Saturday 8 September 2007

Happy Birthday to Me

Although I didn't recieve any boardgame gifts today, I did recieve Prophecy from KingPut a few weeks ago (early b-day gift). My trade arrived today - Mare Nostrum. Mordred should arrive eventually. Al says since I got so much other loot for my b-day, he may have to hide Mordred away until Chanukkah. I told him "NO WAY, plus Mare Nostrum doesn't count since it was trade, not a b-day gift"

Other cool b-day loot includes the Harry Potter Lego Castle, a black lace shrug, and a pair of black peek-a-boo stilettos.


Editing to add: In case you are wondering why this incredibly dopey post is on F:AT, I accidentally posted it here instead of to my personal blog. Also, thanks everyone for the birthday wishes.

51 comments:

Anonymous said...

Isn't Asmodee coming out with a version of Prophecy?

--Mike L.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and happy birthday, btw.

--Mike L.

Olivia said...

Mordred is a charitable donation to a worthy cause so that doesn't count as a birthday gift. Besides by the time it comes in you can consider it a Halloween gift.

Unknown said...

Okay, so here's the problem with having your personal blog on Blogger and having F:AT on Blogger - you have to be careful which button you click on when you decide to add a new post. This is especially true when one of your B-day gifts is a $75 gift certificate to a posh restaurant that you can't get a table at, so you decide to just blow it all at the bar. Anyway, normally I would be kind of embarrassed about this and delete the original post, but since Mike has already wished me a happy birthday and everything, what the hell. Plus did I mention $75 in signature martinis.

Anyway, Prophecy . . . I love Talisman, and you can tell from playing Prophecy that it was designed by someone who loved Talisman, but wanted to improve it. I think he did an awesome job. Personally I think it is the best Fantasy Adventure game out there. If you like adventure games you owe it to yourself to try Prophecy if you haven’t already.
I know Mr. S is going to put in his two cents about Runebound, but sorry Mr. S, Prophecy is the better game.

Z-man games is supposed to be releasing a new version of Prophecy in the near future. There are new rules with a new end game which is a lot like the end game for "Monsters Menace America." I understand that they did it to shorten the game play time, but I think it is lame. What is it with this need to shorten games? Like Shellhead was writing about a few days back - a publisher wants a 6 player game that plays in half an hour. WTF. People will sit on their ass for 2 hours in front of the TV, but a 2 hour game is "too long." Z-man also got rid of the cool little glass beads used to track strength, magic and gold, because too many gamers have fat man fingers and complained that the beads were too small for them to manage.

Anonymous said...

That's what I'm here for; I aim to please. Besides, I just got my ass kicked tonight on everything we played, so it's nice to have a positive vibe for a change.

You're kidding me about shortening the game, right? Maybe Z-Man took some of those criticisms about Parthenon being too long to heart, because when I'm playing a fantasy adventure game, a good 2-3 hours minimum is fine with me.

People who play video games can stay in front of them for hours, why not a boardgame?

::rant off::

Anyway... Ubarose, do these rule changes emasculate Prophecy to the point of making the other two competitors (Runebound and Return of the Heroes) more worthwhile?

--Mike L.

Unknown said...

Anyway... Ubarose, do these rule changes emasculate Prophecy to the point of making the other two competitors (Runebound and Return of the Heroes) more worthwhile?

I think Runebound & Return of the Heroes are both worthwhile games. However, RotH is more of a pick up deliver game with an Adventure theme than it is a traditional adventure game. It is light and simple and makes a good family game. I enjoy Runebound, but it has its problems. It feels a little flabby. There's a lot of down time and far too much emphasis on shopping - with a little re-theming it could be redone as Barbie goes to the mall. It gives the appearance of having a lot of choices, but there really aren’t that many.

