And what's the fun in becoming an immortal demon if you're not regular, am I right?

The Mayor ,'End of Days'


Gaming 1: You are likely to be eaten by a grue

A thread for the discussion of games: board, LARP, MMORPG, video, tabletop RPG, game theory etc. etc. and all attendant news, developments and ancillary subjects thereof, as well as coordinating/scheduling games either online or IRL. All are welcome to chime in, talk about their favorite games or learn about gaming of any sort.

PLEASE TO WHITEFONT SPOILERS for video games, RPG modules or anything for which foreknowledge of events might lessen one's enjoyment of whatever gaming experience.


Polter-Cow - Dec 24, 2008 7:40:27 am PST #1450 of 26132
What else besides ramen can you scoop? YOU CAN SCOOP THIS WORLD FROM DARKNESS!

Just beat it last night. Took me over 16 hours on Medium, but my brother had done it in about 10 or 11. It's pretty awesome from start to finish, and the story, while your typical sci-fi fare, is done well. It really feels like you're in a sci-fi horror movie.


Volans - Dec 27, 2008 4:14:20 am PST #1451 of 26132
move out and draw fire

We played the BSG boardgame yesterday. For about 6 hours. I will give a full session report when not on my new ipod touch, but I give it high marks. Especially if you think the setup for Puerto Rico is way to simple and short.


billytea - Dec 27, 2008 2:48:17 pm PST #1452 of 26132
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.

We played the BSG boardgame yesterday. For about 6 hours. I will give a full session report when not on my new ipod touch, but I give it high marks. Especially if you think the setup for Puerto Rico is way to simple and short.

Looking forward to it. One of the things that attracts me ot the game is that the session report write-ups on boardgamegeek are just so much fun, the game seems designed to produce a strong narrative.

(No pressure.)


Volans - Dec 28, 2008 9:09:33 am PST #1453 of 26132
move out and draw fire

We've played it twice now and I've been the cylon both times. 1 win and 1loss. And I was told I'm not just a toaster but a Hello Kitty toaster.


hippocampus - Dec 28, 2008 10:31:54 am PST #1454 of 26132
not your mom's socks.

So say we all.


billytea - Dec 28, 2008 3:10:53 pm PST #1455 of 26132
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.

And I was told I'm not just a toaster but a Hello Kitty toaster.

All of this has happened before; all of this will happen again.


Tom Scola - Dec 29, 2008 4:21:51 am PST #1456 of 26132
Mr. Scola’s wardrobe by Botany 500

Does anyone know of any good Brain Age like games for the iPhone?


Volans - Dec 29, 2008 8:00:16 am PST #1457 of 26132
move out and draw fire

OK. BSG. I like it. Players can choose one of 10 characters, each with different strengths and weaknesses. Rules for choosing ensure that there is a military character, a political character, and a pilot character. On top of your character skills, you may get a title (President or Admiral) that comes with its own benefits (like nukes).

Loyalty is randomly determined at the beginning and again at the midgame. Boomer has the highest chance of being a cylon, and Baltar has the highest chance of being a sympathizer, but nothing's set in stone; I was Starbuck first and Apollo in the next game, and became a cylon halfway thru in each game.

Oddly enough, even though I was NOT a cylon in the first half of the first game, everyone was convinced I was, so I got outed immediately. Which sucks.

Once revealed, the cylon becomes exceedingly weak, which is my only real problem in what's otherwise a very well-balanced game.

Oh, and there can be more than one cylon, and each one has a different special ability...but when you are revealed, you lose all your normal abilities (Kara Thrace can no longer pilot, for example).

There's a lot more luck than in most Euro-games, but it's kind of a nice break from a game-theory-example-with-theme-glued-on experience. The theme and gameplay are very well integrated, and you can choose whichever style of play best suits you (I like the run and gun, so I've played a pilot both times and been able to get out in space and shoot cylon raiders).

I have a few quibbles - the learning curve was rough, and it would be nice to have turn sequence and damage results printed somewhere on the game board. Also, we used an entire box of snack bags when packing the game back up - there are about 1000 little cards and chits, and 32 plastic spaceships. Also, there's no way to airlock anyone.

However, the aura of paranoia and stress is brilliant, as accusations fly about who the toaster is and the fleet deals with crisis after crisis. Both times we've had players who haven't watched the show (one had never heard of it, or the original series), and both players also enjoyed the game a lot. It keeps you busy, even when it's not your turn (unless you are a revealed cylon, when you spend your time rearranging the damaged vipers and raptors into line dance formations).


omnis_audis - Dec 29, 2008 8:09:11 pm PST #1458 of 26132
omnis, pursue. That's an order from a shy woman who can use M-16. - Shir

Hear-ee hear-ee! For the first time ever, I have finished an Xbox game! The game is Assassin's Creed. I still have to go back and find all the damn flags to rack up the gamer points, but I have finished the whole campaign.


Pete, Husband of Jilli - Dec 29, 2008 8:45:40 pm PST #1459 of 26132
"I've got a gun! I've got a mother-flippin' gun!" - Moss, The IT Crowd

Congrats. Hopefully you'll pick up Gears of War 2 and we can play Horde together. Playing Horde with people you know is the best thing in the game, though the campaign is damn good too.