I have been trying to get more players for tournaments in some of my favorite types of games and have made several tutorials using the replay tutorial system BGA implemented several months back. This has been mildly successful. I have recently obtained the software setup to be able to record my screen captures with voice commentary during the game. I will be putting up highlights from realtime tournament games showing advanced tactics and risk/reward analysis after I collect enough examples and edit them together nicely.
FOR NOW! I am going to put together some videos for players that are brand new or at an intermediate skill level that are looking to learn the game or improve their skills. These will not be like the game review videos already linked on many game pages where they just explain how to follow the rules of the game and talk about what they like or dislike about it. Instead, I will start by explaining player options and showing the user interface at work. Then, I will immediately branch into the tactics of what to watch for and be trying to learn. The goal is for a new player to quickly feel more competitive at a game rather than just able to participate in it. These videos will quickly go from "how to play a game" to "how to tactically play the game". The best part of many of these games are that there is no single winning tactic that is always viable and always the best. You will have to choose the tactic that fits your resources, objectives, and opponent actions and be willing to change as the game evolves. Showcasing that process of evolving tactics as you go is one of my main goals.
To start my collection of helpful videos and start collecting feedback I have put up a few videos on youtube.
The first game doesn't have a video to go with it but a tutorial mode on BGA has been made.
China Gold BGA Tutorial Link
China Gold Explanation of Gameplay Video
China Gold BGA Tutorial Link
I am moderately happy with the outcome of this video showcasing what options are available and how the choices are made. I regret not showing the actual math behind roll probabilities and will do another video to replace this one when I get the time and have the simple math graphics already made and ready to present visually. This is a good enough video for a new player to get an idea of what to do, how to think, and to be able to play a game on their own to solidify their understanding of the game. It also comes with a link to a tutorial I made for the game so players can go through the actual motions of using the interface and see longer text descriptions to solidify their understanding. I hope to see new players in the tournaments for this game in the near future! (Ask me if you would like an invite to join tournaments before hitting 100 ELO and I will be happy to give you an invitation to them).
Hack Trick Explanation of Gameplay Video
I am very happy with the outcome of the video showing how to place tokens on the board, different combinations of line/diagonal/3x pile to win, and how to use both the ask, play, and guard actions effectively. I use a paint list of numbers during the game to show how a player can organize the information they have to mathematically figure out what their opponent has and use it to execute traps, avoid traps, or take risks with a reasonable chance of getting ahead. This should be a valuable resource to new and intermediate players alike and I hope to see more players in the monthly hack trick tournaments or enough active players for me to start up the regular ones again.
Comments for me are welcome and I am perfectly fine with scripting the rules rundown or clarifications that need done so that the next time I make an upgraded replacement I can make it smoother and easier to follow without leaving any gaps for players to find out later on their own. Both of these were mostly on the fly without any preparation before hand.
I am currently in the process of scripting Jaipur and Takenoko explanations as I want to do a really good job for my favorite two games on this site. I will edit this post and include them later.
Enjoy!
EDIT: Added a simple Hanabi!
Hanabi Gameplay Review
Didn't focus on the basics of how to play. You cannot see your own hand during hanabi. It is epic fun that way. The basics are you can play a card from hand, discard a card from hand to get a clue token back (max 8), or give a clue to another player about all of a certain number or all of a certain color. Your goal is to get every color on the board from 1-5 in the correct order. There are three 1s, two 2s/3s/4s, and only one 5 in each suit. If playing with multicolor you can play difficult (multicolor is its own color that is a separate clue option) or VERY DIFFICULT (all color clues MUST also mark any multicolor throwing a wrench into a lot of plans). In order to play a card in BGA interface, click the card then click into the zone where the card piles are in a horizontal row (same row with clue tokens). You do not need to know which card you are playing just once you put it down it must fit next onto a stack or you get a bomb token (you lose after 3 bombs) and lose the card without getting a clue token back. If you want to discard you click the card and then click LOWER on the screen in the discard zone below the play zone. The rest is in the video. There are MANY ways to play hanabi but this video shows some of the most common/basic and easy to accept as truly logical ones.
EDIT: Added Takenoko!
Takenoko Explanation of Gameplay Video
I am quite pleased with these despite their length and a few planned comments that never made it in. I wish I had mentioned when playing with more than 2 players you should count completed objectives plus objectives in hand to not get caught towards the end of the game fishing for a panda objective only to find all 15 have already been grabbed and you are out of luck. There. Said it now.
Here are some images of the objective list for the game as a resource to go with the video.
http://i1320.photobucket.com/albums/u53 ... xunpoj.jpg
http://i1320.photobucket.com/albums/u53 ... ai3pbr.jpg
http://i1320.photobucket.com/albums/u53 ... qw2nx2.jpg
EDIT: Added The Palaces of Carrara!
