Welcome to the club. My group consists of gamers each of whom has years or even decades of experience ranging across the entire spectrum of gaming genres. Every one of them has encountered the same difficulties trying to learn this game. Most have managed to overcome those difficulties and for those who have, NT ranks among their top 5 games.
Having (somewhat) overcome the learning curve myself I'd suggest the following:
1) Play opponents, not just solitaire, as you're attempting to do. Face to face if at all possible. Learning from experienced players may be ideal but it's not necessary. Our group managed OK on our own over the course of 3-5 sessions.
2) Stick with it for a few games before swapping out for something else. It's better to play for a concentrated period of time, say 3-5 games, than to "dabble" by taking it off the shelf for just one play every once in a while. At least until your learn it.
3) Use the player aids in the files section here on BGG. I can't remember which ones specifically but there are two that have a lot of thumbs. Use those.
4) Refer to the forums when you run into problems. Most people run into the same sticking points and they've been addressed here. If not, post your questions. Bowen and the NT pros offer responsive, top-notch support.
5) Stick with it! It takes 3 or 4 games to "get it". This game is good enough that any fan of heavy strategy owes it to himself to at least get a grasp the fundamentals before passing judgement on it.
Good luck!
Last edited on 2008-08-21 02:00:53 CST (Total Number of Edits: 1)
Posted Thu Aug 21, 2008 5:05 am
