Disk Wars: is it good?
Peter D Bakija
>>So without getting into a discussion of the evils of collectibility can
people
tell me whether the game is any good. Specifically, 1) what makes the game
good, 2) does it have much replay value, 3) where does the strategy come in?>>
What makes the game good:
-The rules are simple and pretty clean.
-The design is clever--missle fire is done by dropping missle counters on the
table; disks move by flipping over, so the biger ones are faster; You can
protect unit X from missle fire by putting unit Y on top of it, for example.
-It is pretty quick to set up and play.
-You can fit whole armies in a small box.
-Good for pick up gaming.
-The counters are attracive.
-It is inexpensive--I have managed to build a fairly strong Orc army by
spending 40 bucks (a reasonable amount to spend on a game) and trading. Yes,
the collectability aspect becomes an issue if you are trying to amass every
disk in the game, but if you are trying to build a specific army, you can
easily get the "fixed" units in the starter boxes, and trading for extra stuff
is *very* easy.
-It has a very low "randomosity" element--there are no dice to roll.
Does it have much replay value:
Depends on what you like about a given game. Disk Wars is *not* a strategy
board game in the vein of Civilization/Titan/Samurai, and if that is what you
like in a game, you might find DW to be kind of silly. What DW is, on the other
hand, is a tabletop miniatures game, like War Hammer or some sort of historical
Minis game (Napoleonics?), and as such, has the same strategy, tactics, and
replay value of any Miniatures war game--moving units around a table, trying to
get better odds than your opponents, getting your missle units in range, etc.
The replay value comes in through playing out a scenario, getting your butt
kicked, and then saying "Hmm, how do I better maximize my forces to do better
next game?"
Where does the strategy come in:
Again, DW is basically a tabletop miniatures game. If you have no experience
with playing miniatures, DW is a good way to get involved and see what is is
like. The strategy comes in through designing your army (maximizing unit points
spent; building an army that works well together; covering deficiencies;
picking the right mix of spells and spell casters; building an army that works
well for a particular scenario) and utilizing that army against your opponent
to your best advantage. Movment on the table is very important, as is
manuvering spellcasters, getting the most out of your missle units, and how you
arrange your forces. Again, DW works just like a Miniatures game, but without
the hassle (or draw, as the case may be) of having to paint all those little
guys, and for *much* less money.
Peter D Bakija
PD...@aol.com
"You said that love's never kind.
I memorize these lines, practice them every night."
-Sleater/Kinney
Scott Woodard
OK, I make one exception: "Austin Powers," which I find to be great fun! I
have never tainted my palms with a hand of MtG cards (my apologies to avid
players) and I likely never will. The thought of getting involved in a
"game" that focuses on number crunching and how much one spends to acquire a
certain rare card that can F%&$ your opponent over, turns my stomach...
When I first heard about DiskWars, though, I was intrigued. I've always had
an interest in table-top miniature wargames, but never the cash to invest in
it. Along comes this little company with a neat little idea... Cardboard
disks in place of metal miniatures! An unmarked generic table-top as the
battlefield! Complete armies for only $10.00 (significantly less if
purchased on-line)! I had to check it out!!!
I went to my local gaming store (The Last Grenadier, located in beautiful
downtown Burbank, CA) and picked up three armies (one for myself and two
friends who were also interested in the game) and we sat down one afternoon
to examine the contents.
Within an hour, we were playing our first game and we all loved it!
Extremely simple rules that are very easy to understand and implement,
attractive design and artwork, clever packaging, etc. I love this little
game!!!
Like previous posters, I will probably pick-up a few more boxes over the
next few months, but I certainly have no intention of purchasing ALL of the
supplements. We're still having a blast with just the few boxes I bought on
that first day!!!
For those of you who might not wish to get involved with the game because
you despise the whole collectibilty aspects of it, understand that DiskWars
was designed and put out to make money. Nobody (with very few exceptions)
releases a game NOT to make some cash. In the case of DiskWars, one can
enjoy the game for a very small initial investment and if you decide that
you want to expand some day, plop down another 10-bucks and pick-up another
box!
I give DiskWars a big fat "disky" thumbs-up!
Scott Alan Woodard
ogm...@earthlink.net
Peter D Bakija <pd...@aol.comANTISPAM> wrote in message
news:20000111105055...@ng-co1.aol.com...