What to buy? (Board Games)

[elf326]

I have recently become obsessed with games other than HS.

The games I have in my collection with my new sense of board gaming are:

Settlers of Catan
Axis and Allies
Starcraft the Boardgame
Zombie Plague

I am interested in a few games. It'd really help if you could tell me how each game is if you've played it and if one is better than another. Also, if you know of a must have game for a board game collection, you might list that too.: (all are board games, btw)

Railroad Tycoon

Carcassonne

Last Night on Earth

Descent: Journeys in the Dark

BattleLore

Nexus Ops

War of the Ring

Agricola

[King's Knight]

If you can get enough people (4+) who have plenty of patience, Twilight Imperium 3rd and it's expansion is one of our favorites.

Not exactly a board game, Politico is one we've had a lot of fun with.

[Dreaded Gazebo]

Railroad Tycoon

Fun game, but challenging and if you fall behind there's a good chance you're in serious trouble. Lots of interesting decisions to be made though and figuring out good ways to pick up the various goods is fun. I think I've only ever played it with 5 or 6 so I can't comment on how it is with fewer, but my gut feeling is that the game probably doesn't work well with 3 and 4 might even be pushing it.

Carcassonne

Great little game. It has a visual and tactile aspect that easily draws people in. The tiles look cool and the puzzle-like nature hooks people. I'd suggest checking out Carcassonne: Hunters and Gatherers. It's a standalone game so it doesn't require the original. It doesn't have any expansions and doesn't support expansions for the original but I think it's just a little bit easier to teach and it builds a tighter map.

Last Night on Earth

I've only played this a couple of times and we played a rule wrong so I can't fully comment on it. The game certainly nails the zombie theme so if that appeals to you then check it out. Seems like there's enough going on to keep the game fresh and they can easily add more expansions so hopefully it'll have a long life. From what I understand it's the best zombie board game.

For something similar, check out Betrayal at House on the Hill. It's a cooperative game where players explore a haunted house but at some point one person turns and tries to kill the rest. The game has some balance issues but darned if it isn't a lot of fun. Plus it comes with 50 scenarios so it'll take awhile to see them all.

Descent: Journeys in the Dark

A personal favorite but the game is a beast. It puts a group of adventurers controlled by one or more players up against the overlord player who controls all the monsters and bad things that happen in the dungeon. The amount of "stuff" that comes with the game is nearly unrivaled and the modular tiles gives you lots of freedom if you want to build your own scenarios.

The game takes awhile to play though... plan a solid 4-6 hours to get through a medium length adventure. Plays best with 4 or 5, if you have less then people will really need to control multiple heroes each. Not that big of a deal once they're familiar with the game but can be challenging for learning purposes.

There are lots of things I'd love to change about the game but it nails the dungeon crawler theme. Heroes wade through waves of enemies to try and complete the adventure while the overlord tosses everything they have to stop them. Two expansions add more "stuff" and the upcoming campaign expansion looks to completely change how the game is played.

BattleLore

Fantastic two player game. Also plays quick, most matches will be done in in an hour or so. Cool figures and the card command system is really clever. It's a game of tactics and hand management as you try to make the best moves you can with the limited choices you have.

If you like fantasy then this is the way to go for two players. However, I think Command and Colors: Ancients (by the same designer) is the better of the two games. They both use a very similar combat and command system but I think C&C:A's rules offer up more strategy and tactics.

Nexus Ops

Another personal favorite and the closest thing I've found to a board game playing like a video game. Nexus Ops is really a RTS in board game form. You'll stake claims on resources, generate money, build units and storm your enemies. It's pretty simple and seriously fun. The victory point system for completing objective cards means that anyone is capable of scoring points and I've seen some great comebacks. Also, the game is extremely fast-paced... if you're not attacking someone you are probably doing something wrong. You can also finish a game in an hour or two (depending on the number of players) so it doesn't require too much of a time commitment.

While there are other sci-fi games that may be "better" because of the detail they go into (Twilight Imperium 3rd ed. for example) but for the cost and short play time I think it's a game everyone who likes war games should own.

War of the Ring

Only played once and I got whooped up pretty bad so I can't comment too much. Certainly nails the Lord of the Rings theme and there's a lot of depth here but it's another long one. As cool as the game is, my initial feeling is that for two players you may be better off with Battlelore or Command & Color: Ancients as they have shorter play times, and for more players something like Nexus Ops might go over better. If you and your friends are big Lord of the Rings fans, though, this might keep you busy for a long time.

Agricola

Haven't played, no comment. In all honesty I almost have a hard time believing it's as good as the BGG hype makes it sound.

[Dreaded Gazebo]

Oh, and some other games I might suggest you check out are:

Shogun (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/20551) - One of my favorites from the past year or so. Fantastic, tense area control game with just the right amount of war tossed in. Plus the cube tower rocks.

Ra (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/12) - The auction game for non-auction fans. It's less about evaluating something's worth and more about putting the tough decisions on the other players. Fantastic game.

Kingdoms (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/119) - Really simple tile-laying game. Yeah, it's pretty much just a bunch of addition, subtraction and multiplication but the games get really cutthroat and evil in a fun way :)

For Sale (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/172) - The ultimate filler game. I think it's one that pretty much every gamer should own.

[hesh]

How could Dreaded Gazebo not mention Munchkin. I know, I know, it isn't a board game, but a great deal on fun anyway.

