Game: Nature of the Beast: Farm vs. Forest

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EndersGame — 2008-11-18T23:26:42+00:00

Nature of the Beast logo (1600x1200 for desktop wallpaper)

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EndersGame — 2008-11-18T22:35:34+00:00

Artwork for "Trench Warfare" Event card (1600x1200 suitable for desktop wallpaper)

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EndersGame — 2008-11-18T22:24:59+00:00

Artwork for "Massacre" Event card (1600x1200 suitable for desktop wallpaper)

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EndersGame — 2008-11-18T22:23:40+00:00

Artwork for "Booby Trapped" Event card (1600x1200 suitable for desktop wallpaper)

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EndersGame — 2008-11-18T21:28:33+00:00

FARM LEGEND: artwork for Bessie (1600x1200 suitable for desktop wallpaper)

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EndersGame — 2008-11-18T21:27:59+00:00

FARM LEGEND: artwork for Baron Kozel (1600x1200 suitable for desktop wallpaper)

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EndersGame — 2008-11-18T21:27:23+00:00

FARM LEGEND: artwork for Lukas (1600x1200 suitable for desktop wallpaper)

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EndersGame — 2008-11-18T21:21:21+00:00

FOREST LEGEND: artwork for Abraham (1600x1200 suitable for desktop wallpaper)

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EndersGame — 2008-11-18T21:20:49+00:00

FOREST LEGEND: artwork for Illia (1600x1200 suitable for desktop wallpaper)

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EndersGame — 2008-11-18T21:20:15+00:00

FOREST LEGEND: artwork for Tecumseh (1600x1200 suitable for desktop wallpaper)

Thread: Re: Farm vs. Forest or Burbs vs. City? Whats better?

Sigrdrifa — 2008-08-05T08:11:10+00:00

wookie1 wrote:
Hey Y'all,

I am thinking of trying this game out...

My question is this: What deck should I start with?
Farm vs. Forest or Burbs vs. City?
Which one do you prefer?

Thanks!

They're cheap, buy both. I know, I know, I'm late to the party, but that's what I did.

Thread: Re: End-game Puzzle 1

foxx — 2008-06-22T01:07:54+00:00

Actually there is a third answer:

1. Move Charming Pig to B2
2. Recruit Industrious Hen to A1 (Tilt Charming Pig)
3. Recruit Hungry Goat to B1 (Tilt Industrious Hen & Field Mouse)

Granted, the result of this is similar to #1, but it's still a different sequence of actions since you're using the pig to call in the hen, and neither of other solutions do that.

Thread: Re: Raging Bull worth keeping in the Farm deck?

EyeLevel — 2008-02-26T00:24:30+00:00

Let's not forget his special ability too! The fact that he can just plow forward through the masses is a handy trait late in the game when your field is getting full. Sometimes you can even mix up the animals a bit in this process and save yourself from having to spend actions simply moving animals around in the field to re-position them.

For what he does, the Bull is a solid card. Just don't ask him to do stuff he isn't supposed to and you'll be fine.

Thread: Re: Raging Bull worth keeping in the Farm deck?

JohnnyRyce — 2008-02-25T09:46:54+00:00

Xanthos wrote:

Is it worth it to keep the two Raging Bull cards in the troops deck?

Believe me, your doubts about the Raging Bull are well founded. He is a combat god, but a burden in almost all other aspects. He can't support much, due to his lack of vectors and, as you point out, he's dumb and a non-recruiter.

That being said, he's pretty inexpensive for his massive combat and there are very few other animals who can go toe-to-toe. There are two important aspects of winning NotB.... building up your army AND making sure your opponent doesn't build theirs. He's awful at the first, but stellar in the second.

So should you keep him in your deck? I usually do. If he comes in at a bad time for you, trash him for free or defer him for an action and move on.

Hope you enjoy the game. Keep the questions coming.

Mark
Eye-Level Entertainment, LLP
"Focus on the Fun"

Thread: Raging Bull worth keeping in the Farm deck?

Xanthos — 2008-02-25T02:02:45+00:00

I've only played a few practice games so far but I was looking for some voices of experience.

Is it worth it to keep the two Raging Bull cards in the troops deck?

I can see that they could have value late in the game. But, there is a chance they'll come up early or even mid game. Their lack of any clout and high rank to recruit to me seems like I have to waste a turn to either defer or trash the card. I'm begining to think to myself that I would rather defer the legends and just not have the Raging Bulls in my deck to begin with.

