35th Annual Origins Awards Finalists

[Crothian]

Well the public perception was generally pretty poor (excepting perhaps for a subset of 4e fans that love it), especially by comparison to the 3e FRCS for instance. It seriously fractured the fanbase given the massive number of changes it forced into the setting (and the reason and way it did so). When you often see people not considering it to even be FR anymore, I have to honestly question why it's even in consideration for an award, given the reception it received.

I can't speak for the Origins Awards but as someone who judges for the ENnies I can say that public opinion of a book doesn't mean squat. You judge the book by the book and not what others think about it.

 

[Knightfall]

This is an absolutely amazing book/line/setting and it seriously deserves a win here. The more recognition it gets, the better.

It being less known and recognized as D&D 4e is really pushing my to hope it wins over D&D. I adore both evenly, but Cthulhutech needs more people to know about it since it is so awesome.

I've heard of this Cthulhutech book and have even seen it at my FLGS but I don't know anything about it. What is it exactly? Is it a stand-alone game?

 

[MerricB]

Board Games Agricola (Z-Man Games, Inc., Uwe Rosenberg)

If Agricola doesn't win the award, then there's something dreadfully wrong with the process. Quiet frankly, Agricola is the stand-out boardgame of the year. Pandemic, good though it is, doesn't hold a candle to this game about medieval farming. It has also had a fair up-take amongst more casual groups, which is a great sign.

For a game to reach #1 at BoardGameGeek.com is extremely difficult; that Agricola has shows astonishing penetration of the marketplace.


Historical Board Games
Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear (Academy Games, Uwe Eickert)

Interesting. I know nothing about Espana, Monmouth or King David, but Conflict of Heroes has been hailed as a very approachable "light" wargame. Personally, I have some problems with the game mechanics, but it is a good game. Most likely to win.

Pursuit of Glory is an exceptional card-driven wargame of World War I, but I expect the wider appeal of COH to triumph.

Card Games
Dominion (Rio Grande Games, Donald X Vaccarino)

Dominion is the one I expect to take out the award, as it is quite innovative and very addictive. Monty Python Fluxx? That may get a number of votes. The TTR Card Game stands very poorly in relation to its boardgame brothers, and I don't expect it to win.

Miniature Figure Game Rules
Although I have a soft spot for Battletech (and the TO book is very well done), I expect this to be a battle between Monsterpocalypse and WOW Minis game, with the latter taking the prize. Or the former. I have no idea!

Role-Playing Games
I have no idea.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I've heard of this Cthulhutech book and have even seen it at my FLGS but I don't know anything about it. What is it exactly? Is it a stand-alone game?

Yup, it is its own game. System wise it uses Framework; a dice pool system. Sort of similar to Storytelling System.

Currently there is three books out:
Cthulhutech: It has the core rules
Dark Passions: It is about cults
Vade Mecum: Psychics, more Magic, Fighting Styles, Mecha, Zoners, Ghouls (all around big crunch book)

It mixes Cthulhu Mythos, Cyberpunk and Anime Tropes: Two big ones being Evangelion and Guyver.

The setting has earth being a zone of conflict. Between the New Earth Government, Mi-Go invasion, and Esoteric Order of Dagon. There is also underground conflict between Tagers and Dhohanoids, cops and agents taking down underground sorcery, etc.

One nice thing about Cthulhutech is all the different styles of gameplay you can run. Normal cyberpunk, mecha combat, crazy Cthulhu horror, etc. It also has a nice divergence from most Cthulhu games in that we actually have a chance! It won't be a easy fight but we could actually win!

Oh, and it is the first game for me that has fun Mecha rules. Plus it has amazing full colour books with great art (make sure to get Catalyst not the old Mongoose ones).

That just scratches the surface though. Lots to dive into.

 

[Shemeska]

Yes, there's a large and very vocal contingent that didn't like the 4E FR, and they're certainly entitled. But clearly, there's also a very large quiet contingent that did.

And that's the problem with large, clearly present, silent majorities, it's impossible to prove a negative when they're frequently invoked.

 

[Mouseferatu]

And that's the problem with large, clearly present, silent majorities, it's impossible to prove a negative when they're frequently invoked.

Ain't that something?

Why, it's almost enough to make a fellow think that everyone online, on both sides of the issue*, should just siddown and shaddup when it comes to arguing how well or how poorly a product has been received, and instead stick to expressing/debating their own personal opinions on said product**.

*Whatever said issue happens to be.

**This statement meant as a general comment, and is not directed at any one specific poster or group of posters. Void where prohibited. No purchase required.

 

[Aberzanzorax]

Couldn't there also be a large, silent group that hates it too?

I mean, let's cover all the bases here!


EDIT: plus Ari Marmell's writing ROCKS and I'm always happy to read anything by Shemeska.

 

[Cadfan]

So, what do you think?

Who should win?

I only included categories where I think its worth having an opinion. I left out RPGs because of a lack of familiarity with some of them, and I left out some other categories rather than criticize the existence of the category itself, or the... limited scope of the nominees within it. There were some categories that felt almost like an awards contest for computer games, where every single nominee was a title we'd seen in the previous year with the number after it incremented by one.

Board Games

Agricola (Z-Man Games, Inc., Uwe Rosenberg)

I think this one is pretty obvious. It doesn't do anything really unique per se, but it does everything a board game should do incredibly well. Its got theme. Its got gameplay. Its got complexity. Its got simplicity. Its got nice pieces. It appeals to basically everyone who plays board games. Veteran players enjoy it. Casual players enjoy it. About the only people who don't are the "too cool for school" kids. Its a magnum opus of game design.

Second choice would be Pandemic. Its really hard to make a really good cooperative game, and this is the first truly great one we've seen in a while.


Children’s, Family, and Party Games

I'm less familiar with these, and these tend to be less... unique, in some ways. I have a soft spot for story telling games, and so if forced to pick would select:

Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen, The (Mongoose Publishing, James Wallis)

Rorschach is fun just for playing with Ink Blots though. Its such an obvious concept. I played with it just last week. I can't say that I played it, just played with it. I honestly don't know what all the pieces in the box do, but I did have fun looking at the ink blots and arguing with my wife about what they really were. And there are a LOT of ink blots.


Card Games

Dominion (Rio Grande Games, Donald X Vaccarino)

This should be obvious again. Dominion should take this category by storm. Not only is it really fun and insanely popular, it has achieved the holy grail of card game design: the creation of a collectible card game that's actually fun and isn't actually collectible.

 

[Mark]

Just so I am clear, the finalists for these awards are chosen at the GAMA trade show by retailers then the final vote takes place and is announced at Origins?

 

[MichaelSomething]

Of course Agricola should win best board game! How can saving the world from an onslaught of viruses compare to the experience of having sheep AND boars!?! It's no contest.