Prophecy is tight. On any given turn there are usually several good options, which makes for difficult decisions. Items and skills get removed from the board periodically, so you have to consider not only if another player will get to something you want before you do, but also if it will even still be on the board next time it’s your turn. The board is small, which adds tension. In Runebound and RotH if you choose to go for option A on a turn, option B will probably still be there next turn. This isn’t true with Prophecy.

I downloaded and read the Z-man rules. Fortunately they still have the original end game rules as a variant. We tried the Z-man end game rules, and it just felt “gamey.” In the original rules, the winner is the first person to get 4 of the 5 artifacts. Since in most games, each player will have an artifact or two, the end game involves chasing down other players and fighting to take their artifacts. This does have it’s downside in terms of game play. Theoretically is possible for the game to de-volve into an endless chase with a lot of back and forth; however I haven’t seen that happen. With the new rules all normal play stops when the artifacts are found, and all the characters are moved to a location for a final battle, similar to the end of “Monsters Menace America.” One player (I can’t remember which, it’s either the person with the most artifacts, or maybe the person who wins the last artifact) gets to decide the order of the battles. Usually the game is very close, so being the person to make that decision is a huge advantage. At least with the old rules, all the players have some ability to maneuver themselves into an advantageous PvP battle. The new end game might cut 15 or 20 minutes off the play time, but I don’t think it is worth it.

Unknown said...

Now in the light of day after a good night's rest, I would like to clarify a bit about the new Z-man end game.

First, the Z-man rule book is an improvement on the original. It is well written and easier to understand. None of the rules, except the end game have changed.

The original end-game is now called the "Apocalypse Version" and is included as longer version of the now "Standard" game. I think the Apocalypse Version is more fun. I expect that I'm in the minority, and that most people preferred the Z-man Standard Final Battle Version, which is why it is now the standard version rather than the variant. Considering the tastes of F:AT readers, I recommend that if you get a chance to play Prophecy, don't judge it until you have played the Apocalypse Version.

Z-man has also included a "No Final Battle Version" for a shorter version of the standard game. There is also a team variant, which I haven't tried. I think it is great that several variants are included.

My "rant" wasn't directed against the changes or decisions made by Z-man. It was more bewilderment at the amount of effort put into reducing game play time. If you have already committed to playing a 2-3 hour game, does cutting off 20 minutes really matter?

StephenAvery said...

:Thumbs Up: for the stilettos!

I totally agree that Prophecy is the best Fantasy Adventure game.
I also think that Decent is the best Tactical Adventure game.

I was going to write up a blurb comparing and contrasting the two but I'm just wayyy to lazy for that. Its like adventure games come from two ends of a continuum and you can't seem to get a great game that does both...

Steve"AdventureJunky" Avery

Anonymous said...

Drippy Haybath! (It was the best anagram we could come up with for the event many years ago.) (Mine's next week. No one will buy me board games anymore. Too hard.)

I have long suggested a variant for Prophecy that says first to 2 artifacts wins.

At that point, you are pretty much down to one or two players, and that last 15-30 minutes of hunting each other down and rolling a lot of dice is kind of tedious to me. It is also the last part of the game--so it is the part you walk away from the game and remember most.

Z-Man is also ramping up the rewards on cards, and dropping the price of items. To speed up the game. I'm less enchanted with this part, as I *LIKE* the pace of the current experience ramp part of the game.

Curiously, if you have a Hot Topic near you, the Insane Clown Posse Talisman clone is actually a pretty good Talisman clone. Simpler than Talisman, with a good sense of progression levels. The downside is of course the whole misogyny of the Insane Clown Posse.

Unknown said...

I totally agree that Prophecy is the best Fantasy Adventure game.

I also think that Decent is the best Tactical Adventure game.


Steve I know exactly what you are saying. I've been talking with the folks who are organizing the "Trashfest" at Game Days, and have been trying to explain that we need to represent both types of Adventure games, but haven't had the language skills/terms/jargon to say what I mean. I like "Tactical Adventure Game." It is less specific than "dungeon crawl" or "corridor battle." Also you can add the theme if you want to be more specific. For example: "Last Night on Earth" sounds like a fun Tactical Horror Adventure Game.

