Inara: Mal, this isn't the ancient sea. You don't have to go down with your ship. Mal: She ain't going down. She ain't going anywhere.

'Out Of Gas'


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.


Laga - Apr 16, 2014 1:59:11 pm PDT #22838 of 26134
You should know I'm a big deal in the Resistance.

YOU JERK

yeah. It really felt good drawing the card I'd hoped for with a 1/3 chance.


Liese S. - Apr 16, 2014 2:43:17 pm PDT #22839 of 26134
"Faded like the lilac, he thought."

Yeah, I was pretty pissed at that because I knew you knew!

eta: I mean, not for reals. But in game, PISSED!


billytea - Apr 17, 2014 6:45:09 am PDT #22840 of 26134
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.

BSG

Thanks everyone, I really enjoy running these games (for the most part).

My wrap-up. As always, congratulations humans and commiserations Cylons. This is the first human victory in seven games, so well done. I continue to be impressed with the new Daybreak elements, not least being the 0-value and Treachery cards. There were skill checks that were made of awesomeness, with all the effect cards therein.

Some other notes:

  • Romo was a Cylon from the start. Hot Dog turned at Sleeper Phase.

  • This may be the first game where no one used their OPG.

  • The first time you drew Thirty Three, just before it got shuffled back into the deck, the next nine crisis cards all had jump icons. So that was unfortunate.

  • For the humans: It took six jumps to win the game. Three of them were for just 1 Distance; two of them, the Admiral had a 2-Distance choice, but chose the 1-Distance option. As a general rule, unless there's an imminent need for it, it's best to go for the distance and try to end the game earlier. On average, with each jump, you lost about 4 points of resources; after the Sleeper Phase, it was over 5 points. 1-Distance jumps typically offer the chance to gain 1 resource point (or some other benefit), which may or may not wind up mattering. In short, it's not really worth it. In fact, I'd also recommend thinking more often about jumping at 4 (Blue). Risking just 1 Population is often worth shortening the game.

  • For the Cylons, and I mention this a lot in the post-game: the object of the game is not to stay hidden. Both Cylons had worthwhile opportunities to reveal, on an XO or State of Emergency, not long before their next turn and with a space battle in full swing. Things might have been different if they'd sabotaged and revealed instead of helping to fight back.

  • For me, behind the scenes, the situation looked very interesting coming into the final jump. There was a Centurion three steps from a Cylon victory, and I could see that the next two crisis cards have heavy raider icons. (Incidentally, at game end too, the next two crises had heavy raider icons.) If the Cylons had both activated William the Bastard, then the humans would have had to destroy him in a single turn (Apollo's) or lose the game. However, the Cylons didn't know that of course. Only a fifth of all crisis cards have a heavy raider activation, so it was more likely that William would just sit there for a while.

All that could have been pre-empted anyway. Cally's final choice of destination was between Asteroid Field (which she chose) and Mining Asteroid. That card would have activated Scar again, and then reshuffled the crisis deck. It's anyone's guess how that would have turned out. However, Mining Asteroid was only 2 Distance, so the humans would have had to survive for yet another jump cycle.

  • This crew was very short on Purple cards - more so after Romo and Hot Dog revealed. That showed mostly in the dearth of Strategic Plannings, which hurt the crew on occasion. There's no real suggestion there, just I suppose during character selection, if you're choosing your character from a shortlist of interesting choices, overall card draw can be worth considering. (Of course, there was a way to improve matters. Cally could have shot Zarek and have him come back as Cain or Tigh, or one of the pilots.)

  • The funniest check, to me, was Weapon Malfunction, on turn 4.6. Failing it would've damaged two vipers during a space battle - not fatal, but certainly making this more difficult. This was before any Cylons had revealed. There were six negative cards played into that check, only one of them by Destiny. Both Cylons played negative (Hot Dog obscured things by adding one low positive). So did Athena, who needed damaged vipers for one of her motive cards. And I really really wish Baltar had played negative too. He had a Personal Goal that also needed damaged vipers. I would've loved watching P-C's head explode trying to work out if I'd finally done it and just given everyone else but him a Cylon loyalty card.


billytea - Apr 17, 2014 6:45:11 am PDT #22841 of 26134
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.

BSG

  • On that note, kudos to Athena for fulfilling every one of her motive cards, though not all of them were really under her control.

Does anyone have questions about anything else from this game?


Laga - Apr 17, 2014 8:14:15 am PDT #22842 of 26134
You should know I'm a big deal in the Resistance.

BSG

I feel like the last time I was a cylon was also a human victory. Do you happen to know?


Liese S. - Apr 17, 2014 8:27:23 am PDT #22843 of 26134
"Faded like the lilac, he thought."

BSG

HAHAHA, we need to play that game where everyone but PC is a Cylon!


NoiseDesign - Apr 17, 2014 8:58:21 am PDT #22844 of 26134
Our wings are not tired

BSG

Then I think it needs to be a two player game where I'm his opponent. How many times have I been a Cylon now?


billytea - Apr 17, 2014 2:06:00 pm PDT #22845 of 26134
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.

BSG

I feel like the last time I was a cylon was also a human victory. Do you happen to know?

I do happen to know, and no; you were a Cylon Anders in game 14, which was a Cylon victory. However, you've been a Cylon five times now, and three of them had a human victory. (That included game five, where I played Adama and you were Cylon Starbuck and like the son I never had.)

How many times have I been a Cylon now?

That's seven times now. Three of them have had a human victory. (P-C has also been a Cylon seven times, with just one human victory. Liese and omnis have perfect records as toasters, out of four and three games respectively.)


megan walker - Apr 17, 2014 2:47:57 pm PDT #22846 of 26134
"What kind of magical sunshine and lollipop world do you live in? Because you need to be medicated."-SFist

That included game five, where I played Adama and you were Cylon Starbuck and like the son I never had.

Good times.


Laga - Apr 17, 2014 3:10:32 pm PDT #22847 of 26134
You should know I'm a big deal in the Resistance.

yeah, the game is definitely more fun when you're a cylon. Humanity is stressful.