Really thorough analysis Chris, thank you so much for taking the time to make this huge video. I'm really glad you liked the game, we worked really hard to hit the elements you talked about (accessibility, streamlining, making sure every element is there for a reason) and I'm glad you liked those things! EDIT: also it's 50 dollars
@@CarbonBallas Eric and I are friends, we met on Twitter, and he asked me to co design mass effect with him cause he knows I like mass effect and he liked my designs that I showed him in the past. i spent 5 years doing board games content creation and writing and 5 years doing rulebooks and misc writing and consultation, so that's my background. mass effect is my first published design. I've written for twilight imperium and netrunner in the past.
I'm glad you mentioned Nemesis Chris. I helped demo that game at Dice Tower West earlier this year and all I could think during those four days was: THIS GAME NEEDS TO BE STREAMLINED. I thought it over and over again, and in my mind I said: They need Eric Lang to edit this. The best part of Eric's designs in terms of Streamlining is that they never suffer from lack of depth. For some reason Awaken Realms, creates great games, but simply can't streamline their damn games. Okay. Just wanted to say that Chris!
Chris, thanks for the detailed review. You packed a ton of great information into 50 minutes. The design of the game looks amazing and it has a useful insert for storing everything. Also the game is $50 that seems like a good value these days. My only hesitation, is how many of these types of games do I need? You've given us all a lot to think about.
Haven't played any of these, but I was thinking of combining "Mass Effect" with "Rogue Angels", or combine it with "5 Parsecs from Home", though in that case get several sets of the other miniature-sets
Enjoyed the review, this game is a disappointing pass for me as a huge Mass Effect fan. Pros for me 1. Spiral bound book for the maps Neither Pro nor Con 2. Gameplay Cons: 1. Tokens for enemies instead of standees. 2. Dry erase always looks messy. 3. Player & campaign boards large and sparse, would like smaller with cards for abilities. no need to have abilities not chosen on the table. 4. Scope is to small Mass Effect is an epic sci-fi opera. would be 1 and done I think. 5. Victory point game for solo and co-op is not something I enjoy.
It just seems that they didn't care to make this epic IP, epic. They focused too much on the word "streamlined" at the expense of depth. To me, it looks like just another $40 adventure/rpg game. If this didn't have the ME name to it, I wouldn't even look twice at it. Additional Cons (for me): 6) Player boards being sheets. 7) Being forced into playing 4 characters (regardless of how "easy" it is to manage). 8) Ya, I better stop...
If you want something more epic or driven by a ME substance narrative, you should find Rogue Angels, they talk about how ME was an inspiration for the vibes and character development for that game. I love what I have seen so far.
@@TryingDifference Thanks for the suggestion. I checked put Rogue Angel's and I am going to get it. They still have late pledge open until September 30.
Ooh... Sounds cool, though I'm not a super big fan of 'I go, the game goes, I go, the game goes.' I'm actually impressed and more excited about games that manage to avoid that feeling a bit.
I was so excited when I heard a ME boardgame announced and designed by one of my favorite developers. Then found it was a small straight to retail game and immediately that excitement went away. This IP deserves to have the whole crowdfunding treatment. Loads of characters, enemies, branching epic story with deep decisions based on your choices etc… I know some people are sick of the bloated expensive crowdfunding experience but this game would have been amazing at 250-400 for a massive all in with all the bells and whistles we get with this type of game.
You might be able to combine this with "Rogue Angels", or even better, with "5 Parsecs from Home", but get several sets from the miniatures. I do hope there will be more missions & other miniatures, including an mission-editor of kind, so you can create your own story, maybe from the other videogames.
Have you ever played mass effect the video games? Of course their skills are different. Liara is bio, tali is tech, wrex is a wrecking ball, garris is sniper. And Shepard is always player choice. Missions always had multiple characters. Solo as just one character would have not been thematic. You are excited that it all fits in a small box. I’m not. It just tells me that this should have been kickstarted so we could have more. Streamlined for an epic space opera doesn’t make sense. Mass effect should be like iss vanguard. There should be a ship phase with decisions there in between missions. And it was about relationships with your crew which is why I am happy to see loyalty missions. I know I am asking for more…but this looks like it was streamlined too much. Also, not a fan of player sheets. It means mixing and matching skills for replay ability is gone.
Enemies randomly spawn? Shepard is the only character that can unlock a door....why Table space hog You can see enemy types but they will only activate when you choose to make them - surely these should be unknown enemy. No Mass Effect style / atmosphere / Cheap components and massively overpriced resin minis Glad I watched your review, I'll be giving this a wide berth
Can you tell me more about Eric Lang? I own and played some of the games he helped make, and this is a first for me to see the comment section talk negative about him. I personally don't know much about him other than what games he took part of.
Really thorough analysis Chris, thank you so much for taking the time to make this huge video. I'm really glad you liked the game, we worked really hard to hit the elements you talked about (accessibility, streamlining, making sure every element is there for a reason) and I'm glad you liked those things!
EDIT: also it's 50 dollars
How did you get started in game design Calvin?
@@CarbonBallas Eric and I are friends, we met on Twitter, and he asked me to co design mass effect with him cause he knows I like mass effect and he liked my designs that I showed him in the past. i spent 5 years doing board games content creation and writing and 5 years doing rulebooks and misc writing and consultation, so that's my background. mass effect is my first published design. I've written for twilight imperium and netrunner in the past.
