My First Impressions on Arkham Horror: The Card Game

[sharoth 19]

I´m not complaining i´m just stating things I dislike . And who would I am if I thought that I would have any impact on anything that FFG does regarding any project they release. The only people that have any impact on a game being developed outside of the designers would be playtesters and I´m clearly not one of them. After FFG announces a project to the public there is no way that that game gets any changes until it is released.

 

That said I think everyone has the right to express what one dislikes and not only follow the all mighty (uncritizisible) like numb sheeps. 

 

As my last words to this topic because clearly a open discussion on this forum seems to be unwanted: I will buy this game when it comes out, probably even 2 boxes to have a complete set, my thoughts about the game might change after I played it by myself but for right now I listed my concerns above.

Edited August 6, 2016 by sharoth

[FellintoOblivion 3]

The various difficulty levels change the contents of the chaos bag so using dice wouldnt be very feasible

Ah I didn't realize the difficulties changed the contents of the bag. how many difficultys are their in the game if it's jut two providing two different dice wouldn't be a big deal if it's 3 or more I get it. I also get that this allows them to change what's in the bag per scenario or with expansions which is a nice option.

I haven't played the game just watched a video of it and this is the only aspect that I wasnt really a fan of. The rest of the gameplay seemed fantastic!m

There's at least 4 difficulty levels.

[FellintoOblivion 3]

There are four difficulty levels, each of which changes the contents of the bag as well as what some of the special tokens in the bag mean.

 

2x in a 30 card deck is higher consistency than 3x in a 50 or 60 card deck, at least by a little bit, and you can spend actions to dig for cards if you want.  Plus, the initial mulligan sees a higher percentage of the deck compared to a 50-60 card game.  So yeah, I expect card consistency to be pretty good.

 

Same with someone mentioning the resource "problem" with LotR, you can spend actions to get resources in this game so if you have some expensive cards you can afford to play them.

 

With Blinding Flash as our only example of a leveled card so far (I think), it seems like the higher level version isn't necessarily automatically better.  Blinding Flash Level 2 does 2 damage instead of 1, but it also has harsher consequences if you fail because you take a Horror that the Level 0 version doesn't have as a consequence.

 

My impression so far is that this looks like a lot richer system than Lord of the Rings and that FFG has learned a lot from that game about how to do a better co-op this time around.  I'll be buying 2xCores as soon as they come out and can't wait to try out the game.

I get the impression that anything that does more then one point of damage is going to be very well worth the risk of you're facing monsters with more then one HP.

[dboeren1 294]

 

With Blinding Flash as our only example of a leveled card so far (I think), it seems like the higher level version isn't necessarily automatically better.  Blinding Flash Level 2 does 2 damage instead of 1, but it also has harsher consequences if you fail because you take a Horror that the Level 0 version doesn't have as a consequence.

I get the impression that anything that does more then one point of damage is going to be very well worth the risk of you're facing monsters with more then one HP.

 

Much of the time the higher level card might be a good idea.  But what about on a character that's weaker at that skill and taking more risk of failing?  And is it so much better that you always want to take THAT upgrade?  You might prefer to spend your XP on upgrading a different card instead.

 

Somewhere, the player will have to make a choice and try to evaluate which upgrade is worth more to their deck and this will have to take into account many factors because the upgraded versions aren't free to put into your deck so you can't just automatically take the "better" card all the time.

[FellintoOblivion 3]

With Blinding Flash as our only example of a leveled card so far (I think), it seems like the higher level version isn't necessarily automatically better.  Blinding Flash Level 2 does 2 damage instead of 1, but it also has harsher consequences if you fail because you take a Horror that the Level 0 version doesn't have as a consequence.

I get the impression that anything that does more then one point of damage is going to be very well worth the risk of you're facing monsters with more then one HP.

 

Much of the time the higher level card might be a good idea.  But what about on a character that's weaker at that skill and taking more risk of failing?  And is it so much better that you always want to take THAT upgrade?  You might prefer to spend your XP on upgrading a different card instead.

