We have launched our Near and Far campaign! I'm playing Eyim, @peterdrake chose Kiku.
Remarkable about Broken Plains for me:
(1) I won for the first time, probably because I completed my very own trade route for the first time.
(2) When you have a big stack of gems, reputation is a good investment.
(3) If you find yourself with a big stack of various resources, go ahead and take 4 advanced artifact cards at the General Store. You'll probably be able to afford one immediately.
I had high hopes for Game 2 of our Near and Far campaign, but @peterdrake pulled off the victory.
Remarkable about Crimson Forest for me:
(1) My quest encounters with victims of the Red King had disappointing rewards. Seeking redemption does not pay well.
(2) I had a game-winning solo completed trade route within my grasp on my final two turns, but the 10-point Ancient Robot threat beat me both times. Because I rolled 1. TWICE. This is what I mean when I say dice hate me.
Game 3 of our Near and Far campaign was a drubbing for @peterdrake (72 vs. 52).
Remarkable about Meteor Mountain for me:
(1) Going first is a huge advantage because you get first choice of the adventurers. I've never had such a potent party.
(2) Once again, I rolled 1 against a threat TWICE. This time, I paid the 4 hearts to defeat the Stone Warrior and move on.
(3) Despite the delay, I did finish my string of side quests to cleanse the poison from the mountain.
Oh, fickle fortune. @peterdrake trounced me in Game 4 of our Near and Far campaign (69 vs. 37). He almost doubled my score. 😭
Remarkable about Toxic Desert for me:
(1) Despite refreshing the adventurer row, I could not recruit a blue to save my life.
(2) You must get hands early on or the limits on mining and food are almost insurmountable.
(3) My score would have been much worse, but I spent my last turn fighting threats. In a shocking twist, I rolled well three times in a row!
Game 5 of our Near and Far campaign held to the pattern of first player victory. I won 78 vs. 62.
Remarkable about Cloudy Valley for me:
(1) I rolled a 6 (!) when I needed it to pull off a Jedi mind trick and convince two birdfolk guards that I wasn't the one they were looking for.
(2) My greedy completion of two trade routes paid off in points, but allowed @peterdrake to get the juicy side-by-side quests.
(3) It's clear this would be a completely different game with 4 players.
@htdrake @peterdrake Different good, or different bad?
@peterdrake @saluk Yes, exactly. I think the number of quests scales, so those wouldn't necessarily be harder to get. Mining would be more competitive and perhaps slow down artifact acquisition.