Games for which the computer version has ruined the F2F game for me forever
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Games that once experienced in their computerized format, no longer have appeal for face-to-face cardboard play.
Add your own accounts of ruination.
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Ugh. The bots at that French AI online implementation did a number on me with this one. I learned how to play Settlers there shortly after discovering BGG and learning of its legendary status. God how I hated most every moment. More precisely, God how I hated most every die roll. But I withheld judgment. Perhaps the frustration of constantly crapping out on the dice is amusing in real life with human opponents.
Well, after a mere two games against human opponents, I discovered that no, crapping out on the dice is not amusing in real life with human opponents. The slower playtime only prolongs and heightens the agony.
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Learned this on Jim's San Juan program for the Mac and played it feverishly. When I finally sat down to a real live game, I was astonished by how slow it is in real life. That, combined with my ability to now play San Juan pretty much on autopilot, means I have no desire to play this with cards or people.
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The same story here. Got into this through ThunderFall's (Thomas Arnold) excellent Java implementation. This is a fine amusement against the quick-thinking AI bots, and it takes care of all the bookkeeping details, which means a game can be completed in 15 minutes or so. Real life, however, is another story. Slow rolling humans with their tiresome analyzing can stretch this light dice game to 2 hours easily. So no cardboard play for me, thank you.
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4.
Board Game: Brass
[Average Rating:8.08 Overall Rank:8]
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This one is troubling. A magnificent game, one of my top 10. But darn it, Philip Eve's very fine online implementation allows one to stew over moves, plotting carefully, sometimes overnight. It takes care of all the administration, AND it calculates projected game-end VPs. My only complaint is that it doesn't offer a "restore move" feature for those occasions when I click the wrong button, sending me infuriated to an accidental yet unrecoverable loss.
On the bright side, I'm at least playing with human friends, sometimes even in the same room, each of us staring at our own screens.
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5.
Board Game: Ra
[Average Rating:7.60 Overall Rank:48]
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Man, did I play the hell out of this on the pc against AI just recently. Hundreds of games, easily. So fast! Seven minutes start to finish. Though I haven't had the occasion to play against humans since my Ra whirlwind, I do fear that the plodding pace of pulling actual tiles might now make me a little antsy.
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Snagged a free version of the USM retail version of this some time back and finally gave it a go against the AI, my first experience with the game. So sweet and colorful! The gamer's equivalent to a bowl of M&M's. And for a few days there, I gorged myself. It keeps track of the points, so I just drag and drop, and within minutes the game is done. Playing so much in such a short period has taught me that, for the most part, there's not much to think about here. I'll still pull it out for a fun time killer while waiting at the airport perhaps. But to sit down and play with a bag of tiles? Doubtful.
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The AI implementation is more mindless time waster. I actually wouldn't mind playing against humans if they were as speedy as the bots. A game this frivolous, though, does not deserve an hour's worth of attention. I staunchly refuse to play this in real life.
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A recent discovery, at yucata.de. My girlfriend and I have enjoyed it there. However, because of its management of dice and points and legal placements and token flips, I can't imagine ever wishing for a game in the flesh.
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At yourturnmyturn, you can practice this against the computer. It highlights all the potential spaces for legal movement. This is nice, as it frees my mind to think about Grand StreetSoccer Strategy. When cardboard can do that, I'll consider playing face to face.
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Mindless dice chucking, plain and simple. I'll fire it up for a quick spell with the bots. This is not something to waste precious gaming time with, though.
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Murray Chu
Canada
Vancouver
British Colombia
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Never was a super fan of this game, but playing against the AI at break neck speed on AsoBrain makes a game against human players dull and slow.
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Charles Hasegawa
United States
Mesa
Arizona
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This one is one I was really happy to have found a computer version of. Now having played it so much, I can see right away whether or not things are going to play out my way or not. The F2F game just doesn't appeal anymore.
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Curt Carpenter
United States
Washington
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I thought for sure this would be #1. The BSW implementation is pretty good. Complete games in about 5 minutes per player (experienced quick players). Conservatively 10 min / slow player. After playing a bunch online, dealing with the incessant deck shuffles face to face is completely intolerable.
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Charles Hasegawa
United States
Mesa
Arizona
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Here is another that you can play out pretty darn quickly by yourself. For me, there is zero appeal in trying to play this F2F now.
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Charles Hasegawa
United States
Mesa
Arizona
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This is the king daddy of them all. The biggest drawback to playing this game live is the counting. Count out what you need to figure out if you need to shift. Then roll and re-count. The computer game highlights where you can be and then where you can end after you roll. You will actually feel like you are in a formula race and you will glare at the real board game for being so slow to play.
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16.
Board Game: Hive
[Average Rating:7.37 Overall Rank:111]
-matt s.
United States
Eugene
Oregon
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/blog/22
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When I first played Hive it was face-to-face. I immediately loved it and went out and bought my own copy. It felt like chess only faster and with different/interesting moves.
However, I didn't have anyone available to play it near me so I tried the online version. After a few games I figured out what the AI was doing and one-upped it...pretty much couldn't lose after that.
But, I found the game had lost it's lustre. And, I found I always beat everyone I played, so it wasn't nearly as fun anymore as I could see their mistakes immediately.
I vowed since then to NEVER play an online version of a board game again, even if it's against real people. The fast play and turn
Granted, some games could use record keeping and rules checking and that would be great, but frankly, it's just not worth ruining a gaming experience for me to just be able to play the game more.
I'd much rather play with other people at a table, even if it tends to be slower. I'm all for finding ways to make it more efficient playing with someone else, but I love the tension of a game played with humans away from the computer in a more leisurely manner.
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Will
United States
Fresno
California
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No one has added this yet?
I haven't played the board game version (although I wouldn't mind giving it a try), but I have played several computer game versions, and I just cant see how the boardgame one could have near the content of the computer game.
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Tom Grant
United States
Foster City
California
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I can play the computer game in about 20-30 minutes, if memory serves. Live play takes hours. I don't think I'll have the patience for a face-to-face game ever again.
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19.
Board Game: Risk
[Average Rating:5.62 Overall Rank:6163]
Timothy Hunt
United States
St Louis
Missouri
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Back in the early 1990s, when I was in college, I found a free implementation of Risk for X windows. A bunch of us would sit in the computer labs at night and play Risk. Full domination, in 20 minutes. None of that tiresome dice rolling and moving pieces. Multiple hour games of Risk no longer thrill me.
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