OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

All discussions regarding Board, Card, and RPG Gaming, including industry discussion, that don't belong in one of the other gaming forums.

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Anonymous Bosch
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Anonymous Bosch »

I've never had any difficulty teaching the iconography used in Race for the Galaxy personally (though I'd certainly acknowledge it's not a gateway game). I think the following instructional videos -- i.e. Wei-Hwa Huang's (a creator of the game) RftG tutorial videos, the rules and gameplay video from ModernTablegamer.com and also this one from Nights Around a Table (which I'd forgotten to link previously) -- all do a very effective job of clearly explaining exactly how the icons work. Rest assured, it's really not as complex or difficult to grok as some make it out to be. Once the iconography clicks, you'll find it's surprisingly ingenious how effectively they're able to convey important information without cluttering the cards up with needlessly dull and dreary boxes full of text.

The way the game manages to impart so much with nothing more than cards is a brilliantly elegant and clever design, IMO. In thematic terms, cards in hand represent everything from money, opportunities, information, brokered deals, corporate contracts, to projects in process. Once placed in one's tableau, they indicate your empire has chosen to fund and research a new technology or social capability (Developments), or conquer/settle a particular planet (Worlds). Spending cards represents choosing the path you have instead of the options you gave up. Of course, cards are also used to represent the various raw materials your empire is capable of producing, which can then be traded for more money/research (cards) or consumed as supplies for your burgeoning empire for prestige (in the form of VPs).

Suffice to say, Race for the Galaxy remains one of my all-time favourite card games, and certainly one of the most enjoyable games to play solo (keep in mind though, the solitaire version does necessitate The Gathering Storm expansion when playing the physical version of the game).
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Skinypupy »

Played my first few rounds of Legendary Marvel tonight, and came away fairly impressed. That is, once I figured out that attacks/points/abilities could all be played each turn (I originally thought you could only do one or the other). Lost my first game when I had a bad run of scheme twists come up in the Villain deck, but won the next two games pretty handily.

Definitely going to need to start figuring out how cards synergize though. Seems like there could end up with some spectacularly bad hero combinations. Especially when playing solo, since you only use 3 heroes instead of 5 or 6.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

Managed to get a few games of Hit Z Road in this weekend, and I'd definitely recommend it for solo play. I see it's technically labeled a "Euro" though I'm not sure why as there is die rolling and random elements. Component quality? Meeples? The fact that the multiplayer version involves betting? It doesn't matter; solo is fun.

Here's a "winning" trip. By winning I mean I scored 9 points (earns a "Good" rating) and only one of my 5 survivors made it.

Enlarge Image

For the solo game you set it up similar to the regular version, but some cards are removed as they wouldn't make sense. In addition, you don't "bid" on a route, instead you get to choose one based on what you see (or don't see) in each row. A round has you choosing between three routes. One will always be unknown (and you get bonus resources for going that way), one will only have one card revealed and the last has both cards revealed (you need to pay to choose that route).

At that point then you need to decide what you think makes the most sense based on what you can see. It's a careful balance of collecting resources, bonus tokens and victory points. As you progress the cards get more difficult and the risks increase. Yes there is die rolling (my favorite) and card randomness, but you can usually mitigate problems, but not always.

Game play is pretty damn quick (under 20 minutes) and I think if you repacked it from the box you could easily travel with it. I also think it has potential as a group game, but that's not why I purchased it. The art work is awesome (as you can see from above) and you do kinda create a bit of a narrative as you're moving along. I don't know how many times I can play before it will start to feel stale, but with the setup always removing 12 cards and you're only always seeing 3 each turn, it feels like I could play it quite a bit.

No idea why, but it's on crazy sale via Amazon. Maybe they're burning through stock but I only paid $18 shipped - totally worth it.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by YellowKing »

Currently debating STAR WARS: OUTER RIM for my next solo outing.

I watched Rolling Solo's playthrough of it, and it looks like a lot of fun. The only real reservations I have are that most of the games I acquire for solo are also co-op, so that they have a chance to get to the gaming group table. It's unlikely this would see any play outside of my solo experience, which reduces its value vs cost a bit. Historically I've also never been a huge fan of "race to a point value" games, and that's what has kept me from pulling the trigger on WINGSPAN.

On the upside, I really like the ship/character development aspect, as it has an RPG-ish feel combined with some engine building. I also really like that the game uses a variant of the Encounter system seen in Eldritch Horror and Arkham Horror 3E. I really never expected to see adventure narratives in this game, and I was blown away when i saw how thematic it was. The price is right too - you can currently pre-order for just over $50, which isn't breaking the bank.