[KingZombie]

Last Night on Earth

It has zombies.... it's alot of fun....oh... and did I mention it has zombies?

But seriously, a fun game. I really enjoyed it. A bit pricey.... but high quality parts.

[Elstree]

Great reviews, Dreaded Gazebo!

Ticket to Ride (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/9209) is another big title that hasn't been mentioned. I think of Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, and Ticket to Ride as the Triumvirate of intro games. These three are the big gateway drugs.

Hollywood Blockbuster (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/904) is my favorite auction game. Basically you're trying to complete films and you have to outbid your opponents for talented actors, directors, etc.

If you like Carcassonne, then you may also enjoy Metro (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/559) or Taluva (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/24508), both of which employ a tile-laying mechanic.

I'll also put in a plug for Last Night On Earth (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/29368), which is hands-down the best Zombie game out there. Also, if you can find a copy of Betrayal at House on the Hill (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/10547), buy it. It's out of print. Actually, almost all of the non-Axis & Allies titles released under the Avalon Hill label are being discontinued (including Nexus Ops, which I see is on your list), so if you come across any you think you may want you should probably go ahead and buy them.

Finally, I'll put in a plug for 1960: The Making of the President (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/27708). I just got this game a couple of weeks ago and it's my current favorite. It's a two player game: you play either the Nixon or Kennedy campaign in the 1960 election and battle for control of states on a 1960 electoral college map of the US. It's a great one to have on hand for this election year!

[elf326]

Last Night on Earth

It has zombies.... it's alot of fun....oh... and did I mention it has zombies?

But seriously, a fun game. I really enjoyed it. A bit pricey.... but high quality parts.
Is there a store to get it in?

Btw, thanks for all the results so far everyone. :)

[ej]

Here's a thread all about board games. http://www.heroscapers.com/community/showthread.php?t=15223

Here's a thread about trading games, what some of us want and what some of us are willing to trade: http://www.heroscapers.com/community/showthread.php?t=14452

Heroscape has actually gotten me involved in the larger world of boardgames. I've bought Last Night on Earth (Triple-A-Plus), Munchkin, Vegas Showdown (surprisingly good game), Colosseum, Tsuro (nice filler game for lots of people), Ticket to Ride (a good Monopoly replacement), and I've got a lot of games I'm hoping to buy soon, like Race for the Galaxy, Galaxy Trucker, Ca$h n Gun$, Metro, and more that I can't recall right now.

[elf326]

Actually, almost all of the non-Axis & Allies titles released under the Avalon Hill label are being discontinued (including Nexus Ops, which I see is on your list)
:jawdrop:

[KingZombie]

Last Night on Earth

It has zombies.... it's alot of fun....oh... and did I mention it has zombies?

But seriously, a fun game. I really enjoyed it. A bit pricey.... but high quality parts.
Is there a store to get it in?

Btw, thanks for all the results so far everyone. :)


Well...not to give myself a shameless plug... but i have it on my website with other zombie goodness to boot.
Follow the link in my signature.

[mrbistro]

If you can get enough people (4+) who have plenty of patience, Twilight Imperium 3rd and it's expansion is one of our favorites.
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite games of all time.

[InThisMoment]

I, like Elstree, am greatly surprised no one has said Ticket to Ride yet. That game kicks major a**.

My recommendations:
Ticket to Ride
Cities & Knights (Settlers Expansion)
Carcassione
Last Night on Earth
Arkham Horror

[zanter]

Carcassonne is really worth it, the replay value is great and the expansions just make it better.

[Finrod]

I've always been a big board gamer, and I have two cabinets full of games in the dining room (plus the Heroscape stuff in separate bins).

I agree on the comments thus far on Settlers, Carcassone & Ticket to Ride. All three are must-haves.

Ingenious is another easy and fun game that anyone can play.

I've been very interested in a number of Fantasy Flight's games lately, but their printing policies are baffling to me. Why do they allow their main games to go out of print for months at a time? Very perplexing. Looks like Descent will be back in February supposedly. I'll probably get it then.

Twilight Imperium is also on my wish list, along with Tide of Iron.

[Dreaded Gazebo]

I've been very interested in a number of Fantasy Flight's games lately, but their printing policies are baffling to me. Why do they allow their main games to go out of print for months at a time? Very perplexing. Looks like Descent will be back in February supposedly. I'll probably get it then.

Twilight Imperium is also on my wish list, along with Tide of Iron.

I think the printing for most of their big games is done overseas in China. The time it takes for stuff to travel via container and the need to ship in bulk probably means they make one print run and once it's close to out they place another order which probably takes a few months to get printed and shipped over here.

[elf326]

All right, thanks for all of the responses. Feel free to keep posting on this topic, but I decided to get a must have game- Carcassonne.

[InfinityMax]

Carcassonne is not very exciting. It's horribly overhyped. It's OK, but Last Night on Earth is like a billion times better.

OK, really, I'm a huge fan of American-style board games over European-style board games. I prefer Descent to Dungeon Twister, Battue to Carcassonne, and Last Night on Earth to nearly any other game ever made.

[elf326]

Carcassonne is not very exciting. It's horribly overhyped. It's OK, but Last Night on Earth is like a billion times better.

OK, really, I'm a huge fan of American-style board games over European-style board games. I prefer Descent to Dungeon Twister, Battue to Carcassonne, and Last Night on Earth to nearly any other game ever made.
Both Descent and LNOE sound great. But I just want something simpler like Carcassonne right now. I am also looking at World of Warcraft the Board Game and Tide of Iron. Anyone played those?

