- \n
![\"Undead\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.westpark-gamers.de\/Ressourcen\/undead_t.jpg\")
<\/a>Undead<\/a><\/b>
\n
\nSince Walter wasn\u2019t available for this session, we thought this might be a
\nwonderful opportunity for some dice-driven fantasy game. Crazed as we are for Nightmare
\nHouse, Moritz did not meet with much trouble when he tried to convince us of Undead. The
\ndescription<\/i> of Undead is breathtaking: Based on Bram
\nStoker\u2019s Dracula novel (indeed, meticulously following it), this game was said
\nto combine elements of role-playing games (Moritz took the job as neutral dungeon master,
\nHans acted as vampire and the rest of us formed the hunter party) and board games (board,
\ndice). Moritz told us a lot of blood transfers, battling vampires, Sherlock Holmes and
\neverything else that makes a romantic\u2019s heart beating faster and faster.<\/p>\nHowever, the game play<\/i> of Undead was painfully boring, at least for us hunters. We
\nfinished ten “days” (which equals two real hours). They nearly always had the
\nsame sequence. First, Moritz would secretly roll the dice and pronounce: “Nothing of
\ninterest in the newspaper”. Then, we would err on a map of London and keep searching
\n(searching implied secret dicing by Moritz, so we never could be sure that we
\nhadn\u2019t simply overlooked something). Movement cost one hour, searching the same.
\nSince a day had twelve playing hours (if I remember correctly) and we had to return home
\nbefore nightfall (or search for a new home), we were able to check 4-5 boroughs a day. As
\nyou will instantly see, we hardly ever found anything. Thus, game play can be described
\nmore less with this structure:<\/p>\n- \n
- Hunters: “We advance versus west (etc.) and check for coffins – anything
\nthere?”<\/li>\n - Secret dicing, then “No”<\/li>\n
- Advance time chit two hours, go back to step 1 if it is before dawn.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\n Remember, we played ten days. In all this time, we found: a) a coffin, b) some destroyed
\ncoffins (we kept wondering about those secret allies \u2013 after the game, Moritz told
\nus that this destruction was the consequence of a die roll which indicated “coffin
\nvandalism” \u2013 imagine Walter\u2019s reaction on this) and c) a female vampire
\n(which we could instantly slay, without trouble but also without consequences) \u2013
\nhowever, this vampire affaire was one of two times that the newspaper had hints for us.<\/p>\nThe second time was “prowler seen at dead corpse”. We went there and kept
\ndesperately searching \u2013 to no avail. When Moritz felt our frustration, he
\nadumbrated that we shouldn\u2019t believe everything in newspapers…<\/p>\nThere were annoying game pauses for us when Moritz played through the night with Hans,
\nand the same was true for Hans when it was our turn.<\/p>\nGames can\u2019t get much duller than this. After two hours, we finally stopped this. If
\nyou own a copy of this vain effort of game design, sell it on Ebay before others read
\nthis review. Granted, this may sound harsh and cynical, but this game really
\ndoesn\u2019t deserve other. It is devoid of any virtues and deformed by dreadful design
\nflaws.<\/p>\nPeter\u2019s score: 1 (the other hunters scored the game 1, 1, and 2, Moritz and Hans
\nscored 5 each, so this game may be more interesting from the vampire\u2019s and
\nDM\u2019s point of view)<\/p>\nWestpark-Gamers score: 2.5 (Median 1.5, the lowest median of any game ever scored)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
![\"Ohne](\"https:\/\/www.westpark-gamers.de\/Ressourcen\/ofua_t.jpg\")
<\/a>Ohne Furcht und
\nAdel<\/a><\/b>
\n
\nAfter the Undead trauma, we needed some good, ol\u2019, German-style, down-to-earth game
\nfor our successful atonement. After some minor squabbling we agreed on “Ohne Furcht
\nund Adel”. Refer to Aaron\u2019s review<\/a> of this game.<\/p>\nI succeeded this time in winning (perhaps the first time ever, not sure about this) by
\nfollowing a low-profile approach. The results of this game are a further confirmation of
\nMoritz\u2019 theory that “Ohne Furcht und Adel” cannot be won if you ever
\nhappen to fall victim to the assassin. Moritz proposed a rule change: If you are the
\nassassin\u2019s victim, you won\u2019t lose your turn, you just won\u2019t be able to
\nuse your character\u2019s special ability and you won\u2019t get the extra money for
\nmatching buildings. This really might work out, because the assassin is still a powerful
\ncharacter: The thief can\u2019t prey on you, and you\u2019re the first to act (of
\ntremendous importance in the final round if you can raise an 8th<\/sup> building).<\/p>\nWestpark Gamers score: no new scoring.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
- <\/a>Hornochsen<\/a><\/b>
\n
\nHornochsen may be described as the intellectual version of “6 nimmt”. The main
\ndifferences are that (1) the 5th<\/sup> card makes you take a row of cards, (2) a
\ncard lower than the lowest row of cards is added to the highest row of cards, (3) Players
\nhave special cards (+5, x2) they can add to a row of cards, (4) Players take turns (so no
\nsimultaneous playing!) and (5) they can play either 1, 2 or 3 cards.![\"Hornochsen\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.westpark-gamers.de\/Ressourcen\/hornox_t.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe resulting game play is very<\/i> different from “6 nimmt”. The “6
\nnimmt” strategy can basically described by the “h\u00f6chste-niedrigste”
\n(“highest-lowest card”) approach: The card you play must fit in a row and still
\nnot be the 6th<\/sup> one \u2013 this can rarely be guaranteed; therefore, your card
\nmust be lower then a card one of your opponents is likely to play (otherwise you\u2019re
\nthe hapless fellow to take the row) but high enough to make someone else take the row. Or
\nconversely, your card must be so high that someone else takes the row before you and you
\ncan start a new row.![\"Hornochsen](\"https:\/\/www.westpark-gamers.de\/Ressourcen\/hornox_c.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThis strategy is voided in Hornochsen since there is no simultaneous play and you can
\nplay 1-3 cards. In Hornochsen, you need cards to complete rows on your own without
\nexternal interference. If you were able to get a completely green row with your +5 and
\nyour x2, this should win the game. Alas, you can play only three cards at a time so the
\nsecret is careful preparation of your winning move. Try to prepare a row in a way that
\nno-one can complete it except you, and then play your two special cards and the final,
\nfifth card. Of course, this actually never works out… So you have to aim at less
\nambitious goals, trying to secure at least one 2x. Combined with some positive points,
\nthis should win the game.<\/p>\nThere is something we have noticed: Aaron was the first to quit the game, and he won. I
\nwas second to quit, and I was second. The same is true for Moritz who quit and ranked
\nthird. Only for G\u00fcnter and Hans, this was the other way round. This basically means: The
\nlonger you stay in game, the more probable it gets that you will swallow all those nasty
\n“Hornochsen” cards (negative points, that is).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Game Session Report 20.08.2002 Author: Peter at the table: Aaron, G\u00fcnter, Andrea, Moritz, Hans, Peter on the table: Undead, Ohne Furcht und Adel, Hornochsen Undead Since Walter wasn\u2019t available for this session, we thought this might be a wonderful opportunity for some dice-driven fantasy game. Crazed as we are for Nightmare House, Moritz did not … Game Session Report 20.08.2002<\/span> weiterlesen
- <\/a>Hornochsen<\/a><\/b>
- Hunters: “We advance versus west (etc.) and check for coffins – anything