This is a massive beast of a boardgame. Last week I played through all the 4 years over the course of 4 days, partially streamed them live (in German). Great experience. This will definitely come back to my table this year. I strongly recommend it 👍
Thanks for a very enlightening video. When this game was first announced I was very tempted. But the shere physical size of it, and especially the weight (meaning a high shipment cost as i live in Sweden) made me refrain from it. However all the positive reviews, and all the enthusiastic comments by players, made me kind of regretting not having ordered it. But when GMT announced the 2nd edition update kit, which also includes all the necessary documentation and printed play aids to play the game on your computer using Vassal, I immediately placed an order. This video has strengthened my opinion that I've made the correct decision. I don't have the table space to play this game, and I also have a cat (AKA Catzilla), so being able to use my computer (note; no computer AI, just displaying the game on the screen instead of on the table) to play this game, I'm really looking forward to getting started. I think it will be a very good refresher course for what I learned in my government class in high school during my year as an exchange student 55 years ago.
You made a great choice! I am looking forward to the upgrade kit being released so that I can get a better, more balanced challenge. It is a great game and I am tempted to set it up very soon!
Excellent review and analysis. Much appreciated. The only thing that made me a little sceptical about the game’s value as a simulation is when you said that it’s very realistic in that the UN is trying to stabilise things.
I think it depends on what one means by “stabilize.” If it only means “calm things down for the moment,” yes, the UN could be seen as a stabilising institution. But if it means “seeking to promote long-term peace and stability,” I think it’s clear that the UN often does not have that as a goal. UNIFIL in Lebanon strikes me as a good example of faux stability. But I digress from an excellent assessment of a game (which may well yet tempt me into a purchase).
@elishaeven-sapir125 I would get the next printing because they are fixing a few things with the original print run to make it better and I have ordered and am eagerly awaiting an update kit for it before I play it again.
Don’t get it unless you have a dedicated place to leave it setup. I cannot imagine a realistic way to pause the game and take it down and then set it back up. While anything is possible, that would be too much of a pain I believe to make this a realistic approach. You could pick at the game over a week or so to complete a full play through without too much trouble as long as you are willing to put enough time to learn the game in full over a weekend so it all clicks with you.
I felt the same way after looking at it for a while and getting enough feedback. However, I think that I could resist a lot of other GMT games in the future because this one in particular hits on so many levels that perhaps, I may have saved myself a few titles. At least that is what I am telling myself!
I just saw your shorts about this and went straight searching a full video of the game in your channel, hahahaha. Don't mind the super long set-up, no one's waiting for me to play this game aside from ME! Highly anticipated. This kinda sound like Twilight Struggle gone watered down but went on steroids? I dunno. I got that vibes given probably it's from GMT? I'll see.
Very informative video! After watching a few playthroughs on various channels, I think I'm a little disappointed in the random nature of the card drawing and die rolling. It seems you can make all the right decisions but in reality, the true outcome of the game always comes down to your luck at card draws and dice rolls. You may "feel" like you have control, but you really don't. There needs to be a less expensive mechanism to mitigate bad luck, rather than spending an entire action point for just one piddly re-roll. There needs to be a currency similar to APs that you can bank or spend that are a little more plentiful in quantity and therefore more generous with the number of allowed dice re-rolls and card re-draws. For example, spending one AP gains you 5 or maybe even 10 re-rolls or re-draws in your bank, but you're limited to how many times you can use this ability (like 2 times per event). I guess that's a house rule I can invent for myself, so I shouldn't complain.
No doubt about it, there is a ton of dice rolling but so much of the game is making the right decisions to increase your odds of good outcomes on the dice rolls. That is a key part of the whole thing. Thematically, I think it actually makes sense because even though you might do everything right as the President, there is still chance in everything. However, I found that even though I did get hosed by the dice every now and then, you do much better by making good use of your actions and the overall experience did not feel that random. Just my thoughts. YMMV of course.
I’m inclined to order the second edition, but I’ve never received any of the three P500 games I’ve ordered in the last three years… Don’t want to curse the release for others. 😂
@@JohnLaRuffa I have no first-hand insight on this, but people purporting to know are saying that the game is still several months away from printing, so Fall 2024 or early 2025 would be the most realistic bets.
