Just wanted to let you know I got my game in, and I did a test using the Action cards for infection, green good/red bad. What I did was every time there was an encounter I gave each character 1 card, thereby possible increasing their chance of infection. It worked really great, somehow only 1 was infected at the end, even though some had 3 extra cards assigned to them. It made the game little more like the multiplayer games where you really don't want two people together to increase their chance of infection. I wonder why the designers didn't think of it, its better than the suspicion method and the cards are there in the game. As for the die, I plan on making the sabotage happen for a test, and the alien counter will be either another card given or suspicion movement, with weapons countering the Alien encounter die roll and tool kit countering sabotage?
That extra role card draw for encounters sounds pretty good. I remember reading a similar variant idea on BGG and thought I might try it out sometime. You might look there for someone else's similar take on it. Also, maybe the forced alien move on alien dice results wouldn't be as powerful as I thought. I was thinking more about it, and if I remember correctly, only one die face has that result.
@@OldManYellingAtCardboard Well I have been play testing a bit and found the suspicion counter isn't needed at all if you use the card method. What I did was if you roll an alien encounter you have to draw an infection card, the amount of cards a character has is enough for suspicion testing. The more cards, greater chance of infection. I also made the sabotage die roll to effect the room or action just like the base game, unless you have a guy in the dormitory or Garry's re-roll. I am still testing, thinking of doing only 1 bad result counts, so if you roll 2 alien encounters you only draw 1 card, if you have 1 alien and 1 sabotage, the alien is chosen over the Sabotage. This way the negative die roll is not too overpowering, but I did play with all rolls counting and I won the game, so it may be fine. I have to tell you, waiting to flip each of the cards when testing is similar to the multi-player game, you really are holding your breath. Removing the Suspicion counter is just one less thing to remember to do which is nice. I am now wondering if 3 dice are good or maybe it should be 2? This still allows for the lack of food penalty, but also lessens the chance of bad results. I always wondered if multiple dice and card draw are more a hindrance than a benefit? I read about the Dormitory being a cheat place to hide from the alien, I came up with a simple solution, the Kennel card can be used for both the Dormitory or the kennel for the alien phase "if" there is someone in the dormitory, of course Kennel comes first if there is a Dog in there. Let me know if you give the card method a try, it works and imo better than the suspicion tract method they used.
I don't know if rolling 2 dice instead of 3 really matters. That's why I never bothered with sending someone to the kitchen in my solo games. I'm kind of thinking a deep understanding of stats isn't the designers' strong points. Because there's also the sabotage element of removing blood bags from the bags (that's not going to matter). And discarding the top action card after using a flamethrower (could be wrong, but don't think that's ultimately going to matter either). Solo dormitory rules say only one person can go in there during a turn, so 1-3 player rules don't really allow going there to hide, except for one person, which isn't bad. If I play this solo again, I'll probably try some version of the card method.
@@OldManYellingAtCardboard I agree on the dice, I was wondering why 3? I guess they figured more chances to get a use or repair, but in the multi game there is one card used. The only reason for me to use 2 dice would be to have the kitchen penalty take effect reducing the die. I was also thinking of have the 3 card rule apply as so, Mac draws 2 cards normal, if he doesn't like what he sees he draws one more. Mainly because it seems 3 card draw is actually a penalty if you get 2 guns and flame. lol On the Sabotage, what seemed to work is if drawing cards and you draw a sabotage you get only 1 card instead of 2, if with repair the same thing if you have 2 you get 1 and if 1 you get none. I did want to ask you a question about the rules since you know them pretty good. When an alien sabotages a location like the boiler room and there is fuel in the slots, does it damage just the boiler or does it remove the fuel first before the actual damage? Because if an alien got in the boiler room and just damaged it, its gone and you freeze? I always figured damage was the fuel included as sabotage. P.S. You are really going to like the card method, if you dump the suspicion movement and just do the cards I would love to see your solo play and with 8 players!
@@OldManYellingAtCardboard A modification of the Dice I was thinking of what having multiple dice based on how many people in the room, since there are 3 dice and only 3 people can be in a room that would make more sense, then when you run out of food, you can only draw 1 card for weapon/items and use 1 die no matter how many people in the room, You would still have the special attributes like drawing an extra card or a re-roll of the die. It would make the food more important as you would only be able to draw 1 card and use 1 die.
