I'm sure at least one of you die hards pre-ordered this.
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/144189/fire-lake
I've not played a COIN series game yet. Been waffling about it. But I think I'll get this one. The subject looks like it would fit the concept well. Seems to be shipping soon.
GREAT game. I saw a copy at WBC and said "Man, I wish my copy had arrived before I got here. I really wanted to play it here. The GMT guy pulled out a preorder list, saw my name, lined it out, handed me the box and said "Here you go."
I got in a 4 player game shortly there after. It's even better than Andean Abyss.
Got em all and this one ordered.
They're each good games, but they come with pre-plotted biases/assumptions.
It's most evident in CL where Castro comes off as a pretty good guy. Whatever on's personal take on the matter, this came to me as a surprise, but didn't prevent it from being the best in the series.
Best,
Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)
Yes, pre-ordered. Waiting for GMT to ship. Taking them forever....:(
Quote from: ArizonaTank on August 12, 2014, 05:03:46 AM
Yes, pre-ordered. Waiting for GMT to ship. Taking them forever....:(
still waiting....
Grumble...grumble.....grumble....
If you're THAT impatient, you must be eager to play! I can probably get at least 1 other person I met at WBC involved in a Vassal game. That's 3 and we'd just want a 4th. If playing live is too hard to arrange, we could play via logfiles and Email for diplomacy.
I don't expect to see it for another week at least.
Sounds like they had thousands of copies to ship.
Roberto already said yes. If you both are in too, that's our 4. In the meantime, here's the living rules (http://www.gmtgames.com/p-450-fire-in-the-lake.aspx) from GMT, so you can read up. If you've played any other COIN game, you're already 90% there. If you haven't, I'm happy to help out with concepts, etc.
The game now reads as "shipping", not "charging"!
I still have a large stack of game manuals to read from the past few months. That's why I've not been shaking with anticipation of it showing up on the doorstep. Swamped!
I just decided to purchase it while still at the pre-order price, even though I won't read up on it for some time. That and the ever present possibility that the original print run will go out of stock.
Quote from: Nefaro on August 18, 2014, 10:28:09 PM
I still have a large stack of game manuals to read from the past few months. That's why I've not been shaking with anticipation of it showing up on the doorstep. Swamped!
I just decided to purchase it while still at the pre-order price, even though I won't read up on it for some time. That and the ever present possibility that the original print run will go out of stock.
OK Doke. Out of curiosity, are those multiplayer board games manuals? Or just more PC games? Having started doing a lot of games against real live people in the last year or three, I've realized that AI opponents don't even come close to providing the same level of fun and challenge. [cough]Jarhead![/cough]
Quote from: Ubercat on August 18, 2014, 10:41:21 PM
Quote from: Nefaro on August 18, 2014, 10:28:09 PM
I still have a large stack of game manuals to read from the past few months. That's why I've not been shaking with anticipation of it showing up on the doorstep. Swamped!
I just decided to purchase it while still at the pre-order price, even though I won't read up on it for some time. That and the ever present possibility that the original print run will go out of stock.
OK Doke. Out of curiosity, are those multiplayer board games manuals? Or just more PC games? Having started doing a lot of games against real live people in the last year or three, I've realized that AI opponents don't even come close to providing the same level of fun and challenge. [cough]Jarhead![/cough]
Both. Although most of the PC games are just stuff I've had for months and not played yet, or played little. Haven't purchased many recently.
As for boardgames, I've picked up quite a few and have more on the way. That's the reading I was referring to.
Just got my shipping notice.
Expected on Monday!!
Best,
Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)
My brother just ordered a copy of this. I believe that it was his first boardgame purchase in 20+ years. I'm anxious to get a game of it going with him once he receives his copy.
Quote from: Ubercat on August 18, 2014, 06:54:44 PM
Roberto already said yes. If you both are in too, that's our 4. In the meantime, here's the living rules (http://www.gmtgames.com/p-450-fire-in-the-lake.aspx) from GMT, so you can read up. If you've played any other COIN game, you're already 90% there. If you haven't, I'm happy to help out with concepts, etc.
The game now reads as "shipping", not "charging"!
I'm interested in vassal game. Real-time or PBEM?
BTW, finally got my ship notice. Should be on my doorstep Friday.
PBEM with Dropbox for posting logfiles. That's 3 of us, then. I have 2 more interested from BGG and told them basically to figure out who wants it more. I would have just said the first one to post was in, but he was ready to step aside for anyone else so I didn't feel qualified to make the call.
if you guys ping DicedT, he'd probably be up for a game
I'll catch you guys for a future game, if it happens.
