Peter Enzerink
Australia
Canberra
ACT
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It was only a couple of months ago that I lamented the lack of games using the Discworld environment. Imagine my pleasure in seeing a poster for Ankh-Morpork at the Treefrog Games booth at the Australian Games Expo held in Canberra, Australia January 22-24, 2011.
The game is played in the city of Ankh-Morpork and is largely based on area control. Each player has a hidden objective such as controlling a number of regions, earning an amount of money, causing mischief for other players etc. These roles are secretly drawn at the start of the game and only revealed when the first person has achieved their goal.
Players draw five cards each from a deck with each card having one or two icons representing actions to be performed serially. This may include placing a minion in one of the city regions, attacking another player's minions, purchasing the main building in that region (with associated benefits), etc. Usually only one card is played unless a card has an icon allowing an additional card (ala Dominion +1 Action). Cards may also have more verbose actions per free form text on the card.
After completing their turn a player replenishes their hand back to five cards. It is possible to hold many more cards via draw card actions so five cards represents the minimum size hand. Players usually only play cards on their turn however as some cards affect other players (such as requiring them to pay a tithe), there are also cards which can be used by other players to block those actions.
The real fun is in the Discworld characters. If you've read any of Terry Pratchett's books you'll know that they are filled with a wide range of characters of generally dubious nature, making for some very entertaining roleplaying when playing cards.
Our first game only lasted 15 minutes as the winner had a goal of controlling 4 regions which they were able to do very quickly. The designer Martin Wallace was sitting in on many of the play tests and he commented that the area control winning condition would usually happen fairly early on as it becomes much harder as the game proceeds. He also noted that with more experienced players the quick finish we experienced would be far less likely.
As this was a prototype I can't comment on the artwork but with some of the ink coming from artists already involved in Terry Pratchett's work there are obviously some delicious things to come! There was also mention of high quality resin figures in a more deluxe version so this looks likely to become very collectable.
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David Chapman
United Kingdom
Unspecified
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I played this at the Discworld Convention 2010 last August. It's OK, needs some refining though.
The art you saw all comes from existing sources. Do not expect it to appear on the final edition unless licensing is purchased.
(BTW, isn't it Warfrog Games?)
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It would seem that anyone that likes Discworld will like this game. But even without being a Pratchett fan, there is enough in the game to make it interesting.
A very card driven game but without the card churning & burning so prevalent many card games as all cards will do "something" no matter which personality you are playing for, so this was a big plus for me, though the possibility to churn & burn exists (& is a victory requirement of one personality).
The secret victory conditions works nicely, just make sure that you know the other conditions well enough to make sure that won't be met before your own.
Looking forward to the release later this year.
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Steve Kearon
United Kingdom
Cardiff
Feeling great. How about you?
Well I don't know why I love you like I do. Nobody in the world can get along with you.
There's just one last favor I'll ask for you. See that my grave is kept clean.
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Jedit wrote: (BTW, isn't it Warfrog Games?)
Treefrog Games is now the name for the company that used to be called Warfrog Games.
(Treefrog website, April 26, 2010)
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Mijjy wrote: It would seem that anyone that likes Discworld will like this game. But even without being a Pratchett fan, there is enough in the game to make it interesting.
I like Discworld, but I kinda do not like broad statements like this. It kinda sounds like fans of something or other have low criteria by default and only need references to get them pleased. I would wager exactly the opposite: if you're slapping a Discworld name or something, it better be good; Discworld stuff should be a tasty flavor on an already tasty cake.
In other words, I am usually content with playing an average or below-average game, but if I see a game based on Discworld, then I'm having pretty high expectations. I have this game on my radar, but I'm not terribly excited by what I see so far. I'm not trying to be negative, merely hopeful that the designer will pay enough respect to what was my favorite childhood book "franchise" and that the theme won't simply be pasted on a dry area-control game.
So.. please make this game good? 
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Rich P
United Kingdom
Sheffield
United Kingdom
I didn't know what to do with my UberBadge, so I left it as a GeekBadge.
