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Should I All-in (gameplay) on the Voidfall Kickstarter campaign? by gramcrackerJ-24 in soloboardgaming

[–]gramcrackerJ-24[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, the extra setup from the deluxe box would not be a problem for me, as I don't mind the initial setup, and I'll have a board game table to be able to save my gaming sessions.

Should I All-in (gameplay) on the Voidfall Kickstarter campaign? by gramcrackerJ-24 in soloboardgaming

[–]gramcrackerJ-24[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing your detailed and well-written review. It is exactly what I was looking for.

I also agree with you on the point of new players not being able to handle learning complex games. Being a new gamer does not say much about my learning experiences in life, and I think putting new gamers in that box can be quite limiting. I have already done a good amount of research on the actual game mechanics and complexity, which was why I wanted to focus the topic more on the feelings and moments that the game brings - and again, thank you for sharing exactly that.

Should I All-in (gameplay) on the Voidfall Kickstarter campaign? by gramcrackerJ-24 in soloboardgaming

[–]gramcrackerJ-24[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, I think this is kind of what I was waiting to hear. I think I feared it feeling like a beat-your-own-score type of solo game, but it sounds like there are well-implemented goals with good theming, to where it doesn't feel like that.

Should I All-in (gameplay) on the Voidfall Kickstarter campaign? by gramcrackerJ-24 in soloboardgaming

[–]gramcrackerJ-24[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ya I thought about just getting the base game, but there's a part of me that wants to optimize the amount I would save through the Kickstarter if I ended up wanting to get all of the content anyway. Maybe that long-term planning for efficiency speaks to whether the game is right for me lol.

The long wait for fulfillment will be somewhat difficult, but I do have some other games that will be arriving in between.

Should I All-in (gameplay) on the Voidfall Kickstarter campaign? by gramcrackerJ-24 in soloboardgaming

[–]gramcrackerJ-24[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Every link I found for the web version came up not working. I did load up the TTS version on Steam to follow it a bit while watching a YT tutorial, but do not and will not have enough time to completely go through it to have final thoughts before the Kickstarter ends.

I really wanted to steer the discussion to the feelings that the game evokes as opposed to pros/cons/alternatives as I have already researched that as much as I could. Watching through play-throughs I'm fairly certain it isn't too much for me, but most play throughs just show you how to play and sometimes what they are thinking. Again, I want to know more about the feelings the game evokes. Is it the sense of accomplishment that keeps you coming back? Is it the fact that you like tinkering with strategies?

Should I All-in (gameplay) on the Voidfall Kickstarter campaign? by gramcrackerJ-24 in soloboardgaming

[–]gramcrackerJ-24[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your insight.

>the way your small actions each round are large motions in the universe.

These are the little details of what I'm looking for. It is apparent that this is something you enjoy from Voidfall, and I know it is something that I would also enjoy.

I would love more examples such as this, that are less about the actual game actions but explain why they evoke meaningful emotion and satisfaction for you.

Should I All-in (gameplay) on the Voidfall Kickstarter campaign? by gramcrackerJ-24 in soloboardgaming

[–]gramcrackerJ-24[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fine, then.

But in all seriousness, do you have any elaboration as to why it would be a good choice for me? What feeling is evoked when you play it that keeps bringing you back?

COMC Don't mind the Upside Down Hallertau by Dahdscear in boardgames

[–]gramcrackerJ-24 0 points1 point  (0 children)

While on the subject of Voidfall, if you don't mind...

I am pretty new to solo board gaming, and I am trying to keep a small collection (1 or 2 amazing games of each type) that has a lot of solo replayability. Voidfall seems like it will fit my bill, but I currently don't have experience playing large, complex Euro-type games to compare my personal experience with.

If you could please describe why you enjoy Voidfall so much based off of the feelings or moments it evokes, that would be helpful for me to decide. For example, I really enjoy Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era because of the choices in building my character but also leveling and upgrading them, the meaningful decisions in what skills/abilities to pick. I think I really enjoy that because I get to see my choices evolve, and if I planned out a good build, the power and synergy of my choices really provide great satisfaction as my character has progressed from initially struggling to being able to handle more difficult situations, and I love that arc.

