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Hello! Also, why am I weird?

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Argent Nightmares
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Hello! Also, why am I weird?

Firstly, hello! I have a bit of a problem, I've spent the last few days at work reading every single post on the Spirit Island forum.. For those who've met Curtis (BlueHairedMeerkat) recently, I'm Steven.

So, one thing I've found interesting is how different people view different spirits, particularly how easy/difficult they are to play. My brain seems to deal with complexity rather oddly; the first spirit I played was Bringer, and I had no trouble at all with it, playing it just flowed. My next game was, I think, Rampant Green, and whilst I managed, I found it significantly harder to get to grips with. Next I played Oceans, easy, Rivers, hard. I still can't play Lightning... The same idea runs through SotM, the characters that I play best and that feel most natural to me are some of the most complex. Has anyone else had any experience like that?

BlueHairedMeerkat
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Welcome to the forums!


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Argent Nightmares
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Why thank you, person sat next to me on the sofa.

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It varies.  Some strategies click better than others.  


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Pydro
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Welcome!


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dpt
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Welcome! It was great to meet you at Gen Con.

 

On your question, it is by design that some spirits come more naturally than others to different people. I haven't heard a case quite like yours, though. Remind me what you were playing in our epic game? I gather from your user name that Argent Adept is a hero that comes naturally to you?

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Welcome to the forums.

 

I wouldn't say my case is as bad as yours, but it does seem that certain types of interaction strategies work best for certain people.

 

I'm not a huge fan of Thunderspeaker or Fangs, working through proxies like the Dahan or Beasts is an extra layer I struggle with. I have had a hard time with Pushing spirits, but I've gotten better at figuring out  how best to utilize them. Spirits who are defensive or who do a lot of direct things are my jam, while spirits who spend a lot of time giving powers and energy to other spirits often make very little sense to me.

 

This feels like a more complete answer than talking about complexity. The types of ways you are affecting the board and the game state are making it easier or harder for you, because it depends on where your strategies tend to dwell. I'm not good at thinking 7 turns ahead even in simple games, too many variables I try to calculate and it just ends up a dribble. Some people start the game and are already thinking about the end state, others never play more than a turn or two ahead.

Argent Nightmares
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dpt wrote:

Remind me what you were playing in our epic game? I gather from your user name that Argent Adept is a hero that comes naturally to you?

I played Oceans, why wouldn't you want to be on all five boards? And yes, Argent Adept comes very naturally to me - probably the hero I play best.

chaosmancer wrote:

The types of ways you are affecting the board and the game state are making it easier or harder for you, because it depends on where your strategies tend to dwell. 

Somewhat, yes, and there are definitely some overarching strategies that speak to me more than others, but the trend toward high complexity, even as a beginner, seems unusual. The best explanation I can find is that I'm very good when a major rule is changed for my character, and I can really delve into that, but struggle when it's only a minor change and I have to balance that with the existing game?

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Heya, we've met a few times at the London meet-ups :).

Regarding difficulties playing complicated characters, it can vary with me depending on what they do. In the case of Sentinels, I think you're already aware from our RL games that you're not the only one who likes the Argent Adept best ;). It did take me a few games to get the hang of him, but now I think he's super cool amazing and all that :D. Really, there aren't any heroes in Sentinels that I find difficult to play, though there are some that don't really go too well with my playstyle - Fanatic and Setback are two I can think of. I think it's because they spend a lot of time hitting themselves, but then I like playing Nightmist, who also hits herself. But she's better at healing, so maybe that has something to do with it.

As for Spirit Island, since I got my copy I've only played it twice and I played as Shadows both times since that's the spirit I played as in the two games we had at the London meet back when it was still in playtesting. We lost the first game because we were still getting the hang of (or in my case, trying to remember) the rules, which I imagine had changed somewhat since playtesting anyway (and that was probably about two years ago or something). But we won the second game via a Tier Three Terror win - all cities destroyed. I like mashing the Invaders and generating loads of Fear...there's something rather satisfying about it. But I might play as Ocean next and hopefully someone else can play River and can spend the whole game feeding me because it seems like that's a thing >:).

