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Oh my.

Sinner! :p

Also, I hadn't even HEARD of almost any of these games until I found BGG!

I am starting to feel desperate enough to play games that I might grab TTR and Lost Cities off of XBLA! Really sad too, the friend I mentioned selling RftG to was supposed to come over for board games this weekend. Was looking forward to playing with him, his wife and Amanda...but then they remembered Easter was this weekend so games have been canceled ;(

There are a few games that I have seen that definitely could use a video tutorial packaged in the box. I don't think you will see it become a common practice, though, because I think it would put people off if they saw a video tutorial came in with the game. Many people would see that as a red flag that it's super difficult to learn.

Agricola - My fears of teaching/learning this game being difficult have passed. At first, I would make new players watch at least half the video with Scott. It always had an adverse affect. I'd get comments like "jeez, if i have to watch a video, it's too complicated."

I recently introduced it to my cousin and his wife, and we even made them play with the cards their first time (which isn't recommended). They picked it up very fast and his wife even came in second place. The key to learning Agricola is to just learn what gives you points at the end of the game (i.e. lots of variety) - and how a turn order works (Super easy: place a family member, do the action, done) and harvest - after about 2 rounds of play you'll have the game down.

RfTG I really do not think would benefit from a video tutorial. There are some on youtube. This is because the mechanics of how to play can be taught in about 2 minutes. The difficulty people run into with RfTG are two fold. 1) that cards serve 3 different purposes in the game - goods, what the card says, and currency. 2) learning how to read the symbols (note, I did not say memorize them, it's just a system of how to read them).

But I have bought at least one game, blackbeard, where after reading the rule book I wish I had a video to watch. I have never played it and don't want to. I want to sell/trade it after reading the manual.

Edit: Some games got played yesterday I should report:

Indonesia - my friend brought this over. He imported it for $90. It is fun, but gets really math heavy towards the end which makes my eyes gloss over. As all the reviews mention, the map art got out of control and sacrifices functionality.

Ra- This was like my second game purchase after getting into Euro games, after Puerto Rico. A fantastic game. I have not played it in 2 years, but I was reminded why I love it so much. A tile auction game and set collection game. Can't recommend it enough -- but it may be out of print.

Power Grid -- Had my first 5 player game of this and it went really well. The two new players we introduced it too (my cousin and his wife again) got 1st and second place, bastards. Power Grid definitely grows on you each time you play it.

Witches Brew - Already covered this before, but it really is a great light card game. The only downside is it's price. $26 is a little steep for a card game. But it does come with some neat chits.

Ra and PG are definitely on my list.

Ra is getting a reprinting sometime in the next upcoming months, its available for preorder on a few websites.

Hoping to get my first game of 1960 in today!

On video tutorials I agree that it could scare people off and isnt need for many/most games but some I think would really benefit from it and they dont have to advertise on the box that there is a video tutorial.

On games....man I have been dying to get Power Grid. Was thinking it would be one of my next purchases but I think Amanda might have made a $1,300ish mistake in calculating our bills(I dont understand how this could happen when she works in acounting!)....so ya probally wont be spending for awhile. Even after looking over bills tonight if thats not the case I still might hold off a few months to get it just because we still havnt played Fairy Tale, El Grande, Puerto Rico, Battle Lore, Fairy Tale or Dungeon Twister!

Originally Posted by thrustbucket I have never heard of Britannia. Looking it up on the geek, it's ranked 141, which isn't bad. It was published in 1986 though, so there must be some recent republishing of it....

yup, it was reprinted by fantasy flight games.


so battlestar is similar and better than shadows? how much better is it because i do enjoy fantasy more than sci fi, but if its significantly better then maybe ill just go with BSG (even though ive never watched the show).

The traitor mechanic, aka the entire point of these games basically, is much more fleshed out with BSG. There's more to do each turn, and there's a real sense of distrust, especially with cards like "Executive Order", which lets you basically give up your turn to let another player take two actions (essentially, two turns). Play that on a Cylon player when he's ready to strike, and....well.... hope your President has some tricks up their sleeve!

The interaction also feels better. Things like tossing accused players into the Brig, and trying to figure out who is sabotaging those skill checks. Having a President and Admiral as critical positions and trying to get/keep those in the hands of human players. It all works so well.

Maybe its because I started with BSG, but I can't see myself ever playing SoC over it.

Also, I've only seen the first two episodes of BSG, so being a fan of the show is pretty irrelevant to enjoying it. Like I said, I've played with several people who barely even knew the show existed and they loved it.

I have not played Shadows over Camelot, I've just read a lot of opinion saying that BSG is better.

Another night has come and went without board games.....so again hopefully tonight I can atleast play a few quick card games if nothing else....sniff sniff. Atleast I have been enjoying a few video games more then usual(I had hit a rut with video games where I just wasn't enjoying them but the few I am playing right now are alot of fun).

