Ok, so last week I played War Of The Ring, the Fantasy Flight Games...game. I must say, it was very, very cool. My uncle and cousin inrtoduced myself and my brother to it over the Xmas holidays. It quite expensive at €60 (or $54 http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/f/fantasyFlightGames/byProductType/cardBoa rdGames/v5748btpy75ga), but i think its very worth it. There politics, war, resources, events. All very cool.
Has anyone else played it? What do ye think of it?
I read the articles in Undefeated #10.
It looks really promising. Can you give a little moredetail on your experience, though?
What was the "learning curve" like? Are your Uncle, cousin, yourself and your brother really good at picking up on new games? Is it "newbie" friendly? (I mean I game a lot. I know I can pick it up at a good pace. What about a person whose only other gaming experience is Monopoly?)
Do you think the style/over-all design of the game might translate into other genres well? Like sci-fi?
Hmm.. well let me see. Everybody involves is familiar with magic the gathering, a few other ccgs, and a variety of rpgs. So, we have all had experience in gaming in that respect. Also, I did pick it up pretty quickly. I suppose it had helped that my uncle/cousin had played it before, and had read the rules. However, bearing that in mind, i still found it pretty simple.
Overall, it was similar to risk, in the way troops and such are maneuvered (sp?) around the table, with a few subtle difference, like not every region starts with troops in it. There are a few more restrictions involved in movement, like not being ble to traverse mountains and such. There are even more rules about whether or not you are allowed to cross over enemies borders, depending on your political status at the time.
Political status is another thing. On the right hand side of the board there is the political track. This shows where all the nations are politically. I'm not too sure how many steps there are, i believe it is 4, and countries can't recruit or attack until they are at certain stages. This is a little annoying, as some of the northern kingdoms were so far down the political track that they were ignored until late in the game, when the evil players got desperate for points (me and my cousin :D).
Victory is achieved in a number of ways. For the good side, they can either drop the ring in mount doom, or get 4 military points by capturing 2 evil citadels. For the evil side, capture the ring, or get 10 military points, ie 5 good strongholds.
There is a whole game mechanic for the fellowship, other heros and the quest of the ring. I'm not too sure how that works, i was just told to do.
What you can do per turn is decided by rolling dice. Special dice. What symbols you roll on the dice determines how many event, recruit etc actions you can do.
Fantasy Flight Games have the full rules on their website, at this address; http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/PDF/warofthering.pdf
I think a newbie could pick it up, as long as they have experience with games in general, monopoly etc, but especially risk. A guiding hand, a third party who has played before would be handy. It would probably be easier for the newbie to play the evil side.
I don't think i've covered everything, but i tried my best.
Thanks for the personal anecdote about the game.
I re-read the articles on it in Undefeated just last weekend. It sounds significantly different enough from the RISK: Lord of the Rings Edition to pick up.
Thanks, again. :)
A friend came over this weekend and I introduced the game to him. He has the Risk LOTR game and he absolutely loved it. We played it with open hands in order for him to learn as we played and then we he got the gist of it he was doing more on his own. He ended up beating me, also. This is one of the best games that has come out in awhile, along with Axis and Allies: D-Day. It represents the books very well with the different storylines represented with the cards. I took the time to paint all 200+ pieces to make them more realistic. The Trolls came out great! Blood dripping off their axes and everything. If you are a LOTR fan and a gamer...This is a must have! I even play it solitare. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS GAME.
This game is brilliant. One really can't compar it to any version of Risk. LoTR Risk is still a kids game. War of the Ring is an adult strategy game with enough flavor to satisfy any Tolkien fan. There are numerous articles, reviews, and player aids available at
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/9609
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Well, actually...I did play it.
My friend hated the Battle Mechanics. However, I love that the game has incorporated a lot of new gaming elements that are becoming more prevalent.
It is a game that tells an epic story. How can I put this. Battles that you think will win easily are bloody brutal reversals. While battles that are risky and dangerous become astounding successes.
It is a lump in your throat game.
I would love to play it again....when my mini painting is finished.
:(