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[Review] Splendor: The race for gems, property and nobility.

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questccg
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1. Date Played: Sunday, May 8 2022.
2. Game name: Splendor (2014)
3. Designer: Marc André
4. Publisher: Space Cowboys

5. Time: About 2 hours (2 games)
6. Players: 4 Players
7. Ages: 40+ for all 4 Players (2 Male, 2 Female)

8. The Review

Considering that this game is like 2 Pages of rules (which is amazing) and is one of the BEST "Gateway" games I've ever seen, this game offers quite a bit of depth and variety ... But ... I cannot seem to find a STRATEGY towards winning.

From playing two (2) 4-Player games about 60 minutes each... I learned that the IDEAS that I had prior to playing are not necessarily valid strategies. What I mean is that it was very HARD to plan to accumulate cards and it also varied a lot depending on what your opponents chose to collect.

One thing that I can say... (Spoiler Alert) Is that it seems like collecting BLACK Onyx Gems is somewhat a "valid" strategy. Most later cards require Black gems and even Nobles visiting at the end too... Again this could be RNG (Random) ... But my gut was telling me "collect Black"...

For 2 Pages of rules with a "semi-gamer" (they're thinking about it...) group, we got to play 2 games. And interestingly enough after the 1st Game ... When I asked: "Do you guys want to play again?" Everyone responded: "Yes!"

9. Rating: 9 out of 10

10. Final Thoughts

If you have people who are CURIOUS about Modern Games and TableTop Gaming... Buy this game and play it with them. You'll see... Most will start to get their brains working on trying to SOLVE the game and outwit the other players. Just remember everyone else is TRYING to do the SAME thing! (LOL)

It plays in 1 hour (60 minutes) ... Players will probably want to play 1-2 additional games depending on the timing of the start of the first game. If it's around 7:00 PM, 3 games may be possible, if it was 8:00 PM (in our case), 2 games might be the limit.

I strongly recommend OWNING this game... And playing it with other couples as a "Gateway" game. Even with NON-GAMERS... You'll see, it's deceptively SIMPLE but VERY, very HARD to MASTER. Plus the cards to collect come at random so it's very hard to do TOO MUCH planning.

Note #1: If figured I'd TRY to post about a GAME that my Family and I played... Hoping to get more people POSTING about the games that they play with their OWN families and friends. Nothing wrong with sharing the joy you have playing Modern day Games. Cheers all.

questccg
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We played again TODAY (26 June 2022)

We played again and this time a bit "dirtier" in that my Cousin Reserved a Card her Mom needed to WIN and this delayed her a couple of round and she lost to my Cousin's Husband who scored 16 points to win.

I also delayed my Cousin's Husband from winning the game too... Which also set him back a couple of rounds too!

We ran out of the 1st Level Cards and worked on the 2nd and 3rd Level cards ... The score was 16, 15, 12, 8. Me being last this time (with only 8 points). It just wasn't working for me TBH.

This is a good game because of how you can "screw-over" an opponent by reserving the card they wanted and just have a dangling card not part of your stack of cards that you NEVER intend to purchase!

Was very exciting and even if I was a bit lost... I learn that playing "Black" doesn't mean you will win. Why? Because I had 6 Black Cards and that didn't help me win... So you need to roll with the punches and try to get a Noble visit (maybe one visit can help you win the game too!)

Definitely a great game to play that forces you to THINK and roll-with-the-punches! Cheers all.

questccg
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About collecting Black Onyx Gems...

I thought a bit of a "Spoiler" was that our previous two (2) games were a bit Black "Heavy" and I thought that this would be a valid strategy. So this 3rd game, I focused on collecting Black Onyx Gems and had a total of six (6) of them.

This didn't really help me AT ALL! No Nobles visited but I did collect on ONE (1) 2 Point Card which required six (6) Black.

But again a "dirtier" 3rd Game would have been for one of my opponents to Reserve this six (6) Black card to deny me 2 Points and earn a Joker. Hehehe... Yeah we were definitely not playing as "friendly" as we did the first two (2) games!

Hahaha. I guess that's a HIDDEN "purpose" behind the Reserving of cards...!

Best.

ludicioso
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I haven't played the regular edition of Splendor

I haven't played the regular edition of Splendor, only the Marvel one. My understanding is that they are fairly similar. We play with our 8 and 11 kids (we started playing when they were three years younger) and since the first time I read the rules I decided to not even mention reserving of cards. It is not that we are afraid of conflict, but I found that rule a sore thumb in an otherwise impeccable ruleset.

We love the game and the rest of the family has never expressed an interest in being able to reserve cards for future use or preventing other players from buying them.

questccg
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Thanks for brining that VERSION of the game to my attention!

I actually found out that there is a set of FOUR (4) Expansions to the ORIGINAL game. They are apparently all COMPATIBLE with each other and they add to the "core" experience a bit of additional strategy. I will check that Expansion out as I bought it ONLINE today.

The RESERVATION system is a MUST in Adult Gaming. Why???

Well if you want a card, just reserve it... And get a GOLD Token. In your version (Marvel) you get a GRAY token.

It is important especially when a player is TRYING to win the game. You can easily RESERVE one of the LAST cards he/she needs to win the game. It's a bit of "Take-That" and we enjoy that extra level of "messing". It's also good during the game itself since you get "1" GOLD Token (which is a wildcard too).

