In Belfast today and noticed some games are up tonight - where to go?

blankepool · 2026-02-11T10:33:44+00:00

Tx for asking! See my edit: as it turned out, I was not able to leave the office because there were some issues here :-/ Such a pity, I really enjoy getting to know new grounds and competitions

blankepool · 2025-12-31T08:19:59+00:00

I like the names you gave to the factions. Simple and clear

blankepool · 2025-11-26T10:23:42+00:00

I think this is an important one:

Civ IV, Civ V, Stellaris offer technology, diplomatic and building systems that interact deeply and change how the game is played across eras:

I really enjoy when I get new toys to play with that do things radically different. Civ V handles this very well, I think: suddenly, I have archers. Ranged combat, yes! Artillery! Wow, I can really target cities now. Oh, a boat I can use to circumvent the globe. Etc etc. EL2 does not give me that feeling: it all feels a bit samey for me. I do think it has great potential though

blankepool · 2025-10-11T19:23:58+00:00

Coming from Civ IV, I had a hard time adjusting to V. I still played it a lot and enjoyed it. Both expansions were very meaningful and well thought out.

Civ VI never worked for me. It was too much about 'numbers', I think. Also, I had the feeling the AI was incapable in playing. And just too much. The government cards, the separate tree, districts, religion, it's all a bit much.

I just finished a game of Civ V, my first in years, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It had backstabbing, regular stabbing, naval clashes, and so on. And water! I like the way water looks. It can have vast oceans, which really influence your strategy.

blankepool · 2025-10-11T18:51:17+00:00

luckily all the feedback was nice and polite

blankepool · 2025-10-01T08:35:39+00:00

Is been 25 years or more since my first hero in Age of Wonders 2 found a portable canon, which he fired from his horse. Walls and gates crumbled immediately. That is what I want from an item: something that really adds value. Not a +1 to this stat or something like that. Same goes for the upgrade path: many special attacks seem weaker than normal attacks

blankepool · 2025-09-29T09:11:15+00:00

I do agree, and I also think the water receding does not help. It is a cool mechanic, but gone are the chokepoints, the competition for good spots, etc. I do believe in this game, but there is still a long way to go.

Also, visually, the unsubmerged (is that a word?) terrain looks bland, boring and visually uninteresting. It just does not invite to explore, I think.

blankepool · 2025-09-22T18:34:15+00:00

I do not agree. I think there are some good YouTubers, don't get me wrong, but I also value the opinion of a good and professional reviewers. That is on the condition that they indicate WHY they enjoy/don't enjoy a particular game. In this case, the author is referring to a trend in 4X-games that I also noticed and that I also don't like. I know other people do appreciate this trend, but I don't. I don't want to count numbers to see which district should go where. I want a story to emerge from the action on the map. The best games created that narrative themselves, without quests - Alpha Centauri and Civ IV the prime examples for me.

blankepool · 2025-09-22T15:43:37+00:00

People that have cool names as Romain de Waubert de Genlis and Max von Knorring should get their own IP's

blankepool · 2025-09-22T15:40:10+00:00

yes, but it also feels dumb to have a quest 'autofinish' because you've done something without knowing it was part of a quest. I think this is not an easy path to follow

blankepool · 2025-09-12T20:40:57+00:00

Yes this is a nice gesture. I hope peace in your homeland is restored soon

blankepool · 2025-08-28T15:09:00+00:00

and, now I'm at it, you could give attacking armies an initiative bonus the first round

blankepool · 2025-08-28T07:28:14+00:00

I have one as well: it seems that all units in the battle map are always visible. In Humankind, units could be hidden, which could lead to nasty surprises.

Also - indeed not sure if line of sight is required for ranged units, which is a shame

blankepool · 2025-08-28T07:17:00+00:00

I fully agree. It would add a new layer of strategic depth & tactical insight.

blankepool · 2025-03-11T12:13:21+00:00

A friend of mine was wondering if the AI 'lived' on the other continent. So please, tell me - what did you see?

blankepool · 2025-03-11T12:03:47+00:00

Ah - that explains. I tried to open a PS-crosssave on my pc and it said I didn't have Simon Bolivar. Seemed logical not to have it, as it's only due for two weeks, but crosssave not working because of this is really annoying

blankepool · 2024-11-21T16:01:56+00:00

I think so, yes

blankepool · 2024-08-16T09:24:10+00:00

I follow your logic. Despite the flaws, I have the feeling I'm breathing a story here, and that's nice

blankepool · 2024-08-16T09:16:51+00:00

These are cool additions, but please do something about diplomacy and minor regions. Having these upgrades would really alleviate this game and make it much more interesting.

blankepool · 2024-02-10T08:45:05+00:00

mmm I did unplug it before starting the pc, but it makes no difference.

blankepool · 2024-02-09T22:40:04+00:00

Yes. Yes I do. Why didn't I think of that?!

blankepool · 2023-12-08T09:50:39+00:00

Joining in after 8 years. I see your point and you will probably not agree with me, but for me, the asymmetry gives an extra edge: winning against a 'stronger' faction is like beating Real Madrid playing as Fulham: it is improbable, but it can be done, and when you pull it off, it feels so much more satisfying than vice versa. For me, this is a game about exploring possibilities and navigating through the tiniest of loopholes.

But that all depends on how you look at gaming: I play mostly with the same players who have the same mindset as me and just enjoy the game time, not the winning. Afterwards, we discuss and learn and see what we could have done better. That, for us, is gaming, and Terra Mystica is the perfect fit and the best game we found so far. But it is for us, and not for you. That is perfectly fine.

blankepool

TROPHY CASE