Congrats on turning this playthrough around so quickly considering this is an emersive game. The game does sound interesting considering it's die roll base flowcharts (unlike coin). I just don't have the time to dedicate and would sit there for weeks to complete a single game Just out of curiosity what size table do you have to fit everything? Thanks for this great playthrough I definitely see the appeal from one who likes these style of games.
Yep, this convinced me. I NEED THIS GAME. Great overview and review! I do have a question: would you consider the game (once you know it) playable in a weekend (the full 4 years, assuming you last that far)?
Certainly. Now that I have played through a full year, I definitely think you could do this. I played it off and on, learning all the ropes last Saturday and Sunday but now that I have the whole thing down, I need to read much less of the instructions. I would guess though that 2-3 hours per turn would be the best you could do.
Case in point, my second setup of the game took about an hour including the first part of the turn sequence before Russia or China acts. It gets a lot faster once you have gone through it once.
I have no idea. I just go by what the GMT website says. I expected to get the update kit by now but haven’t heard anything on that preorder yet either…
HOW BIG is this game?! Besides it being a table hog, this looks really cool and immersive. Are there scenarios in the game, goals to hit each session or does the variability just come from the die rolls and branching paths?
There is a sandbox mode and 6 scenarios. Each scenario has different victory conditions. The sandbox mode has 14 auto loss conditions and if you manage not to trigger one of those, you will get a score at the end which you can use to compare your performance to that in the rulebook. As to the way things happen, I would not call this game a branching path sort of thing like you might be thinking.
This is a massive beast of a boardgame. Last week I played through all the 4 years over the course of 4 days, partially streamed them live (in German). Great experience. This will definitely come back to my table this year. I strongly recommend it 👍
Thanks for a very enlightening video. When this game was first announced I was very tempted. But the shere physical size of it, and especially the weight (meaning a high shipment cost as i live in Sweden) made me refrain from it. However all the positive reviews, and all the enthusiastic comments by players, made me kind of regretting not having ordered it. But when GMT announced the 2nd edition update kit, which also includes all the necessary documentation and printed play aids to play the game on your computer using Vassal, I immediately placed an order. This video has strengthened my opinion that I've made the correct decision. I don't have the table space to play this game, and I also have a cat (AKA Catzilla), so being able to use my computer (note; no computer AI, just displaying the game on the screen instead of on the table) to play this game, I'm really looking forward to getting started. I think it will be a very good refresher course for what I learned in my government class in high school during my year as an exchange student 55 years ago.
You made a great choice! I am looking forward to the upgrade kit being released so that I can get a better, more balanced challenge. It is a great game and I am tempted to set it up very soon!
File this away in your top 10 of 2023!
For sure!
This game is special. Yes, it’s complex, but truly excellent.
Excellent review and analysis. Much appreciated. The only thing that made me a little sceptical about the game’s value as a simulation is when you said that it’s very realistic in that the UN is trying to stabilise things.
They try, but do they have any real effect???
I think it depends on what one means by “stabilize.” If it only means “calm things down for the moment,” yes, the UN could be seen as a stabilising institution. But if it means “seeking to promote long-term peace and stability,” I think it’s clear that the UN often does not have that as a goal. UNIFIL in Lebanon strikes me as a good example of faux stability. But I digress from an excellent assessment of a game (which may well yet tempt me into a purchase).
@elishaeven-sapir125 I would get the next printing because they are fixing a few things with the original print run to make it better and I have ordered and am eagerly awaiting an update kit for it before I play it again.
Great review - I know I'm very unlikely to have the time to play this game but I am so tempted to get it!
Don’t get it unless you have a dedicated place to leave it setup. I cannot imagine a realistic way to pause the game and take it down and then set it back up. While anything is possible, that would be too much of a pain I believe to make this a realistic approach. You could pick at the game over a week or so to complete a full play through without too much trouble as long as you are willing to put enough time to learn the game in full over a weekend so it all clicks with you.
Great advice, thanks.