Can't wait to get the FOUR (4) Expansions and see how our game nights evolve from START to FINISH!!!

Thanks for sharing your EXPERIENCE... I mean, it made me LEARN that there were expansions to the ORIGINAL game.

Once I get those expansions, I will see IF I can CREATE an "Expansion" for the game... I already have an IDEA and it has to do with the "reservation" system (e.g. the GOLD Tokens) ... But I'll share when I get the other cards from the expansion itself.

Notice it will not work with the "Marvel" Version because it's specific to the ORIGINAL game (GOLD Tokens) ... Because the ART is different too... It's all about GEMSTONES in the ORIGINAL game ... And that's what this "expansion idea" is all about. It adds an element of "RISK" to the use of "reservation".

I'll see what ELSE I can come up with... I never thought of designing an EXPANSION of "Splendor"... Now I actually believe I can come up with something NEAT and cool... I can even probably SELL it ONLINE too!

Anyhow... I know we PREFER the "original" version probably because it is LESS "commercial". Don't get me WRONG, I LOVE "Marvel", I just know that watching a video for the two (2) versions, the "Marvel" version would NOT excite my players (TBH).

Again Thanks for sharing... It's nice to know there is another FAN of Splendor in our ONLINE Gaming Community.

Cheers and all the best!

questccg
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Here's what the CardBacks "look like" (Only 1 Sample)

You can click on the IMAGE to open up a new Tab and see a larger version of the card (which may reveal more details...)

Anyhow this is just a WIP (Work-In-Progress).

Notice: I've kind of kept the "feel" on the game without naming it as a "Splendor Expansion". I think I've got some extra ideas for the Back of the Box... TBD.

But this is the SAME image on the box... But it's in Normal COLOR on the Box with the K2 Logo on it too.

ludicioso
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wow! It looks great!

wow! It looks great!

questccg
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Thanks for the positive response!

Well I went through a LOT of thinking trying to ENSURE that I DON'T VIOLATE ANY Copyrights for the game. I didn't use the NAME ("Splendor"), I didn't use the GEMSTONES (I have my own "Gold Nugget"), I used all ORIGINAL ART for the game and ensured that it was all "Gold-Related" and was in no-way linked to the "Gold Tokens" of the original game...

Too bad you don't have the ORIGINAL "Splendor", I would have sent you a COPY of my Expansion to play with your Family... I've got to find time with my OWN Family to play... But it's rather hard (time-wise). And we are (usually) Four (4) Players to the table.

Anyhow if you are in any way interested in the ORIGINAL "Version" and decide to acquire it (I know it's probably less exciting for kids because of the Superheroes and Supervillains) but "Prospector" works great for that game as the "Gold Tokens" make more SENSE than the "Gray Tokens" in the Marvel Version.

I may go down to one of the Game Stores and see if ANYONE wants to TRY to play the game with the Expansion... Could be neat and cool! But I will do my best to make some of my OWN playtests first... The game is supposed to SHIP on November 12th, so I'll guess I'll get the game around December 1st or so...

Thanks for introducing me to the "Marvel Version" ... It got me curious about some of the OTHER "Expansion" Games on "The Game Crafter" (TGC) and after doing my research, I figured that I could make an Expansion that DOES NOT violate ANY Copyrights of Asmodée, Space Cowboys, or even Marc André (The original Designer)...

It's a small design community, you need to RESPECT other people's work and ensure you are putting out a product that will lead to more sales of the original work and maybe get some Gamers excited to "bring back the game to their tables..." because they have a new "toy" to try out!

Cheers!

questccg
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For the FUN of it...

This reminds me of the OLD "Sierra" Video Game "Gold Rush!". It was one of the FEW games that I bought with my actual money ... Way back in the Late 80s. I saved up and share it with a Friend. I had the strangest computer EVER. It was a 8088... But you had to PRESS Ctrl-Alt-"+" to enable the accelerated mode. Many years after taking the PC apart, I realized that the GRAPHICS CARD was SET to CGA... 4 Color mode in Higher Resolution (which was like 320 x 200 pixels). But there was a SWITCH (dip switch), I could change and get EGA... 16 Color mode!

Imagine that. I had a 16 EGA Adapter that was set to 4 CGA Mode!

Wish I knew that when I had that PC operating... 16 Colors was the GOLD STANDARD Back then! Hahaha.

Just a little reason why I was so motivated to MAKE the "Prospector" Expansion for Splendor... I'm waiting to see what TGC gets as DICE. And then I'll add those to the game and we'll see how the price of the game goes up because I NEED FIVE (5) 16mm Standard D6s (in five colors: Red, Green, Blue, White, and Black)!

Anyhow just some retro-nostalgia about why(?) I felt so drawn to make this Expansion... It also reminds me of Steven's (@let-off studios) "Coal N' Write" game where you mine for all kinds of minerals...

This "Prospector" Expansion is only for GOLD!

And when the game will be available to purchase ... You will see, I made a bit of EFFORT to make the theme of "Gold" be the focus of the cards themselves.

Trying to make an "Artistic" IMPACT! Hehehe.

questccg
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Also for you to consider

The "Prospector" Expansion adds an element of "DANGER"! While in the past there were no problems for a Player to just RESERVE a card and collect an additional "Gold Token" (Wildcard)... That kind of makes the game a bit BORING. I know it's only "1" Token versus "2" of the same color or "3" of different colors...

