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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baelthazar
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by baelthazar »

hepcat wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 10:35 am Oh, and final word on the standees: take the time to sort them numerically and then create little dividers with a numbering system like "1 - 10" if you need to/want to use the standees. Trust me on this.
I've spent the last several weeks sleeving, organizing, and reading. I still have Burncycle set up and need to finish that before I get DU on the table, so I am not in any hurry. What I did with the standees was to organize them by faction (according to the book) and then put those factions into sections in a Plano box. I'm not keen on the way the box has them in that U shape. The only issue with that is that few of the standees are needed by multiple factions, which is a tad bit irritating.

As you said though, with all the different other games I have, I can likely find a mini to use if I want. I might crack open my tackle box of Descent for use on this.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

Two scenarios into the Dungeon Universalis campaign now. I need to print out a player’s aid as there are just so many modifiers, situational rules and what not that I’m finding myself searching the rulebook more than playing.

The artificial player mechanic is also taking quite a bit of time to understand. When to roll, how to place enemies, targeting and movement. It’s a lot to take in.

That being said, if you’re looking for a tactical dungeon crawler with an old school rpg aesthetic, this is for you.

I ran into my first spell caster enemy. She was an elite that arrived after I drew an encounter card called special creatures. She summoned a fire elemental on her first turn and I came across the one skill I now hate more than anything: invulnerable. You can only hit an enemy with that using ranged or melee if you roll two sixes. Magic though works against them.

But I soon realized the real reason to bringing a spell caster with you: dispelling. That saved my ass twice in that battle. Keep within 8 spaces of the enemy magic user and then just negate her power with dispelling. Sure, you have to beat her casting roll with a better casting roll, but it’s worth it when she can throw 5 dice damage area of effect fireballs. Unfortunately, it sucks up your mana too, so now I’m going into the leader fight with my canon almost empty, so to speak.

For those with altar quest, just keep the box nearby. Not only am I using quite a few of the figs, the terrain pieces are also coming in handy.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by baelthazar »

Which player aids are you using? I need to also print those. I got all my stuff punch and semi sorted, and cards sleeved. The rules are complex but seem to make sense. Once I finish up a failing game of Burncycle, I intend to jump into DUN.

Given that I was actually VERY "meh" about Altar Quest, it is nice to know that I can get some use out of the terrain pieces!
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

This is the one I'm using. It's a print out of the Quick Rule Reference section of the rulebook. To be fair, the DM screen that comes with the game has most of the info you need too, but the print is small and it's kind of awkward using a fold out screen as a player aid while playing.

Did you get the bestiary cards? I should have them this week/early next week as I just got the shipping notice. I'm getting tired of using the app/the book to find what I need and can't wait for this. I did add the 2nd campaign book to my order as well. It made the shipping cost a little less painful for me.

If you have any questions, let me know. At this point I think I know 75 percent of the game.

p.s. Grab this too. Remembering what happens when you have a crit failure/success is also a bit much at times.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

Getting my ass handed to me in Pax Pamir solo this weekend. I needed a palate cleanser from dungeon crawlers. But I think I’m starting to see what I’m supposed to be doing…

….beyond “don’t lose” that is.

update: 4 games this weekend and 0 wins. HOWEVER, I now see the need to treat this like a traditional wargame in many ways. Get political cards to place tribes, use military cards to build up forces, commerce cards to tax your enemies, etc.. It's all rather elegant and I'm surprised I didn't really grok it all the first few times I played after I got it. I'm glad I returned to it this past weekend on a lark. It's far more fun when you actually have a strategy beyond "ooh, that card has pretty colors, I want it!".

But soon, it's V-Sabotage time! :wub:
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by AWS260 »

I soloed a two-investigator game of Eldritch Horror last night, pitting the shaman Akachi and photojournalist Darrell against the mother of spiders Atlach-Nacha.

