I just realized that the recommened ages on the OE box is 8+ and on the EE box 13+ (BGG says 8+).
1) Was this purposely changed? What was the reason?
2) How do you set the age for something like this. Do you just guess based on experience, or are the formulas based on language, cognitive functions, etc.?
is it because EE is intended to hold the first 3 expansionsas well, and they get quite a bit darker in tone?
Primarily because of Rook City, which was a far darker set than any of the others. Most folks I know dealing with younger kids skip Rook City for exactly that reason.
I think there is a review board Pydro that issues those ratings. I think there are fees associated with getting your game rated for a younger audience. I guess GtG didn't feel it was nessesary the second time around to spend that money for a game that already had a fan base.
For newer games, it makes a lot of business sense to spend money for that rating, since it will open up a wider initial demographic to get started.
I don't think the tone of Rook City would effect the rating of the EE. Different boxes and all. Would be rated separate anyway.
Never knew that. Thanks for the info.
That's what I think happens. I'm not 100% on that Pydro. Just for the record. At least that's how it works for safety ratings on games. They could be different processes. But you need to pay for the safety rating to get it below a certain age group, that much I know for sure.
I'll be talking to the >G folks here in a bit about it, so should have a post later today with the details on how the ages are decided...
If you could ask every question from the rules thread too while you're at it, that'd be greaaaaaaat. (My attempt at an office space impression)
And tell them we are being very patient waiting for the pre-order for Vengeance.
... and the playtesters, too.
Actually, if I recall correctly my conversations with Christopher about this, the age on the box is up to the company and the reason they chose their age is because there are some sort of restrictions based on games that are for younger ages, or at least some sort of expected liability. I am frustrated to not remember what those are.
I am nearly certain, however, that no one besides >G has a say in what age is on the box and that there wasn't anything about the tone of any of the expansions that affected the age they put on the box.
Oh, here's a guess: the Enhanced Edition has all those tokens, which could be a choking hazard. (But are choking hazards really a big deal at eight?)
Okay, here's the deal: If anything is labeled for younger than 13, it's classified as a toy (no matter what it actually is). If a thing is classified as a toy, it has to go through a specific set of testing that is both extensive and expensive.
So SotM is for ages 13+. 
(I.e., pretty much what Foote said. 
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As to all the other stuff, I don't have that list with me and don't have a way to go over it with them. I did ask about one thing I'll get posted in the appropriate place, though. (I asked about another but have already forgotten what it was - it's been a really long day… 
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