The Stars are Right - Any Houserules?

laserdog · 10-09-2009, 09:52 AM

I saw The Stars are Right being demoed at PAX this year, and rather than wait for a demo station to free up I just purchased it on the spot.

After having played it a few times I have the nagging feeling like there is something mechanic missing... Seemed to be begging for a house rule but I just couldn't put my finger on it.

Has anyone come up with any?

The best I could come up with is the concept of "freezing" a sky square for a turn, it costs you any three of flip, swap or push moves to do. And prevents any changes to the positioning of that square until your next turn (represented by placing a token on it). And it can be removed by anyone expending a similar 3 moves.

I found it allowed more strategy in 4 player games, both offensive and defensive wise.

Although I think it might be interesting to try it with the rule that you can freeze, for free, any one square with the same "count as a sky symbol" as the invoked creature...

Hanuman47 · 10-12-2009, 09:23 AM

I forsee some logistic difficulties with the freeze rule. How do you handle pushes? If a star is frozen, does that mean that you can't push any row or column that it is in? That seems far too powerful to me. The only effect I can see of any kind of freezing rule is creating confusion and really slowing the game down (although, if you were going to use it, I like the idea of making it a bonus star discarded, perhaps in addition to or in lieu of a regular invocation). Your countering rule allowing unfreezing might also help with this.

I mentioned the one house rule my wife and I play with in the thread I started on this game. If you summon a greater or lesser servitor, you can also summon a minion (no second invocation, though, the stars have to be right for both summonings).

The problem with adding house rules to this game is that it's a quite simple, elegant game to begin with. I can see the strategic limitations, but tinkering with the rules does have the side effect of damaging that elegance. But different people value different things in a game.

laserdog · 10-26-2009, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanuman47

I forsee some logistic difficulties with the freeze rule. How do you handle pushes? If a star is frozen, does that mean that you can't push any row or column that it is in? That seems far too powerful to me.

Yes, it would stop pushes involving that square until your next turn.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanuman47

The only effect I can see of any kind of freezing rule is creating confusion and really slowing the game down (although, if you were going to use it, I like the idea of making it a bonus star discarded, perhaps in addition to or in lieu of a regular invocation). Your countering rule allowing unfreezing might also help with this.

My inspiration for it was two different people saying that, in four player games, the board gets so messed up that it becomes impossible to do any planning during other people's turn.

I myself have experienced this, and it is kind of a crappy feeling knowing you can't setup anything for next round, and feeling like you have no moves. So this was my attempt to address that, and hopefully make people feel like they did *something* this turn, and also that chaining board positions from turn to turn is possible (like it is in head's up play).

But I'm definitely open to other ideas.

Has anyone else felt this same way in big games?

Hanuman47 · 10-27-2009, 10:39 AM

I agree that lack of long term planning is a weakness of the game. However, I'm coming to believe that perhaps that's not the point. I think the game is more about keeping your eyes open for opportunities as they arise. Most of the time, observant players should be able to summon something on their turns, even if it's just a minion or lesser servitor.

In short, if you're looking for a game that involves strategy that develops over many turns, I think you're looking in the wrong place. But if you shift your thinking to viewing it as an ever-changing puzzle, with new opportunities and challenges every turn, it can still be an enjoyable game.

Aleph · 10-28-2009, 11:18 AM

Hanuman, I think you're on the right track. The way I approach it in the early game is to be flexible and look for opportunities. I think that it's more important early on to have a goal of building a good toolkit of moves that you can use and chain together. Then, once you can pull off several changes on the board in a single turn, you can start planning on specific cards. I don't even pay attention to the Great Old Ones cards until the last half or later of the game, and sometimes don't use them at all.

~~Solelron~~ · 10-29-2009, 07:03 AM

you both have it dead on. My wife is a great puzzle and eyesight person, but I have learned that if I look for the opps, they will pop up. Take the lesser serves, use their powers..eventually it doesn't matter what your opponents do. When you can turn 1 flip into 2 flips into 3 flips into 2 flips and a push into 2 flips and 2 pushes info 2 flips, 3 pushes and finally into 2 flips, 2 pushes, and 1 swap (or any number of combinations) you can pretty much put the board back where you want it. Add in a tindaloo to be able to swap lesser serves so you can get the right bonus stars and you can rule the skies.

