[Card Game]: Starship Catan, reviewed by ShannonA (4/4)

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9810.phtml

Shannon Appelcline's Summary:

An excellent two-player game set in the Starfarers of Catan milleu. It's well-designed, fun, evocative ... and quite original.

Go to the full review for more information.

Post originally by Darrin Bright at 2003-10-23 06:03:47
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Great review, but you didn't address how the players interact with each other (if at all).

I understand that there may be races to get certain resources, preventing your opponent from getting them, and obviously there's strategy in remembering what is in each stack of cards and trying to remove cards that your opponent would want, but can you affect your opponent directly or is this essentially two simultaneous games of solitaire? If one player gets a significant lead, how does the other player knock him down or catch up?

Post originally by John Peralta at 2003-10-23 09:26:56
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I like the time and detail you poured into the review. I also appreciate the pictures as it makes it much easier to appreciate the visual qualities of the game.

Any chance you could review a Game of Thrones next?

Post originally by Shannon Appelcline at 2003-10-23 14:55:24
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I've heard people refer to this as "two-player solitaire", and that's not entirely unfair. It's difficult to have a direct effect on your opponent. You can:

* Take resources from them with a trade module.
* Try and get to a colony/trade post/adventure planet before them.
* Purchase a level 2 module before they can.
* Steal the "most fame", "most friendship" VPs from them.

Put all these together, and you can try and hold back an opponent in a couple of different ways. However, they're largely reactive and thus not ultimately the best winning strategies.

Still, my wife and I had a lot of fun as a couple when we played it, though that was largely due to the commentary, mockery, and role-playing that accompanied the game. (I think the fact that it's largely non-competitive probably improved it in her eyes.)

Post originally by Shannon Appelcline at 2003-10-23 14:56:50
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Unfortunately GoT is currently a bit expensive for me, and I've got a pile of games to review anyway. Coming up: Domaine, Puerto Rico, New England, Age of Mythology.

I can tell you that I continue to hear good things about Game of Thrones.

Shannon

Post originally by kumarachips at 2003-10-28 14:01:39
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I also liked the review, having brought the game and played it 5 times already I would agree with most of the things you have said here.

The game does not really reduce it time considerably. It is still quite long.

Racing for ships modules can be competitive (especially the second trade module).

I like the fact that there has been more missions brought out.

Just one rules interpretation point. When you role the movement dice and get resources I always read it as you get one resource from your colony planets, and one (or all, can't remember) from your trade modules. Not just one all up. But I don't have the game with me at the moment so cant check.