Joel Eddy
United States
Coeur d'Alene
ID
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I know that it is highly recommended to play this game at maximum capacity with five players, but here is my dilemma.
I have basically two game groups.
The first group is composed of seasoned gamers at my local game store. They will try just about anything once or twice, but are often victims of the "Cult of the New", of which I am myself am also a victim, if I want to be perfectly honest. I feel like I could get one or two plays at the full five players with this group. That's great.
However, my family is my second gaming group. Now... they are by no means Gateway Gamers. They mostly like medium to heavy Euro Games, like Caylus, Belfort, Hansa Teutonica, Die Burgen von Burgund, Airlines Europe etc...
Problem is. We typically only have the three of us in my family group, but they are HUGE Game of Thrones fans.
Will we be satisfied playing this with three? All opinions are welcome!
Thanks!
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Matt Mehlhoff
United States
Rosemount
Minnesota
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No, you won't be satisfied playing this with 3 and even 4 can be a bit rough.
6 Players - perfect
5 Players - recommended but make the neutral areas by Martell (left out) impenetrable instead of able to be taken over
4 Players - would work but won't get the full feel for the diplomacy of it
3 Players - not recommended as the conflict won't be the same and the diplomacy would be non existent
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Joel Eddy
United States
Coeur d'Alene
ID
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LannisterGold wrote: No, you won't be satisfied playing this with 3 and even 4 can be a bit rough.
6 Players - perfect
5 Players - recommended but make the neutral areas by Martell (left out) impenetrable instead of able to be taken over
4 Players - would work but won't get the full feel for the diplomacy of it
3 Players - not recommended as the conflict won't be the same and the diplomacy would be non existent
OK. Thanks. Means a lot considering you rate the game a 9 
Thanks.
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Alexandre Dupuis
Canada
Montreal
Quebec
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To do the game justice, I often play with 3 to 4 players since this all I can muster as players. I find it just as fun, especially when one is getting the upper hand on the other two. Alliances tend to switch faster then with more players. The mechanics are still fun and the strategy still as intense if not more since you have no allies to fall upon.
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LannisterGold wrote: No, you won't be satisfied playing this with 3 and even 4 can be a bit rough.
...
3 Players - not recommended as the conflict won't be the same and the diplomacy would be non existent
I wouldn't outright dismiss the 3-player game. There's indeed not the potential of the 5/6-player game, having to deal with 2 or with 4/5 opponents is just not the same, but I wouldn't say the diplomacy would be non-existent. If you find the right people (which your family might be, if they are huge fans and could get into the mindset of all the backstabbing and tricky politics and enjoy it), then you possibly could have a quite interesting game of trying to find the fragile balance in fighting and cooperating with the 2 other people at the same time. Meaning, if 2 people simply join against the third one and beat that played into oblivion, the game will be just a waste of time, but if everybody will try to win by using and outsmarting the other two, there is room for diplomacy and it might work.
I've never actually played the game with so few players, so don't put that much weight to what I say, there must be many games which are more suitable for 3 players, but if you like the theme and get lucky I think this one might do too. There are people who allow only table talk while playing this, who discuss only with one or two other players even if it's a 6-player game, or even who don't bother with diplomacy at all and consider this some kind of a multiplayer chess and they think it works for them *shrug*. Let me put it this way: I wouldn't buy the game I were you, but if I could try it first, I would give it a shot.
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David F
United States
Emeryville
California
Set up a lot of the PBF framework for BSG, Runewars, Small World, The Devil's Castle. PBF in Gears of War, Death Angel, A Game of Thrones. Currently playing Twilight Struggle, Middle-Earth Quest and Eclipse on Vassal.
I'm anal about using the right terms to describe games and have posted an alternative glossary to the inconsistent sprawl in BGG's database and lexicon that is clear, accurate and simple. I care big time about my reviews, ratings and comments.
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I have no friends with 5/6 players anyway. 3 players just means fewer enemies for me!
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Posted Mon Dec 19, 2011 6:28 pm
