Pandemic | BoardGameGeek

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: Suggestion for a re-theme

subhan — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:34:43 +0000

Sounds like the anti- version of Snit's Revenge! I may have to try to work up a coop version of it to play with my daughter :)

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: Threat Level Six - Custom Expansion - ArtsCow Cards

rocksnrolls — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:52:30 +0000

by rocksnrolls

Got mine in under two weeks. I agree they look great and I look forward to getting to play with them soon

File: Pandemic:: Pandemic :: Special Event cards in Portuguese [Brazil]

Galender — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:34:23 +0000

by Galender

Pandemic :: Special Event cards in Portuguese [Brazil] for Board Game: Pandemic ]]>

New Image for Pandemic

ilgoga — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:19:27 +0000

by ilgoga

Zombiedemic

]]>

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: Pandemic – curing the world one cube at a time

Shampoo4you — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:07:01 +0000

by Shampoo4you

Monsieur F wrote:
Karrdedg wrote:
Packed into the corner were the player pieces – wooden pawns. This immediately raised some slight worry about the game as if they can’t be bothered to make nice playing pieces, is it going to be good. I then pointed out that in Agricola we play as flat discs so it’s not the be all and end all, but they just seemed a bit rough.

I stopped my reading here.
It's BOOOOOARDGAMING, it's not about flashlights, amazing 3D effects, incredible figs, Waoo! great THX sound and a price over 70$.

Wrong, components can make a big impact on the fun factor of a game. It's not as important as mechanics, sure, but a game with bad components can significantly impare the fun factor.

I, too, had a huge problem with the wooden pawns. It's not so much the pawns, actually, but the colors. The colors are so DULL and BORING. Could they not think of a better color scheme?

Here's a thought, drop blue, yellow, and red as disease colors, make orange, green, and purple disease colors instead. They're more "diseasey" anyway. Swap in red, yellow, and blue for player colors. Bam, better color scheme.

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic (Threat Level Six)

e-dave — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:03:34 +0000

by e-dave

Just received my set of cards from Artscow, and I'm very pleased with their quality. As already mentioned, the cards are a little on the thin side, but once sleeved they are fine.

Thanks for the time and effort put into preparing these cards (and to the other posters on BGG for help with using Artscow).

This is my first order from them, but it won't be the last. :D

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: Suggestion for a re-theme

elfrododumbo — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 01:44:17 +0000

by elfrododumbo

When I was at Uni, a group of us got into playing RPGs and we decided to make our own game called "Will You Be A good Doctor ?". LOL, the symptom cards and cure cards would have made us murders not doctors :laugh:

Reply: Pandemic:: Sessions:: Re: A game with the kids -- remembering a rule saves the game.

referee — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:48:17 +0000

by referee

Congratulations! Can't get any closer than that. I love this game.

Reply: Pandemic: On the Brink:: News:: Re: On the Brink stuff on the Z-Man site

elcomadreja2 — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:27:01 +0000

by elcomadreja2

But where's the Swine Flu expansion? ninja

This will be a variant in which players play government officials whose goal is to create the most panic.

New Image for Pandemic

Furan — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:12:42 +0000

by Furan

During our first 2 plays at Warsaw University of Technology, photo by ...

]]>

New Image for Pandemic

Furan — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:09:56 +0000

by Furan

During our first 2 plays at Warsaw University of Technology, photo by ...

]]>

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic (Threat Level Six)

meowsqueak — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:02:52 +0000

by meowsqueak

I received my order a couple of days ago - 100% happy with the result.

Thank you Jack for creating this!

Thread: Pandemic:: Variants:: Suggestion for a re-theme

Flashhawk — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:16:36 +0000

by Flashhawk

Ok, to be honest, i don't even own the game hence played it, but i have a lot about it by now and would realy like to buy a copy when finance can be achieved
But today i came across an idea of a re-theme that, even if it may sound silly could have a big story behind it: I would like to suggest a re-theme of Pandemic after this game:Il était une fois... la vie
Think about the time when you watched that tv-series. Everyone in the body helps to keep it healthy. So could change cities for organs, travelroutes for bloodvessels and game-roles for mechanisms in the human body that face deseases and fight the war on viruses and bacterias on a microscale. Sure this is just an idea, i have to say i have to much around to focus on something like that, but maybe someone out there likes the idea and starts it of.
If you do, please post your results here, i am realy eager to see and play a game like this!!
Thanks for reading
Flashhawk

PS: Mods if you think this has to go to another forum, please move it thanks!!

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: Pandemic – curing the world one cube at a time

Shadowen — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:14:27 +0000

by Shadowen

Karrdedg wrote:

the blue cubes = the blues.

How about a variant character card called "The Clown" Automatically cures the blues in each city it visits.

:shake:

Reply: Pandemic:: Sessions:: Re: A game with the kids -- remembering a rule saves the game.

Skrynkelberg — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:12:30 +0000

by Skrynkelberg

Oh. We have been playing it wrong then. Sorry for the confusion and thanks for the heads up. :)

Our following games will probably be a lot easier than the ones before thanks to this. :p

Reply: Pandemic:: Strategy:: Re: Heroic Roles: Tom's Take

ackmondual — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:51:43 +0000

by ackmondual

Meh... alot of people were already thinking this, but definitely thumbs to you for taking the time to put it on paper. Well done.

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: Pandemic – curing the world one cube at a time

elfrododumbo — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:34:29 +0000

by elfrododumbo

As long as the game is good and you want to play it over and over again, what difference does it make if the characters are cards and their interactive actions result in a Research Station being built ?
If the cubes are set at an angle, the city name is visible.
I agree with Steven, Z-man made a great game with a wonderful price tag. Wish other companies would do the same and keep their price down instead of flashy bits that are meant to make you to say "WOW!, look at that" and then find the game is hollow.

Regards.

Reply: Pandemic:: Sessions:: Re: A game with the kids -- remembering a rule saves the game.

Larry Welborn — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:21:38 +0000

by Larry Welborn

UnknownParkerBrother wrote:
Skrynkelberg wrote:
You can only give away cards during your turn, not receive any.

Nope. Read your ref card. Share knowledge = pass a card from one player to another. That's give or receive, whatever direction you want (assuming both in the same city of course).

Steven is correct. Perhaps you are thinking of the Researcher's special action. The Researcher can only give a card not matching the city, not receive one.

Reply: Pandemic:: Sessions:: Re: A game with the kids -- remembering a rule saves the game.

UnknownParkerBrother — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:11:47 +0000

by UnknownParkerBrother

Skrynkelberg wrote:
You can only give away cards during your turn, not receive any.

Nope. Read your ref card. Share knowledge = pass a card from one player to another. That's give or receive, whatever direction you want (assuming both in the same city of course).

Reply: Pandemic:: Sessions:: Re: A game with the kids -- remembering a rule saves the game.

Skrynkelberg — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:57:13 +0000

by Skrynkelberg

Wait, did your wife receive the Istanbul card on her turn? You can only give away cards during your turn, not receive any.

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: Pandemic – curing the world one cube at a time

UnknownParkerBrother — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:34:40 +0000

by UnknownParkerBrother

I can see Jeff's point. A few custom wooden pieces in a game can really lift a game. It just makes it feel a little more special. It's something we're really seeing a lot of lately.

That said, Z-man deserves credit for keeping the price of this game down.

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: Pandemic – curing the world one cube at a time

Hunter Hawk — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:18:18 +0000

by Hunter Hawk

Sorry to have to correct you on this, but obviously the diseases are Black Plague, Red Death, Yellow Fever, and Blue Flu. I mean, come on, shouldn't everyone be using the same names that I am?

And where do I get my all singing, dancing, flashy, dazzling, 3-D glasses included version of Pandemic (optional mime pieces sent separately).

Reply: Pandemic:: Sessions:: Re: A game with the kids -- remembering a rule saves the game.

kimapesan — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:12:14 +0000

by kimapesan

This is one game where the smallest rules details make or break the game... more often than not.

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: Pandemic – curing the world one cube at a time

Karrdedg — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:00:23 +0000

by Karrdedg

I shall pass you one of my handy chill pills, designed to cut down on stress.

I didn't want an all signing, all dancing, flashy game piece. But I do feel as it's the piece that you take on as your character, it needs some work. The player pieces just feel like they've fallen out of a cheap Christmas cracker, when compared to how nice the other pieces are.

Meeples are an amazing idea - characters without being anything clever. 5 meeples in the right colour would have been less material and looked better.

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: Pandemic – curing the world one cube at a time

Monsieur F — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:31:54 +0000

by Monsieur F

Karrdedg wrote:
Packed into the corner were the player pieces – wooden pawns. This immediately raised some slight worry about the game as if they can’t be bothered to make nice playing pieces, is it going to be good. I then pointed out that in Agricola we play as flat discs so it’s not the be all and end all, but they just seemed a bit rough.

I stopped my reading here.
It's BOOOOOARDGAMING, it's not about flashlights, amazing 3D effects, incredible figs, Waoo! great THX sound and a price over 70$.

So, everyone is allowed to like nice material. I'm one of the first who enjoys that. But thinking, even a very tiny little bit, that the system quality could be related in any way with the prettiness of the material, is one of the thing that's bad in the democratization of boardgaming. Games will become colourfull, simple and nice, and expensive, because of grown up children who want toys they can handle without being ridiculous.

Sorry. I'd accept to be moderated. I become stupidly angry on some subjects.

Review: Pandemic:: Pandemic – curing the world one cube at a time

Karrdedg — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:23:00 +0000

by Karrdedg

My wife is a very competitive lady, be it board games, sports or Xbox she always goes full out to win. Normally board game nights between the two us revolve round head to head games like Mr. Jack or CIA vs. KGB, so when I explained the rules she was puzzled why I thought this would be appropriate

We opened the game to be greeted by a nicely made board, two packs of cards and lots of wooden cubes. Packed into the corner were the player pieces – wooden pawns. This immediately raised some slight worry about the game as if they can’t be bothered to make nice playing pieces, is it going to be good. I then pointed out that in Agricola we play as flat discs so it’s not the be all and end all, but they just seemed a bit rough.

Into the rules, which are well presented across 8 pages with good examples of turn play including illustrations. We only mangled a couple of rules when we played and had both read through them ahead of playing.

The game is all about stopping a global pandemic (see what they did there) by researching cures for four different diseases. This is hampered by the diseases spreading each turn and the occasional twist of a epidemic breaking out.

Each player is randomly allocated a specialist roll e.g. medic, which gives them a rule altering ability. They also have a number of action points that allow them to use this ability, move round the board and cure diseases.

The little wooden cubes mentioned earlier are used to mark diseases on the board which accumulate through the drawing of random country cards.

So far, so easy.

Both of us expected to simply move round the board, collecting coloured cards to cure diseases (5 of a colour represents a cure, cure all 4 diseases and you win the game). It’s not that easy though.

Every time a country reaches it’s 4th cube of the same disease, it causes an outbreak. This spreads 1 more cube to the surrounding countries, meaning more disease to cure or spread. You lose the game if 8 outbreaks occur whilst playing, you draw all of the player cards out or if you run out of coloured cubes for any disease.

What neither of us expected was an outbreak in somewhere central e.g. Istanbul then chain reacted, setting off outbreaks in other countries and burning through the black cubes (tastefully now referred to as the black death) meaning we lost the first game despite curing the black death early in the game. For a handy reference, in my wife’s mind yellow cubes = scurvy, red cubes = chicken pox and the blue cubes = the blues.

The game becomes a balance of checking disease progress, collecting cure cards and moving round the board to prepare for the next turn or setting up someone else to deliver the goods.

After three plays we had lost 2:1 but despite the cooperative nature, my wife approved of the game and it’s now in our regular play pile.

So overall thoughts:

The good
- Nice board, the right weight, looks striking and easy to understand where everything goes
- Chain reactions are fun – one of those games where something bad happening is as much fun as something good
- Cooperative nature means lots of talking and good team work. This is a good change to those stab-in-the-back type games where you all live or die by how well you play together
- The rules allow for playing the game as easy, medium and hard. So far we’re still playing easy until we have mastered this and then on to medium.

The bad
- Games can be over very quickly. I could say this was due to the easy level we were playing at, but in all 3 games we played even when we lost. They all felt that they had ended too soon (not something my wife complains about often, I thank you :what
- The city names are tiny along with the space they occupy. Put 3 disease cubes, research station and a player on top and you need to have a good memory for where places are.

The ugly
- The player pieces need a bit more character and love. Is the researcher brown or mustard?

Buy this if you want to spend a few hours chatting and plotting together in order to defeat the global spread of evil wooden cubes!

Reply: Pandemic:: Strategy:: Re: Heroic Roles: Tom's Take

BeatPosse — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:07:28 +0000

by BeatPosse

This kind of content is what makes BGG more than just a social site. Excellent post.

New Image for Pandemic

josephc4 — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:09:01 +0000

by josephc4

Houston Boardgames Meetup - Fuddrucker's - Meetup.com

]]>

Reply: Pandemic:: Strategy:: Re: Heroic Roles: Tom's Take

bboppr — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 04:53:26 +0000

by bboppr

Wow! You just raised the bar for strategy posts. I'm printing this and keeping it in the Pandemic box. Thanks so much!

Reply: Pandemic: On the Brink:: General:: Re: Got my replacement deck!

scwont — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 04:11:59 +0000

by scwont

I'm still waiting for mine as well, but I'm presuming (and hoping!) it's because stocks of the replacement decks ran out quickly.