StephenAvery said...

Uba, I so wish I could attend that.

Kudos on all the work you're doing. It sounds like its going to be a great event.

We're pulling together an event in October which is not AT specific (but very AT oriented)

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/1699672#1699672

I hope you will similiarly document the Trashfest as you did with the tale of the WBC. That is still my favorite thing I've read *anywhere* in months!

As for tactical vs story...The only thing I can thnk of that merges the two completely is an RPG. Is it possible to get both? Back to the secret lab for more tinkering...

Steve"Tanktop"Avery
(yes MB- I'm wearing a tanktop right now- its 98 degrees outside!)

Unknown said...

Jack,

Thanks for the wet hay, I think.

As someone who dislikes the hunt down and battle Apocalypse endgame, what do you think of the new Final Battle endgame?

I don't know what I think of the whoever gets 2 artifacts first wins version. However, we have discussed changing the victory conditions from 4 artifacts to 3.

I think one of the things that makes Prophecy a good game is the ability to tweak it to suit your your playing preferences. The game doesn't "break" easily. We have tried to tweak Runebound, but it seems that whenever we adjust one thing, it throws something else out of wack.

Unknown said...

Steve,

I wish I could attend The Mercer Game Extravaganza. It sounds like it's going to be a major party. I'm expecting pictures.

I'm not really doing much for the Trashfest other than showing up. KingPut and Malloc are doing most of the heavy lifting.

I think that the only games that merge the story & tactics adventure game are PC games. My favorite is the oldy moldy "Magic Realmz."

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday, ubarose. :)

Looking forward to picking up Prophecy myself, as it's supposed to work really well as a two-player game.

Mr Skeletor said...

Truly this post makes even the Dune reprint announcement pale into insignificance!

Prophecy had the worst end game ever, so the changes are more than welcome. Not so confident on the other rules ZMan are tinkering with.

Anonymous said...

Happy b-day Uba!

Rliyen said...

omedeto, Uba
omedeto, Uba
Omedeto tanjobi
Omedeto, Uba!

Michael Barnes said...

Hail, Ubarose! Happy birthday...MARE NOSTRUM is almost as good as a slice of Gateau Victoire...let us know what you think about it...that's a game that as far as I'm concerned is as good as anything else ever published.

PROPHECY...Jack Hill loves him some PROPHECY...I tend to actually favor the "Apocalypse" ending because well, it's an Apocalypse ending. But I do see where he's coming from on making it a little shorter and more concise.

Speaking of TALISMAN...Saw the other day that Tom "The Risen Christ" Vasel blasted the new TALISMAN 4th EDITION...apparently, the roll-and-move and random events means that it's not a game for "discerning gamers". This from a guy who practically bends over ready to receive any time DUEL OF AGES or any given Days of Wonder title is mentioned.

Oh, and Uba- MAGIC REALMZ? Please tell me that's an "Urban" edition of MAGIC REALM...

Unknown said...

Ooops, sorry the name of the PC game is Realmz. I'm being a real spaz this week aren't I. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realmz

I think that the "discerning gamers" comment was a bad choice of words on ole Tom's part. The fact that Tom gave Talisman a negative review has raised my level of respect for him. He hates it and said he hates it and most of his readers will probably hate it. If he had given it the old "not my cup of tea" I would have spit. If he keeps it up, I'll just be able to read his reviews and buy whatever he doesn't like. As a Talisman lover, it only bothers me when people complain about the "randomness" if they are also blind to the same randomness that exists in popular Euros. Is Talisman really any more random than Ticket to Ride?

Anonymous said...

I'm surprised he'd even bother to review Talisman, since he's not a roll-and-move kind of guy. The fun with Talisman comes from the metagame, and if you don't have the right group for that metagame, it'll really stink.

--Mike L.

