Cycles-RPG

I'm taking part in this discussion at the forge, talking about service based model and how, in a world where almost everything can be copied, can we produced things that can't.

It all started with a link toward a blog's article about this which, of course, I advice you to read.

Also, it turns out the author is a speaker at TED.
You don't know this site ? It is great !!! I strongly recommend you take the time to sit and take a look around.

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Je participe à cette discussion sur the forge, où nous parlons de services à valeur ajoutée et comment, dans un monde où tout, ou presque, peut être copié, créer des "choses" qui ne le peuvent l'être.

Et finalement, il s'avère que l'auteur du blog en question est un intervenant de TED.
Vous ne connaissez pas ce site ? Courez-y immédiatement et prenez le temps d'y jeter un coup d'oeil.

Cross posted at boardgamegeek

Overview
I was kind of septical when I first heard about this game, but being a big fan of fantasy flight games, I've decided to give it a try. I've also been a fan of the original video game.
So, after five games, always with three players, I can say I am really surprised about the game and I intend to play on a regular basis.
But, for the moment, let's see why ...

Product overview
- Game pieces : There are nice (not gorgeous) but some are physically broken. This is due to the way they are done and stocked into the box. In my opinion, this is unbelievable, given the price it is being sold and the quality it is aiming at. Also, the box is kind of dump !!! There is no way you can use it to stock back the pieces. Then again, unbelievable. It seems to be a general problem with some of FFG products (tide of iron, for instance), but what I don't understand is that games like a game of throne has a perfect box to put back the pieces.
- The rulebook : very badly done. Then again, it seems to be a general problem with FFG. This rulebook is built à la Arkham horror. So, good luck reading it !!!

In general, this product is of good quality, but franckly, some details really leave an unfinished touch to it. It doesn't prevent me from enjoying the game, but I tend to be discouraged each time I open the box to play (how can this be so badly done ???).

Game setup
I really, but really prefer games with short setup. Starcraft is kind of a different beast to me. Setup seems long, but once you get to know how to play a little, you soon realise you don't need all the elements of the setup. The way we came to play it, setup is very short : about fifteen minutes, with people getting pieces along the course of play, depending on their strategy.

Game mechanic
Game turns are basically divided into three steps, described here :
Planning
For those of you familiar with a game of throne, you'll find back some common mechanic : orders are putted facedown on the board. But, there are major, and very interesting differences :
- Players only put four orders, which restricts a lot what you plan to do (for instance, if you fight a lot, you won't build or research).
- Mobilise (or figth/march) orders are not placed on the starting location of the troops but at the destination. You want to attack an ennemy ? He'll know it for sure ...
- A single territory can have more than one order placed on it. Orders are played from the top to the bottom. And this is a mess !!! Very interesting mechanic here that really depends on whom is the first player (first guy to put an order on a location : the last order who will be played for that location). Many surprises (and mistakes at first) comes from this. For me, that's the core and more interesting part of the game.
Executing
Orders are executed. I won't go into details, but mention things I like or hate.
- Research tree : I was afraid of a tree that would look like civilisation ; a very big tree that every players will go thru. But this is quite simple in starcraft : you won't buy all the tech, that's for sure. You can even play without buying any tech. I think this is very nice and that allows more different kind of play.
- Buildings : then again, I was afraid !!! But like the tech tree, every player will need to focus on some strategy, some buildings he wants to build. Also, since players can play multiple build orders, it is very interesting (well, you won't do much other things that turn) because, then again, it allows more room for different strategies.
- Combat system : skirmish based combat. Individual figures oppose each other and for each "skirmish", players display a card (hidden). Most people like this, but I'm not a big fan ; too much luck involved. But, is it fun ? You bet it is fun !!!
- Resource gathering : very respectful of the video game. You'll need those "peasants" to gather the ressources ... but, if you build them, you might turn out to be slower on other things. Also, you can lose those units.
Regrouping
Essentially, the last part of the game. My comments :
- Special victory conditions : each faction has a unique special victory condition, which will greatly influences the way the game is played. Each and every game I played was won thru a special victory condition. Well, some people don't like this, but I do, and a lot.

Play overview
Here's what I think of the type of games starcraft generates :
- The spirit of the video game is very respected. But ... from a PvP point of view, not a campaign one. That means, games are fast, very fast ; and each player will use one or two elements of strategy. Forget about seeing all types of units. The game won't last that long.
- Each race is quite different to play and needs a different approach toward the strategy. Then again, quite respectful of the video game.
- Luck is an element, not a major one, but still ... From your starting planets to your combat cards, some elements of luck are involved. I normally don't like this, but the games are so quick that I can easily live with it !!
- Replay value : great, if not awesome. Different races, different planets and starting positions. Also, the games are so fast that many are needed to try many strategies.