From the ZMan Games website ( http://www.zmangames.com/boardgames/pandemicOTB.htm):
PLEASE NOTE WE ARE CURRENTLY OUT OF SUPPLY OF THE NEW DECKS. WE WILL HAVE MORE IN JULY

I think this message went up weeks ago.

Session: Pandemic:: A game with the kids -- remembering a rule saves the game.

Larry Welborn — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:56:01 +0000

by Larry Welborn

Pandemic has become a game that my entire family enjoys. My wife and I often play it 2 player but occasionally our two children, ages 6 & 7, join in. The game works well with the children as we play with open hands and discuss our moves. Originally, we coached the kids towards better plays but lately the children often come up with good moves on their own, so we limit our suggestions to times when the children actively seek advice.

We play with 5 epidemics when the children are involved. My 7 year old son really prefers to be the medic and this is a role he can play well, so we dispense with drawing and give him that role. My daughter prefers a random role, so the rest of us draw. In this game, I got the Operations Manager, my wife got the Scientist, and my daughter got the dispatcher.

The initial set up had no real hot spots as the infected cities were well dispersed. The medic cleaned up some blue then headed to the orient. I tried to set up research center around the globe to make travel easier when the scientist headed to South America to deal with the spreading Yellow Fever. The dispatcher, remained in the US, directing travel.

The medic got five yellow cards on his own and he was able to cure within a few turns of the start of the game. The dispatcher then moved him down to South America where we were able to eradicate the disease. The medic also got a few blue cards and a couple of trades in Europe later, was able to cure blue as well.

We were entering the mid game in pretty good shape. Red and Black started to expand but we still had only a couple of outbreaks. We had some difficulty trading cards as the scientist kept drawing a bad mix of unneeded cards and special action cards.

We finally cured Red, but the draw deck was getting very low. The scientist had 3 black cards and only needed one more for the win. I built a research center in Istanbul to give us a place to cure. My daughter, the dispatcher, had the Istanbul card so we could win the game on my wife's turn. Unfortunately, my daughter drew the last two cards. "We lost", said my wife. "Wait", I said, I don't think the game ends until a player is unable to draw cards. A quick check of the rulebook proved that I remembered correctly. My wife move to Istanbul, received the card from my daughter and cured black on the last turn for the win.

We were all happy that we won a game we thought we were going to lose. The children played well; my son, didn't receive any advice on his play while my daughter only needed help a few times.

Reply: Pandemic: On the Brink:: General:: Re: Got my replacement deck!

dougadamsau — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:24:45 +0000

by dougadamsau

Anyone received their replacement deck recently? I'm still waiting.

Reply: Pandemic:: Strategy:: Re: Heroic Roles: Tom's Take

elfrododumbo — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:10:19 +0000

by elfrododumbo

Fantastic.
Best descriptions of the roles so far read.
This should be included , along with the rules, in the game. Print and keep, is my suggestion.

Regards.

Thread: Pandemic:: Strategy:: Heroic Roles: Tom's Take

arkibet — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:59:10 +0000

by arkibet

My friend Stephanie and I have really taken on the Heroic level of Pandemic. And through all of this we've learned a lot about the individual strengths and weaknesses of the roles. I thought that I would post my thoughts here to hope that others will save the world despite imminent disaster.

Roles in Alphabetical Order:

The Dispatcher

Opinions: The Dispatcher in my opinion is one of the most enjoyable roles to play. But it's also the one where you really have to be paying the most attention. The Dispatcher's abilities are centered around movement. It is important for the Dispatcher to be forward thinking, setting up moves for the players that will save them valuable time and resources.

Abilities:

1. The single most powerful ability the Dispatcher has is to bring two pawns together. This allows a couple of good techniques:

a. The Research Station Anchor. When someone is ready to cure, a Dispatcher can bring that player to him. Then the player can immediately cure on the player's turn, and take a fast movement via Research Station to Research Station to get back out into the field. Also, in some cases, if the research stations are set up well, it may be necessary to "bring him home" so he can take a Station to Station move.

b. The Slingshot. In areas that are overwrought with disease, the Dispatcher can fly one player out to the area, and then use the Pawn to Pawn ability to get a second player into the area.

c. The City Drop. A good Dispatcher looks at the cities of everyone's cards. And in some cases, it will be possible to pass cards by moving a player a space or two, and dropping a different player into that spot. That way, they can pass the card on either player's next turn. This sometimes becomes necessary just for hand management!

2. The Dispatcher's other ability is to move pawns like their own. This is useful to move people quickly around the board. Things to note:

a. Red Lines. If flying isn't an option or decided to be a bad idea, the Dispatcher can always just move pawns along the red lines to get them where they need to go. Typically this is done to rush a piece to a "hotspot" (a location with 3 cubes ready to outbreak) or to a research station for a cure. The best use of this is to move the Medic through a cured disease area to treat the disease without taking additional actions.

b. Flights to Cities. If the Dispatcher holds a card and wants to use it on a player, they may fly that player to the named city. This is great to do on an Ops Expert or a Medic into an area that has a lot of cubes. This is also one way of using a card that might otherwise get discarded due to hand limit issues.

c. Chartered Flight. If a player is on or near a city of a card they hold, it is sometimes fast to fly them anywhere by spending the card. This is great to use when someone's done in an area or needs to get to one particular spot on the board. If you know a spot is ready to burst, a typical action set could be: Move Player X from Paris to Milan, Play Milan to fly to Hong Kong, Use Pawn to Pawn movement to move Dispatcher to Hong Kong, treat Hong Kong. (You'll see this most frequently after a Forecast.)

d. Set up a Chartered Flight. "What cities are you holding?" Always ask other players what cities they have and see what's close by. Sometimes you'll need to move them to that city so they can fly somewhere on their turn. Usually a good "conjecture" move. You know they're going to have to go somewhere, but not yet sure. And if there is a turn between you and them, you'll get to see what's happening.

Pros of a Dispatcher:

1. The board seems much smaller with a Dispatcher. Everything becomes more accessible more quickly.

2. It maximizes the time and abilities of other players as they will not waste actions on movement.

3. Passing cards (Share Research action) in cities of the same name is easier to do.

Cons of a Dispatcher:

1. Hand Limits. By saving others from spending cards, they may end up with hand limit issues. Keeping an eye on the discards can help from being too helpful in flying around.

2. Overworked. Sometimes people get too married to the idea of "oh the Dispatcher can move me later." The Dispatcher really is a "here and now" character. They can't move everyone on their turn effectively. Usually just 1 or 2 characters.

3. Not a grunt worker. The Dispatcher is rarely the person you want running around treating disease as it doesn't make use of their abilities. Sometimes it's necessary (or even imperative if it will sunset (i.e. eradicate) a troublesome disease.

Interactions:

Ops Expert: Fly him out to the center of an active area. Others will be able to get there by Station to Station to help out. Or you can just slingshot them there if it will reduce their movement to get to other areas.

Medic: Get the Medic to areas that have a high concentration of one color, especially any area with two hotspots next to each other. Once a disease is cured, look to see if you can sunset the disease by moving the Medic around.

Researcher: Move to Researcher via Pawn to Pawn whenever they hop up and say, "Hey we've got enough cards for a cure if I give them to x!"

Scientist: When the Scientist has 3 of a color, watch for players with cards in that city to be able to pass a card. Always be looking at the fastest way a Scientist is going to get back to a research station. They tend to need one more than others.

2 Player Game Comments:

In a 2 player game the Pawn to Pawn movement becomes a little less important. The Dispatcher has to get out there and get their hands dirty. The problem is if you move to the same area, the world suddenly becomes smaller. It's harder to get back to an area once you've left it. But once a disease is eradicated, then it's a fast way to getting someone out of that area. Otherwise, just use your actions as normal, occasionally giving one or two to your partner as needed. Look for opportunities to trade off the last card needed for a cure quickly. Watch for routes back to the research station when a cure is ready.

Operations Expert

Opinions: My personal opinion is that he is the weakest of all roles. The Ops Expert is the quintessential grunt worker. By careful placement of research stations, the Ops Expert can create a network of fast movement to switch between troublesome areas. The research stations can also save a player from completely leaving an area once they've discovered a cure. Lastly, if everyone else has something better to do because of their abilities, it's the Ops Expert who can come to the rescue. Also, don't be afraid to play so many that you have to pick up an old one and move a new one. This is rare, but usually means you're on top of your game.

Abilities:

1. The Ops Expert only has 1 ability: Place a research station in the city he's occupying without discarding the matching player card. So the techniques we've developed:

a. Disease Central. After the initial set up, see where the greatest concentration of disease is. In some cases it will be spread out. But generally there will be an area in close proximity of each other that has cubes. Doesn't matter if it's one two or three cubes. Doesn't matter if they are different colors. If Jakarta, Mumbai, and Chennai have one cube, through the course of the game they'll have 3 before you know it. Get a research station down there and you won't be worried about chained outbreaks. Or losing because one of the diseases runs out of cubes due to proliferation. (i.e. Black cubes outbreak to red cities, which dilutes the number of black cubes that will infest the other black cities.)

b. Jetsetter. Walking around and putting Research Stations down as you go generally isn't the way to go. Fly to an area and then plop down a research station where it really needs to be. Once you've done this in all 4 areas (if you're unlucky enough to need that) then you'll be saving cards in the long run by moving station to station.

c. Serendipitous Laboratory. If someone is close to a cure and you happen to be in the area, see what the player's fastest route is to a research station. Otherwise, consider taking your action towards that person, using your 4th action to drop a research station. This can save time. It also helps when you have the last card needed for a set. If you can get to that city, you can set a research station down for someone to find a fast way to you. (Their move would be get to research station, Station to Station, Share Research, Cure, and thank you.) This also helps when they get a card needed for a cure.

d. Impatience. If the Ops Expert is needs to move quickly, they can always drop a research station and take a station to station movement. This saves cards but uses two actions. (one to drop the station, one to move Station to Station)

Pros of an Ops Expert:

1. Accelerated movement around the board by station to station movement.

2. Stations are easier to get to when cures are ready. This can sometimes gain momentum on diseases when the station is in the color of the disease being cured. That same player on their next turn can start curing like a Medic.

3. Opportunistic plays... the Ops Expert usually has opportunities other players don't due to the ability to drop a research station and move station to station.

4. Card saving. By not having to spend a player card to place a station, that's one more card that can be used in a cure or to fly.

5. Grunt worker. Typically the Ops Expert isn't playing more than 2 or 3 stations. Which means the rest of their time they're moving, treating, and figuring out how to pass cards around.

Cons of an Ops Expert:

1. Slow start. It's typically best to fly out on your first turn and start placing the stations. It's wasteful now but saves later. Depending on how quickly that first Epidemic appears, this can certainly work against you.

2. Lack of Additional abilities. Placing stations is the only ability of this role. This limits the player the most.

Interactions:

Dispatcher: Get the Dispatcher to move you to the areas that need Research Stations early. Once that's done, the Dispatcher will be free to concentrate on other people. You can also act as a second anchor for getting people to research stations by the sheer virtue of being able to just make one magically appear.

Medic: With a Medic you should consider placing a research station directly on top of a hot spot instead of completely central to an area.

Researcher: Getting the Researcher on top of a research station is a good way for people to be able to get to that Researcher to gobble up his cards. Then they don't have to travel elsewhere to cure the disease. (It's like a mini-mall!)

Scientist: Figure out the intercept course for the scientist, and leave a station en route to help the Scientist get to the research station.

2 Player Game Comments:

This is why I have such a low opinion of the Ops Expert. I find him the toughest to use in a 2 player. But the strategies that have worked the best involve getting the research stations down in the hard to contain areas, getting those cures, and eradicating the disease as quickly as possible. Place the stations on cities with cards that are known in the infection deck. That way you can hop from research station to research station treating in those cities along the way. When epidemics occur before your turn, it's usually within your ability to clean it up before it outbreaks.

Medic

Opinions: Many players feel relieved when there's a Medic in the game. The Medic is a powerful Role that really helps keep infections down and outbreaks to a minimum. The Medic also makes eradication of a disease possible. Try not to use the treatment abilities on cities with only 1 cube without good reason. Otherwise, this is one of the most straightforward roles of the game.

Abilities:

1. The Medic's primary ability is to treat all cubes of one color in the city their pawn is occupying. Normally it would take 3 actions to do so. There isn't much strategy around this other than:

a. MEDIC!!! Any city with 3 cubes, any two cities next to each other with potential to cause a chain of outbreaks, any area that is in threat of having too many cubes spread across the board... the Medic has to get there by any means necessary and treat everything they can.

2. The Medic's secondary ability triggers when a disease is cured. Now the Medic no longer has to take an action to treat a disease. All disease cubes of a cured disease whisk off the board.

a. Doctors still make house calls! Look for eradication possibilities. It's not always possible to eradicate a troublesome disease because there are too many infection cards of that color. But even curing the least common card gives you some breathing room. If the Medic is needed elsewhere, consider the path of most resistance.

Pros of a Medic:

1. You can let an area get bad by chained outbreaks knowing that the Medic can fix it very quickly. It sometimes seems counterintuitive to let an area explode, but the Medic is designed for this situation.

