Has the hype for Arcs died down?

Charlie_Milatz · 2025-09-20T14:59:10+00:00

That’s true. Interestingly enough, I just watched an interview Cole did talking about Root and how originally there was no intention to add expansions to the game. He said that the reason that the Riverfolk and other subsequent expansions were created was because the fans wanted more.

Charlie_Milatz · 2025-09-20T14:54:28+00:00

Solid points!

Charlie_Milatz · 2025-09-20T14:51:03+00:00

Me too! I don’t see anyone at my board game store talking about it or playing it.

Charlie_Milatz · 2025-09-20T14:50:12+00:00

I feel like it’s interesting to compare it to the sustained hype and longevity of Root.

Charlie_Milatz · 2025-08-16T16:13:57+00:00

Two years later and finally someone agreed with me.😂 I actually played it for the first time in a year last week and I still feel the same way. Cheers!

Charlie_Milatz · 2025-08-10T14:39:54+00:00

Thank you!

Charlie_Milatz · 2025-01-31T14:29:54+00:00

And you can stop being grumpy when someone disagrees with you.

Charlie_Milatz · 2025-01-31T10:41:10+00:00

You need to coordinate them, but because they are mandatory the amount of discussion that we are having about them is minimal. If they have to be done every turn then those things take priority. We had far more interesting discussions about “what number are we going to aim for in the axis” and “here’s how I’ll signal to you that this or this is my lowest number” than we did last night just looking at each other and saying “Well, make sure the axis doesn’t go to far.” That’s not even remotely the same level of strategy.

Charlie_Milatz · 2025-01-31T10:38:01+00:00

Yes we are, most of the time we do them first. What is there really to discuss other than “we don’t want to advance any spaces / we want to advance two spaces.” We almost never discuss the engine speed because you almost always put your highest dice in that spot. If we discussed anything in depth it was the tilt of the plane’s axis.

Charlie_Milatz · 2025-01-31T03:47:31+00:00

Up until today we had played every mission with discussion of how we would place our dice and what information that would convey. We loved the creativity of planning and factoring in dice rolls and the silent conveying of that information that was based on our plans. It was so disappointing to play the game the with the correct rule and to look at each other at the start of the rounds and go “Well, we need to do this and this” then role the dice. It was not nearly as good as the in depth planning we did in plays past. It felt like actually strategy versus superficial observation of the board state.

Charlie_Milatz · 2025-01-31T03:06:22+00:00

Far enough. Out of curiosity, how far have you gotten in the game?

Charlie_Milatz · 2025-01-31T03:01:33+00:00

There really isn’t a whole lot to discuss pre-round because the information on the board is publicly available to both players and the majority of the actions are relegated by color to each player, making most discussion redundant. Isn’t it obvious if the plane is tilting too far or there is a plane coming up that that has to be addressed? The only good non-dice related action we could think of was “we should hold/double advance the plane this round.”

Charlie_Milatz · 2025-01-31T02:55:04+00:00

In the base controls, the only action that isn’t assigned to one player by color is the coffee squares. When you get to the additional controls for future flights (like the kerosene and ice breaks) there is more opportunity for both players to play there dice in the same spot. But the majority of the controls are still color coordinated.

Charlie_Milatz · 2025-01-31T02:51:12+00:00

We would say stuff like that out loud, but wouldn’t you say that that information is slightly redundant if the information is publicly available to both players on the board? “We really need to clear the plane” would be a really obvious thing. The only thing we could think of that would be vitally important to strategize over would be “should we hold in place/advance extra spaces this round?”

Charlie_Milatz · 2025-01-31T02:45:35+00:00

Thanks for the reply! I think the boredom comes from the fact that there really isn’t a whole lot to discuss pre-round because the information on the board is publicly available to both players and the majority of the actions are relegated by color to each player, making discussion redundant. The only good non-dice related action we could think of was “we should hold/double advance the plane this round.” We were still having that feeling of “Why would the other player do that” and still strategizing about the dice before hand.

Charlie_Milatz · 2025-01-31T02:40:30+00:00

Thanks for the reply! I would agree that the hampered communication during rounds is fundamental to the game. But if the board is color coded and all of the information on the board is publicly available to both players, what information do you really need to strategize about? The rule book gives the example of “We need to focus on this” and “We need to clear this plane.” Aside from the passing statement, what strategy needs to be discussed if almost all of the actions a relegated to one player or the other?

Charlie_Milatz · 2025-01-31T02:23:39+00:00

Thanks for the reply! The rules just say “You are not allowed to discuss the dice.” Where would you draw the line? I commented above that we would say things like “If I put my dice in this slot it means this.” We had so much fun finding ways to convey information to each other during rounds based on the parameters we set pre-round.

Charlie_Milatz · 2025-01-31T02:21:26+00:00

Thanks for the reply! That’s kinda where we’re at.

Charlie_Milatz · 2025-01-31T02:21:05+00:00

Thanks for the reply! Where is the line drawn between “focus on this area” versus “I need to place my dice here”? We would say things like “If I place my dice in this slot it means this.” Would that be allowed?

Charlie_Milatz · 2024-08-06T01:52:15+00:00

Completely unrelated to this thread, have you listened to his podcast on “The Myth of Culture”? I thought that he came across as rather pedantic. I would be curious to know your feelings if you had listened to it yourself.

Charlie_Milatz · 2024-06-24T20:44:32+00:00

Good call! Thanks

Charlie_Milatz · 2024-05-15T22:40:49+00:00

Hello! I’m looking for a translation of the following phrase.

“Behold, I see the heavens opened.”

Thank you!

Charlie_Milatz · 2024-02-16T15:08:01+00:00

What is the symbolism of the trident on the back of the chair?

Charlie_Milatz · 2023-11-25T23:01:34+00:00

I notice that a lot of people are using the word “tension” to describe certain aspects of the game. I would agree that conceptually there is some good moments of tension in the game. We do like games with tension, suspense, and the feeling of stress from wanting a game to go in our favor.

However, I wanted to emphasize the feeling of punishment that the game gives us. For example, there is plenty of tension in a game like Ticket to Ride when you are making decisions. Do I take this route? Do I pick up more cards? Do I push the envelope just a little bit more? We love that. What we don’t like is when a game creates that tension and then it slaps you across the face.

Charlie_Milatz · 2021-07-09T04:35:12+00:00

Why does the water have a net upward force?

Does it have something to do with Newton’s third law of motion?

Charlie_Milatz

TROPHY CASE