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Glengoyne · 11-09-2011, 04:19 PM

I've played everything on your list except for 1830 and the Settlers expansions.

Settlers just isn't my cup of tea, but it isn't the Patriarch of board games for no reason.

My wife and I love Dominion and have all of the expansions. My assessment is this Intrigue, Alchemy, and to a lesser extent Cornucopia all add to the complexity of the game and the individual turns themselves. Prosperity and Seaside feel "lighter" to me. If I want a straightforward fun game, we exclude the previous three sets from random selection. If we want something more complex, we bring those sets in as needed. A lot of deeper gamers find Intrigue an integral expansion due to all that it brings to the table.

Puerto Rico. Among my favorite games. I'll never refuse a play. The above note about playing with folks with a similar skill set is true. A counter point to that above about a skillful player, is that a dis-similarly unskilled opponent can unwittingly determine the winner at least that much of the time. This is what many call the "king maker" aspect of PR.

Agricola. Too me a lot more complex than Puerto Rico, but yes it is a great game that is difficult to excel at. My wife finds this game much more stressful than even Pandemic. This is "stress against the game". The game puts a lot of pressure on you by presenting many options all vying for your limited actions.

Pandemic: A great cooperative game. You have to be careful to not let a single person play everyone's hand. It can happen, and is about the only way a session can fall flat for some players. A lot of stress against the game, as it is really hard to win.

Diplomacy: Too long, and an extra helping of the competitive nature issues you touched on with Settlers.

Battlestar Galactica: The "traitor" mechanic is a lot of fun. It can go long, but as long as everyone is interested, it works. Early on, one side or the other will likely win multiple games in a row, but as your group's experience grows it will even out. The expansions ratchet up the complexity here as well as the game time, but this might just be my group, as we play this game somehow very slowly.

Ticket to Ride: I think a very fun game, and an excellent gateway game, if you are looking to suck someone new into your gaming circle.

11-09-2011, 04:19 PM	#157
Glengoyne Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Fresno, CA	I've played everything on your list except for 1830 and the Settlers expansions. Settlers just isn't my cup of tea, but it isn't the Patriarch of board games for no reason. My wife and I love Dominion and have all of the expansions. My assessment is this Intrigue, Alchemy, and to a lesser extent Cornucopia all add to the complexity of the game and the individual turns themselves. Prosperity and Seaside feel "lighter" to me. If I want a straightforward fun game, we exclude the previous three sets from random selection. If we want something more complex, we bring those sets in as needed. A lot of deeper gamers find Intrigue an integral expansion due to all that it brings to the table. Puerto Rico. Among my favorite games. I'll never refuse a play. The above note about playing with folks with a similar skill set is true. A counter point to that above about a skillful player, is that a dis-similarly unskilled opponent can unwittingly determine the winner at least that much of the time. This is what many call the "king maker" aspect of PR. Agricola. Too me a lot more complex than Puerto Rico, but yes it is a great game that is difficult to excel at. My wife finds this game much more stressful than even Pandemic. This is "stress against the game". The game puts a lot of pressure on you by presenting many options all vying for your limited actions. Pandemic: A great cooperative game. You have to be careful to not let a single person play everyone's hand. It can happen, and is about the only way a session can fall flat for some players. A lot of stress against the game, as it is really hard to win. Diplomacy: Too long, and an extra helping of the competitive nature issues you touched on with Settlers. Battlestar Galactica: The "traitor" mechanic is a lot of fun. It can go long, but as long as everyone is interested, it works. Early on, one side or the other will likely win multiple games in a row, but as your group's experience grows it will even out. The expansions ratchet up the complexity here as well as the game time, but this might just be my group, as we play this game somehow very slowly. Ticket to Ride: I think a very fun game, and an excellent gateway game, if you are looking to suck someone new into your gaming circle.