Michael Barnes said...

It's true- at least "Teevee" gave it a committed "it sucks" this time...but for us, and other gamers who apparently aren't able to discern good from bad, the review sucks. His is the first major review online for 4th edition and since so many people take his to be the red-letter Word of God that review could damage sales of the game- particular to newer gamers who might have never played earlier edition and were in that painful deliberation phase many gamers seem to go through before deciding to buy a game. If 100 people read that and think "Hmm...better not buy that one" it's a relatively big percentage of the game's initial sales...and low sales mean that we will likey not see expansions or future efforts like TALISMAN from Black Industries.

I'm sure BI gave him a copy thinking that he'd give them some good press and drum up some pre-release excitement, particularly given his track record for fawning all over pre-release "comped" titles. So while he at least put it out there on the table that he hates it, it's bad for _us_ when a tastemaker like that comes out so strong against it.

Lawson's right about TALISMAN...the metagame really makes it. The game's mechanics are kind of "so what"...it's for gamers who bring fun to the table and don't rely on a designer or clever mechanics to have a good time with their friends.

Muzza said...

Happy birthday Ubarose.
[I won't say 'happy b-day', my brother always says 'happy b-day'. It has always bothered me, it sounds to me like 'Have fun cleaning your arse!'. I suppose not necessarily a bad sentiment but not one I want to hear from my brother... I've digressed haven't I].

What interests me most about Talisman is whether the new version is any different from the old. I know the graphics are new but what of the gameplay. I'll go and read Mr Vasel's review I suppose but I'd find the feedback here more enlightening. I have no personal gripe against Vasel but his tastes are different to mine I think.

the*mad*gamer said...

Happy Birthday Uba! I suspect that if you received Talisman for a birthday gift you would not be upset despite what Tom says about the game.


I just read Tom's review of Talisman. I had to see it for myself. Could Tom actually be doing a negative review?

It is about as negative as Tom will ever get in his weasel reviews( Which are not "reviews" at all but ADR's (Ads disguised as Reviews) ) but the key to understanding why he gave a negative "review" is to look at the publisher. Black is not a big publisher and it looks like this may be the only game they have on the market. This simple fact gives Tom more leeway in doing a negative review because it doesn't endanger his future free games. It will ensure that the UPS dock that he recently built in his home will stay busy. It will ensure that the Korean workers Tom employs to unload UPS shipments of free games will not go hungry.

Tom may go negative on a small publisher but for a major publisher Tom words will be carefully chosen.

Anonymous said...

MAGIC REALMZ? Please tell me that's an "Urban" edition of MAGIC REALM...

Sounds like photoshop material to me.

Anonymous said...

I personally consider games with an extensive metagame in a category by themselves; if you like one, you're apt to like the others.

My personal barometer for that is Diplomacy: if you like it, you'll probably like other games that have a big metagame component.

Consider Tom V.'s opinion on Diplomacy; he rates it a 3 and pretty much hates the metagame. At least with Talisman you've got pretty bits and artwork to look at, and a more traditional boardgame feel to it, but if you don't like the metagame that makes Diplomacy work, you're not going to like the metagame in Talisman either.

--Mike L.

Anonymous said...

Muzza--

I talked with the manager of one of the FLGS' I frequent, and he told me the rules would be 2nd Edition (or that you could at least play 2nd Edition rules).

--Mike L.

Mr Skeletor said...

So let me get this straight.
You guys bitched for years that Tom wouldn't give negative reviews, only "murkey middle" ones.
Now you are bitching that he gave Talisman a scathing review because it may affect sales of the game?

Boys, get your heads out of your asses! Talk about a double standard!

Why not just admit the bloody obvious and state no matter what Tom does you'll fucking complain about it, and move on with your lives. Do we really need to go through this bullshit again.

the*mad*gamer said...

