Board Game Review: Pandemic & Pandemic Expansion: On The Brink

First off, I will not be discussing how to play the game as that would take too much time and I would be rehashing most/all of the printed rules and that would be no fun for anyone.  Plus Wil Wheaton has already covered Pandemic on the first season of TableTop, so I would recommend watching over on his channel if you have A) never played Pandemic, or B) came here to find out how to play Pandemic.

So the edition that Conklederp and I received for our wedding was the second edition and as far as I can tell, the biggest difference between the two editions is that in the second edition, the pieces are made from plastic whereas in the first edition, they are made from wood.  Now, I will agree that in most cases, I like the feel of wood pieces (hur hur) over plastic, but for this game, I like the look of the clear plastic blocks that represent the various infections.  There is something just more "sterile" about their appearance.  The other difference between the two editions is that the board, again from what I can tell, is more techy looking.  The pieces are now plastic instead of wood and the infection cubes are colored and clear, which I personally like the look of a lot better than the wood; more sterile perhaps.  The principal game has remained the same, so everything I talk about should translate between the two editions.

Now, Conklederp and I have had a chance to play this awesomely fun game now on five separate occasions (as of this writing) and I will do my best to chronicle each of those first four experiences as they were each played under slightly different circumstances.

Game 1

Conklederp and I played first as the game suggested, with only four Epidemic cards in the players deck, just so we could get a feel for how the game was to be played.  After saving the world, we both came to the conclusion that the game with only four Epidemic cards was too easy.  It was then that I also realized that I did not shuffle the players deck correctly so there was one Epidemic card near the top and the rest were close to the bottom, which we did not get to before saving the world.

Game 2

The next two player game that Conklederp and I played, we put five Epidemic cards in the players deck and this time I separated that deck into five even piles, each with its own Epidemic card before shuffling the five decks separately before putting them into their single massive deck.  We then got ready to save the world again!

"That did not pan out."  This game probably would have gone a lot better had we known how to handle outbreaks correctly.  Let me see if I can describe what we did wrong.

There were two neighboring cities, each with three infection cubes.  One of those cities became infected (again), which caused an outbreak.  That outbreak spread to the neighboring city that already had three cubes, which caused an outbreak.  This is where we went wrong.  We thought at this point, the original neighboring city would then have yet another outbreak which would lead the second neighboring city to have another outbreak. . .and so on and so forth.  I am 99% sure this is not how the game is supposed to be played as we managed to lose in under five turns.

So we started Game 3.

Game 3

After realizing our error, we restarted everything, but this time I had the idea of changing the starting location and Disease Research Hospital that normally starts in Atlanta.  So we picked a city card at random and this time we started somewhere in the Middle East.  This time around there was a lot more evenly spaced-out mayhem (compared to Game 1), but it was manageable and we were again able to save the world.

Now, enter the first expansion to Pandemic, Pandemic: On the Brink.

Game 4

Prior to playing Game 4, I bought the On the Brink expansion which allows for five players to play at once instead of just four.  It also adds a fifth virulent disease strain as well as additional player and infection cards.  I knew that for this game we would be playing with five people, plus I wanted to expand how the game was played.  For this game we stayed using the regular Epidemic cards and not the Virulent Strain Epidemic cards that came with the expansion as it was The Man and [Insert Name]'s first time playing.

After we started, we quickly realized that playing with two people is different as far as tactics go when compared to playing with four other players.  Half of the game was spent coordinating between players trying to figure out where each person was going to be in order to trade city cards so that we could create a cure.

This game literally came down to the wire.  Because On the Brink added a number of cards to the players deck, this allowed the game to go on for an extra turn or two for the players which in turn allowed The Man to finish his turn after the last two cards had been taken.  The Man, however, was able to make it to a research station and create the final cure before he was supposed to pick up the two player cards (which did not exist).  I do not think this was cheating, but if it was. . .oops.

Oh, and nobody played as the bioterrorist since we were still getting a feel for the game with a full crew.

So every time Conklederp and I have played the game, either with friends or by ourselves, we have all had a good time either saving the world or coming very close and watching as the world falls into a cesspool of death and disease.  But in the end, the table was not flipped, words were not passed between people who were unable to be as effective as they wanted to be (yes, me) and negotiations began for the next time we would all be able to attempt to save the world.

~JWfW/JDub/Jaconian

It's The Next Disaster

IRL vs gaming vs challenge vs fun

Typing about my imaginary Gardening game got me thinking about other In Real Life (IRL) activities that may be simulated in games.  There are some obvious ones:  Racing, for example.  I hear that Grand Tourismo series, and its competitors, are all about the ultra-realism in terms of physics.  I hear that Mario Kart is all about ultra realism in terms of fun.  I think they both succeed in their own ways.

