Is Parasitism horribly broken in 5-6? | Primordial Soup: Freshly Spiced

William Shields

(hagin)

Australia
Inglewood
WA

In the standard game, I've always liked Parasitism. It was irritating (to everyone else) and tended to make you a target for the Strugglers for Survival but it was basically in line with Frugality and the other eating related genes.

In 5-6 player games, you need to eat more genes and Parasitism saves you not one but TWO food and in doing so you can choose to take two of someone's money. That didn't seem like much before we started but it sure felt like it during the game. One player went to get a drink with 8 money and came back to have none (and there was only 1 Parasite).

It just seems like its far too powerful now. A combo like Parasitism + Streamlining + Escape is going to wreak havoc (the last two are the obvious defense against Struggle for Survival).

Also, Struggle for Survival can only be used when the amoeba can't eat. Perhaps Parasitism should only be usable to the extent that you can't eat (rather than being completely voluntary).

Posted Wed Feb 6, 2008 9:38 pm
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Mark Christopher

(markus_kt)

United States
Salem
Massachusetts

We've just played with the expansion for the first time and had the same experience; the player with Parasitism was able to remove many, many BPs from various players. I wonder if they should have left it at stealing 1 BP and lowered the cost to even it out, rather than what they did.

Posted Tue Apr 8, 2008 4:41 am
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Alex Churchill

(alextfish)

United Kingdom
Cambridge
Cambs

I think the rule is slightly different to how you've been playing it. The rules say that for each food cube (1 or 2) you reduce, you need a foreign amoeba in the square: i.e. in order to steal 2 BPs, your amoeba needs to be in a space where there are two foreign amoebas. That should make the gene less overpowered.

(I think that if you're in a space with two foreign amoebas from the same player, then you can eat 2 BPs from that player. But that's the only circumstance you can eat 2 from the same player.)

Posted Tue Dec 9, 2008 9:59 pm
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Julie Lemonde

(Verglas)

Canada
St-Jean-sur-Richelieu
Quebec

http://www.dragonsnocturnes.org/

alextfish wrote:

The rules say that for each food cube (1 or 2) you reduce, you need a foreign amoeba in the square: i.e. in order to steal 2 BPs, your amoeba needs to be in a space where there are two foreign amoebas. That should make the gene less overpowered.

I read my rules a lot and I can't find where is writing. Futhermore, my parasitism's card for 5-6 players never tell about the 2nd BP but the help sheet for 5-6 players mentions this possibility but no precision about the obligation to "be in a space where there are 2 foreign amoebas".

Could it be mentionned in an official FAQ ?
Otherwise, is it possible that the extension has been reprinted many times and that the newer versions contain these details?

Posted Sat Mar 26, 2011 2:25 pm
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Subject: Is Parasitism horribly broken in 5-6?