[Finrod]

Both Descent and LNOE sound great. But I just want something simpler like Carcassonne right now. I am also looking at World of Warcraft the Board Game and Tide of Iron. Anyone played those?

I have not. But from what I've been able to gather, Tide of Iron is squad-level combat with a complexity that's more in-depth than, say, Axis & Allies, but nowhere near the level of Advanced Squad Leader.

As long as we're discussing it, can anyone give a good comparison/contrast of Tide of Iron vs. Memoir '44?

[Dreaded Gazebo]

I am also looking at World of Warcraft the Board Game and Tide of Iron. Anyone played those?

They're both monsters of a game and nothing alike but if for whatever odd reason I had to pick between the two, Tide of Iron wins hands down.

World of Warcraft is an adventure race game. Two teams try to be the first to kill the big boss guy. The game has some cool mechanics but takes far too long to play for the enjoyment you get out of it. I like the quests system and character progression. Your team pulls a few quests and you get to see where they are and the rewards for them, so you have to prioritize and split up if necessary. As you kill monsters you'll level up and can pick new skills from your character deck. It all feels pretty good but there's not a ton of variety and it takes a long, long time. If you're gonna go with that style of board game I think Runebound is a little easier and offers up many more options (but still takes about as long to play ;) ).

Tide of Iron is a squad level combat WWII game. Each side (of one or two players) has a set of bases (called squads) you get to pop your little green army men on and the scenario gives you specific objectives. You take turns moving units or putting them into op fire (so they can react to your opponent's movements). Pretty dice heavy but there's a good dose of strategy and tactics. What I really like is that the maps (even on the small scenarios) are large enough that there are clearly multiple ways to approach your goal. There's luck in combat but none in movement... if you make a poor move you have noone but yourself to blame. Overall the system is really elegant given the level of complexity it's trying to simulate.

As for Tide of Iron versus Memoir 44, I haven't played Memoir but I know it uses the Command & Colors: Ancients (and Battlelore) battle system. Memoir, in that case, is significantly more simple and more lucky. Your movements are restricted by the cards you draw so you can't always make the move you want but it also leads to less analysis because your options are limited. You really can't compare the games as the mechanics are wildly different. Memoir will be like Battlelore set in WWII; Tide of Iron is a simplified "serious" war game like ASL.

Look up either Tide of Iron or Memoir at BoardGameGeek.com... there are tons of comparisons.

[InfinityMax]

Both Descent and LNOE sound great. But I just want something simpler like Carcassonne right now. I am also looking at World of Warcraft the Board Game and Tide of Iron. Anyone played those?

I haven't played either of those games, but if you did want a simpler game, Carcassonne was a good choice. It is a fun game, but being a big Ameritrasher, I prefer my games with a little violence.

[royaldoy]

Carcassonne is not very exciting. It's horribly overhyped. It's OK, but Last Night on Earth is like a billion times better.

OK, really, I'm a huge fan of American-style board games over European-style board games. I prefer Descent to Dungeon Twister, Battue to Carcassonne, and Last Night on Earth to nearly any other game ever made.

Tastes couldn't be more different and that's okay I suppose. Carcassonne is better than them all. Last Night on Earth was just okay and terribly OVERHYPED. I agree with your assessment of Descent over Dungeon Twister, but even Dungeon Twister is fun. Then again, Descent is better than any board game out there as far as I am concerened.

[elf326]

I am also looking at World of Warcraft the Board Game and Tide of Iron. Anyone played those?
World of Warcraft is an adventure race game. Two teams try to be the first to kill the big boss guy. The game has some cool mechanics but takes far too long to play for the enjoyment you get out of it. I like the quests system and character progression. Your team pulls a few quests and you get to see where they are and the rewards for them, so you have to prioritize and split up if necessary. As you kill monsters you'll level up and can pick new skills from your character deck. It all feels pretty good but there's not a ton of variety and it takes a long, long time. If you're gonna go with that style of board game I think Runebound is a little easier and offers up many more options (but still takes about as long to play ;) ).


The leveling up sounds cool in this game. But I think I'm going toget Descent or Nexus ops next.

For my next purchase of a boardgame, I'm probably going to be weighing my options.

[ej]

Carcassonne is a great first-Euro-game purchase. Settlers is another one.

[elf326]

Carcassonne is a great first-Euro-game purchase. Settlers is another one.
Which of the two do you prefer?

[ej]

I'm better at Carcassonne.

[InfinityMax]

I think Settlers is far more interesting, though it's considerably more involved. If you want simple, Carcassonne is a very logical choice.

[ej]

Settlers is 10x more interactive. Carcassonne DOES give you plenty of opportunity to make your friends really, really mad at you, though.

[Dreaded Gazebo]

The problem with Settlers is that it can really drag on for quite awhile, especially if the rolls aren't working out for anyone. Carcassonne has a built in timer - the number of tiles. Yeah, it'll take awhile if you have tons of expansions but just the base game plays fairly quick.

There's certainly more to Settlers but don't be surprised if you're near the end and people get that "let's just hurry it up" feeling after a few games.

