technically in the first round people could conquer your territories when they couldn't conquer someone who went later, but that's a pretty negligible thing given the way the board is set up unless someone manages to get a super power combination and people feel the need to immediately gang up on them. And whereas final turn you likely have some races in decline (i.e. races that can only give you points if they aren't conquered), the first round doesn't carry that risk.
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Post #208 (isolation #18) » Thu Aug 02, 2012 10:15 am
Postby zoraster »
How is it not a consistent advantage?
And I feel fairly certain that, like chess, the more strategy, etc. involved, the more likely the first person advantage is. I think the truth is that if you treat Small World as a fun game, but not really a tournament worthy game, you're in the right place mentally.
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Post #219 (isolation #21) » Fri Aug 17, 2012 5:23 am
Postby zoraster »
If you like games where interaction is limited (but by no means unimportant), and the focus is to build your own stuff up in the most optimal way, Puerto Rico is a good choice. If you want more interaction on every move of the game, Agricola is a better choice.
By the way, if you like interaction heavy territory games, I love El Grande. I don't think it gets enough love. Agricola uses a somewhat similar turn order design as El Grande.
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Post #222 (isolation #22) » Thu Aug 30, 2012 12:44 am
Postby zoraster »
Agricola doesn't take that long. Last time I played at my board game group we played with 5, 3 of whom were new and it took us no more than 3 hours. 2 hours with fewer people who have played before is probably the norm.
I mean, if you're used to Dominion or something, it's long.
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Post #226 (isolation #24) » Thu Aug 30, 2012 5:24 am
Postby zoraster »
It's not the same game exactly by any means, but I'd say it has some similarities in feel. For one, it's also a farming game. For another, it rewards having a strategy that you follow through with. It doesn't involve much luck outside of whether other players screw you over unintentionally or not.
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Post #294 (isolation #35) » Tue Oct 16, 2012 11:27 am
Postby zoraster »
I've probably played a couple hundred games of TTR over the years, and I still sometimes go to Nashville and think I've completed my ticket when I really needed to go to Atlanta. Usually this happens when I'm taking new tickets and I think something like "all right! I've already got this one complete." only to realize after the game ends that I've screwed myself.
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Post #321 (isolation #38) » Fri Oct 26, 2012 3:19 am
Postby zoraster »
In post 319, hitogoroshi wrote:Well yeah there's one dominant strategy, it's to use tickets to get points.
TTR is a tactical game, not a strategic one. Not an especially deep tactical game, but more than nothing. Talking about the strategy of it is like saying there's a 'strategy' for Yahtzee. They're not really strategy games, its about mentally estimating probabilities. The difference is that TTR involves other people so it's a little less solvable.
Comparing TTR to Yahtzee is ridiculous. And saying "the dominant strategy is to get tickets to get points" is a little like saying "the object of football is to score touchdowns." It's "correct" insofar as it goes... the person who uses tickets to get points is going to win in most games just like the team that scores more touchdowns wins most games. But it's not really a strategy.
No, TTR isn't chess. It has an element of luck, and there are certainly better and worse ways to approach the game (duh?). It has both tactical and strategic elements, though it certainly leans tactical. But there are a lot of things going on. It's less "solvable" than a lot of worker games, for example. It's less "solvable" than Dominion or other deck building games. Scarcity of resources (tickets, cards, and routes) plays a huge part in any game where people know what they're doing. You have to be, to a large degree, flexible in the game.
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Post #334 (isolation #40) » Sat Dec 08, 2012 7:34 am
Postby zoraster »
i know lots of people love Settlers, and I admit a bias against it, but I don't actually think it's that great a game to introduce to a wide range of people. but it's not a BAD one to introduce.
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Post #338 (isolation #42) » Sat Dec 08, 2012 7:58 am
Postby zoraster »
Mystery of the Abbey is a pretty good one too. It feels familiar to those who have played Clue, but more interesting. People in my family (even the not very game loving ones) have liked Dominion. Wits and Wagers is a pretty fun party game if your family likes guessing trivia.
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Post #370 (isolation #46) » Fri Dec 28, 2012 9:40 am
Postby zoraster »
7 wonders would be your game at that player range (6p) and time. There aren't that many that will fit both those criteria. 4p alone would open you up to more games (dominion for example), and if you move up to 1-2 hours you get a lot more games. lots of games top out at 5p though
Last edited by zoraster on Fri Dec 28, 2012 9:42 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Post #389 (isolation #52) » Fri Dec 28, 2012 11:42 am
Postby zoraster »
I prefer TTR to both of those game, honestly, and I like both of those games. I don't much care for Catan. But as in every case, knowing the people you're playing with makes a big difference. For instance, my family plays a lot of games, but I'd never introduce Ameritrash games to them as they wouldn't really care for them.
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Post #424 (isolation #57) » Thu Jan 03, 2013 12:58 pm
Postby zoraster »
I think it's an interesting game that becomes more interesting as you play more. But it is one of those games where if everyone else doesn't want you to win and that becomes their primary goal, you'll lose. My gaming group plays it monthly, but I usually beg off.
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Post #439 (isolation #58) » Thu Jan 31, 2013 5:56 am
Postby zoraster »
I'm not familiar with that game and can't find it on BGG. Is that Cosmic Encounters?
Assuming yes: After a few games it should very rarely happen that someone wins before everyone has a turn because people will start to figure out when to ally with defense vs. attack, not to mention people will more naturally keep track of how many bases are on which worlds. With more experienced players, games can often last quite a while. Quick games generally involve as much inattention as they do skill or luck.
Assuming no: sorry for talking about a game that you didn't mean.
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Post #443 (isolation #59) » Thu Jan 31, 2013 6:39 am
Postby zoraster »
Right. But players should have plenty of control over this. When someone has 3 colonies, you do NOT ask them to help you on offense.
The way cosmic encounter kinda balances despite having such different roles is that it leans HEAVILY on balance of power ala Europe 19th Century. But that can only really work when people know at least kind of what they're doing.
Still, there are certainly times in CE that a power or luck simply allows one player to win quickly. But those aren't the norm.
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Post #460 (isolation #60) » Fri Feb 08, 2013 4:53 pm
Postby zoraster »
i've played both leaders and cities. i think cities is the far more interesting expansion.
and yes, i've played knights over camelot. i find that the balance on it isn't quite as good as battlestar gallactica (being fairly heavily traitor weighted), but it's still a lot of fun.