What say you oh voices of experience? Am I dismissing this card (no pun intended) to quickly or am I just begining to see how to customize a deck to my tastes and play style?

I've never played a CCG / TCG before so a lot of things that seem elemtary to others are going to be new to me.

Thread: Re: "Polar vs. Prairie" Battle Box and POLAR LEGEND VOTE!

JohnnyRyce — 2008-02-10T20:00:55+00:00

Get out the vote! We don't want this to have to go to the super-delegates!

Thread: "Polar vs. Prairie" Battle Box and POLAR LEGEND VOTE!

EyeLevel — 2008-02-10T12:12:50+00:00

We hope to have our new "NotB" Battle Box ready for this summer (2008). There is a listing for it here on the 'Geek (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/34207).

As with the Prairie Deck, we're enlisting the public to decide who two of the Legends will be in the Polar Deck! Voting is open through Feb 22nd. Vote as often as you like! Visit the "Prairie vs. Polar" listing for a link to the online ballot.

Thank you for your support and don't forget to "Focus on the Fun".

Thread: Re: mix and match?

abrannan — 2008-01-28T14:38:03+00:00

Yes. Think Blue Moon packaged as pairs of decks. You can play any deck against the others, and/or custom build your own decks.

Thread: mix and match?

Sonja — 2008-01-28T13:30:13+00:00

Can I play the Polar deck versus the Forest deck? Or the city deck versus the farm deck? Or must you play the two decks that come together and cannot mix and match entire decks against another deck from a different box?

Sonja

Thread: Re: ? about the card 'Framed'

amos_frans — 2008-01-25T04:09:23+00:00

EyeLevel wrote:
The 'appropriate fury' means that the effect of this card can vary for different animals and in concert with other cards. Just as a sample, consider playing this to eliminate your Fuzzy Bunny. Your opponent would gain +2 Fury! The possibilities are delicious.

How does this work? "Framed!" has a down-arrow deployment icon, so it can only be played on your own turn. "Fuzzy Bunny" has an up-arrow icon - I assumed this meant that its ability only applies during your oppenent's turn. How can these effects work together if they can't be used on the same turn? (Or perhaps they can be used on the same turn, and I am misunderstanding the rules)

Thread: Re: Clarifications please

amos_frans — 2008-01-22T20:12:37+00:00

Thanks Mark! Glad to see you still check these boards. I can be a bit of a "rules lawyer" when I play competitively, so I'm glad you and Matt are around to give definitive answers on these types of issues. I'll be looking forward to "Prairie vs Polar" and the revised rulebook.

Thread: Re: Clarifications please

JohnnyRyce — 2008-01-22T11:23:18+00:00

amos_frans wrote:
These were already answered, and this is a two-year old post, but just so I'm absolutely clear:

So the rulebook page 11 is incorrect when it says a leader that is already matched with an animal can ONLY be trashed or recruited, not deferred?

You are correct.

amos_frans wrote:
Also, are you saying that once they are joined, it is impossible to defer one or the other, and they may ONLY be deferred jointly as a double action?

You are correct again. Once joined with a non-legend, the leader/animal pair is a team for better or worse.

amos_frans wrote:
Finally, if the animal and leader cards are joined in the pen and then deferred, I assume they are separated once shuffled back into the deck, and a different animal may end up getting the leader card. Is this correct? Or are the cards supposed to somehow stay together when I reshuffle? Well...I guess not, that doesn't make any sense.

Correct again. Logistically tough to do.

amos_frans wrote:
So you're saying the Legend is automatically the one to go. However, the rulebook page 15 states that you may CHOOSE which one to defer/trash. Is the rulebook incorrect here as well?

OK, here you got us. We are mulling over all the rules for the next Battle Box and in this case, we are going to go back to what is listed in the rulebook. Giving players the choice of which to keep and which to lose is more fun and gives them more options. It will be officially restated in the revised rules this summer.

We really appreciate you digging in deep there! Hope you are enjoying the game.

Mark
Eye-Level Entertainment, LLP

Thread: Re: Clarifications please

amos_frans — 2008-01-21T05:05:24+00:00

These were already answered, and this is a two-year old post, but just so I'm absolutely clear:

EyeLevel wrote:

If you flip a Leader card you must immediately:
A) Dismiss/defer the Leader card.
B) Pair it up with the next animal.

If you pair it up with the next animal, you can then:
A) Recruit them as a set,
B) Dismiss them as a set,
C) Trash them as a set for a recruitment,
D) Defer them as a set, but this will cost 2 actions since there are two cards.