2. You'll see less outbreaks and less cubes on the board of a game with a Medic. It helps morale.

3. Very Straightforward to play.

Cons of a Medic:

1. Overworked. The Medic can't be in two places at once, so sometimes it is necessary to decide between two troublesome areas.

2. Too much attention. In some games with a Medic the Medic becomes so important that players get caught up in getting an area under control or waste too much time trying to eradicate a disease.

3. Slowed down. Don't waste time by curing unnecessary things along the way or by not flying to a troubled area quickly. The Medic is a specialist in treatment whose time is best spend in the worst areas.

Interactions:

Dispatcher: The Dispatcher should be moving you off turn to the next area you need to treat, or getting you to the hotspot as quickly as possible. Once a disease is cured, the Dispatcher can then do the "Angel" with you by getting you to a cured area and spending his actions to move you through the area. This automatically cures the disease.

Ops Expert: Send the Ops Expert to the areas you don't have time to visit. Use the Research Stations to hop back and forth from trouble areas.

Researcher: If he's useful for getting you a cure, great. Otherwise, keep on treating.

Scientist: If there's a potential for a cure in either direction, great. Otherwise, keep on treating.

2 Player Game Comments:

The Medic is great for containment but not the best at cures. Don't ever lose sight that this is the goal of the game! Get the Medic out there to treat and let the partner handle the area you can't get to. Here's the hard part: There will be times when you just have to let an area get out of control to work on a cure. Take a deep breath and know that you can let this happen because you can quickly contain it.

And a note if you don't have a Medic in a 2 player game: It's imperative to hit those hotspots as quickly as possible! If you don't, then the diseases will spread faster than you can control them until the cure is created.

Researcher

Opinions: The Researcher really makes curing a lot easier and a lot faster. The ability to ignore the city restriction is immense. knowing when to pass cards on your turn or be in a place where people can take cards on their turn is important to mitigate. In general a Research wants to be near a research station or near another player. As soon as a set can be constructed between the two players, how to get those pawns together and to a research station becomes a priority. Sometimes you have to play a little speculation in the passing of cards. But you want to watch the hand management or you'll waste too many cards and exhaust the player deck.

Abilities:

1. The Researcher can ignore the city restriction when a Share Research action is taken. The card is a little poorly written leading to some players thinking it must only occur on the Researcher's turn. Heroic level would be very difficult with the Researcher if this were true. It's not. The Researcher's role is to get the right colored cards to the right people.

a. The Lap Dog. It's sometimes better for the Researcher to follow another pawn around. If a player has 2 of a color and the Researcher 1 of that color, sometimes it's best to follow them and treat similar areas in hopes of getting 5 between the two.

b1. I'm sooo Drunk! The Researcher will sometimes end up at a research station when holding a pair or triple in hopes of drawing one or two more at the end of their turn. If not, it still gives players easy access to take advantage of the Researcher at the ~~bar~~ station.

b2. Drive-by. If a player just needs one card to cure and the Researcher has a card of that color, it may be good just to get the Researcher in the path of the research station so someone can pick the card up on their way.

c. Unload. After a player has just cured a disease, if the Researcher is nearby, they can just add a few cards to that player just to clean up their hand a bit without worrying about discarding.

Pros of a Researcher:

1. Cures. The Researcher is focused on cures, which is the objective to winning.

2. Less hassle. It removes one layer of thought when it comes to passing cards. It gives players a lot more flexibility in collecting the cards.

Cons of a Researcher:

1. TMI! (too much information) The Researcher will usually have less cards and the other player more cards. This can cause a lot of trouble if the players aren't careful. By tossing too many of a single color away, you'll have to wait until those cards appear in the deck and figure out how to get them all in one place. If this ability isn't managed well it will cause the game to end by the player deck running out because those last 5 cards will be spread too far around the other players.

2. Not mobile. A card in the Researcher's hand can be moved to another player. It's usually not as profitable to fly with a card unless that disease has already been cured. Chartering flights ends up the necessary evil.

2 Player Game Comments:

If your partner is the Scientist, just follow them around and let the world outbreak. You should be able to get one or two cures quickly and be able to contain the diseases.

Otherwise, do the grunt work until the opportunity arises to put together a cure. The Researcher's pretty good in a 2 player game.

Scientist

Opinions: Getting all 4 cures wins the game, and the Scientist is a role focused on that objective. The Scientist only needs a 4 of a kind to create a cure. I started out thinking this was one of the weakest of the roles, but later turned around after I had this epiphany: you can waste cards when a Scientist is in the game. This really helps with the overall hand management aspect of the game. It also frees everyone up to thinking globally while acting locally. It's the subtlety of the role that makes it so wonderful.

Abilities:

1. The Scientist also has 1 ability: Create a Cure with a set of 4 matching colors. Very straightforward. Basic strategies:

a. Baby it's cold outside. The Scientist needs to be at a research station to cure. And they should be doing most of the curing. So they basically stay inside, and jump out when necessary to get a card they need. Then right back to the research station. Or they'll jump out far enough to use a card to place another research station.

b. The Golden Ticket. If the Scientist has Atlanta, it's worth its weight in gold. The Scientist can venture forth knowing they have a free ride right back to the research station when the time comes. If another player starts with Atlanta, it's generally not a bad idea to pass it to the Scientist.

c. Fly like an Eagle / Drop it like it's hot. Besides the color a Scientist is collecting, the Scientist can use their other cards to fly around as needed or to place research stations as needed.

Pros of an Scientist:

1. Hand Management. Don't be afraid to discard cards. The Scientist will generally cure at least two of the four diseases, so you can waste a few cards in that color. Get those research stations out and fly around the board. It's very liberating to not panic at the idea of discarding.

2. Faster cures. Once a disease gets cured, the game starts getting a bit easier. And the Scientist helps create great momentum by turning ordinary scientists into medics.

Cons of an Scientist:

1. Not the best grunt worker. They tend to stay local to research stations.

2. Not the fastest movement. Having only 1 ability, albeit a good one, means that the Scientist isn't moving around quickly. It's either flying or sitting in Istanbul at a cafe. (I have had a number of turns with the Scientist where you just ignore your last action.)

Interactions:

Dispatcher: The Dispatcher is a huge boon to the Scientist. It allows the Scientist to go forth and helps get to the right cities to Share Research. It really frees up the cards in both players hands when it comes to flying. And it's typically easy to get the Scientist to a research station when needed.

Ops Expert: Because the Scientist likes to stay close to Research Stations, the Ops Expert makes the world accessible. It's not a bad combo because the Ops Expert uses his ability and then both Roles become decent grunt workers.

Medic: The Scientist and Medic are on opposite spectrums. One treats, the other cures. They work in tandem, but generally don't interact as much unless it's to Share Research.

Researcher: The Researcher is the Scientist's total lap dog. Just have the Research follow you around feeding you. In fact, go camping together in the research station and just hope your draws are faster than the disease. You may never have to leave Atlanta.

2 Player Game Comments:

Basically let your partner treat while you focus on the cure. The Scientist's ability is slowed down in a 2 player game. The pair can still use cards a little more indiscriminately, but the Scientist's lack of movement abilities will become apparent when trying to contain diseases. In some extreme cases, it will be more important to ignore the 4 black cards in your hand because you really want to make the red set since the red is a higher priority and you're not close enough to a research station to cure black. It's just hard to swallow that the black card your wasting is still okay because the Scientist allows card wastage.

The two player game with a Scientist is all about gaining momentum over the disease. It's slow but will gain if you can start containing. It's not uncommon to see the world look worse at the beginning of the game, but then slowly get better. Watch for losses by too many cubes and too many outbreaks.

Reply: Pandemic:: Strategy:: Re: Toughest set of roles

arkibet — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:57:46 +0000

by arkibet

In general I find the Ops Expert the hardest of the roles to Master. He simply doesn't have the sheer power that the others have. But if I have to hazard a guess on why you're not being successful, I'd say that you aren't flying enough.

Also, are you aware that you can take cards FROM the Researcher on your turn? Some groups play that the Researcher can only give cards when it is the Researcher's turn. It's pretty darn tough to win with that restriction.

---

One thing that's really important for the Ops Expert to do is look at the board abstractly. Just see what areas the cubes are piling up in. You'll want a research station in that "clump." (Since the cubes keep coming back to the same places, you want to spend a lot of time there.)

The first thing after the initial board set up is... what card can I use to fly into that area and plop down a research station? Walking is just not good for the Ops Expert. Once that's done, then the Ops Expert just moves and treats hot spots until another research station is needed. WIth the Dispatcher, cards can be quickly passed by bringing Pawns together.

In general, I don't see people flying as much in early games because they are afraid of wasting cards. That's reasonable to a point. Without a Medic, it's imperative to squash 3 cube hot spots because there's no way to keep up with a disease once it starts out breaking. (Keep in mind that the Dispatchers uses his/her own cards to fly people, not that's player's cards.)

---

With Dispatcher, Ops Expert, and Researcher... that's not difficult for us. Fly and poop a research station, and use the Dispatcher to move the Researcher to someone so they can trade cards. When the Ops Expert gets to a city that they have a matching card, then they can poop out a Research station and wait. Usually the player can get to that research station by a station to station move and cure a disease.

The nice thing by feeding the Ops Experts cards from the Researcher, is that the Ops Expert can just poop out a research station and cure in two actions.

---

With Dispatcher, Ops Expert and Scientist: You should be spending your cards to fly. The above strategies still apply, but the Scientist allows you waste cards since the Scientist only uses 4 cards to create a cure.

Ideally, the Dispatcher really shouldn't be moving that much. He should be sitting at a research station waiting to zap the Scientist back.

Reply: Pandemic: On the Brink:: News:: Re: Release Update -- Pandemic On the Brink

Capoeirista — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:26:16 +0000

by Capoeirista

Why not try casually mentioning the fact that there is a Wishlist function on the Geek.

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Expansion for Pandemic ?

elfrododumbo — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 03:11:21 +0000

by elfrododumbo

Thanks, Brendon.

Will keep August in mind and remind my FLGS to save me a copy.
Might try this now :N....i....c....k if you get to read this, please remember I want this expansion :)

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Expansion for Pandemic ?

scwont — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 02:57:58 +0000

by scwont

The expansion has its own game entry here:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/40849

Check out the recent threads regarding release date.

Reply: Pandemic:: Rules:: Re: Playing the Researcher incorrectly.

Paul Contway — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 02:47:06 +0000

by Paul Contway

Ah right you are. Sometimes after playing a game a few times you think you know the whole rule book, but it's right there on page 5.

Thanks!

Thread: Pandemic:: General:: Expansion for Epidemic

elfrododumbo — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 02:34:41 +0000

by elfrododumbo

Does anyone know if this is out now in England ?
I have not seen, heard or read anything about it.
Really looking forward to it and if it is due out, I will pre-order a copy pronto.

Thanks in advance.

Reply: Pandemic:: Rules:: Re: Playing the Researcher incorrectly.

ColtsFan76 — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 02:32:36 +0000

by ColtsFan76

Paul Contway wrote:
I apologize if this has been brought up elsewhere...

When I began playing this game we would use the researcher to not only give any card, but to allow other players to walk up and TAKE any card from the Researcher.
I realized after a few plays that we were in fact playing the role wrong and that the Researcher could only GIVE cards that weren't the specific city.

This is also verified in the expansion with the role Epidemiologist, who's ability is to take any non matching card.

Sorry, you were playing correctly the first time. The Researcher may GIVE any card on his turn AND other players may TAKE any card on their turn from the Researcher.

The restriction comes from when the Researcher TAKES a card. Anything coming TO him must follow the normal rules. Anything that leaves FROM him can be any card, any time.

The Epidemiologist is differnt in that it can TAKE any card but must GIVE accordign to the standard rules. And unlike the Researcher, he can only take on his turn, not receive on others turns.

Thread: Pandemic:: Rules:: Playing the Researcher incorrectly.

Paul Contway — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 02:21:50 +0000

by Paul Contway

I apologize if this has been brought up elsewhere...

When I began playing this game we would use the researcher to not only give any card, but to allow other players to walk up and TAKE any card from the Researcher.
I realized after a few plays that we were in fact playing the role wrong and that the Researcher could only GIVE cards that weren't the specific city.

This is also verified in the expansion with the role Epidemiologist, who's ability is to take any non matching card.

Reply: Pandemic:: News:: Re: Mini Expansion coming with QWG Games Dutch release?

maaikefest — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:43:11 +0000

by maaikefest

One more week. And then we will have waited for 2,5 months without any info, I hope the mini expansion will be worth it! :surprise:

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: Star Trek re-theme

DeviantGamer — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:05:38 +0000

by DeviantGamer

Had this idea to, so a group of us ended up making this... http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/9444/lcars.jpg

All the rules are the same, though as we go through it more often I'm probably going to variant each affiliation to make them unique. Hopefully the small additions won't be it too unbearable on a 'Easy' or 'Normal' difficulty.

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: As your doctor, I'm worried about your exposure to little wooden blocks...

Jugular — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:31:18 +0000

by Jugular

I'm enjoying your review style, though I'd be frustrated if I couldn't find a rules explanation in another review for the game.

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: Scenario - "A Swine of a Flu"

Pookie — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 10:07:57 +0000

by Pookie

baba44713 wrote:
Should we use FIMO pigs with runny noses instead of cubes?

What about using the Boar Meeples from Agricola?