There's about two weeks until retail release, so I'm hoping there will be some more solo play feedback between here and then to help me firm up my decision. Anyone else keeping an eye on this one?
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by wonderpug »

Instabuy for me. Can't resist it.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by YellowKing »

Well I pulled the trigger on it (OUTER RIM) and threw in HEROES OF TERRINOTH to get my free shipping.

Very much looking forward to both of these. Now I just need to finish up my LOTR: JOURNEYS IN MIDDLE EARTH second run-through before they arrive.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Fishbelly »

YellowKing wrote: Sat Jun 08, 2019 10:53 am Well I pulled the trigger on it (OUTER RIM) and threw in HEROES OF TERRINOTH to get my free shipping.

Very much looking forward to both of these. Now I just need to finish up my LOTR: JOURNEYS IN MIDDLE EARTH second run-through before they arrive.
I'm curious to hear what you think about Heroes of Terrinoth, since it's a reskin of a game I quite liked--the Warhammer Quest Adventure card game. I was saddened that game was never supported, and hope Heroes of Terrinoth is worth a look.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Daveman »

I think the response to Heroes of Terrinoth here in the boardgame thread was very positive. I really like it. The main difference being HoT has more, diverse stand alone scenarios with a greater variety of heroes and abilities compared to the Warhammer Quest Card Game's 5? scenario linked campaign.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

I quite like HoT. The only problem I can see is that there hasn't been any announced expansions for it. I fear FFG is ignoring it in favor of its more lucrative franchises.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Tao »

If your interested in trying out Heroes of Terrinoth before making a purchase, there is a player made upload in Tabletop Simulator that works very well for getting a feel for the game.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

hepcat wrote: Sun Jun 09, 2019 6:34 am I quite like HoT. The only problem I can see is that there hasn't been any announced expansions for it. I fear FFG is ignoring it in favor of its more lucrative franchises.
As someone following the Sadler brothers, they've been asked multiple times if there's anything planned. And while I wouldn't expect them to be completely forthcoming because of an NDA, they have indicated that they haven't been contacted or approached by FFG to work on additional content. They're certainly not needed to make expansions or additions to the core game, but I suspect this game is DOA. I guess we'll see if anything comes out of GenCon in a few months.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Fishbelly »

Smoove_B wrote: Sun Jun 09, 2019 12:11 pm
hepcat wrote: Sun Jun 09, 2019 6:34 am I quite like HoT. The only problem I can see is that there hasn't been any announced expansions for it. I fear FFG is ignoring it in favor of its more lucrative franchises.
As someone following the Sadler brothers, they've been asked multiple times if there's anything planned. And while I wouldn't expect them to be completely forthcoming because of an NDA, they have indicated that they haven't been contacted or approached by FFG to work on additional content. They're certainly not needed to make expansions or additions to the core game, but I suspect this game is DOA. I guess we'll see if anything comes out of GenCon in a few months.
That's my fear exactly, that HoT will be a repeat of the Warhammer version. It's not like I don't have enough games to play, but I was intrigued by the mechanics of both games. I think I've grown just wise enough to wait and see what shakes out with HoT. Maybe. Possibly. I think?
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

I'm not really sure what to make of FFG since the merger. I don't know if they had a contractual obligation with the Sadler brothers so they just let them re-skin and tweak the Warhammer card game using the art and assets owned by FFG or if FFGs intention was to develop it into a long term series. It does seem a bit like they're letting their Terrinoth-based games (RuneBound, HoT) die on the vine in favor of supporting the bigger named licensed properties (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones), but I really have no idea. In poking around some more, it seems that the Sadler brothers indicated they did have additional content designed for HoT but its up to FFG to move forward, not them.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by YellowKing »

I got it cheap enough that I'll get my money's worth from Heroes' base box, but it would be nice to know it has life left in it. At least they're announcing an Arkham Horror 3E expansion later this month; there was some fear that was going to be left high and dry as well.

Tonight I broke out TOO MANY BONES again after an extended hiatus. Greatly enjoyed it, though I had to spend quite a bit of time relearning the game. I managed to beat Drellen for the first time (easy mode), though I did make a few minor rules errors along the way. I'm not going to sweat it, however, as I've never actually played any of the other tyrants. I'm making a concerted effort to experience more of the game, particularly since it's likely I'll pick up more TMB content at GenCon this year.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by AWS260 »

[edit: posted in wrong thread]
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Skinypupy »

YellowKing wrote: Sun Jun 09, 2019 10:02 pm Tonight I broke out TOO MANY BONES again after an extended hiatus. Greatly enjoyed it, though I had to spend quite a bit of time relearning the game. I managed to beat Drellen for the first time (easy mode), though I did make a few minor rules errors along the way. I'm not going to sweat it, however, as I've never actually played any of the other tyrants. I'm making a concerted effort to experience more of the game, particularly since it's likely I'll pick up more TMB content at GenCon this year.
Hadn't heard of it before, so I looked up some info on Too Many Bones. Looks very cool, but $130?

