ooh good one

Has anyone here played Spirit of the Century? (the FATE system-based tabletop RPG, in case there's another one lurking around that I don't know about)

We're starting to wrap up a 4.5 year D&D campaign (SOB!), and looking for something different for a while before we dive into a new long game -- ideally, something with a setting different from the usual fantasy fake-medieval schtick, and something that can handle shorter games and not just giant campaigns. The spouse is taking the next turn as our group's DM, and he's a lover of all things pulp, so it looks like an obvious fit.

We're planning to spin up a bunch of characters and mess around with some sample scenarios this weekend to get a feel for it, and I'll share the awesome, but I'd love to hear any pluses/minuses/gotchas, if you have them.

After 22 games of Battlestar Galactica (15 of which have resulted in Cylon victories, but the last three games have all seen the humans come out on top), it's time for a change. For the next gaming excursion, I propose to run a game of Race for the Galaxy. This is a card game, where each player is trying to build up a layout (representing a space empire) that will earn them the most victory points. Obviously, being a card game, there's a fair amount of luck involved; but there's also wide scope for meaningful decision-making, and multiple viable strategies. (It is one of my favourite games; Biyi and I have probably played it more than any other game.)

As with BSG, I recommend buying a copy of Race for the Galaxy, simply because it's a great game; but for play in this thread, you won't need to own a copy. I will take care of all the game records and updates, while there is a reference database online that shows every card in the game: [link] I think that will be a useful resource for running a game online, and expect to make heavy use of it. (Plus, a lot of the artwork is quite good.)

I assume most players will be novices, and there'll be a lot of support. First, the game itself defines four preset starting hands, so each player can be assured that they'll have at least a couple of reasonable directions they can start in. Second, I'll be reasonably active in helping explain what each card does and such like, and will of course be happy to answer questions.

We curently have one player signed up, namely chrismg. The base game supports up to four players, so we have three more slots. Who else would like to give Race for the Galaxy a whirl?

I'll give it a whirl.

I've enjoyed the couple games of Race for the Galaxy I've played, but I think I'll sit this one out. Busy couple months ahead of me.

I'll play. Sounds fun. Don't know if I'll buy my own copy but I have the time right now.

Cool. It will hopefully be easier to keep up with than BSG too.

We now have three players: chrismg, omnis and askye. There's room for one more, if anyone's interested.

It looks intriguing, though I need to spend more time looking at the rules and setup. Perhaps I can watch a game to see how the online game flows?

edit: Unless it really is as easy as you say, BT.

It is certainly easier than BSG. In my experience, the main hurdle to learning to play is just getting used to what all the symbols on the cards mean. For this first game especially, I will be providing explanations/translations to help with that. (Learning to play well, of course, comes best with practice.)

In a nutshell, I think you'll have an easier time learning it by playing than by just watching.

Cool beans. Tell me what I need, then.