Skeletor,

While I do admire your style of posting that tries to set everything straight, I am afraid this time you are wrong. As someone who has studied the "game politics" of Tom I can tell you it is not an easy thing but let me try to explain.

You are correct that Tom usually does "murky middle" reviews from MAJOR publishers, like Rio Grande, Fantasy Flight, Days of Wonder.

But in the case of a small publisher like Black, Tom takes the opportunity to do a negative review to prove to others that he can indeed do a negative review. Black doesn't have a huge catalog of games so Tom doesn't hurt his free game flow. Tom knows that fantasy Flight, Rio Grande games will always have good games coming down the pike and Tom doesn't want to insult them by giving a negative review which might cut off his gravy train of free games.

Tom demonstrates this same type of behavior in his Dice Tower episode, "Top 10 most disapointing games. In fact, I got a lot of e-mail from people who pointed out that Tom was picking games from obscure publishers, these people saw it too!

The negative review of "Talisman" is especially sinister because not only can Tom do a negative review but he can take a swipe at an "AT Flagship" game. The idea that Tom played this game enough to really give it an honest review is also suspect in my opinion. Tom is more concerened with being the first one to have a review of the game posted.

Those of us that enjoy "Talisman" would like to take a look at it first before Tom dismisses it simply for the fact of saving his reputation as a "unbiased" game reviewer.

The sad fact is that Tom could indeed be affecting future sales of this game with his review. To what degree is debateable.

Michael Barnes said...

Skel- You're absolutely right, I pretty much will bitch about anything Tom Vasel says because for one thing, he's positioned himself as a major figure in the hobby and for another his credibility as far as I'm concerned is almost completely zero at this point- it doesn't matter how many reviews you write or how many people give you the "Great Review!". And not to mention that he used this "status" directly against me and even capitalized on it during the infamous "Let's Donate" scandal. It's also not because he doesn't give bad reviews, but because he carefully chooses which bad reviews to dispense to maintain his "status" and his supply of free games.

The thing is, Black Industries likely sent him a copy of the game thinking that he'd give it some good advance press. Either that or Tom directly solicited them for one. This is their first board game release and they probably figured that he'd be a good person to do a review. But then Tom pulls out all this classic EUROSNOOT vocabulary, claiming that "discerning" gamers wouldn't like the game.

The thing is, it's not about Tom giving a negative review...it's about the fact that he's let a million other mediocre-to-crap games slide with "it's not my cup of tea" when they've come from larger, more established publishers that he likely has a personal relationship with.

Anonymous said...

I'm not bitching about that he gave a negative review, since he has also given negative reviews to other games (Diplomacy, Crocodile Pool Party, Monopoly and others). I suppose you could say I'm surprised that someone sent him the game to review, since I could tell from his reviews that he wasn't going to like it.

That'd be like asking me to go out and review Pillars of the Earth; having seen enough reviews (both BGG and BGWS) on it, I know I'm not going to like that game.

--Mike L.

Michael Barnes said...

That's actually a good point, Lawson...but think about it from BI's perspective- he's the highest profile reviewer out there, they're confident in their product and its history of success, and it seems like a can't miss chance for good publicity.

Frankly, anyone who gives DIPLOMACY a bad review is pretty much off my radar to begin with...

Didn't he give PROPHECY a good rating? I wouldn't assume that he wouldn't like it, particularly considering that it's a game that comes in a box with several bits and he got it for free.

Anonymous said...

Giving Diplomacy a bad rating is basically a symptom of an over-arcing Eurogamer mentality.

It says "I don't wanna deal with people. I wanna deal with human machines, who have no feelings or wants. Who play only according to what their brain analyzes is the most optimal move.". Basically, they wanna play a computer, just not a good computer. Cause they still wanna win.

The way people use the phrase Metagame says this too. It's only Metagaming if he's attacking you based off something that didn't happen in this game. If you pissed him off earlier, and he's getting back at you to his own detriment, that's not Metagaming, that IS gaming. Maybe you shouldn't have pissed him off. Maybe you should convince him that it's in his own best interest not to attack you.