So the rulebook page 11 is incorrect when it says a leader that is already matched with an animal can ONLY be trashed or recruited, not deferred?

Also, are you saying that once they are joined, it is impossible to defer one or the other, and they may ONLY be deferred jointly as a double action?

Finally, if the animal and leader cards are joined in the pen and then deferred, I assume they are separated once shuffled back into the deck, and a different animal may end up getting the leader card. Is this correct? Or are the cards supposed to somehow stay together when I reshuffle? Well...I guess not, that doesn't make any sense.

E) Bad luck might be your co-pilot and the troop card that you place on the Leader card could be a Legend card. In this situation, you must either DEFER or DISMISS the LEGEND and place a new troop card on top of the Leader card. (Leader cards are meant to elevate new animals to Legendary-like status, not increase the power of those already at it...)

So you're saying the Legend is automatically the one to go. However, the rulebook page 15 states that you may CHOOSE which one to defer/trash. Is the rulebook incorrect here as well?

Thanks!

Thread: 40% off through end of 2007.

sdonohue — 2007-12-08T17:50:54+00:00
Key 20 is offering 40% off through the end of the year if you use the coupon code "Holiday" when you check out. The decks are normally about $18 each, so this is a savings of over $7.00.

If you haven't tried Nature of the Beast, you definitely should. It's a non-collectible card game that allows constructing customized decks. It can fill your CCG itch while letting you hold onto your scratch.

The site is http://www.key20.com/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=22

Thread: Re: End-game Puzzle 3

JohnnyRyce — 2007-10-06T19:25:25+00:00
abrannan wrote:
They may be easy, but, for me, they've provided a great introduction to the game (which I don't own...yet). But by all means please do keep posting puzzles!

Agreed. In fact, we gave Ender a shout out in our last newsletter for all the great stuff he has been posting for this game. We are working on the art for the new Battle Box, so your posts are keeping the fire stoked. Thanks again for your work.

Thread: Re: End-game Puzzle 3

abrannan — 2007-09-19T14:15:43+00:00
EndersGame wrote:
Methinks these end-game puzzles have perhaps been too easy so far? I have a more challenging puzzle in the works, and will post it in the near future if there is interest in seeing more of these.

They may be easy, but, for me, they've provided a great introduction to the game (which I don't own...yet). It can be difficult to come up with truly challenging single turn puzzles, given the limits on what you can do in a single turn. But by all means please do keep posting puzzles!

Thread: Re: Learning the game: simplified variants to start with

EndersGame — 2007-09-17T22:44:51+00:00
I have now played and watched several more games with the Level 1 & Level 2 variants. Some comments:

The Level 1 "Novice" variant (3x2, no Tricks, no Fury/Favor, no Attacks) is essentially a multi-player solitaire, and a "race" without any real interaction. It probably works better as a "Solitaire" variant for one player, where the aim is to try to fill the field in as few turns as possible. This could still be a good place for new players to begin familiarizing themselves with the Troops cards and the basic flow of the game, and would also be suitable for a Solitaire challenge.

The Level 2 "Beginner" variant (3x2, no Tricks, no Favor) has proven to be a good simplified version of the game for new players. Gameplay is quite simple, quick, and yet there is lots of scope for clever tactical play. Although most games are concluded before a player might have attacked ten times, it is still best to play with Fury for two reasons: 1. to get used to the idea of how Fury works in a regular game; 2. so that each player is limited to a maximum of ten attacks - in several instances, this created significant tension when one player had to cease a series of successive aggressive attacks after his Fury reached 9, and the other player was able to come back from a losing position for an exciting win.

The Level 3 "Rush" variant (3x2) is a quicker version of the standard game, and is the natural next step when new players are ready for the additional rules, strategies, and complexity of the Tricks cards. Naturally this also leads to a more rewarding game.

Recommendation for new players: In short, after trying the Solitaire variant, the Beginner variant is an excellent way to get into the game, and is quite a satisfying game in its own right. It has the advantage of eliminating the complexities of the Tricks cards for new players, and makes the game even more accessible than the Level 3 "Rush" variant. With the Level 2 Beginner rules, the gameplay is easy enough for a seven year old to grasp and enjoy, and yet the tactical possibilities of the game provides a satisfying challenge for adults. Unless learning the game in person with an experienced player, new players would do well to consider learning the game with this "Beginner" variant, before progressing to the "Rush" variant, and then the advanced/standard game.

