Firefly: The Game Review (Expansions Included!)

Hi all! Finally coming back with the review of Firefly: The Game, now that I've actually gotten to play it with all the current expansions available (promo material not included)!

Base Game

The base game does a lot right. The Firefly theme is felt in every element of the game, and there are a ton of references for fans of the show to enjoy. When you're working jobs and upgrading your ship, it can really feel like you're a ship captain working your way through the 'Verse. Especially when things go wrong -- Reavers, ship malfunctions, running out of fuel, and other unfortunate elements.
Every time you take an extended trip through the big black, you take the risk of random things happening. Sometimes their good... but that's pretty rare.

The Reavers aren't actually much of a threat in this version. There's one ship that may get moved around a couple spaces, but there's really only one card that forces them upon you and, even then, it's easy enough to prepare for. The Alliance Cruiser, being centrally located and opposed to some of the best characters in the game, poses much more of a threat... if you're not keeping things strictly on the up and up. And it's MUCH more lucrative to play on the other side of the law.

Other players... well, they really don't matter. Very minimal interactions, you're just hoping they don't accomplish the goals, which are variable based on the chosen setup card, before you. Even then... that can take PLENTY of time.

My first game was with two other players and we were at it for about six hours. And we really, really enjoyed it.

Breakin' Atmo'

This was just a booster pack of cards for the various decks, It added a couple of interesting items/characters, but didn't in any way impact game mechanics.

Pirates and Bounty Hunters

This was an awesome expansion!
-It added two new, very unique ships. They offer substantially different play styles than the Fireflys, and they play to different styles -- one a super fast ship with little storage place but offering plenty of opportunity for hunting the galaxy's most wanted or maybe even engaging in a bit of piracy. The other is a slow, lumbering cargo hauler that... well, is really damn awesome at hauling cargo.
-It also added bounties -- using the characters that already have Warrants on their cards, now they may randomly become open season for all aspiring bounty hunters. Some huge payoffs, but taking these bounties aren't always safe... especially if they're on another player's ship!
-Piracy added an element of PVP, and some more tension between players. Is he coming by because he needs to get some shopping done at the Space Bazaar, or does he have a mission that allows him to board my ship and steal my goods? ... Better mosey...
-The new items and characters were also solid additions.

For the new ships alone, this expansion was awesome -- now six players can traverse the 'verse at once... though this WILL create MUCH longer games. Strongly recommend ONLY playing this many with an experienced group. The PVP was a nice touch, too!

The slow cargo hauler.

Blue Sun

This expansions expands the board, adds a new shopping destination and two new contacts, AND makes the Reavers (which are now three in total!) MUCH more of a threat. Seriously, I got munched on twice, and didn't have time to collect the Mechanic/Pilot combo needed to get out of the way :/

No real new mechanics, other than those that relate to the Reavers, but the additional space, items, locations, and faces were very welcome. I'm really looking forward to seeing what they add next, considering they've already used a lot of fairly minor elements from the show and movie...

The new board and the Reaver threat!

On another note, the base box kind of sucks. Its beautiful, but it just doesn't keep things organized or have enough room for the expansions. I actually decided to do some crafting for the first time ever, and made a custom box insert. It... well, it's rough, and I miscalculated all of my measurements by a half centimeter, but it is currently functional, fits everything from all the expansions, and makes setup/clean up MUCH faster. Seeing a show version 1.1 is a little rough (1.0 already had to have a couple modifications), I'll be waiting for version 2.0 before I do a write about about customizing the box... but this has been a project I enjoyed doing and would really like to look into for my other games... and it may make for an interesting series of posts. More on this later!

P.S. If you're on Instagram, you can always follow my progress there! You'll also see images from our game sessions, pictures of the work I've been doing on the Nerd-Cave, and maybe some pictures of a really cute baby. Who knows.

5 Fixes for your Gundam Mania

Sometimes, I just get the urge to binge on things. As a nerd, this generally relates to periods of time where I binge on a certain title or genre.

This month's binge is brought to you buy giant mecha, specifically in the form of the Gundam franchise. Unfortunately for me, America doesn't love Gundam. Which means that Gundam rarely comes out to play and, instead, stays home, all the way in Japan. There have been countless games, books, and movies/shows that have never hit US shores... and it's pretty depressing.

In case you've got the same affliction I've got now, I'm going to share how I scratch that Gundam-mania itch, in 5 relatively easy steps!

1. Watch the Original Series

Ah, Mobile Suit Gundam. Dated visuals, inconsistent plot, and sometimes terrible writing. Old school anime at its best. But wait, there's more! The original series, as it aired, was truly a mess. The creator realized that and, for your benefit, reconstructed the series into three, feature length films. The art doesn't take any leaps forward, but the plot is restructured and improved, and certain story elements are made clearer. If you're really jonesing for Gunam, but not interested in the dozens of meh quality episodes, these three movies are just for you!

2. Play MS Saga: A New Dawn

MS Saga is a PS2 game. It is a JRPG with traditional, turn-based JRPG elements. The kicker is that your team takes giant mechs from many of the Gundam series into battle.

