5481

Anyone tried any games from the indie developer Small Box Games? It’s apparently a one man show. I’ve been hearing great things about their 3 offerings Tooth and Nail, Omen and Hemloch. Enough so that I put in an order for Hemloch and Tooth and Nail. Hopefully I’ll get them by the time we have our biannual Chicago gaming get together at the end of the month.

5482

Yup. A very nice board, but not expensively customized or anything. It’s actually worth getting a well done version because it will have a smooth and consistent and non-warped surface. I saw a $50 copy at Strategicon, but it didn’t look anywhere near the quality of what I play on. You really have to like it to get it because of the price, but it is worth the money to get a well done set. I think my version was $150 at the time.

5483

X-Wing is front and center for me right now too. I went crazy and got everything out for it right now. Only one set no duplicates, but that’s a small consolation when you pay some warhammer prices for those minis. It is still a fun game and I definitely get some lucasarts flashbacks while playing.

Tom M

-Oh yes, the return of Netrunner is my other recent treasure.

5484

My local games store carries used games and has a used copy of Infiltration (Fantasy Flight) for $18. That surprised me, because they rarely get games in that are that new. I’m not really a cyberpunk fan. I have a limited budget. I like Mr. X. Vaccarino.

Buy now? You make the call.

5485

AGGGHHH!!!

I read it wrong: My feedback applies to “The Resistance”, not Infiltration (which I haven’t played yet)

Nightgaunt;

THE RESISTANCE is my group’s favorite game of late, but I suggest it only with a few requirements:

  • It’s a game of arguing, cajoling, deceit, and manipulation. Make sure your gaming group is into that.
  • It requires at LEAST 5-6 people to play.

SamF7

5486

Good advice. Thanks, Sam.

5487

If you like Werewolf and Survive!, go for it. If you’re into Die Macher and Ora et Labora and not simpler games, then leave it. It’s a relatively quick, easy game, and there’s not much going on. Adding a lot of bickering and lying to it with the right group of friends would make it way more enjoyable. Also I agree with everything SamF7 said.

5488

Sounds like it would work well for a group that likes The Resistance as well, huh? Alright, I think this might be a good one to pick up.

5489

Same here, I have one of everything right now and am debating if I want to get another core, Y-Wing, and Tie Advanced. It is such a simple game, mechanics-wise, but sooooo juicy in build options and the head play that goes on as ships try to tail each other. I really really like this one so far. I can’t stop thinking about either recent games or planning new ones.

This one definitely snuck up on me.

5490

Dreadball seems cool, but just too expensive. I’m realizing that as someone who games almost exclusively with my own family, the realm of games I’d be interested in playing of this nature start to seem too expensive. $150 seems semi-reasonable if you are splitting it four ways and each picking up a team. But not reasonable if you are paying for the whole enchilada yourself for what really is still intended as a sit down game for a couple of people.

Part of the issue here is the miniature side, of course. It really just doesn’t seem to be possible to get into 25mm+ scale miniatures without spending a few hundred dollars (or close to it).

Yes, you can buy a gimped battlepack that technically allows you to play two sides, but if you really want some choice and selection, the cost goes up.

The other issue with Dreadball is that I assume by definition you need to have a large group of people to play with, as most of the fun is going to come from playing in the league format, watching your players develop, etc. Hard to do that with just 2-4 people.

5491

Yeah, you’re going to struggle to find a minis game that allows for flexibility and choice while remaining under a hundred bucks. I wouldn’t say “a gimped battlepack that technically allows you to play two sides” is fair though - it provides you with 2 full teams (14 players each - remember only 6 per side on the pitch at any time, starting teams are 8 iirc) plus a ton of MVPs and a bunch of ancillary stuff.

$100 for that and, say, $25 for buy-one-get-one-free to get two more teams is a great deal.

Full disclosure: I’m dropping a heap of money on this because holy shit :)

Edit: Talking of Dreadball, I am a sad bastard so I printed out an A4-size pitch and grabbed my epic40k minis and the core rules and played a couple of games. It certainly flows quickly, but I’m even more curious about the card mechanics as I think without them the game lacks a little something.

5492

I’m back in country now.

— Alan

5493

I got my copy recently and would be interested in a play-by-forum, if this isn’t full.

5494

I wasn’t clear - I wasn’t talking about Dreadball specifically when I said that. I was describing other games where there are starter packs that are priced better, but they really are very barebones, and are intentionally designed to have you buy more miniatures (i.e. you really aren’t getting much of a game with the starter set).

Yes, I know, that’s why they call them starter sets. But I’ve had people advise me to buy Warhammer or Warmachine starter boxes as a way you can get the game for around $100. But after looking into it, I found that to be a bit misleading. Yes, you are technically getting a game you can play, but no, it is not really a way to get the full minis experience for under $100. For that, once again, you really need to spend more.

5495

Alan, Brooski, CF Kane private messaged me a couple days ago saying he was busy with work through the weekend, but was going to try to get Andean Abyss setup soon.

He’s also thinking of running this through VASSAL, exchanging turns through Drop Box, while posting turns on the board.

5496

Alan, Bruce (Brooski), and Syzygy, I am ready to get things going now. I will PM everyone and we can get things set up. I am excited to get a game set up.

5497

For about $100 you can get a very good Warmachine force, though if you need to buy both sides you are probably looking at closer to $200.

5498

I’ve heard people say this, but then I went and looked at models, and was finding prices on things for $30-50 each. Which seems odd, if I can buy a good force for $100.

But in any event, the bigger issue is the second. I really only play games with my family. I never think of things as “sides,” I think of things in the context of “what do I need to have a playable game, the same as if I sat down with someone and opened something like Agricola, Runewars, Earth Reborn, etc.” I still think of games as coming with (at a minimum) everything that two people need to play a great game.

Minis are mostly out for me, just because for $200, I can get 3-4 other games that are complete and ready to go. Admittedly, they don’t have that miniatures awesomeness (which is obviously the draw).

5499

Yeah, minis games are just more expensive in general, for obvious reasons. I’m sure if FFG could make their million tokens out of resin and still have the same sales figures they’d happily bump their RRP up 300% :)

I tend to be the same as you when it comes to buying “sides”, knowing that I’m likely to be the one providing all the materials for play. Tricky when it comes to LCGs as well.

5500

The LCG is tricky. I really like Warhammer Invasion, but I’ve stopped buying into it because I’m the only one buying the cards. I can get people to learn the game, but then once we start playing other people don’t want to use my decks (you know all the cards, or you took all the good ones for your own, etc), but they don’t want to buy their own. At least with Netrunner, the two sides are distinct and don’t share cards.