Reply: Pandemic: On the Brink:: News:: Re: Release Update -- Pandemic On the Brink

gciscell — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:28:54 +0000

by gciscell

I always try to come up with a long list of stuff, rather than giving them a single, specific item. Pandemic OTB is definitely on that list :)

Reply: Pandemic: On the Brink:: News:: Re: Release Update -- Pandemic On the Brink

lopsided — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:44:29 +0000

by lopsided

What's their email address. I have no qualms about letting them know. :ninja:

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: My experience of Pandemic as a game for 2.

CoffinDancr — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:40:30 +0000

by CoffinDancr

My wife and I just played our first 2 games. We loved it! We one the first game, but got thrashed our second.

Reply: Pandemic: On the Brink:: News:: Re: Release Update -- Pandemic On the Brink

Paul Contway — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:02:26 +0000

by Paul Contway

My birthday is in August... I don't suppose there is any chance that any of my family/friends would ever read this.

I feel bad just straight up telling people what to get me. Oh well.

New Image for Pandemic

Black ant — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:55:22 +0000

by Black ant

Preikestolen Gamers usually dislike cooperation-games. This didn`t mak...

]]>

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Piece Sizes

elfrododumbo — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:23:29 +0000

by elfrododumbo

If you have a copy of the game Risk, why not use the cubes from that and if you have a Monopoly set, use the hotels for Research Stations.

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Piece Sizes

thoia — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:52:32 +0000

by thoia

Good for you. I say go for it if it's that expensive the game just isn't worth $75!!!

Anyway the cubes included in the game are bit too big for the game and I've been meaning to make new ones for my copy of the game that are smaller. Also the research stations in the 2nd printing got smaller (thankfully) from the 1st printing to as was reported just maybe a wee bit smaller than Monopoly houses.

Anyway the inbox sizes are:

Cubes 1cmx1cmx1cm
Pawns 3.25cm tall
Stations 1cmx1cmx1cm

The cubes I'm working on (out of Sculpey clay) are about 0.5cm each dimension.

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Piece Sizes

Aleyd — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:32:36 +0000

by Aleyd

The game is quite expensive here in Australia too, so I feel your pain. And, while I don't advocate making your own copy instead of saving up and buying one, I would say the research stations in the copy we bought on the weekend are the size of 1 Monopoly House (assuming that Australian Monopoly Houses are the same size as overseas Monopoly Houses!).

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Piece Sizes

ilta — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:38:47 +0000

by ilta

If you're making your own, why not just assemble pieces whose sizes make sense to you?

But if you want the "real experience" then I don't have a ruler handy to give you exact measurements, but here's the rundown:

- The cubes are standard euro-size cubes -- 1cm maybe?
- The pawns are too big.
- The research centers, which are also too big, are like two and a half monopoly houses stuck together. I think maybe later editions have smaller research centers?

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: Choose Your Own Adventure review of Pandemic

Igarka — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:52:11 +0000

by Igarka

Thread: Pandemic:: General:: Piece Sizes

endou_kenji — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:41:08 +0000

by endou_kenji

Since it's almost impossible to get the game around here for less than U$75,00 (which is outrageous for a game with the component quality it has, IMO), I decided to do a Home-made version of it.

I got the board and the tiles all done, and all I'm left with are the wooden pieces, which I'll cut and paint myself (sadly, there's no game pieces' store in Brazil).

What I would love if somebody could help me is: what are the sizes of the wooden pieces that come with the game?

- Cubes (resources)
- Pawns
- Houses (Research Centers)

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: Choose Your Own Adventure review of Pandemic

princemousey — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:18:23 +0000

by princemousey

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: My experience of Pandemic as a game for 2.

HavocIsHere — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:03:53 +0000

by HavocIsHere

Don't you find it is much easier when played by only 2?

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic (Threat Level Six)

SiddGames — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:40:45 +0000

by SiddGames

Artscow does take Paypal, if you have access to that.

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: Choose Your Own Adventure review of Pandemic

Aleyd — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:26:01 +0000

by Aleyd

Very funny, and accurate! Well done.

Review: Pandemic:: Choose Your Own Adventure review of Pandemic

ragingoptimist — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:01:53 +0000

by ragingoptimist

A researcher in a biohazard suit is holding a copy of Pandemic with some metal tongs. People around you scream and run away, but being intrigued by the board game he is holding, you decide to hang around. "Hey you!" he shouts from inside his bubble suit. "Want to play a fun cooperative game?"

A) Everyone knows there can only be one winner in a game. Shared victories are defeats and "being a team player" is a dirty insult where I'm from. Go to #1.
B) My middle name is cooperative. Yes, I got made fun of a lot in school. Go to #3.
C) Only if this is a cooperative game that is actually fun. Go to #2.

#1 You have been vaccinated previously from getting infected with the "Pandemic Board Game Virus." You are immune to its charms, and need not pay it any heed.

#2 Do you mind a stiff challenge in a cooperative game?
A) If I win less than 90% of the time, I declare a game "impossible, poorly designed, and broken." Go to #1.
B) I'm fine with a tough but reasonable challenge. Go to #3.

#3 What game length and complexity do you like?
A) Anything less than 6 hours or fewer than a hundred pages in its rule book is a waste of time. Go to #1.
B) Playable in less than an hour with easily explainable rules sounds great to me. Go to #4.

#4 Does a relatively abstracted theme of fighting global spread of disease sound fun?
A) I earned a Masters in Public Health while dreaming of this day. Go to #5.
B) Yawn. Couldn't this be about WWIII or something? Go to #1.
C) Definitely different than standard fare, but I could go either way. Go to #6.

#5 You are predisposed to being susceptible to the "Pandemic Board Game Virus." This is a chronic disease, and it is contagious to close friends and family. Symptoms include the constant desire to play "one more", interest in vaccinating your children against "the blue cube disease", and trouble concentrating during news coverage of the swine flu as you imagine plucking cubes off cities that it has spread to.

#6 Willing to spend 23-35 bucks for a game with pretty standard components (wooden cubes, glossy cards, good board)?
A) Why not? Health care for that price is a bargain. Go to #5.
B) I absolutely HATE the sight of wooden cubes. I started an Ameritrasher boycott of all games with such an unoriginal component. Go to #1.
C) Not too bad for a game, but I'm not sure. Go to #7.

#7 You have a subclinical exposure to the "Pandemic Board Game Virus." Your immune system may fight it off, but you should seek out someone that has the full blown disease. Ask them about their symptoms, try fighting some global diseases with them once or twice, and then decide if you want the cure or not. I suspect you won't, as this virus is the only one I want to have.

Reply: Pandemic: On the Brink:: Variants:: Re: Field Operative - Interactive Variant

Karmic_nomad — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:24:50 +0000

by Karmic_nomad

I haven't played the game yet but at first glance the field operative seems much to powerful.
He needs 1 card less than the Scientist to discover a cure, ok he has to pick some cubes up but the chances are you are going to be curing infections anyway.
It is like getting a free infection card of your choosing each round that doesn't take up a card space.

Even reducing his hand size isn't even that levelling as you have unlimited space for samples.

Maybe the new characters are for the big-boys game but if indeed the game becomes so hard that increasingly powerful characters are needed then you will be able to tell if you have won or lost at the Role drawing phase of the game.

I think there should be some danger put on the Field Operative, something like pulling a card when he takes a sample and if it matches the colour of the sample it automatically outbreaks at his location.

I am looking forward to the expansion but I think I may have to leave the Field Operative out.

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic (Threat Level Six)

aurelio — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:00:00 +0000

by aurelio

could you please post the cards here? spanish is my first language and I would like to translate the cards before using artscow to print them.
It's also very difficult in my country to use my credit card to buy stuff in foreign currency, so maybe I only am going to be able to print the cards with my computer. :cry:

New Image for Pandemic

ckirkman — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:34:39 +0000

by ckirkman

Working on eradicating Scarlet Fever!

]]>

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic (Threat Level Six)

YellowLab — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:23:34 +0000

by YellowLab

Excellent expansion! I have gotten my ArtsCow cards and they look great.

tevacircus wrote:
One idea for the CLASSIFICATION cards would be to put one cube from each color on the different icons (covering up and replacing the options that are currently there) - then the different effects could be in different diseases each game.

One of my "Classification" cards was slightly offset from ArtsCow and had a white edge. I cut the circular disease designations from this card and mounted it to thin cardboard. Then at the beginning of the game, cubes are randomly selected for each of the four classifications and marked with the new, variable, disease classifications.

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: My experience of Pandemic as a game for 2.

blacktemplario — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:58:49 +0000

by blacktemplario

i had also played with my wife and we love the game. Very nice for a after dinner couple game.

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: My experience of Pandemic as a game for 2.

DemonPig — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:55:37 +0000

by DemonPig

Nice review, and I agree pretty much with all your points.

My wife and I really enjoy this game. I find it genuinely exciting and I'm actually a bit disappointed if the game doesn't beat us!

Definitely looking forward to the expansion. I had vowed that I wasn't going to buy another game until the UK Games Expo next year but I'm sure game expansions don't count as games! :whistle:

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: My experience of Pandemic as a game for 2.

msdespondent — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:45:44 +0000

by msdespondent

Aleyd wrote:
Hubby says I can get it if I really really want to. Financially the timing was lousy. But, clutching the box I realized how disappointed I’d be if it sold out before we got a copy.

:D I can relate very well to this. My boyfriend always says if it makes you happy how ca I stop you from buying it?

Great review. Makes me feel I might need this game in my collection too.

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: My experience of Pandemic as a game for 2.

Gomer — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:41:03 +0000

by Gomer

Pandemic is indeed a great 2-player game. I've been playing 2-player pandemic with my wife and everytime we play we have a great time.

Welcome to the geek by the way.

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: My experience of Pandemic as a game for 2.

Smies — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:21:45 +0000

by Smies

Exactly how I feel about the game!

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: My experience of Pandemic as a game for 2.

kevwill — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:27:32 +0000

by kevwill

Completely agree Aleyd - my wife and I love this game and we seem to play with the same style as you and your other half.

I must admit to being a bit dubious about the expansion as some of the mechanics seem like they might change the game into something that may not have the same attraction. That said, I'll probably get it.

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: Threat Level Six - Custom Expansion - ArtsCow Cards

hemp — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:28:24 +0000

by hemp

They look OUTSTANDING.

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: My experience of Pandemic as a game for 2.

Aleyd — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:08:34 +0000

by Aleyd

Am very excited about the Expansion now!

With the cooperation, we kinda do the following, which may be over-talking, but works for us.

"So, do you reckon I should continue to mop up cubes over here, or make my way over there and do x, y, or z?" Conversation runs (fairly quickly we don't overthink it) over some pros and cons and we continue.

We don't do this for each turn, just when we want a 2nd opinion, or want to feel a bit more like a team.

With regards to cards we tend to ask what colours and how many the other has and discuss best colours to discard if we need to get rid of cards.

Even though we are a team, we also pay each other out (in a fun way) when an Epidemic card is drawn, or one of us triggers a really bad outbreak. Last night Hubby drew every Epidemic card in the first match. In the 2nd I eventually got one, but he was doing all the damage!

Guess it depends on personality and how much talk you want to allow.

Hope you enjoy it with 3 or 4 though. Am keen to rope some friends or family in to playing with us. I imagine the game will be quite different. At the moment, I kinda love that my next go is never far away, so game flows quickly.

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: My experience of Pandemic as a game for 2.

Aleyd — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:54:08 +0000

by Aleyd

Great idea! Will give it a go.

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: My experience of Pandemic as a game for 2.

Voxen — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:47:12 +0000

by Voxen

You're going to really like the expansion. It remedies many of the issues you faced (pawn size, infection cube containers).

I'm surprised you had such a good time with only 2, it always seemed to be lacking actual cooperation for my wife and I. Way to go.

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: My experience of Pandemic as a game for 2.

UnknownParkerBrother — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:37:29 +0000

by UnknownParkerBrother

Great review. I can just see you clutching the box at the store. :thumbsup:

I really must work on my puppy dog eyes.

Aleyd wrote:
It can be fiddly with 3 Infection Cubes (not to mention a Player Token on a city). City name can be covered up, Cubes knocked to surrounding Cities etc.

I suggest "going vertical" (stack the 3rd cube on top of the other two in a pyramid). Looks cool, saves some space, and helps game play in that it really shows the current danger spots well.

Review: Pandemic:: My experience of Pandemic as a game for 2.

Aleyd — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:20:51 +0000

by Aleyd

Before the Acquisition:

A week ago I stumbled onto BGG, and was delighted to find so many comprehensive reviews of games. After much ‘research’ I came to the realization, that our Collection ‘needed’ Pandemic. Then, all I had to do was convince my husband that a game I had never heard of a week before was something we could not live without! So, the casual mentioning of how many positive reviews Pandemic has on BGG and how a co-operative game would bring so much to our gaming started. Then on Saturday I brought out the good old ‘How about we pop by the Games Store on the way to X to just see what they have. Honestly, I just want to price Pandemic, so I can save up for it.’ Well, Hubby’s not silly, so I’m sure he could see my true agenda from the start! Fast forward to the Games Store. I’m clutching Pandemic tightly and doing my best attempt at the ‘adorable Puss In Boots eyes’. Hubby says I can get it if I really really want to. Financially the timing was lousy. But, clutching the box I realized how disappointed I’d be if it sold out before we got a copy.