Variant Names: In view of the above, I'd be inclined to revise the names of the variants as follows:
Level 1: Solitaire
Level 2: Beginner Rush
Level 3: Standard Rush
Level 4: Advanced/Regular Game

Thread: Re: End-game Puzzle 3

EndersGame — 2007-09-13T23:59:08+00:00
Well done Jeff for coming up with the right answer!

Solution:
0. Use the Rooster's free action to untilt the Horse and the Baron.
1. Use the Horse to dismiss Lukas
2. Use the Baron to recruit the Dog to B1.
3. Move the Dog to C1
4. Use the Dog and the Goat to recruit the Pig to B1.

For a full description of the necessary actions, see Jeff's post above.

Methinks these end-game puzzles have perhaps been too easy so far? I have a more challenging puzzle in the works, and will post it in the near future if there is interest in seeing more of these.

Thread: Re: End-game Puzzle 3

Cinnibar — 2007-09-13T22:12:32+00:00
JohnnyRyce wrote:
Man, I never get here quick enough to try myself.

I did put my answer in a spoiler box, just for that reason.

Thread: Re: End-game Puzzle 3

JohnnyRyce — 2007-09-13T22:06:10+00:00
Man, I never get here quick enough to try myself.

Thread: Re: End-game Puzzle 3

Cinnibar — 2007-09-13T14:51:22+00:00
Neat!

[o]
Step 1: Free: Tilt Rooster Herald (B2), Untilt Sneaky Horse (A2) and Baron Kozel (C2)
Step 2: Action 1: Dismiss Lukas (Rank=3) (B1), Tilt Sneaky Horse (Rank=6)(A2)
Step 3: Action 2: Recruit Old Hound Dog (Rank=5) to B1, Tilt Baron Kozel (Clout=5) (C2)
Step 4: Action 3: Move Old Hound Dog (B1) to C1
Step 5: Action 4: Recruit Charming Pig (Rank=4) to B1, Tilt Old Hound Dog (Clout=3) (C1), Trash Hungry Goat (Clout=2)

[c]A2:Sneaky Horse/T B2:Rooster Herald/T C2:Baron Kozel/T
A1:Nomadic Sheep/T B1:Charming Pig C1:Old Hound Dog/T[/c]
[/o]

[BGCOLOR=#FF6600]"No one questions what happened, perhaps that is for the best"[/BGCOLOR]

Thread: End-game Puzzle 3

EndersGame — 2007-09-13T11:48:45+00:00
]]>

END-GAME PUZZLE #3

For this puzzle you get an extra action (Tricks cards like Second Wind do give this possibility in a real game). Your challenge is:

How can you win from this position with four actions?

Suggested notation for the field placements:
A2 B2 C2
A1 B1 C1

NB: This puzzle uses the Rush sized field (3x2), with no Tricks and no Favor.

Thread: Re: End-game Puzzle 2

EndersGame — 2007-09-13T03:43:17+00:00
Congratulations Jeff for identifying all four winning positions, and the correct sequence of actions!

Here are all four correct solutions:

Solution 1
[c]A2:Grey Squirrel B2:Martyr Duck C2:Evasive Bullfrog
A1:Baby Bear B1:Red Fox C1:Prickly Porcupine[/c]

Solution 2
[c]A2:Grey Squirrel B2:Martyr Duck C2:Evasive Bullfrog
A1:Recluse Mole B1:Red Fox C1:Prickly Porcupine[/c]

Solution 3
[c]A2:Grey Squirrel B2:Prickly Porcupine C2:Evasive Bullfrog
A1:Martyr Duck B1:Red Fox C1:Recluse Mole[/c]

Solution 4
[c]A2:Grey Squirrel B2:Evasive Bullfrog C2:Red Fox
A1:Martyr Duck B1:Grizzly Bear C1:Prickly Porcupine[/c]

Stay tuned for a new end-game puzzle coming this way soon!

Thread: Re: End-game Puzzle 1

EndersGame — 2007-09-13T03:34:09+00:00
Well done Jeff for coming up with the alternative answer.

Here are the two possible correct solutions:

Solution 1
1. Move Charming Pig to B2
2. Recruit Hungry Goat to B1 (Tilt Charming Pig)
3. Recruit Industrious Hen to A1 (Tilt Hungry Goat & Field Mouse)

Solution 2
1. Move Charming Pig to B2
2. Recruit Barn Owl to B1 (Tilt Charming Pig & Field Mouse)
3. Recruit Industrious Hen to A1 (Tilt Barn Owl)

Stay tuned for a new end-game puzzle coming this way soon!

