grady@ingres.ARPA (Steven Grady) (12/21/85)
Some of us here have been playing Cosmic Encounter for a few months now, and I'd like to move on to a new game before this one gets stale. Here are the basic requirements: Playable by 3-6 players (a wider range would be even better) Not too simple or complicated Reasonably short playing time (1 -3 hours) Not too many pieces (this sort of rules out many Avalon Hill games, but this game will be taken out and put away many times, so I'd like to lower the risk of losing things.) (Preferably) expandable (ie if we like it we can buy expansion sets) Cost is not really a problem, since we have a lot of people to share the load, but if it's an expandable game, it would be nice if the basic game were not much more than $20.. Do people have ideas or suggestions? Steven PS It should be fun to play
cjn@calmasd.UUCP (Cheryl Nemeth) (12/22/85)
Dune from Avalon hill might fit the bill. I haven't played it myself but the rules are interesting and the game has a good reputation in my group of gaming friends.
jeff@utastro.UUCP (Jeff Brown the Scumbag) (12/23/85)
[My apologies for posting rather than mailing this; I've
had my mail attempts bounced by three different mailers
so I gave up.]
If you haven't tried it already, I heartily recommend
"Illuminati" by Steve Jackson Games for the kind of thing
I think you're after. It has three expansion sets (I've
seen only the first two), and best of all it is CHEAP
($5? for the first game and the same for each expansion).
It is especially good if the players appreciate a slightly
strange sense of humor. It is for 2-6 players, moves
quickly, is simple to learn, and takes sort of 1-3 hours
to play. It has no board per se but you do need a tabletop
and has no game pieces except a lot of little (1" by 2")
playing cards and a pair of dice. On the few occasions
I've time to play (I'm locked in mortal combat with a thesis
at the moment) I find it an excellent game.
Jeff Brown the Scumbag
{allegra,ihnp4}!{noao,ut-sally}!utastro!jeff
jeff@astro.UTEXAS.EDU
Astronomy Department, U. of Texas, Austinoleg@birtch.UUCP (Oleg Kiselev) (12/23/85)
In article <169@ingres.ARPA> grady%ingres@ucbvax.ARPA (Steven Grady) writes: >Some of us here have been playing Cosmic Encounter for a few months >now, and I'd like to move on to a new game before this one gets >stale. Here are the basic requirements: >Playable by 3-6 players (a wider range would be even better) >Not too simple or complicated >Reasonably short playing time (1 -3 hours) >Not too many pieces (this sort of rules out many Avalon Hill games, but > this game will be taken out and put away many times, so I'd like > to lower the risk of losing things.) >(Preferably) expandable (ie if we like it we can buy expansion sets) > >Cost is not really a problem, since we have a lot of people to share the >load, but if it's an expandable game, it would be nice if the basic game >were not much more than $20.. > >Do people have ideas or suggestions? YES : buy some of the Cosmic Encounter expansions. They drasticly alter the game and introduce multitude of new twists. -- Disclamer: My employers go to church every Sunday, listen to Country music, and donate money to GOP. I am just a deviant. +-------------------------------+ Don't bother, I'll find the door! | "VIOLATORS WILL BE TOAD!" | Oleg Kiselev. | Dungeon Police |...!{trwrb|scgvaxd}!felix!birtch!oleg --------------------------------+...!{ihnp4|randvax}!ucla-cs!uclapic!oac6!oleg
ccrdan@ucdavis.UUCP (Dan Gold) (12/27/85)
> Some of us here have been playing Cosmic Encounter for a few months > now, and I'd like to move on to a new game before this one gets > stale. Here are the basic requirements: > Playable by 3-6 players (a wider range would be even better) > Not too simple or complicated > Reasonably short playing time (1 -3 hours) > Not too many pieces (this sort of rules out many Avalon Hill games, but > this game will be taken out and put away many times, so I'd like > to lower the risk of losing things.) > (Preferably) expandable (ie if we like it we can buy expansion sets) > > Cost is not really a problem, since we have a lot of people to share the > load, but if it's an expandable game, it would be nice if the basic game > were not much more than $20.. > > Do people have ideas or suggestions? > > Steven > > PS