10 Things I love about Stars of Akarios: A Great Game that's Not for Me
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- Опубліковано 28 чер 2024
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www.teepublic.com/user/the-du... - Ігри
Breaking up with Akarios: "It's not you, it's me!"
The time commitment is one of the hardest elements to deal with in these "Gloomhaven" type games imo, but that's exactly why I was super drawn to SoA. The fact that it's so much more manageable to play and has DRASTICALLY quicker setup/pickup times than Gloomhaven is really appealing, and much simpler game mechanics as well that aren't too dumbed down but perfect for group play.
The player boards are sweet, the trays are sweet, love that you can do multiple missions in a night no problem. I do agree with you Daniel that I would have preferred dice instead of so many modifier cards, that would have been pretty cool.
I'm excited to dive deeper into our campaign, and agreed some "one shot" mission packs they could put out would be great to introduce the game to people as well. Regardless, thanks again Daniel for making the vid of a game you're probably gonna sell! Glad you gave it a solid review
It's a very well made game. Wish I had the capacity to work it in to my life.
If you look at some of the user created content on the app you might find some decent one shots
I absolutely agree… GH was just a pain going from scenario to scenario. This game is just so smooth setting up and breaking down.
Thanks for your impression! Really love the small table presence of this big game! Also, nice twist with the bonus cards. I dont think its gonna be a game for me, but glad to discover it!
Yes, Gloomhaven has special modifier cards special which are specific per Class.
Thanks for this interesting video!
Of the ones I’ve watched, I enjoy your multi video deep dives! Haven’t gotten through all of your SoB series for example, but appreciate it when you think there’s enough to a game to make multiple videos
Thank you. I enjoy doing those deep dive videos.
I actually think the app is going to allow for custom scenarios created by anyone. Not sure if they will be one offs, but I wanted to point that out in case you didn’t know
Great video! We’re really enjoying this game right now, but I completely agree on so many of your points. I’m afraid to put the box up, as I don’t think I’d get it back out, either!
So the question is would you rather play this or Deep space D6 with the long way home expansion ? ;)
This looks like a super up sized version of DSD6 with some hex based combat!
I'd rather player DSD6, because I can play an entire game in a single session.
I think Stars wins all of those, but it's not the one I want to play.
Wow this is a full sci-fi campaign game with space and planet combat.
I am sad I missed backing this now.
This really looks like what I have been wanting.
it's coming back to kickstarter
Thanks for the great vid about a game I knew nothing about. Like Xia, the colour scheme of this game really really speaks to me, it is awesome. I think I will have to keep an eye out for it.
Love your channel! keep it up.
thanks for this! Super helpful review of a game that's not getting a lot of coverage. Would love if you had time stamps!
Thanks for the review a lot of people swear it is a great game but I can't help but feel I should skip this one. I have Xia and 7th continent with unsettled and ISS vanguard coming in the mail at some point. This vlog is helping me make a call on this one, especially with an updated version of Stars of Ararios being released soon on kickstarter
Respect to the designer. To get all of these factors working together, especially all those events in the story book must take a huge amount of skill.
I'm almost always behind in playing the latest/greatest games (even though I keep backing them.) I played through the first few missions (haven't gotten to exploring with the cards, it's all been space combat so far.) I'm really enjoying figuring out the moves I want to make and the different enemy ships with their programmed move for the rounds is awesome! It feels a lot more dynamic than a set of rules for every enemy. I explain away the enemy's moving in a suboptimal way as their commander making a bad decision or maybe the following round, their card puts them in a great position.) I'm playing with 2 pilots/ships. I would maybe describe the space combat as a programming game, but you can make the decision for each step one at a time. My biggest gripe is the iconography and explanations of how things are done in the rulebook. For example, I had to reread the rulebook multiple times to figure out how the pilot skills on their player sheets worked. I didn't realize they were adding modifier cards to your deck (even though the rulebook clearly mentions modifier cards.) I am constantly reading page 22, where it explains the iconography and what they do. I wish that was on a quick reference card. Maybe after a few more scenarios, I'll remember them and not need to reference it. But, all in all, I'm very much enjoying the game. I've stopped paying other campaign games because the combat becomes boring and all the same. I'm really hoping this stays fresh until I get to the end.
Great thoughts. Thanks for posting.
