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<blockquote data-quote="Steel_Wind" data-source="post: 3315228" data-attributes="member: 20741"><p>For what it's worth, I played a game of <em>World of Warcraft: The Boardgame </em> ("WoW:TBG") this past weekend. </p><p></p><p>Visually, the game has great components and it's a marvel to look at. </p><p></p><p>The rules, like all FFG games, tend to be written in a "slow reveal" format. There is no attempt to explain the game all at once by way of an informed intro. There is instead a "slow reveal" style of individual rules explanation in nearly all FFG games that tends to make the game look <strong>far</strong> more complex than it really is, takes far longer to read the rules as a consequence and it takes 1-2 games of actual play to understand how the game really works and what it's all about.</p><p></p><p>By which I mean to say that whoever writes the rules for FFG would make a very poor lawyer indeed.</p><p></p><p>Sometimes, as with the <em>Game of Thrones </em> boardgames and its XPs and <em>Arkham Horror </em> and its XPs, there is a VERY good game in there with meaningful strategy and choices to be made by the players. They are fun games to own and play.</p><p></p><p>And then sometimes, like in <em>WoW:TBG </em> - there just isn't. It's not that there is any aspect of the physical design of WoW that is less than A1. It is a top quality game in that regard.</p><p></p><p>But the game is also very much a player vs environment game with precious little to no interaction between the Horde and Alliance teams unless the Overlord is not slain by turn 30 - then the game defaults to PvP play for the final battle to determine who wins. (You can PvP prior to this, but the movement rules do not encourage it) </p><p></p><p>There really aren't many strategic choices of any kind to make. It's a hack n slash fest with a "oops - somebody won" ending. Very unsatisfying.</p><p></p><p>Worse, it's a whole lot of rules explanation for not a whole lot of fun or actual strategic complexity. When it gets right down to it, you can summarize the game in 2 pages.</p><p></p><p>I'll give <em>WoW:TBG </em> one more try I think (and I have yet to use the XP I bought for it). I also think that the game would play much better with 6 player characters than 4. The threats and quests presented by the game do not change depending on how many players are playing. Accordingly, it means you spend more time <em>resting</em> between combats in a 2-4 player game (the game uses 4 PCs with that number of players) as you have to more frequently pull out all the stops and spend all your resources to defeat the monsters. Due to the way the turn system works, this makes it quite unlikely that you will get to level 5 by turn 30 - which is necessary to have a hope of defeating the overlord.</p><p></p><p>I'm really enjoying FFG's games these days and I must confess that the gamer geek in me loves the boxes, presentation and components. The whole look and feel of FFG's games is top notch and I have always felt I got my money's worth in terms of physical product when I buy one of their games. They have my attention and several hundred of my dollars.</p><p></p><p>Up until <em>WoW:TBG</em>, I've always felt I got my money's worth in terms of gameplay too - but WoW has fallen short in that regard so far.</p><p></p><p><em>Marvel Heroes</em> looks great too and is enticing me to buy it... I had given some thought to Runebound and would be happy to read a review by EnWorlders on the game.</p><p></p><p>I agree with Merric's game preferences for Settlers of Catan et al and Carcasonne in some respects - primarily as they make great family games. Carcasonne is actually a deceptively simple game with a deep strategy that shines through as you play it. It's all about farms!)</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Steel_Wind, post: 3315228, member: 20741"] For what it's worth, I played a game of [I]World of Warcraft: The Boardgame [/I] ("WoW:TBG") this past weekend. Visually, the game has great components and it's a marvel to look at. The rules, like all FFG games, tend to be written in a "slow reveal" format. There is no attempt to explain the game all at once by way of an informed intro. There is instead a "slow reveal" style of individual rules explanation in nearly all FFG games that tends to make the game look [B]far[/B] more complex than it really is, takes far longer to read the rules as a consequence and it takes 1-2 games of actual play to understand how the game really works and what it's all about. By which I mean to say that whoever writes the rules for FFG would make a very poor lawyer indeed. Sometimes, as with the [I]Game of Thrones [/I] boardgames and its XPs and [I]Arkham Horror [/I] and its XPs, there is a VERY good game in there with meaningful strategy and choices to be made by the players. They are fun games to own and play. And then sometimes, like in [I]WoW:TBG [/I] - there just isn't. It's not that there is any aspect of the physical design of WoW that is less than A1. It is a top quality game in that regard. But the game is also very much a player vs environment game with precious little to no interaction between the Horde and Alliance teams unless the Overlord is not slain by turn 30 - then the game defaults to PvP play for the final battle to determine who wins. (You can PvP prior to this, but the movement rules do not encourage it) There really aren't many strategic choices of any kind to make. It's a hack n slash fest with a "oops - somebody won" ending. Very unsatisfying. Worse, it's a whole lot of rules explanation for not a whole lot of fun or actual strategic complexity. When it gets right down to it, you can summarize the game in 2 pages. I'll give [I]WoW:TBG [/I] one more try I think (and I have yet to use the XP I bought for it). I also think that the game would play much better with 6 player characters than 4. The threats and quests presented by the game do not change depending on how many players are playing. Accordingly, it means you spend more time [I]resting[/I] between combats in a 2-4 player game (the game uses 4 PCs with that number of players) as you have to more frequently pull out all the stops and spend all your resources to defeat the monsters. Due to the way the turn system works, this makes it quite unlikely that you will get to level 5 by turn 30 - which is necessary to have a hope of defeating the overlord. I'm really enjoying FFG's games these days and I must confess that the gamer geek in me loves the boxes, presentation and components. The whole look and feel of FFG's games is top notch and I have always felt I got my money's worth in terms of physical product when I buy one of their games. They have my attention and several hundred of my dollars. Up until [I]WoW:TBG[/I], I've always felt I got my money's worth in terms of gameplay too - but WoW has fallen short in that regard so far. [I]Marvel Heroes[/I] looks great too and is enticing me to buy it... I had given some thought to Runebound and would be happy to read a review by EnWorlders on the game. I agree with Merric's game preferences for Settlers of Catan et al and Carcasonne in some respects - primarily as they make great family games. Carcasonne is actually a deceptively simple game with a deep strategy that shines through as you play it. It's all about farms!) [/QUOTE]
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