We started off well, quickly dispatching her psychic toad servant N'Kai. The next mystery was our downfall: it required us to obtain an artifact, and artifacts are few and far between in Eldritch Horror. Despite chasing down every expedition we could, closing multiple otherworldly gates along the way, we never found a single artifact. Atlach-Nacha awakened and devoured us all. Apologies to humanity.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Fardaza »

Deleted because I somehow quoted myself.
Last edited by Fardaza on Tue Sep 27, 2022 11:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

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Deleted because I'd somehow quoted myself twice.
Last edited by Fardaza on Tue Sep 27, 2022 11:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Fardaza »

I'm sitting here looking at Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle Earth all sprawled out on the table next to me. I'm not sure if I'll keep it or sell it. I sure don't have any real desire to play it right now.

I bought it about 8 or 9 months ago. Started 3 different 2-character parties and never got past the 6th scenario. Last week I decided to give it a go again. This time I picked Legolas (hunter) and Beravor (pathfinder/captain). I won the first 2 scenarios, but the 3rd one destroyed me. There was some big orc that we were looking for.
Spoiler:
I found him, and Legolas hit him with "lethal" and enough hits to kill him twice! He collapsed and then when Legolas failed his test, the orc got up and pounded him so hard that he needed to do a last stand. He failed.
I was screaming at the board. That's B.S.!!!
Spoiler:
Then Beravor got her chance. She hit him hard enough to kill him also. He looked down at his bloodied fur and ran away!?!?
Again, I started screaming at the board! I won the scenario, but it felt like a loss.
Spoiler:
He should have been dead 2 times!!
The next scenario was at the Forsaken Inn where we were supposed to interrogate and search for a specific baddie. I had to restart the scenario 3 times because the game gave me no warning that the baddie was about to escape.
Spoiler:
He/she just disappeared and left the place in flames and other enemies showed up. There was no way to know which low life I was supposed to accuse as being the spy.
The 4th restart, I just decided to go ahead and finish the scenario anyway. Even though I won the scenario, it felt like a loss.

I don't understand this game very well I guess. Maybe I should start a new campaign and use adventure mode. I don't know if it will help alleviate the frustration or not.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

I honestly agree with most of your complaints, but I'm so obsessed with eventually beating the damn game that I keep it around. It really is brutal at times...a lot of times.

They did add an "easy mode" but my ego won't let me play that. :|
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

Fardaza wrote: Tue Sep 27, 2022 11:08 am II don't understand this game very well I guess. Maybe I should start a new campaign and use adventure mode. I don't know if it will help alleviate the frustration or not.
EDIT: Duh. You're talking about the board game with the App, not the card game. Sorry!
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

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hepcat wrote: Tue Sep 27, 2022 11:16 am I honestly agree with most of your complaints, but I'm so obsessed with eventually beating the damn game that I keep it around. It really is brutal at times...a lot of times.

They did add an "easy mode" but my ego won't let me play that. :|
It is brutal to say the least. "Easy mode" is the adventure mode I referred to. Don't know if it will help or not.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

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It should. It's intended to let you experience the entire story of a campaign with a minimum of frustration/challenge.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

Oddly enough, I really want to love so many of the FFG board games, but I always get frustrated at some of their core design decisions - typically related to a timer and the feeling I need to rush through a map or area to finish. I know they allegedly addressed that with the new Descent (and perhaps the story mode with Journeys in Middle Earth) but even then, they just don't feel right to me mechanically. I should probably just accept that for whatever reasons,I just can't play their board games.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

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I have to agree with the timer thing. That annoys the shit out of me in Mansions of Madness as we're always JUST THIS CLOSE to winning when the damn thing tells us we're all dead. Still, I love that game so much, I keep coming back.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

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I found the timer in LOTR:JiME much more annoying than the one in Mansions of Madness. I think thematically, a timer fit the Lovecraft theme better because you're supposed to be under assault from far more powerful forces. Cthulhu games are supposed to feel like the odds are heavily stacked against you, so the timer was just another component of that pressure.

