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Through the Ages

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05 Feb 2009 05:55 #20075 by Matt Thrower
I've discovered that TTA plays extremely well over t'internet because the turns are mostly self-contained. It may be a Euro but it is really rather entertaining. Anyone up for it? I can supply a rules scan if need be.

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05 Feb 2009 07:19 #20086 by sydo
Replied by sydo on topic Re:Through the Ages
I am still deciding whether to get this game as my game store has it relatively cheap now. But I am not sure if I wanna pay for a bunch of butt-ugly cards and then commit myself into a 4-hour game with no interaction. I guess I will rather buy Sarcraft.

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05 Feb 2009 08:02 #20093 by Matt Thrower
Replied by Matt Thrower on topic Re:Through the Ages
sydo wrote:

I am still deciding whether to get this game as my game store has it relatively cheap now. But I am not sure if I wanna pay for a bunch of butt-ugly cards and then commit myself into a 4-hour game with no interaction. I guess I will rather buy Sarcraft.


No interaction? You have been seriously mislead.

In any case, I'm offering you a risk free chance to try the game out without having to buy anything.

It is quite awesomely expensive for what you get in the box though.

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05 Feb 2009 08:06 #20094 by southernman
Replied by southernman on topic Re:Through the Ages
How many players is it ? I could be in ... it would give me something to do while waiting for your M'44 turn ;-p
.... plus I'm going to try out Ogre so why not line up a few more.

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05 Feb 2009 08:14 #20098 by Matt Thrower
Replied by Matt Thrower on topic Re:Through the Ages
Southernman wrote:

How many players is it ? I could be in ... it would give me something to do while waiting for your M'44 turn ;-p
.... plus I'm going to try out Ogre so why not line up a few more.


Yeah, I kind of asked for that :)

It takes up to four, so seeing as we have no definitive responses in, I'll certainly save you a seat. Do you want me to mail you a copy of the rules (and an M44 file, if you're lucky)?

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05 Feb 2009 08:27 #20102 by hancock.tom
Replied by hancock.tom on topic Re:Through the Ages
Count me in on email TTA, that one plays slow enough to work through email I think. How will we do the card row? Let one honest soul work it and tell us what comes up?

You are talking about the FULL game, right? There is plenty of interaction in the full game but I'm not too excited about the advanced or basic versions.

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05 Feb 2009 08:29 - 05 Feb 2009 08:34 #20104 by Matt Thrower
Replied by Matt Thrower on topic Re:Through the Ages
hancock.tom wrote:

Count me in on email TTA, that one plays slow enough to work through email I think. How will we do the card row? Let one honest soul work it and tell us what comes up?

You are talking about the FULL game, right? There is plenty of interaction in the full game but I'm not too excited about the advanced or basic versions.


Yep, full game.

There's a vassal module - I suggest we use that and pass log files around. No issue with the card row there.

Oh and there's interaction in the advanced game too. But I can't really see the point of the advanced game except as a time-saving excercise - the extra weight of rules for the full game is minimal.
Last edit: 05 Feb 2009 08:34 by Matt Thrower.

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05 Feb 2009 08:37 #20105 by southernman
Replied by southernman on topic Re:Through the Ages
MattDP wrote:

Southernman wrote:

How many players is it ? I could be in ... it would give me something to do while waiting for your M'44 turn ;-p
.... plus I'm going to try out Ogre so why not line up a few more.


Yeah, I kind of asked for that :)

It takes up to four, so seeing as we have no definitive responses in, I'll certainly save you a seat. Do you want me to mail you a copy of the rules (and an M44 file, if you're lucky)?

Yeah - go on. I have a feeling that I'm not going to be that good at it, but since my gaming club has dropped down to bare minimum boardgamers I need to get as much gaming elsewhere as possible.
If the rules scan is large you may find the file transfer site I recommended to Mike may be best to get it to everyone - www.yousendit.com
And I best read a few forum questions over at TOS (purely as a guest Mr Octavian - if that's allowed) to get the gist of the game, as I know absolutely nothing about it.

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05 Feb 2009 08:59 #20108 by sydo
Replied by sydo on topic Re:Through the Ages
I would love to join, but have to work on my thesis so I don't have much time now :(
But can you tell me more about the interaction? All the reviews I have read said that the game is kind of multiplayer solitaire.

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05 Feb 2009 09:05 #20111 by Kester
Replied by Kester on topic Re:Through the Ages
I'd like to know if this one's worth picking up too. I'd been a bit put off by all the complaints about component quality: are they valid complaints, or just a lot of whinging? And is the main interaction just in spiteful card drafting? Cheers!

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05 Feb 2009 09:16 #20115 by southernman
Replied by southernman on topic Re:Through the Ages
Matt .... you need to make a good job selling the game, otherwise we will all be dropping like flies.

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05 Feb 2009 09:19 #20117 by Matt Thrower
Replied by Matt Thrower on topic Re:Through the Ages
sydo wrote:

I would love to join, but have to work on my thesis so I don't have much time now :(
But can you tell me more about the interaction? All the reviews I have read said that the game is kind of multiplayer solitaire.


Kester wrote:

I'd like to know if this one's worth picking up too. I'd been a bit put off by all the complaints about component quality: are they valid complaints, or just a lot of whinging? And is the main interaction just in spiteful card drafting? Cheers!


The components in the 3rd edition aren't bad actually, but they're nowhere near worth the asking price. The cards are good quality with a linen finish, the board and player aids are nice and sturdy and the remainder are wooden cubes and discs which are - well, wooden cubes and discs. Amazingly, in spite of this being the 3rd printing of the game there are still printing errors in both the cards and the rules - mostly minor crap but a couple of quite important points.

The interaction is not just in card drafting. This is a full-blooded military game in which you can bite chunks out of your neighbours although in fairness you have to have an appropriate military action card (such as a "Raid" or "War" card) before you can attack. The reason it gets labelled as low-interaction is because winning wars is usually expensive in terms of troops, and that in turn leaves you very vulnerable from counter-attacks by other players. So a lot of people don't bother doing it. But the option is there, it can certainly be a valid strategy if played right, and if you've got some table talk going it can add an extra dimension to the conflict aspect of the game.

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05 Feb 2009 11:00 #20138 by hancock.tom
Replied by hancock.tom on topic Re:Through the Ages
There are several reasons it gets labeled as multiplayer solitaire.

First, the early game is very much a solitaire exercise. There isn't a whole lot of interaction until you can get your armies built and start declaring wars.

Second, inexperienced players have trouble just feeding their fucking population and keeping them out of revolt, etc. A group of inexperienced players have trouble just getting their civilization into the twentieth century- during the third age, when an experienced group will be launching their air forces at one another, inexperienced players will be busy trying to upgrade from bronze to iron.

Third, if no one bothers building any armies, you can win the game without doing much interaction at all. With no one "leading the charge" there isn't much incentive to have an arms race. So if you want to play it as multiplayer solitaire, thats an option.


If we play a game on VASSAL, I guarantee it won't be a solitaire exercise. Anyone who doesn't build a decent military will be receiving a major ass whipping.

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05 Feb 2009 12:15 #20146 by sydo
Replied by sydo on topic Re:Through the Ages
Hm, I am still on the edge of buying it. How about a session report once you are finished with the game?

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05 Feb 2009 13:42 #20169 by moss_icon
Replied by moss_icon on topic Re:Through the Ages
A GAME OF THROUGH THE AGES. IN PROGRESS.

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