Post by jaja on Jun 28, 2013 8:15:53 GMT 1
This post is to summarize all the aspect I do not like of the original game. Please, feel free to contribute with you own opinion.
1) Slow setup
There are too many units in the game, they are all different, and each one has a precise placement at setup. So in the setup phase, you have to:
- locate all your counters. Some of them, the merc's, do not a distinctive color.
- find the units with fixed deployment, and then find the regions where they have to be placed. This is not fast to a new player
- find the units with free deployment, and think, and think, where to place them.
- put the rest of yout conunters in the reinformencent pool.
2) Fixed setup
The initial placement is allways the same. This is quit good for speeding setuo phase up from play to play, as the player will finally learn what are their units and where do they have to be placed. But, has a undesirable side effect: players create "open moves". I mean, players tend to repeat their deployment, and their initial moves for gaining better results in less turns. For example: if I am Davion I allways try to spend 1st turn healing my units and 2nd turn launching a complete assault to Tykonov or Dieron. This "open moves" are effective beacause initial state of the board is roughly the same.
3) Less than 5 players game is not well solved
I think the game is for 5 players. Period. With 4 players it is still ok, because 1 player chooses Liao+Marik and the result is well balanced. But with less players... it loosses the incentive of the political negociation. I also think that other player configurations all also possible apart from those suggested by the rules.
4) I do not like combat mechanism
Each unit has is own combat value, so, in a combat, you need to throw a dice for each one. This is slow.
And it is even slower due to leaders and units "pairing". The mechanism is really simple but I think is too poor for a tactic game and innecessary to a strategic game like this one. You are the ruler of docens of worlds, you do not have time for this details. Just keep focused in joining the strongest army and move it to when it is most needed.
You have lots of different counter, each one with his own symbol, name and combat value. Well, this add a lot of flavor to the game. You certainly would have a favourite mech unit that you have use many time successfully. But then, you attack a conventional unit, and this mech unit is... destroyed. Why add so much flavor in each counter if they are so expendable?
5) Leaders bribing is not realistic
What can I say about bribing. I do not like. I do not see Jaime Wolf accepting a bribe and betraying his employer. Nor I see a house leader changing his loyalty. Centainly, there are house leaders that where traitors, but others are simply not posible to be.
6) Merc's ending contract actions are not realistic
Imagine you are in a merc's unit. Your employer ends your contract and you are in one of his planets with 10 more units. Then, another employer bids you and you automatically attack the units of this planet although you will centainly be killed. But even if you were alone in the planet, would you conquer it for your new employer? Who will trust you after this?
Maybe this behavior could be reasonable for the bandit kingdoms but not for merc's.
7) There is only one way to win: expansion
I wish if I could score victory points in other ways
8) When you lost, you are out
In many games, 1 or 2 player get out at the middle of the game. And the game is long, very long. They can not do anything since then, except get bored while the others played. Why is not a way to win just submitting other players not kicking then out?
9) 2 sides printing, with so many couters, is a pain
This defect is only for the print&play version of the game. The fact is, the game has around 400 2 sides counters, that means 800 labels you need to cut and glue to something. The game must be very, very good to let me this such and efford.
1) Slow setup
There are too many units in the game, they are all different, and each one has a precise placement at setup. So in the setup phase, you have to:
- locate all your counters. Some of them, the merc's, do not a distinctive color.
- find the units with fixed deployment, and then find the regions where they have to be placed. This is not fast to a new player
- find the units with free deployment, and think, and think, where to place them.
- put the rest of yout conunters in the reinformencent pool.
2) Fixed setup
The initial placement is allways the same. This is quit good for speeding setuo phase up from play to play, as the player will finally learn what are their units and where do they have to be placed. But, has a undesirable side effect: players create "open moves". I mean, players tend to repeat their deployment, and their initial moves for gaining better results in less turns. For example: if I am Davion I allways try to spend 1st turn healing my units and 2nd turn launching a complete assault to Tykonov or Dieron. This "open moves" are effective beacause initial state of the board is roughly the same.
3) Less than 5 players game is not well solved
I think the game is for 5 players. Period. With 4 players it is still ok, because 1 player chooses Liao+Marik and the result is well balanced. But with less players... it loosses the incentive of the political negociation. I also think that other player configurations all also possible apart from those suggested by the rules.
4) I do not like combat mechanism
Each unit has is own combat value, so, in a combat, you need to throw a dice for each one. This is slow.
And it is even slower due to leaders and units "pairing". The mechanism is really simple but I think is too poor for a tactic game and innecessary to a strategic game like this one. You are the ruler of docens of worlds, you do not have time for this details. Just keep focused in joining the strongest army and move it to when it is most needed.
You have lots of different counter, each one with his own symbol, name and combat value. Well, this add a lot of flavor to the game. You certainly would have a favourite mech unit that you have use many time successfully. But then, you attack a conventional unit, and this mech unit is... destroyed. Why add so much flavor in each counter if they are so expendable?
5) Leaders bribing is not realistic
What can I say about bribing. I do not like. I do not see Jaime Wolf accepting a bribe and betraying his employer. Nor I see a house leader changing his loyalty. Centainly, there are house leaders that where traitors, but others are simply not posible to be.
6) Merc's ending contract actions are not realistic
Imagine you are in a merc's unit. Your employer ends your contract and you are in one of his planets with 10 more units. Then, another employer bids you and you automatically attack the units of this planet although you will centainly be killed. But even if you were alone in the planet, would you conquer it for your new employer? Who will trust you after this?
Maybe this behavior could be reasonable for the bandit kingdoms but not for merc's.
7) There is only one way to win: expansion
I wish if I could score victory points in other ways
8) When you lost, you are out
In many games, 1 or 2 player get out at the middle of the game. And the game is long, very long. They can not do anything since then, except get bored while the others played. Why is not a way to win just submitting other players not kicking then out?
9) 2 sides printing, with so many couters, is a pain
This defect is only for the print&play version of the game. The fact is, the game has around 400 2 sides counters, that means 800 labels you need to cut and glue to something. The game must be very, very good to let me this such and efford.