[GB] Playtest? 2-17-18

[Eliahad]

Anyone up for a playtest tomorrow evening? This time with a single joint boons and curses deck. The usual 7:30 MST with whoever can make it?

[FlameBlade]

And conditions for goals?

Likely in.

[Eliahad]

We'll see who is available? If we get a score quickly, we can try one or two. So, shared goals, but one per Hero once, and then a 'defended' goal version after that.

Try Mike's Goal area idea for sure.

[Mike]

Maybe in. Maybe.

[Bluedevyl]

I'm in.

[Wowie]

Might make it.

[Eliahad]

Awesome! I will jump on around 7 MST, and we can start with whomever is there at 7:30.

[Mike]

Okay... It was a choice between Godball and Black Panther.

Godball lost. Have fun without me.

[Eliahad]

Wow, Mike. Wow. Did you bring enough Black Panther for the rest of us?

[Mike]

MoviePass!

[Eliahad]

Played a 2v2v2 game with Flame, Bluedevyl and myself.

Things Learned:

Boons and Curses are wonderful! Even without having Special Powers, the Heroes start to feel unique in a positive way.

Throwing the ball into the goal speeds up play considerably We had 2 goals scored in 5 turns. The 3rd one is taking longer.

Shared goals are a nice dynamic.

Team play is potent. It will be interesting to see how boons and curses and shared goals affect FFA. I think it will be a positive thing.

The Intercept Rules need to change. Current Patch is: 2 HP to Intercept if the path of the ball passes through your hex, or the side of your hex. 3 HP if it travels through an adjacent hex.

We should start with 5 HP for everyone instead of 6.

Rule Change: If you are in the same hex as another Hero, you can't take any other Hero Action besides sprint.

Rule addendum: You may stand in the goal area, you may not, however, prevent a score by standing in the goal area.

Rule addendum: If the ball enters a goal area in an uncontrolled way, no one gets the bonus points, it counts as 1 point for everyone who's goal it is.

It's still broken in some ways, but adding the cards back in sped up the game in a good, positive way. And opened up the scoring as we thought it might.

[FlameBlade]

Just pointing out -- soon as E scored, I immediately kicked ball to Andrew, and Andrew scored right from there, while Achilles occupied the center hex---essentially becoming *the* godball.

Then E shoved Achilles (because he's so tired) 2 hexes thanks to the boon, towards Andrew's goal...

It's clear that the dimension of the game has opened up quite a bit with curses/boons. You will want to throw out GP as much as you can, load up your heroes with whatever, or burden others'...or kill certain boons if necessary. Lots of good stuff going on.

Also, reason for starting with 5 hp (which was my suggestion) -- opening round: refresh, move 1 hex, rest gives you 2 hex. Then next round -- refresh. If starting at 6, that refresh becomes wasted. If starting at 5, not wasted, so becomes much more strategic, and the difference between going slow and fast becomes considerable, as slower heroes will be at 8 hp, and faster heroes would be at 5 hp (after refresh) -- instead of 6.

[FlameBlade]

Also, Mike, you missed out.

[FlameBlade]

Finally, missing from discussion is what happens after someone scores a goal.

Since it was the first time someone scored in those playtests, twice no less! We were totally unsure how to "reset" and settled on returning godball to center, keeping where everyone was, along with boons and curses.

[Eliahad]

5 HP start is just fine.

I really like just resetting the ball and keeping play going. That way if you feel out of play, you're immediately back /in/ play and probably in charge.

The Intercept rules are going to be an important change.

I just realized that we're going to run into some issues when we add terrain back in. At least, I think we are. With being able to score 2 hexes from a goal area (for now) we will still be bunched up,-ish in the middle. The terrain is going to bunch up there, too. Of course, I could be wrong, once Andrew, as a defender, threw the ball out to the side, the whole board was going to open up again. Nevermind, more testing!

This iteration, Mike, is one that we should test the crap out of. I think this will give us a good idea of scoring conditions and feel before we add in the rest of the God Powers.

[Mike]

I am SO jealous!

I am NEVER doing stuff with my stupid family again. Stupid family.

[Eliahad]

Next time, Mike! NEXT TIME!

(Thought: We didn't make enough use of Grab. I think it's going to have a bigger effect than we think. Also, force fumble IS more useful than Flame thinks -- Ha ha! -- because it can stop someone from throwing. That's huge.)

[Bluedevyl]

I do think that with the ability to throw the ball through the goal, grabbing is going to be much more common. I think that in terms of this weekend's test game, we didnt do as much of it because we were all playing two heroes, so, at least for me, I was thinking more in terms of "how can I get the ball to Percy" or "can I legitimately play keeper, or is this a waste of Circe?"

I think in a 6 player scrum, we'd likely see a lot more of it.

That having been said, I think that the defending player determining the landing spot for a fumble is the right way to go. It makes the FF boon where the attacker determines it REALLY good, but I think if the blanket rule said that the attacker determined, we'd likely see grabbing rarely used... FF would almost always be strictly better.