Golden Seas Playtest Game #8
2/2/2024: Dutch vs. English
This was the eighth in a series of playtesting games for the new set, Pirates of the Golden Seas. Some game pieces back then were different, and have undergone revisions since then. We also used the Restarting Rules, though they were also in a somewhat different form back then – the earliest form of that alternate ruleset was finished in July 2021, but the “final” version released with the set in August 2024 more closely resembles the original rules (various rule changes were taken back out, such as the elimination of ram damage). We used the Points in Play + Gold win condition, with gold values to match (all coin values multiplied by 4). 60 point fleets with 60 gold contributed per player for 240 “total points” available at the start of the game. We also used an additional house rule with 30 minutes per player via a timer.
Dutch: (A7XfanBen)
Van Der Decken + Captain Berend, captain, oarsman (26)
Christiansvaern + Captain Dewitt, Lady Alida, captain, helmsman (24)
Princes Maria + helmsman, explorer (10)
English: (Xerecs)
HMS Devastator + Captain Armstrong, Sir Christopher Myngs, LE Griffin, helmsman
HMS Devonshire + helmsman
HMS Hermes’ Sandal + explorer
Game video:
English: 72
Dutch: 17 (points from Van Der Decken)
Observations:
Eternal nerfed too much? (yes, later changed back to normal)
Should people be able to eliminate treasure if they win a boarding party? (no, later changed back to normal)
This was the second game in a row that felt kind of “boring”. Almost no gold collection whatsoever.
Not sure if the Points in Play house rule is the best way to go.