Obsession: Characters Expansion (with Metal Coins)

Arrived in Utah, Geek Madness Help
almost 2 years ago – Fri, Apr 26, 2024 at 05:10:53 PM

Utah

I have arrived, a bit exhausted and with some absurd adventures along the way. I am in recovery mode. 

I will address the cooperative rulebook on Tuesday (new computer being installed in my office Monday), but I see that we are losing the battle against Ticket to Ride! We invented real railways, and we’re going to let little plastic ones beat us, what?

VOTE and I will be back on Tuesday!

Dan

COOPERATIVE RULEBOOK
almost 2 years ago – Mon, Apr 22, 2024 at 03:55:33 PM

It Is Here

It is lo-res, so sorry for that. I leave in a truck for Utah tomorrow, a 2,200 journey. Consume while I drive! You won't get many (any) answers to questions...until this weekend!

Dan Hallagan, Kayenta Games

Cooperative Obsession Teaser #1
almost 2 years ago – Thu, Apr 18, 2024 at 04:34:10 AM

Meet the Sneyds

You are wondering where Oliver gets his rascally good looks. True, one eye twitches inward towards the bridge of his nose, but Elizabeth Fairchild thinks it's charming and so does his mother, Cosima, a bubbly woman full of warmth when not shrieking at the servants and her husband. And Oliver.  

His father, while terrifying, works relentlessly. On a rare occasion, Enoch will hunt with Oliver, shooting everything that moves. "What did we kill?" they would ask in unison, laughing and blasting. Oliver particularly enjoys when Dad shouts playfully, "Run up a bit you jolterhead, so I can take a shot at ya!" Always cracking wise, Dad is. 

Enoch Sneyd has interest in wealth and only wealth. As his dissolute son will never be
allowed within ten thousand ells of the Sneyd business empire, he must be wed to money—Fairchild money, tis hoped—with the plan that Enoch’s genius skips a generation and is bestowed upon one of their brats. Begrudgingly, he permits his monstrous wife some leeway to lure the Fairchild girl into close proximity to his unctuous son.

It is no mystery that the young men of Derbyshire have nearly despaired of wooing Miss Elizabeth. The only solution? The Derbyshire families must unite!

The Sneyd Family Board

Co-Op is here at last! I will tease you with a bit of content. Something today, something over the weekend, and the rulebook (currently in final editing) on Monday. 

The heart and soul of your despicable opponent, the Sneyds, is their family board, which manages reputation, servants (affectionately known as Rotters), their voracious market activities, and the family's inevitable sins against propriety in the eyes of all respectable citizens of the county.

I have confidence you all will defend Derbyshire honour!

Geek Madness

Obsession won its opening round against The Quest for El Dorado! Our next opponent, Root, is a bit more fearsome, and we are currently trailing by 4%. More Derbyshire honour to defend. Vote, my friends...the Duchess does not like militant furry woodland creatures.

VOTE

See you Saturday.

Dan Hallagan, Kayenta Games

A Significant Characters Change & A Tournament
almost 2 years ago – Wed, Apr 10, 2024 at 11:32:12 AM

Dowager Countess & Second Chance Servants

A cat does not lead because there are important game matters to discuss: two changes to Characters. As you may or may not know, since the end of the Kickstarter last Halloween, I work on both files and playtesting. There is a rule I have learned: You can never playtest too much.

To restate my 'expansion' philosophy, I dislike expansions that change the magic of the base game (provided the base game is good, of course). I can think of many more expansions I do NOT play with than ones I do. With Upstairs, Downstairs I tried to just sliiiiiide four servants into the mix, and not change the central dance between Reputation, Servants, Guests, and Activities. 

With the Characters expansion, I introduce the Sideboard and true worker placement. But the Sideboard is not intended to be heavily used. If your Obsession game is humming along nicely, this means you've avoided bad guests, befriended good guests, have achievable objectives, and a nice staff of servants. The Sideboard is, as stated before, Victorian Urgent Care. As sure as you'll have two good games, you'll have one full of cads and gossips...or five objectives that max out at 4 or 5 points each. You'll have a market that is all Sporting and Essentials, draw a dud for your Main Gazebo prestige guest, and lose the first two courtships, leaving you with 1 prestige guest!

Enter Victorian Urgent Care.

I recap all this because my playtesting revealed a slight drain on enthusiasm for the Dowager and the Second Chance Servants. Not enough to hurt their primary function, but enough to discourage exploration of our delightful Characters. The Constable? Solid. The Reverend? Solid. The Dowager? The loss of the hiring action on the pass was enough of a barrier such that players only went to the Dowager in desperation. Second Chance Servants? Wonderful...except at End Game Scoring when they canceled out the VP of good servants.

Enter our changes!

• The Dowager Marchioness functions as she always has, but now she acts as a Socialite when she is at your estate (+1 guest to the Activity). This sweetens the pot, essentially allowing for a free play of the valuable Exile that came along in her carriage.

• Second Chance Servants. You may say, "Dan, you're good guy, but you're not too bright." I refer to eliminating the end game scoring penalty for our second chance servants.

My hesitation is that I had to avoid overpowering these new servants. But the penalties for using them in the game are enough to avoid that disaster. I still think some of you are going to go all 4D chess on these guys and find a META. But I am willing to risk it.

I can't wait until Characters is in your hands!

Note: Cooperative reveal next week (sorry for the delay).

Geek Madness

Obsession is in a battle for its life in the first round of the Geek Madness tournament that pits the top 64 games of all time against each other. Electioneering is not only allowed, but strongly encouraged! We need your vote. Obsession has lost in the first round 3 times (albeit to 7 Wonders, Puerto Rico, and Orleans!), and this is our chance. Please vote!

Thanks all!

Dan Hallagan, Kayenta games

Meeplesouce Characters Expansion Meeples
almost 2 years ago – Mon, Apr 08, 2024 at 07:30:47 AM

Meeplesource Carriage, Constable, Reverend, and !!!

I was going to wait for my next update, but I think I should get this out there now. Some of you have the Meeplesource meeples. It would be truly distressing if you lacked a matching set of Characters meeples. Worry no more!

The second chance servants are a hoot! That Lady's Maid should be standing next to the Vicar; something scandalous is afoot! And I will bet 100 quid that footman has a flask of gin on his person.

The campaign is here. 

A reminder that I take no compensation from any 3rd party providers of upgraded Obsession components or promotional items like T-shirts or inserts. I choose ethical, responsible partners who provide excellent quality, and I not only pass along their work, I am a consumer as well (I purchased my Meeplesource meeples—I have multiple Obsession copies, one which has everything 3rd party therein just so I see how things fit).

Of course, I have deep affection for our plain wooden meeples! 

Dan Hallagan, Kayenta Games