We've played this game around 8 times now, and we haven't won once. I know what you're thinking.. we lack skill lol. I'm not counting that out as a possibility, I'm just wondering if anyone has won, and if so, how??? It doesn't seem possible, that's all I'm saying. I'd love to hear from everyone else's experience. This game is very fun, it's just a little less fun when you can't win after hours of trying lol.
Has anyone won this game??
Forum rules
Please DO NOT POST BUGS on this forum. Please report (and vote) bugs on : https://boardgamearena.com/bugs
Please DO NOT POST BUGS on this forum. Please report (and vote) bugs on : https://boardgamearena.com/bugs
-
Meeplelowda
- Posts: 1270
- Joined: 14 March 2020, 10:31
Re: Has anyone won this game??
Playing two players for the first time we set the time to double, and it is winnable that way. No way we'd have won at regular speed. Maybe try it with that crutch to get the teamwork polished, then try it for real again.peachmangosteen wrote: ↑27 August 2023, 03:23 We've played this game around 8 times now, and we haven't won once. I know what you're thinking.. we lack skill lol. I'm not counting that out as a possibility, I'm just wondering if anyone has won, and if so, how??? It doesn't seem possible, that's all I'm saying. I'd love to hear from everyone else's experience. This game is very fun, it's just a little less fun when you can't win after hours of trying lol.
-
raspberryoolong
- Posts: 19
- Joined: 17 January 2021, 22:43
Re: Has anyone won this game??
Yeah, I've played this game a lot while it was in alpha testing and now that it's in beta. It's very winnable once you get the hang of a few things. A few tips:
*Routes & alliances: LAX is generally the least useful one since you can easily use other routes instead, so in 3-4p, I would skip LAX and use the other routes. In 2p where you get to choose 2 routes, I would suggest ORD+ATL for 1 player and LAX+DFW for the other for the best synergy.
*Seat vs speed: I would start with 2 seats over speed as the efficiency you get from moving multiple passengers in the same direction is worth it usually, most airports are 3 speed away from each other, making it easy to wait at an airport in case a new passenger spawns there. Also temp speed is cheaper than temp seat if that is really necessary.
*Collaborate on route efficiency: Work with each other to efficiently use routes such that players avoid being out of position relative to their routes and can drop off passengers for each other. You can plan out moves sequentially, i.e. have one player do part of or all their moves before the other moves, etc so that you can move passengers efficiently. I find that when this is done well, players rarely have to buy a new route unless it's the last couple turns of the game and the new route makes things more efficient, because generally, the money can be better spent on permanent speed or seats.
*Passengers: Because passengers do not accumulate anger as long as they are being held by a plane, if you are ending your turn at an airport, always carry the passengers before ending turn (can just drop off the passenger at the start of your next turn). If there are more passengers than you can carry, pick up the passenger you are not moving next turn so that it doesn't accumulate anger since you will be moving the others anyway.
*Upgrades: The smoothest games I've played also rarely required temp purchases, we just got them when purchasing permanent upgrades resulted in overpaying, so we would just get temp purchases only if something is urgent or the benefit of delivering and earning the money that turn makes it worth it.
Also feel free to message me if you want to play, I could also explain in a game.
*Routes & alliances: LAX is generally the least useful one since you can easily use other routes instead, so in 3-4p, I would skip LAX and use the other routes. In 2p where you get to choose 2 routes, I would suggest ORD+ATL for 1 player and LAX+DFW for the other for the best synergy.
*Seat vs speed: I would start with 2 seats over speed as the efficiency you get from moving multiple passengers in the same direction is worth it usually, most airports are 3 speed away from each other, making it easy to wait at an airport in case a new passenger spawns there. Also temp speed is cheaper than temp seat if that is really necessary.
*Collaborate on route efficiency: Work with each other to efficiently use routes such that players avoid being out of position relative to their routes and can drop off passengers for each other. You can plan out moves sequentially, i.e. have one player do part of or all their moves before the other moves, etc so that you can move passengers efficiently. I find that when this is done well, players rarely have to buy a new route unless it's the last couple turns of the game and the new route makes things more efficient, because generally, the money can be better spent on permanent speed or seats.
*Passengers: Because passengers do not accumulate anger as long as they are being held by a plane, if you are ending your turn at an airport, always carry the passengers before ending turn (can just drop off the passenger at the start of your next turn). If there are more passengers than you can carry, pick up the passenger you are not moving next turn so that it doesn't accumulate anger since you will be moving the others anyway.
*Upgrades: The smoothest games I've played also rarely required temp purchases, we just got them when purchasing permanent upgrades resulted in overpaying, so we would just get temp purchases only if something is urgent or the benefit of delivering and earning the money that turn makes it worth it.
Also feel free to message me if you want to play, I could also explain in a game.
-
ChiefPointThief
- Posts: 482
- Joined: 14 August 2020, 22:27
Re: Has anyone won this game??
The game is rather simple as long as you and your teammate(s) are working together. I like this game but am afraid for the replayability. Once you get better you will probably need to create your own obstacles to make it challenging. I think there should be an option to allow an extra airport than what is suggested. The creators should do more w/ this concept like a world map or vip only expansion. I think bga only records game length in mins but time trials could be a thing as well.