But NOW you DRAW a "Prospect" Card when reserving a Development Card.

That can be a "holy cr@p" moment depending on what card is drawn. Although you CANNOT RESERVE "Prospect" Cards ... You're playing with "Danger" unleashing one of the "Prospect" Cards for your opponents to gawk over!!!

Because you draw the card AFTER your turn... Means that YOUR OPPONENTS may get a chance to score some lower-handing fruit! And grab a "Gold Nugget" or at worst an Extra "Prestige Point"...

And so I LIKE it... Reserve at your own RISK, Hehehe!

questccg
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In terms of PROGRESS...

Just a quick FYI, the "The Game Crafter" (TGC) page is DONE (100%). I completed the Action Shots today and the Background Image and Logo for the TGC Sales Page.

The game Description I had complete yesterday, just did a REVIEW to ensure that there are NO ERRORS or TYPOS. That took like 30 minutes to review and ensure that there were no misspellings.

The Action Shots look good too... There are ONLY six (6) of them, one for each "CardBack" and then a Card Front to display the cards for the buyers... No secrets ... Everything is revealed and I show what the cards look like to the potential buyers. This way there is no "Buyer Remorse" when it comes to buying this Expansion.

I am waiting for the Game to be MADE & DELIVERED... So I wrapped up the page to ensure everything is ready. I will PLAYTEST the prototype as soon as I get it and the reality is that it may take 1-Month for that to happen.

But the TGC Page looks great, original "Background", Nice "Logo" (The name), all the Action Shots (To show what the final product looks like) and of course a grand "description" to both entice and interest potential buyers!

For now the rest is ON-HOLD until I get my Prototype and TGC gets more dice. We'll have to wait for BOTH of these to happen.

Cheers all!

questccg
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Bought some Barcode ... And not from GS1-US or Canada

I Googled and found EXACTLY what I was looking for in terms of UPC Barcodes for the BOXES of several of my games. It's cheaper the more you BUY and I got a VERY good deal for $20 USD, I got 15 of my OWN Barcodes.

So I'm just waiting to receive them to affix them to the "Prospector" Box ... I will no doubt need to order another BOX for the Prototype if there are any things that need fixing or changing.

Bottom line... All that remains now is the Ruleset ... The back of the box was done TODAY... I spent about 4-5 hours working on the details and ensured that this GAME will have a BI-LINGUAL Box and Ruleset such that I CAN sell it in Quebec (Canada) and see what happens. I have to talk things over with one of the store that I do business at and see what comes of that discussion.

Sincerely.

questccg
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Got the Barcode "Excel Spreadsheet" and JPEGs too.

But I use my own website to generate the Barcodes. They are at 150 DPI and generated as PNGs instead of the quality losses of JPEGs images. Much easier to work with PNGs as there is no loss of quality when increasing the RESOLUTION.

Bottom line: I added the PURCHASED barcode to the "Prospector" Box.

And now it looks GREAT and is 100% OFFICIAL. I even took the time to UPLOAD the updated Box Bottom to TGC too...

All that is left is the ruleset ... Which I will work on in the next few days.

Cheers all!

let-off studios
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Expansion Form Factor

Question about your expansion, quest. Does this consist solely of an additional deck of cards, or are there more components required (beyond the original game)?

questccg
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Answer to your question...

Well currently the expansion features cards and dice. But I require a ruleset too... To explain how the game is played, where do the cards go and more details as to HOW(?) the game integrates with the "core" game.

Between you and I, I also am thinking of including a "Bandit" Pawn. It behaves a bit similarly to Catan's Robber, however it is NOT subject to dice rolling, instead a player positions the "Bandit" and he stays on that card for the Round (and/or Turn... Still debating the issue).

What does he DO???

Well it's pretty simple too... But it comes from the games that we have played. Usually when it comes down to the last few Turns... One player has the advantage and will win the game. What happens next is the opponents play a bit bitchy and RESERVE the card he/she needed to WIN.

Since this mechanic is altered. I'd figure a "Bandit" could go one EXTRA step to ensure that another card can be "prevented from collecting" and it tightens down the game a bit more.

Obviously there will be a time where there will be more than TWO (2) Options to WIN and maybe an opponent can steal a VICTORY too.

Specifically, the expansion has:

-1 Small Pro Box
-1 Ruleset (Folio)
-1 Insert/Divider
-1 Black Chip (Bandit role)
-1 Black "Bandit" Pawn
-5 Different Color D6s
-18 "Prospect" Cards

I know it may seem like NOT a LOT. But the prices at "The Game Crafter" (TGC) are rather "expensive" so I cannot add too much more since it would bump up the price of the game more than the current $24.99 USD price point that I have.

I make like $5.00 USD per box as it currently stands. Not much ... But I hope that it will spread further and I will discuss with some of my LOCAL stores to see what can be done with "Prospector".

If you want a copy, I can send you one???

I mean I bought "Splendor" from you... So if you WANT to have a copy of the "Expansion", I can send you a copy (once everything is more firmed up...) I still have to complete the Ruleset and it will be in English and French.

Commitment to local sales too... So-to-speak.

Please let me know!

questccg
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For now and a while...