Dealing with people IS part of there game. It just seems like alot of people who love Euros don't want that. They want the other players to react based only off what is their most optimal move in this case, and enjoy games that don't let you do anything else.

Ken B. said...

The thing I don't like about Diplomacy is not dealing with other players--it's that essentially that's all there is. I prefer games where you can make deals and broker alliances, but you can go it alone (and the game system empowers you to) if need be.

That's why I always say that Game of Thrones obsoletes Diplomacy. Few agree with me, but hot damn if I won't go right on thinking that way.

As for Tom's review, that one's tough...everyone says he's so positive, but he comes out negative on a game and catches flak for that too.

Then again, I'm also the outcast who believes that Runebound has obsoleted Talisman.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAAHAHA!

Anonymous said...

I do prefer other games to Diplomacy, but I guess I can't understand hating it cause of that. Diplomacy is like Go, but on the opposite end of the spectrum. It's a pure "deal with people" game.

And I don't know about Game of Thrones. While I enjoy the system, I think, funnily enough, it's setting actually hurts it. The map is too long and stretched out. You end up only interacting with a few people, and the number of cities needed to win is so small, you don't NEED to interact with more then 2 people to win.

I've lost games (playing as Tyrell) where I couldn't have done ANYTHING. Stark won by taking cities from people that I couldn't even reach. It just seems like there's not enough collision between players. Your each only fighting a few other people, so it's like playing 2 or 3 separate games in some ways.

Ken B. said...

That's true.


So tell me, myth or real: Is it impossible to do anything in Diplomacy alone? Can you ever succeed taking actions without the support of someone?

Anonymous said...

Hmm, It's been awhile since I've played.

But from what I remember, the answer is generally no. I mean, you can attack someone on your own, and win if their on your own. But eventually you just reach a point where you just can't expand without aid. Especially since people will start teaming up for defence.

I could be wrong. As I said, It's been awhile.

Michael Barnes said...

The thing I don't like about Diplomacy is not dealing with other players--it's that essentially that's all there is.

Alright...let's say I design a game called "Punching". And people play it, and then decide they don't like it because all it is is a bunch of punching. Of course that's all there is to it...because it's _DIPLOMACY_. The board is really just a physical representation of the outcome of whatever negotiations you do. It is hard to do things alone, but there again, that's the point of it.

DIPLOMACY is elemental...the only other game that I think comes close to being just a pure negotiation game is INTRIGE, and even it has more gamey elements to it.

I dunno Ken...I'm starting to suspect you're on the FFG payroll, what with you promoting both RUNEBOUND and GAME OF THRONES as superior to previous and better games...oh hey, is that TANNHAUSER, FURY OF DRACULA, and the new version of CONDOTIERRE in my Thursday night gaming bag?

Anonymous said...

Condotierre = Good?

It looked neat, so I picked it up with my latest order, for a whopping $18.

I had a few doubts after I realised you only fight for each area once. Would seem to make the game very short.

Ken B. said...

I'm just about technology, baby.

It's not my fault FFG is the one carrying the torch, updating all our old favorites. If another company was doing this, they'd get my love, too.

I like the adventure boardgame genre a lot. And now, they're better than ever. Even Return of the Heroes/Under the Shadow are flat out better games.

Nostalgia's a big deal, though, and I can respect that. I am particularly vulnerable to videogame nostalgia, so I can completely understand. There have been plenty of times where I'll play an older "inferior" game just due to the nostalgia factor.


But I'm not completely blind...most NES games, for example, while classic in their day, can barely hold my interest for long. Games are just better now. I've got this NES emulator disc for my Dreamcast that is loaded with a couple hundred NES titles. Even so, I can barely play the disc for more than a half hour or so.


Technology, baby. Things just get better sometimes, and no crime in recognizing that.

Thaadd said...

