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[Titandrake]

Intense f.ds level nitpicking and semantics is goin down.

You will never find a more wretched hive of nitpickers and pedantry.

(Minus the wretched part. I can't think of a good replacement for that.)

[Donald X.]

See, now I find this interesting. Specifically, what does "no it isn't just an opinion" mean (particularly "it" and "opinion", which is a word in general I've found to not be well-defined or agreed-upon)?

I was referring to blueblimp saying "but that's just my opinion man" on the topic of whether or not some entity decides what way to use words is best such that everyone else is just wrong.

In that particular case I am confident that no, that is not how language works, language prescriptivists are utterly wrong. [For example the spellchecker doesn't like that word.] However I have learned over the years that it's pointless to argue about, because people will cling to their false beliefs on that topic no matter what you throw in their faces. It's "0.999... = 1" all over again.

blueblimp said, "I understand that is just an opinion, though." My use of "opinion" was referring to his use of it. My understanding of his use of it is that he is asserting 1) that there is no proof behind his position, and 2) that other people disagree with it. ymmv, hth

[blueblimp]

Well, I don't think prescriptivism is entirely wrong. For example, I'm in favour of the correct use of "its" and "it's", because it's confusing to use the wrong one and a bit ugly to readers who notice the mistake. (Also, there's no communication benefit to swapping them, unlike some other contentious uses like using "they" for singular third person.) I believe the most pure descriptivist position would be that "wrong" and "mistake" aren't even meaningful words to use when talking about language.

So I feel I hold a certain position on the spectrum, and I call that an "opinion" because somebody could hold a more prescriptivist position overall and might have good reasons to do so, even if I don't agree with it.

[eHalcyon]

Any other suggestions for very portable games, as well as games that are easy to explain that are still a step up from light filler?  Not necessarily in the vein of Citadels or other games already discussed.

I'm currently considering Libertalia.  It plays up to 6 and it looks like it should be very easy to teach.  It also looks really fun with great depth and replayability, and it has simultaneous selection so it should have little downtime.  The only thing that it misses on is high portability, being another game with a big box.  Thoughts?

[GeoLib]

Any other suggestions for very portable games, as well as games that are easy to explain that are still a step up from light filler?  Not necessarily in the vein of Citadels or other games already discussed.

I'm currently considering Libertalia.  It plays up to 6 and it looks like it should be very easy to teach.  It also looks really fun with great depth and replayability, and it has simultaneous selection so it should have little downtime.  The only thing that it misses on is high portability, being another game with a big box.  Thoughts?

I've found that Forbidden Island is a fun coop game (by the same people as Pandemic, which I haven't played) to play with my less strategically inclined friends. Coops help with the skill gap. It's not terribly complex or deep, but you can do some shuffle management and stuff if you come from a Dominion background.

[eHalcyon]

Any other suggestions for very portable games, as well as games that are easy to explain that are still a step up from light filler?  Not necessarily in the vein of Citadels or other games already discussed.

I'm currently considering Libertalia.  It plays up to 6 and it looks like it should be very easy to teach.  It also looks really fun with great depth and replayability, and it has simultaneous selection so it should have little downtime.  The only thing that it misses on is high portability, being another game with a big box.  Thoughts?

I've found that Forbidden Island is a fun coop game (by the same people as Pandemic, which I haven't played) to play with my less strategically inclined friends. Coops help with the skill gap. It's not terribly complex or deep, but you can do some shuffle management and stuff if you come from a Dominion background.

I think I would pick up Forbidden Desert instead, if I go for that.  I am thinking about it as well.

Edit: fixing some weird grammar.

[GeoLib]

Any other suggestions for very portable games, as well as games that are easy to explain that are still a step up from light filler?  Not necessarily in the vein of Citadels or other games already discussed.

I'm currently considering Libertalia.  It plays up to 6 and it looks like it should be very easy to teach.  It also looks really fun with great depth and replayability, and it has simultaneous selection so it should have little downtime.  The only thing that it misses on is high portability, being another game with a big box.  Thoughts?

I've found that Forbidden Island is a fun coop game (by the same people as Pandemic, which I haven't played) to play with my less strategically inclined friends. Coops help with the skill gap. It's not terribly complex or deep, but you can do some shuffle management and stuff if you come from a Dominion background.

I think if I would pick up Forbidden Desert instead, if I go for that.  I am thinking about it as well.