I will NOT include the "Expansions" that I BOUGHT for "Splendor" (the "Cities Expansion"). Why(?) Well from the various expansions, I was excited about the CITIES (specifically) but realized that this makes the GOAL of WINNING too SIMPLE.

It encourages a POINT TOTAL and a GEMSTONE Count.

TBH it is much harder to play the game WITHOUT said information. Playing in the "Dark" and not knowing HOW to WIN ... Make the game more "abstract" and I believe this adds a huge amount of replayability since the game is VERY HARD to Master.

But with the gemstone count... It makes the game EASIER and more predictable. Here are some additional reasons:

1. Gemstone Count makes it EVERYONE is doing the SAME thing.

2. The "core" game without CITIES is more abstract and players don't always know if they are choosing the right cards for their own progress towards a VICTORY.

3. The "Prospector" expansion alters the "Reservation" Mechanic but keeps most of the remainder of the game the SAME.

4. The "Bandit" adds a bit of "Take-That" which can be COMBINED with the "Reservation" Mechanic too...

I'm thinking that the "Bandit" can be moved on a TURN to another card. But a player makes this decision at the very END of his/her turn. This makes for a sort of ROUND "Mechanic" in that players mess with each other all the while making a VICTORY HARDER.

You don't have to PLAY with the "Bandit" to enjoy the "Prospector" Expansion. Why would you PLAY with the "Prospector" Expansion??? Well TBH the "Reservation" Mechanic doesn't do MUCH for the OPPONENTS. I mean you reserve a card and voila you can build towards getting it. This Expansion adds a ELEMENT of RISK in that when you RESERVE a card, the replacing card is DRAWN from the "Prospect" Deck of that level.

And that EXCITES the OTHER players ... Because the "Prospect" cards are all about GOLD and they are designed to be "enticing" to collect.

So the "Bandit" is an OPTION. But can be included to vary the game and be a bit bitchier towards your opponents WITHOUT the need to RESERVE a Card to BLOCK an opponent from claiming a Development or "Prospect" card.

It's this CLEAR DECISION making which ADDS to the STRATEGY.

Anyways I will await the PROTOTYPE and see if everything is COOL or if there are any corrections required. I've already done like three (3) revisions so I know what I changed and IMPROVED already...

Cheers.

questccg
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About the "bitchiness"...

@ludicioso said that they DO NOT play with the "Reservation" Mechanism. Well there is a REASON we DO (My Family and I)... Like I said, most players RESERVE to STEAL a Victory (eg. You need Card "X" to win ... So someone will RESERVE it!)

But with "Prospector", that means that the player who RESERVED the Winning Card has to replace it with a "Prospect" Card (from the "Prospector" Expansion).

Here's the thing, the "Prospect" card all have POINTS. So even IF you BLOCK an opponent, probably the "Prospect" card will GIVE THEM THE VICTORY ANYHOW!

So you PLAY the "Bandit" on that "Prospect" card and the world is WHOLE again!

Haha... Restoring the "Take-That" and ensuring that you can follow-up your plans with the "Bandit" to ensure the game goes on for a round or two more...

Something like that... We (My Family and I) enjoy the game because the "core" game you are not SURE 100% about what it is you are BUYING and how it will affect the outcome of the game. And we like that "Play in the Dark" feel to "Splendor". I can't wait to introduce "Prospector" such that the Family has a FUN time in placing the "Bandit"! Hehehe...

Note #1: The "Bandit" needs to be playtested and checked to see if it is GOOD or NOT. We'll have to wait and see as I get the expansion probably closer to early December...

Note #2: The "Prospect" cards and the method of using them is pretty much solid. I don't foresee any troubles with those cards. Only the "Bandit" may pose some challenges in the "early" rounds. Some "head-butting" probably. That's why I need to PLAYTEST the "Bandit" and will not WRITE the rules until that bit is "playtested"...

questccg
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Another alternative

Is that you MUST "Move" the "Bandit" to another card at the end of a player's turn. It's a REQUIREMENT. This is another option.

Why(?) Because this would mean that two (2) Players would have to ACT JOINTLY to ensure that a card cannot be DRAWN at a later time.

Quote:
For example: If I wait until my turn to MOVE the "Bandit", I will move it OFF the "X" Card that allows the next player to WIN. But if one of the EARLIER players moves the bandit to ANOTHER card, on my turn, I can move it back ONTO Card "X" and the next player is BLOCKED...

You might wonder why so much analysis?!

Well the TRUTH is that when I design I take in so many VARIABLES to ensure that the end product is SOLID. So in reality, I playtest things that players may do to ensure that the end-product is as mature and TESTED as possible.

questccg
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I will think of other ALTERNATIVES for the "Bandit"...

I am not 100% convinced HOW(?) the "Bandit" should work. I mean the positioning and not the role.

The "role" is clear:

Quote:
The "Bandit" makes it that the card he is placed on cannot be acquired or reserved.

It's clear as night & day. That's the role... It makes sense and it is a simple mechanic that is effective in a sort of "block"-ish way.

But for positioning that I am not 100% sure. Options on the table are the following:

1. The position last 1-Round and then the next player chooses the position.

2. The position MAY be changed on each player's turn depending on how he/she feels about the "Bandit"'s current location.

3. The position MUST be changed on each player's turn.

That's what I have for now... But will ponder it further to see if there are MORE "options" available to PLAYTEST and determine which method of position is best for the "Bandit".

