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[sitnaltax]

I had the opportunity to playtest DXV's Gauntlet of Fools at GenCon.

Gauntlet of Fools can easily and wholly be described: It's like the second half of Galaxy Trucker, the part where you let the cruel universe attack your ship and everything goes to hell. It is silly and funny and the joy comes from watching your plans, and your unfortunate companions', fall apart.

For every player, you deal a character and a weapon, which are paired (no mixing and matching). Defense and special abilities are built into the character; offense and other special abilities are on the weapon. The characters and weapons are wildly unbalanced, of course. The bidding the trickiest part of the game--you can steal a character someone else wanted if you are willing to make more "boasts" (handicaps of various forms) than they were. Most special powers of both characters and weapons are limited-use per game to 2-4 uses or so.

Once everyone has a character, they all go through the dungeon. As far as I can tell, the interaction from this point is 2% watching your opponents to see what sort of chances you might need to take with your limited resources and 98% laughing at your opponents when they fail to kill monsters and get hurt. You have to roll dice to kill monsters and sometimes you will roll stupidly low while your undeserving opponents roll high. The encounter deck is tuned so that sooner or later you will need to spend your limited resources to not take damage and eventually the cruel world will get through and you will killed. So you'll need to bring a sense of gallows humor to the game.

I went right back to the hotel after playing and backed the Kickstarter, because the game will work for me and my groups; is fun and silly and will not overstay its welcome. If your group enjoys adult beverages, those will definitely enhance the fun. It may lend itself to amusing and interesting simulations, since I know there are a bunch of folks here who like those and it will probably be reasonably tractable, but I wouldn't count on www.gauntletoffoolsstrategy.com to make its debut anytime soon.

[rrenaud]

... but I wouldn't count on www.gauntletoffoolsstrategy.com to make its debut anytime soon.

because www. is an abomination from 1998 that no self respecting strategy gamer would ever promote, right?

[sitnaltax]

... but I wouldn't count on www.gauntletoffoolsstrategy.com to make its debut anytime soon.

because www. is an abomination from 1998 that no self respecting strategy gamer would ever promote, right?

The extra syllables add something that's somewhere between pretension and gravitas, depending on the context, like saying "Magic: the Gathering" instead of just "Magic".

That, or it just marks me as old.

[Donald X.]

The extra syllables add something that's somewhere between pretension and gravitas, depending on the context, like saying "Magic: the Gathering" instead of just "Magic".

That, or it just marks me as old.

rec.games.dxv.gauntlet-of-fools.strategy

[() | (_) ^/]

.

[DStu]

rec.games.dxv.gauntlet-of-fools.strategy

.gov

??

[() | (_) ^/]

.

[werothegreat]

Could we possibly hear some more on the game from Donald X?  He did design the thing, after all.

[Donald X.]

Could we possibly hear some more on the game from Donald X?  He did design the thing, after all.

Uh I don't really have a speech to make at the moment. I think you have the basic idea. The premise is "I could beat you with one arm tied behind my back;" it's a bidding game, but there's only one auction, and you aren't bidding victory points, you're bidding rules that will make things worse for you in the gauntlet. The gauntlet is random encounters; you try to make good use of your abilities and hope you roll high numbers. It's fast and then you play again. It's Ameritrashy. Most of the skill is in the boasting although you can still blow it on a decision in the gauntlet.

I will post a secret history around when it comes out next month. I think the rulebook is online already.

[DStu]

I think the rulebook is online already.

It is on the kickstarter.

[vintermann]

It's conventional to do promotion for a Kickstarter game in the phase where people can actually contribute to the kickstarter. Also, I kind of think most other designers who have a game on Kickstarter know if the rules are online there or not!

I really hope Travis and you are doing this as an experiment to how well a Kickstarter project can do with virtually no promotion. Comparing it to Resistance: Avalon and Flash Point: Fire Rescue (which were excellently promoted) I don't have any better explanation.

Despite your lack of apparent excitement, I am excited about this game. So there!

[DStu]

It's conventional to do promotion for a Kickstarter game in the phase where people can actually contribute to the kickstarter. Also, I kind of think most other designers who have a game on Kickstarter know if the rules are online there or not!

