The way the investment tile actions are varied and LIMITED resources is Incredible. The advantage tiles are SO GOOD. Best game of the year easy, maybe top 3 all time for me. So much better than TS.
Such a amazing game, the limited actions make for a incredibly tense game. The theme come through very strongly. The rules are not the best, but good enough. I didnt think i would find it so much better than twilight struggle. Great job guys!
I Love This Game. The decision space is WONDERFUL. SO MANY OPTIONS. I played for times and it plays out differently every time. Seriously you can play this with so many different strategies. However, this game takes effort and it will not be enjoyed if you're not willing to put in the work. Sadly those many gamers who suffer from ADD and the need for immediate gratification may lose interest before they learn how incredible this game is. Great Review. I'm 100% in agreement .
You fellows are turning me into an impulse buyer... just purchased on the strength of your review (and 20% off), and I don’t even care for this period as much. Thanks for the great content, as always!
Your channel's review on Target For Today sold me on it. Have it in my collection since last week, waiting on a free afternoon to play. The YB-40 is my favorite variant of the Flying Fortress. Probably ordering Target For Tonight also due to your review.
They're both good fun, but play the one you have before you order the other, just to make sure you like the style. These narrative type solos aren't everyone's cup of tea.
Been waiting for this one from you guys :) I just punched out my copy last night, and had one looming question... what was the point of that GMT tray in there? it does not seem like there's a way to organize all those tokens into it. Especially as someone who hasn't played yet, I could see if there was any sensible way to use it for at least some of the tokens. If you guys have used it and don't mind sharing a social media picture of it, please do and let me know where to look for it.
So, Grant organized it before playing which we found out was sub-optimal (mixed the basic and bonus war tiles and some other bits and pieces). Of all the new games in 3 inch boxes GMT have released this is the one that hardly needed a tray. Also, the 4 bonus war-tile set are all functionally identical so if you don't mind anachronistic war resolution you can just ditch three quarters of them if you wee so inclined to free up more space in the tray. IF you do that you can fit everything in nicely with the flags in a baggie separately.
My suggestion is to only use the tray for the pieces that DO NOT go on the board during setup. Put all the set up pieces in a bag and there's plenty of room left in the tray.
@@ThePlayersAid no worries. Two quick questions. Do you guys ship to Australia regarding your merch? need to add to my mug collection 😉 and The Road Chosen on Kickstarter, is that a game you guys are looking forward to?
Interesting review and looking forward to the follow ups.....I had almost decided against trying IS but your review has flipped me ....will be playing soon. How does one contact The Players Aid via email? Keep up the fine work
I don't think it matters that much. My knowledge of the period and conflicts is patchy, simply because the scope of the game is so broad. As such if you're a specialist in any of the wars and conflicts represented in the game you'll probably think it's reductionist, and having a working/deep knowledge of all aspects of the game is nigh impossible with how much time and geography it covers.
Comparing with other reviews, you have been more upbeat. It seems to have a better impact on players that like wargames (as it seems more complicated than TS). More than a sequal, isn’t this more like a wargamers version of TS?
Twilight Struggle is very well received because it's been around a long time and earned it's reputation and staying power. It also isn't an out right wargame (which turns the mainstream off I think), and the historical theme is excellent, but is also eclipsed by the excellent gameplay and tension. Basically, it has a much wider appeal, and frankly the modern board game market was much smaller in 2005 so it was easier to carve out a niche and stay there. Imperial Struggle will resonate more with wargamers to an extent, but I would say that's mostly due to theme including a more direct application of combat/war theatres, and the time period having far less appeal to the masses. IT is more complicated yes, which is a turn off for many people, for whom TS was theie most complex title. Wargamers have a penchant for very complex and detailed games so it's an easier demographic to sell to. Either way, this game is excellent, and it's sad that many people won't play it because of the size, scope, and topic.