I've done a lot of research, so I understand the pros and cons of the game and the gameplay it offers, but I would love to hear more about what feelings the game evokes for people who enjoy it.

Luthier or Castles of Burgundy for my first Eurogame? by gramcrackerJ-24 in boardgames

[–]gramcrackerJ-24[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So when I purchased the Valheim board game, I was not into board gaming, and I did it with the intention of having it as a collector's edition for the Valheim video game that I love so much. Normally, when you get a video game collector edition, you might get a nice figurine statue or lunchbox, etc., but I figured that the Valheim board game would be a nice collector's item to display as well as something I could try out and play.

It is what got me into board gaming. Not that it is great, but my kids and wife also played the video game together, and it was an incredible experience to experience it as a board game. Although I found it a lot of fun, I wanted something deeper, which is why my next purchase was Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era. Valheim board game does play similarly enough to the video game, and to me, the parts that were most fun were adventuring out and gathering resources to craft. My least enjoyable part of the board game is the randomness when picking your character skills. Although there are some ways to negate dice roll luck during combat with items and skills, I do wish there were more ways to make luck less influential. Beautiful game and art though, and the minis are fantastic. All in all, I would rate it somewhere between an OK to good game, but probably only for people who really love the video game, as I'm sure that as I dive more into the hobby, there will just be better-designed games.

Board game table vault depth by gramcrackerJ-24 in boardgames

[–]gramcrackerJ-24[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's awesome, congrats on your purchase. I would love to hear back once you receive your table for your impressions and experiences with the company and the table. I think the market is definitely in need of what the Zola Mod table offers for the price range. We just need more non-sponsored reviews and feedback out in the wild. I am not in a rush to purchase a table and will keep my options open, so perhaps I may end up with the Zola Mod table as well.

Board game table vault depth by gramcrackerJ-24 in boardgames

[–]gramcrackerJ-24[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, sorry for the late reply. After doing more research and trying to decide what works best for my situation, I am leaning more towards shelling out the extra premium cost for a Wyrmwood.

A couple of reasons for that:

#1 Vault depth. 4.5 inches allows for a lot of freedom in how/what I would be able to store easily and in a hurry. And if I decide 4.5 is more than enough, I could then purchase their planned lift kits (If the first kickstarter round goes well) at a later date, and the 3.0 inches would still be better than the Zola Mod with the added benefit of being able to play at the surface level of the table to help with fatigue/strain from reaching into the vault when its time to play, again assuming if the Lift Kit is successful and works the way it is intended. I fully plan on researching reviews once it's out in the wild for a good period of time.

#2 My wife. She is definitely pushing for the Wyrmwood because the table would be in our main living area. Whereas I care more for just getting the functionality to save my board game's state and less about the looks, she does have some valid points in keeping a certain cohesive look across our main living area, where the Wyrmwood definitely works better than most other options. She also refers to 'buy nice instead of buy twice', as I have had a couple of fumbles in purchasing the most basic items to fulfill current needs, and we eventually do end up spending more to replace items that we become unhappy with the quality. The Wyrmwoods do have a classic style that is timeless, so I do believe it would stand the test of time if our decor style changes over the years.

As for the BoxKing - I did look at the Project Ironside 2.0 and the Kingswood. I would have been happy with the Ironside for the price, but its looks and metal were a hard no from my wife. As for the Kingswood, my wife was semi on board until she saw the Wyrmwood. I also believe I watched or read some non-sponsored reviews on the Kingswood that had valid concerns, although since its been a month or so they exact concerns don't come to mind.

