Hi Jon, great review. I especially like how you came up with a good solution to your main negative (end game trigger). In fact, I like your solution, and will adopt it. I sense the same problem that the game just becomes a race for one pathway. As for the other big problem, the downtime, I got a solution off BGG that works well: - every player gets spare dice set (cheap ones) with dice cup or player shield - after your turn ends, your game dice stay on board as usual, but secretly roll the spare dice. Now a player can BEGIN planning their OPTIONS. Like u said, one might need to change plans based on preceding players' turns, but at least one can work out combos + POSSIBLE plans. We've found it definitely sped the game up. I like your review style! Regards, Sal
I know I'm late, but great review. To expand on your neutral point: that's the importance of the alien tech cards.m learning proper grabbing and usage of the alien tech cards helps you neutralize that luck factor of wanting high rolls which brings another level of depth into the game
Massive "downtime" between players turns depends MASSIVELY on the people you play with. I've had play-sessions in a multitude of otherwise medium to fast-paced games where it ALWAYS drags out when the turn comes to certain players due to their inability to plan ahead or inability to alter their strategies/plans on the fly as the game changes before their turn.
As someone who loves AF, I can tell you that the first expansion, Factions, solves the "first to finish, first place" issue by introducing hidden objective cards that have won me games by themselves. Also, it introduces asymmetrical play with playable factions that give each player unique abilities and new actions, which are usually open to everyone. It allows for a 5th (purple) player, but the extra player does make for a very long game if you have a few AP prone players. If you like the theme and the base game but need more, Factions by itself should do the trick. I never teach the game without it anymore.
It seems to me there aren't very many options on the board if you only roll 3 dice and you need a pair for two of the places, 3 in a row, 3 of a kind, a 6 OR a die equal to or larger than one already placed. That leaves 3 places to go, one of which has to be equal to or greater than 8, one that only lets you reshuffle cards you may or may not be able to get, and one that gets you 1/7th of the way to getting a colony on the board. I am underwhelmed...
JonGetsGames You mention "my modifications for the game" - could you please share them in comment or in a separate video (put link maybe into Info section). I wonder also for your modifications about other games as well, in order to make them more playable, fun and etc.
nice review but if the critics claim that the expansions are a "must have", then...... this factor defenatly matters and the fact that even a base game review doesn't include any suggestion or overview at that aspect is honestly missing me as a viewer. specially when you alredy own those expansions. you could have try and report, and that is just a shame that you didn't. but thanks anyhow...
Late to comment. Did you play with the expansions you mentioned? I picked this up so may try your house rule. Can you mention what it was. Did you get rid of this game since you produced this video?
good review. The hard sci fi is actually what attracts me. Any ideas on how to mitigate those dice? Like simple rules from yahtzee? Downtime: could you introduce the "follow" trick teg & rftg used?
Honestly, if you did any mitigation it would completely wreck the design of the game. If the way the dice are used doesn't appeal to you, then you should probably just give the game a pass unfortunately :-\
If terraforming is a dominant strategy, then everyone's doing it, and there's only the one place for a die. The very fact that everyone is clamoring for it should be self-regulating to a great extent. Maybe other people just let Jon glom that spot too much.
+Steve Gale It isn't that one person would run away with it, but it was always everyones number 1 priority if it was open (or if they could blast it open with lasers) and I found that to kill off other interesting lines of play. For my group this applied to both terraforming and the triple die colony placement location. It doesn't seem imbalanced, it just wasn't fun to see a dominant strategy open up for us like this.
@@JonGetsGames The thing is, the rule book states you can't use the terraforming station if it would reduce your ship count to three. It'll be tough to spam that station without slipping below three ships.
Hi Jon, great review. I especially like how you came up with a good solution to your main negative (end game trigger).
In fact, I like your solution, and will adopt it. I sense the same problem that the game just becomes a race for one pathway.
As for the other big problem, the downtime, I got a solution off BGG that works well:
- every player gets spare dice set (cheap ones) with dice cup or player shield
- after your turn ends, your game dice stay on board as usual, but secretly roll the spare dice. Now a player can BEGIN planning their OPTIONS. Like u said, one might need to change plans based on preceding players' turns, but at least one can work out combos + POSSIBLE plans.
