The NEW New Boardgames Thread

[CountDeMoney]

Legion of Honor is pretty close to printing.  Still time to pre-order for those out there that haven't :

About fucking time.

[Habbaku]

No kidding.  I checked my PayPal statements just to figure up how long it's been since I pre-ordered.  It'll be three years two weeks from now.

[CountDeMoney]

Jeez, that's a good idea.  I can't remember if I did or not.

[Tamas]

the huge beautiful solitaire Napoleon game

DVG's Field Commander Napoleon. It has like a dozen maps and separate counter sets for each campaigns, plus a tactical battle map with formation rules and shit.

[CountDeMoney]

Yeah, that one looks interesting, but I'm much more intrigued with Nimitz.  Curious as to how that is going manage play on both strategic and operational levels.

[Tamas]

I have been playing the solitaire Napoleon game. I am quite hooked.

I first trashed the 1796 scenario, but figured more than halfway in that I was ignoring some important rules, so no wonder it was that easy.

Then I tried the 1798 campaign and attrited to shit in no time. That one appears to be more about establishing a stable foothold and just running the clock down (you get VPs for surviving units, even).

I figured I would start over in chronological order, but first I wanted to try a bigger campaign, so 1805 seemed like a good choice.

You see, the "AI" is of course random, but the way it is set up, it can cause problems, since you are trying to be as fast as possible, for the best score.

In  battles, there are standard orders you can give to any unit, and there are special orders for both the French, and the enemies. The number of special orders you can assign to Frenchmen depends on Nappy's skill in the campaign, (usually you can just assign one per round if he is not around), while enemy orders depend on the campaign.
What this ends up in practice is that to avoid a fairly standard slug fest you either need Nappy to be around, or spend a good amount of Supply (the game's currency) on extra plans.
The other end result is that the bulk of the enemy forces will operate on a fairly standard routine when numerous enough to not be completely covered by enemy special orders, but there will be always a number of possible surprises or effective enemy unit actions. Among the enemy orders are also 'global' modifiers, so you may end up with all enemy units having various bonuses for the round.
All in all, you obviously have the chance to "outsmart" the enemy AI but it is not always easy, and you cannot be sure.
Just like in my ongoing 2nd play of the 1796 campaign, where I was planning to kick the arse of a numerically superior Austrian stack which moved against my Nappy stack, but at the most crucial moment of overruning their advancing columns, one of my two cavalries failed to follow my order, which in the end left the Austrians enough time to decimate my troops and force me to retreat.

On the campaign map, the way the AI random move orders work, you will most likely end up with them converging on any weak spot you leave. In the 1805 game, I had to fight two small, but nail-biting battles to keep Munich against the Austrians pouring in from the North while my two main stacks advanced on Vienna
Speaking of 1805 and two stacks, I didn't check the Russian stack I would have to fight in Austerlitz (Austerlitz is the furthest objective on the map and the Russians appear on it's space when you enter it), and had a very bloody an inconclusive battle there, before deciding to just give up and restart from 1796.

All in all, I know it's solitaire and whatever, and it is much superior to stare at unpunched counters of monster games you will never play, but I do enjoy it so far. All the campaigns (and there is a crapload of them) present you with different problems to solve, and while you always have the tactical superiority since you are fighting an AI, you can seldom be sure of your victory, and the victory conditions force you to be tight and always seek the most efficient way of handling things.

[CountDeMoney]

I picked up an excellent, barely used copy of Where There Is Discord a couple weeks ago;  without a doubt, one of the finest solitaire innovations in a very long time.  Been having a total blast with it.

[Ed Anger]

I'm putting this in the board game section. BECAUSE I CAN.

Marines like Warhammer.

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/gaming/2012/09/warhammer_40k_why_american_troops_love_to_play_a_game_featuring_orks_necrons_and_space_marines_.single.html

[CountDeMoney]

That's total awesomeness. :darkangels:

[The Brain]

 

[Tamas]

Is the Kingdom of Heaven rulebook available somewhere? It would be nice to read it at work.

[CountDeMoney]

Probably not.  MMP don't play like that.

[Tamas]

Probably not.  MMP don't play like that.

Oh crap. Fuck'em.

[CountDeMoney]

Like they need eastern Europeans ripping off their products, selling photostatic copies of cards and shit. 

[Tamas]

Like they need eastern Europeans ripping off their products, selling photostatic copies of cards and shit. 

Oh screw you too, I have bought the game.

But reading the rulebook TAKES TIME, and I would prefer to read it when I am payed to do so.