Re: Has anyone won this game??
We also have an issue with the last round. Every time we play we easily manage to get to the last round, with zero complaints. But the last turn has just to little time to get all the newly spawned passengers accross the map.
Re: Has anyone won this game??
The game is not easy for me. I lose much more than win. But I do win. At the moment I won in 2p, 3p and 5p modes. Have never won 4 players.
Speaking of difficulty it feels like this:
2p - the easiest mode, just need to split the map into west and east, each one carry its own side.
5p - the second easiest mode. A lot of players make pax transfer easier. The biggest problem is visual chaos, sometimes I feel losing my eyes lol
3p - very difficult mode. I played this mode the most, and most of the time lost. It is winneble, I did but its super hard.
4p - similar to 3p but feels even more challenging. At glance it could seem to be more easy since more players in there but the map becomes bigger too so first look is tricky, in practice it does not feel more easy, for me its the opposite.
The game itself is great I think because I still play it even losing almost all the time. So the fact of losing does not break my fun or force me to stop playing. I like this game.
The biggest thing of mastering this game I think is the strategy or path of flying. The cooperation part of "drop and pick" is catchable very quickly, there is no secret in not flying all around the map. But cooperation only isnt enough.
Speaking of flying path I had an idea of "local airports" when I just pick 3-4 airports that I can reach the easiest way (for example LAX, SFO, DEN and DFW for the LAX aircompany) and stick with just them. It sounds good only on paper. In practice it doesnt really work. In practice players have to fly out of the "local range". In every victory game players flew out of just "local and easiest" destinations.
Right now I have another idea of "loop of path", for example LAX - SFO - DEN - ATL - MIA - LAX or something like this but its just an idea, havent really test it out.
What I also figured out in winning games is different upgrades. In every game we won played upgraded themselves different way. For example I went for buying extra airline routes whereas other player just focused on seats and speed. I dont know how it really works but maybe there is something in it.
Speaking of difficulty it feels like this:
2p - the easiest mode, just need to split the map into west and east, each one carry its own side.
5p - the second easiest mode. A lot of players make pax transfer easier. The biggest problem is visual chaos, sometimes I feel losing my eyes lol
3p - very difficult mode. I played this mode the most, and most of the time lost. It is winneble, I did but its super hard.
4p - similar to 3p but feels even more challenging. At glance it could seem to be more easy since more players in there but the map becomes bigger too so first look is tricky, in practice it does not feel more easy, for me its the opposite.
The game itself is great I think because I still play it even losing almost all the time. So the fact of losing does not break my fun or force me to stop playing. I like this game.
The biggest thing of mastering this game I think is the strategy or path of flying. The cooperation part of "drop and pick" is catchable very quickly, there is no secret in not flying all around the map. But cooperation only isnt enough.
Speaking of flying path I had an idea of "local airports" when I just pick 3-4 airports that I can reach the easiest way (for example LAX, SFO, DEN and DFW for the LAX aircompany) and stick with just them. It sounds good only on paper. In practice it doesnt really work. In practice players have to fly out of the "local range". In every victory game players flew out of just "local and easiest" destinations.
Right now I have another idea of "loop of path", for example LAX - SFO - DEN - ATL - MIA - LAX or something like this but its just an idea, havent really test it out.
What I also figured out in winning games is different upgrades. In every game we won played upgraded themselves different way. For example I went for buying extra airline routes whereas other player just focused on seats and speed. I dont know how it really works but maybe there is something in it.
Re: Has anyone won this game??
This. When others won't look at chat or play it as if it is a competitive game, or don't wait to discuss moves before starting a new round, you definitely cannot win. Try joining an experienced group and ask them what to do.ChiefPointThief wrote: ↑28 August 2023, 16:18 The game is rather simple as long as you and your teammate(s) are working together. I like this game but am afraid for the replayability. Once you get better you will probably need to create your own obstacles to make it challenging. I think there should be an option to allow an extra airport than what is suggested. The creators should do more w/ this concept like a world map or vip only expansion. I think bga only records game length in mins but time trials could be a thing as well.
Re: Has anyone won this game??
I haven't won in this yet but I think a lot of it has to do with the collaborative aspect. I have only played one game where people are actually talking and planning. Most players don't seem to want to talk about anything and I don't think there will be any winning that way. Wish you could choose an option to play with player that prefer to talk about it.
Re: Has anyone won this game??
It is very winnable. I agree LAX being the least useful and if playing two player double up on ALT or ORD rather than have LAX. Also would be great if the default was set to NO for time.
Re: Has anyone won this game??
Most of the time it is not about your strategy but more on whom you are playing with. Cooperative games with non-decreasing ELO are infested by incompetent free riders who join any many tables as they can in the hope to collect ELO without any playing skills. You can identify them with their profiles show thousands on ELO for easy cooperative games such as Baby Dinosaur Rescue and low ELO for competitive games. In 2 player games you are less likely to encounter them and in 5 player games their presence are less detrimental. You will have to red thumb them to increase your chance of winning the game. But there may not be enough good players around because most players give up on this game after a few of their tables ruined by those free riders. That is why Hanabi is still the most popular cooperative game in BGA despite difficulty in implementing a representative ELO system.