http://cheyne.net/blog/index.cgi/board_games/settlers_book_s...

I got some good feedback from my request for opinions about the Settlers Book scenarios on Spielfrieks and rec.games.board.

Here's a summary:

Mark Jackson
The Colonists is very interesting but has a rather harsh learning curve - and a LONG playing time. I'd like to try it again, having learned the hard lesson
of the necessity of infrastructure development BEFORE exploration.
The Great Race is fun, but not earthshattering.
I really like The Hurricane (Sturmflut), The Desert Raiders (which plays a bit like the Historical Scenario, Great Wall), and Westwards (which has to be the most non-PC scenario - to get rid of the Indians/robber, you spend 2 grain... firewater. Sheesh.)
I have not been able to parse out the railway scenario in a way that makes sense to me yet...
The treasure one is fun but light.

Mik Svellov
Railway scenario: you need to visit all the other players (collecting VP's at their watertanks). Very simple change, but also a very dramatic one.
I also like the Treasure Hunters.
I found the Specialists to be too longwinded for what it is.
Transport-Siedler works with 4 players only. In the 3-player game will one player be able to move his goods unchallenged while the other two players compete against each other.

Marcel Sagel
The Hurricane (Sturmflut): When I tried to play this scenario, we had to call the game before the interesting part (the flood) because of the length. Very unfortunate as it seems to be really interesting.
The treasure one is fun but light.
I also remember playing Bermuda Triangle which is not that much different from the scenarios that come with the Seafarers expansion - but that doesn't mean it's bad, quite to the contrary.
El Dorado (I believe that's the name, it's the one with a central gold island with 3 number chits) is also not earth shattering and is less interesting than Bermuda.
Some of the variants in the second part of the book are also interesting although they don't change the game very much.

Richard Irving
IMO, "The Specialists" is easily the worst. The board is intentionally set up so most of the like goods are grouped together (and wood with wheat and brick with stone) and the bonuses for becoming the "Specialist" are far too small.
Off the other ones, I probably like "The Great Race" and "Catan Express" the best. Both of these scenarios change the game (The Great Race changes the object of the game to "start here and build a city way way over there" and Catan Express greatly changes the game and adds an interesting Dampfross/Railway Rivals endgame to the proceedings.)
All of the other scenarios I have played are at least good for a change of pace.
It is interesting to compare "The World of Catan" scenario (which is about the Age of Exploration and Colonization) with "Settlers of the Stone Age"/"Abentuer Menschheit".

A session report from my friend Michael
Desert Scenario: The scenario is OK, but not necessarily my favourite - it drags on a bit and the fixed board set up (apart from the ports) probably limits replay value a little. I think Settlers of the Stone Age (which also includes the 'covering up' of the initial tiles) offers more options.

I also read Kulkmann´s G@mebox and Rick Heli's reviews.

The consensus seems to be that the best are Die Sturmflut and Die Kolonien. It's a pity these seem to be the longest. No one seems to like the Specialists.