"Interaction" rating should be 2 or even 1

[GrizelBear]

If you're playing it as a "solo game with other people", you're playing it wrong. You can play defensively and should always be checking your opponent's board(s) to make sure you're making the move that not only helps you but ideally either takes advantage of what they're trying to do or make it harder for them to accomplish it.

And there are often many decisions that you must make that, thinking about your opponent(s) situation has an effect on.

Looking at other people's boards doesn't count as interacting with them, in my mind. It might as well be AI or a random campaign that you're playing or something. Regardless, the level of interaction it involves is the bare minimum. I can't think of many games that have less interaction than what you're describing.

[detlefchef11]

If you're playing it as a "solo game with other people", you're playing it wrong. You can play defensively and should always be checking your opponent's board(s) to make sure you're making the move that not only helps you but ideally either takes advantage of what they're trying to do or make it harder for them to accomplish it.

And there are often many decisions that you must make that, thinking about your opponent(s) situation has an effect on.

Looking at other people's boards doesn't count as interacting with them, in my mind. It might as well be AI or a random campaign that you're playing or something. Regardless, the level of interaction it involves is the bare minimum. I can't think of many games that have less interaction than what you're describing.

Um, you don't just look at their board. You look at their board and then act accordingly. But, whatever, do what you want. Play your own game independent of what others in the game are doing. I'm just saying that I find that understanding what they're trying to do and making moves that either get in the way of what they're doing or benefit me as a result of what they're doing, helps me win more games.

[slimy_asparagus]

This is basically a solo game that you play with other people, honestly. There's no way it has a 3/5 for interaction. Thoughts?

I had the theory that this is a fairly normal opinion for those new to the game. Those who have any experience at the game know it is not a solo game. There is plenty of interaction even if it is not obvious at first sight.

It would be interesting to see if your opinion changes when you have a higher ranking.

[buu441]

If you're playing it as a "solo game with other people", you're playing it wrong. You can play defensively and should always be checking your opponent's board(s) to make sure you're making the move that not only helps you but ideally either takes advantage of what they're trying to do or make it harder for them to accomplish it.

And there are often many decisions that you must make that, thinking about your opponent(s) situation has an effect on.

Yeah that is good advice for a lot of games. Sadly Wingspan is not one of them.

[Ceaseless]

It would be interesting to see if your opinion changes when you have a higher ranking.

This is an interesting point that comes up a lot. There is a decent correlation between some of the takes you see around here with player ratings. It would be nifty to see how much those takes change with players as their ratings and experience develop.

[detlefchef11]

If you're playing it as a "solo game with other people", you're playing it wrong. You can play defensively and should always be checking your opponent's board(s) to make sure you're making the move that not only helps you but ideally either takes advantage of what they're trying to do or make it harder for them to accomplish it.

And there are often many decisions that you must make that, thinking about your opponent(s) situation has an effect on.

Yeah that is good advice for a lot of games. Sadly Wingspan is not one of them.

Does your opponent have a bird that lays 2 eggs on a certain nest type and you get one? If you don't have one, you'd better fix that soon or they're going to get 2 to your none until you do
Does your opponent have pink power that award them food if your predator power succeeds and very little else in terms of a way to earn food. You'd better skip your predator actions until their access to food changes or you'll be giving them a lifeline to food that they can use to build up their habitats while all you get is a measly point.
Do you have 4 qualifying birds for the next EOR goal and the best they can get is 3? You're free to focus on something else.
Does your opponent have 5 cards or zero cards? If it's the former, go ahead and activate the sandpiper power and give everyone a card. If it's the latter, you may be saving them a turn of drawing cards.
Will your opponent fail to qualify for the EOR and take a zero on eggs in a nest type and you're last to go? Maybe don't activate the pileated and give them 1 to your 2 because that 1 may be worth more than that.
Did your opponent take the wood duck in the tray with their first turn and there's only one seed in the feeder? You can slow them down a bit by taking it.

There are certainly far more but I just rattled a few off the top of my head.

[ChiefPointThief]

I suggested letting players vote for the ratings. I've only played this game a few times but considering each category is set to 3 this may be default ratings and they didn't bother to accurately rate the game.

https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewto ... y&start=30

[Cos-]

This is basically a solo game that you play with other people, honestly. There's no way it has a 3/5 for interaction. Thoughts?

I had the theory that this is a fairly normal opinion for those new to the game. Those who have any experience at the game know it is not a solo game. There is plenty of interaction even if it is not obvious at first sight.

It would be interesting to see if your opinion changes when you have a higher ranking.

i've played hundreds of games of Wingspan - not just on BGA, we also have the set at home. My ELO here on BGA ranges around 300 - sometimes higher, sometimes a bit lower. I still feel like it's mostly a solo game. Sure, there is some interaction, and I use it sometimes. If I see someone else building a strong grassland engine I might be more likely to spend another turn drawing if I can get a second cowbird, for example. Or if they're playing a lot of hunting birds and I think that's their goal, I might choose to draw food a turn earlier than I might've if it lets me take out the one mouse from the feeder. Things like that, sure, but they're nearly all very subtle, and make a difference on the margins. Few of them come up in any one game, and they affect my decisions on a minority of my turns - a majority of the moves I make are not altered by these indirect interactions.

Aside from the green goal board, which is the only direct interaction. But that's not a huge component of the game, it's just one of a bunch of equivalent ways to score points, and not the strongest of them.

On a scale of 0-5 where 0 means truly solo with no interaction at all, I would rate Wingspan a 1.

[Jellby]

So chess is a solo game? See https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=chess Interaction 0.

My point is that without even a definition of what "interaction" means, these ratings are useless.

(Apparently, the original intent of "interaction" is more like "diplomacy", or out-of-board interaction, something you may have in games like Bang or Catan. By that token the interaction in Wingspan should be even lower. But again, since these ratings are useless, why bother?)