 

Somewhere, the player will have to make a choice and try to evaluate which upgrade is worth more to their deck and this will have to take into account many factors because the upgraded versions aren't free to put into your deck so you can't just automatically take the "better" card all the time.

You can have multiple levels of the same spell in your deck AFAIK.

[chrsjxn 29]

 

There are four difficulty levels, each of which changes the contents of the bag as well as what some of the special tokens in the bag mean.

 

2x in a 30 card deck is higher consistency than 3x in a 50 or 60 card deck, at least by a little bit, and you can spend actions to dig for cards if you want.  Plus, the initial mulligan sees a higher percentage of the deck compared to a 50-60 card game.  So yeah, I expect card consistency to be pretty good.

 

Same with someone mentioning the resource "problem" with LotR, you can spend actions to get resources in this game so if you have some expensive cards you can afford to play them.

 

With Blinding Flash as our only example of a leveled card so far (I think), it seems like the higher level version isn't necessarily automatically better.  Blinding Flash Level 2 does 2 damage instead of 1, but it also has harsher consequences if you fail because you take a Horror that the Level 0 version doesn't have as a consequence.

 

My impression so far is that this looks like a lot richer system than Lord of the Rings and that FFG has learned a lot from that game about how to do a better co-op this time around.  I'll be buying 2xCores as soon as they come out and can't wait to try out the game.

I get the impression that anything that does more then one point of damage is going to be very well worth the risk of you're facing monsters with more then one HP.

 

 

There's a "boss" enemy in the first scenario with 5 hp per investigator. Spawning it ends the demo, but I imagine that if you're only doing one damage per attack you're not going to enjoy having to deal with it.

[guest455987 15]

Thanks for the report on the game. Makes a nice companion with the TC video.

I really like the idea of the chaos token bag and the variability it can add to the game. I can see expansions including a few new token types, and character/card abilities that work with them in interesting ways.

However, that being said, with the number of times you need to draw from the bag, I really hope that a Chaos Bag app is available very soon, either officially from FFG (which I'll gladly pay for), or via a crude version created by a fan/player.

[Kubernes 736]

At first viewing (from just the reveal article), I'm excited. Then again, I'm excited for just about every other reveal article also added on Friday. I want to see more of the core set and perhaps the first chapter pack before I decide to buy the game at launch.

[evilidler 145]

I'm excited for just about every other reveal article also added on Friday. I want to see more of the core set and perhaps the first chapter pack before I decide to buy the game at launch.

They have been announcing an awful lot of new products lately, haven't they? Many wallets cried out in pain.

 

I think I'll get one core the cheapest I can (hopefully there is an option which doesn't have me paying $60, like the FLGS price usually is), and then decide. I think AGoT 1e/2e and CoC were the only ones I didn't need to think about - it took me two years to actually get expansions for some of the other LCGs. This one seems different enough to pay for a core and play with an unsuspecting victim.

[Kubernes 736]

 

I'm excited for just about every other reveal article also added on Friday. I want to see more of the core set and perhaps the first chapter pack before I decide to buy the game at launch.

They have been announcing an awful lot of new products lately, haven't they? Many wallets cried out in pain.

 

I think I'll get one core the cheapest I can (hopefully there is an option which doesn't have me paying $60, like the FLGS price usually is), and then decide. I think AGoT 1e/2e and CoC were the only ones I didn't need to think about - it took me two years to actually get expansions for some of the other LCGs. This one seems different enough to pay for a core and play with an unsuspecting victim.

 

That's what I bought Elder Sign for.

[987654321 232]

After FFG announces a project to the public there is no way that that game gets any changes until it is released.

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/33548-the-future-informationrumoursspeculation-consolidation-and-discssionthread-lotr-lcg-edition-update-known-information-and-masses-of-conjecture/

Not true.

[Vlad3theImpaler 514]

After FFG announces a project to the public there is no way that that game gets any changes until it is released.

