[Elias Nordling]

Varav hälften är "detta hittar du i lådan" och liknande som man kan skumma. Till och med jag klarade det i mitt halvsjuka och sömnberövade tillstånd.

[Elias Nordling]

I have played the solitaire variant for the first two scenarios, and am a little bit concerned that the solitaire rules takes out the fun of the game, though it might be better as more complexity gets added. Let me explain with a comparison:

Take rock scissors paper. Ok, not a terrible exciting game, but you do have a decision to make and some second guessing to do. Obviously not solitairable as is.

You could design a solitaire variant of RSP by simply rolling a die. for what your opponent chooses. However, by doing this, all choices become equivalent, and you could just as well roll a die and say 1-2 is a win, 3-4 is a draw and 5-6 is a lose. By doing this, it becomes obvious that you've taken away whatever decision making there is to the game. You have not created a solitaire variant of RSP, but a 0-player variant, where the player simply executes the task of rolling the die.

I feel a bit the same about the solitaire variant of Nightfighter so far. By changing bombers from hidden from probability areas where each probability is equal, the player's task has been reduced from guessing where the bomber is to simply executing the algorithm of reducing the probabilities until the bomber is found. It doesn't matter in which order you do it, all methods are equivalent and there is no real decision making to it. In the end you will have your fighter flying parallel to a low uncertainty bomber trying to roll the right result while the radar eliminates the other probabilities in strict fashion. The player is just executing the game without making any decisions.

As I said, I hope increased complexity will improve things.

[Elias Nordling]

Kom igen, Jonas! Det tar 30 minuter att läsa de regler du behöver för första scenariot, och själva spelandet av det är mindre krävande än Wordfeud.

[tinG]

Ok, jag tar mig an uppgiften direkt! Redo för start senare ikväll  

[Elias Nordling]

Jag kan vara spelledare medan du får kläm på handgreppen. Jag har ju kört en del med solitärvarianten så behöver inte köra de enklare scenariorna.

[Elias Nordling]

Played 5 games with the solitaire variant now. It does indeed get more subtle with increased complexity. This game is a perfect evening fix for a tired parent with small children!

[Tordan]

You could also just go to bed

[Elias Nordling]

And spend more time not being able to sleep because someone keeps kicking you in the face? I think not!

[Elias Nordling]

Played the Wilde Sau scenario last night (solitaire variant). Wow. Target rich environment. That really brought player decisions back into the picture! Great fun! I thought I was done for when I had my SECOND fighter shot down, it was turn 10 and I had only downed one bomber, but in the end I downed another and had a fair shot at a third. Close!

This game is a slow-building addiction. And just like Downtown, I now have a good grasp of things like HENAJA, DUNAJA, Wilde Sau etc that just tended to float through the head as too technical when reading about it. That's how I like my games!

[Elias Nordling]

Finally got to play it face to face at Hexacon in Braunfels, Germany this weekend. Got in 4-5 games in between other stuff.

As expected, the game was a bit more rewarding than the solitaire variant in that it leaves the deduction to the player rather than to the rules. We both really enjoyed it, and my opponent is probably going to buy it to play with his son.

[Lee Brimmicombe-Wood]

KER-CHING!

[tinG]

@Elias

I bought this game at EXPO but have only played through the first two scenarios. I'd love to take one of the later scenarios against you over Vassal...

What do you say?

[Elias Nordling]

But of course! Mail me.