HeroScape is coming back!

[chas]

My own local group (see signature thread below) has created its own reality of casual games going back many years, with Classic, VC, sometimes Supers, and for the last year or so Proxy AOA. But of course we still play to win, even if, as I'm about to do later today, I have a wacky unit in my army (Taelord) who we almost never play.

In a larger sense, we play for entertainment as much as for winning, since in Heroscape, a single die roll can throw you right off the winning track. We've done the same thing with all the AOA units, even our own version (Mine or Anitar's) of the cards that didn't come out--the SOTM Heroes and Valkyries!

I've traveled to a few community tournaments up in New England (the main Scape creators minus Craig) or down to Baltimore (Dadscaper). Mostly to the local annual Islandscape out on Long Island (Warbanner). We've held practice sessions for them here using the armies we planned to play there. I've won three "Worst Luck" (Booby Prize) trophies there and one Third Place. And when I won our own NYCG4 minitourney here, I even had a trophy made up for myself!

Come to think of it, this discussion just gave me an idea for another playful monthly custom scenario--we each bring a unit we don't want to play, make a pool of them, and then draft them into our armies! Ho ho!

[Scytale]

Originally Posted by Owlman

I personally wanna see more interesting powers on figures that look cool/interest me. I don't care about raw stats so much as fun/interesting powers when it comes to designing a figure/seeing new stuff

Fun/interesting powers is smoke and mirrors. There may be something there, there may not be. A power may sound exciting in words but in gameplay does not provide any interesting play or counterplay. Whereas a simple, well-used power can provide new and exciting gameplay on the right unit.

[IAmBatman]

If a power is "interesting" but the design is not good enough for its cost, it won't be "interesting" for long.

[Nukatha]

A few more fun Hex Count comparisons:
If you buy one each of the three new sets you have a total of 456 hexes to work with in mapmaking.

RotV (359), plus RttFF (29) and Thaelenk Tundra (73) is 461, almost matching the new sets.
SotM plus Volcarren Wasteland TT is 359 hexes, exactly matching one RotV.
SotM plus BftU and TJ is 460, for another near-match to the three new sets

[IAmBatman]

Now that we have significant sale prices available from non-Renegade sources, the prospect of buying some of this stuff just for terrain seems a lot more reasonable.

[boromir96]

Originally Posted by IAmBatman

Now that we have significant sale prices available from non-Renegade sources, the prospect of buying some of this stuff just for terrain seems a lot more reasonable.

And also the incoming terrain packs in future waves will hopefully have similar discounts. $35 for Jungle is pretty much what I was hoping it would be, $50 was a bit too high imo.

[wriggz]

Originally Posted by Shiftrex

I'm not assuming it is. And I'm also not sure what a poll of the hundred people that post on this forum would tell you.

Doesnt change the fact that the Einar flag bearer is unplayable unless you either contrive a very specific firmat/circumstance for it or enjoy playing a unit that isnt going to help you much.

Even if a persons focus isnt competitive I doubt they want to pick very weak units. Do you pick the car in a racing game that's the slowest by a significant margin if it doesnt have any other benefits? Maybe if your friends are terrible... or if you just enjoy losing lol. Neither is true for me. Most people dont like picking an option in a game (just in general) if it is inferior by a significant margin.

You sound young - don't take it as an insult, I have a older friend that talks about games in the same spirit, but normally I hear that focus on winning and competitiveness is a trait of the young, where playing against either the game or yourself is a frame of mind that often comes latter.

[Shiftrex]

Originally Posted by wriggz

You sound young - don't take it as an insult, I have a older friend that talks about games in the same spirit, but normally I hear that focus on winning and competitiveness is a trait of the young, where playing against either the game or yourself is a frame of mind that often comes latter.

That's a fair acknowledgement, but I'm almost through with my first 20 year retirement commitment lol. I'm not old but im not young.

Sports and games have always fell into a competitive bin for me. If I'm playing against the game, it's because it's a single player video game. I dont suppose heroscape a deep enough game by any measure to wax philosophical on in terms of playing against the game or myself. It's not JiuJitsu, or Boxing, or Smash Brothers, or Chess, or Shogi, or Poker.

It's a dice game of strategic positioning to be sure. I enjoy playing to win. I have only enjoyed the experience of losing in close games or where I feel I had agency that could have delivered a win. I dont enjoy playing a game at a high disadvantage, doesnt seem unreasonable when contrasting the experience with dozens of other games and sports.

Honestly, if not caring if you win is an 'older folks' thing then all the people down at the senior center must be doing it wrong lol. They take cards very seriously, and if you're their pinochle partner then youd better pull your weight or you're not being asked back lol. Granny taught me the game at 12, and it wasnt to play like a knucklehead. Miss that lady a lot.

[Robotech Master]

I lean very heavily towards competitive play, as I enjoy creating lists that function well while also being the types of models I like and want to field. But I don't have problems dipping into C-tier stuff just because. Hell I just played Grok Riders. But if its so useless that it practically offends me, yeah I'm probably not touching it.

But HeroScape has always been in an awkward place in that area because of how limited its really competitive stuff became compared to the rest of the options; largely a result of the game not having an official competitive or organized play development that other games benefit a lot from. Things like balance updates to bring up weaker units and tone down the consistent game breakers, and tournament-focused scenarios with aggressive win conditions other than figure destruction which penalize ranged forces for hanging back and not committing to the objectives, have always been a good way to change up the list constructions you would encounter with just the base rules.

[Lord Pyre]

Originally Posted by Shiftrex

Honestly, if not caring if you win is an 'older folks' thing then all the people down at the senior center must be doing it wrong lol. They take cards very seriously, and if you're their pinochle partner then youd better pull your weight or you're not being asked back lol. Granny taught me the game at 12, and it wasnt to play like a knucklehead. Miss that lady a lot.

My mom goes to the senior center once in a while to play Majong, and they're the most cutthroat people in the universe.

[Shiftrex]

Real talk, lol!

[wriggz]

Maybe I'm jarred by having school age kids where winning is everything.

I've always been a more story player. If rather loose in a blaze of glory than win through thorough careful play. Maybe ity time in D&D. Heroscapes not chess, but it ain't candyland either.

I do prefer draft or multi player play since both formats auto balance weak units (counter drafts from small pool) or politics of weaker players targeting stronger players.