Catan

I saw this on Steam today, and I thought I'd mention it. I haven't played this particular version, but I'm very familiar with the board game, as well as the Ios version of the game. So this is not a review, just a general description of what it's all about.

"Catan" is a computer version of the German board game of trade and building, "Die Siedler Von Catan", aka "Settlers of Catan". Players take turns trading goods, building roads, towns and cities, and playing cards, trying to gain the most points. The first player to achieve the point goal of the game wins.

The game combines both luck and strategy as well as the human element of trading. The computer version does not include internet or hot-seat play, so that's kind of disappointing. I don't know how the computer version is, but the Ios AI was adequate -- not overwhelingly good, but fit my personal skill level (which is not astoundingly high either lol). Honestly, I liked the board game, but I was never a huge aficionado of the game (like some of my friends). I can say that playing the Ios game did improve my skills.

The computer version also includes two of Catan's expansions: "Seafarers" and "Cities and Knights". "Seafarers" adds islands and sea lanes to the game to connect to those islands. "Cities and Knights" adds knights, city walls, a barbarian ship and commodities. The way I look at it, "Seafarers" doesn't fundamentally change the game as much as "Cities and Knights" does, which certainly takes it out of the realm of a simplicity and elegance. That doesn't mean that its a bad expansion, just that it makes it significantly more complex, as opposed to the Seafarers, which just gives you more strategic options. But keep in mind that the Ios version had a campaign which slowly added more of the complexity into the game. I don't know if the computer version includes that campaign, but if it does, you won't be overwhelmed by all the extra rules added by the expansions.

BTW, I'm not buying the computer game because it has no multiplayer (I still have the Ios version, which suffices, and I feel no need to have it on the PC as well). But if you haven't played the game, or you lack opponents nowadays (like me) you may want to check it out.

 

They did the same thing with Talisman, but at least with that game, what they released was sufficiently different from the board game.

BTW, one other really good board game that people should check out is also available for Ios (and I recently saw it for the PC as well) -- "Ticket to Ride". Railroad games, for some reason, are a hugely popular subgenre in board gaming, and "Ticket to Ride" is one of the easier ones to get into and can be really fun. I taught my niece and 10-year-old nephew the game and they really took to it, so it does have that general family-game appeal, while still not being as simple-minded as many family games.

Essentially, each player secretly has a set of routes that they must complete to collect the points on that card -- each turn, you either draw rails or place them, and there's a maximum number of rails that any player can place total. When a player is down to 2 or fewer rails left, there's one more round, and then the game is over, and you add up your points, subtracting points for any routes that you left incomplete.

It's similar but different from the "Empire Builder" family of rail games, which I also recommend, but which don't have computer versions (that I'm aware of). Some of the maps are harder than others due to the geography, and some have special rules, and it has some alternate card sets to add variety to the game. It's one of my favorite games on my Ipad.

 

I think it was made simply for people who liked the original and wanted to be able to play it without being forced to find other people with spare time. In other words, for those who would like to play the game but don't have enough friends with non-conflicting schedules.

On that note, I do admit that the lack of multiplayer mode is a bit of a turn-off, even if I wouldn't use it for the most part since I don't fancy playing games like that with random strangers.

 

Talisman Prologue. Pretty sure the upcoming Talisman game will have MP, but I could be wrong. Prologue was there to raise funds for the second game. Get a SP out, get awareness raised, get the system in place, etc., etc.

And apparently the Steam version of Catan is a bit expensive for what it is. I'm tempted, but I have the iOS version that cost about £3. At least it's not Caracassone (about £5), or its PC version (oh gods the music is so bizarre)

 

I have Talisman on preorder, and yes it will have multiplayer. I have mixed feelings about it though. I played like 1st and/or second edition Talisman and it was really fun, but the games had a tendency to sometimes drag on for far too long. I'm not sure if later editions improved on that or not.

What I'd love to see is an updated Axis and Allies, or now that the board game is being reissued (FINALLY!!!), Fortress America. "A&A" was buggy as hell, and had a horrible AI (oddly advertised as a really strong AI). But it's one of my favorite games, so I'd love to see them do a version that actually worked -- a decent AI wouldn't hurt either, but just playing over the internet would be great.

 

I've got a soft spot for Axis & Allies (let's see...I have the Anniversary Edition and the 7 foot long 1940 Europe+Pacific...which I built a gaming table specifically for......maybe 'soft spot' is too light a term) and would love to see the video game get some more attention. Especially if it incorporates some of the ideas of Anniversary and 1940 editions (mech. infantry, dive bombers, neutral countries etc.)

 

That is exactly why I bought it.
I do agree that not including the option of multi-player in, was a bit of a weird decision. People are going berserk on the Steam Community Hub Forum, though. It's hilarious.

 

Catan is actually provided online for free against other players. You can play via browser or a downloadable application. I believe you just have to register for it. http://www.playcatan.com/

 

I offer 2 wood for 3 of your sheep.

 

It's very annoying how the AI in the Steam game will counter-offer you 1 ore for 1 sheep. A sheep you just asked for. A sheep you need. A sheep you probably don't have.

 

Yes, it is.

If it makes you feel any better, I played with people who sometimes made the same offers just to spite me, knowing that I won't hit them for that. Witches they were, those two.

 

I think the AI in the iOS version is much the same.

 

I played a catan online and it was hell trying to trade. People are so slow in responding or counter offering.
I might pick this up.

 

I played for a bit and was naturally slow in things, and my fellow people were extremely unhelpful.
I let them know in the chat right away that I was looking for the trade function, but rather than helping, they just complained that I was taking so long. After that I didn't feel bad about being slow any more