[InThisMoment]

I'd say Settlers. It's really fun, and highly involved. Once you get used to normal Settlers, i'd defintley recommend you to check out the Cities & Knights expansion for it. It makes the game much more complicated and opens all kinds of doors for strategies, but can take awhile (4.5 hours for a six player game with my roomie, boyfriend, and other friends)

[Finrod]

Settlers vs. Carcassone? I'd pick Settlers every time. It's got more set-up time, but once you get the game going, it's much more interactive (trading, etc.) and fun overall. Carcassone is simpler, but requires more careful thought about each move, sort of like chess.

By the way, you can play Settlers online here:

http://catan.jsettlers.com/

[netherspirit]

I'd say Settlers. It's really fun, and highly involved. Once you get used to normal Settlers, i'd defintley recommend you to check out the Cities & Knights expansion for it. It makes the game much more complicated and opens all kinds of doors for strategies, but can take awhile (4.5 hours for a six player game with my roomie, boyfriend, and other friends)

*shudders*

Taking a game that should take experienced players about 30-45 minutes to play and turning it into a four and a half hour marathon isn't good IMO.

We've played Cities and Knights a few times and while I like what it adds to the game (new mechanics, strategies, etc.) I hate that it makes it takes so long to play.

[elf326]

Settlers vs. Carcassone? I'd pick Settlers every time. It's got more set-up time, but once you get the game going, it's much more interactive (trading, etc.) and fun overall. Carcassone is simpler, but requires more careful thought about each move, sort of like chess.

By the way, you can play Settlers online here:

http://catan.jsettlers.com/

I don't know if I made myself clear in the first post. I own settlers of catan. :)

[Finrod]

Settlers vs. Carcassone? I'd pick Settlers every time. It's got more set-up time, but once you get the game going, it's much more interactive (trading, etc.) and fun overall. Carcassone is simpler, but requires more careful thought about each move, sort of like chess.

By the way, you can play Settlers online here:

http://catan.jsettlers.com/

I don't know if I made myself clear in the first post. I own settlers of catan. :)

Hmph. You think this thread is all about YOU? :P

Yea, I know. I was just getting into the discussion.

[InThisMoment]

I'd say Settlers. It's really fun, and highly involved. Once you get used to normal Settlers, i'd defintley recommend you to check out the Cities & Knights expansion for it. It makes the game much more complicated and opens all kinds of doors for strategies, but can take awhile (4.5 hours for a six player game with my roomie, boyfriend, and other friends)

*shudders*

Taking a game that should take experienced players about 30-45 minutes to play and turning it into a four and a half hour marathon isn't good IMO.

We've played Cities and Knights a few times and while I like what it adds to the game (new mechanics, strategies, etc.) I hate that it makes it takes so long to play.

Yeah. After about the 3.5 mark, i got really angry with my boyfriend, my sister started using language not "lady-like" (who rarely does so), and in general, the six of us were edgy for another hour. It turned to be the most fun game of Settlers i'd ever played, (even if my boyfriends' friend ended up winning). I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I think the fact that none of us but one had ever played Cities and Knights before might have had something to do with it though.

[elf326]

Settlers vs. Carcassone? I'd pick Settlers every time. It's got more set-up time, but once you get the game going, it's much more interactive (trading, etc.) and fun overall. Carcassone is simpler, but requires more careful thought about each move, sort of like chess.

By the way, you can play Settlers online here:

http://catan.jsettlers.com/

I don't know if I made myself clear in the first post. I own settlers of catan. :)

Hmph. You think this thread is all about YOU? :P

Yea, I know. I was just getting into the discussion.
:oops: Sorry, just a misunderstanding. Wasn't trying to be selfish.

A question, does Carcassone have anythin in it like trading, owning a city, or is it just putting meeples on spots and scoring off of those spots?
Such as, in settlers, you own cities, roads, you trade, and you buy. Does carcassonne invlove any of this?

[InfinityMax]

Just the meeples scoring. There's a much lower level of interaction, though it is possible to really hose your fellow players. The meeples scoring is critical, but there's not much else. You place a tile as strategically as possible and then, if you want, put a little dude out to make some points.

[thaddeus p whirl]

Nexus Ops is a great must-have game; it's that strategy game you can play when you don't have all afternoon, or you could play it ten times if you do have all afternoon.

Battlelore is a good game, but Commands & Colors: Ancients is a better pick in my opinion. Really though, you can't go wrong with either. If you love history, go with C&C: Ancients. If you like very pretty games, go with Battlelore.

Good pick on Carcassonne. I can never decide whether I like Carcassonne or Settlers more; it can change from day to day.

Descent is fun, especially if you remember playing Heroquest about ten years ago. It's not as great as Heroquest was (maybe that's nostalgia talking), and it takes a hell of a time to set up, but hey, you play Heroscape, right?!?

[royaldoy]

Nexus Ops is a great must-have game; it's that strategy game you can play when you don't have all afternoon, or you could play it ten times if you do have all afternoon.

Battlelore is a good game, but Commands & Colors: Ancients is a better pick in my opinion. Really though, you can't go wrong with either. If you love history, go with C&C: Ancients. If you like very pretty games, go with Battlelore.

Good pick on Carcassonne. I can never decide whether I like Carcassonne or Settlers more; it can change from day to day.

Descent is fun, especially if you remember playing Heroquest about ten years ago. It's not as great as Heroquest was (maybe that's nostalgia talking), and it takes a hell of a time to set up, but hey, you play Heroscape, right?!?