We've found it definitely sped the game up.
I like your review style!
Regards, Sal
Great game review. Just came across your channel a few weeks ago and I am really enjoying it. Keep up the good work!
I know I'm late, but great review. To expand on your neutral point: that's the importance of the alien tech cards.m learning proper grabbing and usage of the alien tech cards helps you neutralize that luck factor of wanting high rolls which brings another level of depth into the game
So could you elaborate on your house rule for different player counts? I really enjoy your reviews and I would love to hear more about this.
Great review. I love your detail in explaining and showing the game. Now I am looking through all your backlog of videos for more :p
Massive "downtime" between players turns depends MASSIVELY on the people you play with.
I've had play-sessions in a multitude of otherwise medium to fast-paced games where it ALWAYS drags out when the turn comes to certain players due to their inability to plan ahead or inability to alter their strategies/plans on the fly as the game changes before their turn.
As someone who loves AF, I can tell you that the first expansion, Factions, solves the "first to finish, first place" issue by introducing hidden objective cards that have won me games by themselves. Also, it introduces asymmetrical play with playable factions that give each player unique abilities and new actions, which are usually open to everyone. It allows for a 5th (purple) player, but the extra player does make for a very long game if you have a few AP prone players.
If you like the theme and the base game but need more, Factions by itself should do the trick. I never teach the game without it anymore.
I've never tried the game with the expansion, and will definitely give it a go if I have the opportunity in the future.
It seems to me there aren't very many options on the board if you only roll 3 dice and you need a pair for two of the places, 3 in a row, 3 of a kind, a 6 OR a die equal to or larger than one already placed. That leaves 3 places to go, one of which has to be equal to or greater than 8, one that only lets you reshuffle cards you may or may not be able to get, and one that gets you 1/7th of the way to getting a colony on the board. I am underwhelmed...
JonGetsGames You mention "my modifications for the game" - could you please share them in comment or in a separate video (put link maybe into Info section). I wonder also for your modifications about other games as well, in order to make them more playable, fun and etc.
nice review but if the critics claim that the expansions are a "must have", then...... this factor defenatly matters and the fact that even a base game review doesn't include any suggestion or overview at that aspect is honestly missing me as a viewer.
specially when you alredy own those expansions.
you could have try and report, and
that is just a shame that you didn't.
but thanks anyhow...
Late to comment. Did you play with the expansions you mentioned? I picked this up so may try your house rule. Can you mention what it was. Did you get rid of this game since you produced this video?
No, I never did unfortunately.
good review. The hard sci fi is actually what attracts me. Any ideas on how to mitigate those dice? Like simple rules from yahtzee?
Downtime: could you introduce the "follow" trick teg & rftg used?
Honestly, if you did any mitigation it would completely wreck the design of the game. If the way the dice are used doesn't appeal to you, then you should probably just give the game a pass unfortunately :-\
Great review, as always.
5:40 could you not have placed the double 3s into the Shipyard to acquire a fourth ship for free?
I am wondering what version of Alien frontier is this?
This was the first printing of the game from it's original Kickstarter.
If terraforming is a dominant strategy, then everyone's doing it, and there's only the one place for a die. The very fact that everyone is clamoring for it should be self-regulating to a great extent. Maybe other people just let Jon glom that spot too much.
+Steve Gale It isn't that one person would run away with it, but it was always everyones number 1 priority if it was open (or if they could blast it open with lasers) and I found that to kill off other interesting lines of play. For my group this applied to both terraforming and the triple die colony placement location. It doesn't seem imbalanced, it just wasn't fun to see a dominant strategy open up for us like this.
@@JonGetsGames The thing is, the rule book states you can't use the terraforming station if it would reduce your ship count to three. It'll be tough to spam that station without slipping below three ships.
@@JonGetsGames Also thanks for the review it was well thought out
What is your house rule?
I got into the details of it at 19:53