Input is welcomed... I mean if you have something to ADD to this... Please feel free to comment.

Sincerely.

Note #1: Some considerations are: "If a MOVE is REQUIRED there is less aggression towards each player moving the Bandit." Or if it is "per Round" there is less of an opportunity to impact any given player. IDK yet... I still need to THINK(?) about it some more. Maybe some playtests when I get the prototype will HELP. Right now it's a bit HARD since I have no reference point or sample data from any playthrus to see the impact each of these alternatives and which is the BETTER choice. TBD.

questccg
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Another alternative

I came up with this while driving in my SUV:

Quote:
Roll 1D12 and depending on the result you can place the "Bandit" less than or equal to the roll result.

So if you Roll a "1", you must place it on Card #1 (Only option). If you Roll a "12", you can place it from Card #1 to Card #12 (12 options). And if you Roll a "6", you can place it from Card #1 to Card #6.

The numbering scheme is from the Bottom Row, Left-Most Position (#1) to the Top Row, Right-Most Position (#12).

This is cool ... Because it makes things a bit left to CHANCE and there is also STRATEGY involved. But it is LESS "bitchy" than full all "choose where ever you like to place the 'Bandit'..."

This is yet another ALTERNATIVE. It adds a D12 Polyhedral Dice ... But it makes the choice a bit more "Random" seeing there is an element of LUCK (or Bad Luck if you prefer) when rolling that Poly D12.

Thoughts on this alternative???

So far this seems like the BEST alternative because it doesn't GUARANTEE that a player MAY "Block" his opponent... But depending on the Roll ... Which cards are available to "Block" vary...

I find that some dice mitigation is GOOD because I had dealing with ONLY "absolutes". Sometimes "restricting" the options is a good way to introduce a "extra" element of STRATEGY which is MORE "strategic" than say selecting any position without any restrictions.

Again, what do you think? Is this the best ALTERNATIVE so far? Do you have your own variant that I have not thought of?

Please share with me your thoughts. Sincerely.

questccg
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Paying the "Bandit"

Another IDEA that came to mind while driving my SUV... Was whatever SPACE you choose, you MUST PAY the "Bandit" that position's "Gemstone".

Quote:
Whatever card you PLACE the "Bandit" on, you MUST pay off the "Bandit" by giving him a chip of that color/gemstone. If you don't have such a chip/gemstone in hand, you pay nothing.

Now (Let's assume) you have White, Blue and Black. And you choose "Black" you would have to PAY "1 Black Chip", if you don't have one of these ... You pay NOTHING.

This adds a counter-balancing element to collecting TOO MANY chips/gemstones. I know we've played games where there runs out of CHIPS because nobody is BUYING just collecting chips. And sometimes you are forced to buy what you DON'T WANT!

This method of PAYMENT can restore 1-Chip per Turn and COST the players a tribute to the "Bandit" as he moves along from position to position.

In addition the "Prospect" Cards are FREE spots; meaning you can place the "Bandit" on ANY "Prospect" Card at NO COST... Making the "Prospect" cards a bit harder to acquire due to the "Bandit" often being on those cards.

Again please feel free to let me know what you think about these IDEAS!!!

This is still very much a Work-In-Progress (WIP) in that the method by which the "Bandit" operates is very much in DESIGN... And open to new ideas too!

Let me know what you guys think!?

Note #1: Other VARIATIONS include (but are not limited to):

A> You MUST pay a CHIP and this means you can ONLY place the "Bandit" on a card that you can PAY FOR.

B> You CANNOT play the "Bandit" on ANY "Prospect" cards. This means that when you reserve a card, you take a chance that the opponent may be able to acquire it and there is nothing nobody can do.

I think I LIKE Rule "A" & "B". This introduces an element of CHANCE when "Reserving" a Development card.

C> You MUST move the "Bandit" to another Development card on your turn.

Rule "C" just means that everyone has to pay and it costs you ONE (1) CHIP per turn and you MUST have that chip to pay the "Bandit".

Note #2: Once per ROUND a player chooses ONE (1) Development card and pays the "Bandit" and places it on the corresponding card.

Alternatively ... If a player wants to "MOVE" the "Bandit" at the end of his/her turn, he PAYS the "Bandit" by moving him to another Development card. Movement during a ROUND is optional but in some circumstances desirable... And so you PAY to move him.

More options... I'm sure there will be others too...

questccg
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I'm definitely leaning towards ...

A solution that offers STRATEGY (and flexibility) all the while REDUCING the "necessary" amount of movement of the "Bandit". Why? Because it feels pointless to CONTINUALLY being FORCED to move the "Bandit". So if we look at the options, what comes across as the BEST solution is:

A> Once per ROUND a player moves the "Bandit" to any Development card and pays the cost (Chip/Token) in doing so.

B> On a player's TURN, he/she may decided to WANT to move the "Bandit" and does so by paying the cost (Chip/Token) for doing so.

This seems to introduce a PAYMENT cost for general play and specific TURNS which I believe works out pretty decently. And there is not so much the NEED to always MOVE the "Bandit" from one spot or back-and-forth between spots, etc.

I believe that this LAST idea of PAYING for MOVING and having a REQUIRED move per ROUND (vs. Per TURN) makes it a bit less HECTIC. And then there is the VOLUNTARY move on a TURN which also requires payment but happens infrequently.

