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Our Hideous Progeny
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Mary is the great-niece of Victor Frankenstein. She knows her great uncle disappeared in mysterious...
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Thirsty Animals
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WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE WATER RUNS OUT? THE WORLD IS RUNNING OUT OF WATER. With supply in the...
Finding Lorena
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Imagine being able to jump back in time and do it all over again. Going back to live with...
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And So I Roar
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Plucky fourteen-year-old Adunni is in Lagos, excited to finally enrol in school. Having escaped her...
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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Port Royal in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2019
Port Royal looks and sounds like a pirate-y game, but be warned – it’s not. It’s more about what gets done behind the scenes, in the port as you prepare to cast off on an adventure! You’ve got to hire a crew and trade with others to gather necesssry supplies. Put your bookkeeping to the test, and SEA if you’ve got what it takes. (See what I did there?)
Port Royal is the central hub for trading and commerce in the kingdom. Ships from distant countries come in to trade, and crew-members-for-hire wander the docks looking for work. Do you have what it takes to make a name for yourself in this bustling port? Put your bargaining skills to the test to find out!
DISCLAIMER: There are several expansions to this game, but we are not reviewing them at this time. Should we review them in the future we will either update this review or post a link to the new material here. -T
Port Royal is a card drafting game of press-your-luck in which players are trying to amass 12 or more Influence Points. Each turn is played in two phases: the Discovery Phase and the Trade and Hire Phase. During the Discovery Phase, the active player draws cards one at a time to create the Harbor for that turn. The cards revealed will either be Characters, Ships, Missions, or Tax cards. The active player can draw as many or as few cards as they would like, with one catch – if you reveal a ship with a flag matching one already in the Harbor, the turn is a bust and all cards are discarded! Think wisely before trying to push your luck when creating the Harbor! If you’re too risky, you could bust, but if you play it too safe, you won’t have many card choices for the next phase. During the Trade and Hire Phase, players interact with cards in the harbor. The number of cards players can take depends on the number of different ships in the Harbor. Players can hire characters by paying their hiring cost in gold, can discard ship cards and collect gold for performing a “trade,” or can complete Mission cards if they have the required symbols on their hired cards. The Discovery Phase is performed by the active player alone, but the Trade and Hire Phase can be performed by each player, in order, after the active player. If you decide to act on another player’s turn, you must pay them one gold coin. The game ends at the end of a round in which one player has amassed 12 or more Influence Points, collected from Character and Mission cards. The player with the most points wins!
One thing that I really like about Port Royal is that it’s a competitive game, but not a confrontational game. Besides paying to act on another player’s turn, there’s not a lot of player interaction, and as someone who can get pretty competitive, I really appreciate that. Yes, we are competing against each other, but with so little interaction, I’m more focused on my own strategy and cards than I am in trying to sabotage my fellow players. Another thing I like about Port Royal is the push-your-luck aspect of the Discovery Phase. I like it more than other push-your-luck games because all decisions are made by the active player – you’re not having to bluff or directly compete with another player when drawing your Harbor cards. It’s still a game of chicken, but against yourself. There’s still the element of push-your-luck, but it feels a little more safe than nerve-wracking.
All that being said, what I don’t like about Port Royal is the actual gameplay. Since there’s so little player interaction and the entire Discovery Phase is performed by one player alone, it feels like there’s a bit of downtime. Unless you’re the active player, you only get to act during half of every turn, so time is spent just sitting and watching other players. It ultimately all comes down to how quickly everyone performs their turns, but there’s just not a ton of engagement in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a neat game. It just feels a little boring to play sometimes. It also takes some time to build up momentum to successfully execute a strategy. Everyone starts with 3 gold coins, but most cards cost more, and depending on when you get to act in the Trade and Hire Phase, any cards you could have afforded may already have been taken. So it might take several rounds before you’re able to really begin implementing a solid strategy, with the first few rounds just being a card-grab.
For the most part, I enjoy playing Port Royal. It’s mildly strategic, but the lack of interaction can make it feel a little stale sometimes. It’s not a game I pull out every single game night, but it’s one that I would most likely play if someone suggested it. Purple Phoenix Games gives Port Royal a buccaneer’s 7 / 12.
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/04/16/port-royal-review/
Port Royal is the central hub for trading and commerce in the kingdom. Ships from distant countries come in to trade, and crew-members-for-hire wander the docks looking for work. Do you have what it takes to make a name for yourself in this bustling port? Put your bargaining skills to the test to find out!
