Your objectiveness, candidness & overall honesty is greatly appreciated in this hobby where more and more skewed reviews are present. Your high integrity gentlemen is noted. TY!
There is no room for mediocrity in this hobby. Don't be shy of saying the game is not very good or average. We have abundance of choice, so why pick something that's not special or innovative in any way.
I'm really curious: have you guys played or heard of Jim Dunnigan's Minuteman: The Second American Revolution...? I've got lots of misgivings around 2040, but something I keep seeing around its interest is "oh well I'm intrigued by that theme" & I'm just wondering whether there's anything really awesome 2040 does with that theme that Dunnigan's Minuteman did not basically already do... (other than social media & being a CDG, given when Minutemen was published)
I've played it 4 times. The rule book isn't great, and the map isn't pretty. That aside, it's a very good CDG. Feels like Labyrinth or Twilight Struggle mechanically. The social media, news, and hacking elements are well integrated and good modeling of modern warfare elements. Labyrinth is my favorite game. This game isn't as good as that, but I've found that since it is a bit lighter and deals with relevant American topics, people are excited to play it.
@51:00 you mentioned that the federals are supposed to have six bases, but you only had three. My copy came with a clarification sheet saying there is only supposed to be three federal bases
This was the first I'd heard of this game. The title and box cover got me really excited! (imagining all this great chaotic, high tension theme and artwork etc), then I saw the board....
Great point by Alexander about having no connection because the theme's been stripped away. I'm still undecided on how I feel about that. I get the designer's attempt to strip it away and try to just focus a hypothetical strategy, but we just had an insurrection in the US a couple of years ago so it's hard to suspend that reality for a fictional vanilla version of events that could happen.
Oh FFS we did not. Cuba in the 50s had an insurrection. The Philippines had several insurrections. Iran had an insurrection in 1979. Russia had an insurrection in the 90s and again a few weeks ago. We did not have an insurrection.
@@patrickc.8676 in·sur·rec·tion - (noun) a violent uprising against an authority or government. The second impeachment of Trump literally charges him with "inciting an insurrection." It wasn't a successful one, but an attempt was made. "Oh FFS" indeed. Let me guess, you're one of those delusionals who calls them "tourists."
I love when you guys 'dare' to be negative.👍 To me that gives more tecture to your reviews, so it is less all 'good'. I really think the (bigger) publishers wouldn't mind the occasional negative review. I really hesitated to get this because I loved the theme, but I couldn't get past the very mediocre look. The fact that they watered the theme down is lame. We all know what they want to portray anyway. It will not be the 'liberal snowflakes' trying to secede, but the 'Don't-take-mah guns Trumpers' would. Just go all in with the theme, it is your unique selling point!
That makes sense that grant is a town manager. I work with town managers a lot (regional planner) and spend a lot of my time looking at maps and using them to think about systems.
Played for the first time tonight and had a great time. Very straightforward gameplay but tons of choices on strategy. This would be a great entry game for teaching asymmetric CDGs to newbies. Recommended!
It's strange that the rules say that there is a hard limit of 9 federal bases but there are only 3 base counters. I checked unboxing videos and there are only 3 counters that I saw. It also says there are "Wooden pieces for forces" on the Compass site and on BGG, which I didn't see. I ordered it anyway. I like the map ☺
The countersheets on the rear of the rules show both sides of the same countersheet/s. There are 3 federal bases, not 6. As pointed out in another comment the rules say there are 9 federal bases. There are only 3.
Great video - interesting game ! Looking forward to 2.nd edition with corrections(clear rulebbook, complete playeraid & extra stuff; - more dice , etc. ) P.S. Hopefully without gov-bias ;)
The FB algorithm sent me LGS advertisement for the game. I bought the game at my LGS and when the associate & I found it the associate kind of gasped at the title & said “Scary” at the mere site of the box cover. The creator might have felt he had to water it down partly because some game stores might not have bought it or sabotaged sales. If it’s the creators first board game then I’m willing to reward the effort. I’m more into RPGs and before buying it I had hoped it was an RPG.
Was looking to get this on the table this weekend. I saw some questions etc on BGG. The designer is quite active there. After watching this I think I’ll wait for official errata to gather all these things into one place. I agree the theme has been watered down but agree there are reasons why. I’m more annoyed that this seems like another half baked product that needed more development/editing.
Glad I missed this one. Because it was so watered down. I know how easily triggered some would be with some events etc. Plus it cant be solo'd. Thanks for being candid. Id love an unwatered version. Reckon I'll be waiting quite a while unless Volko wants to convince the maker.😂
I want to make a game similar to this, but hex and counter based. So, COIN+ actual armies. And yeah, it wont be watered down. Compass Games isn't going to touch it with a six foot poll.