On the other hand JiME felt like an overland adventure where exploration should be rewarded, not restricted. You're playing a hero, so why shouldn't you be able to go wherever you want? While the game tries to explain it away with "Sauron's influence" or whatever, it never really felt right.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

Descent 2nd edition has the same issue solo with the app. Maybe more so.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

Awesome - the X-Men version of Marvel Champions just arrived. As much as I love the original game (and many of the expansions), this is truly the one set I've been looking for since the game was released back in 2019. Core set comes with Cyclops and Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat, specifically). I have Phoenix and Cyclops on the way and Wolverine is pre-ordered. I just need Gambit and then I can finally stop collecting games.

It's a tiny box (like Red Skull set), with plenty of room for more card, thankfully.

This game is still a staple solo experience for me because of how well it plays in true solo - which is pretty rare.

EDIT: I should probably add, if you're looking for an online FLGS, Stone Valley Games is a vendor I've started using - A+ experience.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

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hepcat wrote: Tue Sep 27, 2022 1:58 pm Descent 2nd edition has the same issue solo with the app. Maybe more so.
I found a copy of Descent 2E at a game store about an hour from me for only $80. (They actually had 2 copies!) I was tempted to buy it. Then I reread this thread because I remembered some comments about FFG games in general.

You saw my complaints about LOTR:JiME above. You say the app is even worse for D2E?

I read on BGG that there are some printable user created ways of playing. Do you know if they're soloable? If so, are they good/better than the app?
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

It has a timer much like JiME. But I think because it's a true dungeon crawl for most of its play time, it's not as egregious as JiME. To clarify: JiME has a large story that it's telling and it unfolds mostly within it play time, which can end quickly due to the timer. The story in Descent 2e is told mostly via the campaign map in between the adventures. So if you time out and lose one of those, it may affect the story, but not as egregiously so as it does in JiME. Not sure if that makes sense. It still has a timer mechanic though.

I've never tried the user made solo stuff. So I have no input on that.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by YellowKing »

Picked up Hadrian's Wall over the weekend because I could no longer ignore the overwhelmingly positive reviews. I'm not a fan of "beat your score," but the release of the official solo campaign made it a bit more appealing. This was also my first <verb> n' write game, so I was eager to see if I'd even enjoy the genre.

Most reviewers will tell you it looks intimidating at first glance, and that's because it is. I had to read the rulebook and watch a couple of playthroughs before I even began to attempt it. However, once the symbology starts to click (helped by a handy reference on the back of the rulebook), you realize it's actually a very simple game in practice. Certain workers can only be used in certain places, so all that complexity just distills down to "where should I put this guy to maximize my investment?"

The real joy of the game from a solo perspective are the cascading combos - put this worker here to get this other worker as a reward, which I can then place here to get this resource which I can use to build the wall which gives me this new worker, etc. The game plays over 6 rounds, so it felt a lot like Lost Ruins of Arnak in that your combo "engine" starts off really slow and then accelerates quickly in the last couple of rounds. The sixth round becomes a mad dash to maximize your score as best you can.

I had a blast with it, even though there are still certain aspects of the game I don't yet understand (gladiator training, scouting to name a couple of examples). However, one appeal of the game is that you can focus on different areas each time either based on your path goals or just based on what you feel like doing. Because none of the game's civilian tracks are "bad," you can always just opt to focus on one you don't have a lot of experience with and see what comes of it.

This is where the campaign really shines, as it forces you to focus on different areas of the game in order to beat each Fort mission it provides. I wanted to get a few plain vanilla games under my belt before attempting it, but I'm already really looking forward being forced to go outside of my comfort zone to score VPs.

Great game, but I'm afraid it may have opened the door to roll/flip and writes, a genre I had successfully avoided until now. That could become an addicition, especially with the burgeoning market for heavier versions of these games like the recently released Twilight Inscription.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by baelthazar »

Dammit you guys. I have all sorts of games coming in the near future, but of course you all had to start talking about V Sabotage. Looking at the website, it really looks compelling. That said, buying more than just the core adds up and the minis are very highly priced (and from what I am seeing, not particularly necessary).

My big question is, how does it compare with Burncycle? These seem to have some similar notes, but I suspect that V Sabotage is more combat oriented and less "make your way to the objective and manage being spotted" oriented. V Sabotage also seems to be very solo-friendly and that would literally be the one way I would get to play it.

