If I want to play this I would just play Firefly.

1 hour ago, Nozlen said:

If I want to play this I would just play Firefly.

Yeah me too!

...unless I wanted to play a game that wasn’t a bloated, down-time heavy drag with more than two-three players.

...unless I wanted to play in an epic and alien setting instead of the west...in space.

...unless I couldn’t get people excited about being immersed in the lore of a failed 17-year-old TV show that only lasted one season.

Firefly is a beloved setting and there is nothing wrong with Firefly at all, I don't get why people have to pick on Firefly just to feel better about Star Wars. If Firefly had been given a chance, there's every reason to believe it'd be even better and it was rather awesome.

As far as the game goes, however, Firefly was a game I believe it took a fan to love. That's actually the same with Star Wars, there are Star Wars games only a fan can love. Firefly took way, way too long as a game. It was incredible for replicating all the aspects of the series, but the game was advertised as taking 45 minutes or so. In reality, it took hours, and you spent an awful lot of time going back and forth before you got anywhere. I got rid of my set, only because I knew it wasn't going to get any better. Those who still play it are hardcore fans.

'Rip Offs', doesn't make sense when you talk FFG games anyway. One FFG rips off the system of another, and the only substantial changes end up being the setting. And it's not like FFG is Gale Force 9 or visa versa. Pepsi is a ripoff of Coke, or Coke is a rip off of Pepsi, if you want to look at it that way. But both get sold in the supermarket.

8 hours ago, KelRiever said:

Firefly is a beloved setting and there is nothing wrong with Firefly at all, I don't get why people have to pick on Firefly just to feel better about Star Wars. If Firefly had been given a chance, there's every reason to believe it'd be even better and it was rather awesome.

As far as the game goes, however, Firefly was a game I believe it took a fan to love. That's actually the same with Star Wars, there are Star Wars games only a fan can love. Firefly took way, way too long as a game. It was incredible for replicating all the aspects of the series, but the game was advertised as taking 45 minutes or so. In reality, it took hours, and you spent an awful lot of time going back and forth before you got anywhere. I got rid of my set, only because I knew it wasn't going to get any better. Those who still play it are hardcore fans.

'Rip Offs', doesn't make sense when you talk FFG games anyway. One FFG rips off the system of another, and the only substantial changes end up being the setting. And it's not like FFG is Gale Force 9 or visa versa. Pepsi is a ripoff of Coke, or Coke is a rip off of Pepsi, if you want to look at it that way. But both get sold in the supermarket.

Just some quick counter points -

- I was reacting to the OP in my tone. I don’t “pick on firefly to make me feel better about Star Wars”.

- I saw Serenity first, then Firefly. Doing it that way, 5-6 years after the show aired, the TV show does not hold up. It’s TNG series one bad. Yes, it might have gotten better but it might have stayed bad too. I’m sure if Joss Whedon did it NOW it would be much better, he’d have the same level amount of control/clout as Seth McFarland does with Orville, but back then he was at the mercy of the suits.

- Mostly my point was to counter the idea that this was a less-good game than Firefly, which I am sure it won’t be - for the play time alone. I never played a game of Firefly that was less than 4 hours. I would love to know where “45 minutes” came from...

Looks like a huge improvement on Firefly.

If I want to kiss 4 hours of my precious gaming time to spend with good friends but dreary, grinding gameplay... I'll play Firefly

21 hours ago, KelRiever said:

Firefly is a beloved setting and there is nothing wrong with Firefly at all, I don't get why people have to pick on Firefly just to feel better about Star Wars. If Firefly had been given a chance, there's every reason to believe it'd be even better and it was rather awesome.

Who's knocking Firefly? These are just Star Wars: Outer Rim fans reacting genuinely to a naysayer internet troll, and who think "original version is always better" is a flawed perspective.

To the original troll's point, though: If I want to wait forever between turns in my solitaire game to watch other people play their solitaire games.................I'll play Firefly.

And the new Batman Atkham game is just an Imperial Assault rip off. What is your point?

Having played Outer Rim, I don't think lack of downtime is where you want to make your stand on what it has over Firefly (although I tend to think the concept of "downtime" is an overrated and overused one that overlooks the social and strategic aspects of playing a board game). But Outer Rim DOES have more player interaction right out of the box than Firefly does. Without an expansion, about all you can do to an opponent in Firefly is grab something before they do or nudge one of the enemy ships in their direction and hope it gets in the way. In Outer Rim, I can capture someone's crew if I have a bounty on them, I can fight them in space, on top of sending patrols their way and grabbing cards they might want.

Actually, in addition to grabbing marketplace cards they may want, you may also opt to bury one card per turn which is useful for those items / jobs that don’t help you or that you can’t afford.

