BIOS: Megafauna Forum Game. Who will eat who?

Games
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Ok, so this is the BIOS: Megafauna 2nd Edition Qt3 forum game thread!

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For those of you who are going to follow this and wonder what this is about:

As with all Phil Eklund’s games, rules can be somewhat hard to parse. The official rulebook as printed is here, and this is an easier to parse rewrite that can be useful (but is slightly incomplete in some points). But wait, there’s also a living rulebook (beacuse Phil Eklund can’t help himself :P) that corrects some issues on the former two (but is even harder to parse). Because if solves some inconsistencies, we will use the living rulebook, but I recommend reading the other two to learn and using the living rules for reference once play start.

In case of dispute, living rules will be the ones we will follow.

Also, important Charts and tables for reference:

Tables

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I used a randomizer to assign colors. The result is:

  1. Black (insect) @Tom_Mc
  2. Orange (hydroskeletal) @CraigM
  3. Green (plant) @Jorn_Weines
  4. White (vertebrate) @Juan_Raigada

We will be using full Achterbahn game rules. Because that’s the game, and the simplified version is too limiting and abstract. Ignoring the biosphere simulation defeats the point of the game, imho.

The sequence of play is very Play by Forum friendly. It will go like this:

1- I set up the turn events and modify the board accordingly. This determines turn order too. I might need input of the player holding the Medea card, depending on the event.
2- Each player performs, in order, their action phase. I will update the board after each player goes.
3- Each player performs, in order, their newborn dispersal, if any. I will update the board after each player goes.
4- If there’s any elligible endangered carnivore (endotherm), players can move them in player order.

So basically we are talking about two rounds of posts per turn (with maybe some additional input) for 11 to 15 turns (I’m assuming we are playing the long game that ends with a meteorite impact, because, well, it ends with a meteorite impact and it does not add much more length). Should be pretty manageable.

So before I set up the mutation market and the starting board, I want you guys to decide if we are going to use the experimental apomorphies rules (J8) that further differentiate players by color.

I vote yes. (they are not too complicated and I like the added detail).

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I’ll need some time to read the rules and such. As you are running the game, I say we play with the options you prefer.

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Yes, sorry, forgot to mention that.

Is Sunday a good deadline for rule reading or do you guys need more time?

Also, heads up, I added information on the living rules to the original post, since it seems the rules as written have some errata/inconsistencies (which surprises nobody).

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I’ll read the rules by the end of Sunday :)

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Next time you do this, count me in. I developed (one of?) the Tabletop Simulator module(s) for this game.

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I could sit this one out if you want to play.

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Either way. I’ve got a physical copy of the game too, and would like to play it. I’ve done a Tooth & Claw game PBM and dabbled with the Achterbahn game with my kids, but can’t otherwise bring it to the table. I really like the previous edition of the game (and do play that one reasonably often with my kids.) If I don’t play this one, I’ll follow along and cheer:)

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Let’s wait until all the other players reply and confirm participation.

I’m in the same boat. I liked the solo game I played, but there’s no way I’m bringing this to a physical table given my gaming group.

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Yikes. I’ve read through the reformulated rulebook, going to take a look at the living rulebook now.

Watching this one gives a bit more feel of how the components, boards and cards look:

Very pretty game, that is for sure!

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Yeah, it’s actually not that complex of a game, but the rules are opaque in their organization.

I can write a quick overview if you guys think it would be good.

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This playthrough is a good overview. Be aware he gets a few things wrong (e.g. offshores are on the wrong side of the cratons) and it was from an earlier set of the rules, so some details are different (e.g. plant now starts with 2 archetype creeples in play instead of 3)

I also started (but never finished) documentation of a 2-player Tooth and Claw game that may be useful to get an idea how the game flows. I find with Eklund games, following along with a playthrough, referencing rules as you go, is a more useful way to learn them than just reading the rules.

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@CraigM
@Tom_Mc

Are you guys still up for this? Do you need more time for reading the rules?

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I’m ready but have been doing my usual weekend climb mountains thing

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And risking ending our BSG games? Priorities, man!

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Just curious: which mountains? I’m really itching to get out there and hit the trail.

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TIllamook state forest. Yesterday was Elk mountain. Today was a series of canyons that went to University Falls. Not sure of the name of any of the smaller peaks. These topped out around 2000 feet, so small potatoes. Elk Mountain goes to about 3200.

Nothing too big, St Helens and Hood are a little further away than these, which are about 30-40 minutes from where I’m staying. So these make a good afternoon trip.

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@Tom_Mc are you up for this (I might have misread your interest)?

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I hope the cards that give flight have the HORROR PLANT symbol.

Also, having read the rules, I think playing with the experimental apomorphies rules sounds fun.

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That sounds lovely. I’ve never done any hiking in Oregon, despite having relatives there and spending a bunch of time near Portland and the coast. I’m considering buying some crampons and snowshoes for this winter and trying out some higher altitude hikes here in SoCal where it actually snows: San Diego County has a few peaks over 6000’ that get snow and San Bernadino and Riverside Counties have several that top 10,000’. It’s a different world up there.

I pulled out my copy of B:M2 and have been trying to work my way through a solo Mars game with the newest revision of the living rules. It’s a challenge to keep track of all of the rules, but it’s been fun. I came real close to losing all my oceans before I managed to build up enough population to use my radiance superpower, but it’s been ok since then. It’s tricky trying to keep the plant from gaining venom or stealing my creeples through mutualism.

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