Yeah...that ain't happening.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

I remember those days - when I'd scoff at a $100+ game. You'll get there...eventually. :wink:

Ideally it's something you can try. The price (in part) is because of the components - they're definitely high quality. It ultimately wasn't for me, but I do know it's quite popular and well-liked as a solo gaming experience.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Skinypupy »

Oh, I'm not fundamentally opposed to games over $100. I did buy Gloomhaven, after all (although it was on sale for $95).

Just seems awfully steep for that particular game.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

If you ever see a copy, you'll understand why - they definitely create a quality product. That's why I laugh sometimes with a few of the war games I purchase. It's like they haven't left the 1980s - quality is borderline acceptable with super thin cardboard and black and white pamphlets for instructions - but they're charging premium prices. As much as the board gaming industry has changed over the last decade, there are still hold outs.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

Chip Theory Games is definitely in the gaming boutique business. They make high end products that seem overpriced until you actually hold one of their games in your hands. The quality of their components is off the chart. Every reference sheet and card is made out of a pvc material that is nigh indestructible. Before some releases, they'd even put together a video of them playing their game under water to show how durable everything they make is. If one of the dice or chips in your game experiences any issues (unlikely, but it does happen rarely), they'll replace it immediately. It's like the Lexus or BMW of gaming with them.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

I wish I liked the game because the components were indeed amazing - the dice in particular. Probably the best dice I've ever held - and I've held a few. That's why I was pleased to see the same level of quality with Hoplomachus, I'm just hoping it holds up as a solo gaming option.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by coopasonic »

Smoove_B wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2019 3:43 pm If you ever see a copy, you'll understand why - they definitely create a quality product. That's why I laugh sometimes with a few of the war games I purchase. It's like they haven't left the 1980s - quality is borderline acceptable with super thin cardboard and black and white pamphlets for instructions - but they're charging premium prices. As much as the board gaming industry has changed over the last decade, there are still hold outs.

With wargames I'd say they are charging niche prices which may look an awful lot like premium prices.If you are only going to sell a few hundred copies, you need to make it up in volume price.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by EzeKieL »

Smoove_B wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2019 4:01 pm I wish I liked the game because the components were indeed amazing - the dice in particular. Probably the best dice I've ever held - and I've held a few. That's why I was pleased to see the same level of quality with Hoplomachus, I'm just hoping it holds up as a solo gaming option.
Too Many Bones solo is amazing. I only own the base game but I'm considering buying everything else through the kickstarter.. even though it might end up being 500$ :shock:
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Tao »

I own TMB plus Ghillie and Nugget. I picked up the core game at PAX and I am pretty sure I payed less than $130 at the event. Although I am probably the worlds worse dice chucker, second only to Wil Wheaton (I think TheMix will vouch I am only exaggerating slightly) , I really enjoy this game. So far I have beaten Drellen, Goblin King and Mulmesh. I have tried the game with two, three and four Gearloc's but have not tried a single Gearloc. I found 3 to be the sweet spot for me. Two Gearloc's means the day multiplier generates smaller baddies but still feels under powered to take on some of the more troublesome abilites (breakdown and hardy for example). Initiative on the first round of play is critical to success, if all the baddies go first you can quite easily wipe your whole team on turn one or two, with 4 Gearloc's the 20 pt baddies appear earlier and it becomes a game of 50/50 RNG. Three just seems the most balanced between a spread of skills vs. potential bad rolls.

So question for other players; has anyone tried using Boomer or Tink a few times? I have tried using Boomer several times but always lost those games, also tried using Tink in Tabletop with a similar outcome. It appears to me those two characters take too long to ramp up during battle. Particularly when you don't want to go over 5 rounds in most cases. Picket, Ghillie, Nugget are my go to Gearloc's and I sometimes switch one out for Patches. What are other's opinions on the various Gearloc's?
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by YellowKing »

I bought my base copy of TMB at GenCon and I'm pretty sure I only paid $100. Which is why I'm waiting for the con to pick up the other things I want - hoping they have some good deals. However, I'll echo the others here in saying it is THE luxury game in my collection. I love owning it just to wow others with the components. THE best cards, dice, and player mats of the 75+ games I own are in Too Many Bones. Period.