I'm a sucker for this sort of gameplay, and you all have me very intrigued.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

V-Sabotage is most likely easier to learn than Burncycle, I imagine. But I don't have Burncycle. The rules for V are pretty simple. It's a board game version of Thief, in many ways. You want to avoid setting off an alarm by being seen as long as possible. You have to sneak your way to your goals.

The loot system is simple, yet meaningful. Every guard you kill drops something (unless you killed them via huge explosion, of course). You can pick up what they dropped and use it any time.

Each turn there are event cards that can either help or hinder you. You have to be on the lookout for ways to either use or avoid their effect(s).

It's also punishingly hard at times. You may be forced into a corner after failing to plot a course around patrolling guards, at which point you have no choice but to go in guns blazing....hopefully finding a spot to hide at some point though.

The core game gets you a lot of stuff, so you can start there and see if you like it. The minis are nice, but I've never felt the need for them. The tokens are perfectly fine. Each character comes with 4: one for stealthed, one for seen, one for using a disguise and one for wounded. And characters all have different abilities that make them distinct and dictate how you should use them in a team.

I love it, myself. I own it all...except the minis. I even spent extra on the map tiles with the objectives on them to add more theme to my games. Although I'm not sure that one is all that great, now that I've played a few times.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Zarathud »

If we didn’t see those silo tiles, we wouldn’t have been inspired to blow them up so spectacularly. And we needed a win, so I say those tiles were worth it.

:)
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

In my solo game the weekend before last, I played an operation that had me guarding a V2 for a few turns. If one of the turns ended with an enemy in that hangar, I would lose. I was doing great, using the french knife guy to take the guards out silently...but I failed one of my stealth roles from my other character on that map...and the only way to me was through that damn hangar. So I spent a turn tossing grenades into the room (killing my own guy at one point), to no avail. And I couldn't use high explosives or I'd destroy the objective. So I lost in a cacophony of blood of explosions. :(

The game really does generate some fun stories when you play. The theme on it is through the roof.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by $iljanus »

Nothing makes you feel more awesome than planting TNT charges on a map then the alarm trips and hordes of reinforcements show up and gravitate towards a large area with a TNT charge. Then…BOOM! I have an image of one of my commandos just slowly walking away while a large explosion goes off behind him.

Sometimes in V-Sabotage you really can make lemonade from lemons… 8-)
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by baelthazar »

So, I went to Triton to price out V Sabotage and noticed they have stock of Assassin’s Creed, their newish game based on V Sabotage’s engine. Any thoughts about that one? It looks like a much bigger and more complicated game.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

It looks great, and it does use a more complex version of the V-Sabotage rules. But it's also about 4 times as much for its core box than V-Sabotage. Personally, I'd just grab a core of V-Sabotage without anything else and give it a go. If you like it, you can always pick up more V-Sabotage or make the jump to Assassin's Creed.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by baelthazar »

hepcat wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 6:58 pm It looks great, and it does use a more complex version of the V-Sabotage rules. But it's also about 4 times as much for its core box than V-Sabotage. Personally, I'd just grab a core of V-Sabotage without anything else and give it a go. If you like it, you can always pick up more V-Sabotage or make the jump to Assassin's Creed.
I feel like you don't even know me Hep. After all these years. You know I'm gonna get the Core and at least one expansion if I am doing anything. :lol:

And maybe the minis, but I am salty they put the expansion minis into a second, very expensive, box.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

I'll sell you a handmade play mat, if you'd like.

As for the minis, I could see them being a lot of fun. But the reason they put them in a different box and made them an optional buy is because they are the very definition of optional. You'll be able to enjoy the game immensely with or without them.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by $iljanus »

I know there are some d100 Dungeon players here. I have a bunch of the books in that system myself. Well it’s time to open our wallets and embark on our next adventure…INTO SPACE! d100 SPACE!