But In Real Life, things are always way different from games.  For example:  In games, the risk-reward system is... well, skewed.  When you wreck your car, even in the most realistic of all racers - you don't die.  You don't break your pinky finger.  You're not even scarred for life!  Hell, for that matter, you probably get a continue or something.  This is an extreme example.

It's not just video games. In baseball, for another hyperbolic example, you aren't ritually executed when you are thrown out at first.  This is good, because being thrown out at first happens a LOT.  Hundreds of times every day during the regular season.  But playing baseball is WAY harder than playing video games.  Then again, it pays better, I think.  

But I guess I mostly want to talk about challenge.  There's a pretty fun article about challenging games over at Gamasutra.  I've been enjoying it.  It's got a lot of tasty retro stuff that I love.  It's a long article- thankfully presented in ten tasty bites- I've been reading it over a series of days.  It emphasizes skill building, and expertise at different games. I think I'm more interested in the quality of challenge in games, than the amount of challenge.

Sometimes the challenge is in achieving a perfect balance.  And that balance can be elusive. Following the garden example, proper watering is a real problem when nurturing a plant.  You can fuss with a plant so much that you kill it.  Smothering can be as bad as neglect.  It is this way in other IRL activities, like cooking.  There is also a fine balance struck with cooking.  You can definitely worry a dish into mediocrity, when leaving it alone may have produced something fantastic.  I do this all the time.  Are there any games that demonstrate this sort of delicate balance?

I guess I'm looking for something like this in gaming.  And as I'm typing, I thought of an interesting idea: Achievements .  That is to say, what if a game was released with no achievements whatsoever, and the achievements were submitted by players after they had made them.  Just submit a screencap, and the game moderators will decide if it is a worthy achievement.  Then keep a directory of them.  That could be fun.  Has a game done this yet?  I bet team fortress 2 has.  It seems like the kind of game that would do that.  Anyhow, I'm stumbling into seriously out of touch zone, so I should shut up.

But yeah, it's fairly obvious why many IRL features aren't included in games.  They don't sound fun at all.  Like, for example, the RPG trope of 'life points' and 'potions.'   Got a gaping wound in your belly?  Down a couple potions, you'll be fine.  Life doesn't even closely resemble that.  Most of us don't deal with gaping wounds, just scratches and tiredness.  Food helps, and caffeine, but there are no potions.   There is Nothing that works like that.  

And, like I said, it doesn't sound fun to have to rest your RPG characters because they're tired from walking around all day.  A game where your characters need Exercise, a balanced diet and plenty of rest. BO-ring.  And yet, somehow it sounds interesting to me, to balance the in-game system with more realistic needs.  I often find myself contemplating Player Stat and Item systems for imaginary RPGs that are more realistic, somehow.  I think this means I am a giant nerd. 

-D

First Impressions: Settlers of Cataan

Last night I had my first real session of Settlers of Cattan.  Stayed up until 1 am playing it.  Haven't done that in ages.  Best game since Munchkin.  Similar strategy, actually - as the game progresses you build toward getting 10 levels.  And alliances are broken and reformed, everyone trying to prevent the inevitable winner from winning.  But sometimes like 3 people look like the impending winner.

But the game isn't quite as aggressive as Munchkin.  Less events occur over the course of one turn.  A lot of the game is spent waiting, and hoping and building up resources.  Stupidly fun, I highly recommend it.  Expensive though.  Expect to pay $45 for a set.  If you'd like to test drive this game, just come over to my place with at least one other friend and an evening to spend, and we can play a couple of times.

I'd like to get into the details of how the game is played, but I think it would be easier for all parties if I just let Will Wheaton do it.  Tabletop is the best source for board game reviews that I've seen.  

I will say that the setup phase of the game, which comes at the very beginning, is essential to the overall strategy.  Most people will lament the poor decisions they make during the setup, which will further drive their desire to play another game, and get a chance to have a better setup.  It's a lot of fun; I want to play, just writing about it.  -D

Minecraft

I just finished playing the Minecraft Demo for the first time.  For those of you who don't know, Minecraft is a game that has garnered heavy accolades from the gaming community over the past couple of years.  I think it's safe to say that the game has become something of a phenomenon.  And after playing the demo for about a half-hour, I can go on record saying that this game is worthy of the praise.  

Something I want to emphasize is the joy I experienced just learning the basic mechanics of the game.  Exploring the world of the demo, and testing different ways to interact with it, making new discoveries--  I had a great time.  In fact, I have enjoyed this process so much, that I am willing to call what I write from here on out 'spoilers' simply because I do not want to spoil a new players experience of learning the mechanics.  So, if you think that you will play Minecraft in the not-too-distant future, I strongly urge you to just go play it.  Put in a half hour or even the ninety minutes the demo allows.  If you like games-- then it is worth your time.

