[Board/Tactical Game]: Prophecy, reviewed by ShannonA (5/5)

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/13/13474.phtml

Shannon Appelcline's Summary:

An excellent fantasy adventure game, adapting the <i>Talisman</I> formula to twenty new years of game theory.

Go to the full review for more information.

[Keith Burkhead]

Shannon,

If you had to pick-what would you choose-Return of the Heroes or Prophecy?

I need to fill this niche in my game collection, and was considering one of these 2.

Thanks,
KB

[ShannonA]

Originally Posted by Keith Burkhead

Shannon,

If you had to pick-what would you choose-Return of the Heroes or Prophecy?

I need to fill this niche in my game collection, and was considering one of these 2.

Thanks,
KB

I don't feel like I've played Return of the Heroes enough to give it an endorsement, but the biggest difference between the two is game length.

RotH is about 1-2 hours while Prophecy is 3 or 4, so your desired game length can be one criteria in designing.

[Morrius]

Is this a reprint or second edition? I looked on Boardgamegeek, and it says it was published in 2002, and it has a couple of expansions.

[xenongames]

I am pretty sure this is the Z-Man reprint of the original edition, sans expansions.

We played it (the original edition) shortly after RotH, and I enjoyed Prophesy much more. The sprawling board and quests of RotH would make you think it was a deeper, more enjoyable game, but I found the reverse to be true. There was more player interaction (such that there is in this genre) in Prophesy and despite the longer playing time, the game felt tighter and more tense. That's what I recall, anyway.

[ShannonA]

Originally Posted by Morrius

Is this a reprint or second edition? I looked on Boardgamegeek, and it says it was published in 2002, and it has a couple of expansions.

I've never played the original, which was a Czech import, but the Z-Man website says they've made some changes:

The game was originally produced in the Czech Republic, but our edition, with the help of the designer and at the behest of several gamers, speeds up the game, has a graphic redesign, changed card text and a new Final Battle rule (the original Final Battle rule is now a variant).

So, I'd call that a second edition, albeit by a new US publisher.

[ShannonA]

Originally Posted by ShannonA

I don't feel like I've played Return of the Heroes enough to give it an endorsement, but the biggest difference between the two is game length.

RotH is about 1-2 hours while Prophecy is 3 or 4, so your desired game length can be one criteria in deciding.

I thought this over some more, and wanted to give some additional insight:

Return of the Heroes is very much a European game design. Besides just being shorter, it's also somewhat more abstract, with the theming feeling subservient to the mechanics.

Contrariwise, Prophecy is very much an American adventure game design that's been designed well, taking advantage of some European nuances, but doing so without sacrificing the theming and the adventure feel of the original.

So, RotH is probably better if you want a shorter game or a more Germanic game.

Prophecy is probably better if you don't mind a longer game and want something with a more adventuresome feel.

Oddly, RotH also feels more random because the final battle can happen to give a big advantage to one player depending on setup.

[Keith Burkhead]

Originally Posted by ShannonA

I thought this over some more, and wanted to give some additional insight:

Return of the Heroes is very much a European game design. Besides just being shorter, it's also somewhat more abstract, with the theming feeling subservient to the mechanics.

Contrariwise, Prophecy is very much an American adventure game design that's been designed well, taking advantage of some European nuances, but doing so without sacrificing the theming and the adventure feel of the original.

So, RotH is probably better if you want a shorter game or a more Germanic game.

Prophecy is probably better if you don't mind a longer game and want something with a more adventuresome feel.

Oddly, RotH also feels more random because the final battle can happen to give a big advantage to one player depending on setup.

Shannon,
Thanks for the thoughtful replies....I think I'll be nabbing Prophecy ASAP.

Thanks,
KB

[Spinachcat]

I am a Talisman fan, but I was disappointed that the 4e wasn't revised. Too bad its just a nostalgia product.

As for Prophecy, is there any differences between characters that affect gameplay?

Is the game BOG fantasy or does it draw you into its own world?

[ShannonA]

Originally Posted by Spinachcat

As for Prophecy, is there any differences between characters that affect gameplay?

It's more minimal than most, but the guilds you belong to make a huge difference to your character development. Your starting health and magic too, though somewhat less so.

Is the game BOG fantasy or does it draw you into its own world?

Pretty standard, like Talisman.