Great work! I played my first game about 6 months ago and enjoyed it, but haven’t much since. And because each game is often far apart, I tend to forget what I’m doing in the game, so I lose track of having any strategy.
@@NoWondersTV Ok will do! There is another game called My City - Have you played it? It’s a campaign game and polyominoes. That game lead me to this game.
In this example, the dining room is left open to earn the 15 point lesson card. It's worth considering that the 15 point value is a bit deceptive. You'll lose 5 points for the room and another 2 for the rats (unless you buy a different lesson to net a point for each of them). So you're really only earning 8 points for the card. Consider as you near the end of the game if there are cats or Oshax available to you that would bring much more than 8 points by expanding one or more cat families or achieving other goals, even if you fail to completely fill the room. I've found that card tends not to be worth it because it almost certainly breaks up families.
The dining room lesson is one you have to play and plan around, but even after all this time I still consider it one of the best lessons in the game. The game asks you - "do you want points for doing absolutely nothing?" and who am I to refuse that. Let's be real, how often does anyone fill their entire boat? If you're not filling your boat there is going to be space somewhere. And that space might as well be in the dining room. The synergy it has with other lessons is insane. You can spend all your effort covering the edges of your boat to complete the 3-4 lessons there are relating to that while getting free points for not doing something else. The fact that it's in the centre of the boat means you really do need to plan around not needing to put cats there, but the reward for a bit of planning is well worth it IMO.
I disagree about skipping early permanent baskets, especially the dedicated ones. A permanent basket in round 1 or 2 will almost certainly save you fish over the course of the game, one in round 3 might, otherwise it'll probably break even.
I'm not sure they save you fish. Ideally you pay 6 fish in round 1 for a permanent basket to use 5 times so equal to 5 basket cards. You can get baskets for 0 fish, 1 fish, 2 fish. The expensive baskets also give speed though which has some value. I think the main benefit is not having to take as many basket cards when drafting, but like I said in the video they are so common. If you are taking basket cards while having the permanent basket then it's very easy to run into fish trouble. I think of them as a beginner's trap, I see so many people take them and then on one or more round not have enough fish to use them. But if you have experience then you have a good idea of what you can / can't afford. Where would you place them on the list? Above / below treasure cards?
Those 0 and 1 fish "baskets" are also going to be 2 card combos of half baskets, reducing your overall drafting power. A lot of the time you're stuck with 2-3 fish per basket, or even worse 4 fish for 2 fast half baskets, especially if you delay drafting them. I'd probably rate them above treasure on day 1, although the flexibility and possible 6 squares for 2 fish makes treasure overall very strong. The Kittens expansion also can change the valuation one places on boots.
I actually completely misremembered the 1 basket 1 speed card as costing 1 fish instead of the 2 that it does. With that in mind then yes there is good value to be had if you get it early. If I were to remake the list I would put the 6 fish for 1 permanent basket card below treasure but still not advocate getting the permanent basket by removing lessons or treasure. Actually really looking forward to trying the expansions, haven't had a chance to yet!
@@NoWondersTV I defenitely would rate the 6fish permanent basket above treasures in round 1/2. A full basket cost 2 in average. So 2-4 fish saved and while it's true basket cards are common, if you have no permanent basket, at one point you often need to sacrifice better cards to take 1 ore two. So permanent basket allows you to focus on treasures and action cards as 2nd choice after lessons. Also it happens time to time that very few baskets cards show up in a game and then the value of a permanent one is huge. The other two permanent basket options are hardly playable imo. You usually can't play them before round 2/3 and the cost is usually not worth the value. I only use them end game to complete the 3permanent basket lesson if needed and worth it.
Great work! I played my first game about 6 months ago and enjoyed it, but haven’t much since. And because each game is often far apart, I tend to forget what I’m doing in the game, so I lose track of having any strategy.
Thanks so much for another great video! I learned a lot with this one.
Just started to play this game and hurray you have tips for the game. Thanks Sam!!
Awesome! I haven't played this in some months now, feel free to invite me to a game if you want to practice!
@@NoWondersTV Ok will do! There is another game called My City - Have you played it? It’s a campaign game and polyominoes. That game lead me to this game.
@@xnikkix I've played My City a little bit. Not the campaign, just regular games against other people. I enjoy it too!
In this example, the dining room is left open to earn the 15 point lesson card. It's worth considering that the 15 point value is a bit deceptive. You'll lose 5 points for the room and another 2 for the rats (unless you buy a different lesson to net a point for each of them). So you're really only earning 8 points for the card. Consider as you near the end of the game if there are cats or Oshax available to you that would bring much more than 8 points by expanding one or more cat families or achieving other goals, even if you fail to completely fill the room. I've found that card tends not to be worth it because it almost certainly breaks up families.
The dining room lesson is one you have to play and plan around, but even after all this time I still consider it one of the best lessons in the game. The game asks you - "do you want points for doing absolutely nothing?" and who am I to refuse that. Let's be real, how often does anyone fill their entire boat? If you're not filling your boat there is going to be space somewhere. And that space might as well be in the dining room. The synergy it has with other lessons is insane. You can spend all your effort covering the edges of your boat to complete the 3-4 lessons there are relating to that while getting free points for not doing something else. The fact that it's in the centre of the boat means you really do need to plan around not needing to put cats there, but the reward for a bit of planning is well worth it IMO.
I disagree about skipping early permanent baskets, especially the dedicated ones. A permanent basket in round 1 or 2 will almost certainly save you fish over the course of the game, one in round 3 might, otherwise it'll probably break even.
I'm not sure they save you fish. Ideally you pay 6 fish in round 1 for a permanent basket to use 5 times so equal to 5 basket cards. You can get baskets for 0 fish, 1 fish, 2 fish. The expensive baskets also give speed though which has some value. I think the main benefit is not having to take as many basket cards when drafting, but like I said in the video they are so common. If you are taking basket cards while having the permanent basket then it's very easy to run into fish trouble.
I think of them as a beginner's trap, I see so many people take them and then on one or more round not have enough fish to use them. But if you have experience then you have a good idea of what you can / can't afford.
Where would you place them on the list? Above / below treasure cards?
Those 0 and 1 fish "baskets" are also going to be 2 card combos of half baskets, reducing your overall drafting power. A lot of the time you're stuck with 2-3 fish per basket, or even worse 4 fish for 2 fast half baskets, especially if you delay drafting them.
I'd probably rate them above treasure on day 1, although the flexibility and possible 6 squares for 2 fish makes treasure overall very strong.
The Kittens expansion also can change the valuation one places on boots.
I actually completely misremembered the 1 basket 1 speed card as costing 1 fish instead of the 2 that it does. With that in mind then yes there is good value to be had if you get it early. If I were to remake the list I would put the 6 fish for 1 permanent basket card below treasure but still not advocate getting the permanent basket by removing lessons or treasure.
Actually really looking forward to trying the expansions, haven't had a chance to yet!
@@NoWondersTV I defenitely would rate the 6fish permanent basket above treasures in round 1/2. A full basket cost 2 in average. So 2-4 fish saved and while it's true basket cards are common, if you have no permanent basket, at one point you often need to sacrifice better cards to take 1 ore two. So permanent basket allows you to focus on treasures and action cards as 2nd choice after lessons. Also it happens time to time that very few baskets cards show up in a game and then the value of a permanent one is huge.
The other two permanent basket options are hardly playable imo. You usually can't play them before round 2/3 and the cost is usually not worth the value. I only use them end game to complete the 3permanent basket lesson if needed and worth it.
Those are good points you raise, I'm going to pay a bit more attention to them in round 1 if given the chance