Fantastic disasterous game.

By JimbonX, in Star Wars: Rebellion

Ah Rebellion. Finally got to play it on tabletop day. How I have waited so long to relive Star Wars. I will fight a lot, feel the political drama and epicness...

Rebellion is probably one of the most F* up and messed up game I ever play. It's bad because it's too much. Too much rules, too much components, too much of everything. The text, the gameplay, the turnbased, phases, is this game even playtested at all? Or playtested outside FFGs office? Because this game needs a redesign.

Now you wonder. Why do I write and complain about this? You pay a lot of money for a game that's suppose to have full quality. A game that is so well designed you will love it and replay it. No issues and fun. Fun fun and fun. Rebellion does not live up to that at all.

Yes been a imperial and trying to find the rebell base is fun. And probably only that and turn a leader to the dark side. Rebells is fun when trolling and sabotage the imperial production. Everything else is boring, bad and week.

Now how can this game be a much more of a fun game? How can it be more of a joyable game? First, fix the leaders. When they are placed out, they stay. Cards, use mission cards as activation points - either play a missioncard or discard it to move 1 squad and battle. Dice - replace the dice, they don't work at all. Use the dice from X-Wing miniature games instead. Later on, I will post a video on showing some ideas for playing.

Edited by JimbonX

I see no problem with this game it has everything I could have wanted this game to have. it resembles the PC game Star Wars Rebellion very well and the more I play the faster and better the game becomes all the rules are not so bad once you know them like every other game

X Wing dice can stay in X Wing its why I love Armada more over X Wing NO GREEN DICE

this is a very deep strategic game and it may not be for you

the only thing I will complain about is the rebels cant build enough forces to take control over the Galaxy. at least I have not been able to yet ;)

Wow I don't believe this is a real post.

Have to agree with X-Wing Nut and marshal

This game is great, everything I wanted and more. Some wordings need an FAQ but that was always going to be the case. The product is good quality the rules are complex enough to allow for diverse and strategic game-play while not being so complex as to need a note pad to keep track of what is happening.

I like the limitations of the dice, simplifies combat and makes it less battle focused and more tactically focused.

I like the visual aspect of the leaders and the story, that using them on missions, generates. The whole things feels and looks like Star Wars.

As its been said this game is very strategic, so maybe its just not for you as I certainly think you'll be in the minority when it comes to this "overhaul".

Dice don't work at all? What does that even mean?

Some units use red dice, som euse black dice - after 5 hours you still get it wrong. Is there any special with that? Yes, just harder to hit.

No I don't have problem with tactical games - I play a lot like chess, Fire Emblem, Risk, Star Craft and X-Wing miniature. I have problem with a game that cost too much and isn't playable becasue there's too much in it that doesn't work well.

Yea, this game is not like Risk. It's suppose to be a cat and mouse play. However, there's tons of stuffs that don't work or needs to be in the game.

Some units use red dice, som euse black dice - after 5 hours you still get it wrong. Is there any special with that? Yes, just harder to hit.

No I don't have problem with tactical games - I play a lot like chess, Fire Emblem, Risk, Star Craft and X-Wing miniature. I have problem with a game that cost too much and isn't playable becasue there's too much in it that doesn't work well.

Yea, this game is not like Risk. It's suppose to be a cat and mouse play. However, there's tons of stuffs that don't work or needs to be in the game.

You can say you don't like the game. You can say it's not for you. You can even say it's too pricey for you.

But saying it's not playable, and tons of stuff don't work is simply, utterly, objectively, incorrect.

Some units use red dice, som euse black dice - after 5 hours you still get it wrong. Is there any special with that? Yes, just harder to hit.

No I don't have problem with tactical games - I play a lot like chess, Fire Emblem, Risk, Star Craft and X-Wing miniature. I have problem with a game that cost too much and isn't playable becasue there's too much in it that doesn't work well.

Yea, this game is not like Risk. It's suppose to be a cat and mouse play. However, there's tons of stuffs that don't work or needs to be in the game.

You can say you don't like the game. You can say it's not for you. You can even say it's too pricey for you.

But saying it's not playable, and tons of stuff don't work is simply, utterly, objectively, incorrect.

Just wanted to agree with Arcane here. I also wanted to add that this game is 100% playable as I have done so multiple times. I have it work fine and am wondering if JimbonX is doing something wrong or if its a matter of style/taste.