I ordered a softcover and pdf copy from DriveThruRPG
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

Ooooh, thanks for the heads up!
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

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$iljanus wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 8:17 am I know there are some d100 Dungeon players here. I have a bunch of the books in that system myself. Well it’s time to open our wallets and embark on our next adventure…INTO SPACE! d100 SPACE!
I only have the PnP free version 2 from BGG. I'm thinking about getting the newer version 3 from drivethrurpg. Though I'm not terribly interested in the new space theme, I'd like some recommendations for additional books. They're kind of expensive for what you get, so I'd like to know what the top 2 or 3 must have recommendations are for the "base" game.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Fardaza »

I bought Lost Ruins of Arnak last week. I got in 5 games in the last 4 days. I think I did pretty well for my first couple of plays. However, after I read some "tips" on BGG, my scores went down. :oops:

I'm really enjoying this one though! I still don't see all the nuances, but it's been a lot of fun. It's easy to set up and tear down even when all baggied up and coming straight from the box. This one is a keeper!
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by $iljanus »

Fardaza wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 10:15 am
$iljanus wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 8:17 am I know there are some d100 Dungeon players here. I have a bunch of the books in that system myself. Well it’s time to open our wallets and embark on our next adventure…INTO SPACE! d100 SPACE!
I only have the PnP free version 2 from BGG. I'm thinking about getting the newer version 3 from drivethrurpg. Though I'm not terribly interested in the new space theme, I'd like some recommendations for additional books. They're kind of expensive for what you get, so I'd like to know what the top 2 or 3 must have recommendations are for the "base" game.
This really expanded the scope of the game in my mind.

The d100 World Builder
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Fardaza »

I'm also thinking of getting either the aforementioned Descent: Legends of the Dark, 2nd Edition or Sword & Sorcery. Dungeon crawlers hold the most appeal to me, and these appear to be two of the frontrunners in popularity. I have many questions.

1- Which would you recommend and why?
2- Both have campaigns, but it's hard to tell how long the base game campaigns are. How many scenarios/hours do each last?
3- DLD seems almost too easy, but SS seems maybe too difficult. Is this observation accurate? I read one comment that said (about SS) if you're going for complexity, just get Gloomhaven. I have that, but it doesn't make it to the table very often because it's such a beast. Is SS like that too?
4- Gloomhaven's card play sometimes leaves me a bit baffled. Mage Knight's is awesome. Do either of these games suffer from "card paralysis"?
5- Which game will last me the longest and have replayability? I know there are expansions for each, but I would only get the base game for the foreseeable future.
6- Any other suggestions, observations, applicable wisdom?

Thanks All.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

I don't have experience with both - only S&S. I do have experience with the prior version of Descent and lots of Fantasy Flight titles, so I do feel I can chime in a bit.

Without question S&S is a heavier game. It's a *system* (not unlike Dungeon Universalis) and I don't think you can be a casual player. I think you need to fully commit to learning the rules and then plan on leaving it all set up to blast through. I don't get the impression the newest Descent is as heavy and I don't recall the last version being difficult to understand or remember between sessions. My issues with the Fantasy Flight stuff always comes down to feeling like I'm on a timer. I didn't have that feeling with S&S at all. The reason I got rid of it was because of what I mentioned above - my inability to just play something for 3 months straight and finish it. Maybe that's not an issue for others, but I am perpetually learning new games and trying things out; it's what I do.

I didn't really like Gloomhaven; I'll play it but I'd only play it with others, never by myself and only if there's no other choice. I don't like the semi-cooperative nature of play where you're "stealing" treasure from someone rather than helping in combat. It always struck me as an odd design choice.

I wouldn't really compare S&S or Descent to Gloomhaven in terns of card paralysis either. It's a different kind of turn where you're trying to figure out what makes sense based on your abilities and the bigger picture. Gloomhaven (for me) was always about the cards and trying to do what's best for me that maybe helps my buddy. I really liked the AI in S&S and how you don't know exactly what's around the corner until you get LoS.

I think both are space hogs so in the meantime, I'd recommend watching a few short videos - maybe tutorials for each just to get an idea of what you're in for. I think the newest Descent has you juggling through all the characters as part of your game play which some people hate, others love. Not sure what that means for replay. S&S might have more replay in that respect, though so much depends (I think) on your party size. I think the story/lore for S&S is better (if you're into that), though maybe the new Descent knocks it out of the park. I was never really impressed with what they've come up with for other games, but YMMV.

