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Old 07-03-2010, 11:06 AM   #1
abhorsen950
 
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Default Much Hate For Munchkin?

Its the one card/boardgame thats always took my interest the munchkin game, very basic very funny takes a stab at fantasy in general along with D&D. Now I thought ide get into this boardgaming hobby, cardgaming hobby what ever you wanna call it. Im interested I signed up over on Board Game Geek and the two games I wanna play and there the only two is Carcassonne and Munchkin. All I got was hate towards Munchkin so can somebody give me some good points about munchkin? Im sick of hearing the bad ones.

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Old 07-03-2010, 05:16 PM   #2
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Default Re: Much Hate For Munchkin?

I mean, I guess if people like their gaming serious and free of humor I can see why they wouldn't want to play Munchkin. Or if they cannot enjoy a game without spending a lot of money on it and/or dressing up in some tights (though you can certainly have a good time playing Munchkin while wearing tights).

I enjoy it because of the humor, the flexibility to use cards in different and creative ways, the back and forth that comes with making and breaking deals and messing with other people, the fact that the game really isn't over until its over as the mighty can quickly have their legs cut out, but most of all, I love that its easy to pick up and learn, even for non-gamers. All you need is the core set, which is hardly expensive, to have a good time. If you want expansions, grab them, but they aren't essential, just a bonus if you dig the game.

Remember, haters hate... cards don't lie.
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Old 07-03-2010, 06:58 PM   #3
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Default Re: Much Hate For Munchkin?

I find that the only people who hate Munchkin are the people who don't get the humor. These are mainly people who have never played a pencil and paper rpg in their lives or those with little imagination. If you can't imagine yourself and some friends all decked out in some medieval garb, kung fu gi, tights and a cape, sci fi getup, etc.. and doing everything possible to make sure that you're the one that comes out of your adventure with the most shiny objects, then this game usually doesn't grab your interest.

The great thing about it is that all you need is one deck of cards (depending on how many expansions you mix n match the deck can be... erm, big, but it doesn't need to be) and a six-sided dice to play. You don't need a group of people all with their own decks to play. No box full of pieces to carry around and lose. Not terribly hard to learn if you understand the premise the game is built on. Encourages alot of interaction between the players.
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Old 07-03-2010, 09:37 PM   #4
Andrew Hackard
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Default Re: Much Hate For Munchkin?

People who don't like Munchkin (or any other game) are entitled to their opinions, and they don't owe anyone an explanation for them, either. I think arguing about them is a waste of time: de gustibus non disputandum est.

If, however, they misstate facts about the game, those DO need to be corrected, because we don't want people coming to a judgment about Munchkin (or, again, any other game) based on incorrect or misleading information. Factual corrections should be, as much as possible, dispassionate -- links to correct information, where available, are always appreciated.
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Old 07-04-2010, 03:09 AM   #5
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Default Re: Much Hate For Munchkin?

People on the Geek can tend to be sorta elitist about games. People there tear apart great games every single day, don't let it get to you.

I think that Munchkin is a lot like Napolean Dynamite or Ronald Reagan, its one of those things that people love or hate with really no neutral middle ground to speak of. It's just the way it goes. You either get it or you don't.

Also I think most Munchkin players come from a RPG background and not a board gaming one. That might explain why it isn't popular on a board gaming site. Munchkin and its themed variants are lampooning various aspects of RPG/fandom culture and not board gaming culture. The jokes just aren't really meant for a lot of the userbase of the Geek.
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Old 07-04-2010, 03:58 AM   #6
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Default Re: Much Hate For Munchkin?

You have to realize the more vocal members of the Geek are people who play a certain style of game where, generally speaking, the players all play until the end with the goal of gaining the most points with less randomization (ie dice rolling), heavier strategy, and less "take that" gameplay than most people are used to.

If you look more closely at the ratings (for what they're worth), you find that Munchkin doesn't really fare that badly (6/10 which isn't super, but is above a 5), but since it is a style of gameplay that doesn't appeal to the more vocal posters, you find fewer supporters when you make a thread.

