Local demos and deck issues - 2006/10/30 17:33I've collected the demo package from my local store and am planning on running a demo session on the local college's campus sometime in the next couple weeks. Last Thursday I happened to run into someone who had purchased a starter pack and was interested in playing with someone to get a better feel for how the game goes, so I volunteered, thinking that this would be a great way to dry-run a demo for someone.
Things went smoothly overall, except for one thing: the game itself stank. Neither player was able to get much of an advantage on the other; the Gallente deck made a lot of money and the Caldari deck drew a lot of cards, and both sides had a bunch of weenie ships that had ambush and pretty much sat around in their home systems in something of a standoff. This probably don't surprise anyone who was around for the massive complain-a-thons that we had on the old forums. The way the game ended shouldn't surprise anyone either; the Gallente deck drew an Oneiros and suddenly didn't care quite so much about being ambushed.
This isn't exactly the impression I'd like to make on someone playing for the first time. I'm planning on putting together some decks with my own cards so that I have something to fall back on should the game with the demo decks go badly.
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Ryuteki
User Battlecruiser
Posts: 679
Re:Local demos and deck issues - 2006/10/30 18:25I've had much better luck, but then again I focused on showing off the outer regions, let them do well in the outer regions as a rule, to give them a good feel for the game... then swarmed their home to show them how quickly the game can turn on you. It goes against the usual "let the new guy win" concept, but it has been working reasonably well thus far. The hard part I'm having to decide is whether or not I should preset their opening hand, or play open-hand and try to show them how the mulligan works...-Ryuteki, Owner of the Rules! We're playing Monday evenings in IL, see www.games-plus.com for the address or email me at ryuteki AT gmail DOT com.
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AgentZero
Admin Admin
Posts: 410
Re:Local demos and deck issues - 2006/10/30 19:46I usually play open-handed as well. It helps the new player see why I'm doing what I'm doing, and it alleviates the bad feelings I get when I crush them. People know when you're going easy on them, and most of them don't like it. Don't be a jerk, and make sure to take the time to explain just how you're destroying their flimsy plans, but don't be afraid to win the demo.
I'd also say to give the starter decks a chance. They all perform pretty well once you're familiar with what they contain. If you're dead-set against them, though, I've put together two demo decks that should work a little bit better. They should be available in PDF form on the site in just a little bit.Zack Walters EVE: The Second Genesis Organized Play Coordinator White Wolf | CCP North America
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Magius Paulus
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Posts: 15
Re:Local demos and deck issues - 2006/10/30 19:50Ryuteki wrote: The hard part I'm having to decide is whether or not I should preset their opening hand, or play open-hand and try to show them how the mulligan works...
I would probably go for the latter option. I think the mulligan is one of the best 'new' things about this card game and it wouldn't hurt to let new players experience it.First learn the meaning of what you say, and then speak. --Epictetus
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impresario
User Frigate
Posts: 27
Re:Local demos and deck issues - 2006/10/30 19:55See, that's the thing-- it's all about luck. I really just wanted to make sure that that game was something of a fluke. I mean, my first game was at GenCon Indy with the pre-set starters and it went pretty well. I certainly didn't want to imply that the starters are somehow flawed; just that they maybe didn't provide the richness of the game that you can experience with some other cards in the mix.
Actually, now that I think about it, probably the biggest thing that went badly in the bad game was that neither player drew much in the way of news, and both were kind of swamped in locations. I do feel a little better knowing that things have worked out well for other people. Thanks.http://trade.mahasamatman.com/Eve/list_show.pl?user=aubuchonm
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impresario
User Frigate
Posts: 27
Re:Local demos and deck issues - 2006/10/30 20:00Magius Paulus wrote: I think the mulligan is one of the best 'new' things about this card game and it wouldn't hurt to let new players experience it.
Absolutely, as long as you explain what they're looking for in a starting hand while you're at it. One thing that I didn't get at first, and honestly still struggle a little with, is how critical your starting hand is. You really have to be willing to throw some rather powerful cards back if they wouldn't be playable in the first few turns. After all, what good does a battleship do if it sits in your hand all game?http://trade.mahasamatman.com/Eve/list_show.pl?user=aubuchonm
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Magius Paulus
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Posts: 15
Re:Local demos and deck issues - 2006/10/30 20:42Exactly. A lot of new players are probably impressed by the sheer power of Battleships and think they're better all the time. This way you can explain that small ships are very quick and therefore can be much better than 1 large ship.First learn the meaning of what you say, and then speak. --Epictetus
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Malthros
User Cruiser
Posts: 98
Re:Local demos and deck issues - 2006/10/30 23:47When I show people the game, I usually use an Amarr and Caldari deck (the Caldari one is the frig deck I listed already). The Amarr deck is more defensive, but not nearly as deadly.
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It goes against the usual "let the new guy win" concept, but it has been working reasonably well thus far. The hard part I'm having to decide is whether or not I should preset their opening hand, or play open-hand and try to show them how the mulligan works...