It’s extremely telling that not one person has made a play through video of this game without numerous errors. Comment sections are full of corrections. That is a huge problem and the number one reason I would not get this game, and I love twilight struggle. Even GMT’s own website refers you to a video for someone who can’t even play the game correctly . This game is so dry, my lips were cracking after trying to watch a half hour of mistake laden game play. Add this to a cluttered and confusing board that is visually uninteresting, terrible rulebook, huge amounts of errata, misprints, weak theme compared to TS, you have to wonder who the audience for this game actually is. If diehard wargamers can’t even play it correctly, who is this game for exactly? You will need two extremely dedicated and patient people to play and replay this game many times. I look forward to 2025 when somebody actually releases a gameplay video without errors. Maybe it will be you guys? Good luck!
shatnershairpiece what’s telling? It’s telling that maybe reviews should not be done after single plays. Dry? Opinion. Uninteresting board? Opinion. Terrible rule book? Opinion. Weak theme? Opinion. Huge amounts of errata? Two counters with clarified information, not broken. 5 cards with minor wording, 1 card with a BONUS removed. Several war dots missing on map, but correct on war card. Hardly huge. I’m a dumb Marine and playing it fine. You’re definitely not the audience sir.
Weak theme? That is in the eye of the beholder, for me it is a much more interesting theme than the cold war. But TS seems to be a much cleaner design.
Imperial Struggle Summed up why I don't like wargames - History isn't calculation - it's character totally - as Napoleon and Clint said -are you lucky? ( Punk) The Culture not the numbers . Square one .
The way the investment tile actions are varied and LIMITED resources is Incredible. The advantage tiles are SO GOOD. Best game of the year easy, maybe top 3 all time for me. So much better than TS.
Imperial Struggle is One of the best grand global strategy game i ever played.
Such a amazing game, the limited actions make for a incredibly tense game. The theme come through very strongly. The rules are not the best, but good enough. I didnt think i would find it so much better than twilight struggle. Great job guys!
I've been waiting for you guys to cover this one. This is the best game I've played in the last two years.
I Love This Game. The decision space is WONDERFUL. SO MANY OPTIONS. I played for times and it plays out differently every time. Seriously you can play this with so many different strategies. However, this game takes effort and it will not be enjoyed if you're not willing to put in the work. Sadly those many gamers who suffer from ADD and the need for immediate gratification may lose interest before they learn how incredible this game is. Great Review. I'm 100% in agreement .
You fellows are turning me into an impulse buyer... just purchased on the strength of your review (and 20% off), and I don’t even care for this period as much. Thanks for the great content, as always!
Your channel's review on Target For Today sold me on it. Have it in my collection since last week, waiting on a free afternoon to play. The YB-40 is my favorite variant of the Flying Fortress. Probably ordering Target For Tonight also due to your review.
They're both good fun, but play the one you have before you order the other, just to make sure you like the style. These narrative type solos aren't everyone's cup of tea.
@@ThePlayersAid Veteran of Queen of The Skies, kinda know what I'm getting. Also used to work at airshows, very familiar with the B-17 in real life.
Looking forward to your official review. I believe they had almost 8000 pre-orders on their site. I don't know if that counts pre-orders from stores.
Half way through, great discussion and description.
Only ever played this two-handed (either side the best I can at that moment) 3 or 4 times and loved it, a guilty pleasure for sure 😊
I've played 3 times and I love it. Better than TS.
Of all these style games this is one I could def. see dethroning as a fave.
Wow really?
Great video as always
Like every game these days, the best player aids are on BGG.
Do a play through.
Excellent review thanks
Favorite line - "this token says SSM... I mean WSS!"
Been waiting for this one from you guys :) I just punched out my copy last night, and had one looming question... what was the point of that GMT tray in there? it does not seem like there's a way to organize all those tokens into it. Especially as someone who hasn't played yet, I could see if there was any sensible way to use it for at least some of the tokens. If you guys have used it and don't mind sharing a social media picture of it, please do and let me know where to look for it.
So, Grant organized it before playing which we found out was sub-optimal (mixed the basic and bonus war tiles and some other bits and pieces). Of all the new games in 3 inch boxes GMT have released this is the one that hardly needed a tray. Also, the 4 bonus war-tile set are all functionally identical so if you don't mind anachronistic war resolution you can just ditch three quarters of them if you wee so inclined to free up more space in the tray. IF you do that you can fit everything in nicely with the flags in a baggie separately.
