To be precise: It's not the setup, it's a situation during the second of six rounds.
SHORT overview: At the beginning of the game everyone places one cult site (the wooden huts) on one isle. Then everyone places 4 pairs of "Noviceeples" on 4 different isles and finally put one Novice into the central temple.
During the six rounds you perform actions with your Novices. A "used" Novice is placed besides an isle and you get them back onto the isles at the beginning of the next round.
Your aim? Collecting "Influence Points" (they are stacked in the corner on the central temple island). There are mainly three ways to get these points: - enter the central temple - build more cult sites (only possible where the "builder" figure is) - attend the "priestess's service": For this you need "unused" Novices at the end of the round on her isle.
After each round the three general figures on the isles move a given number of isles. So you have to think ahead where you like to have your Novices in the next round - because you don't place them where you like at the beginning of each round: The movement is part of the actions ...
For more details just be patient a little bit: Just now we're working on the layout for the English rules - in one or two weeks we'll upload them.
Just thinking of Die Insel der steinernen Wächter: There you have custom placed islands, too - and in the box there is a blue fabric to place on the table; resembling the "ocean". This would work here, too! So the whole table is the sea with all the little islands and the main island on it!
To be precise: It's not the setup, it's a situation during the second of six rounds.
SHORT overview: At the beginning of the game everyone places one cult site (the wooden huts) on one isle. Then everyone places 4 pairs of "Noviceeples" on 4 different isles and finally put one Novice into the central temple.
During the six rounds you perform actions with your Novices. A "used" Novice is placed besides an isle and you get them back onto the isles at the beginning of the next round.
Your aim? Collecting "Influence Points" (they are stacked in the corner on the central temple island). There are mainly three ways to get these points: - enter the central temple - build more cult sites (only possible where the "builder" figure is) - attend the "priestess's service": For this you need "unused" Novices at the end of the round on her isle.
After each round the three general figures on the isles move a given number of isles. So you have to think ahead where you like to have your Novices in the next round - because you don't place them where you like at the beginning of each round: The movement is part of the actions ...
For more details just be patient a little bit: Just now we're working on the layout for the English rules - in one or two weeks we'll upload them.
Played the prototype at the Heidelbärcon in Burg Stahleck. It´s a nice fun game. Complex but not to difficult. The prototyp was really ugly... Looking now at this beautiful artwork, I´m realy going to buy it.
To be precise: It's not the setup, it's a situation during the second of six rounds.
SHORT overview: At the beginning of the game everyone places one cult site (the wooden huts) on one isle. Then everyone places 4 pairs of "Noviceeples" on 4 different isles and finally put one Novice into the central temple.
During the six rounds you perform actions with your Novices. A "used" Novice is placed besides an isle and you get them back onto the isles at the beginning of the next round.
Your aim? Collecting "Influence Points" (they are stacked in the corner on the central temple island). There are mainly three ways to get these points: - enter the central temple - build more cult sites (only possible where the "builder" figure is) - attend the "priestess's service": For this you need "unused" Novices at the end of the round on her isle.
After each round the three general figures on the isles move a given number of isles. So you have to think ahead where you like to have your Novices in the next round - because you don't place them where you like at the beginning of each round: The movement is part of the actions ...
For more details just be patient a little bit: Just now we're working on the layout for the English rules - in one or two weeks we'll upload them.
Why is this game called "Luna"???
Luna is the title of the "moon priestess". It's the theme of the game: The regency of the old "Luna" is almost over and they're looking for a new priestess. The players are "Orders" who are trying to decide about this. For this you need the mentioned "influence points". Besides this you have a "Luna figure" on the islands: As mentioned above you can get influence points if you attend her service on her isle with more Novices than your opponents do.
Juanlu: I think that there is a difference between "expressing freely" and "absolutely butt ugly" / "crapy components" ... I'm taking it easy, I'm not taking it personal, but you mentioned it: "respect".
Sure I'm checking this thread because it's interesting to see, what people say, what they like and what they don't. In many cases this is extremely helpful (for upcoming projects).
Sure I'm checking this thread because it's interesting to see, what people say, what they like and what they don't. In many cases this is extremely helpful (for upcoming projects).
Klemens, in my opinion, you can do no wrong. Please keep up the good work--especially in taking on gamers' games like Neuland and 1853.
Sorry Klemens, my apologies for my inappropiate comment. I have to say I loved the look of Neuland and At the Gates of Loyang, I even didn't know that was from the same artist. I bought Neuland specially by its look... I liked the game but the art was amazing!
I only don't find beautiful the art of Luna, maybe the theme also don't catch me, fantastic worlds aren't my cup of tea... maybe you had to deal with the theme but I don't like the cardboard figures with bases...
Sorry and I really didn't want to hurt your sensitivity.
Sorry Klemens, my apologies for my inappropiate comment. I have to say I loved the look of Neuland and At the Gates of Loyang, I even didn't know that was from the same artist. I bought Neuland specially by its look... I liked the game but the art was amazing!
I only don't find beautiful the art of Luna, maybe the theme also don't catch me, fantastic worlds aren't my cup of tea... maybe you had to deal with the theme but I don't like the card figures with bases...
Sorry and I really didn't want to hurt your sensitivity.
Good move to apologize. Our minds tell us what we like and what we don't - there's no escaping from that, but we're still in control about what we say (write for that matter). So the next time just take a deep breath and try to use the right words. Saves time and keeps the mood balanced.
Klemens' style sure isn't everybody's cup of tea. It's not that polished style that some other artists use, but he's got that simplicity going on that just works for me and many other gamers. Reminds me a bit of the work of Doris Matthäus who illustrated a lot of my favorite games.