Nice run through and comments just got this game really enjoyable 😊
If you don’t mind, would you share some thoughts why Sleeping Gods rates as a keeper even though it shares similar qualities such as having a long running campaign and time commitment? I guess I’m assuming it’s a keeper since it ended rating so highly in your top games of all time list. As always thanks for another excellent review.
The campaign in Sleeping Gods is super short. Can play through it all in 10-15 hours. The whole thing can be finished in 3-4 sessions, and then replayed over and over again. It also has much better writing.
And then each subsequent time through it it’s shorter because you take your notes and map with you.
Thanks that makes a lot of sense. For some reason I thought Sleeping Gods took longer to finish.
It can take a long time to collect all of the totems, but you don't collect all of them each time through the campaign. My first time through, I only collected a handful of the 50+ totems, but got a complete game with a complete story. I also only saw 1 of 13 endings. The game is built to have a small campaign that is played over and over again, rather than a long, drawn out campaign.
13:33 it makes sense.
You learn from your mistakes and you become better the next time in combat.
Good video. Just putting this on the table now. I'm of a like mind except I don't like modifier cards, especially a chain of them that leads to miss. I might just remove the misses. I'm USUALLY trying to make a game EASIER because these days they're always near death experiences. I don't like Gloomhaven JOTL's ULTRA SLOW progression and I too tend not to keep the game on the table all that long either. Middara is too "on rails" for me so I really haven't found a campaign game I really like. My friend bought me JOTL and that's the only reason we're playing it. I hope you intend to do a playthrough though of this.
I didn't want to mention it when you posted the unboxing, but even the writing on the back of the box was a bit mediocre. I feel bad pointing it out because I can do no better, I just know good writing when I read it and that wasn't it. It's something I've struggled with in my own game development. I don't know if it's talent or work I don't want to put in.
Great overview. Thanks. Have you played Battlestations 2nd edition? Wonder how that compares
Battlestations 2e was a huge flop for me. I was assured it could be played solo, and that's absolutely not the case. There is a ton of hidden information in each mission that the GM player needs to keep from the other players. It also has a manual well over 200 pages for the full game, and takes up more table space than I can afford.
So many good things, I was really looking forward to buy it. But just one little thing kills it for me entirely: I absolutely hate push your luck elements!
Especially complex games always have to be controlable and strategic and not based on pure luck...
Oh wow! Exact opposite for me. I dislike games that don’t have a lot of luck.
5:07 Oh man!...how much I agree with you there!!!
I think you secretly like this game but you don't admit it to yourself. 😆
I will give you one reason not to sell it though.
I would really like to see a video series with the scenarios dividend in episodes. Your own Star Trek show.
I wouldn't mind spoilers because of all the different choices and things that will be left out.
Think about it.
I have the feeling you will be sorry to sell it after some time.
Also expansions or add-ons may come soon.
I agree with your Gloomhaven assesment. I've got Gloomhaven, and had a friend run me through the first two scenarios, and just wasn't impressed. (I know heresy). I found the rules cumbersome, and didn't feel invested in my character at all. The method here of slowly introducing rules in as you go through the scenarios works really well.
They introduce rules slowly in GH: Jaws of the Lion which also gets rid of most of the bad things about GH
More “7th MiddarraHaven” than “Gloomhaven-in-Space”. And I mean that in a good way, overall
Shame really. I hear this more and more in our community - mostly from content creators and I get it, our time is limited and valuable so we have to choose between playing an old favourite that has many sessions of a campaign left or a new game that should by all means deserve equal game time. I myself have been plagued by this dilemma, yet I've done the exact opposite and embraced campaign games as my ONLY type of games I still want in my collection. After all, do I really want to play the same randomly-generated dungeon crawler or eurogame that I've seen time and again or do I want the next unexplored chapter of a game set in a world that I'm familiar with and have had many (but different!) adventures before? Well, the choice is clear for me...
This is perfect for you then, as it is a great game.
I would choose non-story-campaign games even if I wasn't creating videos. I just don't find the stories and writing in these games worthy of my time. For a complex and well written story, I'll read a novel. When it comes to games, I like to be more in control of the story, and prefer to connect my own dots between various random events and elements.
I laughed with your title....😆😆
I see what you did there....😉😉😉
You are right that the game misses a "skirmish mode". WIth the enemy AI, this is something that would be really cool, but it would not have been easy to make, with all the modifications to the deck, as well as the Tech and Engine upgrades... unless a single scenario would allow you to "level up" quickly (if you compare it to Massive Darkness, where the standalone mode is very cool, wich quick level-ups, lots of loot, etc., but the campaign feels like an afterthought - even with MD2).
