A balanced opinion of Wyrd

[magicpockets]

Importantly, anyone reading threads containing negative opinions should remember that if those of us that voice said opinions didn't care about the game, we wouldn't bother voicing them at all. These criticisms are borne of passion, and for a game to inspire this level of passion it has to be pretty damned epic.

I do think people over look this, but it's dangerous in respect of new players etc - they don't step back and think about the context of the comments because they don't know how that context works. SO we do need to balance our "vocalness"

And thank you all for your comments etc, and keeping this thread on track

[letsallchant]

I can't think of any other wargames company where the people running the show take the time to read and reply to the communitys posts. It is this personal touch that will keep me playing.

yes and yes

[Calmdown]

I do think people over look this, but it's dangerous in respect of new players etc - they don't step back and think about the context of the comments because they don't know how that context works. SO we do need to balance our "vocalness"

True.

But then, as with any business, the emphasis isn't on the customers to not complain about something that's broken; it's on the company to fix it

[Malcontent]

I have to say that Malifaux was the game that brought me out of the gaming wilderness. After overdosing on 40k tournaments for many years (and manufacturer greed and player animosity) I had positively burned out my gaming mojo. I thought I'd never roll a dice again …and I haven't!

The card mechanic, the back story fluff and some fantastic models forced me to look at gaming again and keep me interested. The randomness of the Malifaux universe means that the game could be taken in any direction (except pirates I believe) and that is worrying and exciting at the same time.

The personality, attitude and approachable nature of Wyrd impresses me. Egos are kept in check and even if I were to email Eric or Nathan I feel that I would get a reply (unless I had emailed pure drivel). The company (and community) should also be proud of this forum – it is an amazing source of info and support for old and new gamers alike.

I have to say though that Book 3 was a bit of a letdown for me personally. I think I got caught up in all the hype and maybe expected something unrealistic. The miniature sculpts from this book have generally been disappointing when compared to previous. I think Wyrd did such a fantastic job when they set their stall out that the bar is perhaps set impossibly high. I don't know, it's a personal thing – the book 3 models just haven't caught my attention or imagination in a way the earlier miniatures did. The release schedule for stuff at the moment seems rushed – I don't really want to see a new book every year and it seems as if they're trying to clear the decks (excuse the pun) ready for new things already. I can feel the wheels of big business stirring in the background and I'd hate to see Wyrd churn out stuff the way and at the rate that other manufacturers do.

Having said all that Wyrd are still head and shoulders above the competition. I can't see myself playing anything else instead of Malifaux, not seriously at least.

I would like to see more fluff –$$stories to flesh out the characters we know and love, and to give more fodder for campaign/story based gaming as an alternative to all the tournament talk, which doesn't interest me. I would like to see some kind of customisation with characters, to make my models more individual and unique to me.

I'm watching the horizon with great interest to see where Wyrd take us next…

[Vmag]

Love the background and mix of genres. Somehow all of these are made to fit together really well in a very functional and 'believable' way.

One of the things I really liked about some other tabletop wargames that Malifaux seemed to be missing was the ability to create or modify each unit/character in order to make them more your own (in regard to stats/equipment/abilities/etc). But I think this is a superficial criticism since what really ends up happening in a lot of these other systems is that the optimal or min/max builds for each unit are discovered and copied repeatedly in all lists. So basically these other systems drift back to the static Malifaux style of model stats anyway.

Love the fact that Wyrd has people that take the time to interact with the community. The rules clarifications and apparent discussion about rules that goes on behind the scenes before making a ruling are awesome. The fact that there is/was an open thread for everyone to list out the things that they feel most need to be clarified or remedied is just a great indicator of how seriously Wyrd takes their game. And by 'seriously' I mean that they care how the game functions and really do want it to be better.

Victory- A game that doesn't focus solely on busting face. I love the variety of strategies and schemes and the incredibe number of ways to achieve victory without having to focus only on what my stuff can kill. And with a little imagination every strat/scheme combo for any faction can easily be written into a nice narrative which always helps with the cinematic aspect of playing a skirmish game.

[CRC]

I like the miniatures.

I like the scale.

I love that I can resolve almost any rules question just by RTFM.

I love the theme and the stories behind the rules.

I love how the rules (mostly) support the themes.

[nerdelemental]

I love how Nathan and Eric forgive me when I spell Nephilim wrong every time I write it. And Masamune, too.