I strongly believe this is the BEST solution out of everything that I've listed above. Being FORCED to do it (Per ROUND) and have the OPTION to do it (Per TURN). This feels like the most FLEXIBLE idea of all of the solutions that I've stated above.

If you have an alternate opinion or if you agree with my reflection, please feel free to let me know! Sometimes it takes time to finally examine as many options and/or solutions before finding what seems like it will WORK BEST.

Also if you see some kind of FLAW in my logic or something that I did NOT account for, please feel free to explain and share your wisdom.

Cheers.

questccg
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Also ...

Please note that I have ADDED a "1st Player" Pawn/Token. This is because the turn order is to be a bit VARIED in that when you START the game, the First Player gets the "1st Player" Pawn/Token. He/she must place the "Bandit" and pay for the position in the ROUND. Players on their turn may OPT to MOVE the "Bandit" to another location (Development card) but will also need to PAY in order to do this.

Once ALL Players have had a TURN, the "1st Player" Pawn/Token is passed to the Second Player (who now must also choose where to place the "Bandit" also) and then the players go around until the First Player plays (who is now LAST in terms of turn-order). So you go from 1st to Last from the 1st ROUND to the 2nd ROUND. And so-forth...

This messes a bit with the USUAL "Turn-Order" because it creates an interesting DYNAMIC in that play is more varied and that has an impact on how the "Bandit" will MOVE/Play.

In any case, we'll have to wait and see how this all works out. I feel very POSITIVE that could be an exciting way to play the game and it feels more LOGICAL IMHO. But playtesting at home will determine if this "1st Player" Pawn/Token is really necessary...

From my current perspective: "Yes it is...!"

questccg
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I got the Chessex dice for the Expansion...

I bought 20 Red, Green, Blue, and Black Standard Rounded D6s from Chessex. I know they are the BEST possible QUALITY you can get. They're about $0.50 USD each and that means about $2.50 USD and I have a bunch of White Dice to add to this which is just laying around and I want to rid myself of those extra dice.

But they're Chessex dice... Not crappy imports.

I also am waiting for the "Bandit" Pawns and the "1st Player" Pawns... Should arrive and be shipped at the SAME time (from the looks of matters as they are TODAY) seeing that's what the "Tracking" is telling me. I'm getting them imported from China and should arrive sometime EARLY December (Dec. 4 or 5).

Those imported Pawns (they look pretty cool too...) cost me $0.10 USD each. So a $0.20 USD cost to add to the wholesale price (or something like that). Whatever... I'm trying to get some in-flux on this product (Expansion). I may decide to partner to produce and make these IF they sell properly ... We'll have to wait and see. For sure there are LESS moving parts than "TradeWorlds" and I sort want to move forwards with something COOL that Gamers LIKE...

The arrival of the Pawns should coincide with the delivery of the TGC prototype which has NO DICE or PAWNS ... So I'll have everything ready for the prototype and give it a bunch of individual playtests to see how the game plays and if the NEW "Expansion" adds to the FUN of playing "Splendor".

Will keep you all informed as things move forwards.

Cheers all!

Note #1: IDK how(?) this will work... Because I cannot offer WHOLESALE pricing to stores and I'm not making any reasonable percentage. But the goal will be to come to some kind of compromise once I get the FINAL pricing for 20 Games Boxes. The idea is to sell 20 copies across a few stores.

I've got three (3) stores in-mind ... In and around the Island.

These are people that can give me a fair shake in an Event on a weekend day.

Like I said, maybe get some REVIEWS for the "Expansion" like 20-or so... And squeak-out a couple bucks in the process. We'll have to wait and see how things move forwards.

We'll see ... I have some ideas... TBD. I've checked ONE (1) store and it says $49.99 CAD but is "out-of-stock"... So we'll have to see because Amazon.ca has the game at $59.98 CAD. And so I'll have to determine how much SHIPPING will cost for ALL 20 copies.

The savings are good from TGC ... But I think I'll land-up with $0.00 as my PROFIT :-( Why? Well when you add all the extra costs to sell for example on Amazon.ca ... There's no monies to be made because production costs are too expensive.

But we'll see... I don't think I can SELL on "Amazon.ca" but I think I can maybe work something out (in-stores)! We'll have to wait and see. Maybe. Just maybe. Let's see how things evolve.

Many thanks!

questccg
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Added interaction between the "Prospectors" and the "Bandit"

I'm thinking that I want there to be some kind of "LOTTERY" Mechanism for the "Bandit" and during each ROUND the "1st Player" is the "Bandit" and maybe gets to ROLL for capturing the "Bandit". MAYBE(!)

Maybe using 1D12, you ROLL the Polyhedral Dice ONCE per Player's Turn during the ROUND to "capture the Bandit" and score yourself a FREE Development card...

I call it because it's a LUCK(?) ROLL which allows you to SCORE the card being off-limits to the players.

I'm just trying to get some MORE "Meat" on the Mechanism... I am currently NOT "advertising" the "Bandit" and the therefore am working on this (as you all well know) in PRIVATE. But clearly some kind of "Chance" Mechanism with a 1:12 odds of successfully rolling the value. I guess the odds are 4:12 or 1:3 which seems like BETTER odds (TBH).