Based on quite a few games with 2 players (my husband and me)…

My Verdict:

Pandemic is perfect for our interests and style of gaming.

Overall:

Really love a game where we can work together, communicate, plan ahead, whilst knowing we may have to change everything if a different region starts getting out of control.

Words that spring to mind include:

Engaging, Addictive

Set-up:

Is quick once you get in to a rhythm. And, we share set-up tasks.

Variety / Re-playability:

Every game is different depending on initial placement of Infection Cubes, timing of drawing Epidemic cards and Roles received.

I really like how the difficulty level can be tweaked by varying the number of Epidemic cards used, and level of communication between players.

Game Duration:

Often less than the 45 minutes listed on the box.

We have been defeated in under 10 minutes, but I found it actually more impressive and inspiring that the game could overwhelm us so entirely, so quickly. [After (somewhat foolishly) commenting that Black had never caused us any issues at all, it went and THOROUGHLY swamped us, making us run out of black cubes quickly, and therefore face defeat.]

Difficulty:

Rules are easy to remember and are A4 size.

Even if you make a ‘mistake’, it is usually not the end of the world. In fact, it can be fun to try to come back from it.

Will definitely pull it out with Non-Gamers. Very serious Strategy Gamers would probably find it too light though.

Cons:

The ‘problems’ I have with Pandemic are fairly superficial.

Contrast between the Black Infection Cubes and the Board is not great.

Player token aren’t very nice. I find the colours uninspiring (Brown is downright ugly), they are too chunky, and very old-school (not ingenious like a Meeple!). Am very tempted to substitute these for slimmer tokens.

It can be fiddly with 3 Infection Cubes (not to mention a Player Token on a city). City name can be covered up, Cubes knocked to surrounding Cities etc.

Doesn’t come with a holder for Infection Cubes.

On the more expensive end of card and board games. (Though on par with most larger non-traditional board games.)

Things I have done (so far!) that frustrate my husband:

Trying to put 3 cubes (instead of 1) on each City drawn in my Infector Phase.

Trying to ‘help’ by placing Cubes when an outbreak occurs, causing us to lose track of which Cities have received their Cubes.

I had had the same Role for 2 games in a row, then on the 3rd game when I had a different Role with entirely different abilities I (quite seriously) kept suggesting we do an action that could not be done in my current Role.

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Soundtrack

hakko504 — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:30:41 +0000

by hakko504

StevenE wrote:
These are going to date me a little... I tried to keep on theme but needed to dust some of them off... ha ha

Dr. Feel Good - Motley Crue
Doctor Doctor - ~~Thompson Twins~~ UFO
She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby
Down with the Sickness - Disturbed
Don't Fear the Reaper - Blue Öyster Cult
Harder to Breathe - Maroon 5
I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones
Fly on the Windscreen - Depeche Mode
Another one Bites the Dust - Queen
Under Pressure - Queen
Urgent - Foreigner
Creeping Death - Metallica
Lunatic Fringe - Red Rider
Insane in the Membrane - Cypress Hill

Fixed that for you.

Reply: Pandemic:: News:: Re: Mini Expansion coming with QWG Games Dutch release?

Mousey — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:53:55 +0000

by Mousey

Mousey wrote:
I got my email!!!

We have to wait until juli 13th and then we can get our mini-expansion at our FLGS :D

My FLGS is closed on mondays :cry:
I will have to wait an extra day until the 14th :zombie:

Reply: Pandemic:: News:: Re: Mini Expansion coming with QWG Games Dutch release?

Mousey — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:21:16 +0000

by Mousey

cococoen wrote:
But still nothing about what this expansion will be like, other then that it we will be able to play it together with the base-game...

My guess: an extra role card like:
]]>

Reply: Pandemic:: News:: Re: Mini Expansion coming with QWG Games Dutch release?

cococoen — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:12:40 +0000

by cococoen

But still nothing about what this expansion will be like, other then that it we will be able to play it together with the base-game...

Reply: Pandemic:: News:: Re: Mini Expansion coming with QWG Games Dutch release?

Mousey — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:09:11 +0000

by Mousey

I got my email!!!

We have to wait until juli 13th and then we can get our mini-expansion at our FLGS :D

New Image for Pandemic

josephc4 — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:59:45 +0000

by josephc4

Houston Boardgames Meetup - Cafe Express - Meetup.com

]]>

New Image for Pandemic

josephc4 — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:58:24 +0000

by josephc4

Houston Boardgames Meetup - Cafe Express - Meetup.com

]]>

Reply: Pandemic:: News:: Re: Mini Expansion coming with QWG Games Dutch release?

maaikefest — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:05:39 +0000

by maaikefest

Yay!

I sent a slightly irritated message to them half an hour ago, telling that I already sent my card may 30th, and that I still hadn't heard anything, and that I hoped I would receive a message tomorrow since june only has 30 days.

I didn't really expect a response, I just wanted to vent a bit. But they emailed me back 10 minutes later, that I'm indeed on the list, and that the messages will be sent out tomorrow :).

So I can finally stop worrying now. And I think the rest of you as well, since we will probably all receive our messages tomorrow :).

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic (Threat Level Six)

MasterDinadan — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:00:26 +0000

by MasterDinadan

Can't imagine that there will be a problem. Events can be included in the shuffle in the same way they recommend using the OtB events (two times number of players). Travel Vouchers are kind of like very weak events, so perhaps taking out one event to put in all three vouchers would be a fair trade off. This shouldn't affect the size of the deck too adversely.

Region cards are cool, but I worry that including them will inflate the deck too much, so I would also throw in another epidemic or some crisis cards (or both). It's really tough to tell how balanced things are when you increase the size of the deck too much. I think it would really change the pace of the game dramatically.

Anyway, printing some new role cards in your next "supplement" would be cool. I know that they would have different backs from the others but I'm not too worried about that.

Reply: Pandemic:: News:: Re: Mini Expansion coming with QWG Games Dutch release?

Mousey — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:52:14 +0000

by Mousey

maaikefest wrote:
No message yet, so I hope I will receive one tomorrow :(

Nothing here too.... and I keep asking myself: did I write legible.... so "good" to hear others are also still waiting...

Reply: Pandemic:: News:: Re: Mini Expansion coming with QWG Games Dutch release?

maaikefest — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:33:21 +0000

by maaikefest

No message yet, so I hope I will receive one tomorrow :(

Reply: Pandemic: On the Brink:: News:: Re: Release Update -- Pandemic On the Brink

mcook144 — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:47:54 +0000

by mcook144

Thats a bummer :(

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Common mistakes

UnknownParkerBrother — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:13:23 +0000

by UnknownParkerBrother

He can only use his cards, because that's all he can see and touch.

The other player's cards are supposed to be hidden, and in their hands.

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Common mistakes

mouse_clicker — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 05:30:55 +0000

by mouse_clicker

I had a question.

We know the Dispatcher can use cards to fly other people around the board. However, can he only use HIS cards to fly the other person, or can he use the cards of the person he's flying as well? We thought the rule leaned towards the Dispatcher only being able to use his cards to fly other people, but I wanted to make sure.

New Image for Pandemic

LckyDice777 — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:08:36 +0000

by LckyDice777

Pandemic at Origins

]]>

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic (Threat Level Six)

The Warp — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:35:36 +0000

by The Warp

referee wrote:
It's a bit of a shame you didn't put an expansion symbol in there, but this looks great, I like modular expansions.

Questions: Any way to get these cards without sending my money thru the internet? Do these cards have the first edition finish or the second edition finish? (with z-man now redeeming the first edition finish decks, it would be kind of a shame these are first edition finish)

Also: Do you reckon this is compatible with On The Brink? and out of curiosity, do you hope/expect this one to become oficial?

I thought about having an expansion symbol... but I also knew the cards wouldn't be exactly like the originals so it's easy enough to separate them out after a game.

I may create a separate version of the deck that does have a symbol on it though, because it's easy to do. I am working a second deck as well, and it will probably just be Threat Level Six part 2.

I have to play On The Brink before I can comment on the compatibility, but I imagine most of the cards will be okay to use. The second deck I'm making will also be focused on On The Brink, and have some stuff that will directly relate to it (so maybe it should have a different name... that will depend on whether or not everything is compatible with Pandemic and its expansion... if there's a lot of stuff that only works for one and not the other, I will just make it a different expansion). And then I will have to make symbols on them to differentiate.

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic (Threat Level Six)

The Warp — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:31:19 +0000

by The Warp

MasterDinadan wrote:
In response to the poll, I don't think it's fair to give Threat Level Six an official page unless Matt Leacock supports it.

If someone were to create a standalone game of this quality and provide Artscow prints for it, I would be all for giving it it's own entry. But as it stands, this is an "unofficial" expansion to a game and (as far as I know) the designer of this expansion is not affiliated with anyone involved in the production of Pandemic. Giving it a BGG entry just doesn't seem right, especially since much of the artwork used is taken directly from Pandemic.

I'm inclined to agree.

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic (Threat Level Six)

referee — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:42:00 +0000

by referee

It's a bit of a shame you didn't put an expansion symbol in there, but this looks great, I like modular expansions.

Questions: Any way to get these cards without sending my money thru the internet? Do these cards have the first edition finish or the second edition finish? (with z-man now redeeming the first edition finish decks, it would be kind of a shame these are first edition finish)

Also: Do you reckon this is compatible with On The Brink? and out of curiosity, do you hope/expect this one to become oficial?

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: Pandemic as a collaborative game: A Near Miss

wmkidde — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 10:08:13 +0000

by wmkidde

I like Pandemic but I think that it fails as a cooperative game. There are two important reasons for this: abstraction and necessity.

geneandcourtney wrote:
It's relatively thin - Pandemic is essentially an abstract. Perhaps as a health care worker with a public health degree, that wafer of theme resonates a bit more with me, but by and large Pandemic provides no more immersion in disease control than Chess emulates the look and feel of medieval warfare.

The game of Chess is an abstraction. The players are representative of two noble parties in feud as they compete over a given plot of land. The land itself is represented by a logical map and not a physical one. The individual pieces move in accordance with abstract rules, only loosely in keeping with the roles for which they are named - while it is true that a King relies greatly on his subjects or a mounted Knight might be afforded greater mobility, the nature of a Bishop's movement speaks more to play mechanics than it does any interplay between theology and monarchy. Similarly, games like Go and Checkers and even Tic-Tac-Toe are abstractions; they are oppositional games of strategy and tactics. Theme in these sorts of games is superfluous because the players are primarily engaged in left-brain activity.

Despite its dressing, Pandemic is also an abstraction. The theme of epidemiology might easily be substituted with one of farmers faced with the spread of weeds among their crops. The map, while seemingly more realistic than a chess board, remains a logical representation governed by arbitrary rules. Each player, assigned an appropriately themed identity, is granted unique abilities - and these abilities are incorporated to facilitate (or force) player interaction, not because they engender a personal relationship between each player and his or her given role.

The appeal of Chess is not diminished by its abstraction for two reasons: it pits players against one another and, further, it does not necessitate communication among players on the same team.

When you eliminate the opposing player, an abstract game is more akin to a puzzle. There remains no emotional investment of pride. The incentive of winning is reduced to the exercise of skill; and the challenge becomes merely a question of comprehension and complexity.

When you take an abstract puzzle - such as I characterize Pandemic to be - and you introduce the pretense of teamwork, you're going to run into trouble. People don't rally under abstraction. It takes necessity, language and sometimes even symbolism for people to unite.

Pellbort wrote:
It's a co-operative game, which means everyone takes part in the direction of the team- except they don't, because they mostly don't have to.

Simply put: Pandemic allows for two-to-four players, but it only requires one. In fact, the aphorism that two heads are better than one doesn't even apply. Each additional player only introduces additional frustration.

The mechanics of Pandemic are not exceedingly complex. Many have already attested to the fact that on any given turn there exist only a few - sometimes as few as one - reasonable actions of play. Because of the manner in which played cards are reshuffled, a careful player can very easily anticipate and preempt imminent obstacles. The more you understand the mechanics, the easier the game becomes; and by extrapolation, a general solution can be devised and applied.

I approach Pandemic the same way I might approach Sudoku. Both are abstract puzzles, though they initially appear to be otherwise (beginners often mistake Sudoku for a math problem, however, the numbers could just as easily be substituted with the first nine sequential letters of the alphabet).

I suppose you could attempt to solve a Sudoku puzzle with a partner. Having identified the right number for a particular cell you might then explain to your partner why it is so. But your ability to communicate why it is the right number and, further, your partner's ability to understand you has no bearing on the solution itself. The number is either right or it is wrong, and the deciding factor is not dependent on a consensus of the players. What's more, to communicate this way for each cell would become exceedingly tedious.

Pandemic is cooperative in the same sense that Sudoku might be cooperative if you and your partner took turns with the pencil. A given player is no more or less empowered with respect to whose turn it might happen to be; the game is simply played by whomever identifies the next best action.

***

TLDR; I know, but I found this thread rather stimulating. Happy gaming!

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic (Threat Level Six)

MasterDinadan — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 05:10:45 +0000

by MasterDinadan

In response to the poll, I don't think it's fair to give Threat Level Six an official page unless Matt Leacock supports it.

If someone were to create a standalone game of this quality and provide Artscow prints for it, I would be all for giving it it's own entry. But as it stands, this is an "unofficial" expansion to a game and (as far as I know) the designer of this expansion is not affiliated with anyone involved in the production of Pandemic. Giving it a BGG entry just doesn't seem right, especially since much of the artwork used is taken directly from Pandemic.

