i'm so old that i remember when strech goals (monetary ones) used to be tons of free stuff, not just an unlock of content that you can add to your cart (current situation with LoE). all additional content feels like it should be in the game since the beginning
Oh yeah, Lands of Evershade, here are my gripes with this campaign: - Manipulative tactics to push you into the Special Edition. The special edition uses a transparent cover "save system", neatly packs the player board away with all its components snug and intact. The peasant "standard" version forces you to go back to pen-and-paper to record your "save", which COMPLETELY contradicts its original intent of design. If you are forced to use paper-and-pencil, then there's no point in this whole TRPG-to-boardgame conversion in the first place! Sorry for being poor, AR! - Tons of stretch goals that felt like nothing-burgers. The companion app's functions should be part of the main game nevertheless, gets added to SG as though they are some huge additions. Or adding extra pages of item descriptions to the player handbook...are you kidding me? Those are your stretch goals? - Despite the heavy emphasis on character creation (the selling point), people who played the prototype so far already stated that there are not enough uniqueness to the race/class differentiation. This person gets +1 to that stat, while that other person gets +1 to the other stat etc. There are quite a lot of sharing of trait keywords between classes too. Also, the "optimal" build for each class seems really straight-forward right now, "each skill tree" doesn't really encourage that much exploration. - Other than the bosses, there are a real lack of variety in the goons/mobs. I know they said combat isn't the main focus; so enjoy seeing the same mudlings, bandits over and over again with their limited attack movesets (perhaps this may be improved, but again, combat is not the focus, as they say) - Small combat battlefields that most likely wouldn't allow you to see much interesting variety in the conflicts/fights So, yes, as Liege had mentioned in the video. Make sure the narrative aspect of this game is REALLY your jam, otherwise you will really be left wanting. So many red flags.
Absolutely the smartest analysis of pros and cons of crowdfunding specific games. I'm hard to convince after I've made up my mind, but Chris really makes me reconsider for great reasons. Also, the analysis of specific games' cons actually goes a long way to making me reconsider something I've already dismissed.
4:04 ALL of this! It's completely ridiculous to even back this now. Just go for a stroll and come back 2 years from now. It'll still be there. You'll still be able to back. Prices won't have gone up (since it's already ridiculously priced). I mean don't even bother. Yet so many people fell for it.
Chris, you don't know how much I appreciate you bringing me down from FOMO land. I would have bought a lot of games that would have been played once and shelved. Thanks for making me take a step back and think about if I really need it.
Thanks man. I did pickup Fateforge and am going to skip Lands of Evershade until the pledge manager is about to close. 2 years is ridiculous, and it will be longer with the way the world is now. No thanks.
Chris - really great video as always. In particular you have helped me clarify my thoughts on Lands of Evershade. I love the DnD and narrative focus (and skill checks) - however, I don't really understand the combat very well. This is because they don't have the rulebook AND the only combat they show is a really basic tutorial battle (which is not really well explained in terms of mechanics) that honestly looks a bit boring. I am definitely going to wait until more clarity on combat comes out. I feel they pushed this out too early. Sorry to everyone for not joining the "monetary stretch goal" push, but I really blame AR here!
I backed Valheim about a month ago. Won't be out until next year so obviously it could end up a disaster, but so far I have no regrets going all in. My gaming friend also went all in on Lands of Evershade. I don't get the sense he's nervous in the slightest. Finally, I'm currently following and already considering backing Pixels & Polygons, once the campaign goes live. All that said, it's probably good for videos like this to exist and encourage us gamers to slow down just a bit and not go crazy backing 10 different things at once with release dates all 1 year or more away.
One thing about Vestige that you commented on. The goal was not to streamline the gameplay, it is to streamline the experience meaning out of the box you'll have less modules and different ways of playing it. It is a more focused experience on what made Vindication a good game. They also mentioned that one of their focus was to give more depth to the core gameplay loop. The game will not evolve in modularity but with "more stuff" expansions while Vindication expansion was almost always "more modularity". A better comparison would be Terra Mystica and Gaia Project.
Went all-in on Avalon, because I like the theme and am a big fan of area control. Thought about Vestige but decided to pass as I have Vindication and they are basically the same game.
Finally, someone who tells it like it is, and isn't one of the gang of pseudo-reviewers living off of free copies of games that have to receive a favorable review no matter what.