Check out the screenshots in this thread:boardgamegeek.com/thread/2457348/storage/page/2
@@kellyb2962 Ah, thank you! (and yikes!)
@@ThePlayersAid Thanks!
My suggestion is to only use the tray for the pieces that DO NOT go on the board during setup. Put all the set up pieces in a bag and there's plenty of room left in the tray.
thanks for the info and video....
Have you made more videos of this game? Keen to have a deeper review of it :)
Not yet, we're trying to find time to revisit but things are a bit crazy at the moment.
Is there a more recent video? After your initial thoughts? Keep up the great work guys👍
Not yet, no.
@@ThePlayersAid no worries. Two quick questions. Do you guys ship to Australia regarding your merch? need to add to my mug collection 😉 and The Road Chosen on Kickstarter, is that a game you guys are looking forward to?
I see Brotherhood & Unity in the background :) Future review content perhaps?
Yes. Unboxing in the next week or two and then we'll get it played.
Interesting review and looking forward to the follow ups.....I had almost decided against trying IS but your review has flipped me ....will be playing soon.
How does one contact The Players Aid via email?
Keep up the fine work
the players aid at g mail dot com is how you do it!
Does it improve the experience of the game if you know about the time period?
I don't think it matters that much. My knowledge of the period and conflicts is patchy, simply because the scope of the game is so broad. As such if you're a specialist in any of the wars and conflicts represented in the game you'll probably think it's reductionist, and having a working/deep knowledge of all aspects of the game is nigh impossible with how much time and geography it covers.
Comparing with other reviews, you have been more upbeat. It seems to have a better impact on players that like wargames (as it seems more complicated than TS). More than a sequal, isn’t this more like a wargamers version of TS?
Twilight Struggle is very well received because it's been around a long time and earned it's reputation and staying power. It also isn't an out right wargame (which turns the mainstream off I think), and the historical theme is excellent, but is also eclipsed by the excellent gameplay and tension. Basically, it has a much wider appeal, and frankly the modern board game market was much smaller in 2005 so it was easier to carve out a niche and stay there. Imperial Struggle will resonate more with wargamers to an extent, but I would say that's mostly due to theme including a more direct application of combat/war theatres, and the time period having far less appeal to the masses. IT is more complicated yes, which is a turn off for many people, for whom TS was theie most complex title. Wargamers have a penchant for very complex and detailed games so it's an easier demographic to sell to.
Either way, this game is excellent, and it's sad that many people won't play it because of the size, scope, and topic.
someone has a lot of games!
It’s extremely telling that not one person has made a play through video of this game without numerous errors. Comment sections are full of corrections. That is a huge problem and the number one reason I would not get this game, and I love twilight struggle. Even GMT’s own website refers you to a video for someone who can’t even play the game correctly . This game is so dry, my lips were cracking after trying to watch a half hour of mistake laden game play. Add this to a cluttered and confusing board that is visually uninteresting, terrible rulebook, huge amounts of errata, misprints, weak theme compared to TS, you have to wonder who the audience for this game actually is. If diehard wargamers can’t even play it correctly, who is this game for exactly? You will need two extremely dedicated and patient people to play and replay this game many times. I look forward to 2025 when somebody actually releases a gameplay video without errors. Maybe it will be you guys? Good luck!
shatnershairpiece what’s telling? It’s telling that maybe reviews should not be done after single plays. Dry? Opinion. Uninteresting board? Opinion. Terrible rule book? Opinion. Weak theme? Opinion. Huge amounts of errata? Two counters with clarified information, not broken. 5 cards with minor wording, 1 card with a BONUS removed. Several war dots missing on map, but correct on war card. Hardly huge. I’m a dumb Marine and playing it fine. You’re definitely not the audience sir.
This ladies and gentlemen is what is referred to as BIAS. One for the textbooks
Weak theme? That is in the eye of the beholder, for me it is a much more interesting theme than the cold war. But TS seems to be a much cleaner design.
Imperial Struggle Summed up why I don't like wargames - History isn't calculation - it's character totally - as Napoleon and Clint said -are you lucky? ( Punk) The Culture not the numbers . Square one .