Played the first scenario of Memoir 44 again, this time on the Axis side.

Axis lost again!

Strangely enough, I enjoyed this go MORE than I did the first when I won as Allies. Must get this one on the table more, and with some expansions!

Was supposed to play board games tonight with a couple we meet on craigslist(we were selling a board game adn got to talking)but they remembered it was Easter and had to cancel for family stuff. However I did get to play Lost Cities last night again and must again say for $15 that game is a must grab and one of our favs now.

Anyways hopefully we will be playing next weekend instead.

So just played Agricola and have a number of questions. Overall we really enjoyed the game and had a good time with it, feel we get most of it but that there are probably some rules we have mixed up but eh who cares as long as everyone playing agrees on a rule right? Getting ready to try a second game soon.

So two more things to add. First we just finished Pandemic. Was pretty decent but neither of us were very impressed, it was a C at best. Maybe with more then 2 players it would be better but overall we just found it very easy and pretty meh. Definitely wouldnt have paid $25 for it, $15 ya but $25 is pushing it for a C game.

Second is that I actually had a weird in between dream and sleep moment last night and came up with a board game of my own. I think I am actually going to try to move forward with it and will share details later if I either decide its too much hassle or after I finish the patent. Anyone have any experience tips here?

Pandemic easy? You're kidding. I've played it about 10 times and we only won twice, and barely. Were you playing easy mode (less epidimic cards)? It's also possible you got a rule wrong, or weren't handling the infection deck right and/or outbreaks right (mistake we made our first game). But that game is designed to be very hard, no matter how many players.

List your Agricola questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

Pandemic is best play with more players. Two player game makes the game too easy.

Played Power Grid and Risk last week. I think I'm getting better at Power Grid and setting up my own playing style for the game. I was never a fan of Risk. I don't know what I'm doing most of the time.

Originally Posted by Over easy I was never a fan of Risk. I don't know what I'm doing most of the time.

If you're not flipping the board over yelling " it!", then you're doing it wrong.

Risk! hater +1.

Originally Posted by Over easy Pandemic is best play with more players. Two player game makes the game too easy. Played Power Grid and Risk last week. I think I'm getting better at Power Grid and setting up my own playing style for the game. I was never a fan of Risk. I don't know what I'm doing most of the time.

Well hopefully Pandemic is indeed a lot better with a bigger group because as a 2 player game I just dont see us playing it.

Just finished our second game of Agricola too. Again beat Amanda by a little under 10 points. Was fun that both games were very different, last game was largly about converting grain for me and upgrading my house since I had cards that assisted in those two. This time I found myself with several stables early on which I could house 2 sheep in. Keeping my people feed using the sheep and some other minor action while trying to score points via buying improvements and through plowing fields which I didnt use for food but instead points via a card. Nice that each time you play this game its a little different.

*likes risk*

MSI, you've played Agricola with cards then, I take it?


I picked up and played A Castle for All Seasons because the pretty artwork lured me. I like it. It's pretty easy. A little bit like Pillars of the Earth, but I like it better. Very euro. Won't get much buzz though, because it's nothing new or different.

I also picked up Cuthroat Caverns. It's what Munchkin should have been. Nice little card based fantasy light RPG game. All you do is fight a series of 9 encounters (usually monsters). You have to play it co-op to get very far, but you only get points for landing the killing blow on a monster. So you are trying to screw over everyone else and get them to take damage so you can land killing blows. If you die, your out. Pretty fun, need to play it more.

Originally Posted by thrustbucket MSI, you've played Agricola with cards then, I take it? I picked up and played A Castle for All Seasons because the pretty artwork lured me. I like it. It's pretty easy. A little bit like Pillars of the Earth, but I like it better. Very euro. Won't get much buzz though, because it's nothing new or different. I also picked up Cuthroat Caverns. It's what Munchkin should have been. Nice little card based fantasy light RPG game. All you do is fight a series of 9 encounters (usually monsters). You have to play it co-op to get very far, but you only get points for landing the killing blow on a monster. So you are trying to screw over everyone else and get them to take damage so you can land killing blows. If you die, your out. Pretty fun, need to play it more.

Ya we played both games with the occupation and improvement cards.

I played Last Night on Earth today. The game is fun (how can you not like zombies?). We played the basic "kill 15 zombies before time runs out" scenario. We didn't win because we were to conservative in the beginning and ran out of time. I had to bum rush with Johnny and a meat cleaver at the very end to put ourselves within 14 kills, but unfortunately the last person was not able to get a finishing blow on the last zombie.

We also tried some D&D today. The game is fun if you have players that make up random stuff to do during your turn. However, I left half-way through since it was getting late.