Usually, a better option than to ask the more vocal posters about games that don't appeal to them is to look into the games you are interested in and to view user comments where people do min-reviews. Advising you to read through both the top as well as bottom rating comments, you will find more insight why people rate things there, such as the comments thread for Munchkin itself: http://boardgamegeek.com/collection/...1927?comment=1
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Old 07-04-2010, 11:30 AM   #7
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Default Re: Much Hate For Munchkin?

Quote:
Originally Posted by abhorsen950 View Post
All I got was hate towards Munchkin so can somebody give me some good points about munchkin? Im sick of hearing the bad ones.
Sure!

1. Munchkin is hilarious if you've ever done any roleplaying, and it's pretty darn funny even if you haven't. The humor is integral to the game, which means that playability never gets sacrificed for the joke -- because it doesn't have to.

2. Munchkin has "just the right" amount of complexity, in my opinion, and in the opinion of many, many other gamers. It has enough randomness to make it fun for casual players, but there are plenty tactical decision at every step of the game, to ensure that your success or failure is essentially in your hands.

3. Munchkin is a very social game. It has tons of cards designed to be used on other players. It encourages alliances, if only temporary ones -- in part because you often have to ask for another player's help to beat a monster. The rules for trading and charity emphasize this even more. Munchkin is all about table interaction, which is one of the reasons people have so much fun playing it.

4. Munchkin's rules are nice and portable. Once you've learned one "flavor," you can pick up any other flavor and start playing after only 30 seconds of reading the rules (to find the one or two new things, specific to this game). And there's a Munchkin for just about anything you're into. Fantasy? Sci-fi? Kung fu ninjas? Pirates? Spies? It's all there.

Hope this helps!

(And BTW, Carcasonne is an excellent game as well -- I highly recommend it. And if you haven't also gotten into Settlers of Catan, it's a must-buy as well. But I'm sure you already heard that on the Geek.)
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Old 07-04-2010, 03:28 PM   #8
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Default Re: Much Hate For Munchkin?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty View Post
(And BTW, Carcasonne is an excellent game as well -- I highly recommend it. And if you haven't also gotten into Settlers of Catan, it's a must-buy as well. But I'm sure you already heard that on the Geek.)
Hate hate hate them both. Too many fiddly bits, not NEARLY enough fun.

Which just goes to prove my prior point -- taste is individual and subjective.
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Old 07-05-2010, 06:45 PM   #9
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Default Re: Much Hate For Munchkin?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew Hackard View Post
Too many fiddly bits, not NEARLY enough fun.
I'm curious, what do you mean by fiddly bits? Literal tiny game pieces or metaphorical tiny rule exemptions? Either way it seems to me that both those games have less "fiddly bits" than MQ, Revolution, Ogre (in any form), AGTFOS, Illuminati, or really any SJGames boardgame (which isn't IMO a bad thing, I like fiddly bits). It just seems odd that you'd say that, I find that one of the defining characteristics of so-called "German-Style" games is less fiddly bits than American boardgames. As you said: de gustibus non disputandum est.
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Old 07-05-2010, 08:26 PM   #10
Andrew Hackard
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Default Re: Much Hate For Munchkin?

Quote:
Originally Posted by sir_pudding View Post
I'm curious, what do you mean by fiddly bits? Literal tiny game pieces or metaphorical tiny rule exemptions?
I meant little tiny game pieces, but either one works.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sir_pudding View Post
Either way it seems to me that both those games have less "fiddly bits" than MQ, Revolution, Ogre (in any form), AGTFOS, Illuminati, or really any SJGames boardgame (which isn't IMO a bad thing, I like fiddly bits).
All I can report is my feeling that Catan and Carcass One didn't have ANY replay value for me. I was bored pretty much from the start when I played both of them, in a way that I wasn't when I played Revolution or MQ.

I do admit, though, that there are plenty of games that blow ALL of these out of the water in the fiddly bit sweepstakes. (Arkham, I'm looking at you...)
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