[Card Game]: Regicide, reviewed by Kester Pelagius (4/2)

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/10/10305.phtml

C. Demetrius Morgan's Summary:

Looking for something different to play while waiting for your soda to chill and the microwave popcorn to pop? How about a quick game of Regicide!

Go to the full review for more information.

Post originally by Mark Green at 2004-05-12 07:19:01
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This review seems to show an interesting quandary with reviewing this kinds of products.

The review tells me essentially nothing about how the game plays. But I suspect the reason for this is that, if the review author had described how the game plays, he would have insodoing effectively given away the rules and sabotaged the game's author.

Anyone have any tips for working around this?

Post originally by Bill at 2004-05-12 08:01:26
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Excellent point. I struggled with the same problem doing the write up for RPGNow. Regicide is based on the four suits being able to perform different abilities. You play them against your opponents in an attempt to capture cards from their hand and territories they control on the board. Our playtesters would compare it to risk with cards but I do not think that is an entirely correct comparison.

It is fast paced with turns, once you know the rules, potentially being under 10 seconds.

Is this the kind of thing you were wondering?

Thanks to Chris for the review, I appreciate it as we are hard at work on Imperial Polka. I do take suggestions very seriously and pride myself on being open to constructive criticism.

Thanks,
Bill (HinterWelt)

Post originally by Kester Pelagius at 2004-05-12 11:05:51
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>>The review tells me essentially nothing about how the game plays. But I suspect the reason for this is that, if the review author had described how the game plays, he would have insodoing effectively given away the rules and sabotaged the game's author.<<

Bless you for your borderline divine insight and humble understanding.

I briefly toyed with including a comment to this effect, but not matter how I turned the phrasing over in my mind it just sound like a whiney excuse for not including mention of game mechanics. So, in the end, I just omitted the section on game mechanics.

Would love to hear how others have worked around this problem though.

Post originally by Kester Pelagius at 2004-05-12 11:15:50
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>>The concept is not unlike that found in Avalon Hill’s “Down with the King”, which was a fantasy game of political intrigue, only on much smaller and less complex scale.<<

I leave the grammar and spell check for the last, because I have often been suspicious that my WP mangles things. Yep, it's the WP!



The above should have read: "..only Regicide is on a much smaller .. scale" because, as we all know, no Avalon Hill game was ever on a small (uncomplicated) scale.

Sorry about that.

The point I was trying to make here is that Regicide's underlying concept is very similar to games like Down with the King (or even Risk, as mentioned in the other thread) but on a less complicated scale. As in: should be easier to set up and play.

Post originally by Shannon Appelcline at 2004-05-12 14:17:47
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I would have included a discussion of the game mechanics.

If that's all that makes the game worth buying then, honestly, I think there's a bit of a problem there, which you alluded to in talking about the price.

Shannon

Post originally by Bill at 2004-05-12 14:59:43
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Well, having read the review can someone suggest a price? $1, $1.50? As I have said in the other thread this is a new offering and I tried to price based on other offerings at RPGNow but Regicide does not easily fit into a category (AFAIK).

Suggestions are welcome.

Thanks,
Bill

Post originally by Chris at 2004-05-12 15:51:41
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I'm with Shannon on this one. You don't have to go into excruciating detail, but unless the game is completely trivial you should be able to discuss mechanics without giving the game away, so to speak.

If you can't, then it's probably not worth even writing the review in the first place.

Post originally by Kester Pelagius at 2004-05-12 16:45:58
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Greetings,

>>Well, having read the review can someone suggest a price? $1, $1.50? As I have said in the other thread this is a new offering and I tried to price based on other offerings at RPGNow but Regicide does not easily fit into a category (AFAIK).<<

I would suggest offering the PDF as a "package incentive", meaning that you include it as a "freebie" with other Hinterwelt products. (But only at regular price. When/if you have a sale offer ONLY the product, sans Regicide.)

No need to change it any from the last PDF I had, save to perhaps offer optional rules for using a Tarot deck in addition or instead of the standard deck of cards.

That said, I would like to see concept developed and expanded a bit. How?

I would like to see more interatction between players, more "points" for actions (this brings an immediacy to the game turns that currently might otherwise seem lacking), but most of all I would like to see a "full version" divorced from card play and made into it's own native board game with it's own native decks of "action" or "intrigue" or "combat" decks.

Do that and the PDF, as it stands, would make for a wonderful incentive AND tool to sell a expanded version of the game.

The potential is there. Exploit it.

Of course that is just my two cents, YMMV.


Kind Regards,

Kester Pelagius

Post originally by Bill at 2004-05-12 19:48:14
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A couple of good points. I will address them one at a time.

>>I would suggest offering the PDF as a "package incentive", meaning that you include it as a "freebie" with other Hinterwelt products. (But only at regular price. When/if you have a sale offer ONLY the product, sans Regicide.)<<

Hmm, since this is currently our first and only up until Imperial Polka comes online, I will assume you mean packaging with futures products. Definitely a thought and one that we have had before. Some thoughts were to bundle three games we have on the boards with Regicide at a bundle price.

>>No need to change it any from the last PDF I had, save to perhaps offer optional rules for using a Tarot deck in addition or instead of the standard deck of cards.
<<
Interesting ideas but I have little or no understanding of Tarot decks or what it would entail to convert Rgicide to use them. Still, not a bad idea just have to find rules on a tarot deck. :-)

>>That said, I would like to see concept developed and expanded a bit. How?

I would like to see more interatction between players, more "points" for actions (this brings an immediacy to the game turns that currently might otherwise seem lacking), but most of all I would like to see a "full version" divorced from card play and made into ....<<

Essentially, and I am not being snarky (honest) you seem to be saying that you want to see it divorced from the 52 card deck, turned into its own non-collectible card/board game. In other words, you like Regicide except for Regicide.

I do think the idea of awarding points for Assassination could be useful. Looting provides it own benefits as does wooing and bribing. Short of making a different game (and I am open to that) I do not know if the changes you have mentioned could be accomplished. Please let me know if I am missing a point.

Thanks,
Bill