I also own Hoplomachus: The Lost Cities, which has the same high level of quality. Fantastic solo game, though most people think Origins is even better.
Hoplomachus is like a much more tactical-oriented TMB Battle Map, where the focus is entirely on combat and not the surrounding adventure. I like both games in their own way, and I think they have a very different feel from each other (other than the obvious poker chip HP mechanic).
Tao wrote:So question for other players; has anyone tried using Boomer or Tink a few times?
Can't speak for TInk, but I've been successful with Boomer coupled with Tantrum. She's a bit tricky because of the grenade building, so for that reason I tend to focus on only 1 or 2 grenade types and throw the rest in stats. As a ranged damage sniper, she can be plenty effective even without lobbing explosives.

Tantrum I'm still getting used to. His Rage ability is neat, but I don't find myself using it as much as I thought I would. He can be built into a damage machine, though. You just have to baby him a bit in the early rounds until he can get some DEF.

I may try 3 Gearlocs for my next adventure - I played Solo and could never beat Drellen. With two I've beaten him twice, but barely. Will see if three is the true sweet spot.

Also I REALLY need to pick up Ghillie - I don't know anyone who doesn't love that Gearloc. Nugget seems to run a close second in popularity. I think I'm also going to spring for the Premium Health Chips at some point and 40 Days in Daelore (for the added variety). I just can't see myself buying Undertow or Splice & Dice yet when there's so much left to explore in the base game.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Blackhawk »

Quit it. I cannot afford a $100+ game, and you are making me want to!
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Zarathud »

It's a great game but I'm happy hepcat has the full set.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Redfive »

Picked up Star Wars: The Outer Rim yesterday. Read through the instructions last night and watched an overview video / review.

May try to get a solo game in tonight--really looking forward to it. Seems very thematic.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by YellowKing »

My copy of Outer Rim arrived today as well, along with my copy of Heroes of Terrinoth. Very much looking forward to both. Unfortunately I can't start tonight because our group has a scheduled game of Gloomhaven. (first world gamer problems...)
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by wonderpug »

Sigh. I'm so excited about trying Outer Rim, but I apparently opted for CoolStuff's shipping via elderly mule option and it's not arriving until next Monday or Tuesday.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Isgrimnur »

Put in for the 5th off and spend four days making up for lost time.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Zarathud »

Impressions! This would round out an online order but I have little faith in Fantasy Flight lately.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Redfive »

I will get a solo game done tonight and try to report.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Redfive »

Okay.

I setup the game for a single player, which is to say that I setup for my player and 1 AI player per the specific AI rules.

Setup took awhile since it was my first time (not counting the punch out), but in the end I had it ready to go:

Enlarge Image

The game play itself is not difficult--there are multiple videos going into much greater detail than I will, but in a nutshell:

Your main goal is to gain 12 fame faster than anyone else. Fame can be gained in multiple ways.

There are three phases to a turn. Planning. Action. Encounter.

In the planning phase you can do one of the following:

-do 'odd jobs' and collect $2k, or
-move up to the limit of your ship's hyperdrive rating, or
-you can recover all damage that you and / or your ship have accumulated.

In the action phase you can do any or all of the following:

-trade with other players (money can be traded with players located anywhere in the outer rim, for anything else players must occupy the same space)--this includes just about any resource and is IMO intentionally very loosely structured to provide an element of wheeling and dealing, or
-deliver a cargo, or
-perform a market action which could mean, buying a ship, cargo, gear, and a few other things I'm not recalling at the moment, or
-resolve an action ability on any number of action cards you possess

In the encounter phase you must do one of the following:

-encounter a patrol. There are four factions in the game--the Rebellion, the Empire, the Hutts and the Syndicate. At any one time each faction has a patrol on the board from strength level 1-4 (1 being the easiest to defeat and 4 being impossible to defeat). Movement of the patrols is primarily driven by the purchase of market cards that have directions to move a patrol of a certain faction. If you end your turn in the same space as a patrol you have an encounter (also if, during your movement, you enter a space with a patrol you must stop unless you have positive reputation with that faction). Patrol encounters resolve based primarily on your current reputation with the specific faction whose ships you have encountered.
-encounter a contact. Each planet has two contacts. These are the iconic characters in the SW universe (Chewie, Greedo, Dengar, Ponda Babba, etc). When you choose to encounter a contact you pull the corresponding card from the databank deck that gives you instructions on how to resolve the encounter.
-encounter in your current space on the board. Some spaces are open space navigation points and some are on planets. You pull a card from the appropriate deck and following the instructions
-resolve an encounter ability on one of your cards.

