Scott's Stuff - Review of Senji

[Gerstein1]

Are you ever going to do an episode on diplomacy aspects in games?

[MichaelWithstand]

I'm thinking to get this game but I already got Shogun and like that a lot. I'm afraid I'm going to hate Senji because I prefer Shogun over it. Or the other way around. I know the two games are different but the theme is the same. What is interesting is the diplomacy aspect of the game which some say is its biggest fail factor though.

However hostage exchanging was prevalent in feudal Japan. They really did that kind of thing.

[snicholson]

Shogun is much more focused on troop movement, while this one was as much focused on card play and set collection as the troop management.

[MichaelWithstand]

Set collection is what turn me off to this game...to me Shogun is more about management. That game is good. Thinking is absolutely required. Just that some of my gaming friends are really political animal lol cajoling and all while playing Shogun so I thought they might find Senji likable.

[peruface]

if i was high i wouldn't be able to open the box, let alone..follow your instructions

[Tiwaking]

I found this video on BGG. Its great! Im subscribing. Will have to give Senji a go

[nutherefurlong]

The trading hostages idea is really great. I wonder if any other game has ever used it before.

[ACWraith]

Positive feedback loops can be a pain.

My first videogame was an action game with a point-based goal. I, unwisely, gave power to those who scored points. I tried to solve the problem by making the leader a target and allowing others to clone the power. Too bad the power made the target hard to catch.

Multiple completed games later, I have been redesigning a turn-based strategy game with some of the same issues. At least I'm learning, I guess.

[snicholson]

I wonder how this game would change if you allowed the player with the least number of points to be the emperor.

[Walsfeo]

Very interesting. It sounds like they set up this mechanism on purpose to encourage dog piling on the winner. I'd really like to play this few times as writ, because it probably dictates the flow of play.

[majch]

The game wouldn't work, because people would just not use their hanafouda(?) cards and stay low on honor until the very last turn were they would just use all their cards in one turn and attack someone for extra honor and win the game in a single turn.

[MANDM72]

sounds awesome