Barnes on Games- Heroes of/Shadows Over Normandie in Review, Armada, Study in Emerald, Empires: Age of Discovery, HABA

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Nice reviews. I have intentions of grabbing the Heroes of Normandie PC game at some point in the future. I don't think I have much chance of getting the real thing to the table so I never grabbed it, despite wanting to.

I had considered the Shadows Over Normandie kickstarter when it was going, but the price they were asking was ridiculous for something not loaded with any plastic.

I realize this is kind of a stupid observation given there's Cthulhu in the mix, but an Abrams tank in a World War II setting?

Is this like Heroscape where there's no limitations on theme and setting? As it stands I don't think "World War II" applies.

I'm hoping that's a typo Sag and he meant Sherman?

HA HA! Yes, that is definitely a typo..."Abrams"...at least I didn't reference M-16s and Patriot missiles...

Mark- it's actually kind of nice that it's not loaded with plastic...I mean, I've got two base sets and three main expansions along with a couple of single-punchboard add ons and one blister pack set...and I've got TONS of units. That all store in a single box. And all of the information is on the chits with just a single icon reference sheet. So it feels more compact than if it had minis.

Don't get me wrong, I'm cool with the game not having minis. I'm not cool with being charged mini prices.

Barnes, you sound like you haven't played Study in Emerald before. I swore you were talking it up a while ago. Am I just crazy, or were you talking specifically about the second edition confusing you?

Ha! There he is, on Big Ben, looking across the Tames River and what, four or five city bocks, ready with a lit bundle of dynamite. To me it looks more like a glorious suicide rather than a serious attempt at taking out Cthulhu.

I've been looking into that 2nd Ed and...Bleh...Never a good sign when the First Edition you're replacing gains in value when the 2nd Ed is announced and released.

VonTush wrote: I've been looking into that 2nd Ed and...Bleh...Never a good sign when the First Edition you're replacing gains in value when the 2nd Ed is announced and released.

I just picked the 2nd edition up yesterday. I would much rather have the 1st because it sounds like it suits my tastes a lot more, but I'm not going to pay an exorbitant price for it. I'm hoping this is like Age of Industry compared to Brass: generally considered to not have been improved by the streamlining, but still a pretty good game in its own right.

I've been curiously fascinated with "A Study in Emerald" since reading the story. Does it, in anyone's opinion, offer the same feeling and flavor as the story?

As someone who loves Study in Emerald, I can't say it really feels like the story. The story is basically a Sherlock Holmes style mystery. The game is more of a hybrid euro-style game. The theme is there to match the story (and 19th century anarchists in general) but the mechanics really have nothing to do with a mystery which is slowly revealed. It's classic screw-your-opponent while trying to figure out who your opponent's are.

There is absolutely no part of the 2nd Edition which will make our table. In the interest of streamlining, they seem to removed the best parts of the game. I really don't know if I'd want to play a game of Study with no City Cards being stolen and no blocking discs.

I'm with jgriff that stealing City cards is a huge part of the game. Looking at the list of 2nd edition changes, there are a couple that seem like they might be for the better, but mostly not for the kinds of games we all seem to like here (though it's probably an improvement for gamers who prefer simpler rules and low-conflict).

1st edition ASIE is so good for its interaction, which works in several different ways. You really need to be on top of what everyone else is doing, and seize opportunities to screw with them and get your nefarious plans together, and the dynamics of the moving agents and the endgame timing and the assassinations are all really interesting. It is a bit all over the place, but usually a lot of fun, and can feel quite different from game to game. The first time I played it, our group was collectively scratching our heads after the first hour, but at a certain point it kind of clicked, and we were like "ahhhhhhh!"

Barnes, I hope you get a chance to try the first edition and at least compare the experience.

I probably won't get to, but I am going to look at the rules and such online to compare them. The thing is, it's one of those Martin Wallace games. So it has this unmistakable Wallace-ian KLUNK to it all, even in its "dumbed down" rendition. Nobody can design games as klunky as he does and get away with it.

I do think I like it, but does it feel like any kind of a story? Heh, not so much. Guys and gals moved around Europe, recruited other guys and gals, some guys and gals blew each other up or blew up Cthulhu monsters. That's pretty much it. But oddly, it helps to know the gist of the story or else it doesn't make ANY sense. It's just that there' snot really a narrative line here so much. Maybe those details in the 1st edition give that.

Would Shadows Over Normandie work as a first purchase from the series? It sounds pretty cool, and I've got an Amazon gift card that is ready to burst. Sure, I could save that $40 and eventually buy a sweet lens, but my dopamine levels are really low today.

Yup. Shadows would work as a first purchase, it's second starter box and no more complex than the original rules-wise. And it's awesome!