Oh no no no, do not mention MD2 around that guy... (😏)
@@wishmeheaven Haha! I know about the retaliate dice! 😂
Yes. Please don't mention shitty mechanisms around me! ;) :D
I don't just want a skirmish mode. I want a mode where I can experience everything the game has to offer, in a single ~3 hour session, with a beginning, middle and end. Something like I start by exploring space, find a mission, maybe head to a planet to explore to progress the mission, then end with a space battle. Something that tells a complete story in one session where I can experience all the game has to offer.
@@TheDungeonDive Having 3 play modes in Akarios (Space Combat, Space Exploration and Planet Exploration), it would probably feel a bit too cramped to experience everything in a single session. Not impossible, but not sure it would be "that" fun, though.
While the campaign is fun, I agree, that this would have been awesome (and maybe better for me) if it was rogue-like, where you are just exploring space, getting random encounters/events, and trying to survive. It is always hard to get a game to the table that has an intense campaign where progress has to be recorded. I think Oathsworn will do all of this better, granted the mechanisms and theme are different.
Totally on the same page there.
Someone could actually write an app to do exactly that. You could pick options, set the characters and ships, and based upon the level of what you've selected, it could select enemies and a map.
Interesting comments RE selling this on Daniel. Do you feel the same way about your other campaign games at all such as Dungeon Universalis?
Every game is judged on its own. DUN has more to offer than campaign play.
@@TheDungeonDive good point
Another way I could have answered...just because I don't like something in one game, doesn't mean I won't like it in another. One reason why I like DUN more is because I simply like Fantasy more. :)
The closest your going to get is Xia. 3 hours, seeing your ship upgrade, with DIY story telling.
Good game! Covered it on the channel.
Well, if you're selling it, I'm interested.
It’s available at retail!
oommgames.com/products/stars-of-akarios
This game looks like it would be better suited as a video game or app, not a board game.
That's a common thread these days. I agree. Or, at least an app assisted game. Something to handle all the stuff behind the scenes.
The KS price for the base game was 75$ and now the preorder is 170$, someone got a bit drunk with success. I'm a sucker for games like this, but in no way I'm going to pay that absurd retail price.
The unfortunate part of this is this is the combination of a small publisher undervaluing a game, getting pre pandemic shipping and manufacturing quotes, and then having to deal with the realistic side on the other end. This is a $170 that's realistically priced for now. Backers won. Same for Frosthaven and Arydia. This scarily forces people into FOMO now more than ever
@@jhowd78 while the game looks great, nothing justifies a 170$ price tag. Maybe 120$, and that's it. I don't know why you talk about shipping, that 75$ price was without shipping and taxes. Now try to get that base game box without minis and extras to Europe, we will have a good laugh looking at the shopping cart. Something like 260$ seems plausible. Bonkers.
Anyway, I don't have a problem with it, plenty of games to play and not enough time for all of them. Just thinking out loud.
Prices have gone crazy high no matter what.
Adding the madness we have seen and coming soon around the world games will look as a useless luxury the next years.
Prices on gas and food will go sky high or worse.
Games will need more shipping and time to even go to a near area.
Shortly people will stop buying because eating will be more important and companies will cancel new productions.
Unless something drastically stop all those agendas and we will jump up and down from joy.
Hopefully.
@@hariszark7396 100% agree. Gaming will be too much of a luxury purchase
@Haris Zark Correct. Prices are going to continue to rise. The days of cheap, epic, big box Kickstarters is over. Remember when KDM first launched? The KS price was under $100. :)
So why did you even bother getting it? Surely you knew it was a campaign game before you had bought it?. It makes no sense. I completely get you though, campaign games are just too time consuming
That’s the problem with KS games you want a game when you back it but over the years it takes to actually receive it things can change. For example I have backed several large gamers like isofarian guard, Tanares adventures etc but at the time I had plenty of room to store games. Now not so much. I will have to sell some of my current games once those come if I want to keep them
Because I thought it looked interesting.
I can relate. I have sleeping god's and etherfields on the shelf of shame for the exact reasons of not having time to play them. I bought them and won't sell them because I know they're great games and I just wanted them
Sleeping Gods is really quick. You can easily play through the whole game in 10-15 hours.
@@TheDungeonDive You mean one campaign of Sleeping Gods, right? But to explore everything you need to play several campaigns, co it takes way more hours than that.. ;)