Just great, now I got to buy this game
I felt the same way after looking at it for a while and getting enough feedback. However, I think that I could resist a lot of other GMT games in the future because this one in particular hits on so many levels that perhaps, I may have saved myself a few titles. At least that is what I am telling myself!
I just saw your shorts about this and went straight searching a full video of the game in your channel, hahahaha. Don't mind the super long set-up, no one's waiting for me to play this game aside from ME! Highly anticipated. This kinda sound like Twilight Struggle gone watered down but went on steroids? I dunno. I got that vibes given probably it's from GMT? I'll see.
Very informative video! After watching a few playthroughs on various channels, I think I'm a little disappointed in the random nature of the card drawing and die rolling. It seems you can make all the right decisions but in reality, the true outcome of the game always comes down to your luck at card draws and dice rolls. You may "feel" like you have control, but you really don't. There needs to be a less expensive mechanism to mitigate bad luck, rather than spending an entire action point for just one piddly re-roll. There needs to be a currency similar to APs that you can bank or spend that are a little more plentiful in quantity and therefore more generous with the number of allowed dice re-rolls and card re-draws. For example, spending one AP gains you 5 or maybe even 10 re-rolls or re-draws in your bank, but you're limited to how many times you can use this ability (like 2 times per event). I guess that's a house rule I can invent for myself, so I shouldn't complain.
No doubt about it, there is a ton of dice rolling but so much of the game is making the right decisions to increase your odds of good outcomes on the dice rolls. That is a key part of the whole thing. Thematically, I think it actually makes sense because even though you might do everything right as the President, there is still chance in everything. However, I found that even though I did get hosed by the dice every now and then, you do much better by making good use of your actions and the overall experience did not feel that random. Just my thoughts. YMMV of course.
I’m inclined to order the second edition, but I’ve never received any of the three P500 games I’ve ordered in the last three years… Don’t want to curse the release for others. 😂
Well, they already have 933 orders so that should guarantee that they print it, correct?
@@JohnLaRuffa I have no first-hand insight on this, but people purporting to know are saying that the game is still several months away from printing, so Fall 2024 or early 2025 would be the most realistic bets.
@elishaeven-sapir125 wow! That’s a long time…that’s for the heads up!
Congrats on turning this playthrough around so quickly considering this is an emersive game. The game does sound interesting considering it's die roll base flowcharts (unlike coin). I just don't have the time to dedicate and would sit there for weeks to complete a single game Just out of curiosity what size table do you have to fit everything? Thanks for this great playthrough I definitely see the appeal from one who likes these style of games.
My table is 3.5’ by 5.5’. You definitely need a 5’ long table but could probably get away with one that is 3’ wide.
Yep, this convinced me. I NEED THIS GAME. Great overview and review!
I do have a question: would you consider the game (once you know it) playable in a weekend (the full 4 years, assuming you last that far)?
Certainly. Now that I have played through a full year, I definitely think you could do this. I played it off and on, learning all the ropes last Saturday and Sunday but now that I have the whole thing down, I need to read much less of the instructions. I would guess though that 2-3 hours per turn would be the best you could do.
@@JohnLaRuffa Thanks for the answer, and again, thanks so much for this video!
Case in point, my second setup of the game took about an hour including the first part of the turn sequence before Russia or China acts. It gets a lot faster once you have gone through it once.
Thanks. Any word on when it will be released?
I have no idea. I just go by what the GMT website says. I expected to get the update kit by now but haven’t heard anything on that preorder yet either…
Or how much the upgrade kit will cost?
HOW BIG is this game?! Besides it being a table hog, this looks really cool and immersive. Are there scenarios in the game, goals to hit each session or does the variability just come from the die rolls and branching paths?
There is a sandbox mode and 6 scenarios. Each scenario has different victory conditions. The sandbox mode has 14 auto loss conditions and if you manage not to trigger one of those, you will get a score at the end which you can use to compare your performance to that in the rulebook. As to the way things happen, I would not call this game a branching path sort of thing like you might be thinking.
I'm intrigued, but without a dedicated large game table, I'll pass for now.