I am writing this rant in the hopes that it will capture attention from the people at FFG/Asmodee or whatever powers prevail over Descent's future.
I can't for the life of me understand what the appeal of Gloomhaven is. Gloomhaven is lauded so heavily and become a benchmark goal for a marketable board game.
Before you continue reading, I have to admit something: I've never played Gloomhaven. I read the rules, and lost interest almost immediately. I've watched tutorials as well as the game plays. Maybe my opinion would change if I played, but I doubt it. I can't get passed the idea in the time that I am taking to organize this massive game, learn the rulesets, setup and play.....I could be playing...Descent!
Descent 2E is not a perfect game, by any means. To me, Its versatility still beats the pants off Gloomhaven. You can play it coo-op or with a narrator. You can play it solo or with friends. Its cousin SW: IA allowed you to play in skirmish mode. You can add expansions that add flare and changes to the way the game is played. You can decide whether or not to add those changes in your purchasing decisions. You can play with the core set, and keep it simple. You can play with every expansion ever made. The rules, may not be as detailed as Gloomhaven, but they are certainly are a lot easier to understand or explain to someone who is new to the game. Though I hear Gloomhaven storyline is quite thematic...if I was going to take the time to play a game that that much depth...I could probably play D&D. Descent has its own lightweight theme and if people wanted to learn more about Terrinoth the world is quite developed.
I asked people what they thought of Gloomhaven. They told me how awesome it was. I asked them if they had ever tried Descent. Many of them strangely never heard of it. Unfortunately at the time, I didn't invite them to a game, but I found this answer peculiar.
I understand this only one person's opinion. Maybe I'm miffed because my two favorite games Descent and MoM have a very uncertain future and I want to whine? I'm not sure if its failure in marketing or presentation, but I can't understand why GH rose to the top when Descent could definitely could continue to be published, developed and improved. It won't stop me from playing the current 2E. They can stop publishing it, that still doesn't make it a shame for future players.
I was wondering what other people thought of this? Especially those who have played both Descent and GH more extensively than me.