[Dustcrusher]

I could probably go on, but here are just some of the things I love about Malifaux:

• Malifaux requires more strategy than "roll dice and kill" games. Can't blame more than a tiny bit on luck, especially with a hand to mitigate it.
  
• Decks and hands mean manipulation strategies that add another layer of depth to the game
  
• Strategy-driven gameplay means killing power is not the most important aspect of a model.
  
• The Soulstone mechanic. This is the only game I know of where not taking your full point allotment in models is a good idea.
  
• Well-sculpted, distinct miniatures. I feel sad for any gamer that can't find at least one Wyrd mini to his/her liking.
  
• Well-developed fluff means every mini has a story. Even my non-tabletop geek friends think it looks cool and/or has an interesting background.
  
• Zombie hookers
  
• Not sure if the background was written like this from the get-go, but Malifaux is pretty forward-minded with respect to gender roles. Half the masters and henchman are female, and many of the female characters are badasses on the table and in the fluff. There's some cheesecake to be had, but overall it's far more contextually appropriate than in most games- in other words, I can show this game to my woman friends and they won't think it's yet another male fantasy trip.
  
• Very few absolute bad or good guys in Malifaux- most are shades of grey.
  
• Simple list building that still offers a huge variety of customization for a given strategy. You can tailor the perfect crew for a given strat or just pick out some models that add up to the right total for a quick friendly game in minutes.
  
• This community at its worst is still leagues better than many gaming boards at their best.
  
• Free rules manual and v2 stat cards offer just enough to allow potential new players to playtest without having to buy anything. This is a bigger selling point than many seem to realize.
  
• You can get started for $65 or less (and $65 assumes the most expensive starter box if I have my prices right). Some crews can be fairly competitive for around $100. Very few games offer that as an option.
  
• 3x3 table size means it's easier to play at home if someone doesn't have a FLGS.
  

About the only complaint I have is that my FLGS only goes through certain distributors, and apparently it takes at least two weeks to get us what we order, if not longer. This wouldn't be so bad if a) it was consistently about that long, and if everyone wasn't so used to "order Sunday, pick up Thursday" that GW offers). Of course, I have no idea if Wyrd has any hand in that or not, so it might be more about the distributors than anything else.

[Calmdown]

• Malifaux requires more strategy than "roll dice and kill" games. Can't blame more than a tiny bit on luck, especially with a hand to mitigate it.
  
• Decks and hands mean manipulation strategies that add another layer of depth to the game
  
• Strategy-driven gameplay means killing power is not the most important aspect of a model.
  
• The Soulstone mechanic. This is the only game I know of where not taking your full point allotment in models is a good idea.
  
• Well-sculpted, distinct miniatures. I feel sad for any gamer that can't find at least one Wyrd mini to his/her liking.
  
• Well-developed fluff means every mini has a story. Even my non-tabletop geek friends think it looks cool and/or has an interesting background.
  
• Zombie hookers
  
• Not sure if the background was written like this from the get-go, but Malifaux is pretty forward-minded with respect to gender roles. Half the masters and henchman are female, and many of the female characters are badasses on the table and in the fluff. There's some cheesecake to be had, but overall it's far more contextually appropriate than in most games- in other words, I can show this game to my woman friends and they won't think it's yet another male fantasy trip.
  
• Very few absolute bad or good guys in Malifaux- most are shades of grey.
  
• Simple list building that still offers a huge variety of customization for a given strategy. You can tailor the perfect crew for a given strat or just pick out some models that add up to the right total for a quick friendly game in minutes.
  
• This community at its worst is still leagues better than many gaming boards at their best.
  
• Free rules manual and v2 stat cards offer just enough to allow potential new players to playtest without having to buy anything. This is a bigger selling point than many seem to realize.
  
• You can get started for $65 or less (and $65 assumes the most expensive starter box if I have my prices right). Some crews can be fairly competitive for around $100. Very few games offer that as an option.
  
• 3x3 table size means it's easier to play at home if someone doesn't have a FLGS.
  

Really nice list. Agree with all of them except point 1 - Malifaux has a huge luck component, even moreso than dice games. Cards are a lot more fun but a lot more prone to extremes.

[Dustcrusher]

Really nice list. Agree with all of them except point 1 - Malifaux has a huge luck component, even moreso than dice games. Cards are a lot more fun but a lot more prone to extremes.

