Notes from Eighty-third Playtest

Kris, Ryan, Nigel, and Lester. Despite his body language here, Lester won soundly.

Background

This is the first playtest with new players since this latest round of updates, changing the equipment numbers, the amount of disks, and the points on the goals. I taught two new players, and got two of the original playtesters up to speed with the latest changes. I did not play myself, instead I took notes about every play.

Play by Play

Lester

Bought a Sling and a Spear.

Hunter: used a spear to kill a wolf.

Kris

Bought a Pouch and Torch

Gatherer: used the torch on a boar, explored but failed to pick anything up.

Ryan

Bought a Sling and Spear

Hunter: spear fails against Bear, died.

Nigel

Bought a Pouch and Torch

Gatherer: picked up something.

Lester

Hunter: failed to poach rabbit with his sling.

Kris

Gatherer: rolled to live against wolf

Collected plant

Ryan

Re-spawned hunter, bought Sling and Spear.

Hunts wolf with spear, failed and died.

Nigel

Gatherer: explores and gathers a second different plant.

Lester

Hunter: fails to poach (it was a plant), fails to find animal with another explore.

Kris

Gatherer: collects a second plant.

Ryan

Re-spawned his Hunter, buys a Sling and Spear.

Hunts deer with spear, succeeds.

Nigel

Gatherer: used torch on bear, ended turn early for safety.

Lester

Gatherer: picks up plant.

Kris

Gatherer: went home, sold herbs for 6 points.

Ryan

Hunter: sold deer for 12 points.

Nigel

Gatherer: sold berries for 10 points, herbs for 8 points.

Lester

Gatherer: sold nuts for 10 points.

Kris

Hunter: bought club, misses rabbit.

Ryan

Hunter: upgraded Sling to Atatl.

Missed boar, died.

Nigel

Hunter: bought a Bow & 2 Arrows.

Shot bear with bow twice, killing it.

Lester

Scored 15 points for wolf.

Kris

Attempted to hunt a boar with his club, failed and died.

Ryan

Re-spawned gatherer, bought Pouch and Torch.

Gatherer: explores and collects a plant.

Nigel

Buys 2 torches.

Gatherer: collects a plan.

Lester

Hunter: kills boar with spear.

Kris

Re-spawns hunter and buys Bow & Arrow, and a Sling

Hunts and kills a rabbit.

Ryan

Gatherer: finds a non-deadly animal, collects a second plant type.

Nigel

Hunter: found a bear a and shot it with his bow, killing it.

Lester

Sold boar for 15 points.

Kris

Hunted wolf with bow, killed it.

Decided to play it safe and not use sling for his second roll, and rolled a 7 which hit with the bow, but would have missed with the sling.

Ryan

Sold plants for 15 points.

Nigel

Sold nuts for 5 points.

Lester

Bought pouch and torch.

Gatherer: collects a plant.

Kris

Sold wolf for 15 points, rabbit for 7 points.

Ryan

Collects plant

Nigel

Would have liked to swap for a torch for an arrow, but current rules only allow upgrading, not equal value swaps.

Gatherer: found two non-deadly animals.

Lester

Gatherer: collected a second type of plant.

Kris

Bought a torch.

Gatherer: found a non-deadly animal.

Ryan

Bought a Bow & Arrow.

Hunter attacked boar with bow, and killed it.

Nigel 

Gatherer: collected a plant.

Lester

Gatherer: sold berries for 5 points, nuts for 8 points.

Kris

Gatherer: founds non-deadly animal.

Collected a plant.

Ryan

Hunter: sold a boar for 12 points.

Nigel

Gatherer: used a torch to fend off a bear.

Collected a second plant.

Lester

Gatherer: collects a plant.

Kris

Bought Arrows.

Hunter: went after a deer with his bow and killed it.

Ryan

Gatherer: collected a second plant type.

Nigel

Hunter: sold a bear for 10 points.

Lester

Gatherer: sold berries for 8 points.

Kris

Gatherer: sold herbs for 5 points, nuts for 5 points.

Ryan

Bought 2 arrows.

Hunter: Missed a squirrel with his bow.

Nigel

Sold a bear for 15 points.

Lester 

Hunter: missed a squirrel with his sling.

Kris 

Hunter: killed a rabbit with his sling.

Ryan

Gatherer: sold herbs and nuts for 16 points.

Nigel

Gatherer: sold berries for 10 points.

Lester

Hunter: attacked a squirrel with his sling and got it.

Kris

Collects plant

Ryan

Hunter: went after a wolf with with his bow, and got it.

Nigel

Bought arrows and a sling.

Lester

Gatherer: explored twice, doesn't pick anything up.
Triggered end game.

Kris

Hunter: sold a deer for 15 points, and a rabbit for 4 points.

Ryan

Hunter: sold a wolf for 6 points.

Nigel

Hunter: sold a boar for 6 points.

Lester

Hunter: sold a squirrel for 4 points.

Secret Goals 

Kris failed at Pathfinder, Nigel had an equal path.

Ryan wasn't successful at Homebody.

Nigel got 4 points for Isolationist.

Lester couldn't use Copycat because it only works on neighboring players, and Ryan was across the table.

Lester won by correctly assessing the end game, and running out the clock the game before Kris could pull off his master plan.

Conclusion

The consolation prize when a character dies needs adjustment. The rule we've been trying is that you get either 4 points for equipment, or an additional goal, instead of 3 points and a goal. But, even with the more valuable goals, players have not been drawing them. It's too easy to turn 4 points into an atlatl or bow.

I'm considering having characters come back with 2 points and a goal, or else a choice between that option or 4 points. Further playtesting is required.


Another rule I've been debating is the upgrade rule. I think it's great to be able to turn in your starting equipment and purchase something more expensive, but there have been several instances, including in this game, where exchanging for equal value equipment would be a great strategic move. I'll have to playtest that. The quest remains: is it too dangerous to simply allow players to turn any amount of equipment for temporary points, even if that means they might downgrade. Downgrading could be part of a suicide strategy, which I'm trying to keep out of the game. But every rule that gets added to an otherwise tight game puts it in jeopardy, and I might have to lose the whole concept of exchanging equipment. So, more playtesting is required.