It should be fun to play Try the following as they closely match your requirements: Title: Borderlands Manufacturer: Eon Products, Inc. # players: 2-4 Complexity: Simple, only 6 pages of rules. However, the strategy involved is a challenge for even veterans. Playing time: About 2 hours, maybe a bit longer. Paper factor: Hardly any pieces/player (about 30ish). No divisions of panzers and mech infanty to track. Expandibility:From a company that produced C.E.??? But of course! So far exp #1 & #2 are available. They each add an additional player plus many interesting features. Cost: $20.00 for the basic set, $6.00/expansion. A very highly rated game that won some "game of the year" award. It is deceptively simple at first. The game incorporates strategy, warfare, economics, and diplomacy. Basically, the game consists of players occupying a continent that is rich in various resources, but only in specific areas of the board (random each game). Players attempt to secure these areas so as to produce the natural resources (gold, iron, timber, horses, coal) and thus produce goods to increase their power base (weapons, ships, cities). These goods give them more ability to threaten as well as trade with their neighbors. Combat enevitibly occurs and is executed in a simple, quick fashion. The game ends when a player (or players i.e. group wins are possible) builds 3 cities and holds them for a short time. There is very little luck and every game will be different due to the randomization of set-up. One other game that is great fun: Title: Junta Manufacturer: West End Games # players: 2-7 Complexity: Pretty simple. Playing time: About 4 hours. Paper factor: Hardly any pieces/player (about 10ish). Expandibility:None provided but then again none is really needed. Cost: $20.00 The game simulates a typical "banana-republic" in Latin America. Each player takes one of the positions in government: President, Minister of Internal Security, Admiral, Army General (2), Air Force Commander. The goal is to stash away the most amount of money in one's Swiss bank account before the end of the game. Players budget (siphon off) the country's assets, plot and scheme against one another, and occasionally stage coups when they feel they can or want take power. A lot of fun. Dan Gold ...{ucbvax,lll-crg,dual}!ucdavis!minnie!ccrdan
marcus@reed.UUCP (Marc Burns) (01/05/86)
In article <169@ingres.ARPA> grady%ingres@ucbvax.ARPA (Steven Grady) writes: >(Preferably) expandable (ie if we like it we can buy expansion sets) > >Cost is not really a problem, since we have a lot of people to share the >load, but if it's an expandable game, it would be nice if the basic game >were not much more than $20.. > >Do people have ideas or suggestions? > > Steven > >PS It should be fun to play Yes, Illuminati is definitely your game! I noticed that someone else has already recommended it and I couldn't agree more. The game is quite costeffective, as I just bought my on copy and the Basic set just cost seven bucks, and it is quite playable in and of itself. The next two expansions each cost 6 bucks each, and the really neat thing about the first two expansions is that they don't really add any new rules, just more variety. The third expansion is out and costing five bucks, but it does add new rules and more little counters. I havn't played with that expansion yet but it does seem to clutter the beauty of the original Illuminati system. Is the game fun, you ask? I would have to say yes, that it is extremely playable and not very complex at all. You could call it a bizarre cross between Diplomacy and Monopoly, probably being <= Monopoly in complexity of rules and game mechanics. The game revolves around secret conspiracies vying (sp? vyeing?) for world control, is best played with five people, and play can be as devious as the gamers want! (No, I don't work for SJG, I just really enjoy this game... which brings me to my next point...) Are there any other Illuminati fans out there? Would anybody be interested in playhing by Email? Would that even be worth doing at all? I know that there is already a pbm service but that costs bucks deluxe, so it is unattractive to me. Any comments will be appreciated. BY ALL MEANS PLAY THIS GAME!! IT IS WELL WORTH THE $19!!! See you in Bavaria! Marc (...!tektronix!reed!marcus)