That is definitely nostalgia talking. We pulled out Heroscape a few weeks ago....lets just say it's a bit out-dated.

As for Carc/Settlers, we have the same issue, they're both so fun it's hard to say which one truly is greater than the other. I tend to lean towards Carc most of the time, but as soon as I play a game of Settlers my mind changes. :lol:

[norseman1066]

Just the meeples scoring. There's a much lower level of interaction, though it is possible to really hose your fellow players. The meeples scoring is critical, but there's not much else. You place a tile as strategically as possible and then, if you want, put a little dude out to make some points.

Yes, it's almost like playing solitare with 3 other people at the table IMHO. BattleLore, Memior'44 and C&C:A (and Battle Cry--OOP) are much better and all use the same basic mechanics. C&C:A is a little more involved due to the number of unit types, but it is easy enough to pick up. Winds of Plunder is a Pirate Themed game that has much more interaction but plays like most Euro type games. I've played it once, but it has a good following here in the GTA. Another game I'd suggest is Blokus Trigon. It's best with 4 players but works well with 3 as well. Even my wife likes this one. :) A good amount of screwage and it takes some planning to play all your pieces.

Take with a graain of salt.........I've been playing Wargames since the mid '70's (SPI & Avalon Hill + SJG OGRE/GEV) and I don't really like the Euro Style games very much.

[mrbistro]

That is definitely nostalgia talking. We pulled out Heroscape a few weeks ago....lets just say it's a bit out-dated.
:shock: Whaaaaa?


Sorry couldn't let that slip by.

[royaldoy]

I was all ready to post a witty reply when I noticed I put "scape". :lol: :lol:

heroQUEST people heroquest, not our beloved Heroscape!!!! :D

[elf326]

I was all ready to post a witty reply when I noticed I put "scape". :lol: :lol:

heroQUEST people heroquest, not our beloved Heroscape!!!! :D
Speaking of that, how is Heroquest.
Never played D&D either. Is that better than Heroquest?

[elf326]

Does anyone know how to get a copy of the rules for Car Wars from 1981 (or a pdf of them)? A link would be great.

Thanks for any help given.

[Elstree]

Does anyone know how to get a copy of the rules for Car Wars from 1981 (or a pdf of them)? A link would be great.

Thanks for any help given.

A google for "car wars pdf" returned a couple of torrent sites that appear to have the rules available for download.

I also came across this rumor (http://jeffro.wordpress.com/2007/02/21/car-wars-pdfs-may-be-available-later-this-year/) that Steve Jackson Games may soon make the pdfs available for purchase online.

Car Wars is a game in desperate need of a remake. Designing your car was really the funnest part of the game. The actual rules of play were so clunky it took forever to actually do anything. In a typical game you might drive by your opponent a couple of times, make a couple of shots, and only 10 seconds of game time but 4 hours of real time would have elapsed.

I think Wings of War shows what a new elegant and streamlined version of Car Wars could potentially be like.

[elf326]

Does anyone know how to get a copy of the rules for Car Wars from 1981 (or a pdf of them)? A link would be great.

Thanks for any help given.

A google for "car wars pdf" returned a couple of torrent sites that appear to have the rules available for download.

I also came across this rumor (http://jeffro.wordpress.com/2007/02/21/car-wars-pdfs-may-be-available-later-this-year/) that Steve Jackson Games may soon make the pdfs available for purchase online.

Car Wars is a game in desperate need of a remake. Designing your car was really the funnest part of the game. The actual rules of play were so clunky it took forever to actually do anything. In a typical game you might drive by your opponent a couple of times, make a couple of shots, and only 10 seconds of game time but 4 hours of real time would have elapsed.

I think Wings of War shows what a new elegant and streamlined version of Car Wars could potentially be like.
Thanks, Elstree!
:D

[elf326]

Dang! I've got a tough choice. Nexus Ops, Railroad Tycoon (the board game), or Descent.

[Wytefang]

I have recently become obsessed with games other than HS. It'd really help if you could tell me how each game is if you've played it and if one is better than another. Also, if you know of a must have game for a board game collection, you might list that too.: (all are board games, btw)

Railroad Tycoon

Carcassonne

Last Night on Earth

Descent: Journeys in the Dark

BattleLore

Nexus Ops

War of the Ring

Agricola


I'll try my hand at throwing some advice your way but these are purely my own subjective opinions, they may vary from the huddled masses by a great degree. LOL

I've heard good things about Railroad Tycoon but haven't had a chance to try it, yet. Probably a safe bet.

Carcassone - Over-rated by a mile, imho. Just too boring and too simplistic for my tastes and I don't mean "too simplistic" in an elegant way. The masses swear by it so there's probably something good about it but not from my perspective.

Last Night on Earth - While it was fun, it just wasn't THAT fun and the cardstock used drives me up a wall. I'm also not much of a fan of realistic pictures being used for the art. Just a personal taste thing, though. Feels like another game that's been a bit over-inflated by popular hype.

Descent - The company I work for makes this game so I won't say much here. I like it but I'd like to play more before I could really say something substantial.

Battlelore - Supposed to be pretty cool but the unpainted minis bother me after the glory of HeroScape stuff. Still, I'm eager to play more than just a quick demo. It's probably worth its hype.

Nexus Ops - Haven't played it but it looks kind of lame. Of course looks can be vastly deceiving!

