New Game Twilight Struggle

[demyansk]

A review of this game coming out on Monday, anyone know anything about it? Good bad ugly?

http://www.wargamer.com/news/the-cold-w ... for-pcmac/

[Ranger33]

It's based on a boardgame that is/was the #1 boardgame on BoardGameGeek for many years. GMT Games makes a lot of really good stuff that people here would probably like. I've never played Twilight Struggle myself, but I hear nothing but good things. I'll probably get the iPad version so I can finally try it out.

Also, Playdek, the developer they hired to make the digital version has a very solid track record, I have a couple of their other boardgame-to-digital titles and they are really good.

The game is about the Cold War and is at the strategic level. I don't know the details of how you play but it's fairly abstract. There is a deck of cards with different events and you choose whether to play them or not. Lots of political and proxy war type stuff, threat of nuclear warfare, etc.

[Trugrit]

I own it. It is a two player game of the cold war - USSR vs USA.
Rules are easy to learn but the strategy is complex.
One of the top five strategy board games ever made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn7uvXp ... tml5=False

[demyansk]

How is the single player portion of the game?

[Ranger33]

The physical boardgame is a strictly two player affair. Would need to check some reviews for the AI. Like I said though, the developer has done a really good job in the past with the same kind of conversion for other games.

[CarnageINC]

Well I bought it, I love the concept of it. However, I can't understand the pro's and con's of the cards. As the US I always seem to draw a lot of USSR cards creating a situation where I don't know how to play the cards to maximize them for my side. I've lost 4 straight against the AI! I'm at a loss on how to play this game [:(]

Well to update myself and my posting I did find this handy little site to help me better understand what is going on!

https://twilightstrategy.com/

[Rosseau]

Good link to learn stuff.

On Steam, they admit they are still working on the AI, so I am waiting.

[CarnageINC]

Update here, I finally think I understand most of the basics. I have 8 hours into it and have played about 8-10 games as the US...and lost every one of them! LOL WOOT!

This game is more like chess IMO. This is not your normal strategy game. You really have to plan way ahead to maximize your cards.

I will say that for novice players, the AI is more than capable of tromping your arse! I was close to getting into a dominate position overall against the AI on 2 games, but I self suicide because I failed to read some of the finer print and caused Armageddon [:'(] [:D]

I think once you become an expert on the game, you probably still will be very challenged with the AI. I have yet to play multiplayer but I'm sure it is going to be awesome!

If anyone here has the game and is up to a match, I'm willing to give it a go. No clue on how to link up with specific players, but I'm sure we can figure it out.

[wings7]

The computer version does look intriguing! [:)] I am ashamed to say I have never played the board version [:(] (GMT Games is one of the best games publishers and developers), they both are on my wishlist! Here is the Steam link:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/40629 ... 1_7_15__13

[Skeleton]

I too am ashamed that I have yet to play the board game, as my interests tend to veer to solitaire friendly board/war games. Having said that, I picked it up and absolutely love it! I sincerly wish Matrix would dedicate more of their resources in working with board game ports to computer. Excellent game and I concure with the statement regarding the AI for novices.

[aaatoysandmore]

ORIGINAL: Marcus the leper

I too am ashamed that I have yet to play the board game, as my interests tend to veer to solitaire friendly board/war games. Having said that, I picked it up and absolutely love it! I sincerly wish Matrix would dedicate more of their resources in working with board game ports to computer. Excellent game and I concure with the statement regarding the AI for novices.

Lol, I think that want has been around since Matrixgames first started and others as well (I remember that want all the way back to SSI days). I guess the licenses to produce those great games costs more than the income they would get for them cause there's been some great boardgames in the past that could really have used a conversion.

What I think is missing most of all though is the face to face and die rolling, rules lawyering experiences. [:'(]
Oh and the cat. [:D]

Nothing I don't think I wanted more in all these years than the port of the American Heritage games from the 60's, Battle Cry, Broadsides and Dogfight. Simple games you could play in the afternoon or even after school. Seems most games today take a lifetime or days and months to play one out.

[Recognition]

ORIGINAL: wings7

The computer version does look intriguing! [:)] I am ashamed to say I have never played the board version [:(] (GMT Games is one of the best games publishers and developers), they both are on my wishlist! Here is the Steam link:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/40629 ... 1_7_15__13

I think I might get this, it looks really interesting and seems you can play short sessions.

Thanks for the link. I must admit I have never heard of even the board game.

[Rosseau]

Thanks Carnage, Marcus and others. As my skill level is below "novice," I now have no concerns about the AI being too weak [:)]

Plus, $12 is pretty inexpensive for a port of such a well respected board game.

[CarnageINC]

ORIGINAL: rosseau

Thanks Carnage, Marcus and others. As my skill level is below "novice," I now have no concerns about the AI being too weak [:)]

Plus, $12 is pretty inexpensive for a port of such a well respected board game.

For the money spent on it, its quite the deal IMO. I still haven't won a game as US yet. I'm getting close! Good luck with it and enjoy the challenge.

[demyansk]

I think I will buy this game later

[Jaingar]

Good game! Might be interesting. lol

[Ranger33]

Based on the comments from all of y'all I think I might have to go ahead and grab the PC version.

[ezzler]

I've never played the boardgame either. And agree with you in that i'm not really sure what is going on.
Playing as the USSR have lost 6 games straight. If this is the weak Ai then God help me later on.

However I'm now getting beaten on about game turn 6/7 instead of 2/3.

[CarnageINC]

Finally! After 13 hours of game play, I won as the US using the "War Games" card on turn 9...YES! Finally, I have to say this is an awesome little game. Now to try it as the USSR!

Update, literally after 20 mins or so of this posting I played and won my first game as USSR. I'm on the fence on how the AI handled the situation that was created in Europe, I managed to control of the key battlegrounds by round 3. The AI really didn't react to well once I had Italy and France. It kind of went about its business till I played a card called "Blockade" it couldn't react to. I then had free rein in West Germany. It attempted to fight back but it just didn't have the strength in ops numbers to win.

So word of advice, its best to play the game against the AI as US, starting out as USSR really won't help you figure out the game to well.

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***Note to the Matrix guys,

Would it be okay to do an AAR of the game and post it on the General Forums so others can see how it plays?

[RFalvo69]

IIRC, Playdeck will analyse the strategies used by skilled players in online games, and start from them to slowly build a stronger AI.

Anyway, if you don't know the game the current AI slaps you around. I lost 7 games straight before winning my first one