33, 27, 16 :: blue, orange, red
we are blue.
result: very unlikely win. an excellent example of the genius of game design. without anything much i started the game and the middle-ages brought nothing much, opening up spaces with the poorest of numbers, like 2,3,4 and 10.
did not buy many development cards, one early in the game, which turned out to be a victory card. the probability of a victory card coming to you is directly proportional to your need for a ritter.
played by entirely by the textbook, assisted by two monopol cards, didnt use either at the appropriate time, set the steady pace for progress.
both the opponents wasted roads on both their settlements' expansion. we have seen ravi, that the roads are crucial to winning a fifteen pointer. i just had to lengthen my road to the maximum (15) and it was a guarantee that the two points were mine.
as you can see, no brick industries were in my domain, just exchanging wood for brick after realizing the fact which was in my favor.
unnamed player jumps to 45.
Geoffrey, you have been traditionally strong with Forest Escape, so I am glad that you were victorious with a heavy margin.
ReplyDeleteI think the key point for 15 pointer games is one cannot focus on ONLY one thing to win the game. One needs long roads, cities as quick you can, the TRICK is how well you prioritize it.
Secondly, it is a game where EMOTIONS can take over you where it's fun to keep on exploring unknown territories which will use up your ROADS and cards, but the first reasonable good uncovered territory, BUILD a house, and UPGRADE as quick as you can - STICK to the basics, and you shall emerge as a clear winner.
MONOPOLs are a big plus in this map, in particular. Brings you WOOD in a jiffy and that can put you in a way strong position.
Keep the great run going, Geofrey.
rightly said ravi, one has to prioritize things in forest escape and monopols many times can change results.
ReplyDeletethats it from the presentation area, over to you now harsha.
I totally agree with you (for once) Ravi and Geoff, forest escape can offer a temptation of exploring newer territories. On the flip side of your reasoning, exploration can lead to a better combination of numbers to build your settlement on. The key in my opinion is to know when to stop and consolidate on whatever numbers you have uncovered, taking into account diversity of resources too.
ReplyDeleteForest escape remains one of my personal favourites with extreme outcomes - bad losses or big wins!
Signing off, Harsha