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: A Girlfriend's Perspective On: Pandemic

Kobold Curry Chef — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 05:09:44 +0000

by Kobold Curry Chef

Nice review. My wife is much better at strategy in Pandemic than I am. I try to follow her lead, since my ideas seem to make the cubes multiply like, uh, the plague. ;)

File: Pandemic: On the Brink:: Manual em portugues (Brasil)

descolado1 — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 02:36:31 +0000

by descolado1

Manual em portugues (Brasil) for Board Game: Pandemic: On the Brink ]]>

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic (Threat Level Six)

Boom04 — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:48:13 +0000

by Boom04

sklar wrote:
Do the cards have the proper backs? When I look at the deck on Artscow they don't seem to.

It shows one side, but for the other side says "your image here"

]]>

I've never used artscow before, so maybe I'm missing something.

There is often some odd summary "presentations" on Artscow pages. From recollection if you look at the last card on the summary page it is called "back". This is what should appear on all the cards.

However good to see in the post above that is actaully what is in the deliverable.

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic (Threat Level Six)

sklar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:31:33 +0000

by sklar

Mousey wrote:
sklar wrote:
Do the cards have the proper backs?

Yes

Got them yesterday, they all look fantastic!

Thank you! This expansion looks great! I'm placing my order right now using that "CARDS499" coupon - shipped for $4.99US!

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic (Threat Level Six)

Mousey — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:28:16 +0000

by Mousey

sklar wrote:
Do the cards have the proper backs?

Yes

Got them yesterday, they all look fantastic!

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic (Threat Level Six)

sklar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:14:48 +0000

by sklar

Do the cards have the proper backs? When I look at the deck on Artscow they don't seem to.

It shows one side, but for the other side says "your image here"
]]>

I've never used artscow before, so maybe I'm missing something.

labe1 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:49:09 +0000

by labe1

SF-bokhandeln in Sweden has it.
http://www.sfbok.se/extra/pandemic.asp

Reply: Pandemic:: News:: Re: Mini Expansion coming with QWG Games Dutch release?

gh0ul — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:01:11 +0000

by gh0ul

cococoen wrote:
I guess they mean 30th, since June has only that much days.

Unless it's a sick joke and its July instead of June...:cry:

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic (Threat Level Six)

Boom04 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:00:13 +0000

by Boom04

Excellent work, and many thanks for sharing. Ordered today (£3.11)

Very much look forward to trying these out.

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: Threat Level Six - Custom Expansion - ArtsCow Cards

Yargo — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:50:07 +0000

by Yargo

VERY nice!

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: Threat Level Six - Custom Expansion - ArtsCow Cards

Mousey — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:45:07 +0000

by Mousey

-mIDE- wrote:
Here you are...

]]>

The biggest difference is that the ArtsCow cards are a bit darker and glossy.
With the Epidemic cards it looks like there is a bit more yellow in them.
The ArtsCow cards are also missing the linnen finish.

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: Threat Level Six - Custom Expansion - ArtsCow Cards

-mIDE- — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:13:05 +0000

by -mIDE-

Here you are...

]]>

New Image for Pandemic

-mIDE- — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:11:21 +0000

Werbaer — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 08:23:37 +0000

by Werbaer

You can use the client and different prop files. Or one prop file and no auto-login.

I played some games on BSW "hot seat" with a friend on one PC (not Pandemie, but Notre Dame and a few others)

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Anyone else tempted or have actually played this solo on BSW?

elkabong — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:19:08 +0000

by elkabong

Mousey wrote:

Why not install different browsers on one computer?
Us one account in Firefox, one in Explorer and one in Safari (or any other browser of your choice). Just switch browsers to switch players.

can't you install 2 or 3 clients on 1 computer?

I'm guessing you could do that, although the BSW implementation seems to be tied heavily into the JAVA and not the browser, so you might have to install distinct versions of Java and go from there, but it's certainly an interesting line of thought, as it is very possible to have any ungodly number of Java versions on any one machine at any given time.

I think we should grant you the Institute's Award for Extreme Cleverness.

New Image for Pandemic

nastycleavage — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:29:04 +0000

by nastycleavage

Level hard, eventually we ran out of blue blocks.

]]>

Thread: Pandemic:: General:: polymer clay cubes and research stations

Malachi — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:34:34 +0000

by Malachi

I have written up how I made my replacement cubes and research stations out of polymer clay.

]]>
]]>
]]>

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Anyone else tempted or have actually played this solo on BSW?

paulmond — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:37:47 +0000

by paulmond

Unless you have a specific reason for playing on BSW, the Vassal mod is great for quick solo Pandemic on the computer.

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Anyone else tempted or have actually played this solo on BSW?

ackmondual — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:18:31 +0000

by ackmondual

I've gotten used to installing the BSW client on my PC. Now that you guys mentioned it, some of these ideas 'll make for a fun project. :cool::cool:

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Anyone else tempted or have actually played this solo on BSW?

Mousey — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:56:02 +0000

by Mousey

elkabong wrote:
Overall though, I agree, you can easily set up virtual machines to play against yourself, although I don't see the fun in playing a co-operative game with yourself.

Why not install different browsers on one computer?
Us one account in Firefox, one in Explorer and one in Safari (or any other browser of your choice). Just switch browsers to switch players.

can't you install 2 or 3 clients on 1 computer?

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Anyone else tempted or have actually played this solo on BSW?

elkabong — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:50:59 +0000

by elkabong

Interesting take on things.. The $180 cost is not REALLY a cost, as you can install VMWare Server Free Edition in ANY environment. And the Parallels software ISN'T free, but you don't list the cost. :) And Microsoft.. well.. Virtual PC is like driving to the prom in your Grandma's car, isn't it? LOL.

Overall though, I agree, you can easily set up virtual machines to play against yourself, although I don't see the fun in playing a co-operative game with yourself.

I would recommend a $30 card-table, and about 10 emails to friends. I think it's inevitable that you WILL end up with 3 or 4 regulars who will play Pandemic.

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Anyone else tempted or have actually played this solo on BSW?

StevenE — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:21:45 +0000

by StevenE

Why buy more computers when you can create virtual computers for free? Assuming you have an OS installation disk for whatever flavor you're running.

Creating virtual sessions can be done with a number of products like Microsoft's Virtual PC (Free), VMWare's VM Workstation (30day trial otherwise about $180USD), and for MAC users you can install the Windows OS into the Parallels Virtual emulator.

You may need to upgrade the system memory to 3GB or 4GB but that would still be cheaper than buying a new PC.

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Anyone else tempted or have actually played this solo on BSW?

jeppster — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:44:20 +0000

by jeppster

ackmondual wrote:
...so I was thinking if I had more disposable $$ (getting up to 3 other computers), more space in my house to fit those computers...

ackmondual wrote:
I'd play single player using the board game itself, but I currently don't have room in my place for this.

Wait...what? If you had more space in your house to fit the extra computers according to your wish, why wouldn't you just play on that table space? :what:

Thread: Pandemic:: General:: Anyone else tempted or have actually played this solo on BSW?

ackmondual — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:36:16 +0000

by ackmondual

There's no 1p mode whatsoever on BSW. Neither a 1p variant nor a mode where one human controls 2 to 5 of the roles on his own, so I was thinking if I had more disposable $$ (getting up to 3 other computers), more space in my house to fit those computers, and a cable modem that allows for more simultaneous internet connections that I could register up to 3 other accounts and play the game across those 1 to 3 other computers.

Anyone else thinking the same thing? Anyone else already done this?

I'd play single player using the board game itself, but I currently don't have room in my place for this. Plus, I'm always lazy about setting this up, etc.

[poll=28808]

New Image for Pandemic

Guantanamo — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:14:56 +0000

by Guantanamo

More Pandemic at Rapier 2009

]]>

New Image for Pandemic

Guantanamo — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 04:45:29 +0000

by Guantanamo

Howie teaches at Rapier 2009

]]>

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: Video Introduction and Review for Pandemic

anathemus — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 12:11:40 +0000

by anathemus

nice review, really helped me decide about this game! keep them coming

Reply: Pandemic:: News:: Re: Mini Expansion coming with QWG Games Dutch release?

gh0ul — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:22:32 +0000

by gh0ul

Wow. This is some stellar business practice :cry:

Reply: Pandemic:: News:: Re: Mini Expansion coming with QWG Games Dutch release?

kronik — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 09:37:35 +0000

by kronik

:soblue::yuk::gulp::shake::arrrh::zombie::robot::ninja::sauron::goo::goo::goo:

AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHH!!!

Reply: Pandemic:: News:: Re: Mini Expansion coming with QWG Games Dutch release?

maaikefest — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 08:09:39 +0000

by maaikefest

A new message:

"Pandemie mini-uitbreiding Vrijdag 19 Juni 2009

Kaarten voor mini-uitbreiding stromen binnen
Dagelijks brengt de post ons ansichtkaarten, waarmee je kans maakt op een gratis mini-uitbreiding van Pandemie.
Deze kaarten zijn te verkrijgen bij de betere spellenspeciaalzaken. Vraag naar de voorwaarden!

Zoals bekend krijgen alleen de eerste 500 inzenders binnenkort bericht over deze mini-uitbreiding en we kunnen jullie melden dat de actie een groot succes is en dat de teller bijna op 500 staat.
Opnieuw is dit een bewijs voor de populariteit van dit fantastische bordspel.

We laten jullie overigens op korte termijn op onze site weten wat die mini-uitbreiding van Pandemie behelst; houd de site dus goed in de gaten. Voor degene die de kaarten nog niet hebben gepost: ik zou maar opschieten!!"

This seems to imply that they will wait until they have 500 postcards, and then they will announce what the expansion is on the site, and then start sending them out :(

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic (Threat Level Six)

The Warp — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:06:01 +0000

by The Warp

PocketMod rules added: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/filepage/43807

Reply: Pandemic:: News:: Re: play a pandemic like game at: The Great Flu .com

Urhixidur — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:06:15 +0000

by Urhixidur

The thing to do after playing Pandemic is to turn the tables around and play Black Death ( http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/166), where *you* are the disease!

File: Pandemic:: Threat Level Six (rules for custom expansion)

The Warp — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:02:42 +0000

by The Warp

Threat Level Six (rules for custom expansion) for Board Game: Pandemic ]]>

Reply: Pandemic:: Sessions:: Re: Closest Defeat Ever - Or: We had actually won on a higher difficulty

Umbratus — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 06:43:19 +0000

by Umbratus

Aha thx for pointing that out ! :)

A pity they didnt print that on the card more clearly. As you read the card it gives a pretty precise definition which is then supplemented by an entry in the rulebook. I think this could have been done better.

Reply: Pandemic:: Sessions:: Re: Closest Defeat Ever - Or: We had actually won on a higher difficulty

UnknownParkerBrother — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:06:01 +0000

by UnknownParkerBrother

Note the reference card: "Share Knowledge: pass a card from one player to another". No words "give" or "take", because either direction is fine.

This is true for *all* roles. On your turn, you may give or take a card from any player.

The special ability of the Researcher is simply to avoid the "same city as the card" requirement.

Reply: Pandemic:: Sessions:: Re: Closest Defeat Ever - Or: We had actually won on a higher difficulty

Werbaer — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:43:17 +0000

by Werbaer

In the german rules, last sentence on page 5:
"Der Forscher kann seine Sonderfähigkeit auch während der Spielzüge der anderen Spieler einsetzen."

Reply: Pandemic:: Sessions:: Re: Closest Defeat Ever - Or: We had actually won on a higher difficulty

Umbratus — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:32:50 +0000

by Umbratus

In my german editions description the researcher is only allowed to pass on any cards to others, but you cannot take cards from him at all. If thats so the game is much easier. I'll have to check that back somewhere...

...ok, the english description also says that the researcher may give any card to anyone and in a second paragraph it says that both pawns must be at the some location. But it doesnt say anything about taking cards from the researcher by another player.

So, who is at a misunderstanding here ? And where is that to be found in the rules in case I am wrong ? Thanks for helping to clarify :)

Reply: Pandemic:: Sessions:: Re: Closest Defeat Ever - Or: We had actually won on a higher difficulty

morningstar — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:17:49 +0000

by morningstar

Interesting situation. At first I couldn't see how you would be able to win on a higher difficulty if you couldn't on lower, but I guess you're right.

Umbratus wrote:
While we were picking up alot of the special function cards as well, my hand was by far the worst. Being the predestinated scientist, only needing 4 cards for an antidote, I was stuck with cards of all kind of colors but no more than two of each. Marlon being right behind me along the line could only supply me with additional cards with a whole turn delay.

You might want to be sure you're aware of all the rules. The Researcher's ability lets anyone in the same city take any card from him, in addition to how he can give. So all Marlon needs to do is end in the same city as you, and on your turn you can take either of his new cards. No delay necessary.

Umbratus wrote:
We all agreed and were pretty sure that one more epidemic card would not have killed us off, spreading of diseases was pretty much under control all the time. On the other hand can you really be sure that much ? Had another epidemic card potentially turned the game all upside down for us ?

It sounds like you would have been ok, since outbreaks and disease cubes weren't too much of a problem for you. But if you had had more outbreaks (and earlier), you might have spent a few more actions trying to deal with them, and would then have needed one or two more turns to cure.