War of the Ring - By every account an awesome game and worthy of the praise it's received. I'm working my way through the rulebook and have seen a few games played but this seems like a fantastic game. My company distributes it but we didn't make it. I've exchanged a few emails with Roberto Di Meglio though and he's a great guy!

Agricola - This is another game I'm not too experienced with (at all) but it's all the rage these days which makes me leery of it. Still, must be something good to it...


You may be interested in trying Mare Nostrum and its expansion, Mythology, as well as Chrononauts and Dungeoneer - they're pretty cool (I think you asked for suggestions so those are a couple).

[Elstree]

Dang! I've got a tough choice. Nexus Ops, Railroad Tycoon (the board game), or Descent.

Given that Nexus Ops is out of print and the other two are not, I'd grab the copy of Nexus Ops while you can.

[elf326]

Dang! I've got a tough choice. Nexus Ops, Railroad Tycoon (the board game), or Descent.

Given that Nexus Ops is out of print and the other two are not, I'd grab the copy of Nexus Ops while you can.
How long is the rulebook for nexus ops...can't be as long as starcraft or descent.:lol:

[Rodriquez]

Dang! I've got a tough choice. Nexus Ops, Railroad Tycoon (the board game), or Descent.

Given that Nexus Ops is out of print and the other two are not, I'd grab the copy of Nexus Ops while you can.
How long is the rulebook for nexus ops...can't be as long as starcraft or descent.:lol:

if yer lucky ye also find nex op at TRU for 10 bucks still.
Rulebook isna all that long either. nowhere near as involved as starcraft/descent

[Dreaded Gazebo]

Dang! I've got a tough choice. Nexus Ops, Railroad Tycoon (the board game), or Descent.

I don't think you could've listed three games that were more different ;)

Railroad Tycoon is a fun, pretty straightforward "train" game. You build tracks across the country in an attempt to ship goods to their appropriate destinations. The further you send it the more its worth but this may mean hopping on someone else's track to get the job done. It's quite a bit of fun but the game is unbelievably huge. There's quite a bit going on and your first few turns might feel a little overwhelming but once you get the hang of things you'll cruise through the turns and have a lot of fun.

Nexus Ops is a light sci-fi war game for four players. Don't let the box cover scare you off... the game is actually a lot of fun. Unlike most war games, the goal here is to collect 12 victory points before your opponents. Victory points are earned by completing objectives on cards you draw each turn. It's a pretty clever system and also makes the game extremely offensive-oriented. There's no turtling and odds are if you're not attacking someone you may be doing something wrong! It's fast and fun.

Descent is the ultimate dungeon crawling board games. It pits a group of heroes against the overlord who is trying to actively kill them off. With the recent Road to Legend expansion that adds a whole campaign system on top of the base game, Descent has become one of my absolute favorite board games. You'll need a fair amount of time to play it, though. Even with Road to Legend (which can be taken apart and set up again later to continue your campaign) you'll probably want a good 2-3 hour block each time you play. If you have the time and four friends, though, Descent rocks.

Nexus Ops would be a great first choice, though. Fantastic game. Railroad Tycoon and Descent are both great games, just depends on what you are looking for.

[ej]

More games I've been exposed to lately:

Memoir 44 - I like it better than BattleLore.

Samurai - Wow. I get my butt kicked every time, but it's still a fun game.\

Mr. Jack - a fun two-player game of elimination. Just an excellent somewhat light game.

[elf326]

I'm thinking nexus ops next. Maybe railroad tycoon after that because descent takes so long and has a MASSIVE rulebook. About how long does railroad tycoon take to play per extra player?

It is also tough to get bang for your buck in long ffg games because I find it can be hard to find an oppurtunity to play them. Also, you need a very commited group of gamers considering how long the game is and all of the rules.

[Finrod]

I'm thinking nexus ops next. Maybe railroad tycoon after that because descent takes so long and has a MASSIVE rulebook.

Massive??? That dinky rulebook isn't massive.

Squad Leader - that rulebook's massive.
Star Fleet Battles - that rulebook's massive.

Descent? pffffttttt. Dinky rulebook.

I'll grant you that you need time to play. And the rules could certainly be better organized.

But the rulebook itself is not massive by any definition of the word.

You want massive? Railroad Tycoon's MAP is massive. Seriously. You need a very big table to play it.

[elf326]

So hard to decide! I want to find nexus ops at $30 or less, but there are many other options. Here are my favorite games I have now:

Heroscape
Starcraft
Last night on Earth
Carcassonne
Settlers of Catan
Axis and Allies
The Lord of the Rings SBG
Warhammer

What is the best game with "bang for your buck" that people like to play.
What is your favorite game of all time. I don't mean Heroscape (the battle of all time), although it is one of my favorite games.

[MI_Tiger]

What is the best game with "bang for your buck" that people like to play.
What is your favorite game of all time. I don't mean Heroscape (the battle of all time), although it is one of my favorite games.

For great "bang for your buck", try some of the Cheapass Games. They come packaged in a plain black and white box, with cheap paper maps/cards and no other components. You provide your own dice and tokens (several Heroscape figures have made appearances in our games). The emphasis is on publishing game rules without wasting money on flashy components. Each game costs around $5-$8.