I don't think you have to worry about what is conventional or not if the game was founded after day2 or so...
Edit: and after all, that's probably not Donald's part of the job...

[vintermann]

and after all, that's probably not Donald's part of the job...

I'm not suggesting he has skirted his obligations or anything, obviously not, by my estimate Gauntlet of Fools is a terrific game. Not many new games excite me, but this one does.

But since he is (last time I heard) a full time designer living off doing it, it would seem a good idea to talk a little more about it.

Edit: And yes, while it was quickly funded, it could have raised a lot more. Compare it to Resistance: Avalon, the Viticulture boardgame, The Great Heartland Hauling Company etc.

[DStu]

I guess the usual strategy is to do this near to the release. It's true, if you have a kickstarter running, the kickstarter itself might need to be handled like a release itself to get all the money in, but this one looked quite promising from the start (I think day2 was wrong, but it was done in a week (kickstarter really need a public chart on the history of the funding)), so you can just live with rrenaud posting a link here, and GenCon, and whereever people talk about it and get the kickstarter done, without needing the amunition you can use to fuel the real launch.
Or, if the kickstarter seem to fail, save it for the last week at least.

I guess, I am not a marketing guy.

[Donald X.]

It's conventional to do promotion for a Kickstarter game in the phase where people can actually contribute to the kickstarter. Also, I kind of think most other designers who have a game on Kickstarter know if the rules are online there or not!

I really hope Travis and you are doing this as an experiment to how well a Kickstarter project can do with virtually no promotion. Comparing it to Resistance: Avalon and Flash Point: Fire Rescue (which were excellently promoted) I don't have any better explanation.

Despite your lack of apparent excitement, I am excited about this game. So there!

I like to be accurate. I knew the kickstarter had the rulebook but didn't want to verify it for that post.

Gauntlet of Fools shows up in ads on BGG. That must count as promotion of some kind. AFAIK the kickstarter itself is promotional.

I like to post my article when people can buy the game. Technically they can buy it now via the kickstarter, but it doesn't feel the same.

I'm not sure what I was supposed to say to sound appropriately excited for you. It's not exciting to be called on to say a few words, I can tell you that. I get that a lot, it has lost whatever sheen it once had. I still enjoy talking about myself, but I don't get excited about it.

[vintermann]

(Kickstarter really need a public chart on the history of the funding)

That exists: http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/2012515236/gauntlet-of-fools

[DStu]

(Kickstarter really need a public chart on the history of the funding)

That exists: http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/2012515236/gauntlet-of-fools

Correction, "official public chart", or at least "a public chart which I don't always forget the URL of, or which at least I can google."

Thanks.

[vintermann]

If it wasn't for Kicktraq, I'd probably never thought of making this "complaint" I've seen the game I supported/preordered quickly drop out of the top 30 board game projects, and really underperfom on its projections. And it's a game about boasting!

[Captain_Frisk]

I kickstarted it - mainly out of loyalty to DXV for making dominion, and it arrived today. 

I'm skeptical - because if it was a good game I would have assumed that DXV would be pushing it here a little more aggressively, or it would have been picked up by a bigger publisher - but when I get it to the table I'll let you all know.

On the plus side, it comes with a million dice - so I don't feel like I got ripped off.

[Ozle]

If it wasn't for Kicktraq, I'd probably never thought of making this "complaint" I've seen the game I supported/preordered quickly drop out of the top 30 board game projects, and really underperfom on its projections. And it's a game about boasting!

It probably tailed off at the end because of no stretch goals

[rrenaud]

I think Kingdom Builder is a legitimately good game that DvX hasn't said much about here.

After you've won two Spiels, maybe you don't need self promotion anymore ;P.

[Insomniac]

I kickstarted it - mainly out of loyalty to DXV for making dominion, and it arrived today. 

I'm skeptical - because if it was a good game I would have assumed that DXV would be pushing it here a little more aggressively, or it would have been picked up by a bigger publisher - but when I get it to the table I'll let you all know.

On the plus side, it comes with a million dice - so I don't feel like I got ripped off.

Mine hasn't showed up yet but I'm fairly excited to give it a whirl. I don't think Donald pushes us here because it's a different game, he knows we like him enough that he doesn't need to plug his game to this community. As per a different publisher he has been releasing all of his games with different publishers does he have 2 games out with any publisher?

