So due to my wife and friends not having enough time/desire to play through both the basic AP that comes with the game and the organized play scenarios, I've decided to just play through the home version solo (currently with Damiel as a one-man wrecking crew). I'll just play the OP scenarios with everyone else whenever they have time, which is a pretty nice option to have.
This does, however, bring up a bit of a problem. I use my copy of the game to run the OP scenarios. The base home game and OP have two different methods of removing Basic and Elite cards from play. In OP, you just remove all Basic/Elite cards of a specific Adventure number when instructed while in home games you remove the specified type of card individually when you would banish them from play. If, when the time comes, I try to use both different methods in the two types of games I'll be playing then I would potentially have to do a very large amount of book keeping for my home game (keeping notes on which Basic and Elite cards I've removed from that game) and a lot of extra card swapping whenever I'd switch over.
So the simplest solution I can think of is to just use the OP method of Basic/Elite card removal for my home and OP games. That way I'll only need to record what Damiel's deck list is and if each card belongs in the box or out of the box during OP. I'd have minimal switching between game types. Does anyone have any thoughts on this style of play? Any positive or negative impact that it could have on my solo game at home?
I would just leave the cards in as per normal play and if you draw a basic card durring an OP game discard it and draw another one from the box untill you get a non-basic card.
The only issue I can see being a possibility is that scenarios are balanced towards individual card removal in the base game and the OP scenarios are balanced towards the entirety of a specific number of cards being removed all at once.
So for the regular game, if you remove all of the cards, it can change the balance of it by making more powerful boons available more easily or by making more powerful banes encountered more often (most likely both at the same time). So that could artificially overpower or underpower your party depending on what they end up encountering the most depending on the scenario and what their current cards are.
And if they do end up being either overpowered or underpowered, it can influence how the players feel about future scenarios (too easy/too hard) and thus cause issues with the enjoyment of the game.
By playing more than one game out of the same box, especially using two different rulesets for card removal, you kind of took it upon yourself to have to deal with that.
Ultimately it's up to you which option you choose, but I'd highly recommend dealing with the bookkeeping so that both games can be enjoyed as they're meant to be as opposed to making changes to one that can possibly lead to negative side effects.
If it'd make it easier for you, one of the variant rules for playing multiple parties out of the same box can be readjusted for OP.
Leave all the cards in the box from the normal game that you normally deal with, and then when playing the OP group, if you're at the point where all basics are supposed to be removed from the game, then when you encounter a card from a location, if it's basic, stick it back in the box and draw a random one to replace it, and keep doing this until you get a non-basic.
It can artificially extend the play-time but then you wouldn't have to do the extra bookkeeping.
Another option would be to go through the box right before the OP version and stick all of the cards still in the regular game that are supposed to be removed from OP in the back of each card type's spot so when you draw cards for locations for OP, you don't end up accidentally getting ones that are supposed to be removed. Then, when your next game is going to be the normal one, just shuffle the cards back together well.
I would just leave the cards in as per normal play and if you draw a basic card durring an OP game discard it and draw another one from the box untill you get a non-basic card.
Yeah, that's pretty much the Purge Basics and Elites on the Fly rule. I read that and never really considered it an option for two reason. First I don't want to do the extra work during game play, extending the play time when it doesn't need to be, double checking every card's deck number and traits to see if it needs to be discarded, then if it does, discard it and draw a new one, then check that one.... It just seems really cumbersome. Second, I'd be concerned that I'd forget to do this or miss some cards that should be removed.
So for the regular game, if you remove all of the cards, it can change the balance of it by making more powerful boons available more easily or by making more powerful banes encountered more often (most likely both at the same time). So that could artificially overpower or underpower your party depending on what they end up encountering the most depending on the scenario and what their current cards are.
And if they do end up being either overpowered or underpowered, it can influence how the players feel about future scenarios (too easy/too hard) and thus cause issues with the enjoyment of the game.
Yeah, this was the only thing I could think of that would happen. I just wasn't sure if the increase in character power and the increase of bane power might balance out. Since I'm the only one playing the home game, I'm not too worried about player enjoyment. Playing Damiel, the game is already pretty easy, so if the game gets more difficult that may be welcomed. I'm not sure if it can get much easier.
Another option would be to go through the box right before the OP version and stick all of the cards still in the regular game that are supposed to be removed from OP in the back of each card type's spot so when you draw cards for locations for OP, you don't end up accidentally getting ones that are supposed to be removed. Then, when your next game is going to be the normal one, just shuffle the cards back together well.
This idea might actually work. I'd probably stick the supposed-to-be-removed cards in the slots meant for character decks since I wouldn't be using them anyway. But now I am kind of more interested in just using the OP rule of removing them all at once just to see how it plays out. Again, since it's just a solo game, I don't really have anything to lose. If to seems like it's making the game too hard or too easy, I'll remember it for future home games, especially if its with other people.
Any other thoughts?
I think it depends on how often you will be playing your solo version. Because that is the one that will make you do the book keeping. You only have to update your bookkeeping when you are going to switch.
Your group with your wife and friends and your "public" OP sessions will be using the same rules and you can basically just pull them out by deck number. And you'll be surprised the large % of cards that are basic or elite.
Here is how it could work. You play solo. And remove the cards via the rules. Then when you go to switch to your "home" group or "public" group, you records what you've removed ((this might help with that). You put back the ones that you've removed that are too high, and remove all the others from the decks that should be out.
So the only switching you have to do is put all the cards of a certain deck number back in, then take all the remaining basic and elites of other deck numbers out. Keep the ones you take out that you haven't removed in your solo group separate and they will be easy to throw right back in. So really, the only ones you need to record are the ones you've removed that are above the deck number of what you will remove for OP.
And eventually you will get to the point in OP where you are basically removing all Basic and Elites. Just keep them separate from you solo "removals" and you can just throw them back in when you switch back.
So, I guess I'm saying, it might not be as much bookkeeping as you think when you try it in practice. When you play OP you just need to track the ones you are putting back and keep the ones you remove separate from your solo removals.
Personally, I just track the number/type of cards removed rather than the actual cards (i.e. 12 basic weapons, 4 elite spells, etc.). It makes resetting the box go more quickly and is easier to track overall.