Reply: Pandemic:: Sessions:: Re: Closest Defeat Ever - Or: We had actually won on a higher difficulty

JohnRayJr — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:33:30 +0000

by JohnRayJr

Having the last cure in hand but not the turn to use it is fairly common in 4P4E. Time is always the challenge on that setting: outbreaks and disease cubes are a breeze. Adding an extra epidemic essentially changes every detail of the game, so I'm not sure it would amount to a win. Most of your moves would have been entirely different.

Reply: Pandemic:: Sessions:: Re: Closest Defeat Ever - Or: We had actually won on a higher difficulty

KrisVerbeeck — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:04:44 +0000

by KrisVerbeeck

Well it happened to us twice. cards in hand but just don't get to that player because of the drawing.

and it will certainly happen again.

We discussed it and we couldn't agree if we would have won on a higher difficulty.

The epidemic cards are quicker in the game giving you less time to control things.

My opinion is we probably would have lost.

I also think the three player game on normal is easier than the four player game on introductory.

Session: Pandemic:: Sessions:: Closest Defeat Ever - Or: We had actually won on a higher difficulty

Umbratus — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:34:11 +0000

by Umbratus

Last night I was having my first 4 player game of Pandemic. I played about 10 2-3 player games before, Julian and Marlon both played the game some times before as well, even 4 player. Matthias was completely new to the game. Julian and Marlon warned us that the 4 player game is rather tough since the cards are spread among folks alot, so we went with the standard game with 4 epidemic cards.

Roles were as following:

Julian - Medic
Me - Scientist
Marlon - Researcher
Matthias - Operation Expert

We started off with a fairly unharmful setup, 3 cubes were added to Mexico-City, Atlanta (pretty much a free, especially with the medic) and on Riad. None other yellow cubes were added, few blue and black while some of the one and twos added up in the far east as reds.

While we were picking up new cards and fighting immediate danger, our hopes that hands will be filled up by matching colors were pretty much disappointed at first. Matthias was dropping us a lab at Hongkong and another in Riad mainly to allow us faster travelling. Later this was supplemented by another lab in Mailand. Marlon, sitting right before Matthias in line, was passing him two yellow cards after some time, to finally help someone out in gaining 5 cards of a color, so that was our first antidote.

While we were picking up alot of the special function cards as well, my hand was by far the worst. Being the predestinated scientist, only needing 4 cards for an antidote, I was stuck with cards of all kind of colors but no more than two of each. Marlon being right behind me along the line could only supply me with additional cards with a whole turn delay.

After another round we were finally seeing some tendencies for the remaining colors while waiting for the 3rd epidemic card to push us up to drawing 3 new infection cards each turn. I was having 3 red cards and ended my turn at Marlons spot, who opened his turn by passing me a 4th red. Julian meanwhile obtained 5 blue and was ready to develope a cure as well. Alot of infections were taking place in Europe and we had our first and only outbreak in Paris. But with the blue antidote at hand we were able to get the situation under control just in time. As for the reds we were even able to wipe the threat completely off the board, when I got us the cure and Julian just raced over the cubes with his medic and Matthias flying in behind to clear one other remaining cube at Seoul.

So our last remaining problem was a cure for black, which we had finally some cards for. It just took as another whole turn while doing the red and blue cures to pass Marlons cards to me. We realized that we are running out of cards from the drawing pile though. By playing it down it turned out that we are exactly ONE card short for Julian to draw, before it was my turn. I could have developed the final cure at once, I had the 4 blacks but I wasnt able to start my turn since the game ended with Julian being unable to draw his second card. So we were really just one single card short from victory and we realized that if we had played on a higher difficulty with 5 epidemic cards added to the pile we had actually won the game !! Thats pretty hilarious. We failed on the easy level but we had succeeded on a more difficult level. We all agreed and were pretty sure that one more epidemic card would not have killed us off, spreading of diseases was pretty much under control all the time. On the other hand can you really be sure that much ? Had another epidemic card potentially turned the game all upside down for us ?

Anyone else played a game that close that it came down to a single card ? For the 4 of us with our dozen games under our bellies it was the very first time for sure and we hope it doesnt ever happen again like this

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: Pandemic as a collaborative game: A Near Miss

Pellbort — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 05:10:37 +0000

by Pellbort

eightbit wrote:
Pellbort wrote:
People pan Pandemic because, to win, you really only need one person to work out the only sensible multi-turn coordination and planning, and the rest of the players end up just going "uh-huh, that sounds right" and sticking around to move their pieces. Which is about as close to scripted as you can get.

I bet your that guy for your group. Try playing without taking over, you may find it more enjoyable. Then again it may just irritate you that people when allowed to make their own choices don't do what you would do and you might lose the game due to their mistakes.

Nobody said anything about anyone "taking over", and this game is most certainly not about people "making their own choices". It's a co-operative game, which means everyone takes part in the direction of the team- except they don't, because they mostly don't have to. When there's a small box to carry and 4 or 5 people around, one or two grab it and the rest go "okay, they've got it", rather than 4 or 5 people all putting a hand under the box to distribute the weight evenly and carry it together. You don't have to "take over" to emerge as a leader, and people often fall back in recognition of stronger players in the interest of team victory (or because, as weaker/less invested players, there's little for them to do).

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: Cleanse the stars - Warhammer 40K

leaxe — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 04:45:03 +0000

by leaxe

oooops...
:modest:

Thanks!!

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants::

jeRm! — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:02:13 +0000

by jeRm!

[poll=28621]

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Soundtrack

byronczimmer — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:59:36 +0000

by byronczimmer

Morphine: Cure for Pain album

Wierd Al: Germs

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: Clense the stars - Warhammer 40K

UnknownParkerBrother — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:35:59 +0000

by UnknownParkerBrother

Before you finish and publish, it's spelled 'cleanse'. :)

Reply: Pandemic: On the Brink:: News:: Re: Release Update -- Pandemic On the Brink

greengow — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:50:25 +0000

by greengow

Eee... I think WHO just announced it last week at the last meeting!! :ninja:

Thread: Pandemic: On the Brink:: News:: Release Update -- Pandemic On the Brink

rsolow — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:46:22 +0000

by rsolow

Greetings friends,

Pandemic on the Brink is now scheduled for August 2009 release.

CLS Games
Atlanta's Board Game Warehouse

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: Clense the stars - Warhammer 40K

Ordasmania — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:02:00 +0000

by Ordasmania

What a great idea !COOL ! :)

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Soundtrack

madhobbit — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:21:18 +0000

by madhobbit

The Needle Lies - Queensryche
Zuster Angelique - Pater Moeskroen (Dutch :whistle: )

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Soundtrack

spleek — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:19:06 +0000

by spleek

'Virus" by KMFDM

The "Year Zero" album by Nine Inch Nails fits as well.....

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Soundtrack

metalchorus — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:29:15 +0000

by metalchorus

"The Plague" by Demon

Great concept album!

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Soundtrack

ilta — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:44:58 +0000

by ilta

Jonathan Coulton - Bacteria (available free on his website!)
Medical Love Song - Monty Python

I think there's also a lot of room for TV-doctor theme music, too. Dougie Houser had a very distinctive theme, of course, but the House theme may be more in keeping with both the action (diagnosing and curing) and the technological mood of the game. In the US, it's "Teardrop" by Massive Attack. The theme from "Scrubs" is "Superman" by Lazlo Bane, which actually kind of works with the game. There are plenty of other doctor shows on TV (E.R. comes to mind, of course) but I haven't watched them so I don't know if their themes are any good.

And if you really want to go out on a limb, we have Adelaide's Lament from Guys & Dolls ("In other words, just from waiting around for that plain little band of gold / A person can develop a cold.").

Other links:
http://www.songfacts.com/category:songs_about_medical_conditions.php
http://ask.metafilter.com/35087/Medical-Songs

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Soundtrack

boywonder_uk — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:04:57 +0000

by boywonder_uk

Brilliant! Keep em coming!

I think there's room for both the Disturbed and Richard Cheese versions. If it's good enough for Zack Snyder it's good enough for me!!

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: Clense the stars - Warhammer 40K

leaxe — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:15:21 +0000

by leaxe

draft map concept version 1 posted

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Soundtrack

EuroHobbes — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:49:46 +0000

by EuroHobbes

StevenE wrote:
These are going to date me a little... I tried to keep on theme but needed to dust some of them off... ha ha

Down with the Sickness - Disturbed

I would go with the Richard Cheese cover :)

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Soundtrack

Mousey — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:21:59 +0000

by Mousey

Nice!

Duran Duran - Virus
Robert Palmer - Bad case of Loving you (Doctor Doctor)
Aerosmith - Rocking Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu
Dead -Kennedys - Government Flu

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Soundtrack

StevenE — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:17:28 +0000

by StevenE

This song definitely needs to be the Pandemic Theme Song...

http://www.songsforteaching.com/scienceinsong/viruses.htm

Chorus:
Viruses
Mutating all the time those
Viruses
Come in all shapes and sizes
Viruses
Can Make You Sick

Covered in a protein coat
Gives the virus shape, you know
They are really, really small
You can’t see them, not at all

They are not a living cell
They are neither dead, as well
Insides made of DNA
They can ruin a happy day.

Chorus

Sometimes latent, just beware
You won’t even know they’re there
In a host they’ll reproduce
Then you’ve got them on the loose

Vaccines often save the day
And make the virus stay away
Antibodies fight them off
So you won’t sneeze and you won’t cough.

Chorus

Influenza, polio
Are two that have vaccines, you know
Mumps, measles and the flu
Can be prevented that way, too

Lastly, one thing you should know
About the simple, common cold
With viruses too many to count
There’s no vaccine to wipe them out.

Chorus

Reply: Pandemic:: Sessions:: Re: Weekend World Crisis

maaikefest — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:10:36 +0000

by maaikefest

YellowLab wrote:
This past weekend, I had an opportunity to see my sister graduate from Oregon State University with her Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

Congratulations, you must be very proud of her :)
:star::star::star::star::star:

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Soundtrack

StevenE — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:08:48 +0000

by StevenE

These are going to date me a little... I tried to keep on theme but needed to dust some of them off... ha ha

Dr. Feel Good - Motley Crue
Doctor Doctor - Thompson Twins
She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby
Down with the Sickness - Disturbed
Don't Fear the Reaper - Blue Öyster Cult
Harder to Breathe - Maroon 5
I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones
Fly on the Windscreen - Depeche Mode
Another one Bites the Dust - Queen
Under Pressure - Queen
Urgent - Foreigner
Creeping Death - Metallica
Lunatic Fringe - Red Rider
Insane in the Membrane - Cypress Hill

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Soundtrack

NeonBlue — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:00:59 +0000

by NeonBlue

We use alot of sound tracks from movies and video games for our games. They're organised in playlists by mood/setting.
For Pandemic we usually have the "modern/thriller" playlist running. I don't know by hearth what titles are in there but it's bound to have music from "The Rock", among others.

Thread: Pandemic:: General:: Soundtrack

boywonder_uk — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:34:15 +0000

by boywonder_uk

Ok, so I bought Pandemic yesterday and got beaten by a chain of outbreaks in about 4 rounds!!! I loved it though!

This weekend I have friends over and thought I might introduce them to the game too, but to create an atmosphere I thought I might create a themed playlist for the evening! Here's what I have so far....

Virus – Iron Maiden
Fever – Aerosmith
It's the End of the World as we know it (and I feel fine) – REM
Bad Medicine – Bon Jovi
Doctor Beat – Miami Sound Machine
The Scientist – Coldplay (ugh)
The Drug Don't Work – The Verve

...and any song by The Cure!

That's it so far, any suggestions?

Reply: Pandemic:: Sessions:: Re: Weekend World Crisis

UnknownParkerBrother — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:04:32 +0000

by UnknownParkerBrother

YellowLab wrote:
We had occasional flair-ups...

:devil:

Nice report.:thumbsup:

Reply: Pandemic:: Sessions:: Re: Weekend World Crisis

brinksw — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:02:24 +0000

by brinksw

richtoosoon wrote:
The next time you are coming to Portland, you should really ASK one of us who live here for suggestions. Then when mom says, "What do you want to do?", you've got a ready made answer.

Going to the Oregon coast? Stop in at Rainy Day Games on the way.

Headed to the Eastside of the Willamette? Guardian Games is right there. Let's stop in!

See what I mean?

Thumbs up for visiting the zoo. And for teaching the family Pandemic.

I'm sure the one thing that people who live there would never tell him to do is go thrifting! :)

Reply: Pandemic:: Sessions:: Re: Weekend World Crisis

Tekkor — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:16:33 +0000

by Tekkor

Great report.

While I will admit Im a bit envious in regards to this single game...as it just has never caught on with my family and group. Nor with me much for that matter I guess. I love reading the reports from other people though who really get into this game.

Ive always said that Pandemic is one of those games that you just have to have the perfect group to play it and really enjoy it. If you have people that are to passive or to aggresive it just doesnt work.

Ive owned the game like a year or so. I think we have played it maybe 8-9 times. It just never seems to click though. My wife prefers to play Stone Age at every opportunity and if not that then Thebes or now A Castle for all Seasons. My son and I lately have been pulled into the Arkham Horror games.

We have a gaming session coming up this Saturday though with some new people who are non gamers so perhaps Pandemic will hit the table and go better with some different people.

