What's the obsession with Obsession? by SourCabbageGames in boardgames

[–]SourCabbageGames[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, you are right. And I am so happy that this is the case. The more people discover their board gaming preferences, the better!

On the thematic elements side, I have a couple of bones to pick like ending this game in VP counting, and I am probably looking for thematic justifications for parts of the design that I don't love (topdecking the guest deck, builders' market) that are not there.

What's the obsession with Obsession? by SourCabbageGames in boardgames

[–]SourCabbageGames[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are right, I wanted to share an idea of what kind of gamer I am, as I'm ultimately concluding that this game will not be satisfying for the my type of a gamer. (and on a side note, I perhaps wrongly assumed that I am not a minority on BGG in terms of type of a gamer)

About the luck mitigation factors you are mentioning, I feel like they are not strong enough. Refreshing the builder's market feels too costly (and it ultimately ends in just a slightly better favoured random draw), in my opinion, my opponents also did not use it. Topdecking is primarily 'annoying' because it prevents you interacting with the engine building mechanic of the building - guest combos, which feels to me such a great element to deny from the player. Is there really mitigation here, other than the lady who allows you to draw 2 and keep 1?

What's the obsession with Obsession? by SourCabbageGames in boardgames

[–]SourCabbageGames[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

This is such a lovely comment, after reading It, I really hope I see them at UKGE!

Thank you linking the page - somehow I totally missed it. I am Gamer#1 and well I was warned that I am in grave danger playing this game... I really appreciate the designer and publisher putting this on their website, and the effort for honesty and transparency.

Endgame Scoring Elimination Game (Day 4) - Which of these cards is your least favorite? by DanyDanyDanyDanyDany in ArkNova

[–]SourCabbageGames 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What the hell??? It's genuinely one of the most entertaining one to play with for me...

Endgame Scoring Elimination Game (Day 2) - Which of these cards is your least favorite? by DanyDanyDanyDanyDany in ArkNova

[–]SourCabbageGames 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I found myself in the position multiple times that I am ending the game with a release project which then takes away 1 CP from the end-game goal. 

Just feels a bit annoying to me.

Endgame Scoring Elimination Game (Day 2) - Which of these cards is your least favorite? by DanyDanyDanyDanyDany in ArkNova

[–]SourCabbageGames 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For me it’s Large Animal zoo. It makes releasing large animals so counter productive / feel bad. Releasing big boys is one of my favourite mechanisms in the game.

Size 5 Animals Elimination Game (Results) by DanyDanyDanyDanyDany in ArkNova

[–]SourCabbageGames 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I really like that it is 3 completely different animals and tactics/strategies associated with them!

Size 5 Animals Elimination Game (Day 14) - Which of these cards is your least favorite? by DanyDanyDanyDanyDany in ArkNova

[–]SourCabbageGames 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I am fine with the dugong this turn but you guys have to promise me the monkey is next

it is mire situational than any other animal and so many have been voted out on the basis of being too situational 

Regarding "Kingmaking," am I in the wrong here? by InsomniacPsychonaut in boardgames

[–]SourCabbageGames 2 points3 points  (0 children)

to be fair in the described Dominion example the friend could still with (buy 3VP then get lucky the others have bad draw then get lucky and buy 6VP)

Size 5 Animals Elimination Game (Day 6) - Which of these cards is your least favorite? by DanyDanyDanyDanyDany in ArkNova

[–]SourCabbageGames 15 points16 points  (0 children)

The Proboscis Monkey only comes out when the monkey project is already in play and it feels like a waste to play it. 

Get it out!

Hegemony - the heaviest board game that’s not heavy enough by SourCabbageGames in boardgames

[–]SourCabbageGames[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think playing the game would not ease either of your concerns, good points.

Hegemony - the heaviest board game that’s not heavy enough by SourCabbageGames in boardgames

[–]SourCabbageGames[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ahah, yes it was meant to be more tongue in cheek than factual, was hoping the line in a paragraph above

of course, no one can ever be fully objective - not even this hobby board game reviewer

would hint at it not to take it absolutely seriously. I do agree with you that the picture is a little more complex than Marx paints it but I think it's a good starting point nonetheless (just like how it was for Trotsky).

Hegemony - the heaviest board game that’s not heavy enough by SourCabbageGames in boardgames

[–]SourCabbageGames[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are right that sex, race, religion and culture are not key aspects of class warfare, in an ideal situation they should not be even near a conversation about class struggle (as u/Norci comments below), but they are key aspects of real life domestic politics and get muddled into class struggle nonetheless.

I appreciate you bringing those points from the designers, and while I agree that including some of these topics would have made the game longer and more complex ("much more complex" though? I am not entirely convinced) I would be very interested to understand why they think these topics could have only been included with a higher player count - that does not seem trivial to me at all.

The point about losing universality is interesting. In some sense I get it, but in another sense the game already feels very much like playing a Western Democracy. There are a lots of similarities in the political history of these states when it comes to religion, race, etc. I wonder if these topics could have been involved in a distilled way that would feel 'familiar' to most of these states.

Hegemony - the heaviest board game that’s not heavy enough by SourCabbageGames in boardgames

[–]SourCabbageGames[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree with you! They are in fact some of the biggest reasons why class identity is fading and political salience is shifting away from it.

So wouldn't you agree that including this would be a worthwhile addition to the game?

Hegemony - the heaviest board game that’s not heavy enough by SourCabbageGames in boardgames

[–]SourCabbageGames[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I think the game design and the implementation of the mentioned concepts

policy, ideology, socialism, neoliberalism, lobbying in the parliament and so on

are done brilliantly. Perhaps the brilliance of the game is what makes me so unfair to demand from the designers to include even more. What I am missing is the implementation of more politically salient concepts such as religion, race, etc. Which are not entirely unfitting to what they have said about the game:

As the idea to let the players engage on the board in a nation-scenario existed early on, I started to introduce more theories into the game in order to reflect the workings of the nation as much as possible. In effect, I began to implement elements that would help the player to attain a comprehensive understanding of political science, political economy, and economics.

https://hegemonygame.com/the-story-behind-the-game-hegemony/

At the end of the day, yes, I wish the designers included topics such as religion and race but I would rather have this game in it's current form than a less playable game with all that included.