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constant-whiner
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Posts: 58
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February 2007
Call To Arms - my issues with it Mon, 21 May 2007 12:04
I got my copy of Call To Arms on last Friday late afternoon. I immediately begun reading the rules and examining the cards. Well, unless I am missing something big, I don't get it. Sure, specialists, cliffs and longbows are cool but this module is supposed to be a customized army deployment system. Well, it isn't. I have three complains. I hasten to add that I LOVE this game (much as I am irritated by that HR/FF thing) and I would love to be proven wrong.

Complain #1. (biggest). You are presented with a choice of three decks (A, B and C) which according to the manual have a "slightly distinctive flavor". Sorry guys but they most certainly do not. The three decks are essentially identical. I pored over the decks for more than 10 minutes examining the cards again and again, trying to find that "distinct flavor" but they looked just the same to me. I even counted the number and types of units on each deck. They are more or less the same! If anybody proves me wrong I'll be happy to print this post and eat it. Choosing one of these three identical decks is basically the only "customization" decision you will make (this applies to "Impromptu mode" - I'll cover "Organized" mode at complain #2). After that, you just draw four cards at random (out of 7 that each deck has). At random! Sure you get to chose which card gets deployed to your right flank and which card is your reserve but overall, what I perceive is that you have VERY LITTLE control over your army. It is impossible, for instance to field a "cavalry-heavy army" or an "archers-heavy army". I 'd like to have the option to field say few heavy cavalry units versus a larger number of light cavalry units. Well, you don't have that choice. I appreciate the effort to come up with a light deployment system but frankly calling this system "customized army deployment" borders on misrepresentation.

Complain #2. The situation is a little bit better in the organized mode in the sense that you at least have a chance to decided whether you want to field dwarves or goblins (if you are lucky enough to draw the right random cards) but that's just about it.

Complain #3. Maybe I am wrong in this one. Feudal Levy Tokens. I would appreciate an honest answer. Are they: (a) an intentional game mechanic that the designers thought fun to introduce or just (b) a mechanism to account for the lack of the sufficient number of figures in the base game to accommodate all possible combinations? If it is (a) what's the storyline / theme behind this mechanic? My educated guess is that is is (b) in which case I have two issues:
#3.1: If I have two sets I guess I don't need feudal levies so there you have it: different gaming experience depending on possession of an otherwise superfluous set.
#3.2: Why not just print some cheap horses / foot unit images for the feudal levy tokens ? I mean, maybe a lot of players would not mind playing with a poor quality substitute of a miniature instead of having to change their intended army composition for no thematic reason whatsoever but just because there are not enough figures in the set. I mean, in chess, when you upgrade a pawn, you don't need to have an extra queen, you just use some other token to represent the queen.
      
[Message index]

SubjectPosterDate
  Call To Arms - my issues with it  constant-whinerMon, 21 May 2007 12:04
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it ZiNOSMon, 21 May 2007 12:38
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it ColtsFan76Mon, 21 May 2007 13:30
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it yangtzeMon, 21 May 2007 13:49
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it mvettemagredMon, 21 May 2007 14:12
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it yangtzeMon, 21 May 2007 14:19
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it ColtsFan76Mon, 21 May 2007 14:28
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it tom-le-termiteMon, 21 May 2007 17:51
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it The New RomanceMon, 21 May 2007 18:44
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it tom-le-termiteMon, 21 May 2007 18:50
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it DarkPadawanMon, 21 May 2007 14:30
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it cebalraiMon, 21 May 2007 14:32
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it DarkPadawanMon, 21 May 2007 14:36
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it cebalraiMon, 21 May 2007 14:39
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it yangtzeMon, 21 May 2007 14:52
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it coffeestainMon, 21 May 2007 15:36
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it mvettemagredMon, 21 May 2007 16:20
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it blindspotMon, 21 May 2007 22:38
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it ScragnothMon, 21 May 2007 16:53
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it _twinkle_Thu, 24 May 2007 10:43
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it GryfonMon, 21 May 2007 17:22
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it cebalraiMon, 21 May 2007 23:04
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it VVoltzMon, 21 May 2007 22:27
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it cebalraiMon, 21 May 2007 23:11
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it akaRoadsTue, 22 May 2007 00:53
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it bagoasTue, 22 May 2007 01:18
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it cebalraiTue, 22 May 2007 06:31
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it ZealWed, 23 May 2007 18:53
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it deliamber8Tue, 22 May 2007 02:49
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it ColtsFan76Wed, 23 May 2007 19:28
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it ZealWed, 23 May 2007 19:56
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it dbc-Wed, 23 May 2007 20:07
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it ZealWed, 23 May 2007 20:47
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it ColtsFan76Wed, 23 May 2007 21:38
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it cebalraiThu, 24 May 2007 01:33
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it ZelboneThu, 24 May 2007 06:55
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it constant-whinerThu, 24 May 2007 11:42
  Re:Call To Arms - my issues with it _twinkle_Thu, 24 May 2007 11:49
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