My Favorite Games Are The Close Ones

[Grungebob]

Ok. I am one of the oldies around here. This Friday I turn 40. I have been a miniature gamer since I was around 14 so you do the math. I have played countless games and have collected a fairly large amount of figures from many different manufacturers.

Anyway, one of the things that I noticed immediately about Heroscape was the fact that so many games ended very closely rather than the typical situation where one person is dominating for 75% of the game etc.

These photo finish games.. these nail biters are simply, the best gaming experience for me. I seriously do not enjoy games that I lose horribly or win horribly. And on the flip side, I could care less who wins the game as long as it is close.

This whole thing is made even more intense when playing against my friends. I want to crawl in a hole when I win big or when I loose horribly. I about crawled under a rock at one tourney when I Dead eye Dan killed Imax's Q9 and totally ruined his win (he was trouncing me something awful). ... Just not my cupa.

It is my belief that one of the main reasons I enjoy Heroscape so much is because of the order markers. This genius invention, helps keep the game somewhat even down to the end, and promotes more close endings. At the core, I do believe that this is the source of me fascination with this game.

Now I know there are some out there that love to totally dominate a scenario, and this is a chance for you top chime in, but for me it is all about those close endings.

[Scape_Scrub11]

I agree completely, the order markers are the greatest, and nothing beats a close game...

[Joah]

That about sums it up for me too. That and the luck factor. Makes it a hoot to play, makes it fun to watch.
In a recent game, I was about to roll 10 defense dice. I needed, like two shields.
Mr. Barkypants said as I rolled.."Get the perfect attack!"

Ten skulls came up.
You just have to laugh at that.
A pretty fun game, that I lost.
Oh well, I get another crack at Barky tonight.

[jdtenor]

The games I remember the most are those photo finish games and quite a few scape game are down to the wire. It makes it better win or lose.

[InfinityMax]

You are so right, GB. I love those tight wins. The best game I had last Saturday was against Wisinger, and it came down to a slugfest between Toro and one MacDirk. He pulled it out, but we both knew it could have gone either way, and that's what was so much fun.

[monkeyfish]

I agree. In one game my friend had decimated most of my army w/ his Zombie and Shade horde, but I managed to beat him back with Raelin and the Marros.

[Agent Minivann]

The close ones are the best. I feel like an anus when wiping the board with someone, and on the flip side, I'm thinking "get on with it" when I'm on the receiving end. It looks like this is virtually the consensus (so far). I think the NBA Finals ratings this year confirm that people like the close finishes.

[ugly1hornedmule]

This past Sunday I won a game after my wife only had one Imperium and the Empress left. She then took out Krug, Sir Hawthorne, and a horde of zombies leaving only two Marro Warriors on the board.

What a great game.

[Grungebob]

Originally Posted by Agent Minivann

The close ones are the best. I feel like an anus when wiping the board with someone, and on the flip side, I'm thinking "get on with it" when I'm on the receiving end. It looks like this is virtually the consensus (so far). I think the NBA Finals ratings this year confirm that people like the close finishes.

I guess my point was that I believe that the Heroscape game system actually creates more close finishes than other games because a person that pulls ahead many times does not gain any extreme advantage by doing so. He still only gets 3 activations a round just like his opponent who is missing a big chunk of his army due to casualties. This is that key element that makes this game stand out from the crowd in my opinion. It has also been heavily criticized by hard core gamers who feel as though the game rewards players who do not deserve it.... I don't care about that because what I really like are the close games anyway and even if the system falsely creates that for me, I am ok with that.

[Revdyer]

Grungebob, I think part of this speaks to why we play games (and this particular game) in the first place. Some play to "prove" that they are better than their opponents. Such folks do not, generally, like close calls, I suspect.

Others, and I'm one of them and I'm pretty sure you are too and a lot of other folks here, play for the joy of playing. I simply enjoy watching the figures move around the board. It is like a movie that I'm part of. For people like us, the close finish is part of the fun of playing a game with such an intense "plot line."

Then there are people who play for the joy of being with other people (you can have more than one reason for playing, and we both know how much we enjoy the people in and around the game). Close or not probably has less impact on this reason for playing, but those end-game shouts and groans are a lot more fun than the silence that tends to fall over games that have become one-sided and predictable.

It is the genius of the order markers that keeps HeroScape games "live" longer than so many other games. It makes the game less "realistic" to some critics, I know; but it makes the game more of a game (i.e., fun) for me. Thanks for reminding me of that.

[markwars]

When you are right you are right, GB.

At the Worst Army Tourney this past Saturday I played four games. The first game against IMax was close the entire time. The second game against Jonathan's brother came down to three figures (two of his and one of mine). The third game against Wisinger came down to three figures (two of mine and one of his). And the last game against Phihercules was proof of just how balanced this game is. The poor guy's dice rolls were just terrible for the first half of the game. When he needed skulls he rolled pure shields. When he needed a shield he'd roll pure skulls. I've never seen such a display of unfortunate dice rolling. At the end of the game though his rolls came around and he darn near beat me. It came down to my two figures beating his last MacDirk warrior. Every single one of the four games ended with me biting my fingernails.

I love games like that. Win or lose they are the only ones that are fun.

OK, I take it back it's always fun to romp someone that publicly calls out your tourney team before the event even starts.

[MegadeV]

I too love the close games. The games that swing back and forth and come down to one or two figures duking it out are always the most memorable and exciting.

Of course when you're playing against good friends, it is nice to completely annihilate them on occasion so you can rub it in.