TC Petty III
United States
Carlisle
Pennsylvania
VIVAJAVA 2012!
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So, I was intrigued by this game when I saw it hanging out on a table at the WBC silent auction. After a brief thumbs up recommendation from a nearby friend, the game was solidly in my possession.
I proceeded to play a 2-player game to a solidly strategic conclusion using the recommended alternate rules.
But, the trouble began when we played the game with 4 players. The rules clearly express that the game ends when all players cannot move upwards in a round. Once this happens, the game ends immediately and the player at the highest point wins.
So, when my chips were down and I knew that I could not move upwards one turn, I instead blatantly aided an opponent who was not at the highest point in order to allow me more time to discover a better move. They were able to move upwards on their turn, effectively breaking the stalemate.
I did this, because there is never a point in the game where "choosing to do nothing" makes sense. After taking this strategy into account, all players were now helping opponents when they couldn't move. This prolonged the game to a point where we had all 4 players at the top of an extremely high tower and by complete luck, I was then able to eek out a victory. Over 90 minutes elapsed, all ladders and stones had been used.
It's definitely not good to have a game overstay its welcome like this. Has anyone come up with a variation that makes it less likely for opponents to help each other when they can't move themselves? I love the game, but this is a huge game-breaking issue.
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Ben
United States
Washington
Dist of Columbia
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TheCrippledWerewolf wrote: I love the game, but this is a huge game-breaking issue.
Unfortunately, I don't have any suggestions for you. But I found this comment funny. What you described *is* the game as I know it (except for the part where you win by complete luck rather than well-planned strategy), so it seemed odd that you considered that feature game-breaking.
Nevertheless, I hope that you find the variant you're looking for, if it helps you enjoy the game more. 
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Mike Mayer
United States
Cary
North Carolina
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chally wrote: TheCrippledWerewolf wrote: I love the game, but this is a huge game-breaking issue. Unfortunately, I don't have any suggestions for you. But I found this comment funny. What you described *is* the game as I know it (except for the part where you win by complete luck rather than well-planned strategy), so it seemed odd that you considered that feature game-breaking.
Agreed with the above.
But as a variant, if you like, you could give each player two tokens. Each time a player can't move up and who isn't the player with the highest placed man on the board, he discards a token. When all of a player's tokens are gone, he's out of the game.
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Mark Salzwedel
United States
New York
New York
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Having played this game a lot, I find it takes a while to discover strategies for winning. It seems easy because the rules and game play are simple. I have often won a game by the strategic placement of a half-cube block and my blocking stone simultaneously, for example. In most games you have to learn when to stop helping others and set off on your own. Prolonging the game when you have no hope of winning seems pointless; better to see if you can convince someone else to help you get back into a better position.
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TC Petty III
United States
Carlisle
Pennsylvania
VIVAJAVA 2012!
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Mike Mayer wrote: chally wrote: TheCrippledWerewolf wrote: I love the game, but this is a huge game-breaking issue. Unfortunately, I don't have any suggestions for you. But I found this comment funny. What you described *is* the game as I know it (except for the part where you win by complete luck rather than well-planned strategy), so it seemed odd that you considered that feature game-breaking. Agreed with the above. But as a variant, if you like, you could give each player two tokens. Each time a player can't move up and who isn't the player with the highest placed man on the board, he discards a token. When all of a player's tokens are gone, he's out of the game.
I was thinking of this exact thing. To clarify, our game just kept going and going and going and going. It became less strategic and more of a guessing game as to who would have that "last move". I wish I had a picture, we had three skinny blocks stacked at the top of a three foot tower with 3 players there.
I never like player elimination, but I like this idea. So, how bout once all players have not been able to climb 2 maybe 3 times (represented by tokens) during the course of the game, the game ends immediately.
But, also as a counterpoint to what Mark stated. Prolonging the game is in the best interest of a player who has no hope of winning. Because, it is never truly hopeless (unless you REALLY messed up) and new hope comes from helping other players get to where you are and then help you rise higher when they can't. That's the only way I was able to win.
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