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Recommend me some games
- hotseatgames
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hotseatgames wrote: Spartacus came out almost 6 years ago and is still crushing it. How old does a game have to be before it's a classic?
It's a classic. I hope that the rumors are true that they're going to reprint it.
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Erik Twice wrote: Divine Right: This game keeps popping up as a small classic and some people whose opinions respect really like it. But I don't know what's interesting about it or how well it holds up.
Divine Right is a medium-light war game for 2 to 6 players. Each player controls the monarch of one of 13 kingdoms. In theory, you play for 20 turns and then count up VP to see who won. Victory points are gained by either sacking cities or killing/capturing enemy monarchs. If your monarch is killed or captured, you lose all your VP and take control of a random monarch that is not directly controlled by another player. Each kingdom has a limited number of fleets and armies, but you can augment your forces with mercenaries, barbarians, and even troops from other kingdoms that you persuade to join your cause during the diplomacy phase.
Some of the kingdoms are non-human races with a special ability or two, like regenerating trolls. One kingdom is run by a necromancer who can raise armies from old battlefields. Another "kingdom" is a wizard university. There are also special mercenary leaders or units with special abilities. The map is attractive and the setting borrows ideas from J.R.R. Tolkien and Clark Ashton Smith. There are quite a few interesting locations across the map. In the basic game, these locations just add flavor. There are variant rules in the intermediate game that make these locations useful. There are also magic items introduced in the intermediate rules, and these are powerful enough to change the outcome of a battle.
There are several reasons why I have played so much Divine Right and would love to play more:
1. multi-player war game
2. rich setting
3. diplomacy phase adds an element that is missing from most war games
4. medium-weight rules by general board game standards, and medium light for a war game
5. special abilities
There is one major reason why I haven't played in recent years: a full game with experienced players could take up to eight hours. You can easily play a shorter game by just setting a firm time to end the game and count up VP, but will still probably want to plan on at least 3 hours of play. Most modern gamers would rather play 2 or 3 shorter games in that time frame.
I played a lot of Divine Right back when the first edition (TSR) came out. I also played a bunch of playtest games with the designer and some friends, several years before the 2nd edition was finally published by Right Stuf. The Right Stuf edition has easy basic rules, an intermediate rule set that also includes a lot of decent variants to include. The advanced rules add too much hassle, and the additional variants are too fiddly. The intermediate rules are the equivalent of the first edition rules plus all the better variants from Dragon magazine. First edition is a compact 9" x 12" box that is easy to store, but uses a fold out heavy paper map. Second edition is an awkwardly wide coffin box, due to the very nice board inside. If you get the first edition, I can send you scans of the variants from Dragon magazine, or just the second edition rules. Second edition map features a few changes to address minor game balance issues.
In comparison to the games that you already play, Divine Right is like a slow-moving, non-abstract version of Cosmic Encounter. Instead of being told who to attack/encounter by the flip of a card, your strategy in Divine Right will be strongly influenced by where you and your allies and enemies are on the map. You can make agreements with other players in Divine Right, but there is no way to enforce those agreements. Battles will be determined by relative troop strengths and a die roll on a CRT, though magic, terrain, and leaders can make a difference.
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If nothing else, it plays in 20 minutes or so and can be found under $30 pretty easy.
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- Erik Twice
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According to my objective, unquestionably and highly scientific Game Rating table, it takes at least 28 years. Get off my lawn!hotseatgames wrote: Spartacus came out almost 6 years ago and is still crushing it. How old does a game have to be before it's a classic?
Just kidding. I'm just trying to narrow down things a bit, starting from the top. Spartacus looks like a very cool game but it doesn't seem to belong in the same category as The Republic of Rome or Dune, but a notch below. Which is fine, mind! I'm just trying to see what's in the highest tiers first.
I probably would, actually.ChristopherMD wrote: My gut is telliing me you would like Kremlin.
This is a game I would probably like, but I'm sure my group wouldn't care for it and it doesn't seem the kind of game to push at the club. Great suggestion.DarthJoJo wrote: If your group tops at three, The King is Dead (formerly Der Koenig von Siam but with a well-trod Arthurian setting rather Thailand) is tight. You only get eight unique, one-use actions across the entire game to get the most powerful tribe on your side, so make them count.
If nothing else, it plays in 20 minutes or so and can be found under $30 pretty easy.
Thanks a lot for the description, Shellhead, it was great. It's something I would like to try some day, I actually remember joining the Yahoo group when I joined the 18XX one. However, I'm not sure I feel comfortable printing it out or getting a copy and seeing whether I would like it. Seems like a huge gamble.Shellhead wrote: Divine Right
Interestingly enough, I don't think the lenght is an issue. If the game is cool, doesn't require repeated plays to grasp, I think I can bring it to the table as an event game and be content with that.
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Shellhead wrote: Divine Right is a medium-light war game for 2 to 6 players. Each player controls the monarch of one of 13 kingdoms ...
Fantastic summary, Shellhead. I love loved loved DR back in the day, lost my copy, and missed out on the 2nd edition. Now I'm crossing my fingers that the 3rd edition will actually see the light of day, since it was originally scheduled for 2014 and there's been no word from Excalibre...
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Not every wargame works well as a 3-4 player game, but I think many block games do. But if you're fundamentally against wargames, this idea won't change your mind.
I'd strongly recommend Age of Industry as an economic game. I prefer it over Brass, though some (many?) would disagree. And I'll second Power Grid and all of its expansion boards, particularly since it scales well from 3-6 players (and can play 2 with Robots). I'm hoping to play the Fabled version of PG soon, in fact.
Others that play well with 3:
Ingenious - good abstract, possibly my favorite
Ra - I like Modern Art a lot, but it's less likely that new players will screw this one up (i.e., auto-lose)
Spectral Rails - really unique and interesting, also cheap; but the rules ain't always the greatest
Before the Wind - pretty cutthroat auction-y Euro, but I haven't played in a while
Hansa - my favorite light Euro ever; mean if played correctly
Magna Grecia - if you want your brain to explode
You might also look into Clank in Space!, Xenon Profiteer, and Evolution w/ Flight expansion. Maybe.
Also, please be aware that there are no good worker placement games. Except *perhaps* Caylus, Age of Empires III (aka Age of Discovery), and Dungeon Lords. But even those are doubtful. Thank yew.
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Erik Twice wrote: Games I want to try first:
Wiz-War: I'm wary of this game. Chances are I'll like it and it's very well-regarded around here. But I'm not sure it has the strategic edge Cosmic Encounter has and I would be very dissapointed if that's the case even if it's fun.
It doesn't have the same strategic edge, so I can help release you of that expectation so that you can enjoy it on its own terms.
I'll second Survive and Room 25.
There should always be room for Survive. It's quite literally compulsory.
And Room 25 has a lot to offer. A tidy design that doesn't need or want anything beyond what comes in the core.
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