Timewaster's Guide Archive

General => Everything Else => Topic started by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on May 12, 2003, 08:24:32 PM

Title: Settlers
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on May 12, 2003, 08:24:32 PM
Just wondering. I know I like Settlers of Catan
But is Seafarers or Starfarers of Catan worth it?
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Mr_Pleasington on May 12, 2003, 08:32:23 PM
Seafarers:  In short, no, it's not worth it.  It gives a lot more options but changes the beautiful and elegant dynamic that makes Settlers so great.  If you're really bored of Settlers it might be worth it to you.

Can't say much about Starfarers as I've never played.  
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Spriggan on May 12, 2003, 08:34:54 PM
I think Tage has Starefarers
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Fellfrosch on May 13, 2003, 01:25:27 AM
Starfarers is cool but overcomplicated; it adds a lot of new mechanics without really adding any meat to the game.

I just saw a Stone Age Catan game in the store that looked pretty interesting. Anybody played that?
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Tage on May 13, 2003, 01:43:58 AM
Don't ever bother with Starfarers. I've played it a handful of times now, trying to give it a fair chance, and it just doesn't live up to the standard set by its predecessor.

Personally, I thought Seafarers was fun. I've only played it once, but it was nice to have sheep be useful. I don't like the whole pre-set scenerio idea though.

A stone age Settlers could be fun.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Mr_Pleasington on May 13, 2003, 03:37:30 AM
There's a review of the Stone Age game on rpg.net this week. I haven't read it but its blurb mentions some flaws.  

http://www.rpg.net

Personally, if its a Cataan game and it doesn't have a randomized board it already has two strikes against it.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on May 13, 2003, 08:46:09 AM
Well then I'll probably just stick with Settlers. If I have 25ish extra dollars of store credit, any suggestions I should use for that?
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Fellfrosch on May 13, 2003, 01:34:45 PM
Get "Apples to Apples."
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on May 13, 2003, 01:41:29 PM
was ist?
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Fellfrosch on May 13, 2003, 02:15:39 PM
It's kind of a word association game. Each player has a hand of red cards, each of which has a noun (Bread, Democrats, Mel Gibson, The 60s, etc.). Each turn a different player is the judge, who lays down a green card with an adjective (sticky, beautiful, disturbing, etc.). The other players have to lay down a noun that relates to the adjective in some way, and the judge chooses the one he likes the best--using literally any criteria you want, since there aren't any rules. The winner gets to keep the green card, and the first player to collect a certain number of green cards wins.

It the kind of party game that sounds really weird and unfocused, but is very, very fun to play. One time with my family the word was "fragrant", and my mom played "Anne Frank." Her defense was that she never got to take a bath while hiding in the attic, and the judge gave it to her. What other game lets you do stuff like that?
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on May 13, 2003, 02:30:28 PM
Ha! cool. Since part of why I'm taking all these books back is to get stuff my wife will be more happy that I got, maybe I'll look for that.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Entsuropi on May 13, 2003, 02:33:44 PM
Hm.

What is settlers of catan? I have only heard its name, never its point or purpose.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Fellfrosch on May 13, 2003, 02:50:53 PM
The day we started this site, Tage promised a review of Settlers. Someday he may even write it, assuming a flying pig sits on his head and makes him.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on May 13, 2003, 02:55:34 PM
Will the Pig sitting on his head squeeze the monkeys out of his butt?

Settlers is a board game. The board is in several pieces and the players put it together, so it changes with each game. The idea is to collect resources (so you build in strategic locations) and to essentially build civilization: you get points for things like most cities and longest road. S'fun.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Mad Dr Jeffe on May 13, 2003, 02:57:50 PM
Nano Fictionary and Fluxx are great ffamily games too
Nano is a story making game, you get cards and people have to fit it into the story, and you saw fluxx.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Mr_Pleasington on May 13, 2003, 04:31:42 PM
I don't know if you guys pick up any gaming mags, but for the past few months most of the main ones have been running full page adds for Gen Con.  

One of the pictures is of a giant Settlers game board.  Each hex has to be a foot, foot and a half across and it has a detailed, wargame-esque rendering of the type of land it is.  Looks like its constructed out of the foam that GW builds their boards with.  Makes me salivate.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on May 13, 2003, 04:45:14 PM
I think I wouldn't play in that game for the same reason I never played on the giant Street Fighter II machine with life size characters at the arcade -- everyone would see how bad I was.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Spriggan on May 13, 2003, 08:09:12 PM
Capcom released a free ware Settlers for the PS2 about 2 months ago in Japan.  But there's a monthly subscription to play it over their network.  They're going to be releaseing Gregory Horror Show here in the states so I'm intrtested to see how it plays.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on May 13, 2003, 08:15:37 PM
Weird. If it plays good, it might be worth buying a PS2 just to play GHS.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Fellfrosch on May 14, 2003, 01:22:21 PM
There has been a PC Settlers game for years now, and it's completely unrelated to Settlers of Catan in every way. Is that what Capcom just released?
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Spriggan on May 14, 2003, 08:19:20 PM
Nope they bought and released Settlers of Catan.  http://catan.jp/main.shtml
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Spriggan on May 14, 2003, 08:26:49 PM
here'a a link to a GHS movie from Capcom
http://www.capcom.com/e32003/gregoryhorrorshow/index.html
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on May 14, 2003, 09:16:51 PM
erg. I've got to get more bandwidth at home so I can check stuff like that out
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: 42 on May 15, 2003, 01:04:17 AM
My japaneese is a little rusty, but all I can say is...

