Battlestar Galactica

[Elstree]

I don't know how I've missed this thread! A couple of suggestions:

1) Yes, either have everyone look at their loyalty card for ten seconds, or read out loud the Cylon cards to everyone before the loyalty deck is shuffled and dealt so that anyone who gets a Cylon card already understands its power at a glance.

2) The best way we've found to speed along the game is this: You may not make accusations, ask people about their loyalty, etc. on your turn. Just move, take your action, and resolve your crisis. Leave the table talk for someone else's turn.

@ CheddarLimbo I think the rules specify in the section on the importance of secrecy that you cannot claim your specific skill cards.


And just for fun, I'm reposting a session report I posted to BGG:

Here's how it happened: Four player game, I'm Helo, and I'm a Cylon. Gaius Baltar, the President, gets a crisis on the first turn of the game that lets him look at someone's loyalty card, and he choses mine. He tells the other two players I'm a Cylon, and they believe him. I make my best attempt to protest my innocence, but I can tell I'm not very convincing. Doesn't matter: I'm Helo, it's turn one, I'm still stranded, and they can't brig me.

Turns go around the table. I do my best to undermine the humans on skill checks. Everyone's sure I'm a Cylon at this point so why bother trying to hide it? We fail a check and lose a point of population.

Meanwhile, I'm watching the jump track: up one notch...up a second notch...yes! My turn comes around and the jump track is on the -3. Helo returns to Galactica (“Hurrah! Helo's alive!”), goes straight to FTL Control and jumps the fleet (“Crap! Helo's a Cylon!”). Someone plays a Strategic Planning card and I make the jump roll. But I'm Helo: I use my reroll ability and fail the second one. Minus three population!

Now, since I haven't officially revealed myself as a Cylon that makes me admiral. I take a good look at our choices of destination and decide to send us into an asteroid field. I pick a civvie to destroy and happen to draw the one with two population icons on it.

So, halfway through the second round the humans had lost half their population. It was all downhill for the humans from there...

[SlikkRikk]

Hahahah! That's great Elstree.

[CheddarLimbo]

Wow, way to turn the game around Elstree!

[RichardD]

Originally Posted by CheddarLimbo

I'd be interested to hear what you mean by that. Into every skill check a selection of random cards are added face down...so I don't see card counting as much of a problem.

As I recall, it was only one or two cards added at random; given that you know who can play what colours, it's not hard to spot the Cylon *really* fast if he's not careful when he helps and when he hinders; a Cylon who tries to have the Humans fail every skill test should be spotted with relative ease.

At least, that was *my* experience of the game.

[Elstree]

Originally Posted by RichardD

As I recall, it was only one or two cards added at random; given that you know who can play what colours, it's not hard to spot the Cylon *really* fast if he's not careful when he helps and when he hinders; a Cylon who tries to have the Humans fail every skill test should be spotted with relative ease.

At least, that was *my* experience of the game.

To me this sounds like a problem with the Cylon player, not a problem with the game.

[CheddarLimbo]

Originally Posted by Elstree

To me this sounds like a problem with the Cylon player, not a problem with the game.

Agreed!

Being good at BSG means being subtle. If you're relentless and blatant like that you're going to get found out. The destiny mechanic is designed to give you just enough information to make wild accusations without knowing for sure what's really going on.

[RichardD]

Well, there's nothing in the rules about making sure that only *sneaky* players get to draw a cylon card!

But BSG was a game I liked the *idea* of more than I liked the actual execution, unfortunately.

[LilNewbie]

New Expansion announced:

Battlestar Galactica: Pegasus



http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ed...s.asp?eidn=596

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/43539

Newb.

[lonewolf]

Originally Posted by LilNewbie

New Expansion announced:

Battlestar Galactica: Pegasus

That is awesome, I wonder if they will be previewing at Gencon or maybe even selling.

[LilNewbie]

If not released before GC, I bet it will be there for prerelease sales.

Newb.

[lonewolf]

Originally Posted by LilNewbie

If not released before GC, I bet it will be there for prerelease sales.

Newb.

Do you need my address so that you know where to ship it to?

[Sweetcurse]

Great news.