This week I thought I'd try something a little different. I've been posting messages about my experiences and thoughts about gaming. This time I thought I'd test out a simple survey form so I can get a little better idea where your gaming interests stand. This brief survey is just to get a general overview. In the future, I may post more in-depth surveys. So, fill out the form below and let me know how you like to play games. Since I am testing this form for the first time, if you have any difficulties or issues please indicate in the comments or use the contact form on my contact page to let me know. I hope you found this quick survey to be fun. I'll follow up with results in an upcoming post.
Game On!
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This week Brian brought over Railways of the World for us to play. Though this game is considered a hobby gaming classic, nobody in our group had played except Brian. The train theme is a relatively common one in board games. I'll go over our experience playing this game and compare and contrast to other "Train Games". Railways of the World is a game designed by Glenn Drover and Martin Wallace, released in 2005 (originally as "Railroad Tycoon: The Boardgame"). This is a medium weight game for 2-6 players that generally plays in about 2-3 hours. Interesting note: this game has ties to other Martin Wallace train games such as Age of Steam. To discover more about the lineage of this game and its sister/mother games, check out the Board Game Geek page and forums for Railways of the World. Keeping this train moving along ... I'm going to give a brief re-cap of our play of Railways of the World using the Railways of Europe expansion. This week there were four of us available to play: Brian, Jeff, Chris and myself. Brian set out the Railways of Europe expansion for the game and quickly had us helping to get the pieces and cards in place. He went over rules and some general notes on strategy, then we got started. The general idea is that each player is a railroad baron trying to make the most money and deliver the most goods the furthest distance. There are Baron Cards which might give additional awards/incentives to achieve certain milestones or goals and there are operations cards which give incentives and bonuses along the way. During the game each player attempts to build rails connecting cities with the goal of delivering goods cubes of a specific color to cities of like colors. There are varying costs to build the rails through different terrain. Oddly enough, nobody starts with any money, so in order to get your railroad network started you have to secure a bond from the bank, a loan which can never truly be repaid. This sets up a financial aspect to the game that differs from other "Train Games" I've played. At the beginning of each round, players hold an auction for turn order in which each player bids against each other for the right to play first. During a players turn, they can take one of the following actions:
Railways of the World and its full series of expansions all sit at the center of a bigger universe. A fairly robust group of board games with trains and railroads as the primary theme. Other "Train Games" I have in my collection are Ticket To Ride (and many of its expansions) as well as Settlers of America (part of the Catan series). In case you haven't played either, let me explain the bare minimum to compare against Railways of the World.
In Ticket to Ride players primarily collect sets of cards to build routes from city to city, based on specific destination tickets they must satisfy, gaining points for length of legs of the route and the completed destination tickets. Settlers of America draws from its Catan roots and utilizes resource collection and management. The settlers must make rails and deliver goods to their opponents' cities in order to be successful. In both cases there is very little in common with Railways, other than theme. One thing Ticket to Ride (T2R) and Railways do have in common is receiving points for connecting certain routes. In T2R all routes have a reward for completion by the player who has that destination card, while in Railways there is a listing of common routes in which the first player completing it receives the bonus. Settlers of America requires that players deliver goods cubes to other players' cities which has some similarities to Railways' receiving points for moving colored goods cubes to a matching colored city. There are many other train games to play, I've only scratched the surface. Maybe you've played one or more of the others? There are some very intricate and complex Train games called 18XX. I don't know much about 18XX other than that I believe they reference different years in the 1800s, the heyday of the locomotive, and are typically played by hard-core "Train Game" enthusiasts. The Train Gamers Association (TGA) is a gaming organization devoted