Last month I bought this game, Pandemic Legacy. I've really wanted to play this game! Check out the reviews at board game geek if you're not familiar. From what I know, it starts with the already...
Last month I bought this game, Pandemic Legacy. I've really wanted to play this game! Check out the reviews at board game geek if you're not familiar. From what I know, it starts with the already fabulous idea of your OG Pandemic board game and expands it through a year-long campaign (12 to 24 game sessions) into a pandemic-fighting epic of catastrophic proportions.
But now we have entered the twilight world of Social Distancing, and it's anyone's guess how or when this real crisis concludes. Inviting several friends to my house once, let alone multiple times, seems dangerously off theme.
I know we have developed great technologies and protocols for adapting board games to online play, but I'm not familiar with them. Playing a legacy-type game would, I expect, pose a special challenge that we will need to reveal new game features to the group without exposing them to the Internet at large. Is my aspiration practical? How should I proceed?
Firstly, it's a great game; we played a more or less real-time campaign through 2018 and everyone really got into it. Fitting something like this to the current situation seems like a great way...
Firstly, it's a great game; we played a more or less real-time campaign through 2018 and everyone really got into it. Fitting something like this to the current situation seems like a great way for everyone to keep in touch and inject a bit of normality into the days.
In terms of remote gaming for groups I think Tabletop Simulator works very well - it does what it says on the tin, you get a 3D environment with a virtual tabletop that everyone can interact with. It does cost money, and everyone playing needs a copy. The interesting part is that there are then mostly fan-made versions of popular games (Pandemic Legacy included) freely available to download on Steam. The legality of this is questionable; the morality comes down to your own choice, but I think few people would make any argument against you since you already paid for a physical copy.
Thank you for recommending Tabletop Simulator, I imagine this would be a more satisfying solution than what I had in mind, though I imagine I'd still enjoy the opportunity to mark up my physical...
Thank you for recommending Tabletop Simulator, I imagine this would be a more satisfying solution than what I had in mind, though I imagine I'd still enjoy the opportunity to mark up my physical copy. I figure I would simply sticker and tear as indicated by the online game, and if the real pandemic resolves earlier than our estimates suggest then the group can continue with that.
I hear you about the ethical question of playing with virtual fan-made editions. My instinct is to visualize the impacts on the groups involved, publishers and players, to consider whether the benefits justify the risks. Obviously I am grateful for the work of talented game designers, who generally are not wealthy people, but it would feel like a shame to postpone play entirely while we have the opportunity to engage with their designs in some fashion.
I think running the physical board alongside the virtual is a great idea! It'll make the process more satisfying and let you enjoy the attention to detail they've put into everything. Opening a...
I think running the physical board alongside the virtual is a great idea! It'll make the process more satisfying and let you enjoy the attention to detail they've put into everything. Opening a physical box on camera at the end of each session and reading out the next bit in the story will add a bit of drama before clicking through and having everyone silently looking at the cards, too.
This is off topic, but the link I posted was Google redirect link instead of a direct link. I don't know how I can change it for the thread, so here's the original :...
This is off topic, but the link I posted was Google redirect link instead of a direct link. I don't know how I can change it for the thread, so here's the original :
Last month I bought this game, Pandemic Legacy. I've really wanted to play this game! Check out the reviews at board game geek if you're not familiar. From what I know, it starts with the already fabulous idea of your OG Pandemic board game and expands it through a year-long campaign (12 to 24 game sessions) into a pandemic-fighting epic of catastrophic proportions.
But now we have entered the twilight world of Social Distancing, and it's anyone's guess how or when this real crisis concludes. Inviting several friends to my house once, let alone multiple times, seems dangerously off theme.
I know we have developed great technologies and protocols for adapting board games to online play, but I'm not familiar with them. Playing a legacy-type game would, I expect, pose a special challenge that we will need to reveal new game features to the group without exposing them to the Internet at large. Is my aspiration practical? How should I proceed?
Firstly, it's a great game; we played a more or less real-time campaign through 2018 and everyone really got into it. Fitting something like this to the current situation seems like a great way for everyone to keep in touch and inject a bit of normality into the days.
In terms of remote gaming for groups I think Tabletop Simulator works very well - it does what it says on the tin, you get a 3D environment with a virtual tabletop that everyone can interact with. It does cost money, and everyone playing needs a copy. The interesting part is that there are then mostly fan-made versions of popular games (Pandemic Legacy included) freely available to download on Steam. The legality of this is questionable; the morality comes down to your own choice, but I think few people would make any argument against you since you already paid for a physical copy.
Thank you for recommending Tabletop Simulator, I imagine this would be a more satisfying solution than what I had in mind, though I imagine I'd still enjoy the opportunity to mark up my physical copy. I figure I would simply sticker and tear as indicated by the online game, and if the real pandemic resolves earlier than our estimates suggest then the group can continue with that.
I hear you about the ethical question of playing with virtual fan-made editions. My instinct is to visualize the impacts on the groups involved, publishers and players, to consider whether the benefits justify the risks. Obviously I am grateful for the work of talented game designers, who generally are not wealthy people, but it would feel like a shame to postpone play entirely while we have the opportunity to engage with their designs in some fashion.
I think running the physical board alongside the virtual is a great idea! It'll make the process more satisfying and let you enjoy the attention to detail they've put into everything. Opening a physical box on camera at the end of each session and reading out the next bit in the story will add a bit of drama before clicking through and having everyone silently looking at the cards, too.
This is off topic, but the link I posted was Google redirect link instead of a direct link. I don't know how I can change it for the thread, so here's the original :
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/161936/pandemic-legacy-season-1