I haven't heard of that one (though I just looked it up). Forbidden Island is good, though things were clearly not worded as carefully as Dominion and there are some irritating ambiguities (that I think I've cleared up satisfactorily via some internet searching, but are certainly not answerable by just reading the rules).

[Donald X.]

Well, I don't think prescriptivism is entirely wrong. For example, I'm in favour of the correct use of "its" and "it's", because it's confusing to use the wrong one and a bit ugly to readers who notice the mistake. (Also, there's no communication benefit to swapping them, unlike some other contentious uses like using "they" for singular third person.) I believe the most pure descriptivist position would be that "wrong" and "mistake" aren't even meaningful words to use when talking about language.

I don't think its / it's is that confusing; for example in that sentence of yours I would have known what you meant if you had said "because its confusing." Possibly if it were more confusing, people would make the effort to not blow it (I also think that people mostly are blowing it unintentionally, as opposed to "they" where they are using the word they have for a concept) (well what am I saying, some people probably constantly drop apostrophes when texting because work).

I think "wrong/mistake" have plenty of use with regards to language. They just don't apply to things that lots of people intentionally do.

Anyway sorry board game recommendation guys, this is really a topic better suited to the religion / sex / politics / language prescriptivism forum.

[Ozle]

Wall of text

Anyway sorry board game recommendation guys, this is really a topic better suited to the religion / sex / politics / language prescriptivism forum.

Yeah, stop coming round 'ere, taking our threads off topic!!

[Ozle]

Any other suggestions for very portable games, as well as games that are easy to explain that are still a step up from light filler?  Not necessarily in the vein of Citadels or other games already discussed.

I'm currently considering Libertalia.  It plays up to 6 and it looks like it should be very easy to teach.  It also looks really fun with great depth and replayability, and it has simultaneous selection so it should have little downtime.  The only thing that it misses on is high portability, being another game with a big box.  Thoughts?

Is libertalia the pirate game?
I love pirates, reminds me of when I was a kid and my father used to make me walk the plank.

Of course it wasn't a real ship and plank, that would be silly, the plank was the road and the ship was out house. And the real game was working out how to get back inside after daddy had locked the door

Daddy, it's cold outside... And getting dark.
Daddy?

[eHalcyon]

Any other suggestions for very portable games, as well as games that are easy to explain that are still a step up from light filler?  Not necessarily in the vein of Citadels or other games already discussed.

I'm currently considering Libertalia.  It plays up to 6 and it looks like it should be very easy to teach.  It also looks really fun with great depth and replayability, and it has simultaneous selection so it should have little downtime.  The only thing that it misses on is high portability, being another game with a big box.  Thoughts?

Is libertalia the pirate game?
I love pirates, reminds me of when I was a kid and my father used to make me walk the plank.

Of course it wasn't a real ship and plank, that would be silly, the plank was the road and the ship was out house. And the real game was working out how to get back inside after daddy had locked the door

Daddy, it's cold outside... And getting dark.
Daddy?

It is indeed a pirate game.  I'm sorry that your father made you leave the outhouse.  But you'll be alright.  Just keep it all bottled up inside for now.  Go forth in the world and I'm sure you will find a safe place to let it all out.  At worst, you can dig a hole in the ground.

[Watno]

Any other suggestions for very portable games, as well as games that are easy to explain that are still a step up from light filler?  Not necessarily in the vein of Citadels or other games already discussed.

I'm currently considering Libertalia.  It plays up to 6 and it looks like it should be very easy to teach.  It also looks really fun with great depth and replayability, and it has simultaneous selection so it should have little downtime.  The only thing that it misses on is high portability, being another game with a big box.  Thoughts?

I played Libertalia once and found it really fun.

[blueblimp]

Well, I don't think prescriptivism is entirely wrong. For example, I'm in favour of the correct use of "its" and "it's", because it's confusing to use the wrong one and a bit ugly to readers who notice the mistake. (Also, there's no communication benefit to swapping them, unlike some other contentious uses like using "they" for singular third person.) I believe the most pure descriptivist position would be that "wrong" and "mistake" aren't even meaningful words to use when talking about language.

I don't think its / it's is that confusing; for example in that sentence of yours I would have known what you meant if you had said "because its confusing." Possibly if it were more confusing, people would make the effort to not blow it (I also think that people mostly are blowing it unintentionally, as opposed to "they" where they are using the word they have for a concept) (well what am I saying, some people probably constantly drop apostrophes when texting because work).