Anyway, everyone's brain works differently so maybe there's no reason beyond that as to why we lean toward playing certain characters more than others, or find them easier/harder to get the hang of.


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Hey Steven! It was nice to meet you at Gen Con. I'm glad we were able to get a few games in.

I'm a bit the same, where there are some spirits I really get right away and some that, despite playing them dozens of times, I continue to struggle with. I definitely don't get the most out of Thunderspeaker or Lightning's Swift Strike, for instance. But I find Ocean's Hungry Grasp, Bringer of Dreams and Nightmares, and River Surges in Sunlight to be very intuitive. I still haven't puzzled out exactly why I find some spirits easier to grok - I think it has something to do with direct vs indirect actions. While I understand the value of direct damage and destruction, I find fear, manipulation, and defense to be much more engaging.

Argent Nightmares
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grysqrl wrote:

While I understand the value of direct damage and destruction, I find fear, manipulation, and defense to be much more engaging.

This is definitely what determines my favourites I think. You'd think it'd be easier for everyone to grok the 'bash it and it dies' type strategies though! I really love how this game is so varied, the experience changes so much playing different spirits, different adversaries or even just with a different group!

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Welcome Form Mate.

 

I think it is down to taste. I do not like siple Heroes like Base Legacy and Ra. but NightMist is my Jam.  Being able to do evertyting but master of none, playing with your HP like it is nothing. endind many games at high HP (or just dead). Hmm please can i have more. 

Ohh Hi Golem Unity, what nobdy likes you, but you are my favorite Unity. Setting Sun Ra, you are a simple Hero that i normaly do not like but you have a Seroius clock, and you want to be incap because of your amazing Incaps.  Omni-U why is your win rate so Low, I think you are OP as nothing else? Is it because you have to play him like a mad person willing to destoy everything an rebuild to win?

 

But Back to Spirit Island I think I have played them all and Wild fire is the one that doesn't click. I love ThunderSpeaker but so do most people I play with. Ocean Hungers is so much fun. And so is Serpant, even though I rarely get him to his strong phase before we win. And Sharp Fangs is a fast and run out steam, but you can always get Major card to off set that. To be honset still trying to figure Fangs out, It feels like a poor mans ThunderSpeaker.

I love it how each spirit feel so differnt. And so many ways to win.

So you are not alone, just maybe the people around you have a diffent playstyle. Revel in it enjoy the diveraty.


"A stranger is a friend you haven't met yet." - Star

Foote
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Welcome.

Yes you are weird.

But so are we.

Dandolo
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Having played each Spirit once or twice (and only solo) the Spirits that really clicked for me were River, VSotE, Oceans and SoRG. I don't really get Fangs, BoDaN, or Serpent yet.... especially Serpent, my brain still hurts from that game.

For sentinels I really like all the heroes..... except poor Dark Watch Setback. My favourites are Skyscraper and Parse.

I think my preference are more about tempo and flexibility than complexity. For some heroes and spirits it feels like each action leads right to the next action, especially once your engine is fully running.

Sidenote: I agree Omnitron-U is awesome.... I don't think he's OP though, if you get the right cards early he can be a powerhouse but he can run into some tempo issue due to lack of card draw.

arenson9
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Hey, Steven!


Hi. My name's Andy. Feel free to call me Andy, since, ya know, that's my name. (he/him/his)

If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If not now, when? If I am for myself alone, what am I? -- Hillel

Trajector
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Hi, and welcome!

I think that there's a certain alignment between the strategies a player favors and the playstyles of a spirit. For instance, I've struggled with Lightning's Swift Strike - mostly because I always want to play every card I have, and run out of energy. It takes such willpower to have an off turn when there are towns to zap!