And of course using the app. It's required for Descent now; S&S does not have one. If that matters, consider it. Oddly enough I'll only play Gloomhaven with the app.

I'll let some others chime in. I think it really depends on what you're looking for from a game.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Blackhawk »

Smoove_B wrote: Tue Oct 25, 2022 9:58 pm And of course using the app. It's required for Descent now; S&S does not have one. If that matters, consider it. Oddly enough I'll only play Gloomhaven with the app.
It has several, just none that are required. One tracks characters, one tracks campaigns, the other is an editor for making custom quests.

It's been a couple of years since I've played S&S (it's on my short list to get back to, though), and I haven't played Descent, so I'll let Smoove's comparisons do the talking. I'd have to dig out my books to figure out how many scenarios are in the campaign.

As far as crunchiness goes, S&S plays like the combat system from a medium/light RPG laid over a board game.
Which game will last me the longest and have replayability? I know there are expansions for each, but I would only get the base game for the foreseeable future.
If you consider multiple characters to be replayability, then S&S has quite a bit. Every character is actually two variant characters, a light and a dark, and there are quite a few add-on characters. Thanks to the editor, there are also a number of community-made quests, and likely a great many more elsewhere if you look for them.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

I received my PHD (Pillager of Huge Dungeons) from the "Institute of Dungeon Inspection and Other Tasks" years ago, and have since then been recognized as the worldwide authoritative expert on Dungeon Crawlers. When the U.N., NATO, UNESCO and the ADA have questions on Dungeon Crawlers, they know to call me.

With that in mind, here's my list of dungeon crawlers I like by difficulty:

1) Dungeon Universalis
2) Sword & Sorcery
3) Gloomhaven
4) Middara
5) Chronicles of Drunagor
6) Descent Legends of the Dark

Note: I'm leaving off LotR: Journeys in Middle Earth, Mansions of Madness, Tainted Grail, Fallout, Zona and Wasteland Knights because I consider them more adventure games than dungeon crawlers. I'm also leaving off Altar Quest because the game and all future expansions are dead in the water.

S&S is a great game...but it has a learning curve. Which means if you take a break for a while, you're most likely going to have to relearn a few things. Descent is a bit easier on the noggin' as the app handles the majority of the heavy lifting in combat, enemy AI, etc..

However, that doesn't mean Descent is a cakewalk. It has 3 levels of difficulty, and I've lost on the normal setting. If you find it too easy, pump up the difficulty.

If you go with S&S, I would recommend getting the newest version (Ancient Chronicles) if you have the chance, as from what I've read it addresses many of the issues that folks had with the first in the series (Immortal Souls). Things such as becoming too easy in the late game. I've got both, so I'll probably use the AC rules with IS, where possible.

They're both table hogs, but the setup time for Descent is significantly less than S&S due to most of the stuff being laid out as you go, while the majority of things handled by tokens/cards/etc. in other games is handled by the app.

Neither are going to have much replayability in terms of story. They're both narrative driven. However, Blackhawk says their are user made quests, so that's a big plus. Descent LoD doesn't have something like Valkyrie that Mansions of Madness or the Descent Journeys in the Dark has, so you're going to be limited for the time being to what FFG releases.

I like both, so I can't really recommend one over the other. I will say that Descent gets to my table more, but that's mainly because it's less of a brain burner to get back into it at this point. As I have a half dozen campaigns running across all the games I listed above at this point, that is likely to continue to be the case.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Fardaza »

Dang. I just realized I said the wrong game name 4 posts back. :evil:

I meant to ask for comparisons of Descent: Journeys in the Dark (D2) not Legends of the Dark (D3). Almost all of your comments above are very helpful. I just didn't see that Blackhawk and Hepcat were talking about a different game until I reread the posts for about the third time. I'm kicking myself because I don't really want D3.

I hate to ask you guys, but can you give me some other comparisons/recommendations for D2 and SS this time?

I'm so very sorry to have misspoken like this. :oops:
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