I dropped out of Lands of Evershade. There are too many additions, not convinced of the game is finished. My track record with AW Games has not been good. I will wait and see in 2027 once people have played the game. Even with many videos, I have no idea what type of game is Vestige. I am taking a chance with Tanares Expeditions: Central Sea. I love OG Tanares but what something easier to table for less gamer-oriented friends.
I agree completely. Narrative from board games would make bottom tier books. If the narrative is what you like in a board game, you are better of reading books.
I don’t have a good feeling about all this Tariff talk. I think there may be some turmoil in the crowdfunding world next year. I backed Avalon and dropped it. I backed SAS Heroes and dropped it. I instead picked up SAS Heroes and Cthulhu DMD at retail at good Black Friday prices.
31:38 Terra Nova will always be seen as an inferior version of Terra Mystica… But to me, now that Age of Innovation is out (and yes, there is no question that it came on the shoulders of everything which was developed in Terra Mystica), there is just no reason for me to play Terra Mystica - since AoI is just better in almost every single way - you can now pick your faction and abilities, it is more strategic, there is the books element. It is the quintessential system of all of those games.
Okay so I gotta play something 70 times a year to justify the deluxe version of it. I always wanted a number to justify it. Now.. I probably wont have many deluxified games.
I am backing Clans of Caledonia and Vestige and the upcoming Cthulhu Death May Die. I think these are the 3 games worth the most backing because of their replay value, depth and fun factor. Lands of Evershade would be fourth but my wallet cannot take more campaigns and one of my friend is getting it so I will try to get a seat or buy it when he finished it. I have my doubt for Avalon: The Riven Veil and World Order and the rest doesn't interest me.
I'm so torn on a lot of these... Normally I kinda know. And I'm rarely wrong. Lands of Evershade... I'm probably never going to play D&D with a DM so I was looking at solo TTRPGs and then this project came along. It should be totally up my alley but I'm not sure if there is enough freedom and if there are enough interesting mechanics at play. I'm not getting a good insight into that so, I'm on the fence. Avalon looks amazing, artistically and I love the theme... It's just... I don't know that it's better than my Blood Rage. I would want to buy it almost just for its looks but the play design doesn't grab me. I decided not to go for it. World Order is a game I was super interested in after Hegemony and one of my friends is studying international security so... slam dunk, right? But it seems too lengthy for what it is, and what it is seems less interesting than Hegemony was in terms of representing reality? I'm also less enthused about the (limited) deck building because that has never really worked well for me or my group. And having to read lots of little cards across the table is kind of becoming a pet peeve for me. So I'm leaning to no. Vestige... almost gives me Tribune vibes from Veiled Fate. Yes, a tweak to existing gameplay (Vindication) that could cleverly fix almost every complaint about it. However... No gameplay videos and instead of less dice roll there's a bit more dice rolls... I just don't know. Veterans of Vindication have given fluctuating impressions on the decisions they made on paper. They REALLY need to show us some play. So far out of all these games I'm mostly considering Lands of Evershade and Vestige. But I'm uncertain this time.
Clans of Caledonia is the last dry Euro in my Collection. It will only be replaced by another dry Euro that surpasses it in significant matter.one shouldn't possess two dry Euros nor put too much time in that genre. Don't make the same mistakes that so many board gamers made before.
From what I have heard, CoC is not a dry euro. I saw many people saying that compared to Terra Mystica/Gaia Project/Age of Innovation, you feel the theme when you are playing the game, you can make sense out of what is happening.
i'm so old that i remember when strech goals (monetary ones) used to be tons of free stuff, not just an unlock of content that you can add to your cart (current situation with LoE). all additional content feels like it should be in the game since the beginning
Oh yeah, Lands of Evershade, here are my gripes with this campaign:
- Manipulative tactics to push you into the Special Edition. The special edition uses a transparent cover "save system", neatly packs the player board away with all its components snug and intact. The peasant "standard" version forces you to go back to pen-and-paper to record your "save", which COMPLETELY contradicts its original intent of design. If you are forced to use paper-and-pencil, then there's no point in this whole TRPG-to-boardgame conversion in the first place! Sorry for being poor, AR!
