Saturday, February 26, 2005
E&T is great. Hunters and Gatherers doesn't suck.
God help me, but I love Tigris and Euphrates (known as Euphrat & Tigris in most of the world). This classic game by Sir Dr. Herr Knizia is truly timeless. My brain hurts every time that I play it.
What a brilliant design. For those of you who fancy yourselves as deep-game gurus, you really need to try this one. Pay no heed to the nay-sayers who denigrate it as too random, referring to the random drawing of tiles each round. Pure malarkey. You can utilize any tile draw to your advantage. The problem is that some people wear blinders and think of their little area they are developing as "theirs". The entire board is open for play and it is a rare occurrence that the tiles drawn can't be used to your advantage or your opponent's detriment. Granted, some tile draws are better than others, but this is a game that benefits those who can think outside the box.
I always have the feeling that I am completely losing control of my position and am getting creamed by my opponents. That is about the time that someone accuses me of being the runaway leader.
I have not yet introduced my group of serious gaming buddies to Knizia's other tile-laying classic (one of several) Samurai. It is not as deep, nor as rich, nor does it hurt your brain calculating ramifications of your move, but it is still an upper tier game. Can't believe I haven't brought it out yet. Don't have a good excuse, it just hasn't happened.
H&G Carc.
Got to play the Hunters and Gatherers version of Carcassonne. Must admit that I abhor regular Carcassonne. It is just too random (and I say that as the person who regularly wins when I play it). It also has that indefinable quality of sucking. It sucks like a Hoover with a Hemi. Carcassonne just sucks bad.
As you can imagine, I had to be drug to the table kicking and screaming to play H&G Carc. The truth be told...I kinda liked it. I cannot for the life of me put my finger on the difference between the two games. The mechanics are very similar. The "huts" are a nice touch, the meadows are easier to score and to explain, and the game is more aesthetically pleasing than regular Carcassonne, but that is small potatoes.
I actually suggested playing again. I must play it a few more times to see if I can put my finger on the reason I like it, or if it fades into crapdom after the 3rd play.
Good gaming,
Coldfoot
What a brilliant design. For those of you who fancy yourselves as deep-game gurus, you really need to try this one. Pay no heed to the nay-sayers who denigrate it as too random, referring to the random drawing of tiles each round. Pure malarkey. You can utilize any tile draw to your advantage. The problem is that some people wear blinders and think of their little area they are developing as "theirs". The entire board is open for play and it is a rare occurrence that the tiles drawn can't be used to your advantage or your opponent's detriment. Granted, some tile draws are better than others, but this is a game that benefits those who can think outside the box.
I always have the feeling that I am completely losing control of my position and am getting creamed by my opponents. That is about the time that someone accuses me of being the runaway leader.
I have not yet introduced my group of serious gaming buddies to Knizia's other tile-laying classic (one of several) Samurai. It is not as deep, nor as rich, nor does it hurt your brain calculating ramifications of your move, but it is still an upper tier game. Can't believe I haven't brought it out yet. Don't have a good excuse, it just hasn't happened.
H&G Carc.
Got to play the Hunters and Gatherers version of Carcassonne. Must admit that I abhor regular Carcassonne. It is just too random (and I say that as the person who regularly wins when I play it). It also has that indefinable quality of sucking. It sucks like a Hoover with a Hemi. Carcassonne just sucks bad.
As you can imagine, I had to be drug to the table kicking and screaming to play H&G Carc. The truth be told...I kinda liked it. I cannot for the life of me put my finger on the difference between the two games. The mechanics are very similar. The "huts" are a nice touch, the meadows are easier to score and to explain, and the game is more aesthetically pleasing than regular Carcassonne, but that is small potatoes.
I actually suggested playing again. I must play it a few more times to see if I can put my finger on the reason I like it, or if it fades into crapdom after the 3rd play.
Good gaming,
Coldfoot
# posted by Coldfoot @ 10:00 PM 