10-09-2009, 09:52 AM	#1
laserdog Join Date: Sep 2004	The Stars are Right - Any Houserules? I saw The Stars are Right being demoed at PAX this year, and rather than wait for a demo station to free up I just purchased it on the spot. After having played it a few times I have the nagging feeling like there is something mechanic missing... Seemed to be begging for a house rule but I just couldn't put my finger on it. Has anyone come up with any? The best I could come up with is the concept of "freezing" a sky square for a turn, it costs you any three of flip, swap or push moves to do. And prevents any changes to the positioning of that square until your next turn (represented by placing a token on it). And it can be removed by anyone expending a similar 3 moves. I found it allowed more strategy in 4 player games, both offensive and defensive wise. Although I think it might be interesting to try it with the rule that you can freeze, for free, any one square with the same "count as a sky symbol" as the invoked creature... __________________ Author of: Innate Attack Calculator Spaceships Cost Calculator DF Loot Generator

10-12-2009, 09:23 AM	#2
Hanuman47 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Midwest US	Re: The Stars are Right - Any Houserules? I forsee some logistic difficulties with the freeze rule. How do you handle pushes? If a star is frozen, does that mean that you can't push any row or column that it is in? That seems far too powerful to me. The only effect I can see of any kind of freezing rule is creating confusion and really slowing the game down (although, if you were going to use it, I like the idea of making it a bonus star discarded, perhaps in addition to or in lieu of a regular invocation). Your countering rule allowing unfreezing might also help with this. I mentioned the one house rule my wife and I play with in the thread I started on this game. If you summon a greater or lesser servitor, you can also summon a minion (no second invocation, though, the stars have to be right for both summonings). The problem with adding house rules to this game is that it's a quite simple, elegant game to begin with. I can see the strategic limitations, but tinkering with the rules does have the side effect of damaging that elegance. But different people value different things in a game. __________________ Hanuman47

10-27-2009, 10:39 AM	#4
Hanuman47 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Midwest US	Re: The Stars are Right - Any Houserules? I agree that lack of long term planning is a weakness of the game. However, I'm coming to believe that perhaps that's not the point. I think the game is more about keeping your eyes open for opportunities as they arise. Most of the time, observant players should be able to summon something on their turns, even if it's just a minion or lesser servitor. In short, if you're looking for a game that involves strategy that develops over many turns, I think you're looking in the wrong place. But if you shift your thinking to viewing it as an ever-changing puzzle, with new opportunities and challenges every turn, it can still be an enjoyable game. __________________ Hanuman47

10-28-2009, 11:18 AM	#5
Aleph Administrator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: The Central Network	Re: The Stars are Right - Any Houserules? Hanuman, I think you're on the right track. The way I approach it in the early game is to be flexible and look for opportunities. I think that it's more important early on to have a goal of building a good toolkit of moves that you can use and chain together. Then, once you can pull off several changes on the board in a single turn, you can start planning on specific cards. I don't even pay attention to the Great Old Ones cards until the last half or later of the game, and sometimes don't use them at all.

10-29-2009, 07:03 AM	#6
~~Solelron~~ Banned Join Date: Jun 2007	Re: The Stars are Right - Any Houserules? you both have it dead on. My wife is a great puzzle and eyesight person, but I have learned that if I look for the opps, they will pop up. Take the lesser serves, use their powers..eventually it doesn't matter what your opponents do. When you can turn 1 flip into 2 flips into 3 flips into 2 flips and a push into 2 flips and 2 pushes info 2 flips, 3 pushes and finally into 2 flips, 2 pushes, and 1 swap (or any number of combinations) you can pretty much put the board back where you want it. Add in a tindaloo to be able to swap lesser serves so you can get the right bonus stars and you can rule the skies.