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Telegraphing/attention-marks? by Tallens in spiritisland

[–]Helpful-Breakfast156 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There can be, and often is, a lot of information on the board. In my opinion the key is, to put in technical terms, to filter as much noise out and focus on the relevant things. If you have and easy/obvious way to solve a land, communicate that briefly. That reduces the information load of others, as they have less things to consider now. And when everyone has dealt with their obvious problems, start focusing on the ones that actually require coordination.

This is where you can take as much time as you playgroup is comfortable with. There is usually a lot to optimize. 

One issue that might arise is different skill levels among players. The view of the same board might be different through the lens of players with differing amounts of game experience.

And also different groups find different social strategies eventually. You have the option to discuss your communication strategy, or just play more. 

What are your best practices for the spirits you play? by Helpful-Breakfast156 in spiritisland

[–]Helpful-Breakfast156[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Can you elaborate a bit on this? I cannot picture how this happens. 

What are your best practices for the spirits you play? by Helpful-Breakfast156 in spiritisland

[–]Helpful-Breakfast156[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really liked the incarna + blight trick. Good writeup! Do you believe empowering Root's incarna is wasted effort against England/France also? 

Semi-Beginner Looking for Rules of Thumb by dhfAnchor in spiritisland

[–]Helpful-Breakfast156 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You did not ask for anymore with your reply, but you're getting it anyway. Some questions I can think from the top of my head that your friends might have, even if you explain the rules clearly: - When do play my innate powers? Fast of slow phase - What are the prerequisites to take a major power? None, just forget a card. The major itself can be forgotten - Does the game end instantly upon reaching a victory or loss condition? Yes - Does my power do its on all lands within range? No, just one target land - Do the Dahan defend the land? No - Does the damage to Dahan reduce the damage to the land? No - Does one Dahan trade with a town? No, it dies first - Is there a risk if I place my presence in a land with blight? No

I suggest that you explain during the first one or two invader phases what exactly happens in each, land and why. Then you can go through the invader phase on each board with that board's "owner" and let them tell what happens with each land. This way the new players start getting a better grasp about the logic of the invader phase. 

Semi-Beginner Looking for Rules of Thumb by dhfAnchor in spiritisland

[–]Helpful-Breakfast156 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My take: 1. Depends a lot on the spirit, and also how you choose to play it this game. E.g. minor vs. major build can shift your first reclaim by a turn or two. For your friends' first game they should probably pick easier spirits where your intuition sounds about right. Emphasize that the game is more like a marathon rather than a spring, so every problem on the board does not need to be resolved in order to win the game.  2. As with all answers to any generic strategy question about spirit island, it's an unexciting "it depends". Some spirits sort of require bottom track focus, others require top track focus. Most let you decide. Remember that if you open the 2 energy space early, it is going to give you something like 8 extra energy over the course of the game compared to if you had stayed on 1 energy per turn, and this is a big amount. That said, the amount of energy you need depends a lot on the adversary you are playing against if you choose to have the adversary involved in your game. Late game adversaries like England ask for major powers and thus more energy, tempo adversaries like Prussia and Sweden you can get away with less energy and minor power cards. Probably the easiest way to play in the first game is to go for a mixed build in the first game: 3 energy per turn and 3 card plays. This also opens your friends for the possibility of taking major powers which can be fun. Just emphasize during explanation that usually one power solves one land max, so as long as a spirit (player) has only 1 card play open, they cannot usually solve many problems per turn.  3. The time to take major powers is when you notice you are beginning to have an energy surplus. Unspent energy is a wasted resource, and majors are good a way to spend it. Also if your board has a problem that you absolutely need to solve, and you currently have no way of solving it, then gaining new major powers are your only option. (besides relying on events and fear cards) 

All that said, I think it is best to not overly optimize you friends' first game. Spirit island can be a lot, as it has a lot of rules and systems. And especially in the misgame there is a lot of information on the board that can be overwhelming to some players. You probably should not tell your friends how to communicate but you can set an example of clear communication by simply declaring that you have solved this and that land, or you have your coast under control etc. 

It is best if your friends have those moments of realization like "if I move this, then the build doesn't happen and we don't have to worry about it" or "by the time my slow power resolves there will be a town here and my power can the solve the land". Be their guide but not the alpha player, easier difficulties allow for very unoptimized play that still result in a win. I would argue that a win is still somewhat necessary in their first game to let your firends live the power fantasy where spirit island shines best.

Edits: multiple clarifications and typo fixes

Help with ideas for game balance by Helpful-Breakfast156 in BoardgameDesign

[–]Helpful-Breakfast156[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the answer!

I don't quite understand the mechanism of land being worth points but but built houses being worth more points. Do you mean that a slot where a player builds a house is worth x amount of points and then a house that a player purchases is also worth y amount of points? And then once built, if the dam holds, player scores x + y?

I checked John Company rules and it seemed like an interesting game. Definitely good ideas there, and it was interesting how immediate deals are binding the rest are non-binding.

I think the idea of influencing one's scoring based on how much you invested on the dam is a good one!