Back home after a world tour. How quickly a year goes...
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It's certainly not a dry area control game. I found it to be fairly light and aimed at families in contrast to the usual heavy Wallace game. There's a dose of luck involved, too. It has hints of London in its design, but it has been developed in a different direction to that game.
The various secret victory conditions are great. They work really well, giving good replayability and being something you need to keep in mind throughout the game. I think some first plays may turn out strangely as a result of players not yet knowing the system or what their opponents are trying to do. I'm a fan of secret goals and trying to deduce my opponents' win conditions from their choices and plays, so this part of the game was particularly enjoyable.
The cards and abilities are very thematic. I know very little about the Discworld, but what I do know was represented well in the game. It has obviously been researched in detail. I don't think Pratchett fans will be disappointed. Wallace fans might be, if they go in expecting another Brass. Ankh-Morpork is more playful than analytical.
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Jim Ruddy
Canada
Hamilton
Ontario
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[Hijack=Thread]
When you play please keep Sir Terry Pratchett in your mind and heart, his ongoing struggle with Alzheimer's, and the joy that his books have brought you.
And if you haven't read any of his books, well I'd be cutting my own throat if I didn't suggest you go out and buy them all, right now!
It's hard to choose, but I think my favourite is Mort. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mort.
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Vlad Balica
Romania
Bucuresti
Bucuresti
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This went directly on the first place in my wishlist! Now back to reading (only 5 volumes until now and I don't want the game to find me unprepared in October
 )
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Frank Burbach
United States
Asheville
North Carolina
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baba44713 wrote: Mijjy wrote: It would seem that anyone that likes Discworld will like this game. But even without being a Pratchett fan, there is enough in the game to make it interesting. I like Discworld, but I kinda do not like broad statements like this. It kinda sounds like fans of something or other have low criteria by default and only need references to get them pleased. I would wager exactly the opposite: if you're slapping a Discworld name or something, it better be good; Discworld stuff should be a tasty flavor on an already tasty cake. In other words, I am usually content with playing an average or below-average game, but if I see a game based on Discworld, then I'm having pretty high expectations. I have this game on my radar, but I'm not terribly excited by what I see so far. I'm not trying to be negative, merely hopeful that the designer will pay enough respect to what was my favorite childhood book "franchise" and that the theme won't simply be pasted on a dry area-control game. So.. please make this game good?
Agreed. I hope it's a good game. However, I'll probably enjoy it a little bit more because of the setting.
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Christopher Dearlove
United Kingdom
Chelmsford
Essex
SoRCon 5 2-4 Feb 2012 http://www.sorcon.co.uk
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Jedit wrote: I played this at the Discworld Convention 2010 last August. It's OK, needs some refining though.
Obviously I don't know about anything you saw in August, but I've seen July and December versions, and there was a lot of work between those.
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baba44713 wrote: .....merely hopeful that the designer will pay enough respect to what was my favorite childhood book "franchise" and that the theme won't simply be pasted on a dry area-control game. So.. please make this game good?
Well, he did say that he's spent a lot of time reading the books & was explaining things on the cards to those that hadn't read the books (such as myself).
Though much of the theme was therefore lost on me, it was certainly not a "dry area-control" game as there was quite a bit of second guessing about why someone was controlling an area because victory conditions are different for each personality (& they don't all involve area control for victory).
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Shawn Low
Australia
Footscray
Victoria
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Mijjy wrote:
Though much of the theme was therefore lost on me, it was certainly not a "dry area-control" game as there was quite a bit of second guessing about why someone was controlling an area because victory conditions are different for each personality (& they don't all involve area control for victory).
I think that at least three of the seven character cards involve the same area-control conditions. The other 4 are different.
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henry proctor
United Kingdom
Corfe Mullen
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From my play at discworld,
The three lords were straight area control (control X areas), but vetinari, vimes, dragon and crysophase were all different. What worked well was that they did sometimes act like area control lords because of their actual objectives meaning IDing players wasn't allways easy. I one loss in 4 games was becuase I missguessed someone.