Final words
Well, so far, I've only played three players games, but I'm really ready to play games with more players. I would especially like to this a six players game with three teams (one per race).

Overall, I'd say this is a very nice game and I'm very glad about that purchase. Most concepts of this game are not new ones, but they are used in a very efficient way that generates very quick games. So far, we've been playing two games by evening, which is quite nice and less involving then games like agot.

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Vous m'excuserez, mais je n'ai pas l'intention de traduire les articles de cette catégorie ... Désolé.

A month without any updates on the blog !!! More exactly, a month missed in my life ... I've been sick, very sick ; and for a complete month. I thought this would never end !!!

Anyway, here am I again and serious business can continue. So, in the upcoming weeks :
- Presentation of our character sheet using the d20 system.
- Presentation of our new map format.
- Presentation of two new illustrators who joined us.
- The webcomic should continue.
- And why not some boardgame review ?

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Un mois d'absence sur le blog !!! En fait, c'est davantage un mois d'absence dans ma vie en général ... J'ai été malade, comme c'est pas possible ; et pendant un mois. Je croyais que ca ne finirait jamais !!!

Enfin bref, me voilà remis et les choses sérieuses peuvent reprendre. Donc, dans les prochaines semaines :
- Présentation de notre fiche de personnage sous le format d20.
- Présentation de notre nouveau format de cartes.
- Présentation de deux nouvelles illustratrices qui vont travailler sur le projet.
- La suite du webcomic.
- Et pourquoi pas, quelques critiques de jeux de plateau ...

April week one
The grey orcs rally around the black orcish warriors
The grey orcish shamans’ magic seems to work wonders on the flesh-eaters. Those that had been given up for dead only a day or so ago are now hanging on to life, flitting back and forth on the threshold of consciousness. As they share their days tending the wounded and their nights preying on the brigands, the black orcs develop new bonds with their grey ilk and first-hand experience of their way of life. It is by one of these cold mountain nights that Drodgar, returning from a foray against the brigands, is called upon by an elder shaman of their host clan. Sitting by a hearth, the grey orc addresses the flesh-eater without ever lifting his eyes from the flames dancing before him. « My people and I thank you for the help you have brought us against the persecutors. Generation after generation, our children have died at their hands in a war that has visited only despair and misery upon us. We saw your sacrifice, we saw the heads of your kin impaled on spikes, and we share your suffering. Know this, on the day of reckoning we shall stand by your side. » « Do you speak in your name or that of all the clans? » To this, the old shaman lifts his eyes upon Drodgar and answers. « Fear not, on that day, none shall miss your call. »
Les orques noirs parviennent à rallier les orques gris
La magie des shamans orques gris semble bénéfique aux dévoreurs de chair. Ceux qui étaient donnés pour morts il y a peu, reprennent conscience par moments. Entre les jours passés à leur chevet et les nuits à harceler les brigands, les orques noirs finissent par être familiers avec les orques gris et leur façon de vivre. Par une nuit froide au cœur de la montagne, au retour d’une de ses expéditions contre les maraudeurs, Drodgar est approché par un vieux shaman du clan des orques gris qui les accueille. S’asseyant auprès de lui, le vieux s’adresse au dévoreur de chair sans même le regarder, fixant la flamme devant lui. « Mon peuple t’est reconnaissant de l’aide que tu nous apportes contre les brigands. Depuis des générations nous sacrifions nos enfants dans une guerre qui ne nous apporte que le désespoir et la misère. Nous avons vu les têtes empalées de vos puissants guerriers. Nous comprenons votre souffrance. Sache que nous serons à tes côtés le jour de la vengeance. » « Parles-tu en ton nom ou en celui de tous les clans ? » cette fois, le shaman se retourne vers Drodgar. « N’aie crainte, le jour venu, tous les clans marcheront avec moi. »