I think "wrong/mistake" have plenty of use with regards to language. They just don't apply to things that lots of people intentionally do.

Anyway sorry board game recommendation guys, this is really a topic better suited to the religion / sex / politics / language prescriptivism forum.

On second thought, as I learned here from AJD, a writing system is not technically considered part of the language. The only points I think I'd be prescriptive about, at least when communicating with a native speaker, relate to the writing system only, like punctuation ("its" vs "it's") and spelling ("rogue" vs "rouge"). Whether "without much problem" is acceptable has nothing to do with how English is written, so it's consistent that I'm happy with whatever people actually use.

[Axxle]

Sorry imma let ya finish but Cosmic Encounter is the best game of all time.

[eHalcyon]

Sorry imma let ya finish but Cosmic Encounter is the best game of all time.

I've never tried it before, though it's certainly on my list.  I really like variable player powers a lot as a mechanic.

[ipofanes]

If you can live with politics, and a lot of it, being the only factor that balances out the powers.

Never played it 2p but I'd think that some powers will just steamroll others.

As for Tash-Kalar: Great as a 2p game, but no that great to justify the pricing policy which is allegedly exerted in North America. (I got my copy at a fair for €30, which I consider a fair deal for games and components. Everything over €35 is not justified.)

[Kuildeous]

Never played it 2p but I'd think that some powers will just steamroll others.

Is 2-player even an option for Cosmic Encounter? I would never play it 2p. That would be a matter of who has the better power. And some powers wouldn't work so well in 2p. Some powers are dependent on you being an ally or having allies.

I don't even want to play it with 3p. I think the politics really start to build up at 4 players, and I love doing 6-player games, because that's when intimidation can really take hold. In 4p, the defender can look at the attacker and his one ally and still talk the remaining player into allying. In 6p, if the attacker has three allies, then that defender better make a damn good case for the remaining player. And, well, it's amusing to see the defender defeat five players (or the attacker screws his allies by playing Negotiate).

Not a very strategic game, but it's still pretty fun and crazy.

[Watno]

Cosmic Encounter with 2 players doesn't sound like a good idea. Politics are the entire point of that game.

@ipofanes Doesn't the amount you're willing to pay for a game depend on what it is? I think 30 € for Tash-Kalar is still really expensive, but 50€ for Terra Mystica sound totally justified for me.

[Axxle]

Cosmic isn't even that fun with 3 people tbh.

And yeah, 2 people ruins the whole balancing system they have (which is essentially none, just ally against the OP aliens)

edit: like ipofanes said.

[Eggplantation]

Sorry for taking about an age and a half to reply (you know, life gets in the way...), but thank you all so much for your recommendations! I ended up getting Android: Netrunner, and it is excellent I introduced it to my uni friend who also plays magic and he really likes it too, so we are probably going to develop a friendly rivalry there! It is worlds apart from Dominion, I can definitely confirm what you guys said before. Thanks for all your other recommendations too, I will probably want to get a good game that can be played with a group too, so the suggestions are gold!

[ipofanes]

I just chimed in as Axxle touted Cosmic in a thread where OP's first requirement was 2p viability.

[Davio]

Sorry imma let ya finish but Cosmic Encounter is the best game of all time.

Cosmic Encounter isn't a game, it's an experience.

Approaching it as if it is a game ruins the experience.

[Axxle]

I just chimed in as Axxle touted Cosmic in a thread where OP's first requirement was 2p viability.

Oh, whoops!

[AHoppy]

I just played my first game of Cosmic encounter the other day... And I would have to agree with Davio, it's not a game, it's an experience.  It's a great experience because it just gets crazy.  And I can't imagine playing with less than 4 players (that's what I played with).

[ipofanes]

Sorry imma let ya finish but Cosmic Encounter is the best game of all time.

Cosmic Encounter isn't a game, it's an experience.

Approaching it as if it is a game ruins the experience.

Seems I have a broader definition of "game" in mind. If Fluxx is a game and so is Mafia, why can't a multiplayer experience carrying ad-hoc rules interference and social engineering be a game too?

Disclaimer: I own the Eon version with five expansions but haven't played it for 20 years. Too messy for my taste, even though I had held the game in high esteem.