Hell, besides putting it somewhere under my "To Learn" stack, I still haven't even played a single game in Vassal.
Quote from: Nefaro on August 20, 2014, 05:31:06 PM
I'll catch you guys for a future game, if it happens.
Hell, besides putting it somewhere under my "To Learn" stack, I still haven't even played a single game in Vassal.
Well, here's a question for you. If you had a next door neighbor who loved playing war/strategy games; who specifically loved all the same games that you did, and he was always available to play, how often would you be gaming with him?
That's what Vassal is like. It throws geographic limits out the window. Add in Skype, and you guys may as well be together in one of your game rooms. Live Vassal play is the best fun I've ever had in gaming on my PC. You can teach/learn new games like you're across the table from each other, and watch moves being made in real time.
Even without geographical limitations, getting 4 people playing at the same time can sometimes be prohibitively difficult, which is where logfiles come in.
+1 to Ubercat though the one thing I'd like to try in vassal is using a webcam concentrated on my dice cup for doing actual dice rolls. Otherwise, it's pretty darn close to the real thing at a table. By the way, just set up a Blood Bowl vassal game with my brother, we're about to test it now. I'll release it to you guys once we've got it all tweaked out. O0
Quote from: ArizonaTank on August 20, 2014, 12:51:12 PM
I'm interested in vassal game. Real-time or PBEM?
BTW, finally got my ship notice. Should be on my doorstep Friday.
All right, We have 4! Please PM me your Email and side preference.
Got my shipping notification a couple days ago.
Was rather surprised I even got one. My last GMT pre-order just eventually showed up unannounced.
The OOPS notification says mine should show up on the doorstep today.
Surely some of you already got it last week. I didn't pre-order until the last minute.
Quote from: Nefaro on August 25, 2014, 11:55:00 AM
The OOPS notification says mine should show up on the doorstep today.
Surely some of you already got it last week. I didn't pre-order until the last minute.
Mine just arrived today. They shipped last Monday...so it took the slow boat from CA to Virginia.
I am not certain that when you ordered matters. I had a very early pre-order...still took a long time....
Anyway, having a great time playing a vassal 4 player game with ubercat et.al.
The box is bigger and heavier than I expected. :coolsmiley:
Got mine!
All the COIN games are beefy fellers.
Really like the look of the box...not that that matters over-much to gameplay, of course.
Most interesting things so far are a) the extra-large (by number) size of the card deck and b) the amount of effort that went into the solo game. I may now have weekend plans.
Best,
Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)
Looks interesting indeed. What's the average playing time in COIN series games, hours/days?
For a 4-player game with people who know the rules, 4-5 hours for an avg scenario. There are 'long' scenarios that need 8 hrs, but are designed that way.
Mine is missing one of the two Sequence of Play "sheets" but it looks good.
Quote from: Nefaro on August 26, 2014, 05:54:58 AM
Mine is missing one of the two Sequence of Play "sheets" but it looks good.
I am missing that as well. It may be that the rulebook has a misprint as far as the number provided.
Quote from: ArizonaTank on August 26, 2014, 11:25:03 AM
Quote from: Nefaro on August 26, 2014, 05:54:58 AM
Mine is missing one of the two Sequence of Play "sheets" but it looks good.
I am missing that as well. It may be that the rulebook has a misprint as far as the number provided.
Yep. I have plans to wait and see if the rulebook quantities were incorrect. Figured one of you guys would could clarify. :)
I'm pretty sure I only got one.
I just received a copy of this game to unbox/review for GH. I'd love to join you guys in a future game but I need to learn the rules, play the board version, and get the review done first.
You've got a lot on your plate B_C! :o
Well a passion for all of this sure helps tremendously. O0
Plus FitL looks REALLY freakin' cool. Love that it can be played solitaire but I'm lining up some locals to play through it with me.
I read the rules and set it up on the table a couple weeks ago, but other stuff was beckoning me more (plus lots of painting in the works).
It's obviously an enjoyable game but I just wasn't in the mood at the time. I think part of that is due to it's "Eurogame" feel. I generally have an aversion to those. While this is certainly different in flavor to most of them, my unfamiliarity will require a more motivated time to get acquainted.
The VASSAL module for Fire in the Lake (http://www.vassalengine.org/wiki/Module:Fire_In_The_Lake) was just uploaded by Joel Toppen earlier today, FYI.
Quote from: Nefaro on September 15, 2014, 09:48:26 AM
I read the rules and set it up on the table a couple weeks ago, but other stuff was beckoning me more (plus lots of painting in the works).