Thread: Re: End-game Puzzle 2

JohnnyRyce — 2007-09-13T02:58:52+00:00
Hey, these are pretty neat! Watch out sudoku!

Thread: Re: End-game Puzzle 1

Cinnibar — 2007-09-12T21:56:52+00:00
EndersGame wrote:
abrannan wrote:
1. Move Charming Pig to B2
2. Recruit Hungry Goat to B1 (Tilt Charming Pig)
3. Recruit Industrious Hen (Tilt Hungry Goat & Field Mouse) to A1
Well done Andrew, you are the first to identify the correct answer.

There is also another solution which does not use the Hungry Goat whatsoever - can you find it?

1. Move Charming Pig to B2
2. Recruit Barn Owl to B1 (Tilt Charming Pig and Field Mouse)
3. Recruit Industrious Hen to A1 (Tilt Barn Owl)

!

Thread: Re: End-game Puzzle 1

Cinnibar — 2007-09-12T21:54:18+00:00
EndersGame wrote:

1. You appear to be confusing the Cunning and Clout values.

2. It doesn't affect the solution, but in your first action you suggest that Charming Pig has to be tilted after it is moved. The rules, however, state this: "Normal movement does not tilt an animal and a single animal could spend multiple actions to move multiple times."

Yes, I was very confused this morning, wasn't I? Ah well. Moral: Do not wage war without morning caffiene.

Next time, victory!

Thread: Re: End-game Puzzle 2

Cinnibar — 2007-09-12T21:51:55+00:00
Ah, silly me.

You're right, I was confused this morning.

4th Answer:
Action #1: Untilt Red Fox
Action #2: Red Fox moves to C2
Action #3: Recruit Grizzly Bear to B2 (tilting all animals on the field for 10 Clout)

Thread: Re: End-game Puzzle 1

EndersGame — 2007-09-12T20:13:22+00:00
Well done Andrew, you are the first to identify the correct answer.

There is also another solution which does not use the Hungry Goat whatsoever - can you find it?

Thread: Re: End-game Puzzle 1

abrannan — 2007-09-12T20:06:15+00:00
1. Move Charming Pig to B2
2. Recruit Hungry Goat to B1 (Tilt Charming Pig)
3. Recruit Industrious Hen (Tilt Hungry Goat & Field Mouse) to A1

Thread: Re: End-game Puzzle 2

EndersGame — 2007-09-12T19:38:27+00:00
Well done so far, these three winning positions are correct, but there is a fourth! Hint: I suspect you are forgetting the rule "Normal movement does not tilt an animal..."

Thread: Re: End-game Puzzle 1

EndersGame — 2007-09-12T19:36:16+00:00
Cinnibar wrote:
Action 1. Move Charming Pig (B1) to B2 (Tilt Charming Pig)
Action 2. Recruit Barn Owl (Rank 5) to B1 (Tilt Field Mouse (A2)=3, Trash Hungry Goat=2, total = 5 Clout)
Action 3. Recruit Industrious Hen (Rank 3) to A1 (Tilt Barn Owl (B1)=4)

Nice try, but sorry, this solution is incorrect.
1. You appear to be confusing the Cunning and Clout values. The values you have given for Clout are in fact the values for Cunning, i.e. Field Mouse has only 1 Clout, and Barn Owl has only 3 Clout. So tilting Field Mouse (Clout = 1) and trashing Hungry Goat (Clout = 2) won't be enough to recruit the Barn Owl (Rank = 5).
2. It doesn't affect the solution, but in your first action you suggest that Charming Pig has to be tilted after it is moved. The rules, however, state this: "Normal movement does not tilt an animal and a single animal could spend multiple actions to move multiple times."

You are very close, however, and I'm sure now you'll be able to figure it out!

Thread: Re: End-game Puzzle 2

Cinnibar — 2007-09-12T18:02:07+00:00
3 winning positions.

