Since it popped on to my radar 6 months ago, I've wanted to play Brass. I've wanted to play it so much I've listened to several podcasts about it (links below), checked out the free online version (almost impossible to contemplate until you've played it in the flesh), and generally talked myself in to buying it. And then the long, hard slog of persuading all you other chaps to play. You have been rightfully ambivalent — we have, between us, more than enough games that deserve deeper exploration than we can give them; why add another, and a behemoth at that, to the list of games tried but not fully explored? It's true, it's the cult of the new, and it's my little problem, one I will try and keep under control. From now on.
So was it worth it? Hmm . . . Adam said afterwards "I think I enjoyed that." Andrew said, during the game "This is good, but those rules. Really." And did it live up to my expectations? A guest on Mark Johnson's excellent All about Brass podcast said "if you play Brass once, and you don't hate it, you should definitely play a few more times". I'd like to play again, but it's not really tuesday night friendly. I know we were learning, but still — we started bang on 7.30pm, and packed up at nearly midnight. And it's not fun fun like some games — it's mature, serious, thoughtful stuff. I explained this to Charlotte afterwards, and she said "please say you'll never make me play it."
It is a game that plays well online (I have played and lost twice online), so sign up and say the word, I'll be there in an instant. And thanks to Adam and Andrew for indulging me, it wasn't horrible, right? - JB
Oh, and the scores:
Joe 177
Adam 169
Andrew 140
Further reading/listening/playing:
It was... interesting. I thought I was doing quite well, but ended up in last place. But the difference between an Industry card and Location card should be more obvious - even a little diagram on the card itself or something. Curse you, Martin Wallace. You should've seen that in play-testing.
ReplyDeleteOh, and the phrase "tech level" is far too modern, and should be substituted for something more in period such as "facilitation gradient".
Once you get your head round it the difference between industry and city cards is pretty straightforward. If you think of it as a deck of city cards, but if you don't have the city card you want, you have the industry cards as a more restrictive back up.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I do think would be a worthy addition would be a card that goes in to the bottom of the deck announcing the last round in which you can take loans, as that did creep up on us last night.