So, here's a  breakdown my experience with the demo, transcribed here for my own selfish need to express myself.  Please stop reading and go play Minecraft.

One possible reason why I enjoyed Minecraft so much is something called emergent gameplay.  I like this term, and I think it relates to the creativity of Minecraft play.  I felt a strong pull to explore the possibilities within the world. In the beginning, I ran around digging at random pieces of the world, becoming stuck and un-stuck in corners, getting accustomed to the controls.  However, when nighttime first arrived, I was quickly killed, right around the time I found a neat-looking cave to explore.  I had to start over again, and then got killed again.  I got frustrated, so I ended the demo, and started from the beginning.  

This time, I took to digging with a vengeance.  I tore trenches through the landscape, sawed the tops off of trees.  Right about dusk, just as the baddies were going to emerge, I just started digging straight down for a while, and then tunneled around through the softer, easier to dig bricks.  I got lost, but didn't sweat it, and just kept right on digging. 

The critical point came when i figured out how to place items i had collected.  My first move was to block off the tunnel I had dug, thus protecting me from any roaming baddies who may follow me into my tunnel.  Then, entirely by accident, I placed a torch on the wall.  Now I could see! This was reassuring, and helped to orient me as I decided it was time to tunnel upward. 

My next great discovery was that i could jump and place a hunk of dirt directly underneath myself.  This helped me to more quickly get out of a cave i had trapped myself in, and then was even more useful when i subsequently popped out of cliff-side and fell into an abyss filled with monsters.  I took one look around and quickly launched myself skyward on an ever expanding stack of dirt.   I exited the abyss but found myself critically low on food.  Apparently all that time tunneling came with a cost.  This form of isolation kept me safe from monsters, but also locked away from any sustenance.

I hunted around for some of the non- hostile animals i'd seen earlier, and proceeded to beat a pig to death with my bare hands, and devour the raw pork inside. However, since the graphics resemble LEGOs, this wasn't really that grisly.  Still, Herbovours are sure to hate this element of the game.  Possibly you can eat grasses and plants, but this seems unlikely as the hunger meter is represented with pork-chops.

Anyhow, I resupplied my hunger meter, and then decided to take a trip to the sky on another giant tower of dirt.  Kinda like how Iceman gets around.  I rose dozens of feet above the play area,  my limited visual settings fogging the scene below.  (I sure do need a new video card).

I had one heart left of life, something I haven't figured out how to resupply, and the temptation to jump from the in-game stratosphere was very strong.  I decided against it, and began to dig my way back down from on high, one cube of dirt at a time.  When I got to about tree-height, I decided to hop off, but It looks like that was still too high a fall, and I died anyway.  Oops.  

So, that was fun.  Maybe one day I'll buy the full version, and maybe one day I'll terraform a landscape and show it off on YouTube. I don't even know what to do with all of the Minecraft culture stuff out there.  The incredible cities, monumentsand all of the creativity coming out of this game.  It sucks me in and blows.my.mind.  I have to consciously just sort of forget about all of the mountains of amazing things coming out of this game.  There's just too much of it, and the game is fun to just play, without being intimidated by all of that.  

But one thing I will do, is to link to a video of the Enterprise 1701-D being built in minecraft.  I think this one is going to be my favorite minecraft-thing.  


-D

currently playing:
Minecraft
Trilby's Notes
Sim City 4

Link Dump

My full review of LIMBO is pending me completing the game again.  In the meantime, here's a bunch of links to video-games and video game related items:

Magical Game Time:

I just got linked to this comic and I am now a fan.  It's a wonderful blend of humor, imagination and nostalgia that is very close to how I feel about the video games of my childhood.  The artist has a similar taste to mine, based on the games he chooses to reference.  The art is rough, but very expressive.  

Today I die:

Video games as poetry. I really enjoyed playing this game. Today I die is one of the first truly independent games I played during my recent phase of indie game playing.  Free to play, in-browser.

Eversion:

This game is a simple platformer, doesn't take long to beat. It's a rough game, not a big show, like Braid or Limbo.  But this game really gets its concept across, and it is totally awesome.  I highly recommend it.  Actually, I think this was the first indie game I played.  Free to download.  $5 on Steam for the HD version.  

Abobo's Big Adventure:

I've already mentioned this one in a previous post.  But I thought I should include it while I'm posting free online games.  This game is a silly, violent and clever tribute to NES games.  Lots of fun.  

Cave Story:

Cave Story is utterly charming. I think this is the best Retro Game I have played.  It isn't the first indie game I played, but it is probably the best and most complete.  Beyond simple nostalgia, the game has some clever and well-implemented mechanics and plenty of those little touches that make a good game into more than the sum of its parts.