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Hobby Forum Index » Games - Board » [Review] The Pillars of the Earth: The Expansion Set...
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| Greg J. Schloesser... |
 Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 5:53 am |
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Design by: Michael Rieneck and Stefan Stadler
Published by: Kosmos & Mayfair Games
2 - 6 Players, 2 hours
Review by: Greg J. Schloesser
NOTE: I will assume a familiarity with the base game Pillars of the Earth.
This review will concentrate on the additions and modifications in the
Expansion Set.
I have a problem with games designed for a maximum of four players. It
seems that within our gaming group, we tend to have so many folks present
that it is difficult to get four-player games to the table. Five-or-six
player games get played far more often, so I am always on the lookout for
games that will fit that number. The problem is that there appears to be a
trend to release more and more four-player games, particularly those that
are on the heavier side of the strategy scale.
The Pillars of the Earth is one such game. Released in 2006, the game
became the top rated game at the big gaming trade show in Essen, and has
subsequently met with general approval from the gaming world. Indeed, it
has quickly risen into the Top 60 games as rated by gamers on the Boardgame
Geek website. I, too, am one of the game's fans, but have always lamented
that it can only accommodate four players.
At this past year's Spiel, I was happy to learn that an expansion for the
game had been released that would now allow the game to be played with up to
six players. Normally I avoid expansions, but several folks were singing
the praises of this one, so I eagerly awaited the English version. While I
do not share the same enthusiasm as several folks, and feel that playing
with five or six players adds too much time to the game's length, I do
appreciate the additions and choices made to the base game.
In addition to some new cards and extra components, the main addition in the
expansion is a new board, which adds five new locations where players can
place their master builders or workers:
a) Tax Collector: In addition to exempting the player from taxes, he
also collects the amount of the tax die roll.
b) Crusades: There are four locations whereupon players may place
workers to earn one or two victory points. The number of workers required
varies from three-to-seven.
c) France: The player receives the "Inspiration in St.-Denis" card.
This can be extremely beneficial, as it allows the player to use any one
craftsman owned by any player. The frequency he can be used is one less
than normal, but this gives the player the opportunity to use a benefit he
might not normally possess.
d) Coast: The player may sell resources at a more favorable rate than
available at the market.
e) Shiring: The player takes the available privilege card. These
cards grant a wide variety of abilities and privileges. Once acquired, the
cards usually can be held for future use, but some do require them to be
utilized immediately.
One of the main complaints against the base game was the random manner in
which master builders were selected for placement. While this method never
really bothered me, it was apparently enough of a concern that the designers
have introduced a method that somewhat mitigates some of the luck by
reversing the order of the placement of the master builders in the third
placement round. So, if a person was able to place his master builder first
in the initial placement round, he will place his final master builder last.
While this doesn't completely eliminate the randomness of the draw, it does
somewhat mitigate its effects. It would be a fine modification to the
original game even when playing without the expansion.
Normally, I tend to avoid expansions. I will usually play a new release
numerous times in a relatively short period of time. After that, the
frequency of play reduces dramatically. There are simply too many games
being released and already on my shelves, so I generally don't play any game
more than a few times a year. As a result, expansions to a game usually
hold little appeal. Indeed, I am predisposed to avoid them.
For the reasons stated earlier, however, I was interested in the Pillars
expansion, and for the most part, have been happy with it. The additional
placement locations provide players with more options and offer more
strategic considerations and possibilities, while the method of placing the
final master builders does help balance some of the luck. My main
complaint, however, is that an additional 45 minutes to an hour is added to
the game's length when playing with five or six players. Frankly, that's
just too much time. The game truly shines when it can be played in less
than two hours, which is possible with the base game. The additional time
required to play the expansion with more players is expected, but still
disappointing.
In spite of the extra time required, however, I am happy that the expansion
is available, as it now allows the game to be played by more than just four
players. The considerable amount of extra time it takes to do so is
disappointing, but ultimately worth it.
--
Greg J. Schloesser |
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| Michael Ward... |
| Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 8:58 pm |
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"Greg J. Schloesser" <gschloesser at (no spam) charter.net> wrote in message
news:1jnbk.2$N25.0 at (no spam) newsfe07.lga...
Quote: Design by: Michael Rieneck and Stefan Stadler
Published by: Kosmos & Mayfair Games
2 - 6 Players, 2 hours
Review by: Greg J. Schloesser
snipped the rest
I have gaming buddy that has it on order. Yet we normally only have three
players. Is the 5/6 player expansion usable when you have less than 5
players? And if so, will it work well with that number of players?
-
Michael Ward
Fort Worth Gamers |
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| Greg J. Schloesser... |
| Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 12:42 pm |
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Michael Ward" <mward258 at (no spam) charterNOSPAM.net> wrote in message
news:mzAbk.576$jv6.426 at (no spam) newsfe06.lga...
Quote: "Greg J. Schloesser" <gschloesser at (no spam) charter.net> wrote in message
news:1jnbk.2$N25.0 at (no spam) newsfe07.lga...
Design by: Michael Rieneck and Stefan Stadler
Published by: Kosmos & Mayfair Games
2 - 6 Players, 2 hours
Review by: Greg J. Schloesser
snipped the rest
I have gaming buddy that has it on order. Yet we normally only have three
players. Is the 5/6 player expansion usable when you have less than 5
players? And if so, will it work well with that number of players?
Yes, it is playable with 3 or 4 players. I have not played with 3 players,
but there are rules in the expansion that modifies the game somewhat for
this number.
--
Greg J. Schloesser
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| Mik Svellov... |
| Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 2:47 pm |
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"Michael Ward":
Quote: I have gaming buddy that has it on order. Yet we normally only have three
players. Is the 5/6 player expansion usable when you have less than 5
players? And if so, will it work well with that number of players?
The first time I played it was with 3 players - and I immediately decided
never to play the game again without the expansion!
Mik |
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