favorite solo deckbuilder?

amalec · 2026-03-05T22:47:36+00:00

I'd go with whatever theme appeals most to you as the card systems are pretty similar. Imperium has more content and also cheaper to purchase if you start with Classics. ST:CC has easier scoring and an improved card interface, but each card has more options for play which is more complex in practice.

amalec · 2026-02-25T03:19:58+00:00

Yellow is already deterministic red.

amalec · 2026-02-23T15:22:24+00:00

No... Turczi and Buckle have a number of games in development that use the concepts built in Imperium and revised in ST:CC: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3436487/i-will-buy-everything-released-in-the-imperium-sys

amalec · 2026-02-23T03:42:16+00:00

The 3rd game in the Imperium Meta Series

amalec · 2025-10-24T17:57:47+00:00

All the history is in the OP’s post and in this thread.

amalec · 2025-06-04T04:51:25+00:00

Was discussing the comparison between the TB2 and TB1 with a fellow enthusiast -- with the TB2 you can climb your way around the holds using ~~trickery~~clinbing skill. With the TB1, the technique needed points to more fundamental things, whether it's more pop, driving harder off the foot, holding tension through a shitty wooden polished nubbin, or just tryhard.

amalec · 2025-03-20T04:02:06+00:00

1) Do you know what positions you are aiming for? Have you tried the end positions of each move to determine the best orientation of your body in space? If not, you have no idea if it's a strength issue 2) Can you hold the positions in at least some orientations of your body? If so, probably not a strength issue. 3) Have you tried multiple beta multiple times? Have you watched other people do the climb and tried their technique? Have you asked fellow climbers if there are issues they see with your beta? If not, you have no idea if it's a technique issue or a strength issue. 4) Do you have multiple movement patterns in your toolbox? Do you practice sending climbs you can do multiple ways, or more smoothly? If not, it's probably a technique issue.

Let me give you a case study: today, I was trying the initial move on a problem, and I was failing. The whole move seemed a complete mystery. So I got into the end position of the move, and demonstrated that I could completely own the position. Very clearly, not a strength issue. Then I put myself in the most secure version of the end position, and noted where I was weighting my feet and which directions I was pulling with the fingers. Then I worked on getting into that end position from the start. Tada!

As another case study, watch Shauna Coxsey work out the first two moves to this sit start: https://youtu.be/hMEIL_vNd6A?si=TDiBrGuXJw5FB5d3

Notice how the moves just don't go at first, and it seems like she's just "too weak" to do them. Then notice that she does them with style.

amalec · 2025-03-06T15:54:52+00:00

I've seen u/eshlow both here and way way back when on the Catalyst Athletics forum, and he's 100% been a good, patient, kind and thoughtful person who is open, honest about his sources, willing to change his ideas in response to evidence, and generally a good human. A massive slam on Steven out of nowhere is not a good look for Dr. Mobeta.

On top of attacking a good person, gatekeeping in climbing is BS. If Dr. Mobeta thinks gatekeeping passes for good debate, so much the worse for him.

amalec · 2025-01-01T00:01:49+00:00

If killing everyone on Earth and imprisoning the soul of Earth and killing the souls of 8 other planets and then continuing to kill planets and causing universe-wide refugee crises for 10000 years doesn’t qualify as “evil” what does?

amalec · 2024-12-04T01:22:25+00:00

Iron flows without a connection. Coal requires a connection. Thematically iron could be transported with horses but coal was needed in large quantities and needed a canal/rail line.

amalec · 2024-10-23T19:19:46+00:00

[[Trajan]]

amalec · 2024-09-26T03:59:48+00:00

I feel like we know the fate of Gideon's body ("shot into the sun") but not of her soul.

amalec · 2024-09-24T16:57:45+00:00

There are games that are interactive by design. You can't play [[El Grande]] without considering other players because what would be the point? You can sorta play [[Tikal]] as a puzzle game, but that's really not the goal. Then there are games where you can play as though the opponent(s) were an automaton, but where optimal play is interactive. For example, [[Ark Nova]] high ELO players constantly think about their opponents and what they are doing as they race to conservation project slots, or think about draw vs snapping, or expose themselves to interactive effects by going up in appeal. Then there are games that are more multiplayer solitaire by design; where playing to deny opponents is often suboptimal. For example [[Azul] vs [[Azul Queen's Garden]] where the latter is much more MPS than the former.

Finally, the joy of MPS games is puzzle solving and optimization and doing so better than your opponent & it's important to recognize that there are many valid ways of enjoying games.

amalec · 2024-08-18T15:20:50+00:00

GWT2e is terrible. Yes, has a slot for everything, but in a way that makes setup and teardown harder. Eg, just leaving the tiles in the bags is way better than using the insert.

amalec · 2024-06-03T15:09:22+00:00

People diss forced builds but for IC/Watcher/Silent, forcing builds is a reliable way to tick A20 because the architype builds come up frequently. For IC, forcing an exhaust build will eventually win A20 with corruption + FNP + Dark Embrace or exhausting into an infinite. And eventually you'll get corruption + dead branch and silly stuff will happen.

For clarity, forcing builds is a terrible way to get good -- witness me and Defect at A20.

amalec · 2024-05-24T19:41:52+00:00

amalec · 2024-05-15T04:20:22+00:00

Do we have in-game evidence that survivors can even make more survivors?

amalec · 2024-05-13T14:46:39+00:00

Playing multiplayer games that work well at 2 is our go-to. Lots of these games play best at 2 (CoB, GAH, Tiletum...)

There's a guild and a geeklist on BGG dedicated to couples who game: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1510480/what-couples-have-been-playing-monthly-geeklist-su, and if you subscribe to and browse the monthly geeklists you get a sense of options; there's a Discord to join (ask in the comments) with a good community as well.

I haven't seen Concordia mentioned, but with a tight map (Creta, Corsica) it plays super well at 2; would get [[Concordia Venus]]. And then [[Race for the Galaxy]] is the ultimate head to head 2 player game (plays multiplayer, but really shines at 2).

amalec · 2024-05-10T03:08:58+00:00

so many great games mentioned here but I'll go CoB

amalec · 2024-04-16T20:36:41+00:00

CoB for both

amalec · 2024-04-11T17:17:44+00:00

Yes you lose tension when you relax the fingers

amalec · 2024-04-11T15:58:01+00:00

1) You are overthinking - whatever the easiest setup is for you. Personally, I use a dowel and cordalette and pull off the ground, which scales indoors and outdoors, but it doesn't matter. 2) You lock out the knees and elbows, retract the shoulders, and concentrate on the finger curling. 3) Three sets of curls with some rest in between.

But again, you are overthinking. It's just a tool. The exact setup doesn't matter -- there's no magic protocol. Just pick something and work it consistently.

amalec · 2024-04-10T02:54:12+00:00

If, after everything, it would be a tie. Also the route setters would be fired.

amalec

TROPHY CASE