Win #1 & #2:
Action 1: Evasive Bullfrog move to C2
Action 2: Martyr Duck move to B2
Action 3a: Recruit Baby Bear to A1 -OR-
Action 3b: Recruit Recluse Mole to A1

[BGCOLOR=#33CC33][c]A2:Grey Squirrel B2:Martyr Duck C2:Evasive Bullfrog
A1:Baby Bear B1:Red Fox C1:Prickly Porcupine[/c][/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=#33CC33][c]A2:Grey Squirrel B2:Martyr Duck C2:Evasive Bullfrog
A1:Recluse Mole B1:Red Fox C1:Prickly Porcupine[/c][/BGCOLOR]

Win #3:
Action 1: Evasive Bullfrog move to C2
Action 2: Prickly Porcupine move to B2
Action 3: Recruit Recluse Mole to C1

(Note: Not enough clout available to recruit Grizzly Bear without untilting Red Fox, and Red Fox blocks entry of Grizzly Bear if not moved, making it impossible in 3 actions)

[BGCOLOR=#33CC33][c]A2:Grey Squirrel B2:Prickly Porcupine C2:Evasive Bullfrog
A1:Martyr Duck B1:Red Fox C1:Recluse Mole[/c][/BGCOLOR]

Thread: Re: End-game Puzzle 1

Cinnibar — 2007-09-12T15:14:58+00:00
Operation: Endangered Owl

Action 1. Move Charming Pig (B1) to B2 (Tilt Charming Pig)
Action 2. Recruit Barn Owl (Rank 5) to B1 (Tilt Field Mouse (A2)=3, Trash Hungry Goat=2, total = 5 Clout)
Action 3. Recruit Industrious Hen (Rank 3) to A1 (Tilt Barn Owl (B1)=4)

[BGCOLOR=#FF9933]"Little did we realize at the time our victory that day put another species on the endangered list."[/BGCOLOR]

Thread: End-game Puzzle 2

EndersGame — 2007-09-12T11:52:23+00:00
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END-GAME PUZZLE #2

Winning from this position is probably not too difficult. But let's make this puzzle slightly more challenging:

With three actions, how many different winning field arrangements of Troops are possible?

Each set of six animals arranged in a different order in the field counts as one winning arrangement, regardless of which Troops have been tilted or trashed.

Suggested notation for the field placements:
A2 B2 C2
A1 B1 C1

NB: This puzzle uses the Rush sized field (3x2), with no Tricks and no Favor.

Thread: Re: End-game Puzzle 1

EyeLevel — 2007-09-12T00:39:50+00:00
Cool idea! I'll put up one GG to the first person with the correct response.

Thread: End-game Puzzle 1

EndersGame — 2007-09-11T21:42:39+00:00
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END-GAME PUZZLE #1

How can you win in three actions without Trashing the Barn Owl?

Suggested notation for the field placements:
A2 B2 C2
A1 B1 C1

As you can gather, this puzzle uses the Rush sized field (3x2), and is from a game played with the Level 2 Beginner variant (no Tricks/no Favor).

Thread: Re: Nomadic Sheep

EndersGame — 2007-09-11T12:18:00+00:00
Thanks for the excellent explanation, that clears it up nicely! If the game ever goes into a revised edition, you could consider adding a comma after "moves", and smoothening the text as follows to prevent misunderstanding:
After a Nomadic Sheep moves, another Sheep, if untilted and adjacent to the vacated field space, may move into this space as a free action, regardless of its Vectors.
As an aside, I really appreciate how the abilities of the different Troop cards reflect the theme and unique character of each animal in the real world - very well done!

Thread: Re: What is your favourite flavour text?

EyeLevel — 2007-09-11T10:04:29+00:00
In the Farm deck, for me it has to be 'Identity Theft':

"We used the hidden camera to watch them try and figure out who had bought a hidden camera. Delicious..."

We based this off of one of our favorite sitcom lines. It was the show that had Phil Hartman and Dave Foley working in a radio or a TV station. They had a complaint box installed to try and improve morale. One of the first complaints they read from the box criticized the box itself.
Phil Hartman replies, "A complaint about the complaint box. Delicious..."

Thread: Re: Nomadic Sheep

EyeLevel — 2007-09-11T09:57:44+00:00
EndersGame wrote:
What exactly is meant by this special ability text?
After a Nomadic Sheep moves another one, if adjacent and untilted, may move into the vacated field space as a free action, regardless of Vectors.
The phrase "moves another one" is especially confusing, but I'm also not sure what has to be "adjacent" to what, and how the "regardless of vectors" fits in. Any clarification will be appreciated!

Let's say you have two sheep in play on your field in a standard game. One sheep (Sheep Alpha) is in the middle column of the center row. A second sheep (Sheep Beta) is located in the middle column of the back row. Both sheep are untilted. They are considered adjacent because their cards are in spaces that touch each other (even if it was just on the corners).

