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Author Topic: Star Realms  (Read 9800 times)

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sitnaltax

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Star Realms
« on: September 05, 2014, 12:32:47 pm »
+3

I picked up the PC/Android version of Star Realms recently and have been enjoying it a lot.

I describe Star Realms as "the game Ascension wants to be"; it uses the rotating-supply popularized by that game. However, there's only one currency for acquiring cards. Combat power is used either to attack your opponent's hit points ("Authority") or to destroy Bases, which are cards with a comparatively smaller effect but stay in play providing that effect every turn until destroyed.

Star Realms cards have four factions. The factions have a blunt, mechanical purpose which is pretty cool: most cards have an "ally power", which is an additional ability that kicks in only if you have another card of that faction in play. This is cool in play because often you'll have a choice between purchasing a card which is better in the abstract, and one which will activate the ally powers of the cards you already have. (Yes, it sucks when your ally cards don't come up together; it's like drawing your Throne Room without your big action.) The power of the cards ramps up quickly, and the game is fast; a tabletop game probably takes 15-20 minutes and a game vs. the AI can be done in 5 or 10.

Star Realms is clearly designed as a 2-player game; the tabletop version (which is inexpensive, $15 list) only has starting decks for two players. Multiplayer formats exist that echo multiplayer formats of Magic (two-headed giant, emperor, attack-left, free-for-all) but I have not tried them.

The app is, in my experience (PC and Android tablet) high-quality and free to try out, and the tutorial is pretty good. The free version lets you play against an easy AI. A $5 purchase unlocks both PC and mobile versions, which is classy.

Star Realms isn't Dominion. In particular, the huge ornate combos, surprising tactical maneuvers, and subtle surprising interactions we know and love aren't there. However, it's a good game in its own right, worth thinking about, and you can actually play it on your devices which is nice. I find it much more satisfying than Ascension because it's not so reliant on luck to put together a deck of cards that make sense together; I had been waiting-and-hoping for Ascension to finally come out on Android because I'd heard good things about the iPad implementation, but now I don't care.

http://starrealms.com/
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blueblimp

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Re: Star Realms
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2014, 01:40:12 pm »
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I've been playing this some on my iPad and I agree with your observation that it's basically a more Ascension-y game than Ascension, which is a good thing. Competing to reduce HP totals to zero makes a lot more sense as a victory condition in this kind of game than Ascension's system where you kinda get VP for everything.

It carries over some of Ascension's flaws that I found annoying, like unequal access to trashers, which can be frustrating when your opponent gets one at game start and you can't pick one up for many turns.

The (iOS) app is good. Not as good as the Ascension app, but pretty close. Since it's free-to-try, there's really no reason not to give it a spin.
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Voltaire

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Re: Star Realms
« Reply #2 on: September 05, 2014, 03:16:12 pm »
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I played this a few times, and "first player to buy a base [or was it outpost?] wins" was a thing. I assume this was due to low-skill players? It didn't grab me enough to ever want to play it again to find out, but I get that as a 20-minute deckbuilder you can carry in your pocket it's got a nice niche.
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sitnaltax

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Re: Star Realms
« Reply #3 on: September 05, 2014, 03:32:39 pm »
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I played this a few times, and "first player to buy a base [or was it outpost?] wins" was a thing. I assume this was due to low-skill players? It didn't grab me enough to ever want to play it again to find out, but I get that as a 20-minute deckbuilder you can carry in your pocket it's got a nice niche.

I assume so. Most of the 3-4 cost bases are pretty low impact; their value comes from some combination of drip per-turn benefits, triggering ally powers, and being a temporary damage sponge. But there are plenty of 3-4 cost ships that punch through an equivalently costed base or provide a big impact when played. I would take a Supply Bot over a Battle Station, a Patrol Mech over a Barter Station. I would definitely be happier to see my opponent snatch a Defense Station over a Freighter, especially early. Recycling Station is definitely awesome, though.

(Outpost is a subcategory of Bases; all Outposts must be destroyed before any non-Outpost can be attacked, like Hearthstone's Taunt ability)
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eHalcyon

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Re: Star Realms
« Reply #4 on: September 05, 2014, 03:33:36 pm »
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$13 CAD at Board Game Bliss.  Flat shipping rates to Canada and US, free shipping in Canada with select games. :)

I've had the android app since the day it was released but I still haven't gone through the tutorial yet.
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blueblimp

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Re: Star Realms
« Reply #5 on: September 05, 2014, 03:46:00 pm »
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Regarding the strategy in this game, one thing I find interesting is that there are three things you'd like to do ASAP, in no particular order:
  • Thin your deck via trashing.
  • Add economy ships to your deck.
  • Establish bases having strong economic/cycling/trashing each-turn effects.
But as soon as your opponent starts establishing bases too, the only way to deny them is by adding offense to your deck. Given that base effects tend to be very strong, this is quite important also, not just to deny the effect but also to re-clog your opponent's deck with the base (since the base effects are fairly weak on the turn they are played). As your opponent's deck improves, you also want the discard attack ships, so that's an early consideration too.