- Tons of stretch goals that felt like nothing-burgers. The companion app's functions should be part of the main game nevertheless, gets added to SG as though they are some huge additions. Or adding extra pages of item descriptions to the player handbook...are you kidding me? Those are your stretch goals?
- Despite the heavy emphasis on character creation (the selling point), people who played the prototype so far already stated that there are not enough uniqueness to the race/class differentiation. This person gets +1 to that stat, while that other person gets +1 to the other stat etc. There are quite a lot of sharing of trait keywords between classes too. Also, the "optimal" build for each class seems really straight-forward right now, "each skill tree" doesn't really encourage that much exploration.
- Other than the bosses, there are a real lack of variety in the goons/mobs. I know they said combat isn't the main focus; so enjoy seeing the same mudlings, bandits over and over again with their limited attack movesets (perhaps this may be improved, but again, combat is not the focus, as they say)
- Small combat battlefields that most likely wouldn't allow you to see much interesting variety in the conflicts/fights
So, yes, as Liege had mentioned in the video. Make sure the narrative aspect of this game is REALLY your jam, otherwise you will really be left wanting. So many red flags.
Absolutely the smartest analysis of pros and cons of crowdfunding specific games. I'm hard to convince after I've made up my mind, but Chris really makes me reconsider for great reasons. Also, the analysis of specific games' cons actually goes a long way to making me reconsider something I've already dismissed.
4:04 ALL of this! It's completely ridiculous to even back this now. Just go for a stroll and come back 2 years from now. It'll still be there. You'll still be able to back. Prices won't have gone up (since it's already ridiculously priced). I mean don't even bother. Yet so many people fell for it.
Chris, you don't know how much I appreciate you bringing me down from FOMO land. I would have bought a lot of games that would have been played once and shelved. Thanks for making me take a step back and think about if I really need it.
You're awesome - Thanks for your arguments, I was hesitant with Lands of Evershades. It will be a pass. Also a pass on Vestige. Thanks again!
Thanks man. I did pickup Fateforge and am going to skip Lands of Evershade until the pledge manager is about to close. 2 years is ridiculous, and it will be longer with the way the world is now. No thanks.
Chris - really great video as always. In particular you have helped me clarify my thoughts on Lands of Evershade. I love the DnD and narrative focus (and skill checks) - however, I don't really understand the combat very well. This is because they don't have the rulebook AND the only combat they show is a really basic tutorial battle (which is not really well explained in terms of mechanics) that honestly looks a bit boring. I am definitely going to wait until more clarity on combat comes out. I feel they pushed this out too early. Sorry to everyone for not joining the "monetary stretch goal" push, but I really blame AR here!
I backed Valheim about a month ago. Won't be out until next year so obviously it could end up a disaster, but so far I have no regrets going all in.
My gaming friend also went all in on Lands of Evershade. I don't get the sense he's nervous in the slightest.
Finally, I'm currently following and already considering backing Pixels & Polygons, once the campaign goes live.
All that said, it's probably good for videos like this to exist and encourage us gamers to slow down just a bit and not go crazy backing 10 different things at once with release dates all 1 year or more away.
One thing about Vestige that you commented on. The goal was not to streamline the gameplay, it is to streamline the experience meaning out of the box you'll have less modules and different ways of playing it. It is a more focused experience on what made Vindication a good game. They also mentioned that one of their focus was to give more depth to the core gameplay loop. The game will not evolve in modularity but with "more stuff" expansions while Vindication expansion was almost always "more modularity". A better comparison would be Terra Mystica and Gaia Project.
Went all-in on Avalon, because I like the theme and am a big fan of area control. Thought about Vestige but decided to pass as I have Vindication and they are basically the same game.
Finally, someone who tells it like it is, and isn't one of the gang of pseudo-reviewers living off of free copies of games that have to receive a favorable review no matter what.
29:52 The question shouldn’t be whether it is “better”, but whether it is “better for you”…
I dropped out of Lands of Evershade. There are too many additions, not convinced of the game is finished. My track record with AW Games has not been good. I will wait and see in 2027 once people have played the game. Even with many videos, I have no idea what type of game is Vestige. I am taking a chance with Tanares Expeditions: Central Sea. I love OG Tanares but what something easier to table for less gamer-oriented friends.
Thanks for the opinion, Chris. I've been very interested in Lands of Evershade, but can't justify buying something that is two years out...