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/33548-the-future-informationrumoursspeculation-consolidation-and-discssionthread-lotr-lcg-edition-update-known-information-and-masses-of-conjecture/

Not true.

What exactly are we supposed to be looking at here?

[iGniGhted 113]

 

What exactly are we supposed to be looking at here?

 

 

 

 

the fact that LotR didn't stay the same from annoucement to release. some of the mechanics were dropped, and some of the heroes were changed/removed.

[Vlad3theImpaler 514]

 

 

What exactly are we supposed to be looking at here?

 

 

 

 

the fact that LotR didn't stay the same from annoucement to release. some of the mechanics were dropped, and some of the heroes were changed/removed.

 

I meant specifically.  Without having ever played the LotR lcg, I don't know what in the link I'm supposed to recognize as different from the actual release.

[987654321 232]

What exactly are we supposed to be looking at here?

 

 

 

the fact that LotR didn't stay the same from annoucement to release. some of the mechanics were dropped, and some of the heroes were changed/removed.

I meant specifically.  Without having ever played the LotR lcg, I don't know what in the link I'm supposed to recognize as different from the actual release.

It's different.

[Edvando 32]

Interesting, there is some changes there.

 

But, whats LotRLCG going to release close to that announcement?

 

Arkham LCG is going to release October, so it is very close!

 

For non-LOTR players, i can see that Gandalf had his cost decresead and effect changed, Thorin was in the basic core (which is is not) and had a different text, the encounter cards has some new keyword (stealth) and text, Legolas had another art+text and.... Holy ****, there is a lot of changes!

[Toqtamish 3,643]

Could have simply been old artwork in the article too. AH LCG will not be changing at this point. 

[evilidler 145]

Could have simply been old artwork in the article too. AH LCG will not be changing at this point. 

 

Considering it's on the boat, no

[dboeren1 294]

I've often seen FFG articles which show pictures or refer to abilities from an earlier playtest version of the card, it just happens.  I've even done it myself!  I wrote the article based on the playtest version of the cards, then FFG made a change to the card after I wrote it but before it went to print.  Doh!  I then had to answer multiple PMs from people who were confused by my article describing a combo that no longer worked.

 

Oh well, it's part of the price we pay for getting so many previews of upcoming games.  The earlier and more often we want them, the more little things can slip through without anyone checking to see if a pending article might be affected by a change (which as far as I know there is absolutely zero process for).  Probably wouldn't help much if there was, in my case I would potentially have built the example deck differently if the combo no longer worked, so it's not like an editor would know how to patch up the article or what to replace those cards with...

Edited September 2, 2016 by dboeren

[Julia 2,809]

 

 

 

What exactly are we supposed to be looking at here?

 

 

 

the fact that LotR didn't stay the same from annoucement to release. some of the mechanics were dropped, and some of the heroes were changed/removed.

I meant specifically.  Without having ever played the LotR lcg, I don't know what in the link I'm supposed to recognize as different from the actual release.

It's different.

 

 

Very informative, thank you.

 

To Vlad: for example the article mentioned the game was supposed to have 4 different scenarios, but in the core set they ended up publishing only 3. Another thing that's different is the number of heroes, I think in the gamma release 12 heroes were included, instead of the announced 16. There were possibly other differences, but it's a life since that article, and I don't remember, sorry.

 

In any case, I think the best example of how things can change from the announcement to the gamma release is represented by the Star Wars LCG. Originally it was designed as being full coop with players playing Light Side; it was demoed this way at a GenCon, and then the game returned to the designing boards and was drastically changed to player vs player with an asymmetrical structure.

 

I don't think this is the case, tho. The game was announced and demoed at GenCon and will be released at Arkham Nights, less than 2 months from now, and less than 3 months from GenCon. Considering that the production chain of a game requires something like 4 to 6 months from when it's stated "at the printer" to when it reaches the shelves of retailers, the copy demoed at GenCon should be (really close to) final. So, I'm not expecting big changes

[iGniGhted 113]

 

 

 

 

What exactly are we supposed to be looking at here?