Also replacing the die system with x-wing style dice, doesn't really change much. You are still dealing with two different color dice. I think with focus results, you end up with a similar level of complexity.

JimbonX, this may just not be the game for you as your issues appear to be extremely general and systemic around the game overall rather than a handful of specific items.

The game is a strategic level game, turns may represent months or even years of time.

As such you don't get a battle with front lines and units fighting, you get an engagement somewhere that is important to things. It is supposed to be a sweeping space opera that drops you into the action of the films. In this regards I think it is highly successful. I can try and take over the universe or save it and do so in the space between dinner and bed. My first game was very tense, and I lost only because of a well timed mission.

The game is more like a game of poker, both sides suffer for the lack of information each has. Just as much as the Imperial player knows nothing as to the location of the base and has to calculate the location through what he knows by putting units on the ground and then being lucky with his probe cards. The Rebel player has to try and mislead the Imperials but never quite knows how successful he is being as he never has complete knowledge as to the probe cards drawn.

So you can easily end up in a bluff / double-bluff. I can see how you may find this dull, but I was having a blast the whole time because the game drew this out perfectly. Consider that a perfectly played game will end up with the Imperial player having just one battle, at the right place and at the right time. Anything more is either him playing into his lack of information, scouting a Rebel held planet or being mislead by his opponent.

I think the rules are in part formed by this game design feature, to ensure that the element of bluff is maintained you have to have procedural checks in place to ensure that the element of duplicity is there and players can bluff each other within the framework of the game while at the same time these procedures ensures that a player does not cheat to form the bluff.

What you seem to be describing is Risk, you have almost complete knowledge of the state of the board and it is a big battle to the death.

Some units use red dice, som euse black dice - after 5 hours you still get it wrong. Is there any special with that? Yes, just harder to hit.

I'm not sure it's possible to get it wrong after 5 minutes. Black dice are light anti-fighter weapons. Red dice are heavy turbolasers, suitable for anti-ship. The "direct hit" icon indicates the lucky shot that either penetrates a ship's armor, or clips the starfighter.

Some units use red dice, som euse black dice - after 5 hours you still get it wrong. Is there any special with that? Yes, just harder to hit.

I'm not sure it's possible to get it wrong after 5 minutes. Black dice are light anti-fighter weapons. Red dice are heavy turbolasers, suitable for anti-ship. The "direct hit" icon indicates the lucky shot that either penetrates a ship's armor, or clips the starfighter.

Yeah, not really any more confusing that red vs green dice in Xwing, or the omg, wait for it...3 colors in Armada...or the 6 colors in the RPG.

Beyond that they are easily referenced from the card in front of you.

Honestly, for as large of a game as this is, there are actually only a few rules. A lot of modifications of those rules due to missions and such, but those change things as you go along.

You have either not taken the time to understand the rules, or you are just totally engrossed into one style of gaming (X-wing) that you look at everything from that perspective.

This game may not be right for you, which is understandable and totally ok, but it's a very playable game, and very fun. Everyone I've played with can't wait to get the game back to the table again as soon as possible.

No I don't have problem with tactical games.

This is, I think where part of the issue is. Rebellion is not a tactical game like X-Wing at all. This is a strategic game that does away with super granular rules for (just as an example) combat. There is a huge amount of abstraction in this game, even more than in Armada and FAR more than in X-Wing. Out of curiosity, what exactly are your problems with the dice? If the issue is not having defense dice, then I can't really make much of a suggestion. In my opinion the scale of the conflicts in Rebellion doesn't really work well with a defense mechanic beyond the cards. After all, I can't imagine a squadron of star destroyers doing much dodging.

As for the other issue with the dice, I really think that's a lot of hyperbole, but if it isn't, just check your reference sheet. The number and color of dice and health are right there. It's actually far quicker and less chaotic than X-Wing combat, again because of the level of abstraction. In X-Wing and Armada, the entire game is that one engagement. In Rebellion, that one battle may be the size of the Battle of Endor, but it is the result of one single activation during one single turn of the game. It can't be made much more complicated or battles would bog down everything more than it already does.

Without more specifics I'm afraid I can't give any other advice, but then again it does appear that you've made up your mind. Based on what I can decipher from your criticisms of this game and X-Wing, it seems that maybe FFG games just aren't your cup of tea. Maybe look into Armada or move on to something else? Eclipse may be something that warrants your attention.

