Live score and other adaptations to the rules

[Phoxtrot]

Warning, live score has already been rejected:
https://boardgamearena.com/bug?id=133707
https://boardgamearena.com/bug?id=133068

I know that it's in the rules but adaptations to the rules (with publisher's/author's agreement) are often made and this is a very very common option on BGA. (Tigris and Euphrates has it, Automobiles has similar with cubes in bag, GWT has a live score that isn't possible IRL,...)

This has apparently been explicitly rejected by the publisher but they might not have taken into account HOW games are played on BGA. So they might still change their mind...

The point is that lots of players play the game in turn-based mode and if you want the game in TB mode to make people love the game and buy it, you should consider some adaptations for it.

In turn based mode:

• people can, if they bother, reconstruct the past, they can count everyone's points. But it is a major bother to do so.
• people usually don't see what others have done, they only see the end result (though replays of various qualities are possible) so any help to see the big picture is welcome. Especially if we never actually see how many VP others are collecting.
• Games can last a long long time, what is reasonable to remember IRL with a single game being played at a time is NOT reasonable to remember with 10 to 20 games being played at the same time and each lasting weeks
• People can take notes but again, it is a bother

If you make, as an option, adaptations to the game so that things which are possible but a bother do not give a competitive advantage, you are making the game better in competitive turn-based mode which is how many people are playing the games on BGA.

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[ufm]

This has apparently been explicitly rejected by the publisher but they might not have taken into account HOW games are played on BGA. So they might still change their mind...

They are fully aware. Don't forget they already implemented other popular games like Ticket to Ride, Heat, Memoir '44.

[Phoxtrot]

They did accept adaptations for Heat.
Maybe they want more feedback before deciding to allow adaptations.

[AndyM]

Live Scoring defeats the purpose and can illicit "kingmaking" and ganging up on whomever is in the lead, effectively killing the fun for at least that player. The onus has always been on each player to mentally track others progress and even engage in table talk to steer the flow of the conflicts.
It's a wargame, after all.

[Phoxtrot]

Live Scoring defeats the purpose and can illicit "kingmaking" and ganging up on whomever is in the lead, effectively killing the fun for at least that player. The onus has always been on each player to mentally track others progress and even engage in table talk to steer the flow of the conflicts.
It's a wargame, after all.

That's true. Live score should not be on by default but I think that many players will prefer to have it in turn-based mode.
At the table, even if you don't count precisely, you get a certain feel. In turn based, it is much harder without a replay.

I'm wondering if IRL, the game would benefit, at least with certain groups of overthinking competitive players, to have some hidden objectives scored at end of game (or after playing your last turn) to reduce the risk of AP on the last round.