I thought you cannot do cooperative twice in the same turn? You can do it with the first character, but then the other 2 in the radio room could only get 1 for each of them?
@@OldManYellingAtCardboard Good to know, the rules are all over the place, I have been looking at player made versions that are a little clearer, but some things are still missing. Did you think of trying to do a solo game with 8 characters instead of 6? I was trying to think of ways to make the game a little more challenging. Like the Alien advance dice to not be resolved, so instead the alien moves down toward the characters. This could speed the possibility of more infection? P.S. Thank you for uploading, it is nice to watch others play, it makes learning the game easier.
@@Firefly-101 If I do another solo play, I'd definitely want to try something to make it harder. Not being able to negate alien advance dice rolls sounds interesting, but also totally brutal. I may have to try that. I'd not considered 8 characters.
@@OldManYellingAtCardboard One way to make it less brutal is to have the alien go back to the 6 player location after assimilation? Or to play the Alien on 8 player location giving a couple spaces further away. I also thought of using 8 characters and then add more role cards so you have 8 human and 4 alien, thereby giving a 30% chance of infection for the start of the game. Another idea was to make more role cards for encounters with 2 people in the same room. You draw a card for each player, unless they have a gun and add to the player. So a character could have multiple cards increasing his chance of infection when tested? I think this mimics the 4-8 player version more, I figure why they didn't do this was the cost of adding more cards for the 1-3 player version. I was thinking of using some regular cards and marking an X on some of them for a test to see what happens. Those are the two main ways I was thinking of making the 1-3 more challenging but still balanced, I also was thinking maybe only the pilot should be able to fly the helicopter so if they are infected you have to find another escape, and maybe make Garry or one of the mechanics being able to drive the snow cat? Makes no sense that anyone can fly the helicopter, and I cannot imagine Fuchs or Norris driving the snow cat. I look forward to seeing what you plan on uploading with changes.
Just wanted to let you know I got my game in, and I did a test using the Action cards for infection, green good/red bad. What I did was every time there was an encounter I gave each character 1 card, thereby possible increasing their chance of infection. It worked really great, somehow only 1 was infected at the end, even though some had 3 extra cards assigned to them. It made the game little more like the multiplayer games where you really don't want two people together to increase their chance of infection. I wonder why the designers didn't think of it, its better than the suspicion method and the cards are there in the game. As for the die, I plan on making the sabotage happen for a test, and the alien counter will be either another card given or suspicion movement, with weapons countering the Alien encounter die roll and tool kit countering sabotage?
That extra role card draw for encounters sounds pretty good. I remember reading a similar variant idea on BGG and thought I might try it out sometime. You might look there for someone else's similar take on it. Also, maybe the forced alien move on alien dice results wouldn't be as powerful as I thought. I was thinking more about it, and if I remember correctly, only one die face has that result.
@@OldManYellingAtCardboard Well I have been play testing a bit and found the suspicion counter isn't needed at all if you use the card method. What I did was if you roll an alien encounter you have to draw an infection card, the amount of cards a character has is enough for suspicion testing. The more cards, greater chance of infection. I also made the sabotage die roll to effect the room or action just like the base game, unless you have a guy in the dormitory or Garry's re-roll.
I am still testing, thinking of doing only 1 bad result counts, so if you roll 2 alien encounters you only draw 1 card, if you have 1 alien and 1 sabotage, the alien is chosen over the Sabotage. This way the negative die roll is not too overpowering, but I did play with all rolls counting and I won the game, so it may be fine.
I have to tell you, waiting to flip each of the cards when testing is similar to the multi-player game, you really are holding your breath. Removing the Suspicion counter is just one less thing to remember to do which is nice. I am now wondering if 3 dice are good or maybe it should be 2? This still allows for the lack of food penalty, but also lessens the chance of bad results. I always wondered if multiple dice and card draw are more a hindrance than a benefit?
I read about the Dormitory being a cheat place to hide from the alien, I came up with a simple solution, the Kennel card can be used for both the Dormitory or the kennel for the alien phase "if" there is someone in the dormitory, of course Kennel comes first if there is a Dog in there.
