Notre Dame was very fun. As with many German-style games, there was a lot to read through that made no sense since none of us had played, but once you start it goes pretty quickly (there is a set number of rounds).
I think I may like it better than Catan since I think it is easier to pick up on the first time you play, and play itself is fairly flexible so you don't get locked into a certain style of play based on the initial set-up. I also think it is
slightly
more obvious what you
should
be doing. However, if you are more of a strategy type of person, it might get old quicker. There is randomness because you do a card exchange every round, but you have more control than a random role of the dice as in Catan.
We've been using the index cards for years, with 3.5 and Savage Worlds and 4.0, and they are really handy. In fact, one of the things that they got really right with 4.0 is the online character builder program. Among other good things, it prints those cards out with your character sheet.
I think I may like it better than Catan since I think it is easier to pick up on the first time you play, and play itself is fairly flexible so you don't get locked into a certain style of play based on the initial set-up.
I've gone off Catan after a couple of bad experiences. I still rather like a related game called Elasund. It retains the roll-for-resources deal, though the resources have been pared down to gold and favours or council permits or something. Oh, and the robber's been replaced with pirates (yarr).
Notre Dame has rats!
Basically, everyone has their own borough around Notre Dame and you compete for prestige (and influence and gold helps you get it) and make sure to keep the rats at bay. Each round you are basically choosing two actions among three in your hand.
The interesting chance element is that everyone starts with drawing three action cards from their own deck and each hand you pass two of your draw to the left, and then, of the two you get from the right, you pass one.
The interesting chance element is that everyone starts with drawing three action cards from their own deck and each hand you pass two of your draw to the left, and then, of the two you get from the right, you pass one.
I must say, I like that kind of mechanism in Black Lady. And with the promise of rats, this could warrant a look.
That reminds me, I played Mr Jack with Wallybee the other night. Mr Jack is a deduction game themed around catching Jack the Ripper. You have a map representing the streets of Whitechapel, and eight characters, each with a special ability. One of the characters is secretly Jack the Ripper. One player is the detective, the other is the villain. Each round (there are eight rounds), the players will move two of the characters each (note that the detective player may well wind up moving the culprit). At the end of the round, the villain tells the detective whether Jack can be seen. (Characters next to other characters or lit lampposts can be seen.) Through a process of elimination, the detective tries to whittle down the suspects, and then use one of the characters to catch the suspect.
Jack can win in three ways: remain undetected, escape Whitechapel (four exits, two of which are open at any time), or have the detective 'catch' the wrong suspect. The play mechanism is refreshing and there's a lot of replay value. It's currently a favourite for two players.
So Wallybee and I played it the other night. I'm playing Jack (a.k.a. William Gull, the Queen's physician), she's trying to separate the Gull from the chickens. Coming into round 4, there are four remaining suspects, all of whom can be seen (by each other), as they're clustered in two pairs. We turn up the four characters we'll be moving this turn, only one of which is still a suspect - my own Mr Gull. I get to pick first, and I take him, and swap him with another suspect (so they're all still clustered in two pairs, and there they shall stay). Wallybee won't be able to whittle the numbers down any further this turn!
And she doesn't. She just grabs Inspector Lestrade and bounces him through the sewer system to land on Gull! J'accuse!
"How did you work that one out? You still had four suspects."
"You were protecting Gull. It had to be him."
"I was protecting all of them, hhe was the only suspect I could move this turn. I was always going to pick him."
"And you moved him only three spaces from an exit."
"...Alright, it's a fair cop."
She's getting good at this. I'll need to lift my game. (If ever we play again. Right now she's enjoying being able to tell people "Oh yes, I won that one last time we played.")
billytea, I've seen that game in my comic book store and been intrigued. It sort of sounds like a souped-up version of Mafia. Fun!
billytea, I've seen that game in my comic book store and been intrigued. It sort of sounds like a souped-up version of Mafia. Fun!
Is Mafia the online version of Werewolf? If so, there are similarities, but Mr Jack is more of a battle of wits than poker faces. (Or, if you're Lady Gaga, love-glue-gunnin's at ten paces. I think I've finally worked that song out, and why she seems to think diving into some guy's crotch constitutes the pinnacle of bluffing technique. Clearly she's not disguising her intentions, but given her description of her armoury, I figure she's trying to disguise that she's a pre-op tranny or something.)
Where was I? Oh yes, Mr Jack primarily involves deduction with a side order of induction, while I think Werewolf is more purely bluff-driven. And Mr Jack only works with two players, so different social experience. But yes, both in the "figgerin' stuff out" camp. One might even say in the "Catching ne'er-do-wells" camp. Oh, speaking of which, has anyone here ever played Fury of Dracula? I find that it intrigues me more and more of late.