Thank you

Fair enough on point 1- Having a hand and cache of stones, at the least, feels like I have some say in mitigating a run of bad luck, whereas with dice the only option is if a game allows rerolls. I'd liken it to blackjack vs. craps. Both rely on luck to win in the end, but blackjack has a feel of control that craps doesn't.

[Adanedhel]

Actually Calmdown I feel the luck component has been rather limited in my opinion, or at least, rather limited taking into account the number of interactions.

It's more that the less models on the table the more one single lucky event can flip a game, imagine playing another game on this scale, Warmachine with 1 unit 1 jack, 1 caster, or 40k killteam rules. One diceroll decides every game there, or so it seems with me.

While here I can cheat my crucial flip, and be reasonably certain not to flip blackie twice a turn (that is till the hodgepodge comes to play), whereas I tend to fluke dicerolls a lot, having blackie only once is a huge relief for me

It's more that limited amount of individual duels automatically make sure that a single flip becomes more important.

What I like most about Malifaux

Mechanicalwise

the APsystem

I'm flat out bored with only gettin one move, one shoot or attack, and I love the flexibility Malifaux offers me in doing exactly what I want during my activation

the APsystem just gives so much fun options

the interactions

Ever had a chain of effect going on where you line up everything, so that that single mistake your opponent just made which could not have been punished without the complex series of buffsand combination of abilities, it gives this game way more thought then usual wargames, to calculate all possibilities (yes I come from playing chess, why, )

the variety

Malifaux allows far more different styles of play then any other game I've ever known, because of the flexibility of activations. I've always wanted to play an army based around making the opponent cower in fear rather then killing him outright, guess what for example Pandora or Seamus are explicitly meant to do , and really, in how many games can you have a way to benefit from killing your own leader ^^

Control Hand/Use Soulstone these two do so much for me to migitate luck a little, I love them. Even though I notice that of late I always deduct 8 of the total SS value of a game and then add Cache when determing crew points, only dipping into the rest if I really have to ^^ (SS are my masters favourite kind of candy it seems)

nongamemechanic

the great alternative look of the models, they catch a totally different atmosphere, and I'd honestly only rate the Hell Dorado range as being equal

Fluffwise: I'm going to go with it leaves me speechless, I love how not even the blackest mortal soul is completely without good sides and even the most good one completely without darkness (for the former see Leveticus and Seamus, really Levi's fluff is what drove me to play him firstly, toghether with people calling him hardest master to learn, how he does so evil things and yet is so trusted around, and actually does a lot for a good case)

[rancor709]

This is the best minatures game I have ever played. I love the game and all it stands for. I'm vocal because I'm passionate about this game and this company actually cares what I have to say.

I love that the setting are mini's are so different and interesting.

I love that cards are easier to carry than dice

I love that malifaux is inclusive and culturally diverse. Its not all genetically engineered freaks and space elves. But a lot of cutures and back grounds are represented in the game an represented well even having master with Polio and one who is visually impaired.

Soulstone mechanics are amongst the most unique and fun thing I've played in a long time.

Active, customer focused ownership that is involved in the community. This is something you don't get else were and I am very happy for that.

The game has inspired me enough to have written an entire campaign currently working out the second one for my group,

And oh yeah start a podcast.

This game is awesome you should play it! if your not playing your missing out.

[magicpockets]

Really nice list. Agree with all of them except point 1 - Malifaux has a huge luck component, even moreso than dice games. Cards are a lot more fun but a lot more prone to extremes.

Actually Calmdown I feel the luck component has been rather limited in my opinion, or at least, rather limited taking into account the number of interactions.

Take it outside guys

[Orboros]

The existence of the Jokers alone destroys the arguement of Malifaux being less luck dependend than games utilizing dice rolls. If your dead Rider gets one hit by a Punk Zombie because he flipped the Red Joker on a :-fate flip, or you destroy and enemies Master because he Flips the Black Joker even though he still has 5 SS in his cache and would have normally survived, i call that luck. Note that things like that happen every other game or even every game and are by all means game changing.

[Cornelious1424]

Not going to list everything everyone else has pretty much said. However;

- I do like how the core mechanics of the game have pretty much stayed constant throughout the 3 years (has it been that long already) or so the game has been around.

