Breaking into new games: Where is the sci-fi?
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| Price on the other hand... |
As an understatement, I've been a bit of a critic to 40k. However there are aspects of the design of 40k that have become more apparent both over time and due to lack of it. From an outsiders perspective the game 40k appears to be very approachable. This isn't quite the right term for it, but 40k is a game where to get the experience that it will deliver ,as it were, doesn't require a large learning curve nor are the rules a barrier on entry.
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| These are really pretty books. |
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| A brief summary of the hacking special abilities 0.o |
Now, I've read through N3 once and like what I see. Its great to see changes such as measuring from base to base or not using true LoS but representing models with silhouettes. I even like what they do with the changes to Hackers...except its a ton of rules to commit to memory. To make informed decisions in Infinity I need to know all the potential "spells" a hacker has at their command, all the traits that can come into play, all the equipment rules and all the rules for the weapons. The game doesn't provide any memory aids either. This is a fairly substantial obstacle to overcome.
It is also not alone in this fault. Games that force players to make interesting and important decisions are what I prefer to play. This often goes hand in hand with having special rules for models but this can come at the cost of a learning curve. WM/H falls less heavily into the memorization trap but facepalms right into this learning curve. There is a lot to learn to play WM effectively, its often a 2nd order effect of the special rules and even a minor mistake can cost you the game.
In comparison X/Attack-Wing both manage to offer important decisions, have plenty of unique rules and don't suffer in approachability. Why? That is a more difficult question to answer and it comes down to several factors. The base rules of the game are simple but aren't flat. While there are combos, the attrition battles don't degrade as badly as WM does(I would guess WM attrition can be modeled as a underdamped to unstable system). Part of this is also moving away from IGOUGO. The speed of play is important here as well, these games take an hour tops and this makes it easier to get over that initial learning bump. List construction isn't difficult either, nor does it require a computer to knock out and print up.
Thinking about it further SAGA falls right into this category too. The rules are elegant: they are simple while still allowing for a great deal of depth in gameplay. Each faction presents its own unique synergies too, but these are mostly contained in their play boards. Where is the science fiction equivalent to SAGA? :/
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| Not that X-Wing is perfect either |
In comparison X/Attack-Wing both manage to offer important decisions, have plenty of unique rules and don't suffer in approachability. Why? That is a more difficult question to answer and it comes down to several factors. The base rules of the game are simple but aren't flat. While there are combos, the attrition battles don't degrade as badly as WM does(I would guess WM attrition can be modeled as a underdamped to unstable system). Part of this is also moving away from IGOUGO. The speed of play is important here as well, these games take an hour tops and this makes it easier to get over that initial learning bump. List construction isn't difficult either, nor does it require a computer to knock out and print up.
Thinking about it further SAGA falls right into this category too. The rules are elegant: they are simple while still allowing for a great deal of depth in gameplay. Each faction presents its own unique synergies too, but these are mostly contained in their play boards. Where is the science fiction equivalent to SAGA? :/
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