Reply: Pandemic:: Sessions:: Re: Weekend World Crisis

richtoosoon — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:14:10 +0000

by richtoosoon

The next time you are coming to Portland, you should really ASK one of us who live here for suggestions. Then when mom says, "What do you want to do?", you've got a ready made answer.

Going to the Oregon coast? Stop in at Rainy Day Games on the way.

Headed to the Eastside of the Willamette? Guardian Games is right there. Let's stop in!

See what I mean?

Thumbs up for visiting the zoo. And for teaching the family Pandemic.

Session: Pandemic:: Sessions:: Weekend World Crisis

YellowLab — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:37:07 +0000

by YellowLab

This past weekend, I had an opportunity to see my sister graduate from Oregon State University with her Doctor of Pharmacy degree. While I had limited space in my luggage I managed to sneak two games on the flight, Pandemic and Bohnanza. While Bohnanza wasn't even touched all weekend, Pandemic was played and played and played and played and played and played. We played six games of Pandemic over three days and had a blast.

Intermittent story not having to do with games (skip if you want to):
When I first arrived in Portland (several hours early since I was moved around in my flight from Chicago), my mom asked what I wanted to do. Standard answer: "I don't care." She mentioned the zoo, but I wasn't too enthralled. At lunch, she asked again what I wanted to do and if I wanted to go to the zoo. "Not really." Finally, after lunch she asked where we were going to go and if I wanted to go to the zoo. "Sure mom, let's go to the zoo." It was actually quite nice and I am glad I went.

I didn't harp on the fact that I brought games. I mentioned it once to my mom and once to my sister. That evening, my mom was the one that brought it up. So, I brought out Pandemic (in honor of my sister's future career in Pharmacy). I know that I don't possess the best rules explanation skills and as I described the rules to my mom and sister I could tell that I was loosing them. "Let's just try it - it really isn't that difficult." So, I set up the board and we picked roles: Mom-Operations Expert, Sis-Researcher, Me-Scientist. With this learning game, I coached my mom and sister on how the game worked and made suggestions on things they could do during their turn. In the end, we lost because we ran out of black cubes after curing three of the four diseases.

Immediately, my mom said "Let's try again - we were so close." So, we cleared the board and we set it back up. This time both my mom and sister commenting as the three and two cube cities were chosen. Even before we picked roles, they were discussing what we needed to do to curb the global threat. Roles this game were: Mom-Researcher, Sis-Scientist, Me-Dispatcher. Aside - I seem to always be the dispatcher; I think my fingers are purple card magnets. This game I took an even less "coaching" role as both my mom and sis caught on to what we were doing and the discussion about what needed to be done was more "group-think." Again, we cured three of the four diseases (with the fourth ready to be cured) before the outbreaks got the best of us.

My mom said, "We've got to play again - play 'till we win!" So, we cleared the board and set it back up again. Even more tension and concern as the initial cubes were placed. Roles chosen: Mom-Scientist, Sis-Medic, Me-Dispatcher. Things went well this game; we ended up curing and eradicating two of the diseases. And the other two were soon cured. Yea, one win!

The next morning, my mom commented about how she didn't sleep so well thinking about how she needed to save the world from all the colorful diseases. My mom mentioned several times during the day about playing "Epidemic" and my sister corrected her. That evening, we set it up for four as my dad was able to get away from work. My wife and I had played this game with him when he had visited a year prior - so I refreshed his memory and we chose roles: Mom-Scientist, Sis-Operations Expert, Dad-Medic, Me-Researcher. This game was a nail biter. We had occasional flair-ups that we needed to send the medic to while mom and sis worked on curing three of the four diseases. The North American / European blue disease was the last. Our medic had three of the five necessary ingredients while I held the last two. We met up and I transferred the knowledge while he cured the disease with one card left in the draw pile.

Of course, my mom wanted to set the board up again to play once more. So, we did. This game I don't recall what the roles were. It didn't really matter. Quickly we had the Swine Flu (yellow disease) cured and I shook my head. Anytime you cure a disease that fast, it spells disaster. And disaster occurred in Europe. Paris and London quickly had a chain of outbreaks. Spreading disease across Europe and into North America. With the infection deck not in our favor and no one in a position to help cure the plague, Essen was the weak link with an outbreak, causing a chain reaction of seven outbreaks. We lost big time. Mom, wanted to play again, but it was getting late, so, we called it a night.

The next day we traveled up the Oregon coast. It was fun, but by the time we got back to Portland we only had time for one game. It was another three player game as my dad had a service he needed to attend. We set up the board and picked roles: Mom-Scientist, Sis-Operations Expert, Me-Dispatcher. Things started hot in the Middle East and South America. We kept things under control and cured three diseases with only one out break. Then disaster struck. With only one disease left, we had multiple out break potentials in South America and the Middle East. We had a plan and I got all five ingredients to cure the North American / European blue disease. But a chain reaction of outbreaks cost us the game. Another close call.

My mom wanted to play again, of course. But it was late and we all had to get up early - me to catch my flight and my sister to pack up her U-Haul. So, we ended up 2 and 4 for the six games. My mom and dad are planning to visit over the fourth of July and I am sure that this will be a game that sees many plays during that upcoming visit.

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic (Threat Level Six)

nybba — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:20:09 +0000

by nybba

jeRm! wrote:
nybba wrote:
Btw how is the size on the original Pandemic cards compared to Artscow?

I don't think there are any pictures showing a comparison but,
The Warp wrote:
I created a 54 card expansion on Artscow for Pandemic (the cards there are the same dimensions as the Pandemic cards, and though the corners are cut slightly differently, they are a pretty close match).

Ok that is fair enough. I have already ordered decks from Artscow, but i don't have Pandemic yet. But its on the way as is this deck.

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Replay factor

elfrododumbo — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:42:23 +0000

by elfrododumbo

Replay factor: absolutely, imho. :)

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic

jeRm! — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:28:15 +0000

by jeRm!

nybba wrote:
Btw how is the size on the original Pandemic cards compared to Artscow?

I don't think there are any pictures showing a comparison but,

The Warp wrote:
I created a 54 card expansion on Artscow for Pandemic (the cards there are the same dimensions as the Pandemic cards, and though the corners are cut slightly differently, they are a pretty close match).

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic

nybba — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:03:48 +0000

by nybba

Btw how is the size on the original Pandemic cards compared to Artscow?

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Replay factor

boywonder_uk — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:31:06 +0000

by boywonder_uk

Thanks again,

All great advice. Will be going to make a purchase in the next half hour!

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic

Grimwold — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:26:28 +0000

by Grimwold

Awesome stuff... just ordered myself a set for the princely sum of £3.78 :D

Reply: Pandemic:: News:: Re: play a pandemic like game at: The Great Flu .com

Mousey — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:24:27 +0000

by Mousey

BTW: this is not just another regular online game. It was developed by the dutch national institute for public health and the envirement (the guys in charge in the Netherlands to fight pandemics like the Mexican Flu)together with an academic hospital.

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic

MasterDinadan — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 04:58:21 +0000

by MasterDinadan

I would at least make smaller version images available so we know what we are getting. The card previews on artscow are too small too see, but maybe I'm missing some way to enlarge them.

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic

jeRm! — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:11:36 +0000

by jeRm!

Lady Solitas wrote:
The Warp wrote:
I'm sure I could... is there some kind of template for PocketMod rule books I can look at or emulate (having never done one before)?

I don't think there is a template per se, but http://www.pocketmod.com/ allows you to create PocketMod booklets online, as well as offering a downloadable PDF-to-PocketMod converter (which, sadly, didn't work for me on the PDF I tried).

I have used the PDF-to-PocketMod quite a bit. I make the text about 20+ font and it seems to work well. Just make sure your PDF is eight pages long.

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic

brinksw — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:03:49 +0000

by brinksw

Here's a better deal than the new account deal.
$4.99 for the deck shipped! Should work with new or old accounts.

Code: CARDS499

Expires 06/30/2009

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic

tevacircus — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:07:49 +0000

by tevacircus

This looks fantastic. I just signed up for ArtsCow and bought one. There didn't seem to be a way to edit the cards, so I hope they come out perfect! Also, the new account came with a credit for a free deck - I only paid shipping. That was very cool.

One idea for the CLASSIFICATION cards would be to put one cube from each color on the different icons (covering up and replacing the options that are currently there) - then the different effects could be in different diseases each game.

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Replay factor

JohnRayJr — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:51:38 +0000

by JohnRayJr

My SO and I played this 3-4 times a week from December until May. Right now we're just waiting for Pandemic: On the Brink to bring it out of retirement.
If you mostly play two-player games, it'll take you a long time to see all the roles working together, and that's just starting teams, nevermind disease placement and early/late/double epidemic draw.

Go for it!

EDIT: As for "feeling a frantic rush at the end" - I think it's definitely there. However, do not start out on the "easy" difficulty with 2 players. The player number impacts the difficult nearly as much as the epidemic number, and the rules simply don't cover this. 2P4E (2 players, 4 epidemics) is ridiculously easy. Start out with 2P5E. You might lose since it's your first time, but that's a good thing. You need to see things get way out of control before you can appreciate doing well in future games. In my experience, 2P5E becomes fairly easy (never dull, but consistently winnable) after a while (in my case, something like 30 games). 2P6E is great.

Note that I think 3P5E is the "perfect" setting for Pandemic, but that shouldn't stop you from playing it with two. I do think it's a weaker game with four (at which point I'll start chanting "Space Alert! Space Alert! Space Alert!").

Reply: Pandemic:: Reviews:: Re: A Girlfriend's Perspective On: Pandemic

vappel — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:52:09 +0000

by vappel

This was the first game I played with my wife, and although she made me guide her a lot on the first game, she enjoyed it enough to try it again, this time with less direction. This is a great gateway game and coop means you don't have to be mad at anybody :)

As for the chain reactions, those are definately our FAVORITE part. Yeah, they're devastating, but sooooo darn cool!

-v

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Replay factor

Magrot — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:00:30 +0000

by Magrot

This game is great.

The only problem with it is that some people that are shy or quiet will just fade into the background while the alpha players do all the work.

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Replay factor

garry_rice — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:53:36 +0000

by garry_rice

There's also a homemade expansion made by Jack Reda that would add further options/replayability with only $5-$6 outlay at Artscow. Link to his post: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/415257

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic

Lady Solitas — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:14:36 +0000

by Lady Solitas

The Warp wrote:
I'm sure I could... is there some kind of template for PocketMod rule books I can look at or emulate (having never done one before)?

I don't think there is a template per se, but http://www.pocketmod.com/ allows you to create PocketMod booklets online, as well as offering a downloadable PDF-to-PocketMod converter (which, sadly, didn't work for me on the PDF I tried).

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Replay factor

Grudunza — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:01:11 +0000

by Grudunza

I'll just +1 what everyone else has said. I've played 50+ times and still enjoy it. Several of those times have been while introducing the game to people on my travels, so it also makes a great game to play with people who aren't hobby gamers... almost without exception they've picked it right up, been engrossed and involved, and eagerly asked to play again. At this point, yeah, the expansion will help, but still, 50+ plays is excellent replayability, especially considering the game only cost $23 to begin with.

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Replay factor

ackmondual — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:21:23 +0000

by ackmondual

IMO, the replay value on this game isn't too high, but it's definiately there.

If you plan on introducing this game to at least 2 people, (ideally 2 different groups), then that's alot of "value" to me.

Speaking strictly about this game and NOT the upcoming expansion

Pros on replay value
-with only 2 players, it's 5 choose 2 characters
-after you get a feel for the game, you can preselect your initial seed or "startup diseases" rather than doing that randomly, just to try out scenarios and such
-Difficulty levles.

Cons with replay value
-FULLY cooperative. That really does make the game a big multiplayer puzzle instead of having the same interactivity you get when playing against some human players. Either a "hidden bad guy"/traitor element, or a team game would've thrown more curveballs and excitement to the mix.

People claim in other games (of similar caliber) that playing with a traitor is the only way to go even if there's a nontraitor element to it, but even if Pandemic was designed as a fully co-op, it still could've been like that from the get-go

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Replay factor

fuldhim — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:00:57 +0000

by fuldhim

Another way to make the game harder would be to specifically choose which roles you use. Imagine playing a two-player game without the Medic, Scientist, or Researcher. The Operation Specialist and Dispatcher are great at helping the players get around the map, but using just the two of them would make for a challenging game.

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic

-mIDE- — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:57:48 +0000

by -mIDE-

Just ordered it (for €3.69). THANKS! :thumbsup:

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic

The Warp — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:42:29 +0000

by The Warp

jeRm! wrote:
The Warp do you think you could make a PocketMod rule book with a list of the cards and how they work to make it easy to seperate them out when everything is together?

I'm sure I could... is there some kind of template for PocketMod rule books I can look at or emulate (having never done one before)?

Reply: Pandemic:: Variants:: Re: The Warp Expansion for Pandemic

jeRm! — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:38:27 +0000

by jeRm!

The Warp do you think you could make a PocketMod rule book with a list of the cards and how they work to make it easy to seperate them out when everything is together?

Reply: Pandemic:: General:: Re: Replay factor

boywonder_uk — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:13:33 +0000

by boywonder_uk

Thanks guys and gals, that's all I needed to know! I love the games that make you want to play again straight away!

Will give this one a go!