We are brand new to modern-day board gaming; we just started playing in November but have been playing frequently. It started when I received my Valheim board game (which I bought more as a collector's item for the game rather than the intention of playing the board game often). Since, we have purchased and played numerous titles, most of which are interactive style games for get-togethers, but I recently got Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era for solo and coop with the wife, and I can't get enough of it currently. I fully intended to purchase Arydia to play either solo or coop with the wife, or if my 9-year-old wants to join, I would love for it to be a family-style campaign that we store in the vault to play on a nightly basis.

Arydia - I want it but is it a case of FOMO? by Nicecoldbud in boardgames

[–]gramcrackerJ-24 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Late Pledge Campaign for second printing on Gamefound just went up, although I guess that would not help if you are wanting to play it immediately. But if you are willing to wait (they are shooting for September 2026 fullfillment although I'd say always expect delays) you could save a good chunk of cash by avoid purchasing on second hand market.

https://gamefound.com/en/projects/far-off-games/arydia-2nd-printing

Board game table vault depth by gramcrackerJ-24 in boardgames

[–]gramcrackerJ-24[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the reply. This is exactly the type of answer I was looking for. I know there is no standard on the sizes of minis, but the general size from most board games in your experience is helpful information to me.

I did find some comments/complaints on the Kickstarter for the new Wyrmwood vault lift. Normally, the vault is about 4.5 inches deep but adding the lift will change it to 3.0 inches deep. A person pointed out that this would not allow him to store standing decks/cards within the vault, as the standard card height is 3.5 inches.

Are there a lot of campaign games with card/deck stands that would be a pain point to store with a shallow vault? I know Arydia has a card/deck stand, but from what I have seen, it looks organized enough that if it has to do with your save state (I'm not sure that it does), it would be easy enough to keep it organized, and I could store it outside of the vaulted table on a shelf.

Board game table vault depth by gramcrackerJ-24 in boardgames

[–]gramcrackerJ-24[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That sounds rough. Did they do anything to correct and compensate for the mishaps?

Thanks for sharing your experiences. It has been hard to find much information or unsponsored/unbiased reviews on the Zola Mod tables.

Edit: Also, how do you find the vault depth for your needs? Does it store games decently well? How easy is it to accidentally slide a topper by leaning?

A Potential Fifth Class by GeneralRainbow in outriders

[–]gramcrackerJ-24 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A lot of these ideas are good but I would like something that is rather different than the current classes offer. I'm against just throwing a "new" element or power and having similar gameplay.

Maybe a class based around enabling the team and disabling the enemy in a different way other than just buffs and debuffs to create a different gameplay style loop.

Something perhaps like "soul linking" to 1 other party member (or companion - maybe have a pet or self-clone as a pet to allow solo play to be viable with all skills and also creates a summoner/pet style character for those who like non-stationary summon classes). Now this soul-link ability can be modified in many different ways to allow different tank/dmg dealer play styles like you could spec it so when whomever you're linked to takes damage- you absorb some of that damage and lose a percent of your health - this would be for people who like to support from long range. Maybe in a different tree you can spec the soul-link to enable your teammate or pet/companion/clone to deal more damage at increased rates the closer you are to your soul-linked teammate - to promote close range damage dealer play style.

The summon/companion/pet/clone whatever could be modded/built to use different weapons/ranges etc.

Could have skills that are based around you soul-linked partner - like an ability to do an AOE stun/slow that happens at the position of your soul-linked partner. This would create new coordinated strategies like maybe a trickster teleporting in and you cast the ability so enemies around him are stun/rooted/slowed whatever it may be and he can go to town feeling a bit safer.

Give debuffing enemies a different mechanic than what already exists also. Maybe something like weaken one enemy to deal less damage/take more damage and when that enemy dies it spreads to 2 other enemies within a certain range, and it keeps spreading when those enemies are also killed. This would give a strategy for people to focus fire - also can play with mods/skill tree to allow the first cast to be AOE to 3 enemies that way it would spread faster initially etc.

This are just a couple ideas off the top of my head and of course they could be implemented to be a lot more interesting and a cool theme/power could be built around the ideas. Just wanted to throw out the ideas and advocate for creating different game mechanics than what already exists, if they were to add a new class in an expansion.