- *I have never had a game (of Malifaux) where I was tempted to through a mini across the room, or set my cards on fire.

- The fact that both players are engaged in the game through it's entirety is awesome. While I flip and cheat fate to kill my opponents models, they flip and cheat fate to try and stop me!

It's just the best game I've played and I thank you guys for it!!!

[Kadeton]

What I like most is the incredibly elegant-yet-simple flexibility of the card system. With so many different ways to use the interaction of numbers and suits underpinning everything else in the system, there is huge scope for a variety of game mechanics that produce complex interactions from simple rules. Analysing that form of emergent complexity is basically my favourite pastime.

[diehard]

Of course the models, they drew my attention before there even was a game. And realizing that it is at the core a matter of taste, I find that as new models go their hits far outnumber their misses.

That they came up with an innovative set of game mechanics for those models is truly impressive indeed. The card idea is brilliant, and for the first time I'm aware of the luck aspect of the game does not outweigh the tactics and strategy aspect. Making it a skirmish game, and structuring it to remain a skirmish game at heart is the icing on the cake to me, both as a painter and a gamer. I honestly have no desire to play any of the other myriad game systems I own (and some of which I kind of liked.)

And I cant forget about the third aspect of a Miniature Game, the background/fluff. Again Wyrd shines with an original take on an established theme and really makes it their own. And they've populated this unique setting with some great characters that they are taking the time to really flesh out and that have major potential for growth.

And that the entire company stays involved with it's player base just speaks for itself. Well done and thanks to everyone at Wyrd for their continuing efforts. I know where my money is going, so I'll be backing these words with actions.

[Korrosion]

I love the fluff, great sculpts for the models and low cost of entry. If they were available I'd buy a mousepad/ coffee cup / small plushy of red/black jokers (similar in size to the small angry bird stuffed things). Then my desk could be complete.

[Requirement]

Wyrd sent me a happy birthday message... how could you be unhappy with a company that sends an automated message? Ha!

But in all seriousness, Malifaux is the first table-top game I have ever played and a lot of that reason is because of the bad rap everyone else got. I had friends into tabletops and I didn't want to sink the cash and time into HUGE armies.

I love the small size, the unique models (though seriously, can a guy get some more guild guard sculpts?), the paintability of the models, and the community surrounding the game.

[CrouchingMoose]

I love that wyrd knows what it wants to do with its game, but they also aren't afraid to listen to their fans. I also love that they know how to milk every last dollar out of their customers *$$$$ amazing alt models*

[Doompup]

Amazing miniatures. I love the fluff as well. I'm pretty new and have yet to actually play a game, so i can't comment about the rules yet. I do like how a version of the rulebook is available for download.

[Sliver Chocobo]

I love Wyrd

I love Malifaux

I love the models

I hate how not broken but how the rules can be abuse.

Guild crew with Lucus give Austringers +2:+fate Cb and spend the rest of game obeying them to attack from back while you can't do anything about it

The way dreamer crews just bomb their entire crew across the board on turn 1

[magicpockets]

Just to say this has turned into a really great thread to read through. I was worried at first it would degenerate into "OMFG dreamer iz broken" but nice job everyone

[muribundi]

I love the miniatures, I love the setting, love the cards.

The thing I love the most is the trigger mechanics of this game.

You don't just flip to hit or miss , sometimes you can go for your ultra combo attack.

The cheating from your hand for triggers gives this game a real feeling of the feints and

lunges of a real combat between two character's.

[geistwald]

- The card system has multiple layers of tactics and strategy: you have to adapt to the rules, but you also have to play a card game of bluffing and calculation. Therefore the so-called luck factor spices the whole thing: you can be down on your luck, but you can be sure your opponent won't flip the red joker two times in a row. The objective-based approach adds another important layer, so does the rock-paper-scissors style of different crew builds.

- The objective-based approach means that no game is lost until the bitter end of the sixth turn, but you also have to play attention when you seem to have the game in your pocket. Much more fun.

- The game is fairly competitive, in a good sense. Malifaux shows that power gaming isn't annoying by necessity.

- The game itself is comparatively cheap, because you don't have to make new investments to go with the stream, you do it to broaden your horizon.

- And the most important thing: Malifaux seems to filter the gaming community. All who stay in the game for a while must have a basic understanding of all the previous aspects, which makes higher quality a common denominator.

Edited March 18, 2012 by geistwald