I had a chance to play my first and so far only game of Lagoon:Land of the Druids on Friday night (in a very public performance vian and Unpub Live Play!
You can watch the game and ensuing discussion here...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odd5Tv3xlQM&feature=youtu.be
I wanted to take a few minutes and jot down my thoughts on the game for those unable or unwilling to take the time and watch the video. Please note these are all thoughts after 1 play of the game.
My preparation prior to the game was reading the rules and we played a few sample turns before the game to make sure I knew what I was doing (both <PERSON> and <PERSON> had played before.) I found it very easy to learn. I think I caught on quickly enough and we hit a groove really well inside the game.
What makes the game "complex" are the actions on the tiles. There are a lot of possibilities of actions to take based on what is available. The field is always changing and that does make it a little hard to plan ahead.
Those who are going to be upset with AP...well, they're probably going to be upset with Lagoon because it is going to create those moments where players are saucing out the best turn possible. Frankly, that's where the game lives in solving an ever changing puzzle and I'm really okay with that. I loved it. Yes, I can think of a few people I won't play the game with because it will be excruciating, but there are many more I would gladly put this on the table in front of and we'll have a blast.
I also really appreciate the fact that the game doesn't allow players to hold back special cards for kill moves and power plays. If you're going to make a huge play, It's on the table and everyone is going to see it coming and very often have a similar opportunity to make it happen. All players have the same tools to work with. 755
...Yes, sometimes a player will draw a tile that is exactly what they need, but sometimes ...just as often if not more-so, a player is not going to draw what they need. It's a pleasant conundrum and I'm good with it.
The trick to remember in this game is that it's not about area control. It's about Occupancy. You simply need to occupy something for each of your Druids to have that ability. It's a seemingly unique twist on "worker placement" that I quite enjoyed. I don't think I employed this mechanic as well as I could during the game I played, but I did appreciate it and will exploit if further in the future.
I loved the concept of unraveling. I really liked the scoring mechanism at the end though I'm going to be cognizant in future games when the tide turns and what that means for certain players. How many get totally decimated by a major shift and how long the game lasts after that.
I thoroughly enjoyed my first game of Lagoon: Land of the Druids. I am looking forward to more games of this in the future. <PERSON> has created something that looks great, plays well and will be very much appreciated by a great many intelligent gamers for years to come. I am glad I had this opportunity to play Lagoon.
Thanks for reading. 755