[D Bo]

My friend got his copy the other day and we played a few games - it was pretty enjoyable. Definitely a quick game, took us maybe 15 minutes each time. We played with four people and our first round only one person even bothered to boast, so that took some of the fun out of that round. But as we figured out more of how the game worked, it definitely got more enjoyable. Seemed like a pretty good game for any skill level really.

[Insomniac]

Anybody else play this yet my copy still hasn't shown up damn customs takes soo long.

[Captain_Frisk]

I might get to play it tonight?

[LastFootnote]

I got my copy a few days ago and have played maybe a half dozen games. So far I find it quite enjoyable.

The thing is that it's going to take quite a few games to get a handle on how powerful the classes, weapons, and combinations of the two are. Until I get to that point, the boasting is pretty superfluous. I'm not sure whether the game will have enough staying power at my house to get to that point.

Still, it's a lot of fun just as a very quick, casual game, even if we never get good at it.

[Insomniac]

My copy of this showed up today.

[lympi]

I will post a secret history around when it comes out next month. I think the rulebook is online already.

October is quickly coming to a close… secret history, secret history?

I played a few games the other night any enjoyed it a great deal. I'd like to hear how it came to being. Particularly the boasting mechanic. I imagine you went through a ton of different boasts. (Virtually every adventurer in our games was hung over.)

[Donald X.]

October is quickly coming to a close… secret history, secret history?

I played a few games the other night any enjoyed it a great deal. I'd like to hear how it came to being. Particularly the boasting mechanic. I imagine you went through a ton of different boasts. (Virtually every adventurer in our games was hung over.)

The boasts all got tweaked, and a couple replaced, but there aren't a lot of outtakes.

I have been waiting to post the secret history until people can buy the game. Aside from a few stores that got in on the kickstarter, I don't think it's available yet.

[Captain_Frisk]

So, I got to play GoF twice this weekend during my mini convention (I had 6 people up from NYC for the weekend for 2.5 full gaming days of glory) + some extra local gamers on Saturday.

Honestly, it fell a little flat, and when I tried to get it out for a 3rd time, it was rejected.

The consensus was that the interesting decision was upfront (the boasting), but then the rest of it didn't have enough decisions / took too long to execute. 

I think with the right crowd, this could go over ok (drink some beers, get really into your die rolls etc.), but that same crowd is already playing munchkin.

[Insomniac]

So, I got to play GoF twice this weekend during my mini convention (I had 6 people up from NYC for the weekend for 2.5 full gaming days of glory) + some extra local gamers on Saturday.

Honestly, it fell a little flat, and when I tried to get it out for a 3rd time, it was rejected.

The consensus was that the interesting decision was upfront (the boasting), but then the rest of it didn't have enough decisions / took too long to execute. 

I think with the right crowd, this could go over ok (drink some beers, get really into your die rolls etc.), but that same crowd is already playing munchkin.

I have a similar feeling. I like the game, but only some of my friends are really into it (those that prefer lighter games than over ones with a huge strategy depth)

[Ozle]

So if I have and enjoy Munchkin then I should give this one a miss?

Sounds like its a bit lighter

[Insomniac]

So if I have and enjoy Munchkin then I should give this one a miss?

Sounds like its a bit lighter

I enjoy this more than Munchkin and I don't think they're that comparable. Or that this one is lighter. I think there is a REAL decision in this game (boasting) where as most decisions in Munchkin devolve into kingmaking.

[Captain_Frisk]

They are completely different games with a similar theme.  Neither are heavily strategic.  I think that the people who like Munchkin (usually for the theme IMHO) are likely to like this, as also a non strategic game with a similar theme (beating the snot out of monsters)

It plays significantly faster.  My crowd generally weights strategy over theme, so it got negged and we went and played another round of high society, which plays in the same amount of time, but has stressful decisions all the way through.

[Dubdubdubdub]

In my crowd it has been said that this is the game Munchkin should have been. The same kind of humour would have definitely fit, and it's much more enjoyable.
For its lightness, the length is also much better (Munchkin tends to drag). I really like GoF as a filler!

[Insomniac]

Secret History: http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/891004/the-secret-history-of-gauntlet-of-fools