This is a very LUCK-DRIVEN Mechanism ... That's why I called it a "LOTTERY" Mechanism. Because you a LUCK-OUT and score a FREE card. This causes an effect in making the player positioning the "Bandit" to ROLL a 1D12 with EQUAL ODDS (all values have a 1:12 chance - even odds).

I'm not sure... I'm just thinking about things a bit more and see WHAT(?) could be added to the "Bandit" to make him more WORTHWHILE. The addition of ONE (1) Polyhedral D12 dice is about $1.50 CAD... Fnck that is expensive... 200 and the price drop to $0.30 each. Man ... I don't want to buy that MANY D12s because I would have little to no USE for them.

I had like 50 White Standard D6s ... But those I found a use for them. The D12s would be limited in terms of usage.

Sincerely.

questccg
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The "Sheriff" and the "Bandit"

Also I have been thinking about using TWO (2) PAWNS in a bit of some kind of "Sheriff" to CHASE and CAPTURE the "Bandit" ... This is something NEW and I've got to THINK about it some more. I am thinking about USING my "Dual Dice" in this context.

Quote:
You roll the "Dual Dice" and the TOP Value is the amount of positions that the "Sheriff" may MOVE and the BOTTOM Value is the amount of positions that the "Bandit" may MOVE.

This is very much a EARLY and/or embryonic idea... And let me work on the LOGIC and the outcomes:

A> 1:0 (the "Sheriff" gets to move ONE space)
B> 1:1 (BOTH Pawns get to move ONE Space)
C> 2:1 (the "Sheriff" gets to move TWO spaces and the "Bandit" ONE)
D> 2:2 (BOTH Pawns get to move TWO spaces)
E> 3:2 (the "Sheriff" gets to move THREE spaces and the "Bandit" TWO)
F> 3:3 (BOTH Pawns get to move THREE spaces)

This could be AWESOME and MAYBE(!) work. This could be a "mini" game within the "Prospector" Expansion. This definitely gives the "Dual Dice" a PURPOSE!

I think this could actually be interesting but I NEED to make it a bit SIMPLER to HOW(?) to ROLL and MOVE the two (2) Pawns.

More thought needs to be given to this REALLY NEAT and COOL IDEA! I will continue to PONDER this ... But it might/could WORK.

TBD.

Note #1: Okay so I purchased 100 White and 100 Black Bingo Chips and then the order will be "Sheriff" and then the "Bandit". The "Sheriff" has a bit better odds but if the "Bandit" captures the "Sheriff" the board is reset and neither player gets anything.

If however the "Sheriff" captures the "Bandit", the winning player gets to collect a Gem Token of his/her choice (independent on what card the capture was made on). However it cannot be a Gold Token (must be a gem).

Like I said, it's a bit of a MINI game... It's maybe a LIGHT hearted and FUN little game of "cat & mouse" and the reward is not too overpowering and the reset is also not something to worry about.

Something SIMPLE but "interesting"...

questccg
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I am thinking that such a MINI game is "too complex"...

What I mean by "too complex" is that it takes away from the SET COLLECTING mechanism of "Splendor". While it could be cool to have a MINI game ... I am thinking that it is perhaps best to LIMIT the interaction with the "Bandit".

My thinking goes as follows:

A> Have one (1) Black the "Bandit" Pawn.
B> Have one (1) Black D12 polyhedral dice.
C> Roll & move the "Bandit" as per the result of the roll.

So you wouldn't choose his position... At the start of each TURN, you ROLL the D12 and place it at that position. This would result in either GOOD or BAD luck seeing as you would want to not land on the card that you would want to acquire on that turn. The game is simple, adding the "Bandit" needs to be simple too.

And 1D12 is equal odds for all values and is easier to comprehend in terms of roll & move results. There doesn't need to be MORE rules than that TBH.

So basically it boils down to:

A> At the END of their turn, players ROLL 1D12.
B> The "Bandit" is moved from his current location to that location.
C> The player's turn ends and then the next player may play.
D> At the END of their turn, repeat from item "A".

I'm still NOT sold on this either. I'm not sure TBH... The "mini" game is just "too complex" and I don't want to DUMB down the "Bandit" role.

It would be like something SIMPLE:

A> A player may NOT acquire any card if the "Bandit" is placed on it.

I think this is the BEST reason for the "Bandit" and it is SIMPLE enough that it won't take PAGES upon PAGES to explain HOW(?) to play a mini game within the "core" game.

Secondly ... Do we really NEED a "mini" game to DETRACT from the main focus of the game??? I think probably not. But rolling a 1D12 and position the "Bandit" in that location is sufficiently SIMPLE enough that it COULD hamper a player or two during a game ... But not always.

Lastly is the 1D12 REQUIRED??? Do we really NEED this dice or can the "Bandit" be MORE strategic and up to each player to MOVE the "Bandit" if required. I am going around in-circles I believe...

All I REALLY need is the "Black" Pawn (for the "Bandit") and then when you move the "Bandit" to a location ON YOUR TURN (if you WANT to), you must PAY the Gem Token of the NEW location of the moved "Bandit". If you don't have that Gem Token... You CANNOT move him to that position in the area of play.

So MOVING "costs" something and the FIRST player chooses to PLACE the "Bandit" on any given card for FREE (Turn #1). From that point moving forwards, moving costs "1 Gem Token" (and may be REQUIRED).

