"Broken" is not "inadequate development", either - while I will never play Vox Populi again (due to woefully bad playtesting/tuning of the action cards), that doesn't mean the game is unplayable - it's just unbelievably irritating to play. (I feel the same way about the end game of Krieg und Frieden.)
So, with those two things out of the way, the question remains: what is a "fragile" game?
Since it's my blog, we'll go with my personal definition:
A fragile game is one that is highly susceptible to newbie and/or substandard play.
And with that description, I realize that my personal frustration with fragile games is in inverse proportion to their length and in direct proportion to their gamerly qualities. Which, in part, explains the picture of Modern Art included with this post...
Discussion & comments are (as always) welcome.
Never played Modern Art, but I own it and have read the rules. What makes it fragile?
ReplyDeleteNate:
ReplyDeleteIt's the poster child for fragile (IMHO) - a new and/or unskilled player can put auctions into motion or make extreme bids that essentially hand the game (unintentionally) to another player.
That doesn't make it a bad game... but it does make it a game that I pretty much refuse to play. (There's a difference - you can admire the beauty of a work without wanting to spend lots of time with it. From another medium, I can be in awe of the artistry of Bergman films without ever wanting to see them again.)
Totally agree. But fragile games can be some of the best games when played by expert players (Puerto Rico), and the only way to get better at a game is to be a noob at some point. :)
ReplyDeleteAh. But isn't that an inherit aspect of auction games? Is there an auction game that doesn't have that flaw?
ReplyDeleteCapAp (hi, John!):
ReplyDeleteTrue. Puerto Rico is helped by the relatively perfect information available (the only unknown element is which plantations will be available) which means new players can be assisted without disturbing the game system.
Maybe it's more of a "noobs play with noobs" thing. :-)
Nate: my English major kicks in - it's "inherent" and you're not wrong. I do think that Dream Factory/Traumfabrik has less of this problem than most auction games.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who didn't get to play as regularly as others, I found that once a game had been played out to a point where people took issue with playing with a "noob" then I just didn't play. Modern Art is a perfect example.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of fragile games, Panic Station comes to mind. It has lots of thematic problems, but it also walks this line of going along okay, but a slight breeze can make the gears start flying off.
ReplyDeleteMy summation of my review: "I don't like that we're going to have either a great, fun, paranoid romp, or a broken, aborted, frustrating slog--and to have that decided by one person's small, unknowing choice..."
I was warned off Panic Station for exactly the reasons you outline.
ReplyDeleteThis conversation continues over on Tuesday's post (My Fragile Apology) - http://akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2014/03/my-fragile-apology.html
ReplyDelete