FFG Forum Archive

Posted at 2013-12-13 05:39:38+00:00

Is it too late for this game to receive a FFG video tutorial?

I find that videos like AGoT the board game and Lord of the rings card game are great for introducing new people to games.

A lot of rule explaining time can be saved from having people watch the videos before the game session.

I've heard a lot of great buzz about Battlestar Galactica around the web and I'd like to introduce it to our group, and it would be great if the general rules were availible in video format.

Posted at 2013-12-13 06:34:00+00:00

Yea, its probably way too late for that. There may be a video tutorial out there somewhere that wasnt done by FFG, but the game isnt nearly as complicated as it looks at first glance; each player's turn is actually pretty simple:

Draw your skill cards.
Move if you choose to.
Take an action from your Character sheet, a square on the board, or a card in your hand; Pilots can attack as an action if they are in a Viper.
Draw and resolve a Crisis, which will either be: a player chooses something bad to happen or a skill check on something bad happening.
Turn ends - if enough jump icons have been accumulated then the fleet jumps and the Admiral looks at 2 Destinations and chooses one to go to.

Most of the complications in the game arrise from the fact that the players do not always agree on what the best course of action is, even if all of them are Human. It typically only takes about 15 mins to teach a new player how to play in our group, and after one full round of turns they usually have it down, the problem is experience is necessary to learn what the best course of action is. It's a phenominal game, but you should expect to have Cylons win the first few games until the players get a handle on what they need to be doing. There are also a number of aids out there (check BGG probably) to help new Human teams learn. Best advice is don't waste skill cards on skill checks you cant pass or overspend cards to pass skill checks, don't let anyone sit in the Brig unless you are almost positive they are a Cylon, Executive Order frequently to maximize your actions, and never Executive Order the player to your left if the Cylons aren't revealed.

Edited December 13, 2013 by Skowza