specifically to "Train Games". Every year they organize tournaments and game-play at Origins and Gen Con as well as at other venues. I've personally competed in some of their competitions through the years. Its a good group. For more information click on this link to the Train Gamers Association site. If you'd like to add information about your favorite train game(s), please leave a comment. As always, you can email me via the contact page and send a message with any questions or comments. Game On! In this article, I'll share little about my limited experience with Kickstarter campaigns. So, if you are unfamiliar with Kickstarter or just want to read about my thoughts and insights, hopefully you'll find something of interest. My amateur opinion on this topic is undoubtedly influenced by friends and others in the board-game industry. Kickstarter is a crowdfunding website. They state that their mission is to help bring creative projects to life. Individuals and companies of all sizes can promote an idea, concept, prototype or finished product to a large audience. All types of projects are represented on Kickstarter: Art, Tech, Film/Video, Music, and Games, to name a few. It is now celebrating its tenth year. This relatively new marketplace and product incubator of sorts doesn't seem to be losing any steam. It appears that Kickstarter is going to be around for a long time. To Back a project an individual pledges an amount of money to the campaign. The pledge of support becomes a commitment once the project meets its stated financial minimum goal and the campaign is completed. After the end of the campaign, as long as the project achieves its goal it will fund. That means that at the close of the Kickstarter campaign all pledged goals will be processed. Any money you pledged is collected and made available to the campaign creators to complete the project. Many Kickstarters add stretch goals to help encourage contributions to the campaign and exceed the minimum, reaching higher funding plateuas. Stretch goals usually include additional items that will be created or developed if the campaign exceeds higher level goals. Typically there are several different backer levels and a variety of ways to contribute with additional goodies to be had at hight backer levels. Most projects in the boardgames world are essentially pre-order campaigns. A pledge at the base level is essentially a preorder for the game, then after the project funds and production is completed, the backers are shipped the product(s) for the appropriate level of commitment level. That's the general gist of it: You pledge monetary support - the project funds - money is processed - after production, backers receive promised goods. OR at least that's supposed to be how it works. Backing a Kickstarter project isn't without its risks. Sometimes companies aren't equipped to properly execute on their promises. There are horror stories of companies attempting to move forward with production, then hit hurdles or obstacles they cannot overcome and the project dies. Sometimes backers get all or some of their money back and in rare instances it is possible for all money to be lost. I'll leave it there. If you want to get additional details about the risks, you can find more on the Kickstarter site itself about the risks and protections available. I understand these failed Kickstarter projects to be more of an exception, than the rule. Generally speaking, campaigns that fully fund typically get completed. Both of the projects I backed did fund and eventually shipped to me. I'd like to tell you a little about three games in my collection purchased or influenced by KickStarter. Golem Arcana is an app-enhanced tactical miniatures boardgame published by Harebrained Schemes. I first discovered the game while reading online, catching up on Gen Con happenings. I caught an article about a new game concept that had been introduced and demoed at Gen Con. The article mentioned that the developers were starting a Kickstarter campaign to bet backing to create and launch this game. Once the Kickstarter kicked off, I was able to read even more about the game and see videos about it. I ended up deciding to back the project while on vacation with my wife, checking periodically on its progress while hanging out at the pool. This was the first time I had ever really been exposed to Kickstarter. It was a bit scary backing something that felt like a large investment for a game on a platform I had never used before. After the project ended and was fully funded, I received notification of my charge card being processed and was kept apprised of progress via email updates. The game shipped about a year later. I received my copy about a week before the next Gen Con. Everything was great! The miniatures were gorgeous and the app-driven game was wonderful. I went on to get involved in a small group who played the game regularly. We played for a couple