 

 

 

the fact that LotR didn't stay the same from annoucement to release. some of the mechanics were dropped, and some of the heroes were changed/removed.

I meant specifically.  Without having ever played the LotR lcg, I don't know what in the link I'm supposed to recognize as different from the actual release.

It's different.

 

 

Very informative, thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

[Vlad3theImpaler 514]

 

 

 

What exactly are we supposed to be looking at here?

 

 

 

the fact that LotR didn't stay the same from annoucement to release. some of the mechanics were dropped, and some of the heroes were changed/removed.

I meant specifically.  Without having ever played the LotR lcg, I don't know what in the link I'm supposed to recognize as different from the actual release.

It's different.

 

Oh, that clears it right up... 

[Vlad3theImpaler 514]

 

 

 

 

What exactly are we supposed to be looking at here?

 

 

 

the fact that LotR didn't stay the same from annoucement to release. some of the mechanics were dropped, and some of the heroes were changed/removed.

I meant specifically.  Without having ever played the LotR lcg, I don't know what in the link I'm supposed to recognize as different from the actual release.

It's different.

 

 

Very informative, thank you.

 

To Vlad: for example the article mentioned the game was supposed to have 4 different scenarios, but in the core set they ended up publishing only 3. Another thing that's different is the number of heroes, I think in the gamma release 12 heroes were included, instead of the announced 16. There were possibly other differences, but it's a life since that article, and I don't remember, sorry.

 

In any case, I think the best example of how things can change from the announcement to the gamma release is represented by the Star Wars LCG. Originally it was designed as being full coop with players playing Light Side; it was demoed this way at a GenCon, and then the game returned to the designing boards and was drastically changed to player vs player with an asymmetrical structure.

 

I don't think this is the case, tho. The game was announced and demoed at GenCon and will be released at Arkham Nights, less than 2 months from now, and less than 3 months from GenCon. Considering that the production chain of a game requires something like 4 to 6 months from when it's stated "at the printer" to when it reaches the shelves of retailers, the copy demoed at GenCon should be (really close to) final. So, I'm not expecting big changes

 

Thanks.

[wtfboar 47]

I am looking forward to this game coming out. And going to buy 2 core sets the day it comes out from my flgs. Some things I really like about the game are playing a single investigator and having a limited amount of item slots. I think this will really help develop our investment into the character their story. It also looks like they are dealing with a problem lotr had trying to play solo with a limited card pool. I played a lot of 2 handed to resolve that.

 

The art that I have seen on the cards just looks amazing, and with the text, really pulls you into the universe. I can't wait to see and read the rest. 

 

Im not sure what I think of the leveling up process yet. Im expecting to like the mechanic once the game comes out. However, coming from lotr lcg, I liked that as the card pool expands you get access to more card immediately as well as trait development and so on. Our AP are already very limited in player cards because quest cards are most of the cards included in each pack. Now with upgrade cards, how many new cards are you really going to get in a cycle to play with? I would think that because of how deck construction works. Most of your core set cards/big box cards will be the lower end cards that you can start with or upgrade to within those quest. Then the AP will release most of the mid to higher tier upgrade cards for the later quests in the cycle. 

 

The chaos bag does concern me a little bit. I may use a cup instead like we do for the other Arkham games for the monster draw. Put the cup with in reach but far enough that I can't see into the cup. This may help with smoothing out the draw and making it easier to draw and return the tokens. I will definitely be doing some experimenting once the game comes out. 

[Pete_Steel 2]

On 8/5/2016 at 4:26 PM, Toqtamish said:

There is five not six investigators. And five classes. We've known this since game was announced. I don't get all the whining about chaos tokens. FFG likes tokens. This is not earth shattering news to anyone. I like the more visceral approach of sticking your hand in the bag. I might replace the bag with the FFG tentacles dice bag however.

Here are the token bags that my wife and I use with AH_LCG, we love them as we also like the drawing aspect as well..