Sheep Alpha moves up to the front row. Sheep Beta (who is untilted and adjacent to Alpha's original space) can move into the space Sheep Alpha just vacated. This occurs without action cost.

The card is supposed to simulate a 'herd' mentality. When one sheep moves, other ones will follow it. If you play your sheep right, you can get some nice bonus moves out of it. Plus, the sheep behind the first one aren't hindered by their own vectors ("regardless of vectors"). As long as they are adjacent to a space vacated by a sheep, they can slip into it. In the example above, Nomadic Sheep do not have a vector pointing straight up, but Sheep Beta can move upward anyway in fulfillment of the special ability.

Special Bonus Super Secret Sheep Tactic Revealed Below!
[o]If you were to play the 'Supply Line' variant (as listed in the handbook), Nomadic Sheep become AWESOME troops to have on the field, because they naturally keep the supply line connected as you advance forward at no extra cost to you![/o]

Thread: What is your favourite flavour text?

EndersGame — 2007-09-11T03:23:08+00:00
So what's your favourite flavour text in the Farm vs Forest battle box? Personally, I love the humor of these two cards:

Delicious Goose: "You said they wanted to have me over for dinner? At the farm house? That sounds great!"

Nomadic Sheep: "Don't worry about wolves in sheep's clothing. Worry about the sheep."

Thread: Nomadic Sheep

EndersGame — 2007-09-11T03:18:23+00:00
What exactly is meant by this special ability text?
After a Nomadic Sheep moves another one, if adjacent and untilted, may move into the vacated field space as a free action, regardless of Vectors.
The phrase "moves another one" is especially confusing, but I'm also not sure what has to be "adjacent" to what, and how the "regardless of vectors" fits in. Any clarification will be appreciated!

Thread: Re: Errata for Forest deck

EyeLevel — 2007-09-10T22:52:51+00:00
I blame society.

Thread: Re: Errata for Forest deck

JohnnyRyce — 2007-09-10T09:26:56+00:00
That might be our first N.O.B. spelling error! May it be our last.

Thread: Errata for Forest deck

EndersGame — 2007-09-10T00:50:33+00:00
The special text of the Baby Bear card should not read "a larger, untitled animal" but "a larger, untilted animal".

Thread: Re: Learning the game: simplified variants to start with

EyeLevel — 2007-09-08T23:56:24+00:00
From experience, I'd say those are great ideas. I've done basically what Ender suggested at level 2 and it went over well.

This past summer at Anthrocon in Pittsburgh, there would be a crowd of people each morning waiting to get into the dealer's room an hour or more before we opened up to customers. I'd pop in the dealer room, set up, then come back out armed only with the troops decks from the four factions. An open invitation to the assembled masses was all I needed to get four volunteers to give it a go. We'd all sit on the floor facing each other and after a quick introduction to the game, we'd begin.

Usually it took about two rounds of play for folks to get the hang of recruiting and attacking. Then I could step back and they'd pretty much run it themselves. Within 30-40 minutes they would finish their first game (that includes the instructional time). I'd pack up and hop back into the dealer room just before it opened to the masses.

Dropping Favor/Fury isn't a big deal in this variant. The game doesn't last long enough to jack up your Fury too high and without the Tricks, there's not much reason to keep track of Favor either.

In my humble opinion, there's nothin' finer than a standard game versus a couple good opponents. However, Ender hit the nail on the head about the importance for some players to be introduced to the elements of the game in succession.

Thread: Re: Learning the game: simplified variants to start with

JohnnyRyce — 2007-09-08T20:24:15+00:00
As one of the co-creators of Nature of the Beast, I completely agree with Ender's assessment of the usefulness of the 'Rush' variant. We've found it is a very quick way to learn the game, without a huge time commitment. In fact, at conventions, we only run 'Rush' variants.

In the future Battle Boxes, we will probably stress the value of the 'Rush' variant earlier in the rulebook, as suggested.

We are extremely impressed with Ender's further differentiation of the 'Rush' game. I think for players who want to learn the game in stages, his ladder is perfect.

By the way, we are also extremely impressed with Ender's photographic talents. Be sure to check out the pictures he took for 'Farm Vs. Forest'. We can only hope he takes more amazing images of NOB.