I'm not sure what to say, the web site looked like a very bubblegum approach to Settlers.

Also I wonder how trading would work? Half the fun is swindling the other players.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Spriggan on May 15, 2003, 01:10:23 AM
umm that's the actualy the link to the board game version.  I'll try to find one for the Video Game.  Here:
http://catan.jp/digital2003/index.html

Also you can't look at the GHS movie without a Capcom press pass.  But anyway it's a puzzel game not a board game that's based of the GHS anime in Japan.  So that makes me wonder what came first the boardgame or the anime.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on May 15, 2003, 09:08:52 AM
I couldn't tell you unless you got some dates on the animation. the Upper Deck game was released about 2 years ago, I think. And UD usually builds off existing properties instead of trying to create their own, so I'd probably guess the animation existed first.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: 42 on May 15, 2003, 06:54:59 PM
Setters of Catan was orignally made in Germany during the early 1990's as Die Siedler von Catan. About four years ago it was produced/distributed in the US by Mayfair games.

The links you posted, seem to be a japaneese altered version.

I don't know about GHS.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Lieutenant Kije on May 16, 2003, 11:10:00 AM
This is a bit of a digression from the current direction of the thread, but I found it interesting that seafarers was mentioned but nobody said anything about the Cities and Knights expansion.  While I agree that seafarers takes away a little, I found that C&K actually adds.  Not that it makes it better, I guess, but that the C&K option is just as entertaining, while adding a little more complexity.  (Basically more ways to score points/win.  But the ways are fairly integral to the original gist of the game, in my opinion, and I like the addition of the new effects cards.  They aren't development cards, I forget what they're called, you get them from building metropoli, etc.)
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Entsuropi on May 16, 2003, 12:11:00 PM
Welcome to the board officer  :)
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on May 16, 2003, 01:09:19 PM
So Kije, is it worth purchasing with my hard earned dollar-a-day allowance?
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Lieutenant Kije on May 16, 2003, 03:19:12 PM
If you love settlers, then sure.  If you're ambivalent about the game but have it because everyone and their mother secretly play it (at school I ran into scads of people who play settlers, but wouldn't confess it in ordinary conversation for some reason) then invest your dinero in something you're more passionate about.

Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on May 16, 2003, 03:25:09 PM
I'd probably describe myself as "interested" at the most. I'm keen on owning it because it's one of the few games that my wife likes enough to actually suggest playing with guests. So perhaps I'll spend my money on Fictionary or Fluxx instead
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: 42 on May 16, 2003, 07:30:06 PM
I love nano-fictionary, unfortunately I can never get people to play it with me.

People who like to tell stories, love it. People who get uncomfortable on stage don't care for it. At least that's my assessment.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on May 16, 2003, 10:51:32 PM
It appears to be very much a party type game. So maybe I could get people into it. If nothing else, it looks really fun for even a few, rare games.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Fellfrosch on May 17, 2003, 01:48:42 AM
That one sounds cool. I might have to borrow it sometime, 42. (Largely for the same reasons Saint already mentioned: I'm always looking for games my wife will play with me.)
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: 42 on May 17, 2003, 01:53:16 AM
I actually don't have Nano-fictionary, though I wish I did. I played it with one of my older brothers who happens to own and who also happens to live in Maryland.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Lieutenant Kije on May 17, 2003, 02:55:04 AM
I've never heard of Nano-fictionary.  Anyone want to explain that one to me?
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on May 17, 2003, 08:02:18 AM
42, is he looking for a role playing group?

kije, it's a card game. each card has an element: like a character, a complication, a setting, etc. Each player draws a card, and when all are satisfied, you draw another, etc. When you're done you tell a complete story using all your cards. Everyone judges the story. Obviously it's very subjective. But it's social, it's semi-artistic, and it's fun.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: 42 on May 17, 2003, 06:05:50 PM
I don't think my brother is looking for a gaming group. He usually so busy designing missles for the navy or hanging out with his current girlfriend, depending on the week.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Lieutenant Kije on May 17, 2003, 06:12:05 PM
Muchas gracias.  Sounds like a lot of fun.  Do you think a place like WotC would carry it?  
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on May 17, 2003, 11:41:35 PM
feh. if he thinks girls or designing cool destructive explosives is more fun than me...


er... I guess he'd probably be right....
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Fellfrosch on May 19, 2003, 01:19:15 PM
WotC stores are ejecting most of their non-WotC stuff, but I since I don't know who actually makes the game, they may or may not have it. If you're coming to Utah, though, we don't have a WotC store anyway.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: Lieutenant Kije on May 19, 2003, 10:15:05 PM
I'm not coming to UT until August.  As it stands, I'm within 20 min. of 2 WotC stores, and probably a half-hour from their headquarters.  

Is this a recent move by Wizards?  'Cause I've seen all kinds of stuff in the stores, from all kinds of companies.
Title: Re: Settlers
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on May 19, 2003, 11:33:38 PM
they are. They've been drastically marking down anything not WotC and not accepting returns. It's taken them an AWFULLY long time to do it, been going on for a few months, but that's meant it's been a great place to get GHS stuff. It's a great place to check for something first to get cheap stuff.