Really the only thing you don't care about early on is player HP. Because there are so many competing priorities, I figure there must be some depth there unless the card balance is way off. But maybe repeat plays trivialize it into something like first to get a trasher or strong cycler (thinking Recycling Station here, which to me seems crazy strong, given that it's nearly a Princed Cellar).
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pacovf

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Re: Star Realms
« Reply #6 on: September 05, 2014, 05:23:42 pm »
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I've tried the online free version. I agree that trashing is both strong and hard to come by. and that +1 card is crazy. I'm a big fan of the brain world, although of course it is suitably expensive. It seems to me that it is fairly luck based, but that may just be my low level of skill? Some "allies" effects triggering early on can make a big difference, for example, or getting a base out early in the reshuffle.

The one thing that it does better than dominion is that the scoring mechanism (i.e., combat) nets you benefits before the end of the game, by shutting down your opponent's bases.

All in all, it seems fun and thematic. It probably needs an expansion though.
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Haddock

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Re: Star Realms
« Reply #7 on: December 11, 2015, 06:35:58 am »
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Epic necro is epic.

But I played Star Realms at my weekly board games night yesterday, and thought it was hilarious.

It feels a lot like a cross between Dominion (OK, apparently more like ascension from everything I've heard, but not played that) and Hearthstone (ships are spells, bases are minions, outposts are taunt minions, points=hero health), and is fast and hilarious.

In the second game I won by 54 (can you go above 50?  This only happened on the final turn, we weren't sure whether there was some kind of cap like a health cap) to -45, having reduced him to 1 on the previous turn.
Mostly thanks to the "trash two and draw two" base which I got on turn 4 or something.  Hugely OP.

Fun little game, but trashing from the discard pile seems pretty OP and unequal access to trashing seems to swing the game a lot; I'd lost the first game by never managing to access the trashers.
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AHoppy

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Re: Star Realms
« Reply #8 on: December 11, 2015, 06:59:41 am »
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I've played a ton on my phone. Yes you can go above 50. And trashing is like super good

Titandrake

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Re: Star Realms
« Reply #9 on: December 11, 2015, 07:33:48 am »
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I've played a bit on my phone. It's fun, but I don't play it if I'm looking for a deep competitive experience. I'm half convinced that if the "trash two, draw two" base is in the starting deal, whoever picks it up wins the game. It's completely ridiculous.

Still, there's enough to keep games interesting.
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AHoppy

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Re: Star Realms
« Reply #10 on: December 11, 2015, 09:44:46 am »
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Oh I hardly ever get brain world. Unless you got a huge amount of cash right away and it happens to be there, great. But usually I've found by the time you can afford it you should be so thin anyways and your money is better spent in attack.

I've played a lot during class with another guy in my class. It's enough strategic depth to be interesting, but not so much that it's super distracting.

Titandrake

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Re: Star Realms
« Reply #11 on: December 12, 2015, 03:53:48 pm »
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Oh I hardly ever get brain world. Unless you got a huge amount of cash right away and it happens to be there, great. But usually I've found by the time you can afford it you should be so thin anyways and your money is better spent in attack.

I've played a lot during class with another guy in my class. It's enough strategic depth to be interesting, but not so much that it's super distracting.

I don't mean Brain World, I mean Recycling Station. Brain World is crazy strong, but it does cost a lot, meaning you can't always take the time to get it.
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AHoppy

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Re: Star Realms
« Reply #12 on: December 15, 2015, 06:34:36 pm »
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Ah.  Yeah, recycling station is OP

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Re: Star Realms
« Reply #13 on: December 15, 2015, 07:04:31 pm »
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After reading this thread I re-downloaded my copy of Star realms. I had forgotten how frustrating the game is for me. For sure it's also because I suck at it (I think hardly reach 45% winrate against the medium bot), but its market system brings me a couple moments of deep, acute annoyance per game, regardless of whether I end up winning or not.
I don't mind it being light and/or random, but the format really makes it unfun for me.
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