of years and continued to buy new miniatures as they came out in waves of a few expansions. Unfortunately Harebrained Schemes stopped support and updates to the app about two-and-a-half years after original shipment. It was such a fun game, however now the app doesn't work making it nearly impossible to play. The Kickstarter experience overall was quite good. The anticipation of funding and of receiving the product were exhilarating. It really got my juices flowing. After getting this game, I was already looking forward to supporting another campaign sometime. The next game I backed was Lords of Hellas published by Awaken Realms. I won't go into a lot of detail about the game, since I recently posted about gameplay and details. I went to the Kickstarter site to peruse upcoming boardgame projects. I had the desire to rekindle that excitement and exhilaration of backing a new game. Part of the fun is knowing that you'll be one of the first people to own the game. Typically backers receive their copies prior to the general public being able to purchase. Also, the Kickstarter "exclusive" items and stretch goals looked great. It can be addictive backing these game projects, desiring to claim special content, items and extras that others may not be able to purchase at retail. It almost seems like a "bargain" to get all the extras and exclusive items seemingly included in your pledge. The Lords of Hellas campaign included several add-ons and expansions that could be purchased at additional cost. I opted for upgraded miniatures painted with a shading technique called "Sundrop", however I didn't opt for the sixth player expansion and a few other extra items. I thought that if I continued to tack on additional items the cost would far exceed my comfort level ... I had to set a limit. As mentioned in a previous blog post, I received my package in two waves of shipping. The first came a bit late and the second wave ran late as well ... about one year after receiving the base game. This was another positive experience overall, with the exception of delays in production and shipping. Shipping delays seem to be a common theme for Kickstarter projects. Newer companies especially tend to underestimate production and shipping times as well as other unanticipated setbacks along the way. It seems that as companies gain experience managing the campaign, manufacturing and shipping that there are fewer delays. Blood Rage is one of my favorite games. It too originated as a Kickstarter, however I didn't back the project through the platform. I purchased from a retailer after the game had shipped. I had heard of the game through gaming podcasts and sought out the Kickstarter online. That is where I initially learned some details of the game. I read up on it, however just didn't want to spend the money on project that I'd have to wait a year for at that time. This brings up an interesting point. Kickstarter is not only a platform designed to simply fund a product or pre-purchase a game, it is also a way to promote and market upcoming games. Publishers of games have found that exposure on Kickstarter is very important. This creates a "buzz" and generates media coverage. In this case, I ended up passing on the Kickstarter, however the game stuck in the back of my mind due to Kickstarter marketing and other media. Once I saw it in my local game store I got excited. "Here's that game I saw on Kickstarter". The store was also including one of the extras that came with the Kickstarter at no extra cost. Bonus! Now that I had passed on the Kickstarter, I felt an additional desire to not want to miss out. After justifying the purchase with my boss (wife), I purchased the game. And a great game it is! Kickstarter has become a huge part of the gaming industry, allowing smaller companies, start ups, and individuals to pitch their ideas to receive funding. This takes some of the risk out of creating a game if you've got a built-in group agreeing to purchase it. Rather than needing to come up with an initial investment of $100,000, $500,000 or more, companies can get the funding from the end users themselves. A recent example of a successful Kickstarter campaign is Bloodborne: The Board Game from CMON, it had an original funding goal of $100,000 but blew past it with a final pledged amount of $4,013,731. With the help of this kind of crowdfunding, big publishers like Hasbro aren't the only way to get well-produced board games. A great game idea can still get produced, even by a smaller publisher. Many might suggest that these games are far superior to mass-produced games. For me, I have truly enjoyed my experience with Kickstarter but have to hold myself in check or I'd end up spending far too much. What is your experience with Kickstarter? Do you have points you'd like to add or questions you'd like to ask? Use the comments section to leave your feedback or go to my contact page and send a message.