I've only played a couple, but I understand that quality varies widely. One that gets generally good reviews is Kill Doctor Lucky. This game is essentially the night before "Clue" - you are all guests in a mansion trying to find and kill your host. If you are alone with Dr. Lucky you can attempt to kill him by playing a card worth a certain amount of points. Each other player gets one chance to play "Failure Cards" which are also worth points. If the total of all the failure cards is equal to or more than your attack points, you fail; otherwise you kill the Doctor and win the game. It is simple but fun (and it can drag on a bit, although the game does limit time by not recycling failure cards).

They did recently publish a big budget version of Kill Doctor Lucky, with a "real" board and nicer components (I think it costs ~$30). I assume the rules are the same, but I haven't tried the upscale version.

[rdhight]

Just the meeples scoring. There's a much lower level of interaction, though it is possible to really hose your fellow players. The meeples scoring is critical, but there's not much else. You place a tile as strategically as possible and then, if you want, put a little dude out to make some points.

My experience is that the inns and cathedrals make the game much better. Instead of "Oh, it was your turn to get more city tiles with shields this game, how nice for you," there's more head-butting and throat-slitting. It's well-nigh impossible for someone who claims a cathedral city to finish behind someone who missed out, so there's a lot more tension when one of those hits the table. You just have to make sure you're playing with people who want to win. Otherwise, this happens:

Her brain: Well, Mike's big city will probably never finish if I don't do it for him, and it would look so cool... I'll play here. Nice!

Your brain: AUGH you just committed suicide to make Mike win! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!

[ej]

The lure of a pretty board is strong in Carcassonne. I've fallen prey to it as well. An incomplete city, whether mine or my opponents, screams out to be completed.

Bang for your buck? Memoir.

[Dreaded Gazebo]

What is the best game with "bang for your buck" that people like to play.
What is your favorite game of all time. I don't mean Heroscape (the battle of all time), although it is one of my favorite games.

Bang for your Buck
(retail / online)

Citadels (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/478) ($20/$14) - From the Fantasy Flight silver line, Citadels is probably one of the best gaming values out there. Players secretly pick roles and place new building cards down in an attempt to earn the most points. The brilliant part is how the roles interact. Citadels is all about second guessing your opponents in an attempt to either stop them or avoid getting nailed.

For Sale (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/172) ($15/$10) - Quick little filler auction game. The game has two parts: first you buy properties and then you sell them for money. It's incredibly simple, can be taught in a few minutes and played in not much more than that. There's some fun groupthink that will determine how a round plays out. One of the ultimate fillers, I think you could open or close every game night with it.

Category 5 (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/432) ($10/$5) - Hands-down my favorite filler. Even easier and faster than For Sale but it has that same sort of groupthink going on which makes it so much fun. It's also very light but there's just enough thought that goes into it that you can tell a good player from a bad player. Like For Sale it's something you could play every week to open or close the night. You'll also probably find your group playing several rounds in a row and then saying, "Just one more."

Favorite Games

Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/12493) - No question on this one. With the Shattered Empire expansion TI3 is seriously the most fun you'll find in a board game. It has politics, war, technology, backstabbing, long term strategy and tactics all together in one sweet package. Only problem is that it's a long game... you'll need to dedicate the better part of a day for it. If you have the time, though, it simply can't be beat.

Descent: Journeys in the Dark (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/17226) - With Road to Legend, Descent has become one of my personal favorites. It's always been a good game but the overlying campaign gives all the players a good sense of progression and you feel like you are building towards something; you actually get invested in your characters. Great game.

Britannia (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/240) - One of the most amazingly balanced games I've played but it doesn't feel stale because of it. Britannia emulates all the various invasions of England, Scotland, and Wales over roughly 1000 years. Each player controls four (or five) nations and they tend to peak at different points in the game. New nations are always coming on to the scene and the face of the map changes wildly from turn to turn. The game is extremely dynamic even though the overall course of the game is fixed as it roughly follows history. Your first few plays will push 6 hours but once you get four people that know how to play you'll get that time down.

[elf326]

Just the meeples scoring. There's a much lower level of interaction, though it is possible to really hose your fellow players. The meeples scoring is critical, but there's not much else. You place a tile as strategically as possible and then, if you want, put a little dude out to make some points.

My experience is that the inns and cathedrals make the game much better. Instead of "Oh, it was your turn to get more city tiles with shields this game, how nice for you," there's more head-butting and throat-slitting. It's well-nigh impossible for someone who claims a cathedral city to finish behind someone who missed out, so there's a lot more tension when one of those hits the table. You just have to make sure you're playing with people who want to win. Otherwise, this happens:

Her brain: Well, Mike's big city will probably never finish if I don't do it for him, and it would look so cool... I'll play here. Nice!

Your brain: AUGH you just committed suicide to make Mike win! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!

I completely agree with you about the Inns and Cathedrals expansion.

Dreaded Gazebo, TI3 looks like so much fun, but it seems like it would take a while to play. Is it complicated to people with so many elements? Nonetheless, it's on my list.

Citadels looks cool. It looks like it has some nice artwork. It doesn't look like it takes too long to play.

Descent looks like fantastic fantasy fun :D. I want to get that one sometime. It looks like it is good to get the expansion, Road to Legend, with it.

Those filler games you mentioned are supposed to be quick and simple fun, right? Sounds good to me.

Wings of War is another game I'm looking into. The minis look great! The movement system seems cool, too.

Has anyone tried the LNoE Growing Hunger Expansion?

Before all this though, I need another ROTV.

Thanks for all your response.

P.S. I got Nexus Ops.

