Pax Porfiriana
I played a weird, intimidating game today, that comes in a tiny box with a thick rulebook and it's just odd. The game is essentially a tableau management game, with a marketplace, but the publisher decided to make it as difficult to understand as they could, which I will call "Glory to Rome syndrome."
Anyone, the main goal of the game is to take over the Mexican government during the turn of the 20th century. There are four ways to do this, but they are essentially the same, have enough points when a topple event is played. But, the points you need are based on what the current government is, and that can change almost at random. Each government provides certain bonuses, some are good for economy, some are good for fighting, etc.
But the game encourages you to be ridiculously brutal to the other players. A fair number of cards are used exclusively to screw another player, destroying their resources, etc. The only benefit they get is whenever one of these cards is played on you, you get a point. Which is...a good consolation, except what they destroyed usually had a point on it, so it's a crap trade.
I did manage to win by having a lot of events tossed at me and buying Teddy Roosevelt to provide me with a final push. I do like it, though. I just wish it wasn't so obfuscating.
I played a weird, intimidating game today, that comes in a tiny box with a thick rulebook and it's just odd. The game is essentially a tableau management game, with a marketplace, but the publisher decided to make it as difficult to understand as they could, which I will call "Glory to Rome syndrome."
Anyone, the main goal of the game is to take over the Mexican government during the turn of the 20th century. There are four ways to do this, but they are essentially the same, have enough points when a topple event is played. But, the points you need are based on what the current government is, and that can change almost at random. Each government provides certain bonuses, some are good for economy, some are good for fighting, etc.
But the game encourages you to be ridiculously brutal to the other players. A fair number of cards are used exclusively to screw another player, destroying their resources, etc. The only benefit they get is whenever one of these cards is played on you, you get a point. Which is...a good consolation, except what they destroyed usually had a point on it, so it's a crap trade.
I did manage to win by having a lot of events tossed at me and buying Teddy Roosevelt to provide me with a final push. I do like it, though. I just wish it wasn't so obfuscating.
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