I still think this guy is poking the bear. He apparently played an unplayable game with dice that don't work for 5 hours!

I think it is a great game, I also play Age of Empire, Edge of Empire, Armada, X-Wing (not Imperial Assault...... yet). Maybe you just had a bad game? Admittedly it is a lot to take in and there are some rules clarification needed.

Two games I played, the first was down to the last turn, massive Imperial Fleet on Tatooine, Rebel Base on Ryloth, not enough turns for the Imperials to get in there and Rebels won.

Third game I played, Rebel Base on Hoth, no Imperial Fleet anywhere nearby. It was weakly defended then *BOOM* "Planetary Assault" with General Veers. Imperial Victory.

So although a lot to take in, it is complicated but very well balanced and hugely enjoyable. Only downside are rules, their complication and some ambiguity, but that is partially down to me and absorbing them all.

Mr. JimbonX, in the past I have been guilty of spurning instruction manuals when dealing with shelves from IKEA and then, when things go awry, claiming the shelves to be at fault, with this analogy in mind might I suggest that you peruse through the rules booklet, you'll find it in the box under the excessive amount of components and malfunctioning dice. Usually, when dealing with a lot of games, especially the expensive ones that are over-burdened with game pieces, tokens etc I find the rules to be a great advantage when trying to establish how to play, and unlike other easier games like 'Snap' or 'Old maid' mastery of this game will need to be attained after one or even two play-throughs. I hope this helps as I am confident when I say that this is an immensely deep and immersively thematic game that delivers a truly cinematic experience, an experience that can only be truly enhanced by playing it properly.

Edited by TheFamousECCLES

Some units use red dice, som euse black dice - after 5 hours you still get it wrong. Is there any special with that? Yes, just harder to hit.

I'm not sure it's possible to get it wrong after 5 minutes. Black dice are light anti-fighter weapons. Red dice are heavy turbolasers, suitable for anti-ship. The "direct hit" icon indicates the lucky shot that either penetrates a ship's armor, or clips the starfighter.

Also if the OP is going to accuse FFG of not playtesting this game adequately, the least he can do is playtest his own version before he touts it as superior. I suspect he hasn't playtest it once.

Edited by KoalaXav

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Rebellion is probably one of the most F* up and messed up game I ever play. It's bad because it's too much. Too much rules, too much components, too much of everything. The text, the gameplay, the turnbased, phases, is this game even playtested at all? Or playtested outside FFGs office? Because this game needs a redesign.

...

Stay away from Twilight Imperium then. :P

But that is the case with any game that deals in a overall strategy system. Because Strategy is the highest order for planning and operations, techniques=>tactics=>doctrine=>strategy you end up with abstract systems which represents layers upon layers of variables, results, interactions and outcomes.

and if you want more tactical options, nothing in the world is stopping you and your opponent from doing this:

Space battle: play a game of Armada (or X-Wing if it's mostly starfighters)

Ground Battle: play a game of Imperial Assault

Heck, if you are REALLY brave, play an X-Wing match for every squadron vs squadron fight in Armada.

Come up with a few rules modifications or set lists/equivalents to represent the battles (if one side overwhelmingly outnumbers the other, then clearly you don't do a standard 100 v 100 game. Maybe something like each trooper is worth a single deployment group of their equivalent, then find an equivalent for the other units in Rebellion. If you don't have enough minis, reduce both sides proportionally. Whatever leader is present just gets added to a force (if that leader exists in the game in question).

I mean, this would take a ton of work, and the game goes from taking a few hours to taking a weekend, but the epicness...oh my, the epicness. Personally I'm gonna pass on this (mostly for space and time constraints) and enjoy the fact that there is now an FFG Star Wars game for almost any play style that works in the Star Wars universe. You have three different flavors of tactical combat, RPGs, the campaign version of imperial assault, the card game (which is really in my opinion the weakest offering, especially comparing it to other LCGs) and this beauty.

Edited by FatherTurin

JimbonX are you going to come back and actually try to articulate your problems with the game? I'd be interested to hear what you've got to say.

Turns out the 1000s of gameplay hours that have been conducted by FFG's design team, playtesters and the thousands of people that have bought the game and raved about it - are all wrong!

Stop playing the game folks, it's broken as hell - and the dice don't even work!!!