Weather Machine | Rahdo's Final Thoughts

A video outlining gameplay for the boardgame Weather Machine.

Part I: Gameplay Runthrough

Part II: Extended Gameplay

Part III: Final Thoughts

[lizmari]

I appreciate your enthusiasm for this game! I just wanted to chime in as a scientist (with the caveat that I could be totally wrong)... I interpreted the vouchers as "funding". I saw it as obtaining funding from the government (e.g., NSF grants) and funding from private foundations for the other locations. From my perspective as a scientist this makes the most sense, especially with the emphasis on publishing (complete with citations!), as well as the possibility of being awarded a Nobel Prize. It also makes sense you would need to publish before building a prototype - you need to have done the research (gain the knowledge) to be able to build a successful prototype. Anyway, just my two cents worth. :-) Excellent review! I have also been enjoying this game, and it's my first Lacerda!

[hermithouse]

The theme complaints I hear tend to come from people who think this is a game where your goal is to fix the weather. It’s not. It’s a game about the scientific process and coordinating across government and private interests to gather data, learn and develop better tech.

[RickKoeppen]

THIS has been the review I've been anxiously awaiting!! Absolutely love that you are shouting from the mountain tops about the theme. I found this to be among my top gaming experiences of the year. Even multiple plays later I'm still working on my efficiencies and finding more and more to discover.

[Resilio]

You are soo good at explaining your “Final thoughts” Rahdo 👍 Thanks for sharing. Game looks fantastic.

[Olvenskol]

The "voucher" vs. "authorization" observation is great insight! I think the effects of "R&D" are the other area that isn't thematically intuitive (though it makes sense if you think about it enough).

[ShelleyDanielle]

Thank you for the playthrough Rhado, I'm glad you enjoyed the game so much. :) I spent 2+ years playtesting on Weather Machine on an almost weekly basis. It's very rewarding to me when I see people enjoy the game so much. :)

[EagleGryphonGames]

Thank you so much for your thoughts on Weather Machine!

[coyotemoon]

Amen to alternatives to player-driven end game conditions. So many games suffer from that problem. I'm looking at you, Corrosion.

[heijewubs]

Played it for the first time today and this final thoughts video is almost a perfect match to my experience!

[ACGalaga]

It was a lot more specific scoring-wise which, to me, is nice change compared to “point salads” from a bunch of scoring goals. There are goals in this but, you just get 5p each in endgame from a pretty tight scoring goals.

So instead, you need to really focus on what your opponents are doing and timing that endgame to benefit your score. 3 of the 4 endgame triggers are player controlled, so you wouldn’t want to trigger it until you have a substantial lead.

IRRC, Lisboa is kind of similar where the player’s usually do something to trigger the end, but even more so in this which in my opinion makes this pretty strategic despite it’s “narrow” scoring.

[masterbridgemaster]

Finally a game I have played before you, Rahdo!

[jelledaems]

Great review! Finally a reviewer that sees the beauty of this design! The gallerist is still my favourite, but this game is also very very good. My only complaint is that the game is better for 3 people than for 2. I do not really regard it as the ideal 2-player Lacerda.

[Stolovky]

Rahdo - at your best and Ive been watching you for years! Thanks for this exhaustive review - superb!

[alfonsoolivas]

This is the best review ok Weather Machine, i had my doubts, now i know i wanna get it; And the most important thing that the video have for me is that I feel prepared so that the game doesn't take me off guard and I know what to expect. Thnks!

[MicroBIOS]

I think that by "voucher" they mean some document that proves someone vouches for you, that you have someone's support.

[inspiredgame]

Great review! I love Vital Lacerda, but On Mars and Vinhos remain my favorites.

[spike]

Mmm Kanban EV is my favorite game. It's delicious. I'm excited to play this, Gallerist, and Escape Plan

[thecuriousboardgamer]

Oh, interesting thoughts on the weight of this game (you might have seen my comment on the 1st playthrough video). Maybe once I get a play in it'll all come together. Although I find On Mars and Lisboa heavier than Kanban/Vinhos/Gallerist, I thought Lisboa was so elegant that it felt smooth and On Mars the theme just made a lot of sense to me. I'm excited to get Weather Machine to the table! Thanks for the vids!

[Max_prez]

Great Final thoughts Video! I am on the fence of buying this but I hesitate because maaany people say the 2 player version of the game is not good. What do you think about this? At what player count did you play Weather machine, and at what player count do you prefer it?

[neiderhauser]

If I only could buy ONE Vital Lacerda game (I've never played any!), which one should be considered?