@@GreatGardenGnome Oh, I only played around with it on the Vassal mod. Rules are out there on the net, though, along with Miranda's variants and analysis from Moves mag. So you have that option, at least.
Ahh! 😉 I once said the game Pandemic could never happen! Plus, I'll be 74 in 2040, I'll be in a wheelchair! ♿ I'm not even sure I'll make it to 2040! Oh, this game...I'm moving to Canada if it happens! But; if I have to move to Canada (🇨🇦), I'm not getting a bathroom like Dan has. I'll just get a regular bathroom. 😄
Is Alexander going for a "Fassbinder-in-Kamikaze 89" look with that leopard print shirt? He is right though, slapping things into a SF context allow more yet less engagement. 26:00 Grant is describing the Maoist model of rural-based insurgency (start in country, descend on cities). You could explore different strategies. Some new scenarios besides the basic two could excite interest, maybe some comments or guidelines on how to do this would have shone some light on the designer's thoughts. The one interesting thing about this game is the map design which differentiates cities, surrounding suburban zones, and lines of communication between them; quite different approach from the entirely hex-map of SPI's Minuteman: Second American Revolution and the all-areas of Joe Miranda's Crisis 2020. The game feels "COINy" because the idea started life as a variant of Andean Abyss. For more along these lines, see the Geeklist boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/310033/acw-round-2
I haven’t played it yet, but I like it. I have it on the table to play this weekend. I’m not sure why everyone hates the map. I would’ve probably picked different cities in some cases, but I like the map. The rules read like a COIN/Twilight Struggle cross. I read the description when first announced. I’m not sure how this was watered down. I don’t think making it playable from both sides is watering it down. I think he’s just trying to please both sides, or at least avoid accusations of bias.
The lack of grittiness and realism is something that was a real miss, from the look of it. An American civil war would be more like a Russian or Spanish civil war and would be very brutal. I guess they didn't want to make something that was too "edgy." Too close to home? Well, that should have been the point.
Your objectiveness, candidness & overall honesty is greatly appreciated in this hobby where more and more skewed reviews are present. Your high integrity gentlemen is noted. TY!
There is no room for mediocrity in this hobby. Don't be shy of saying the game is not very good or average. We have abundance of choice, so why pick something that's not special or innovative in any way.
I'm really curious: have you guys played or heard of Jim Dunnigan's Minuteman: The Second American Revolution...? I've got lots of misgivings around 2040, but something I keep seeing around its interest is "oh well I'm intrigued by that theme" & I'm just wondering whether there's anything really awesome 2040 does with that theme that Dunnigan's Minuteman did not basically already do... (other than social media & being a CDG, given when Minutemen was published)
I've played it 4 times. The rule book isn't great, and the map isn't pretty. That aside, it's a very good CDG. Feels like Labyrinth or Twilight Struggle mechanically. The social media, news, and hacking elements are well integrated and good modeling of modern warfare elements. Labyrinth is my favorite game. This game isn't as good as that, but I've found that since it is a bit lighter and deals with relevant American topics, people are excited to play it.
@51:00 you mentioned that the federals are supposed to have six bases, but you only had three. My copy came with a clarification sheet saying there is only supposed to be three federal bases
This was the first I'd heard of this game. The title and box cover got me really excited! (imagining all this great chaotic, high tension theme and artwork etc), then I saw the board....
Great point by Alexander about having no connection because the theme's been stripped away. I'm still undecided on how I feel about that. I get the designer's attempt to strip it away and try to just focus a hypothetical strategy, but we just had an insurrection in the US a couple of years ago so it's hard to suspend that reality for a fictional vanilla version of events that could happen.
Oh FFS we did not. Cuba in the 50s had an insurrection. The Philippines had several insurrections. Iran had an insurrection in 1979. Russia had an insurrection in the 90s and again a few weeks ago. We did not have an insurrection.
@@patrickc.8676
in·sur·rec·tion - (noun) a violent uprising against an authority or government.
The second impeachment of Trump literally charges him with "inciting an insurrection." It wasn't a successful one, but an attempt was made. "Oh FFS" indeed. Let me guess, you're one of those delusionals who calls them "tourists."
I love when you guys 'dare' to be negative.👍 To me that gives more tecture to your reviews, so it is less all 'good'. I really think the (bigger) publishers wouldn't mind the occasional negative review.
I really hesitated to get this because I loved the theme, but I couldn't get past the very mediocre look. The fact that they watered the theme down is lame. We all know what they want to portray anyway. It will not be the 'liberal snowflakes' trying to secede, but the 'Don't-take-mah guns Trumpers' would. Just go all in with the theme, it is your unique selling point!
That makes sense that grant is a town manager. I work with town managers a lot (regional planner) and spend a lot of my time looking at maps and using them to think about systems.
