Watch this video by Scott Nicholson, since I think it’s perfectly suited for you. This game’s on my wishlist, too, but I have too many on there from which to choose for Christmas. :-(
SlyFrog
1742
I really like Through the Ages. It is fairly innovative. It manages to be abstracted enough so that it is not fill with fiddly chrome. At the same time, it contains military mechanisms as well as a clever card selection mechanic that causes it to avoid the “two players playing solitaire” problem that more streamlined euro games have.
I believe there is plenty of theme, but it is a technology selection/worker placement/ maximization game. It does not have theme on the order of a Twilight Imperium or something like that, but far more than something like Tigris & Euphrates.
I really like it - I would probably put it in my list of top ten games at this point.
Mike has this one pegged for GotY. Intimidating game, though.
http://www.gameshark.com/features/780/Cracked-LCD-176-High-Frontier-Review.htm
Going to get my first game of Civ in next week. Please don’t suck. Please.
That looks interesting (and ugly as sin, as most interesting games are). Thanks for the link.
His review seems to imply he lost the game because of single bad die roll. Maybe there’s more to it than that, but that doesn’t sound fun at all to me.
On an almost unrelated note, while browsing the review threads on BGG for High Frontier, I ran into some grade-A crazy. Sort of the opposite of the “moon landing was a hoax” nuts - some guy who seriously believes that we have secret bases on the lunar far side.
Lorini
1747
It’s difficult to play Through the Ages in two hours unless you are only playing with max three people. And they all know the game well. I’m not a Stone Age fan but most are. I really enjoy Pillars of the Earth, but only with the expansion. The expansion allows you to play with more than four, but also substantially improves the four player game.
Xemu
1748
Through the Ages is great, but you really need a long night to play it – particularly the full game through Age III. It’s also very fiddly and prone to easy error, unfortunately. I kind of wish there was a computer version of it.
Roll Through the Ages though, aside from being confusing name wise, is the other end of the spectrum – it’s just too simplified for my tastes.
Looking fwd to trying Civ if Santa brings it this year though!
Z-Man’s prices are pretty competitive with FFG, imo, considering the quality of components Zev puts into his games, especially of late. Defenders of the Realm is published by Eagle Games, not Z-Man.
Most hardcore Ameritrash gamers I’ve talked to really love the game, but at that price and with such unbelievably bad graphic design, there’s no way I personally would buy it.
Lorini
1750
Sorry, it is Eagle which has an even worse reputation for components. I have not seen any Zman games done with the lavishness of a Descent, Arkham Horror or Runewars.
Given that I own Minion Hunter, I think it would fit well on my shelf. But once the Dragonlance comment above was made it couldn’t be unseen. I used to think those covers were funny when I was a kid, let alone now. I’ve resolved to upgrade my shelving before the new shipment comes in, though, as the weight of some of the more frequently played games means I need shorter stacks. Stupid Space Hulk.
So, got Dominion: Prosperity in the mail yesterday, and played a first game of it. The treasures-that-do-stuff thing is a nice addition to the game, the cards are interesting and mostly non-repetitive (there are a few +1/+2/+1 type cards that seem only mildly different from anything else – but I know those end up feeling very different in the game, so). If you like Dominion, I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t add this to your stock of Dominion cards.
I am baffled by the Loan card, though. It looks stupid and near-pointless, and discussion on BGG seems to boil down to “if you get a really lousy setup, there are rare situation in which it might not be completely useless.”
I don’t even want to think about all the money I’ve sunk into this game, especially when I compare it to how few opportunities I’ve had to play it. I guess if the opportunities increase then I’ll feel better about it. Luckily I have three young sons, so I justify all gaming purchases by hoping I’ll play everything a zillion times with them.
I bought a couple of boxes a month for over a year before I got really sick of doubles. But I don’t have as many of the newer factions as I would like (I only have one giant monkey, and I love giant monkeys) so I’ve thought about ordering from Team Covenant. But they seem like such a small outfit that I’m hesitant to place the order.
Just a heads up that CSI is having one of the best board game sales of the year:
- Pandemic Board Game $17.99
- Pandemic: On the Brink $14.99
- Thunderstone Card Game $19.99
- Chaos in the Old World $29.99
- Memoir 44 $27.99
- Cyclades $29.99
* Warhammer Invasion $19.99
Glad I waited to score Cyclades at such a great price. :)
Lorini
1755
I think the problem with Loan is that it is overcosted at 3. At 2 it is a reasonable thought, and at 1 it would get a lot of play. But it competes in 3 space and there’s usually something that seems better at 3 than Loan. Loan’s ability to trash copper from your deck early in the game is valuable, but not at the cost of another 3 card.
Lilan
1756
This week end i was at a game exhibition as part of an association, and i discovered a wonderfull game (did not play it myself, but i made it played several times trhough the week end).
The name is “7 Wonders”, by Antoine Bauza (creator of the “Ghost Stories” board game, another good reference). It’s a 3 to 7 player game, 30 to 45 min long.
Each player is playing an antic city from the mediteranean, and as to build “his” wonder, using buildings ginving ressources, military power, economic features, an so on. You build those building with gold or ressources which you may eventuyally buy from the 2 players next to you.
The mechanic is really efficient : you play 3 phases (3 “ages”, in which buildings are gradually more powerfull). In each phase, players simultaneously draft a build from a hand of seven then pass it to his neighbour. Since it’s a draft, everyone is playing at the same time so the game is still dynamic even with seven players.
I don’t know if there is an english box yet, still Antoine Bauza use to have multi-lingual manuals, and cards do not have a lot of text. The european editor is “Repos Production”.
My opinion is : it’s a must have!
Mrenda
1757
I’ve played 7 Wonders, and I agree it’s a must have. The theme comes through strongly when you’re playing. The strategy is light, but quite apparent. The simplest element is building your own empire, but also controlling what cards go through to the next competitor and figuring out what cards you will receive is part of it as well. And the best bit, as a light sub-hour game it’s easily explained, and after the first play through most people will have it figured out.
Lorini
1758
Asmodee is the publisher of 7 Wonders and they publish in the US. It’s trickling its way over here. The rumor is that Asmodee oversold its original stock, so some pre-orders (like mine most likely) won’t get filled here.
I preordered mine really late from Coolstuffinc and was astounded when I got a shipping notice last week. Should be here on the eighth along with some other goodies.
I also found a few people in town to play with, so things are looking up.
Finally was able to have a Space Hulk match with my wife, and this may be our “together” game for the rest of the year. At least, as long as she keeps pummelling me!
We played the intro scenario which I pretty much have down to a science from the marine perspective, and I ran into a few insurmountable obstacles, namely three early draws where reshuffling a 1 or a 2 left me with a 1. As the Marines bogged down and were unable to post someone in the top hallway quickly enough, my plan started to fall apart at the edges, and her clever reserving of forward posted genestealers was not countered aggressively enough by my flamethrower. You know when you’re using melee guard with a regular marine in mission 1 that things have gone to hell.
She was really impressed with how it recreated Aliens (we just saw the blu ray reissue) with clever mechanics decisions, and the theme was a clear win for her Mass Effect-favoring psychology. I look forward to playing a more colorful mission and maybe writing it up in greater detail, if only so I can better armchair quarterback my losses after the fact.