We actually changed cosmo lavish and his objective into crysophase at the con, what's happened since, I can't say though.
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Shingo Ishikawa
Australia
Isaacs
ACT
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Yeah I just played the proto type of this game, and Martin knew all the characters and they seem to reflect in the game play ( ie each character name is on the card you get to play, and each has some special actions). It's a lot more simpler and chaotic than his other titles, but quite fun. Hidden role element does make this game lot more than other just simple area majority games. There is one character who would win if no one else achieve their goal by the end of draw deck. There is quite a bit of chaotic element with random event and die rolling to determine where the event occurs. I think from talking to Martin, I get the sense that this was aimed at more wider audience rather than his hardcore fans. I had great time playing it, and looking forward to seeing the final production copy. After we finished the game, I could see where I made mistake etc and wanted to try again, so that's a pretty good for lightish fun game.
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henry proctor
United Kingdom
Corfe Mullen
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Lightish seemed to be to the aim. But it had enough to enable me to scheme.
Martin wisely used discworld con as a chance to bounce the characters of serious fans for reference, although it was pretty close then. The player trying to stop anyone else winning being vimes felt perfect. (Martin don't change that!)
The feeling of chaos got a bit less on repeat play though.
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James Fung
United States
Berkeley
California
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My main questions about this game to those who have played it and know the world (especially the intrigue of Ankh-Morpork), how good is the theme in the game? Is it Battlestar Galactica-level theme or painted on or in between?
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Andy Leighton
England
Peterborough
Unspecified
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shingoi wrote: It's a lot more simpler and chaotic than his other titles, but quite fun.
Well considering that Discworld is a massively best-selling book series in the UK and quite a lot of other places. Discworld fandom is quite large, loads of people turn up for signings, conventions in 5 countries, fan pages in a number of other languages. There is the possibility of high sales (at least in boardgame terms) - if the game is reasonably good, reasonably accessible, and has good distribution. I could quite see it on sale in non-game shops, and bought for Discworld fans for Christmas by the rellies.
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How much player interaction is there in this game?
How much appeal is there for people who haven't read the books?
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James Fung
United States
Berkeley
California
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Also, if the game has artwork by Paul Kidby, I could die happy.
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Shingo Ishikawa
Australia
Isaacs
ACT
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fusag wrote: Also, if the game has artwork by Paul Kidby, I could die happy.
Martin did say that he is going to get the art work by the same person who does the book. I'm not too familiar with the book so I'm not certain of the name of the people is. But sounded like production quality would be top notch, to do justice to the book and it's fans.
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Shingo Ishikawa
Australia
Isaacs
ACT
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ChampChunge wrote: How much player interaction is there in this game?
How much appeal is there for people who haven't read the books?
Well I haven't read the book but I thought it was a good fun. Definitely well made and quite fun game. Quite chaotic as you can play these cards that changes the board position quite a bit. Also you can target other players etc. The player interaction I say is very high. There is also some chaotic element as well with random event cards and die roll.
I guess down part is if people are not familiar with the game and also winning condition of other players, game could end quite prematurely with guys with 4 majority winning condition.
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Anton Markus Giger
Austria
Linz
Oberösterreich
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i always wanted to become the new patrician
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James Fung
United States
Berkeley
California
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mondrianton wrote: i always wanted to become the new patrician
Lord Vetinari has a dungeon for people like that. 
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Andy Holt
England
Rayleigh
Essex
This is not the cat you're looking for - some other cat maybe?
tout passe, tout lasse, tout casse
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fusag wrote: mondrianton wrote: i always wanted to become the new patrician Lord Vetinari has a dungeon for people like that. ;)
more precisely an open door out of the dungeon for people like that (or at least the ones who are not wise enough to ask why the door is open ...)
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andyholt wrote: fusag wrote: mondrianton wrote: i always wanted to become the new patrician Lord Vetinari has a dungeon for people like that. more precisely an open door out of the dungeon for people like that (or at least the ones who are not wise enough to ask why the door is open ...)
You only get one angel after all.
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