I've actually never owned a gaming console, other than my PC (which serves as a gloried web browser, MS Excel platform, and ofc, Eve-Online conduit.)

I have a new roommate in 2 weeks coming in with the full stable of geek electronic toys. He seems perplexed by the very large board games I have, so I think there might need to be some cultural exchange nights happening. I wipe him and his friends out as the Overlord in Descent, he murders me in just about any FPS - I don't have a fast enough 'twitch' response to hold my own in those things...

Mr Skeletor said...

Frankly, anyone who gives DIPLOMACY a bad review is pretty much off my radar to begin with...

Well don't go reading any of my reviews then. I don't enjoy Diplomacy despite the fact it's "all about diplomacy" which apparently means I'm forced to give it a good review.

The point is Tom could give nothing but negative reviews for the next year and Steve would find a way to excuse each and every one as not being legit.

You 2 may have had a point about Tom to start with but when you are constantly picking on EVERY move he makes you make yourselves look ridiculous. It's not about pointing out Tom's biases or being fair to the public it's just about sticking the boot into Tom at every opportunity at this point.

The irony is that I haven't heard about Tom in ages until you 2 brought him up. Who gives a fuck if he reviewed Talisman, I sure didn't. Yet you two are obsessed with it.

Tom did not like the game (I'm ignoring Steve's bullshit conspiracy theories.) What is he meant to do?
If he doesn't review it you guys complain that he never down any negative reviews.
If he gives it a "not my cup of tea" review you guys complain he lacks spine.
If he gives it a negative review you guys complain that he is going to send Black Industries broke (which I find a fucking ridiculous notion.)

So what the hell do you want the guy to do? Get you to write the review for him?

I'll probably review Starcraft over the weekend, am I forced to give it a negative review because otherwise I'm just being a Shilly fanboy?

Rliyen said...

Giving Diplomacy a bad rating is basically a symptom of an over-arcing Eurogamer mentality.

It says "I don't wanna deal with people. I wanna deal with human machines, who have no feelings or wants. Who play only according to what their brain analyzes is the most optimal move.". Basically, they wanna play a computer, just not a good computer. Cause they still wanna win.


You've just described Clearclaw, Mr. "Manipulates Abiguity" to a tee.

Anonymous said...

You've just described Clearclaw, Mr. "Manipulates Abiguity" to a tee.

Hehe. Love that guy. Like I told him, he's great to have cause when it comes to boardgames, he's like my opposite.

"Hmm, Clearclaw likes it? Ugh, I'll stay away from that."

Rliyen said...

Hehe. Love that guy. Like I told him, he's great to have cause when it comes to boardgames, he's like my opposite.

Remember, to him you're not even a human being. You're just a resource that he can exploit!

The guy comes off as a primo douche, and with his BS comments here a few weeks back, it all but sealed the deal.

hacksword said...

Happy birthday, Ubarose.

Re: Tom Vasel's review:

I'm with Mr. Skeletor on this one. Also, I think you two (Barnes and Weeks) are giving Vasel way too much credit for the influence he'll have on Talisman sales. Do you really think that everyone who sees Talisman on the store shelf will go on the Internet, search for reviews, see Vasel's rating, and immediately decide not to buy the game? I'm guessing the majority of Talisman's potential audience haven't even heard of BoardGameG**k, let alone read Vasel's reviews.

Spending lots of time on BGG gives you a distorted view of board gaming. It's presented as the representative community of gamers, when it's really just a small subset of people who play.

Anonymous said...

Ken, Dip having a max of 7 people pretty much means that you have to work with someone if you want to survive for long. If you play a game with 4 people (for example), that concept of going it alone is much more realistic.

Mike, yeah, I can see your point. I suppose that I figured that if you were going to do a business case on reprinting a game, you'd have done your research on the best way to promote it. Taking a game that you can predict (based on past opinions) that Tom V. is going to not like and then asking him to review it is probably not a good idea.

--Mike L.

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