I've got some MORE thinking. But some important conclusions:

1> I don't want to spend money on the "Dual Dice".
2> I don't want to add an additional 1D12 polyhedral dice.
3> I want players to PAY for moving the "Bandit".
4> I am UNSURE if this is REQUIRED or OPTIONAL per turn.

I guess that narrows down the field to figuring out HOW(?) to handle the actual movement. I don't want a ROUND mechanic. That's too complicated for nothing. And the PER TURN can be EITHER "required" or "optional".

I want to MESS with player's COLLECTION of Gem Tokens.

So IF you have 3 Gem Tokens: Red, Green, and Blue. You may ONLY move the "Bandit" to ONE of these corresponding Game Tiles. This also means that you CANNOT move the "Bandit" onto "Prospect" cards. That seems cool too...

I need to think about it some more...

Full-circle kinda thing. Don't know anymore...

Regards.

questccg
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After some further analysis today...

I have come to an INTERESTING conclusion:

Quote:
The "Bandit" will be moved ONCE per ROUND (given a Black Chip to the player in control) and that move is FREE. If some other player wants to MOVE him on their TURN, they MUST pay the location given the Gem Token of that Development card...

This means that MOVING to a "Prospect" card is FREE... The "Bandit" loves GOLD but isn't great at mining it! Hehehe.

Moving PER ROUND (and having the "Black" Chip) is FREE also.

Moving PER TURN costs the Development Gem Token at the destination and is FREE for the "Prospect" cards.

All that for something RATHER "simple". DURING your TURN, you MAY "move" the "Bandit" provided you do so AT ANY TIME (and you must be able to pay too)...

This feels like the MOST "Advanced" usage permissible and used for some blocking and/or disputing certain cards in-play.

Still NEED to THINK and see if this is THE BEST possible SOLUTION and/or implementation for the "Bandit".

I will report back later tonight and see where my thinking cap is at!

questccg
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Let me clarify a bit...

Each ROUND one (1) Player will become the "BANDIT" (Black Chip). He can place the "Bandit" in a way to IMPEDE one or more of his opponents. Then on the OTHER players' turns, they can MOVE by paying the "Gem Token" of the Destination card (Development only cannot be a Prospect card) to the "BANDIT" Player (of that ROUND).

This is instead of paying the BANK... This is COOL because it's a bit more STRATEGY in terms of WHERE(?) to place the "Bandit". And WHEN the "Bandit" gets MOVED, then the player pays the "BANDIT" Player...

Why is this so interesting???

Well it make choosing the location more IMPORTANT because you are ANTICIPATING the players moves and choosing the MOST appropriate location to pick.

This is GREAT because there is a REWARD to BEING the "BANDIT" player... And the better the placement, the better the chance that an opponent will PAY that player a Gem Token...!

Something along those lines seems like a GREAT IDEA! Because PLAYERS ASSUME the ROLE of the "BANDIT" and they're the ones that figure out WHO to force to squeeze out a Gem Token or two (2) per ROUND.

I guess one "Black Chip" and one "Black Pawn" will be the ONLY two (2) EXTRAS that will be required. And it's simple to EXPLAIN too.

Anyone have any comments, feedback, suggestions, ideas related to the direction that I am headed on with this "little extra" that goes with this "Prospector" Expansion...

Cheers!

questccg
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Streamlining the "Bandit" and how he will affect the game

Okay so I've probably done the MOST "analysis" for this ASPECT of the game: What will the "Bandit" do(?) and how will he affect the game?"

Quote:
The "Bandit" simply makes that ANY card he is positioned on cannot be acquired and/or reserved. Simple as that.

Pretty simple and makes for a nice Mechanism.

How will players handle the "Bandit"?

Quote:
Once per ROUND, one player gets the "Black" Chip which indicates that during this ROUND that player has the additional ROLE of being the "BANDIT".

As such he/she decides where to PLACE the "Bandit" Pawn and he received the pay for any moving during the ROUND.

Meaning if the "Bandit" is moved to a Development card, that player must PAY the resulting Gem Token and if the "Bandit" is moved to a Prospect card, that player must PAY one Gold Token.

Again simple as pie.

I decided that players COULD move the "Bandit" to a Prospect card but that this would COST a "Gold Token" paid to the player acting as the "BANDIT" that ROUND... It makes sense and now I can keep the addition simple for this EXTRA "Bonus" content. And all it takes is one "Black" Chip and one "Black" Pawn.

Sincerely.

questccg
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A bit of CLARITY (finally)!

Since the "Bandit" has to do with the "Prospector" Expansion, I've decided that ONCE the "Bandit" is played on ANY Development or Prospect Card, to remove the "Bandit" from that card:

Quote:
Payment is the SAME on any card: ONE (1) "Gold Token".

This will make reservation mechanic more important ... Because that's how you EARN a "Gold Token". No Gold = No moving.

Also after the "Bandit" is removed from a Card in Play, the ACTING ROLE PLAYER must place the "Bandit" on another Development or Prospect Card in-play.

And as players continue ... The cost to move is the SAME.

This adds more purpose to the "Gold Tokens" as they act as a form of CURRENCY too! I'm happy with this outcome of behavior as it plays well in terms of the THEME of the "Expansion" too.

As always your thoughts, concerns, feedback, comments all welcomed!

Cheers.

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