Both Firefly and Outerrim have their good selling points. I own both and love them both for what they are. However, Outer rim is much easier to learn, plays in half the time and has so far always been close matches that come down to the last turn with most players neck and neck. Outer rim fits nicely into an evening of fun gaming with family and friends. Whereas Firefly usually requires a full day. (if played with all its expansions)

On 5/10/2019 at 4:58 AM, Nozlen said:

If I want to play this I would just play Firefly.

Why is being derivative of another game a problem? This happens all the time with our games and our hobby is getting better all the time because of it. We get more choice, in terms of rules complexity, theme, time of play, player involvement, relevant and dynamic player choices, changing life style options and so on.

I know the game concept is pretty much the same, but are the mechanics really that similar? Idea and implementation are pretty drastically different.

On 5/27/2019 at 10:56 AM, Enjeryuu said:

I know the game concept is pretty much the same, but are the mechanics really that similar? Idea and implementation are pretty drastically different.

they are quite radically different

I’m just wondering how long it will be before we see a fan made Firefly ship mat so we can use the ship models from that game in Outer Rim.

11 hours ago, GrandAdmiralCrunch said:

I’m just wondering how long it will be before we see a fan made Firefly ship mat so we can use the ship models from that game in Outer Rim.

Firefly - a cult failed tv series. OK I suppose but it was cancelled for a reason. Each to their own I guess but a pale comparison to the SW universe.

12 hours ago, Gallanteer said:

Firefly - a cult failed tv series. OK I suppose but it was cancelled for a reason. Each to their own I guess but a pale comparison to the SW universe.

The reason being that the executive that green-lit it left Fox, and the replacement saw no profit to their career in supporting it so did everything possible to sink it including limited marketing, preempted episodes in favor of sports, and airing the episodes out of order. The show wasn’t given a far shake. I will agree the adoration it gets can be over the top, but it deserved better than it got.

To be honest I don’t see a reason for their to be a competition between Star Wars and Firefly, anymore then their should be between Star Wars and Star Trek. The world is big enough for all of them and more beyond. We are richer for more options.

As for this thread I believe, and my comment in particular are speaking of Firefly: The Board Game - A pick up and move game similar to Outer Rim. That game with nice little minis that could easily used in this game; it would just need a custom Outer Rim Ship Mat. I don’t think that is an outlandish idea that a fan made version will be posted online sooner rather than later.

The two games share a genre - sci-fi spacefaring adventure from the perspective of smugglers, scoundrels and bounty hunters - and some broad gameplay mechanics - pick up and deliver primarily - but the actual details of gameplay are extremely different. To label it a “Firefly tip-off” is an insult to the people who worked very hard to develop, test and produce this game, which I’m guessing, you haven’t even played so you really have no ground to stand on for making such a claim. Go find another bridge to hide under.

The game is pretty similar to Firefly. But Firefly "lovingly borrows" mechanics from Merchants and Marauders. Of the three, Merchants is probably still the best, but Outer Rim is an all right pick up and deliver in a beloved setting and comes with the standard FFG treatment (mostly great production values and a need for more dice. fortunately, you can just use Xwing dice if you have them). What Outer Rim does right is take out most of the boring parts of Firefly, and what it leaves in, it generally streamlines. I'd never play past 10 points. Bounties seem pointless in a two player game unless you luck into a visible contact.

It's a fair gripe to poke at FFG over their decline in originality. It doesn't make someone a troll. Even if their games are rehashes of other titles, they're still generally well made and more often than not have a decent rules set.

Imperial Assault is Descent is Doom is Heroquest-ish
Rebellion is War of the Ring
Outer Rim is Firefly is Merchants and Marauders
Empire vs Rebellion is Cold War
X-wing is Wings of War

And that's only the Star Wars games.

That said, I loved doing the Kessel Run as Lando with Lobot.

So a Star Wars game about traveling around the galaxy in your tramp freighter to pick up illicit cargos and evade the law is a ripoff of a game based on a TV show that came out 25 years after Star Wars. Neat. I'll tell Han Solo he's just a knock-off Mal Reynolds.

I now own and love both games, and love both franchises. Outer Rim is better as a pick up and play game and therefore will most likely see more play in my house. But Firefly is great for a longer and more in-depth (having to plan for fuel usage, having to actually travel to specific pick up points for goods, and variable end goals etc.) playing experience. So IMO there is room for both on any game shelf.

However to anybody looking to knock Firefly simply because Fox execs were too stupid to give it the treatment it deserved, all I can say is...

On 6/14/2019 at 1:14 PM, skotothalamos said:

So a Star Wars game about traveling around the galaxy in your tramp freighter to pick up illicit cargos and evade the law is a ripoff of a game based on a TV show that came out 25 years after Star Wars. Neat. I'll tell Han Solo he's just a knock-off Mal Reynolds.

this...