Encounters are the 'Star Wars flavor' part of the game that tend to give it the thematic elements.

Here's a shot of a partially developed character card and his ship card. I chose to be Han and once I acquired enough credits and found the correct market card I purchased a modified YT-1300 freighter.

Enlarge Image

I didn't finish the game as I have to work tomorrow and I wanted to take some time to write this quick post, but the game feels very promising.

I have almost zero experience playing board games solo so I can't tell you how effective the single player game is. The AI player is run by a deck of cards. You draw a card each turn and perform the actions listed in order. It seems functional but I wouldn't call it exciting.

I can see the wheeling and dealing part of the game with other players to be much more interesting as you can essentially promise anything to someone and then it's up to you whether you want to keep that promise (i.e. lend me $2k right now and in two turns I'll pay you back $4k) or not.

I understand that there are a few opportunities for direct conflict between players (in case you need to get someone back for not upholding a prior promise for ex.) but I did not see any in my test game.

That's it for now. Pretty much a stream of consciousness post and I already see a couple of things I left out but as I said, there are people doing videos that do a much better job of telling you how to play the game.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

So it's a solo beat-your-points type game? The AI controlled deck sounds interesting - at least in the potential to introduce some variety. I'd think then that this game is going to be sold based on theme? More to the point, how much does it feel like you're in a SW movie or that you're part of the SW universe? Thanks for the write up.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by wonderpug »

Smoove_B wrote: Wed Jun 19, 2019 8:53 am So it's a solo beat-your-points type game? The AI controlled deck sounds interesting - at least in the potential to introduce some variety. I'd think then that this game is going to be sold based on theme? More to the point, how much does it feel like you're in a SW movie or that you're part of the SW universe? Thanks for the write up.
It has a solo variant (nyuk nyuk) but you can also play with 2-4 players. With any of the modes, solo or multiplayer, you're not trying to beat your points -- it's still a race to be the most famous. Specifically, be 10 famous.
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Redfive
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Redfive »

wonderpug wrote: Wed Jun 19, 2019 9:20 am
Smoove_B wrote: Wed Jun 19, 2019 8:53 am So it's a solo beat-your-points type game? The AI controlled deck sounds interesting - at least in the potential to introduce some variety. I'd think then that this game is going to be sold based on theme? More to the point, how much does it feel like you're in a SW movie or that you're part of the SW universe? Thanks for the write up.
It has a solo variant (nyuk nyuk) but you can also play with 2-4 players. With any of the modes, solo or multiplayer, you're not trying to beat your points -- it's still a race to be the most famous. Specifically, be 10 famous.
This is correct.

With regard to the theme and how does it feel--I'm going to withhold judgement on that for now. I'll say that the AI portion feels very much like..an AI. Just going through the motions. The AI cards do, however, have some variety in actions so it is not strictly by the numbers / point A to point B kind of stuff. Sorry, I hope that makes sense.

The theme looks promising is what I can say right now.

I look forward to playing it with other humans for sure.

EDIT: I'll elaborate a little on the theme stuff--one of my missions playing as Han was to travel to Cantonica and pull off a heist job that potentially could pay $15k credits (the modified YT-1300 costs $20k for reference). Once I got to the planet I was told to pull a specific card from the databank deck (these cards are all numbered 1-92 with several of the numbers having multiple cards--there are four versions of card number 1 for example) and to execute the directions it gave me. The card had four thematic steps. First I had to talk my way past a guard which involved a skill check (don't remember which specific one)...actually here is the card so you can see the steps.

Enlarge Image

So, yes, I suppose it is pretty thematic :)
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

wonderpug wrote: Wed Jun 19, 2019 9:20 amSpecifically, be 10 famous.
Oh! Just like the movies!
Redfive wrote: Wed Jun 19, 2019 9:38 am I'll say that the AI portion feels very much like..an AI. Just going through the motions. The AI cards do, however, have some variety in actions so it is not strictly by the numbers / point A to point B kind of stuff. Sorry, I hope that makes sense.
It does, yes. I don't mind a procedural AI but I do like when there's some variety in how it acts - it's not just a 100% expected behavior each round.
So, yes, I suppose it is pretty thematic :)
I think this game is going to succeed/fail on theme.
Maybe next year, maybe no go
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

Seems like it's using similar mechanics as Fallout the boardgame from FFG.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

I've seen it described a few times as a cross between the Firefly board game (I guess because of the missions/jobs) and the FFG Fallout title, yes.
Maybe next year, maybe no go
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