Lascau calls for more troops
« We’re losing this war. » But Lascau will hear none of it. Holding council with his main lieutenants, the demi-ogre dismisses any talk of retreat outright. « We need more troops, that’s all. Recall our men, empty the five sisters if you have to! » His henchmen no longer even try to hide their skepticism. « We’ve no idea how many of them we’re up against. Most of the time, we can’t even see the damn enemy. Morale is terrible. Some of our men are waiting for the first opportunity to desert. We need more troops, but more than that, we need seasoned troops. » Lascau’s eyes are brimming with anger. « Anyone so much as talks of desertion, I’ll kill him myself. Make sure the men know that! If you need veteran troops, then get them. We’ll ferret those black orcs out like rats. Pull back every sentinel. No more isolated troops or easy targets! Abandon the tunnels that are unsafe and pull our men back. If the black orcs want us so bad, let them come to us! »
Lasceaux réclame plus de troupes
« Nous perdons cette guerre. » Mais Lasceaux ne veut rien entendre. Réuni avec ses principaux lieutenants, le demi-ogre refuse d’abdiquer. « Il nous faut plus de troupes, c’est tout. Vider les cinq sœurs s’il le faut. » Les lieutenants ne cherchent même plus à dissimuler leur inquiétude. « Nous ignorons le nombre de nos ennemis. Nous ne les voyons même pas ! Les hommes sont terrorisés. Certains vont déserter à la première occasion. Nous manquons d’hommes, mais surtout d’hommes expérimentés. » Le regard de Lasceaux est de feu. « Le prochain qui parle de désertion, je le tue sur-le-champ. Faîtes-le bien comprendre à vos hommes. S’il nous manque des hommes d’expérience, allez les chercher. Nous allons débusquer ces orques noirs. Retirer toutes les sentinelles. Je ne veux plus aucun homme isolé ! Cédons les galeries où nos hommes meurent. Repliez-les. Si les orques noirs se présentent à nos portes, nous les verrons bien. »

Dramnard arrives in Carcandas
Already Carcandas appears before him, shimmering like an island of wealth. But Dramnard has no intention of meeting with its rulers, or even of stopping there. Skirting the southern capital, he catches only a glimpse of the agitation reigning in its streets and the many convoys setting off for the north. He prefers to follow the course of the Thelor westwards. Dramnard tries to draw as little attention as possible to Drizoney and himself, but he must nonetheless alight from time to time. He finds hospitality in a number of the great manors spread out over the lands of Saloy. Drizoney is greeted with fright by many humans, but Dramnard is always quick to establish their peaceful intentions. Brief though it is, this contact with human culture only brings back bitter memories to Dramnard’s mind, which leaves him impatient to reach the summer capital at last.
Dramnard arrive à Carcandasse
Carcandasse apparaît au loin, entourée de ses riches terres. Dramnard n’a pas l’intention d’y rencontrer les autorités ou même d’y passer la nuit. Contournant la capitale humaine, il constate l’agitation qui y règne et les nombreux convois qui la quittent en direction du nord. Préférant longer le Thélor par l’ouest afin de ne pas attirer l’attention, Dramnard doit tout de même s’arrêter de temps à autre. Il parvient aisément à séjourner dans les grandes demeures retrouvées un peu partout sur le royaume de Saloy. La présence de Drizoné effraye certains humains qui sont pourtant vite rassurés sur les intentions du dragon et de son cavalier. Cette expérience de la culture humaine ne fait que rappeler de mauvais souvenirs à Dramnard qui a fort hâte de rejoindre la capitale d’été.

March week four
The black orcs press their attacks on the brigands
While the survivors of the party that fell on Murdithem are being tended to by grey orcish shamans in their village base, those that are fit for battle continue to harass the brigands night and day. The flesh-eaters know that such a campaign will tie them down for a number of weeks, maybe more. But should they beat the brigands out of the ancient dwarven fortress, they would have secure access to the surface at the same time. Such a campaign could not realistically be fought without the support of the grey orcs, and having acknowledged this tie of dependence, the relations between the flesh-eaters and the local population grow progressively closer and warmer. The black orcs are now aware of the presence of cannons, and they settle on a strategy of attrition aiming to wear down their forces, one man at a time, and similarly to pick at their defences, one cannon at a time. To keep up the pressure on the brigands, they make sure that at least one of them dies every night. It is during one of these seek and destroy expeditions that Drodgar comes across three severed black orcish heads planted on spikes.
Les orques noirs maintiennent leurs assauts contre les brigands
Alors que la majorité des survivants du groupe qui a été surpris par les brigands est alitée au village des orques gris, entre les mains des soins prodigués par leurs shamans, ceux qui sont encore en état de se battre ne cessent de harceler les brigands. Les orques supposent qu’ils risquent de demeurer immobilisés quelques semaines en ce lieu. Ils ne perdent donc pas espoir de rejoindre la surface en passant par l’antique cité naine. Ils adoptent un comportement amical envers les orques gris dont ils ne peuvent nier leur dépendance actuelle. Au fait de la présence de canons auprès des brigands, les orques noirs, qui optent pour une tactique de guérilla et de guerre psychologique contre leur ennemi, tentent en vain de détruire leurs armes redoutables. Ils s’assurent toutefois de tuer au moins un renégat par nuit afin de faire augmenter l’angoisse au sein de leurs rangs. C’est au cours d’une de ses expéditions que Drodgar découvre les têtes de trois orques noirs plantées sur des épieux.