[aquaone]

Crap, I wrote a long post and munged either alt or ctrl. d'oh.
short version this time.

Settlers of Catan (http://boardgamegeek.com/game/13) = good. most expansions = meh, too much time.
Carcassonne (http://boardgamegeek.com/game/822) = <3. most expansions = lame rules but fun tiles. King and Baron (http://boardgamegeek.com/game/7707) = awecore.

Awesome games that I've found at $20 or less and recommend: Risk 2210 (http://boardgamegeek.com/game/1829), Betrayal at House on the Hill (http://boardgamegeek.com/game/10547), Mission Red Planet (http://boardgamegeek.com/game/18258). Thebes (http://boardgamegeek.com/game/30869) is fun but I haven't seen it for <$20 yet... and wouldn't consider it worth $30+, let alone $45 it lists at.

I tend to shy away from games like TI3 (http://boardgamegeek.com/game/12493), Colosseum (http://boardgamegeek.com/game/27746), etc. because I find them too complicated. I'm lame.

There are a lot of card games I'd recommend but this is the wrong forum...

[SlikkRikk]

Right now I'm big into Last Night on Earth, and I can't see how anyone wouldn't love it. The mechanics are unbelievable in that it seems that every game goes right down to the wire.

Heroquest will always hold a dear place in my heart and when my son advances a bit more in age it will be played again through every scenario. To accommodate for age it's pretty easy to include a few rules here and there to keep it fresh.

Next game up for me is Memoir 44.

[mrbistro]

Dang! I've got a tough choice. Nexus Ops, Railroad Tycoon (the board game), or Descent.
I wouldn't even be considering Railroad Tycoon with the other two. I recommend Nexus Ops over Descent just because it's harder to find. Get it now while you can.

[Hahnarama]

Love my Nexus Ops. If you want a "rail" game get Ticket to Ride.

[MI_Tiger]

I just got the Ticket to Ride Card Game. It it very different from the board game, although it has a similar theme. The card game is really more of a memory game than anything else, but there are other elements. Basically, you play "sets" of colored train cards in front of you, with each color in a separate pile. Other players can "train rob" you by playing more of a given color, forcing you to discard your pile of that color. At the beginning of each turn, you move the top card from each of your color piles into a face-down safe pile. You cannot look at your safe pile until the end of the game.

When all train cards are played, you look through your safe pile and see how many destination tickets you completed. Like the board game, you score bonus points for each completed ticket and lose points for each ticket you fail to complete. You start with 1-6 tickets and can take more during the game. It is VERY important to remember which colors you have in your safe pile when you take tickets because you don't want to have uncompleted tickets at the end.

This is a pretty poor description, but hopefully it gives some idea of gameplay. I've only played a couple of times, but it was fun, although not as good as the board game. It has some similarities to the original, but the trains are more of a "tacked on" theme rather than an integral part of the card game. But the components (cards) are excellent quality and its pretty good "Bang for Your Buck" at around $25.

[ej]

I just got the Ticket to Ride Card Game. It it very different from the board game, although it has a similar theme. The card game is really more of a memory game than anything else, but there are other elements. Basically, you play "sets" of colored train cards in front of you, with each color in a separate pile. Other players can "train rob" you by playing more of a given color, forcing you to discard your pile of that color. At the beginning of each turn, you move the top card from each of your color piles into a face-down safe pile. You cannot look at your safe pile until the end of the game.

When we played it we didn't use the memory component (otherwise I would've been screw-ew-ew-ew-ewed). Even so, it was still challenging.

[wdgrant]

I agree with Hahn and highly recommend Ticket to Ride. I bought the Europe version for my wife's birthday and we played it tonight with our 8 year old son. Everyone enjoyed their first game, and I think it will become very popular with us all.

[STEALTHRULER]

BUY HEROSCAPE! IT IS A GOOD GAME! THEN CHECK OUT HEROSCAPERS.COM! Wait, you already did....your quick! Risk is good. they have a monopoly w/ credit cards now!

[Elf_Archer]

Ive played Axis and Allies before, if you can set it up, it's a blast to play

[Hahnarama]

Ive played Axis and Allies before, if you can set it up, it's a blast to play

If you are planning on getting A&A wait for the new anniversary set to be released. It should be out here in a few weeks.

[Elf_Archer]

What does this anniversary edition include?

[Hahnarama]

Here is the last info I saw on it.

http://www.boardgamenews.com/index.php/boardgamenews/comments/axis_allies_anniversary_edition_as_big_as_promised/

[elf326]

Do you think I should buy more HS or board games?
Thanks for all the ideas.

HS

I have:

4 ROTV
1 SOTM
2 RTTFF
1 FOTA
1 VW Modded...sort of
1 TT Modded
0 TJ
Wave 1 (Gruts Modded and x2 snipers and vipers)
Minutemen and wolves
Wave 4 (x2 vipers and sacred band, but 1 sacred band modded)
Wave five
Wave 6 (x2 zombies, eldgrim modded... I tried to make him more like Gimli from LOTR)
Wave 7 Hero pack (the one with Cyprien)
First 2 Large Hero Packs

Board Games:

I have:

Halo Actionclix (only 1 pack)
Zombie Plague
LOTR SBG
Warhammer
Last Night on Earth
Nexus Ops
Starcraft
Settlers of Catan
Carcassone (and Inns and Cathedrals Expansion)
Axis and Allies
Risk
Wings of War