Vestige says it streamlines the game then offer a bunch of expansions. Its a massive reskin of vindication with a few tweeks. 1.2 version.
I agree completely. Narrative from board games would make bottom tier books. If the narrative is what you like in a board game, you are better of reading books.
World order is the only 1 im backing after playing the prototype at a con.
I dont know if I misunderstood you, or you got it wrong. The acrylics pack from AR for Evershade is only the tokens, not the charakters.
I don’t have a good feeling about all this Tariff talk. I think there may be some turmoil in the crowdfunding world next year. I backed Avalon and dropped it. I backed SAS Heroes and dropped it. I instead picked up SAS Heroes and Cthulhu DMD at retail at good Black Friday prices.
Trying to decide after watching this if I want to pull out of Evershade 🤔
Some spot on takes here.
31:38 Terra Nova will always be seen as an inferior version of Terra Mystica…
But to me, now that Age of Innovation is out (and yes, there is no question that it came on the shoulders of everything which was developed in Terra Mystica), there is just no reason for me to play Terra Mystica - since AoI is just better in almost every single way - you can now pick your faction and abilities, it is more strategic, there is the books element. It is the quintessential system of all of those games.
Okay so I gotta play something 70 times a year to justify the deluxe version of it. I always wanted a number to justify it. Now.. I probably wont have many deluxified games.
I am backing Clans of Caledonia and Vestige and the upcoming Cthulhu Death May Die. I think these are the 3 games worth the most backing because of their replay value, depth and fun factor. Lands of Evershade would be fourth but my wallet cannot take more campaigns and one of my friend is getting it so I will try to get a seat or buy it when he finished it. I have my doubt for Avalon: The Riven Veil and World Order and the rest doesn't interest me.
Saving my money this month. Going to blow it all on S5 C:DmD and Enormity probably.
I'm so torn on a lot of these...
Normally I kinda know.
And I'm rarely wrong.
Lands of Evershade... I'm probably never going to play D&D with a DM so I was looking at solo TTRPGs and then this project came along. It should be totally up my alley but I'm not sure if there is enough freedom and if there are enough interesting mechanics at play. I'm not getting a good insight into that so, I'm on the fence.
Avalon looks amazing, artistically and I love the theme... It's just... I don't know that it's better than my Blood Rage. I would want to buy it almost just for its looks but the play design doesn't grab me. I decided not to go for it.
World Order is a game I was super interested in after Hegemony and one of my friends is studying international security so... slam dunk, right? But it seems too lengthy for what it is, and what it is seems less interesting than Hegemony was in terms of representing reality? I'm also less enthused about the (limited) deck building because that has never really worked well for me or my group. And having to read lots of little cards across the table is kind of becoming a pet peeve for me. So I'm leaning to no.
Vestige... almost gives me Tribune vibes from Veiled Fate. Yes, a tweak to existing gameplay (Vindication) that could cleverly fix almost every complaint about it. However... No gameplay videos and instead of less dice roll there's a bit more dice rolls... I just don't know. Veterans of Vindication have given fluctuating impressions on the decisions they made on paper. They REALLY need to show us some play.
So far out of all these games I'm mostly considering Lands of Evershade and Vestige. But I'm uncertain this time.
Avalon is a must; rest can be a pass. quite curious how enormity will look once fully presented.
No Back November Completed
Avalon is all in af. Since Wonderlands War, no game has hyped me so much and fit my taste so well. It's wild.
Top 10 games I should have backed but didn’t. 🤔. Chris? LOL
Don't back it!
But western legends!!! 😢
The big box campaign left me with a super bad taste of mouth
Clans of Caledonia is the last dry Euro in my Collection. It will only be replaced by another dry Euro that surpasses it in significant matter.one shouldn't possess two dry Euros nor put too much time in that genre. Don't make the same mistakes that so many board gamers made before.
Bruh you can have more than one dry euro in a collection lol
From what I have heard, CoC is not a dry euro. I saw many people saying that compared to Terra Mystica/Gaia Project/Age of Innovation, you feel the theme when you are playing the game, you can make sense out of what is happening.
@@Exozik CoC isn't abstract, it doesn't drip with theme either. It is the best game that I have played in the "turn-ressources-into-vp" segment.
@@Daniel_Piccirillo Great!