The brigands are still under threat from the black orcs
The severed heads of the black orcish warriors have been planted on wooden staves, well in sight at the centre of the citadel’s monumental hallway. Many bows and cannons are levelled at them from hidden positions all around the hallway. Still, as time runs by, the orcs fail to rise to the bait. And as both sides play out a battle of nerves, the brigands look as if they’ll be the first to flinch. Indeed, when night falls on the ancient dwarven fortress, they live in fear as a seemingly invisible enemy visits Murdithem. The brigands expected the orcs to attack through the main gate once again, but instead they choose to infiltrate the fortress through dark and unsecured passageways. And their targets seem to be the cannon positions. So far they have been unable to strike at the cannons, but every night more brigands die. The troops Lascau ordered back have arrived, but despite the safety of numbers, they cannot shake the feeling that they have let themselves be cornered into a deadly trap.
Des brigands toujours aux prises avec les orques noirs
Les têtes des orques noirs sont plantées sur des pics, bien en vue au centre de l’imposant hall de la citadelle naine, les canons et les archers orientés dans cette direction. Mais la guerre psychologique qui débute n’est pas en faveur des brigands. Les orques ne se laissent pas berner par ce piège. Et toutes les nuits, la terreur gagne l’ancienne citadelle naine. Les troupes que Lasceaux a réquisitionnées sont bien arrivées, mais les hommes du demi-ogre, malgré leur nombre, vivent dans la peur. Alors que les brigands s’attendaient à revoir surgir les orques près de la porte principale, c’est des galeries sombres et peu connues des brigands que la mort approche du camp. De toute évidence, les orques cherchent à se débarrasser des canons mais n’y parviennent pas. Chaque nuit, des brigands meurent. Dans une terreur indicible que maintenant tous les maraudeurs redoutent.

Party appearing on brigand territory : Drodgar
A barbarian scout, Drodgar is revered as the god of remembrance, forgiveness and revenge. Even though he does not have his full powers in this cycle, Drodgar remains a formidable foe nonetheless. His muscular build, quite slender for a black orc, and his fast and precise movements immediately betray his potential as a warrior. His light armour which leaves some of his many tattoos visible, his two short swords, his bow and the fearsome two-handed axe he carries slung across his back are a foretaste of his many skills. He is a patient and merciless hunter, sometimes accused of being unrelenting beyond the point of reason. Used to operating alone, he is nonetheless a great leader of men, able to assemble legions in the name of a cause that is continuously brought back to orcish memory.
Groupe apparaissant aux portes des brigands : Drodgar
Barbare traqueur, Drodgar est adulé comme le dieu du souvenir, du pardon et de la vengeance. Bien qu’il ne dispose pas de tous ses pouvoirs pour ce cycle, Drodgar est tout de même un combattant formidable. Sa stature musclée, presque élancée pour un orque noir, ses gestes, rapides et maîtrisés révèlent dès le premier regard tout le potentiel de ce guerrier. Son armure légère laissant entrevoir ses nombreux tatouages, ses deux épées courtes, son arc et sa redoutable hache à deux mains qu’il porte au travers de son dos, ne sont que le reflet de ses multiples habiletés. Il est un traqueur impitoyable, patient. Il est parfois accusé de s’acharner contre ses ennemis. Habitué à évoluer seul, il n’en demeure pas moins un formidable meneur d’hommes, capable d’assembler des légions au nom d’une cause continuellement rappelée à leur mémoire.

Party appearing on brigand territory : Dromgruth
A barbarian wielding two axes in battle, Dromgruth is a powerful warrior who fears no-one. Launching himself against his enemies in open melee, he knows that his presence is enough to inspire fear and how to draw advantage from this. Believing himself to be invincible, he favours attack over defence. The scent of battle inures him to all physical sensation of pain. Filled with bloodlust, retreat is no longer an option for him. During battle, his blind determination to fight to the very end has many a time proven decisive and enabled the orcs to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. It isn’t uncommon for him to fall into a deep coma for several hours after such an effort. The many scars that cross his body and face bear witness to the well of rage that sleeps within him.
Groupe apparaissant aux portes des brigands : Dromgruth
Barbare utilisant deux haches en combat, Dromgruth est un puissant guerrier qui ne craint aucun adversaire. Se jetant contre ses ennemis en pleine mêlée, il sait que sa présence inspire la peur et il compte sur celle-ci pour en tirer un avantage pendant le combat. Se croyant invincible, il privilégie l’attaque à la défense. L’odeur du combat lui fait perdre toute sensation de douleur. Entrant dans une rage meurtrière, la retraite n’est plus pour lui une alternative. Pendant une bataille, son acharnement peut souvent faire la différence entre la victoire et la défaite. Il n’est pas rare qu’il sombre par la suite dans un coma profond de quelques heures. Les nombreuses cicatrices qui recouvrent son corps et son visage sont les témoins de cette rage qui sommeille en lui.