Coming from an economics background, every presentation I've seen of "systems thinking" (admittedly, not a large number) makes it look ill-defined, incomplete, and obvious.
Win at Risk by using systems thinking
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Re: Win at Risk by using systems thinking
#22If you’d like a simpler Risk-like game that is over in a few minutes, give Compact Conflict a try. There are temples instead of continents so strategy is somewhat different, but it still pays to stay out of fights when you can, particularly with four players.
Re: Win at Risk by using systems thinking
#23The first part of the article can be summarized as:
1. Initiate as few attacks as possible
2. Let your enemies break up each other’s continents;
3. Take only one country per turn
The problem is that it doesn't explain which country to take, and how to attack without being attacked -- which is what makes the game difficult.
But, then, the article suggests something new (at least for me):
1. Find a way to grow in strength by taking lots of countries (but not taking a whole continent)
2. Make sure you get lots of cards for bonus armies
If this is a good strategy, I have always played it wrong -- because I've always tried to take whole continents.
Re: Win at Risk by using systems thinking
#24In our gaming group, we decided Risk just isn't that good of a game. It's old and clunky and extremely long, there are 100 other better board games now. Our main plays have been Dominion, DnD, Gloomhaven, Wingspan, and Crokinole, all of which we greatly prefer.
Risk takes forever because setting up and rolling dice takes forever. Same with Axis and Allies.
The moment you put it on a computer it becomes fairly fast and ... actually most of the gravitas goes away.
One person’s opinion.
Re: Win at Risk by using systems thinking
#25Coming from an economics background, every presentation I've seen of "systems thinking" (admittedly, not a large number) makes it look ill-defined, incomplete, and obvious.
The basics are feedback and a holistic POV. From there anything can be said. But if your strategy doesn't incorporate feedback, it is not a systemic strategy.
Re: Win at Risk by using systems thinking
#26In our gaming group, we decided Risk just isn't that good of a game. It's old and clunky and extremely long, there are 100 other better board games now. Our main plays have been Dominion, DnD, Gloomhaven, Wingspan, and Crokinole, all of which we greatly prefer.
Yes there are better games than Risk. That holds for practically all old games. For example, I don’t consider chess a good game. With good players, it usually ends in a draw which is unsatisfying.
Re: Win at Risk by using systems thinking
#27The first part of the article can be summarized as: 1. Initiate as few attacks as possible 2. Let your enemies break up each other’s continents; 3. Take only one country per turn The problem is that it doesn't explain which country to take, and how to attack without being attacked -- which is what makes the game difficult. But, then, the article suggests something new (at least for me): 1. Find a way to grow in stren…
It's a good strategy against those that don't know it. Basically, you are biasing towards consistent growth and avoiding spreading yourself too thin.
Re: Win at Risk by using systems thinking
#28The first part of the article can be summarized as: 1. Initiate as few attacks as possible 2. Let your enemies break up each other’s continents; 3. Take only one country per turn The problem is that it doesn't explain which country to take, and how to attack without being attacked -- which is what makes the game difficult. But, then, the article suggests something new (at least for me): 1. Find a way to grow in stren…
> If this is a good strategy, I have always played it wrong -- because I've always tried to take whole continents.
Continents are great, but only if you are in so strong a position that everyone thinks you are never going to lose it before next turn anyway.
Re: Win at Risk by using systems thinking
#29Ok, now how do we proceed if every player is doing this? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a risk game in which people didn’t stick with mostly one country per turn.
Re: Win at Risk by using systems thinking
#30In our gaming group, we decided Risk just isn't that good of a game. It's old and clunky and extremely long, there are 100 other better board games now. Our main plays have been Dominion, DnD, Gloomhaven, Wingspan, and Crokinole, all of which we greatly prefer.
Gloomhaven scenarios take way longer than one game of Risk IME. Actually one of its weak points...