The story is rubbish. The character designs are the worst, and further dragged down by painful voice acting, and the mobile suits follow the SD (Super Deformed) style. That being said, the gameplay is respectfully challenging, the diversity in enemies is perfect, and it features great customization and collectible options. Every time you acquire a new mobile suit, it feels like Christmas (or whatever holiday you choose, I suppose, but it has to include getting awesome shit). You've never been so happy to see a Gouf in your life! And, when you finally get to see the Gundam in action, it will give you butterflies.

The traditional gameplay is actually a solid example of how RPGs can be turn-based and still awesome, too -- you can have up to six party members at a time, three active and three that can be swapped in on a whim. It gives you a lot of options on how to approach combat.

Customization example. Yes, you can also change part colors!

Despite all the negatives I mention, I give this game an 8/10 on the Arbitrary Scale. If you can, I'd also recommend emulating it -- I was MUCH happier being able to A) save anywhere and B) speed up the game at certain points.

3. Search #Gunpla on Instagram

After playing MS Saga, you'll think you've have seen a large variety of suits. Well, it's time to expand your mind. Bandai has been released Gunpla (Gundam Plastic Models), regardless if they match up with any ongoing show or not. What this means is that there are some truly awesome, never-before-seen models out there. And, since they're WAY too expensive a hobby for me to pursue, Instagram lets me enjoy the hard work of others (truly, the American Dream).

#Winning

When I need a quick fix, Instagram and Gunpla are where it's at. Unfortunately, this remedy has led to some additional side effects, such as seeing if Gunpla models are really THAT expensive, and how difficult could it be, putting them together...

4. Play Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front

Crap, gotta distract myself from Gunpla. Alright, back to the PS2, which is the definitive console for Gundam in the US. Zeonic Front is a third-person strategy/action game. You're playing as a Zeon soldier during the ground-wars of the One Year War. Before each mission, you equip your troops (up to three squads) and set the paths your squads should take on the battle map. This leads to a lot of different strategic options, and it's an awesome, realistic feeling mech sim in that regards.

Of course, that's not to say it doesn't have issues. Controls are not intuitive or responsive, combat is quick and usually dirty, and there are especially difficult/cheap missions (I'm looking at you, mission #6!).

This game gets a 7/10 for me. I really do love it, but it can frustrate the shit outta me.

5. Watch an Alternative Gundam series

The Gundam series has several universes. The original follows the UC timelines and is comprised of the main titles "Mobile Suit Gundam," "Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam," and "Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ." There are related side stories (0083: Stardust Memories has some awesome art, and bridges the gap between the original series and Zeta), and follow up movies, but I recommend jumping off the UC timeline for a bit.

Your Gundam Beat-'Em-Up Anime

I'm going to split this recommendation in twain, only because the correct 5th treatment is based on your preference:

If you enjoy a lot of action with relatively limited story (which can be refreshing after Mobile Suit Gundam), watch "Mobile Fighter G Gundam." This series is all about fist-fighting mechs that participate in an overly dramatic martial arts tournament. This may sounds kind of stupid, but it's actually pretty awesome, and it features the most unique mobile suits in the franchise (mostly because they don't all go pew pew, bang bang). The cast isn't large, so you're less likely to get annoyed by them (I personally find all the main protagonists from the UC timeline really, really annoying).

If you're looking for a deeper, character driven story, watch the always-classic "Mobile Suit Gundam Wing." You're not sure if the Gundam are the good guys or the bad guys, or even friends or enemies, but it makes for an awesome ride. Probably one of my favorite story-oriented shows in the franchise, and the suits are all iconic (it's amazing when you start picking them up in MS Saga).

Angst and Explosions, the Anime

Alright, those are my five steps. You can expand the first point, as I'm doing, by watching all of the UC timeline in order. I don't necessarily recommend that, but you could. And there are other (mostly PS2) Gundam video games, but the most common entry in that vein lately has been Dynasty Warriors Gundam *sigh*. Let me know if you find anything else that helps you with your Gundam Mania, because I'm afraid mine might flare up again...

New Chapter in The Nerd's Life

Turning a new page!

So, hey, yeah. I'm a dad! So I'll be a bit busy going forward. There are a couple of nerdy things coming up though, other than dressing my daughter up in Star Wars or Spider-Man print...

Instagraming my Comic Sets

I've been motivated lately to pull out my favorite comic sets and post them on Instagram. I don't use it that much, but I DO love going through my collection again. I'm "arbitrarynerd," and have posted some. But more coming soon (the boxes are damn heavy to get at from their current location.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Hey! This is coming out in October! By then, I might actually have time and/or money to play it! For now, playing through Origins again, and I can't wait -- it looks phenomenal.

... I think there's more I wanted to write, but I'm having a hard time remembering. I AM almost done with the second draft of my book... But I was pretty close the last time I mentioned, and am just going really slow.

Well, more soon. I'm trying to sneak out to Guardians of the Galaxy on Thursday, so I'll gave a review of that up soon -- I've got high expectations, which is bit concerning, but screw it; the movie looks awesome.