Video Review for Age of Gods.

This video is about 17 mins long and covers the basic gameplay. I went further into instruction then I ussually do on this one though I am starting to say that alot these days.





http://www.archive.org/download/BookShelfGamesBSGEp24-AgeofG...

(link opens straight to media or right click and hit Save Target as...to download.)

Excellent video review, Lawrence! This game moved to my "Might buy" list because of it. Thanks!

Lawrence,

Thank you for this review. I cannot imagine explaining my game as clearly as you've done it. I hope that it will give some people the urge to play it.

And by the way, I cannot be more happy than to have my game reviewed by a true Magic Realm fan !

Regards,

CROC

Clicked on ad a minute after watching and ordered - looking forward to play it!

Thanks for the review! Now I know that I wouldn't want to ever play the game, much less buy it.

Wow, really? I just got it this week, already played it twice, and I think it's one of the three best games released in the second half of 2007. It's like if Risk was a Euro game. Great theme, lots of planning, reasonable luck, and a fair amount of backstabbing. I think it's a blast, and will be looking for any excuse to play it that I can find.

I'd have to see a list of what was released in the second half of 2007, but I have a hard time imagining this is one of the top three. However, different people like different games, so it might be a great game for you.

I think the element of the hidden race scoring is what I find most annoying. I'm sure that's a big appeal to many, but I don't especially like how it's handled here.

I'm curious as to where you see the planning and the backstabbing in this game. I'm not saying it isn't there, it's just that I don't see much of it.

Your doubts are what I find the most enjoyable! From the very first turn, the strategic choices that originate from the hidden races, and the way that planning develops during the course of the game, are intriguing and highly enjoyable.

For instance, In the first turn everyone receives one secret size 4 race. Several choices are immediately available:
Do I attack with my race to expand right away, but give myself away and suffer the wrath of my opponents?
Do I attack with another size 4 race against different size 4 race to bluff and perhaps get a war between two others started?
Do I attack with a smaller size race against another size 4 race in an attempt to hurt another player, yet keep my race hidden?
In one game, my son wasted two forts and attacked several times with the Humans. After obligingly and gleefully annihilating the scummy Humans, we discovered, after it was too late, that his size 4 race was the Dwarves and he pulled off a narrow victory.

I love this type of thing. That’s not all:

Long term strategy beginning in turn one is also shaped as a result of the action cards and how they apply to the betting round in turn seven:
Do I attack with a size 1 or size 2 race that I have a card for in my hand, in hopes that I can get the entire population on the board and bet on them in turn seven? Will I need to use the special ability on the card instead?

During the course of the game, I like the tweaks in strategic planning as each of the four races is distributed, and as I am able to gather more information about the identity of my opponents' races. As more races are distributed, more choices are presented:
Do I go all out with all races? They can’t stop them all!
Do I visibly try and build up one or two of my races, and subtly try to grow the others?
Do I keep all of my races hidden as long as possible and launch aggressive attacks against my opponents by attacking with neutral races against races that I believe belong to other players?

Great fun.

I like how strategy is shaped by the action cards, and more significantly, the power of the Gods (which are very different). I like how my abilities and strategy clash with the strategy and abilities of my opponents’, and the impact on how the game unfolds.

I am not expressing myself very well, and I know this game is not for everyone, but the unique strategic choices and the way the game progresses is the main reason that I love this game. I have not played another game quite like it.

I don't mean to come across as a big downer here. There are bad games on the market and I don't think this is one. I simply don't believe that anyone in my gaming group would enjoy this game. I just thought that maybe by listening to what the fans say I could get an idea of where the appeal is for them.



Presumably, since we're using hidden races we don't want them known so you'll want to keep your own expansion minimal except for a last second sprint. This is why I don't like these kinds of games. You spend most of the game just being evasive and everyone stays neck and neck because nobody wants to be ahead and look suspicious and then you make a last second grab for points. So if the game were to take 90 minutes, you just spent at least 60 minutes doing nothing but maintaining parity until the REAL push for points occurs.

I had gone through your other points and commented, but I realized it just made for tedious reading so I dumped all of that. Essentially, the strategy of the game is to bluff and whether or not the other players call your bluff determines who wins. Except that many of the bluffs result in a zero-sum result for you and the person who responds, so that just puts the two of you behind the other players who didn't take part. And if you make the random mistake of using the race owned by someone else for your bluffs, you're actually wasting your turns hurting yourself... and you only get 9 turns.



I have, and that's probably where my negativity stems from. Those other games which involved having a secret "color" (or whatever) you're trying to win with have always fallen flat for me and I don't see why this one should be any different. So maybe I should instead ask of this games fans, what makes this game better than Heimlich & Co or Clans (or any of the other games using this secret scoring mechanic)? Or is it simply that you enjoy that mechanic and I don't?

Holy crap. you sure are confident in your ability to dissect a game simply from reading comments and reviews, without ever playing it! I have noticed that this type of 'expertise from reading reviews,' is becoming en vogue.



There is no last second sprint. You missed this one by a mile.



Wow. The game plays nothing like this at all. Most races are revealed during the course of the game. You seem to think you have it figured out even without the need to pay attention to comments and reviews.



So wrong it hurts.



Uh, no. Not even close. I have played games like you describe, but you are really trying to mash this into something that it aint.



Age of Gods plays nothing like these games.

I am not trying to change your mind, I am 99% sure that would be impossible, but I just feel the need to point out to others that might be reading this thread how breathtakingly inaccurate your assumptions are.

