Just got back from JoCoCruiseCrazy (http://jococruisecrazy.com/ -- It is exceedingly cool. If you can go, I highly recommend it).
In-between all the awesomeness of the entertainments and excursions to Carribean islands, there is a 24/7 game room set up on the ship. Christopher brought both the pre-production test-print cards for Shattered Timelines and, even more excitingly, the latest beta version for Galactic Strike Force.
[Picture of the game room on Formal Dining night: http://www.spatzel.net/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=35288]
I ended up teaching three or four groups of people how to play Sentinels and getting to playtest GSF. Sentinels continues to win converts. Everybody who played it liked it and most of them loved it.
GSF is a different beast. I like it, but it is not fully baked yet. We had a very good time playing it, even at 8am on a Sat after a week of NOT ENOUGH SLEEP. In its current state, I think that it manages to be even _MORE_ cooperative than Sentinels, though it's not clear to me yet that it has the awesome replayability of Sentinels.
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
Not disagreeing with you about the replayability, but there was a great thread on this idea at BGG:
http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/918646/replayability-achieved-best-by-depth-not-breadth/page/1
Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.
-Robert E. Howard, "The Tower of the Elephant"
If that's the case with GSF, I'm glad people feel comfortable speaking the truth in a non-critical way while it's still early in the design process. The last thing anyone wants is a game that had to be stamped "done" because of an approaching deadline, not because it had actually hit the critical awesomeness threshold. I hope you guys keep iterating and iterating until we've got a game that's as good as SotM or better, in all ways, even if that means it takes a little longer to get it out the door.
I'm dying to get my eyeballs on the game but I don't have the time required to be a good playtester, so as much as it pains me to say it (and it does), take your time, guys!
Spiff's SotM site: www.spiffworld.com/sotm
The playtesters don't have any problem saying what works and what doesn't. By SotM, people started playtesting buy RC. By that time the core mechanics were worked out and you only had to fit something new into the system. This time, everything is being commented on, even some of the core mechanics.
Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.
-Robert E. Howard, "The Tower of the Elephant"
A few of my friends are at the second table in your picture--and this year (just like the past two years) they have confirmed that it was awesome! I'm hoping things work out next year for me to go as well, but at least my Unity card got to go on the cruise and get autographed. :)
Second table ... are you talking about Colin, Andrew, Rachel, and Gwen from DC?
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
Yep, that's them, officer!
I remember signing a Unity card that was carefully packaged before and after the signing process. Enjoy!
"Your goodness must have some edge to it — else it is none."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
That must have been mine, Dave was very protective of it. Unity came home in a box, so in that respect it was just like half of the games I've played her in. : )
Thanks so much for signing my card!
Well, Happy Thoughts, I look forward to meeting you in person at some point. If not on JCCC4, than perhaps in DC at some point. I know Star and Pooch through other avenues.
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
Nice! Give a ping next time you're in the area!
(And, yeah, I think Star and Pooch pretty much know everybody!)