[Computer Game]: Reiner Knizia's Samurai: The Computer Game, reviewed by ShannonA (4/4)

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/10/10879.phtml

Shannon Appelcline's Summary:

A well-done adaptation of Reiner Knizia's classic tile-laying game.

Go to the full review for more information.

Post originally by PaulK at 2004-12-08 07:16:36
Converted from Phorums BB System

I assume that figures are won at the end of a player's turn, and not as soon as the land areas surrounding a town are filled.

If that wasn't the case the figure exchange tile would be far less useful and the fleets would be significantly weakened.

I can think of a rare circumstance where it would matter. Under the standard rules if you play your Ronin to win a figuree, you can then use your move tile to reposition a tile - even if it was needed to claim the piece just won.

Post originally by Shannon Appelcline at 2004-12-08 11:09:14
Converted from Phorums BB System

Y'know, I've never had problems with the boats. Maybe it's only the Ronin that lock out playing the regular tiles, or maybe it was a one-time glitch ...

I'd have to look again.

Post originally by Shannon Appelcline at 2004-12-08 11:14:17
Converted from Phorums BB System

Sure enough, I can't replicate it anymore. I must have grabbed the wrong tile or something when I had this happen before, then had to undo.

So, mark that up as the fast-play tiles playable before or after the regular tiles (and the review corrected accordingly).

Scoring, by the by, happens the instant a town closes.

Post originally by Jhulae at 2004-12-09 01:10:44
Converted from Phorums BB System

Figures are taken the instant the town is closed, as Shannon says.

This in no way weakens the swap piece tile.

The usual time I use Swap Piece is when I have some of my big pieces between two towns and one of the towns doesn't have the figure for my big tile.

I also use it if my opponent is trying to take a specific figure in a town and I want to weaken his position.

The ships are by no means weakened by this either. In fact, ships can be the swing.

For instance, if a town with, lets say, three hexes surrounding with a helmet in it, and it's got my opponents 3 helmet and her 3 rice around it, and I have a 2 rice, both 1 ships in my hand with my swap, I can swap the helmet for a rice, pop down the ships, pop down my two rice, and I win the piece. Even better if my ships are also influencing other towns, too.

In all my play, I've found the swap tile to be very powerful with 'instant capture' cities, like the rules say, because you *can* suddenly take a piece from an opponent.

Post originally by PaulK at 2004-12-09 06:34:22
Converted from Phorums BB System

You're misunderstanding my point.

What I was saying is that

IF

"Fast Play" tiles had to be played AFTER the ordinary tiles (as the review originally said - fortunately this turned out to be incorrect)

AND

Figures were taken as soon as a town was closed off

THEN

The "swap figures" and fleet tiles would be devalued. For the obvious reason that you could not use those tiles and THEN close a town (except with the Ronin).

Look at your example - if you had to play the 2 Rice tile first it wouldn't work. And that is exactly my point.