I am seriously considering buying this game simply because I would like to see some more games with this theme
Played for the first time tonight and had a great time. Very straightforward gameplay but tons of choices on strategy. This would be a great entry game for teaching asymmetric CDGs to newbies. Recommended!
It's strange that the rules say that there is a hard limit of 9 federal bases but there are only 3 base counters. I checked unboxing videos and there are only 3 counters that I saw. It also says there are "Wooden pieces for forces" on the Compass site and on BGG, which I didn't see. I ordered it anyway. I like the map ☺
The errata in the game corrects this to 3 bases.
The countersheets on the rear of the rules show both sides of the same countersheet/s. There are 3 federal bases, not 6. As pointed out in another comment the rules say there are 9 federal bases. There are only 3.
Great video - interesting game ! Looking forward to 2.nd edition with corrections(clear rulebbook, complete playeraid & extra stuff; - more dice , etc. ) P.S. Hopefully without gov-bias ;)
The FB algorithm sent me LGS advertisement for the game.
I bought the game at my LGS and when the associate & I found it the associate kind of gasped at the title & said “Scary” at the mere site of the box cover. The creator might have felt he had to water it down partly because some game stores might not have bought it or sabotaged sales.
If it’s the creators first board game then I’m willing to reward the effort. I’m more into RPGs and before buying it I had hoped it was an RPG.
Was looking to get this on the table this weekend. I saw some questions etc on BGG. The designer is quite active there. After watching this I think I’ll wait for official errata to gather all these things into one place. I agree the theme has been watered down but agree there are reasons why. I’m more annoyed that this seems like another half baked product that needed more development/editing.
Glad I missed this one. Because it was so watered down. I know how easily triggered some would be with some events etc. Plus it cant be solo'd.
Thanks for being candid.
Id love an unwatered version. Reckon I'll be waiting quite a while unless Volko wants to convince the maker.😂
I want to make a game similar to this, but hex and counter based. So, COIN+ actual armies. And yeah, it wont be watered down. Compass Games isn't going to touch it with a six foot poll.
Alexander rocking the Jaguars colors
Jags should have a good shot at division title this year. I wonder if Anthony Richardson will see playing time for the Colts and how he'll do.
Then there is the 1976 game from SPI called _Minuteman_ ...🤔🤔
I was wondering if there's similarities. Unfortunately copies of MM go for insane prices.
@@GreatGardenGnome Oh, I only played around with it on the Vassal mod. Rules are out there on the net, though, along with Miranda's variants and analysis from Moves mag. So you have that option, at least.
Ahh! 😉 I once said the game Pandemic could never happen! Plus, I'll be 74 in 2040, I'll be in a wheelchair! ♿ I'm not even sure I'll make it to 2040! Oh, this game...I'm moving to Canada if it happens! But; if I have to move to Canada (🇨🇦), I'm not getting a bathroom like Dan has. I'll just get a regular bathroom. 😄
Dan’s bathroom is my new twitter handle.
@@ThePlayersAid
#regularbathroom 🚽
You rang?!?
@@DansNewToilet Yeeeeeeaahhhhh!
@@DansNewToilet
Oh good heavens, Dan's toilet has come to life.
Thanks
Thank you for saving me some money. This looked really cool but after seeing this review I have to pass.
Is Alexander going for a "Fassbinder-in-Kamikaze 89" look with that leopard print shirt?
He is right though, slapping things into a SF context allow more yet less engagement.
26:00 Grant is describing the Maoist model of rural-based insurgency (start in country, descend on cities). You could explore different strategies. Some new scenarios besides the basic two could excite interest, maybe some comments or guidelines on how to do this would have shone some light on the designer's thoughts.
The one interesting thing about this game is the map design which differentiates cities, surrounding suburban zones, and lines of communication between them; quite different approach from the entirely hex-map of SPI's Minuteman: Second American Revolution and the all-areas of Joe Miranda's Crisis 2020.
The game feels "COINy" because the idea started life as a variant of Andean Abyss.
For more along these lines, see the Geeklist boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/310033/acw-round-2
They always trample on our rights :P
I haven’t played it yet, but I like it. I have it on the table to play this weekend. I’m not sure why everyone hates the map. I would’ve probably picked different cities in some cases, but I like the map. The rules read like a COIN/Twilight Struggle cross.
I read the description when first announced. I’m not sure how this was watered down. I don’t think making it playable from both sides is watering it down. I think he’s just trying to please both sides, or at least avoid accusations of bias.
Shame about the production, sounds like a really cool theme.
A "professor" creating an "insurrection" game in 2023... Yeah, no surprise it's milquetoast supreme. Hard pass.
The lack of grittiness and realism is something that was a real miss, from the look of it. An American civil war would be more like a Russian or Spanish civil war and would be very brutal. I guess they didn't want to make something that was too "edgy." Too close to home? Well, that should have been the point.