This reminds me of my son's friend who is a video game expert. He reads a review and suddenly becomes an expert on the game. I argued with him for twenty minutes about details on a game that he had never played, and that I had played ten times!

This is kind of like that. No, it's exactly like that.

[Edit: Spelling]

LOL!

I have noticed that this type of kneejerk fanatic defense of games is becoming en vogue.

You seem to think you have me figured out even without the need to pay attention to the fact that this thread is based on a video review which is very nearly a complete tutorial. I'll grant you that that's still not exactly the same as playing the game, but it's a far cry from making a snap judgement based on reading a review.

This reminds me of many users on BGG who are extremely defensive about the games they enjoy. They read a negative comment and suddenly becomes self-appointed defenders of the game's honor. They simply refute what's said without providing any evidence. It's as if their emotional commitment to liking the game is more important than any discussion about what's actually being talked about.

This is kind of like that. No, it's exactly like that

My reflexes must be getting slow. My current knee-jerk fanatic defense was formed over the course of ten games.



Thank you for illustrating my point so clearly. Your perception of the game and how it plays is so off-base with actual gameplay that it's astonishing, even after watching a video review. And don't blame it on Lawrence's review, which is excellent. The misconceptions come from your own knee-jerk interpretations.



Let me get this straight. You are making the case that your views, formed without ever playing the game, are based on evidence and level headed discussion...

While my views, formed after actual experiences with the game, are less valid because I like the game? That's messed up. My emotional commitment is exactly where it is because of actual gameplay.



I certainly hope so. I hope that anyone that likes a game enough to rate it a 10 will take the time to defend it from erroneous negative comments from someone that has never even played the game!

This is so familiarly pointless and frustrating. Are you sure that you are not a sixteen year old video game review junky that lives over on Maple?

Oh man. You obviously didn't get the point of my last message at all. Probably because you've become so irritated that you couldn't see the irony.

Hey, it's no sweat off my back. You can all have a love-in here, hold hands, and sing songs about the game. I'm sure it's easier to stay in a happy place where there's never a dissenting opinion. I'd expect the exact same reaction if I wandered over to the Agricola forums and said anything short of "This will be the greatest game of 2008!".

Again, the game is not for me, but I wish the designer and the company well. They have clearly put together a game that has been well received by some.

I'll leave your forums now and let calm return to the realm.

Ramen.

Just to be clear, I am not defending against a dissenting opinion. I am defending against a very inaccurate portrayal of the details of the game from someone that has never played the game.

I thought your first comment on this forum was very good, and gave a lot of credit to the video review for allowing those that don't like this type of thing to recognize it. I said myself that this game is not for everyone. But when your assumptions of game play were so far off, I thought it fair to the game, and to the people reading this, to present a more accurate view of the details from someone that has played the game.

You could have come back and defended your position and convince people that your perceptions of gameplay are correct, even without playing the game, but instead, you shifted the angle over to a straw man where you attack the fan boy angle.

I like negative reviews and have left many, many negative ratings and comments. That's why, when I like a game enough to give it a 10, I will sing its praises, unapologetically.

So Lawrence, I've watched many of your video reviews, and somehow didn't realize you were the same guy I played games with at the Parlor. Yep... I'm a tard. I love these videos.

Yep that's me. Matthew and David wanted to try this one out so I will probably bring it along this week.

Thank you Lawrence for the great video review. I stumbled upon this game on the Geek here and am considering buying it. Just found a copy at one of the local stores here, but for what he's charging, I need to make sure it's something that might see some table time, which I think it will. Our game group is a mix of war game players and a few Euro gamers and this seems to bring both to the table at once. I think I will pick up a copy next week and see what the reaction is to the game.

Great review Sir Lawrence!

I have been wondering about this game...and sooooo many other out there that I finally found your review for this one. I guess I just wasn't looking as hard for it.

One thing I was wondering....the mechanics of the game seem somewhat simple (not the simplest, but can be easy to learn), so I was wondering if you thought the age rating was appropriate.

Also, I notice the the art for box could be seen by some as a little "racey" for younger players....what about some the other art on cards and such in the box?

I am asking because now that I am older I get mainly games that other parents wouldn't mind pre-teens playing when they are over and then I get a few that I just have to have and watch who plays it in case anyone might be offended or what not.

Thanks for the good review

I may not be the best person to answer that since the only kids I play games with are my kids. Mira is the oldest at 6yo and she would certainly not be able to play this one. Hopefully Sky Knight X will see this because I think he had said he plays it with his son.

Kids 9+ would probably understand the rules to the game as you implied but I am not sure they would manage there resources very well. A large part of this game is deciding if the benefits of your action out ways the repercussions of the information you are giving to the other players. This may be a difficult concept for kids to grasp.

As far as the artwork what you see on the box is about as racey and violent as it gets. The counters are much more cartoonish then the box or cards. Most of the cards are quite tame as well. I would not have a problem with my kids playing it but I am not a very strict parent.

I have played with my sons 9 and 7. With my help they picked it up just fine. The 7 year old needed reminders, but now he can play it just fine with the older kids and me. They would not be able to learn it on their own, and they would not be able to teach it to others. I will say that they do not like it as much my 17 year old son, our friends, and I do.

Yes, some of the artwork is racey. The lady in the picture is the Goddess of Peace. She is featured on the box, in the rulebook, and on her card. The Faeries and Dark Elves also feature topless females.

great reply

It's quite simple really,Trump doesn't like a mechanic in the game that he has experienced in other games and Sky Knight X does enjoy said mechanic.End of story.


bikerboy