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The sagas can be played as a 6 game campaign, or just as extra content in a one-off game. The sage content adds related content to the game in the form of thematic encounters and related upgrades. The primary difference between playing it as a campaign vs a one-off is that in a campaign you keep your upgrades and more saga content is added.
The base game is a complete game and provides the full experience. The sagas are just more stuff and variety (fight a kraken instead of fighting a ship; slightly different card upgrades related to fighting the kraken instead of fighting a ship). So the sagas are not really necessary unless you think you will play the game a lot and want to change it up a bit.
The game is essentially a pick-up and deliver deck builder. To buy cards, you need to move to a space and buy the card. To get the stuff you need to buy a card you need to control an island and pick up the resources it produces or attack another ship (player or encounter). Some of your actions, like making an island produce , attacking another player or placing control markers on an island, are limited by your hand of cards. You are able to keep some of your cards from round to round, so you can plan ahead. In addition to upgrading your deck, you can also upgrade your ship and your islands.
Although it is a very different game mechanically, it feels a bit like Merchant of Venus in that you are making the same sorts of decisions. Do I move to a spot to pick up goods, or to a spot to make an upgrade? Do I upgrade my ship, or upgrade my island (build a factory)? However, it plays much faster, and you can pretty much always do something interesting every turn (no turns where you just move). It also adds PvP and taking over other players islands (planets) making it harder for them to get goods and gold there.
Also, the Kickstarter hints that game will be release to retail, as one of the benefits listed is that the Kickstarter price is lower than retail and it will ship to backers before it is shipped to retail.
ubarose wrote: Also, the Kickstarter hints that game will be release to retail, as one of the benefits listed is that the Kickstarter price is lower than retail and it will ship to backers before it is shipped to retail.
I'll believe that when I see it. I started seeing the 3rd Edition of Mutant Chronicles in retail even before I got my order. After that, I am very selective on what to back.
hotseatgames wrote: I pledged for the base game of Dead Reckoning. I've got 9 days to cancel.
If you do get it, the one add on I recommend is the custom sleeves. They are color coded so set up and clean up is much faster. The sleeves that come with the game are all identical to each other, so you have to pay attention to creating accurate starting decks when you set up. You have to do that in most deck builders, but having an easy way to keep starting decks separated and intact is nice. And you need to use the sleeves. If you have watched the videos you know that card upgrades slide into the sleeves. It’s stupid that the “custom” sleeves aren’t in the base game.
The following user(s) said Thank You: hotseatgames
hotseatgames wrote: Other than color, are the add-on sleeves different quality-wise? Seems like I could just color the sleeves in the base game. I'm not above that.
Or you can just take the extra minute or two to sort out the starter decks, like you have to do in most other deck builders.
I think the quantity is the same, but I have never examined or played with the standard sleeves. We have been playing a friend’s copy, so I just saw the standard sleeves once when helping clean up the game the first time we played.
Also, complete disclosure - in our game group, two of us like it very much, and two are on the fence about it. The game is more tactical than strategic, and you can get boned by a bad draw or bad die roll.
I prefer tactics to strategy. Looks to me like you don't even have dice unless you use the sagas. Which I was not planning on purchasing. I don't know, it's a question of, will I get $95 of fun out of this?
Thunder Road: Vendetta fulfillment slipped from November to January. I was expecting and waiting for a delay to be announced. They attribute it mainly to getting a consolidated rulebook together for the all-in edition, which I don’t really mind. Having a single book instead of looking through 4 different books is worth a two month delay to me.
hotseatgames wrote: I prefer tactics to strategy. Looks to me like you don't even have dice unless you use the sagas. Which I was not planning on purchasing. I don't know, it's a question of, will I get $95 of fun out of this?
I’d say, if you are expecting an iteration of Merchants and Marauders, then no. This is not it. When you get right down to it, this game has all the window dressing of a pirate game, but it isn’t very piratey. It’s more like Merchants and More Merchants.
If your looking for another iteration of Merchant of Venus, then probably yes. And I backed it at Deck Hand Level, cause I love me some Merchant of Venus.
I am a bit embarrassed to say I have never played Merchants and Marauders, OR Merchant of Venus.
I do like the idea of a pick up and deliver game, and being able to attack players is of course a must. The combat looks fun. I believe I will purchase the base box and if it's a hit I'll seek out other parts. I laugh in the face of FOMO.
ubarose wrote: I’d say, if you are expecting an iteration of Merchants and Marauders, then no. This is not it. When you get right down to it, this game has all the window dressing of a pirate game, but it isn’t very piratey. It’s more like Merchants and More Merchants.
This was exactly what I needed to know. The dice tower combat has me wondering if I could create a similar combat resolution in M & M. I love dice tower combat.
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