It's obviously an enjoyable game but I just wasn't in the mood at the time. I think part of that is due to it's "Eurogame" feel. I generally have an aversion to those. While this is certainly different in flavor to most of them, my unfamiliarity will require a more motivated time to get acquainted.
Despite the abstraction of units as wooden blocks and cylinders, I'd say there's nothing Euro about the COIN games. I'd also hazard to say "serious wargamers only need apply." The rules are short but very dense and meant to be taken absolutely literally, almost like a hardware manual. Eurogamers and even those accustomed to more complex games can have a steep learning curve with these.
Quote from: Ubercat on September 15, 2014, 09:37:21 PM
Quote from: Nefaro on September 15, 2014, 09:48:26 AM
I read the rules and set it up on the table a couple weeks ago, but other stuff was beckoning me more (plus lots of painting in the works).
It's obviously an enjoyable game but I just wasn't in the mood at the time. I think part of that is due to it's "Eurogame" feel. I generally have an aversion to those. While this is certainly different in flavor to most of them, my unfamiliarity will require a more motivated time to get acquainted.
Despite the abstraction of units as wooden blocks and cylinders, I'd say there's nothing Euro about the COIN games. I'd also hazard to say "serious wargamers only need apply." The rules are short but very dense and meant to be taken absolutely literally, almost like a hardware manual. Eurogamers and even those accustomed to more complex games can have a steep learning curve with these.
doesn't feel like a euro to me.
I think Nefaro was just pointing out that it looks like a Euro at first glance, and I'd agree, but looking closely at its elements reveals it as nothing of the sort.
Quote from: Banzai_Cat on September 16, 2014, 08:18:21 AM
I think Nefaro was just pointing out that it looks like a Euro at first glance, and I'd agree, but looking closely at its elements reveals it as nothing of the sort.
Yes, it kinda looks like one.
But there is also less die-rolling and, therefore, less risk taking when many actions result in well defined results. Placing or taking away specific amounts of wooden blocks is the prime example. It does give it a bit more of a puzzle game feel, if only because there is less random chance involved than most wargames.
I'm not saying this is bad or that it isn't something fresh to enjoy. Just that I'm not accustomed to more puzzle-like game mechanics instead of strategic gambits coming down to calculated risks based on modified die rolls. Will take some getting used to.
The rules were pretty easy. The game mechanics are primarily the few Actions available to each faction. I just need to be in the right mood before I delve into it.
Per Aztank's recommendation for trolling for players!
I've been setting up a four-player forum game of Fire in the Lake, which I'll be hosting on Tabletop Simulator -- but just using that to track the players, and reporting back to the forum using snapshots of the 'table' and some text reports. In other words, you won't need TTS nor to schedule a 'meet' time with me to play your turns.
ArizonaTank, Banzai_Cat, and I, have already started a test-run of initial turns. I'm taking the opportunity for some Absolute Newbie tutorial posts starting here (http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=18567.msg492556#msg492556), although tracking AzTank's first move (as the United States) starts here with a continuation of my tutorial attempt (http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=18567.msg492908#msg492908).
Once we get past my tutorial efforts, things will move a lot faster, but I wanted to help novice players (like myself!) be able to try the game, or at least try to understand what anyone else is doing and how and why!
Anyway, we're still looking for one or possibly two more definite players to join in. I'll take a fourth player slot if absolutely necessary -- not grudgingly because I do want to play, but I'm trying to stay out in order to eliminate conflicts of interest since I have total control over the game functions and presentation.
Jomni and Panzerseast have both expressed interest, but neither has made a definite statement of joining, so anyone more certain that you want to play will get added.
(We may or may not continue the game we've started for test purposes, depending on whether players want other factions, and maybe on any issues that arise from tweaking the process -- I've already had to reboot a turn due to my forgetting that certain pieces should be flipped over before game start, for example, although I caught that early and so no damage was done to a player's efforts. Right now player order is being set first and then factions randomly assigned as they come up for play. Az got the United States, and Banzai has been assigned to the Viet Cong. The Army of the Republic of Vietnam, and the North Vietnamese Army, still remain, probably to be assigned in that order. The NVA player will have to deal with AzTank having seriously nuked your bases on his first turn!)
Here are the two current map halves for reference (after Az's move but before Banzai's):
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimagizer.imageshack.us%2Fv2%2F1024x768q90%2F924%2FRqBypn.png&hash=df96caf59beb50243c60dbac45295c6bc64a6f28)
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimagizer.imageshack.us%2Fv2%2F1024x768q90%2F921%2FrE2Iif.png&hash=bd604f4d088229d6a50089c217b7e9ecb320d9f2)