After ten years, Settlers is still going strong - a true classic. Even with all the glittering expansions discarded, the base games still is worth playing.
Post originally by committed hero at 2005-03-23 09:02:23
Converted from Phorums BB System
My word it has been 10 years....
The board is a circle of hexes with five different types of terrain. At the start of the game each region gets a number (from 2-6 and 8-12).
Players build settlements and cities at the vertices of three hexes, with roads connecting them.
Each turn two dice are rolled. Any non-7 means that settlements bordering regions with the rolled number get supplies. A 7 allows the active player to move a robber piece that can redistribute a supply card. You can then trade for the goods you need to build or draw cards from a small deck.
The winner must amass 10 victory points, awarded through settlements and certain cards.
Post originally by Ken at 2005-03-23 09:24:09
Converted from Phorums BB System
Well, there's different hex shaped tiles for different terrains that are spread out randomly, with numbers placed on top of them. You set up your villages on the corners of the hexes and your roads along the edges, and you roll 2d6 on each turn. When you roll a number of a hex a village is adjacent to, you get the applicable resources (wood for forests, wheat from plains, etc.) You use the resources for building more villages, roads, or for building up your existing village into a town. You can also get resources by trading in three of any kind for one, by trading with other players, or by using the robber. There's also some kind of extra deck of cards, I forget what it's called.
The game mixes strategy and luck pretty nicely, players' turns go by fast, and the game usually takes like an hour or so until someone builds enough to get ten points. It's a lot of fun, and the rules give a lot of strategic options without being very complicated.
Post originally by Martin at 2005-03-23 15:52:23
Converted from Phorums BB System
Good review.
I think Settlers is a good introductory game for players new to board games and for bringing older players in to the fold. I got my whole family into boardgaming with this game. And the reason I think it works for new people, is because it uses dice. Beginners are happy with dice because it is a simple device to use for generating resources each round. The trading is fun and simple. The goal of the game is simple. It takes less than an hour for a game. It takes maybe 15 minutes to get set up and explain things to new players.
Yes, I used the word 'simple' quite a few times. But that is not a negative. That is why it is still popular ten years later.
Post originally by Mark Green at 2005-03-24 09:28:46
Converted from Phorums BB System
Basically, you sit around a table passing each other a set of dice.
Each turn, you hope against hope that you'll roll a number that will get you some resources. If you do, you get to take a card. You then might be able to build something. Or not. It doesn't really matter whether you do or not, because how useful your building is will depend on what resources you get in the future, which is random.
Different hexes have numbers which are nearer the middle of normal distribution, so building on them might get you more resources. Or might not. Or might get you less. You don't know. Oh, well.
If you roll a 7, you get to move the robber and steal from another player. But, not from a hex that gives them lots of resources, because the other players will glare at you and claim that you are slowing down the game.
You can trade with other players, too. You can trade resources for each other. Most often you'll be trading resources for the opportunity to actually take action in the game, or vice versa.
Settlers is, basically, a ouija-board game: no, I don't mean that it involves summoning spirits, I mean that it involves all the players tacitly working to get around the rules while at the same time hiding from the other players the fact they're doing so.
Linear Mode
