MOONGHA INVADERS- Best AT game of 2010

Well, I'm not anti-euro, anti-wallace, and I don't give a shit if Barnes is slightly hypocritical ocasionally... and I can afford one over-priced game a year. I was going to wait until October and pick up Greed but my choices are not pre-determined yet. I've hoped around and considered other things too.

Last year was Space Hulk, this year... who knows? Runewars only cost me 85$ Canadian (the exact same price I paid for Galaxy Trucker, and refused to pay for C&C ancients) so I'm not counting it.

Monsters are a cool theme, I've only played Monsters Menace America... it's awesome shitty. I bet you can guess what that means.

All that said. It does sound interesting. I'll probably read a bunch of reviews before I do anything and maybe check out the rules on BGG if their posted already.

Barnes.. you reviewing this?

As I've said in the past about Merchant of Venus, "I'd gladly pay $30 for this game."

And that's an issue for this one. A limited run game made from simple parts and stickers, if this game is good it's going to get counterfeited by home-brewers.

The more expensive any product is the more margin there is (financial or emotional) for knock-offs. They need to publish at a fair market value or lose the goodwill of their market. If the only thing keeping the price high is shipping, they're cutting their own throats to feed someone else's kids.

S.

Stephen Avery wrote:

In his defence though I read Chapel's blog and it did sound pretty neat.
chapelsbrain.blogspot.com/2010/04/wallac...oongha-invaders.html

What happened to the monkey's very visible reproductive organs?

I'm with Swhieg on this one. I might note that again a GotY is nominated that is rare, expensive and totally inaccesable to most people.

Past GOTYs:

2007- STARCRAFT
2008- BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
2009- CHAOS IN THE OLD WORLD

Rare, expensive, and totally inaccessible to most people.

I can afford one over-priced game a year. I was going to wait until October and pick up Greed but my choices are not pre-determined yet. I've hoped around and considered other things too.

Don't buy either this or GREED INC. They're both awesome games, but I couldn't in good conscience tell you to buy either. $100 is fucking ridiculous for a board game as it is, but even more ridiculous when they're really low key, spartan productions like this that are barely above DTP levels. That being said, both are professional, at least...and I think MOONGHA would be fine if it were published at a price point that matches the level of components.

Barnes.. you reviewing this?

Probably not, unless it gets a wider release. I may put it on a review rodeo just to raise some awareness about it...I really don't like to cover these kinds of limited games too often.

They need to publish at a fair market value or lose the goodwill of their market.

True, but this is Martin Wallace. Half the constituency at BGG would happily fellate him just to be able to say they did before he signed their copy of AGE OF STEAM. So I don't know that they're really concerned about that.

Michael Barnes wrote:

True, but this is Martin Wallace. Half the constituency at BGG would happily fellate him just to be able to say they did before he signed their copy of AGE OF STEAM. So I don't know that they're really concerned about that.

Fair enough. Boardgamers aren't fickle at all, so they should be fine.

S.

How easy would it be to do a PnP version with Monsterpocalypse figures? What do you need apart from board, figures and rulebook?

Michael Barnes wrote:

Past GOTYs:

2007- STARCRAFT
2008- BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
2009- CHAOS IN THE OLD WORLD

Rare, expensive, and totally inaccessible to most people.

You're forgetting that you cry GOTY about two dozen times every year. Then again, maybe your memory is why you cry GOTY two dozen times every year.

Well, the game seems interesting and I like games where you both your "side" plus the opposition for the other players... but if it doesn't work with 2 players I'll pass...

maka wrote:

Well, the game seems interesting and I like games where you both your "side" plus the opposition for the other players... but if it doesn't work with 2 players I'll pass...

Isn't this how Marvel Heroes works?

Do the monsters fight each other? From the sounds of it you don't. I don't like the thought of a monster game where I can't body slam my opponent's monster into a building.

Steve Chaos Weeks wrote:

Ok, I will only tolerate so much Barnes bashing.

(LOL) This is great.

I dunno, man -- that is one ugly-ass game.

jay718 wrote:

maka wrote:

Well, the game seems interesting and I like games where you both your "side" plus the opposition for the other players... but if it doesn't work with 2 players I'll pass...

Isn't this how Marvel Heroes works?

Basically, yes. Each player controls a super hero team and manages a hand of villians which can either be played as main villians or supporting villians. So all the other players present control who you fight. I think it's a great game but it's not loved in general by any crowd (AT or Euro).

jay718 wrote:

maka wrote:

Well, the game seems interesting and I like games where you both your "side" plus the opposition for the other players... but if it doesn't work with 2 players I'll pass...

Isn't this how Marvel Heroes works?

Exactly. One of my favorite games and a very underrated one in my opinion...

Yes, you get to fight each other.

The game reminds me of Monsters Menace/Ravage America. It lacks the gaining mutant powers aspect.

But it gains a lot. The rules are simpler and quite consistent (all die rolls hit on a 4-6). The action system is truly brilliant. Unlike a very abstracty Euro mechanic that is good for its own sake, it forces you to use the other elements of the game. There are other subtleties here that give it a Destroy All Monsters flavor because you have to alternately bring in quite a few critters.

It is also a great case of EXACTLY enough. The game has enough flavor, and some fairly complex things happen. (A Hero charges in, discovers a pair of giant oozes fighting in the sewer, screams to a tank brigade, who pound them both into dust. )

I still haven't worked out what Shagoo is good for.