The Palaces of Carrara rules explanation overview
The Palaces of Carrara gameplay video
NOTE: I made a filming mistake when reviewing the gameplay and sort of ramble while the replay catches up to the game state I left off at, sorry for that glitch making it longer at the ending. I hope it still helps! Good little game!
Enjoy!
FOR NOW! I am going to put together some videos for players that are brand new or at an intermediate skill level that are looking to learn the game or improve their skills. These will not be like the game review videos already linked on many game pages where they just explain how to follow the rules of the game and talk about what they like or dislike about it. Instead, I will start by explaining player options and showing the user interface at work. Then, I will immediately branch into the tactics of what to watch for and be trying to learn. The goal is for a new player to quickly feel more competitive at a game rather than just able to participate in it. These videos will quickly go from "how to play a game" to "how to tactically play the game". The best part of many of these games are that there is no single winning tactic that is always viable and always the best. You will have to choose the tactic that fits your resources, objectives, and opponent actions and be willing to change as the game evolves. Showcasing that process of evolving tactics as you go is one of my main goals.
To start my collection of helpful videos and start collecting feedback I have put up a few videos on youtube.
The first game doesn't have a video to go with it but a tutorial mode on BGA has been made.
China Gold BGA Tutorial Link
China Gold Explanation of Gameplay Video
China Gold BGA Tutorial Link
I am moderately happy with the outcome of this video showcasing what options are available and how the choices are made. I regret not showing the actual math behind roll probabilities and will do another video to replace this one when I get the time and have the simple math graphics already made and ready to present visually. This is a good enough video for a new player to get an idea of what to do, how to think, and to be able to play a game on their own to solidify their understanding of the game. It also comes with a link to a tutorial I made for the game so players can go through the actual motions of using the interface and see longer text descriptions to solidify their understanding. I hope to see new players in the tournaments for this game in the near future! (Ask me if you would like an invite to join tournaments before hitting 100 ELO and I will be happy to give you an invitation to them).
Hack Trick Explanation of Gameplay Video
I am very happy with the outcome of the video showing how to place tokens on the board, different combinations of line/diagonal/3x pile to win, and how to use both the ask, play, and guard actions effectively. I use a paint list of numbers during the game to show how a player can organize the information they have to mathematically figure out what their opponent has and use it to execute traps, avoid traps, or take risks with a reasonable chance of getting ahead. This should be a valuable resource to new and intermediate players alike and I hope to see more players in the monthly hack trick tournaments or enough active players for me to start up the regular ones again.
Comments for me are welcome and I am perfectly fine with scripting the rules rundown or clarifications that need done so that the next time I make an upgraded replacement I can make it smoother and easier to follow without leaving any gaps for players to find out later on their own. Both of these were mostly on the fly without any preparation before hand.
I am currently in the process of scripting Jaipur and Takenoko explanations as I want to do a really good job for my favorite two games on this site. I will edit this post and include them later.
Enjoy!
EDIT: Added a simple Hanabi!
Hanabi Gameplay Review
Didn't focus on the basics of how to play. You cannot see your own hand during hanabi. It is epic fun that way. The basics are you can play a card from hand, discard a card from hand to get a clue token back (max 8), or give a clue to another player about all of a certain number or all of a certain color. Your goal is to get every color on the board from 1-5 in the correct order. There are three 1s, two 2s/3s/4s, and only one 5 in each suit. If playing with multicolor you can play difficult (multicolor is its own color that is a separate clue option) or VERY DIFFICULT (all color clues MUST also mark any multicolor throwing a wrench into a lot of plans). In order to play a card in BGA interface, click the card then click into the zone where the card piles are in a horizontal row (same row with clue tokens). You do not need to know which card you are playing just once you put it down it must fit next onto a stack or you get a bomb token (you lose after 3 bombs) and lose the card without getting a clue token back. If you want to discard you click the card and then click LOWER on the screen in the discard zone below the play zone. The rest is in the video. There are MANY ways to play hanabi but this video shows some of the most common/basic and easy to accept as truly logical ones.
EDIT: Added Takenoko!
Takenoko Explanation of Gameplay Video
I am quite pleased with these despite their length and a few planned comments that never made it in. I wish I had mentioned when playing with more than 2 players you should count completed objectives plus objectives in hand to not get caught towards the end of the game fishing for a panda objective only to find all 15 have already been grabbed and you are out of luck. There. Said it now.
Here are some images of the objective list for the game as a resource to go with the video.
http://i1320.photobucket.com/albums/u53 ... xunpoj.jpg
http://i1320.photobucket.com/albums/u53 ... ai3pbr.jpg
http://i1320.photobucket.com/albums/u53 ... qw2nx2.jpg
EDIT: Added The Palaces of Carrara!
The Palaces of Carrara rules explanation overview
The Palaces of Carrara gameplay video
NOTE: I made a filming mistake when reviewing the gameplay and sort of ramble while the replay catches up to the game state I left off at, sorry for that glitch making it longer at the ending. I hope it still helps! Good little game!
Enjoy!