Miami Dice, Episode 139 - Alien Frontiers 4th Edition

Tom, Zee, and Sam take a re-look at Alien Frontiers, the Faction Pack, comparing it to Kingsburg, and more!

[nikolaluburic]

Miami Dice is the absolute best board game review show.

[steviev]

Great discussion on a great game!  You've put out quite a bit of outstanding content this week, I'm lov'n it!

[brandobond]

I think it is time that Eric record a new intro voice over that includes Zee! :)

[Lassonius]

Nothing else like it (besides "Kingsburg")?  What about "Troyes", where you place dice to trigger the cards or to build up sections of the cathedral, as well as cutting people off of cards, or bumping them off buildings?  Or "Castles of Burgundy", where you build up your areas on your map based on the dice that you roll each turn, and you can get cut off from certain tiles when other players take them first for their own board?  Those 2 are certainly not lighter-weight games like "Kingsburg" is, but they are similar enough to "AF" to be mentioned as well.

[SamTheWai]

There are several special power cards (when discarded) that can take out dice permanently from other players.  Got hit with that twice when I had 5 ships early in game.  The other players were vicious.. lol

[DarkMite]

Alien Tech cards are the answer to being blocked by other players placements. They are pretty good & in my group get overlooked, until I start getting ahead by using them. I've been on the fence about Factions for sometime, but I think I'm sold on it now. Thanks!

[winterplum]

Interesting thoughts on this game. I enjoy this game but not with more than 4 to be sure. Nice to see the three of you again.

[RafaelMaia]

This was one I was happy I tried the iOS version before I bought it. I was really excited based on the reviews, and I wanted a work/dice-placement game in my collection. After playing it several times though, I realized it's not for me. First, I _love_ player interaction, but I absolutely hate the brainless "I steal the resources you worked hard to build" kind of interaction. Second, as you guys mention, the placement-lock seems particularly cruel with this one. If you don't get an additional ship for a couple rounds because another player is getting them turn after turn, you're pretty much out of the game. And finally, my biggest problem is that, the low scoring total combined with the dice randomness (which I wouldn't have a problem with on its own) means that any game in which two players are very close in scoring will come to a random end: whoever gets a six or three-of-a-kind first will win, period, no matter what happened up to that point. That is very frustrating... so I'm excited to find another game to fill that spot in my collection! Recommendations?

[justinrrizzo]

In regard to Zee's comment, why would the pirate space in AF not pick on the leader anymore than blocking spaces in Kings?

[dannys_]

You mentioned Euphoria as an example of another game which uses dice as workers - I absolutely adore Euphoria, but it's nearing the high end of complexity for the style of game I like. Would you recommend Alien Frontiers as something I'd like?

[tooklong]

So was Tom's reaction to Kickstarter a joke? If it was I didn't get it.  Would think that he would really like kickstarter considering it is how the dice tower is funded and it gave him the opportunity to get his own game published (nothing personal).

[dkyzar]

You might be kept out of something you want to do, but you can't get locked out of your settlement track!

[alexs]

I thought about what you guys said about this not being a gateway game and I was wondering if that could be the basis of a top 10 like video.  The top 10 best games to introduce players who are new to good board games, split by category.  For instance, a war game, a co-op, worker placement, etc. that new players can enjoy and get into that won't bore an experienced player to death.  I have a lot of inexperienced players where I am that I would love to introduce to good board games but everything that I play currently has too much depth and it intimidates fledgling players.  The help would be greatly appreciated! 

[zatedford]

Doesn't the new edition have the space ship looking dice? Anyone have a copy of that version yet? I'd like to know people's thoughts on rolling those spaceship looking dice. Alien Frontiers is my go to Euro..great game!

[philheaton]

I have a problem with games where if someone else takes an action, I can't. This is even more important when there are locations that are very important (like the building purchase space in Manhattan Project).

[markyst.ruggles]

It is unfortunate that Game Salute has the rights to this game. They produce low print runs. This game seems to be in a perpetual state of being out of print although they just printed the 4th edition. Their business model does not appeal to me. It keeps games out of the players hands where I believe it should be.

[TragicTableTop]

I think the faction boards are cool, but rather out of balance. Looking at you "gain a sun every turn + xtra based on majority control!!" What worries me with this version that you guys didn't address is the VAST amount of new cards and factions that seamed  to be added almost haphazardly during the kickstarter. New cards were even designed by kickers themselves. How can these cards be playtested when they were designed and added only a few weeks before printing began? I'm just worried there are going to be many cards that add unwanted randomness and balance problems and need to be removed by players. 

[EyalItsik]

I find Kingsburg a much MUCH superior game. Can't shake the feeling that Alien Frontiers is Yahtzee with dice modifiers.

[stevens]

How would you compare Euphoria with Alien Frontier ?

[YaniKalafatis]

Thanks for the video guys, but what was the point of yet another review of AF? It's not even that much changed in the last edition..

And why are you comparing it just to Kingsburg, that is a bit dated by general cinsensus. what about Troyes, Burgen von Burgung, Quantum and more.

With all respect, this seems to me like paid advertisement of the game, which is not what I would expect from a show like Dice Towers.