VivaJava & Compounded - print runs & gameplay curiosity

Other Games Dice Hate Me General Discussion
#1

I've really not looked into any of the DHMG games before, but there is obviously concerted enthusiasm that intrigues me.

In the merger announcement, a Compounded reprint was mentioned.  Is there also a current reprint planned for VivaJava: The Coffee Game?  Are there any rough ETAs that can be given for those (and any current-planned expansions like the Geiger expansion)?  My end goal would be to get Brew Crafters, VivaJava, Compounded, and all the current expansions for them in one order if possible.

The descriptions of VivaJava and Compounded both sound like resource management games with intra-player economy emphasized.  Is that about right?  Does anyone who's played them care to comment on the gameplay?

#2

When I first heard about Compounded when it was on Kickstarter, I was intrigued. Chemistry? Awesome! And then I saw the word "auction" and that put me right off.

It still looks great, but auctions are almost guaranteed to turn me off. Space, bluffing, sports I don't know the rules of, and cars are also on my turn-off list.

Superheroes has mostly been removed from that list now.

#3

I am so sorry Silverleaf, but the last SotM expansion will have auctions, space, bluffing, cars, and sports you don’t know the rules of.

#4

Did Nanuk not soften your opinion on bluffing just a little?

#5

I like bluffing for the most part, even though I am terrible at it. My favorite is Cash n Guns. That may be due to how funny it is

#6

Damn it!

#7

I like Nanuk despite the bluffing. I still don't like bluffing as a game mechanism, mostly because I'm rubbish at it and I feel a game should be testing something other than my rubbish social skills. I'm cool with poker because I can bluff by doing nothing, or showing my cards, or silently making a huge bid or whatever, but my verbal lying skills are very poor.

Similarly I'm not keen on social deduction games where I get accused and then have to argue that I'm not the werewolf or whatever. I suck at persuading people I'm not a werewolf, even if I'm not a werewolf.

#8

I'm in the same boat for the same reasons, but I'm okay with the idea of an auction - to me that's just a question of bidding resources for other resources and determining what you're willing to give up to get something you want.  I'm not necessarily good at it (I tend to fail badly at trading with other players in Settlers, for example) but I don't mind it in a game.  Continuing to use Settlers as an example, the portion of that game that I like the least is probably the randomness of the resource gathering based on dice rolls.  I'd prefer better guaranteed resource production that was more easily controlled by player choice to support trading with other players to cover gaps in production.

#9

@EdgeDS

We will be reprinting Viva Java! I'm not sure on the schedule of that yet - we'll make an announcement once we know. Compounded and Geiger are likely to be back in print in June or thereabouts, but the printer for those is pretty slow, so I'm not sure yet.

@Silverleaf

I have not read the KS description of Compounded, but I have played it a number of times and there isn't anything in it that resembles an "auction" in my mind. Here is roughly how it works:

1) Players take turns performing a set of actions. First, people randomly draw new elements, then they optionally trade elements, then they claim compounds, then they place the elements, then they score completed compounds.

2) Scoring compounds also lets players "level up" and/or gain various extra abilities.

3) After compounds are scored and removed, new compounds are added to the board, possibly triggering explosive lab fires.

4) Some large compounds are "shared" between two players and must be claimed by two players to score.

#10

Good to know (both responses), thanks!

#11
When I first heard about Compounded when it was on Kickstarter, I was intrigued. Chemistry? Awesome! And then I saw the word "auction" and that put me right off.

Auction? There is no auction in my game, I dislike auction mechanics. Seriously.

Hey, i'm the designer of Compounded and need to clarify there is nothing auction-like in the game at all. There is open-trading, but no auction. NO AUCTIONS.

Compounded is a game about building chemical compounds through careful management of elements, a fair bit of social play and trading, and just a bit of luck. In Compounded, players take on the roles of lab managers, hastily competing to complete the most compounds before they are completed by others – or destroyed in an explosion. Some compounds are flammable and will grow more and more volatile over time; take too long to gather the necessary elements for those compounds and a lot of hard work will soon be scattered across the lab.

Although Compounded does involve a fair share of press-your-luck tension and certainly some strategic planning, the most successful scientists will often be those who strike a good trade with their fellow lab mates. Players are able to freely trade elements, laboratory tools, and even favors – if there is truly honor among chemists!

#12

Compounded is currently at the printer now, and is expected to have the second edition back in stock mid-spring, in addition to the first expansion, Compounded: Geiger Expansion.

We are currently in talks now for a VivaJava reprint, and will announce that date when allowed to (will be 2015).  :wink:

#13

Excellent, thanks!

#14

Hi Darrell! Welcome to the forums and thanks for those answers. Hope to see more of you!

#15

Ah, my apologies Darrell.

Obviously I've completely misremembered. It was "trading" that put me off, not "auction".

Similar logic applies though - I'm no good at trading because I'm no good at persuading people into deals that are good for me, and no good at arguing my way out of a deal that is bad for me. Other players quickly realise that my negotiation skills are weak and take advantage of that, and I hate to be disadvantaged in a game because I suck at a specific social skill.

 

I double hate Settlers. If the dice screw me over I have nothing good to trade. Even if I do have something good to trade I'm bad at trading so either way I end up with few resources and my game grinds to a halt and I have to just do nothing on my turn and hope someone rolls "my" numbers so I can actually play.

#16

Do these compounds have super villains breaking out of them?

Can we rebrand this "Pike Industrial, the Game."?

I demand games with science and mutant villain monsters.

Although this game does sound really cool.

#17

Everything's better with checmicals.

#18

How about a crossover promotion where you get a pair of HUD goggles when you buy Compound.

And a Unity costume for your cat.

#19

Raptor Bot costume instead.

#20

I'll need to get a cat, but sure.