Game-On! My weekly game group played Lords of Hellas this week. After recently receiving the second wave of goodies from the Kickstarter I backed, I was anxious to try out some of the new stuff. Following is my overview of the game and our play experience during game night. I first spotted Lords of Hellas and became a backer through Kickstarter. (NOTE: Kickstarter is a popular crowdfunding website. For those unaware of Kickstarter and its significance in board game development/publishing, I will try to cover in a future post.) I made my pledge to the Kickstarter campaign almost two years ago with an original expected ship date of December 2017. As Kickstarters go... they typically run behind schedule and this one was no exception. I opted for the two-wave shipping - receiving the base game and early terrain expansion in the spring of 2018. The second wave was recently completed and finally shipped to those of us in the U.S. within the last few weeks. Lords of Hellas published by Awaken Realms and designed by Adam Kwapiński is a 4-player game (base game) typically played in about 2-3 hours. The artist listed for the game is Piotr Gacek, however the art book lists four additional artists, Ewa Labak, Patrick Jedraszek, Piotr Orleanski, and Piotr Foksowicz. One of the game's biggest appeals is the numerous miniatures. Each faction is uniquely sculpted in its particular color. Factions have both hoplites (soldier) and priest figures. There are several Hero/Leader figures as well which get selected and paired with the faction color of your choice. The heroes have asymmetric powers creating a balanced yet unique variation in each faction. Larger grey plastic monsters and monuments miniatures stand out. The monuments truly make this game unique, as they are segmented into five pieces and can be gradually constructed during the course of the game from the base level up. I also have the terrain expansion which ads sculpted miniatures for the cities and temples adding to the visual appeal. This game is a beauty on the table! The theme and artwork sport an interesting blend of Sci-Fi with ancient Greek mythology. At first glance this primarily appears to be an area control game, however there are other elements such as card drafting, action selection, and card-assisted combat that make for a nice mixture of mechanics for any gaming group to find interesting. There are four win condition options which allow players to gravitate toward a strategy that suits them best. A brief description of the four win conditions:
Now a little bit about our game-night experience playing Lords of Hellas. We weren't sure if we would have four our five, so I initially set up the game to support five. The new expansion added a 5th player and an additional game-board (map of Atlantis). This game-board expansion is recommended to only be used with five or more players along with an added monument of Poseidon. Once it was determined that we'd have four players, I removed the extra game-board and Poseidon monument. I added three new monsters to the game as well as new event cards and combat cards from the new Dark Ages Expansion in the newly received Warlord Box. Since it was Jennie's first play of the game we opted to not add any of the other new expansions or variants, as the game can be a little tricky to explain and learn the first time around. I explained the game and went through the rules with Jennie while providing a refresher lesson for Dave, Jeff and myself. This probably took 30-45 minutes. This is one of those games that just has so much going on, that it takes a while to teach. After a few rounds of play it was clear that Jennie had found her footing. She quickly picked up on general game-play mechanics as well as different strategies. As we played, it seemed that all four of us were about even and nobody really shot out to a commanding lead. Nikki showed up later to observe as she had another commitment and couldn't make it until well after we had begun. It was fun having her there as a neutral party to explain our situations and run strategies past. As we continued forward, Jennie was able to complete the Athena monument and had control of its region which started the King of Kings "Monument" win condition. After Jennie's third round, whomever had control of that region would win, unless somebody else met a victory condition prior to that. Her army was quite formidable which meant taking control away would be quite difficult, if not impossible. Dave, Jeff and I scrambled to see if we could meet a different win condition prior to the end or if one of us had the opportunity to swoop in and take out Jenny's squad, gaining control of the region needed to win. I worked to try to hunt three monsters but fell short with one round left. Dave realized he would probably not be able to win, however attempted an attack against Jenny to possibly weaken her. Then, out of left field, Jeff utilized a couple of his blessings cards and maneuvered his hoplites to two new regions where he won battles and control, thus gaining control of the temples in those regions. He won with the Favor of the Gods 5-temples win condition! None of us had seen it coming. He found a way that wasn't obvious. Though Jennie was disappointed that she didn't end up pulling off what seemed to be a sure victory, it was certain that she had successfully learned the game in her first play. Well done Jennie! The game night ran a little late, however I think everyone enjoyed it. I'm dying to add more of the expansions and variations from the second wave Warlord Box! Next time, I'm sure we'll add more. The newest shipment also included the Kronos Rebellion. A 2-4 player re-versioning of the game making it a one vs many battle. One person plays as Kronos who tries to destroy temples, etc., while the players work together using many familiar Lords of Hellas mechanics to defeat Kronos. One additional note - although I didn't purchase it, there is an additional expansion called City of Steel. That expansion allows for up to six players and adds additional game-play options, extras, etc... I may have to consider getting it, especially since the weekly game night group can typically have six of us. Within this blog post I included quite a few photos of the game, components and our game night play of Lords of Hellas #LordsofHellas. Maybe you have some thoughts or observations about the game you'd like to share. If so, please add your comments below or send me a message with your questions, comments or suggestions.
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