:)
I'm glad you mentioned Nemesis Chris. I helped demo that game at Dice Tower West earlier this year and all I could think during those four days was: THIS GAME NEEDS TO BE STREAMLINED. I thought it over and over again, and in my mind I said: They need Eric Lang to edit this. The best part of Eric's designs in terms of Streamlining is that they never suffer from lack of depth. For some reason Awaken Realms, creates great games, but simply can't streamline their damn games. Okay. Just wanted to say that Chris!
Thanks!
Chris, thanks for the detailed review. You packed a ton of great information into 50 minutes. The design of the game looks amazing and it has a useful insert for storing everything. Also the game is $50 that seems like a good value these days. My only hesitation, is how many of these types of games do I need? You've given us all a lot to think about.
That IS the main question! How Many??? :)
If you want to play Mass Effect just go for Rogue Angels.
I personally rather Mass Effect characters.
Second on that! Can't wait for my copy :D
Why not both? I already kickstarted Rogue Angels but there's just no way I can resist a Mass Effect board game.
Haven't played any of these, but I was thinking of combining "Mass Effect" with "Rogue Angels", or combine it with "5 Parsecs from Home", though in that case get several sets of the other miniature-sets
Get a voice recording of Jennifer Hale saying "I'm commander Shepard and Rogue Angels is my favorite board game on the Citadel" and I'll consider it.
Enjoyed the review, this game is a disappointing pass for me as a huge Mass Effect fan.
Pros for me
1. Spiral bound book for the maps
Neither Pro nor Con
2. Gameplay
Cons:
1. Tokens for enemies instead of standees.
2. Dry erase always looks messy.
3. Player & campaign boards large and sparse, would like smaller with cards for abilities. no need to have abilities not chosen on the table.
4. Scope is to small Mass Effect is an epic sci-fi opera. would be 1 and done I think.
5. Victory point game for solo and co-op is not something I enjoy.
It just seems that they didn't care to make this epic IP, epic. They focused too much on the word "streamlined" at the expense of depth. To me, it looks like just another $40 adventure/rpg game. If this didn't have the ME name to it, I wouldn't even look twice at it.
Additional Cons (for me):
6) Player boards being sheets.
7) Being forced into playing 4 characters (regardless of how "easy" it is to manage).
8) Ya, I better stop...
If you want something more epic or driven by a ME substance narrative, you should find Rogue Angels, they talk about how ME was an inspiration for the vibes and character development for that game. I love what I have seen so far.
@TryingDifference this is an accurate take. Rogue Angel's may have hit the ME theme perfectly
@@TryingDifference Thanks for the suggestion. I checked put Rogue Angel's and I am going to get it. They still have late pledge open until September 30.
Ooh... Sounds cool, though I'm not a super big fan of 'I go, the game goes, I go, the game goes.'
I'm actually impressed and more excited about games that manage to avoid that feeling a bit.
I was so excited when I heard a ME boardgame announced and designed by one of my favorite developers. Then found it was a small straight to retail game and immediately that excitement went away. This IP deserves to have the whole crowdfunding treatment. Loads of characters, enemies, branching epic story with deep decisions based on your choices etc… I know some people are sick of the bloated expensive crowdfunding experience but this game would have been amazing at 250-400 for a massive all in with all the bells and whistles we get with this type of game.
Nice Work Chris 🎉
You might be able to combine this with "Rogue Angels", or even better, with "5 Parsecs from Home", but get several sets from the miniatures.
I do hope there will be more missions & other miniatures, including an mission-editor of kind, so you can create your own story, maybe from the other videogames.
I was really worried about this solo. Sounds like it works well.
I find it comical that you can buy the miniature pack for this game for $300! 🎉
That is a metric freaking ton of money. and you know what team i'm on. #teamstandee
THX CHRIS
How Eric Lang is it on a scale from Blood Rage to Rising Sun?
It's more blood rage than rising sun for rules complexity/overhead if that's what you're asking
Just to let everyone know the game is 50 dollars
YES! Sorry!
no problem!
Have you ever played mass effect the video games? Of course their skills are different. Liara is bio, tali is tech, wrex is a wrecking ball, garris is sniper. And Shepard is always player choice. Missions always had multiple characters. Solo as just one character would have not been thematic.
You are excited that it all fits in a small box. I’m not. It just tells me that this should have been kickstarted so we could have more. Streamlined for an epic space opera doesn’t make sense.
Mass effect should be like iss vanguard. There should be a ship phase with decisions there in between missions. And it was about relationships with your crew which is why I am happy to see loyalty missions. I know I am asking for more…but this looks like it was streamlined too much.
Also, not a fan of player sheets. It means mixing and matching skills for replay ability is gone.
Can't ever please everyone I guess.
Enemies randomly spawn?
Shepard is the only character that can unlock a door....why
Table space hog
You can see enemy types but they will only activate when you choose to make them - surely these should be unknown enemy.
No Mass Effect style / atmosphere /
Cheap components and massively overpriced resin minis
Glad I watched your review, I'll be giving this a wide berth
To each their own!
Eric lang equals hard pass.
Can you tell me more about Eric Lang? I own and played some of the games he helped make, and this is a first for me to see the comment section talk negative about him. I personally don't know much about him other than what games he took part of.
Yeah not sure what this means but ok