Let me know if you give the card method a try, it works and imo better than the suspicion tract method they used.
I don't know if rolling 2 dice instead of 3 really matters. That's why I never bothered with sending someone to the kitchen in my solo games. I'm kind of thinking a deep understanding of stats isn't the designers' strong points. Because there's also the sabotage element of removing blood bags from the bags (that's not going to matter). And discarding the top action card after using a flamethrower (could be wrong, but don't think that's ultimately going to matter either).
Solo dormitory rules say only one person can go in there during a turn, so 1-3 player rules don't really allow going there to hide, except for one person, which isn't bad.
If I play this solo again, I'll probably try some version of the card method.
@@OldManYellingAtCardboard I agree on the dice, I was wondering why 3? I guess they figured more chances to get a use or repair, but in the multi game there is one card used. The only reason for me to use 2 dice would be to have the kitchen penalty take effect reducing the die. I was also thinking of have the 3 card rule apply as so, Mac draws 2 cards normal, if he doesn't like what he sees he draws one more. Mainly because it seems 3 card draw is actually a penalty if you get 2 guns and flame. lol
On the Sabotage, what seemed to work is if drawing cards and you draw a sabotage you get only 1 card instead of 2, if with repair the same thing if you have 2 you get 1 and if 1 you get none.
I did want to ask you a question about the rules since you know them pretty good. When an alien sabotages a location like the boiler room and there is fuel in the slots, does it damage just the boiler or does it remove the fuel first before the actual damage? Because if an alien got in the boiler room and just damaged it, its gone and you freeze? I always figured damage was the fuel included as sabotage.
P.S. You are really going to like the card method, if you dump the suspicion movement and just do the cards I would love to see your solo play and with 8 players!
@@OldManYellingAtCardboard A modification of the Dice I was thinking of what having multiple dice based on how many people in the room, since there are 3 dice and only 3 people can be in a room that would make more sense, then when you run out of food, you can only draw 1 card for weapon/items and use 1 die no matter how many people in the room, You would still have the special attributes like drawing an extra card or a re-roll of the die. It would make the food more important as you would only be able to draw 1 card and use 1 die.
I thought you cannot do cooperative twice in the same turn? You can do it with the first character, but then the other 2 in the radio room could only get 1 for each of them?
Page 11 of the downloadable rules has an example of 3 characters doing 2 coop bonus actions.
@@OldManYellingAtCardboard Good to know, the rules are all over the place, I have been looking at player made versions that are a little clearer, but some things are still missing.
Did you think of trying to do a solo game with 8 characters instead of 6?
I was trying to think of ways to make the game a little more challenging. Like the Alien advance dice to not be resolved, so instead the alien moves down toward the characters. This could speed the possibility of more infection?
P.S. Thank you for uploading, it is nice to watch others play, it makes learning the game easier.
@@Firefly-101 If I do another solo play, I'd definitely want to try something to make it harder. Not being able to negate alien advance dice rolls sounds interesting, but also totally brutal. I may have to try that. I'd not considered 8 characters.
@@OldManYellingAtCardboard One way to make it less brutal is to have the alien go back to the 6 player location after assimilation? Or to play the Alien on 8 player location giving a couple spaces further away.
I also thought of using 8 characters and then add more role cards so you have 8 human and 4 alien, thereby giving a 30% chance of infection for the start of the game.
Another idea was to make more role cards for encounters with 2 people in the same room. You draw a card for each player, unless they have a gun and add to the player. So a character could have multiple cards increasing his chance of infection when tested? I think this mimics the 4-8 player version more, I figure why they didn't do this was the cost of adding more cards for the 1-3 player version. I was thinking of using some regular cards and marking an X on some of them for a test to see what happens.
Those are the two main ways I was thinking of making the 1-3 more challenging but still balanced,
I also was thinking maybe only the pilot should be able to fly the helicopter so if they are infected you have to find another escape, and maybe make Garry or one of the mechanics being able to drive the snow cat? Makes no sense that anyone can fly the helicopter, and I cannot imagine Fuchs or Norris driving the snow cat.
I look forward to seeing what you plan on uploading with changes.