Eight Player Games Strategy
Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:40 amI've played a couple 8 player games now and let me start with some observations that may or may not hold any value.
1. In Sequential - Escalating, SEVEN players take turns after you had your last turn.. That means that you can take your turn when card value is 4 and not cash because of that, but the person going just before your next turn may find the cards value up to 12, 15 or even 20.. With so many people on the map everyone already has fewer armies to go around, so it's very likely the player before you can go on a domino-run, taking out player after player and there's nothing you can do about it.
So 8-player-sequential-escalating is broken: Don't play it unless you're the type who also enjoys a good Doodle Earth Assassin lottery.
With Freestyle however there's some possibilities.. Essentially what you want to do is manage the stuff that happens and be in a position to jump in at the right time. That means when you're up to round 4-5-6 or so, DONT play first in the round and then go to bed, because by the time you wake up the game will be over.
Instead you have to stall and play last at a time when you can watch things develop for the next round.
2. Map size.. Many maps have slightly more territories, say 48 instead of 42, and those may actually work very well with 7 or possibly 8 players. I think standard 42 territory maps work best with 6 players, but for the larger ones: ok!
3. This takes forever for everyone to complete their turn doesn't it.. Freemium players will need to decide if they're willing to wait up to 8 days in sequential between turns.. ( Oh wait, we weren't playing sequential..
) so for freestyle it only adds a very small delay if any, because rounds still need to complete within 24 hours.
Along with Freestyle having been fixed to remove the worst exploits, I think Freestyle-Escalating is now one of the most exciting types of play around. Especially if you have the time to mother over things.
1. In Sequential - Escalating, SEVEN players take turns after you had your last turn.. That means that you can take your turn when card value is 4 and not cash because of that, but the person going just before your next turn may find the cards value up to 12, 15 or even 20.. With so many people on the map everyone already has fewer armies to go around, so it's very likely the player before you can go on a domino-run, taking out player after player and there's nothing you can do about it.
So 8-player-sequential-escalating is broken: Don't play it unless you're the type who also enjoys a good Doodle Earth Assassin lottery.
With Freestyle however there's some possibilities.. Essentially what you want to do is manage the stuff that happens and be in a position to jump in at the right time. That means when you're up to round 4-5-6 or so, DONT play first in the round and then go to bed, because by the time you wake up the game will be over.
Instead you have to stall and play last at a time when you can watch things develop for the next round.
2. Map size.. Many maps have slightly more territories, say 48 instead of 42, and those may actually work very well with 7 or possibly 8 players. I think standard 42 territory maps work best with 6 players, but for the larger ones: ok!
3. This takes forever for everyone to complete their turn doesn't it.. Freemium players will need to decide if they're willing to wait up to 8 days in sequential between turns.. ( Oh wait, we weren't playing sequential..
) so for freestyle it only adds a very small delay if any, because rounds still need to complete within 24 hours.
Along with Freestyle having been fixed to remove the worst exploits, I think Freestyle-Escalating is now one of the most exciting types of play around. Especially if you have the time to mother over things.
