So my thoughts on the game, let me first give you on what experience I am writing it from:
I am a big board/war gamer, played FFGs LCGs, some magic years ago and my favourite games are probably AH (partly due to Julia's assistance when she saved me from selling it), TI3, MK and probably right now Mice and Mystics with my daughter.
I own all the other Runeboard games apart from Runeage and love them all including the background and my only real regret is not being able to find a decent Descent group in my area
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I didn't play Runeboard 2.0 as I couldn't get all the add on's and I'm that kind of guy
anyway moaning over (for now)
Basic impressions of the game are positive, the mechanics are fresh (compared to other games in the genre like MK), The dice movement mechanics are great, even the combat mechanics from tokens which I was originally worried about were good.
Now I will make a quick confession, I only played it once and here is why:
When I first saw the game announced I was very excited, basically I had tried the Lotr LCG and loved the idea of it but felt that it was a little shallow, I have kept coming back to it but it just ends up in the same place every time. I was hoping that RB3.0 would be the answer to that, seasons of cards with different cards to change the experience over the season and a deluxe expansion as a bookend to the season with new Heroes, Boards, etc. They didn't need to be as quick to release like an LCG but a pack like the MoM adventure expansion's would have been awesome every couple of months would have been awesome.
I also understand that this was unlikely
Now I understand that this is simply an issue of expectation's and the bottom line is I am sure FFG have some supply issues with big lines like X Wing so me expecting massive support for what looks like a less popular game is maybe where the issue is.
However if you compare this to Descent, I got descent and I played it once with a mate then put it on the shelf for 18 months until there were some expansion packs out (It really felt like it needed it). The reason was it felt a little clinical and was obviously going to be expanded to hell and back, and that was fine I waited and it was awesome. With Descent however there was some big differences. Firstly ther first expansion was announced well before the actual game came out, I know there was a lot of moaning about Descent and the schedule but the box which was FULL of components and was a good price for the content but NEEDED more to make it really tick in my book. It feels like the have followed the same path with RB3.0, the price of what is in the box wasn't quite the same value for money as D2e but still feels like a quality purchase and more importantly it felt like all the original component's were going to last for the years of expansions to follow.
The place where RB3.0 diverges from Descent is in two primary areas and this is my worry to be frank
1) RB3.0 component's in two areas don't feel like they are going to last a) the dice are a good mechanic but are very silly to put together and really don't feel like they will be doing the sorts of games I was hoping to get out of them (QWorkshop order here we come(if they sort the other stuff out)). b) the Combat flipper things are curious, they already said they will be selling a supplement set of flippers, now I was under the impression that every flipper was unique so it's not like dice where someone across the table might want their own set, so why would you sell identical flipper unless they expect them to be damaged? Please tell me below if I am being dumb. Now if they are selling them for the damage potential then they will need to do the same surely for every flipper on the expansion. Now I know there was a green dice debacle in D2e where the add on dice didn't have a green dice in but surely if in a future expansion there is a new cool character with a cool ability or whatever then that flipper could be used a hell of a lot. Also surely there will be more generic flippers like the baddie ones we are already using. This doesn't make sense, FFG aren't stupid.
2) Obviously the game has been released for two months and not even a word on an expansion, some might call me greedy/whatever, but I feel while the contents of the box is worth the money in order for me to actually get around to playing it I will wait an expansion or two when the stuff starts fleshing the game out.
My overall conclusion on both of these issues that:
1) It has sold really badly so they are going MoM on the expansions (anyone know anything about this?)
2) There is a fundamental mechanics/manufacturing change to those two mechanics that was only picked up sometime after it was to late to stop the release but before they announced expansion 1 and they are looking at it
3) FFG only love Star Wars games...........
I know this sounds very negative and maybe the truth is RB3.0 just isn't for me but I just feel it really has potential in so many areas to be a good adventure story game but like D2e it hasn't quite got enough in the box to get me back again and again.
edit: Also would love some Descent tie in's for people that have spent the money on that (I know unlikely but would have been nice)
Lilikin
Edited by Lilikin