Thread: Learning the game: simplified variants to start with

EndersGame — 2007-09-08T19:05:26+00:00
Too complex?
I like CCG-type games that aren't collectible, and Nature of the Beast fits that qualification perfectly! However, the game does take a bit to figure out, and my first play was rather overwhelming, since there is so much to keep track of (combat/clout/cunning/rank values, vectors, abilities, special text, movement, cost of tricks, fury/favor, etc). It's this complexity and multiple decision making that no doubt makes the game satisfying for experienced players who are familiar with the cards, but it could make newbies shy away from the game or have a poor experience in their first few plays. Learning the game from an experienced player face-to-face might work reasonably well, but what about for players trying to figure out the cards and game on their own?

A simplified variant?
To help new players learn the game, I suggest starting with a variant with simplified rules. The designers do suggest a Rush variant at the end of the rule book as an alternative and faster way to play, and in hindsight it would have been better for us to have played our first game with this variant. But perhaps the idea can be taken a step further, with a series of simplified variants that would help new players gradually learn the cards and rules. Fortunately, the different aspects of this game lend themselves well to a graduated series of rules. The most basic variant would only use character cards, to enable newbies to get familiar with the cards and basic gameplay. From here players can advance to more advanced levels of play which introduce new concepts, rules, and cards.

Proposed variants
Here's the variants I suggest:
Level 4: Advanced (3x3) - the full game
Level 3: Standard (3x2) - a smaller field (= designer's Rush variant)
Level 2: Beginner (3x2) - no tricks or fury/favor
Level 1: Novice (3x2) - no tricks or fury/favor, and no attacking allowed

How would it work?
1. New players should play their very first game with Level 1 rules (Novice). This would only use the Troops cards, and would enable players to get a feel for the animal cards, the main turn phases of Preparation and Action, and the basics of recruiting and moving.
2. After one or two games like this, they'd likely be ready to move up to Level 2 rules (Beginner), where you introduce the concept of attacking. Trick cards are still not used, and will be introduced later.
3. When they're somewhat familiar with the cards and basics of recruiting and attacking with the Troop cards, they move up to Level 3 rules (Standard), where they are introduced to the Trick cards, and the Fury/Favor. This is basically the same as the full game, but with the smaller playing field. The Trick cards add a whole new element to the game, which is perhaps not suitable for brand new players, but after a few games of Novice and Beginner, most players will have worked up to being ready for Trick cards. This is identical to the full game, but has the advantage of being quicker.
4. Finally, when people are ready for the full game and a longer challenge, they can move up to Advanced Game (Level 4) by going with three rows instead of two.

Other benefits
Level 3 is essentially the Rush variant suggested by the designers, but adding two more basic levels of play would make it even easier for new players to get into the game. Even younger children (8-11), for example, would be quite capable of playing with the Beginner and Novice rules, since it just uses the Troop cards. This would also potentially broaden the target market for the game, and would make the game appealing for children 8 and up.

Final suggestions
I wonder if the rule book in new battle boxes would be enhanced by emphasizing the Rush variant somewhat more, or perhaps even taking over some of the ideas I am suggesting here. The concept of graduated rules is also used in games like Camelot Legends, where players also "work up" to the standard and full version of the game. But I think doing that might be even more critical with Nature of the Beast, and could make the learning experience a more satisfying one.

I'd welcome comments on the variants I'm proposing here!

Thread: Re: Farm vs. Forest or Burbs vs. City? Whats better?

EyeLevel — 2007-05-29T20:25:58+00:00
Thanks for your interest in the game! Mark did a good synopsis. Of course, he's the guy that came up with the idea for the game in the first place.

For first time players, Forest deck is probably the easiest to play. Pretty well straight combat without worrying much about items or humans. Just watch that your Fury doesn't raise too high!

Quick note: FREE shipping until the end of May via www.Key20.com. If you want to chew over your purchase a little longer and miss the window for free shipping, 'Geek Mail me and I'll hook you up with some other deal.

Thread: Re: Farm vs. Forest or Burbs vs. City? Whats better?

JohnnyRyce — 2007-05-29T02:07:12+00:00
wookie1 wrote:

My question is this: What deck should I start with?
Farm vs. Forest or Burbs vs. City?
Which one do you prefer?

That depends on your playing style. The pre-built decks each have a certain flavor to them. If you are an evil player then the Farm deck is for you. If you love to get into battles, then the Forest deck is for you. If you like a sneaky game, then try the Suburb deck. If you like a little of everything, then the City deck is well balanced.

Pick the Battle Box that contains the two pre-built decks that you think you'd enjoy the most, but remember: you can always tear the pre-builts apart and customize to your heart's content.

Hope that helps!

By the way, is your avatar a picture from Zardoz?