I only don't find beautiful the art of Luna, maybe the theme also don't catch me, fantastic worlds aren't my cup of tea... maybe you had to deal with the theme but I don't like the cardboard figures with bases...
I took a quick look on your favorite games - and as I like most of them very much, there's a good chance that you like the GAMEPLAY of this one, too. But if you still find the game to ugly to give it a try - no problem, you don't have to!
Concerning the theme: There was a point where we had to decide: Shall we make the 1000th game with a medieval theme? We could have thought about small villages around a castle instead of isles around a temple and had knights moving around instead of novices. But in the end we kept the initial idea from Stefan to make it this way. And we even reduced the "fantastic" part: In the beginning the priests were gods and so on ... So the game itself has not so much fantasy in it as it seems to you at first glance. In fact it's a typical Eurogame ...
And to what you say about the cardboard figures with bases: I usually neither don't like them. It is a simple case of usability: It's important that everyone can see them clearly. It didn't work to lay them on the ground and it didn't work to make them out of wood because we have to print the numbers on them.
I want to pick up that point again: I was also slightly astonished, when seeing the actual pictures of LUNA.
The reason: When looking at the art/style of the box itself, one can see the moon, it`s dark, one can see islands in the moonlight....when I´m looking now at the picture from the gameboard, i`m having more the feeling, that I`m looking from the top on an island during midday: A lush green meadow...a bright shimmering walking track.....no dark colors, like colors in the night...... So when looking at the style of the board AND looking then at the style of the game box....that doesn`t match to me...additionally when the titel is called "LUNA"
BUT of course in reality it may be different and when I`m staying in front of the game in Essen I will for sure change my mind....
Anyhow: LUNA is a must-buy for me ! And in general: I like the work from from Klemens a lot. (Only in this specific case..... )
I want to pick up that point again: I was also slightly astonished, when seeing the actual pictures of LUNA.
The reason: When looking at the art/style of the box itself, one can see the moon, it`s dark, one can see islands in the moonlight....when I´m looking now at the picture from the gameboard, i`m having more the feeling, that I`m looking from the top on an island during midday: A lush green meadow...a bright shimmering walking track.....no dark colors, like colors in the night...... So when looking at the style of the board AND looking then at the style of the game box....that doesn`t match to me...additionally when the titel is called "LUNA"
Try to see it this way: The cover shows a scene during or after the priestesses service. This service always takes place in the evening, when it's dark. The game boards on the other hand show a scene in daylight, where the novices are working and moving until the evening. As you will see, when you read the rules: The priestesses service takes place, when all the novices' work is done.
Concerning the theme: There was a point where we had to decide: Shall we make the 1000th game with a medieval theme?
Yes! I can't get enough of medieval themes, myself. Why do people hate them so much, even if there are a lot of them? Beats me.
To be honest: I'm a Eurogamer and the theme is not the most important thing to me. It's the mechanics that should feel special. The main and very important task of the theme is to support the players understanding this mechanics easily! That's the thing which for example in Agricola works so well.
So I really don't hate medieval themes! It's only that it seems that many players get a little bit bored of it. We decided to try something that's a little bit different - well aware that this could be a risk.
Maybe it helps if you consider it this way: It's a story of a moon cult taking place in the medieval time. Just call the central "temple" an "abbey", and turn the "priests" to "monks" and you have your medieval story! Only without castles, knights, swords or conquests.
Well, as a matter of fact, the game is set in a medieval-esk theme. But not in a old city with guilds or buildings to rise. It is set on a fictitious island world with a fictitious moon-cult.
There is an old abbey on one island (look at the image - the one at the bottom left), that was converted into a school for novices. If you work with your novices there you get the favor of the priest who presides over the school for novices. (In gaming speech: Set two of your novices on that island inactive. Take a favor token from the island.) Now you can use the favor in former actions.
The next island in clockwise direction has a shipyard on it. The shipbuilding priest grants a favor for helping novices in giving them a ship (Again: Set two of your novices on that island inactive. Take a favor token from that island.) Now you can move more effective between the islands.
You want to build something? Like in medieval themed games? Something like a church? Yeah, no problem. We named them "shrines". You need a favor marker from the island with the quarry (you can even collect stone in this game!). Now you can build a shrine on the island the master builder is on. Send out two of your novices to build that shrine supervised by the master builder. You gain influence points by that and have other benefits.
Nothing in this game is fantastic, just a fictitious island world and moon cult. Everything else could be in medieval times, but is set in a slightly different theme...
Concerning the theme: There was a point where we had to decide: Shall we make the 1000th game with a medieval theme?
Yes! I can't get enough of medieval themes, myself. Why do people hate them so much, even if there are a lot of them? Beats me.
To be honest: I'm a Eurogamer and the theme is not the most important thing to me. It's the mechanics that should feel special. The main and very important task of the theme is to support the players understanding this mechanics easily! That's the thing which for example in Agricola works so well.
So I really don't hate medieval themes! It's only that it seems that many players get a little bit bored of it. We decided to try something that's a little bit different - well aware that this could be a risk.
Maybe it helps if you consider it this way: It's a story of a moon cult taking place in the medieval time. Just call the central "temple" an "abbey", and turn the "priests" to "monks" and you have your medieval story! Only without castles, knights, swords or conquests.
I'm a Eurogamer, and the theme was never important to me neither... that's why I like medieval themes! They are so generic and versatile they work with any game so that designers and players can focus on mechanics and not the theme. To sum up: I agree with you.
When I play the game, I think I will play about medieval monks. Helps me understand the game better. After that, I probably won't think about the theme. Stefan Feld is a jolly good designer.
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creeeepy... nice to see it done with really nice artwork:-)