DISCLAIMER: There are several expansions to this game, but we are not reviewing them at this time. Should we review them in the future we will either update this review or post a link to the new material here. -T
Port Royal is a card drafting game of press-your-luck in which players are trying to amass 12 or more Influence Points. Each turn is played in two phases: the Discovery Phase and the Trade and Hire Phase. During the Discovery Phase, the active player draws cards one at a time to create the Harbor for that turn. The cards revealed will either be Characters, Ships, Missions, or Tax cards. The active player can draw as many or as few cards as they would like, with one catch – if you reveal a ship with a flag matching one already in the Harbor, the turn is a bust and all cards are discarded! Think wisely before trying to push your luck when creating the Harbor! If you’re too risky, you could bust, but if you play it too safe, you won’t have many card choices for the next phase. During the Trade and Hire Phase, players interact with cards in the harbor. The number of cards players can take depends on the number of different ships in the Harbor. Players can hire characters by paying their hiring cost in gold, can discard ship cards and collect gold for performing a “trade,” or can complete Mission cards if they have the required symbols on their hired cards. The Discovery Phase is performed by the active player alone, but the Trade and Hire Phase can be performed by each player, in order, after the active player. If you decide to act on another player’s turn, you must pay them one gold coin. The game ends at the end of a round in which one player has amassed 12 or more Influence Points, collected from Character and Mission cards. The player with the most points wins!
One thing that I really like about Port Royal is that it’s a competitive game, but not a confrontational game. Besides paying to act on another player’s turn, there’s not a lot of player interaction, and as someone who can get pretty competitive, I really appreciate that. Yes, we are competing against each other, but with so little interaction, I’m more focused on my own strategy and cards than I am in trying to sabotage my fellow players. Another thing I like about Port Royal is the push-your-luck aspect of the Discovery Phase. I like it more than other push-your-luck games because all decisions are made by the active player – you’re not having to bluff or directly compete with another player when drawing your Harbor cards. It’s still a game of chicken, but against yourself. There’s still the element of push-your-luck, but it feels a little more safe than nerve-wracking.
All that being said, what I don’t like about Port Royal is the actual gameplay. Since there’s so little player interaction and the entire Discovery Phase is performed by one player alone, it feels like there’s a bit of downtime. Unless you’re the active player, you only get to act during half of every turn, so time is spent just sitting and watching other players. It ultimately all comes down to how quickly everyone performs their turns, but there’s just not a ton of engagement in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a neat game. It just feels a little boring to play sometimes. It also takes some time to build up momentum to successfully execute a strategy. Everyone starts with 3 gold coins, but most cards cost more, and depending on when you get to act in the Trade and Hire Phase, any cards you could have afforded may already have been taken. So it might take several rounds before you’re able to really begin implementing a solid strategy, with the first few rounds just being a card-grab.
For the most part, I enjoy playing Port Royal. It’s mildly strategic, but the lack of interaction can make it feel a little stale sometimes. It’s not a game I pull out every single game night, but it’s one that I would most likely play if someone suggested it. Purple Phoenix Games gives Port Royal a buccaneer’s 7 / 12.
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/04/16/port-royal-review/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Thing (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
After the success of a videogame based on the original film, rumors of a sequel arose many times but never came to fruition, with creative differences between Universal and John Carpenter cited as the main reason. It was oft-speculated that Carpenter made a deal to write and produce a sequel provided he got to name has director. But when he opted to name himself director the studio balked and the project fell apart. In the aftermath, rumors of a miniseries on the SyfY channel arose along with the possibility of retelling the story with 20-somethings on a tropical island but (thankfully) they never saw the light of day.
Rather than do a sequel or remake, Universal opted to jump start the franchise with a prequel that covers the events leading up to the John Carpenter film. It is set in 1982 at a Norwegian research station in Antarctica shortly before the scientists make an amazing discovery. When they uncover an alien craft that had been buried in the ice for over 100,000 years, as well as a frozen crewmember from the craft, they quickly celebrate the scientific discovery of a lifetime.
Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), is recruited by a famed scientist to travel to the desolate continent to research the find. Told only that they are about to research an amazing discovery, Kate and a team of specialists arrive and are absolutely stunned by the magnitude of their discovery. Kate urges caution but is overridden by the expedition leader Dr. Halvorsan (Ulrich Thomsen), who insists on taking a tissue sample of the frozen creature encassed in a block of ice.
Later that evening while celebrating, the very much alive creature escapes from its icy prison and begins to systematically hunt the members of the research team. The creature is eventually trapped and burned which causes some consternation over the loss of the creature for further scientific study, but many in the camp applaud its loss after seeing firsthand the destruction it is capable of.
After a bizarre series of events, Kate makes the startling discovery that the cells of the creature are able to imitate and perfectly replicate any thing that it comes in contact with. As a result, not only is the creature very much alive, but the individuals in the camp may no longer be human. Trapped in a remote location with an advancing winter storm, suspicions and paranoia go through the roof as the survivors are pitted against one another, unsure of who is still human. What follows is a high-octane adventure awash in action and grisly special-effects as the two species are locked in the ultimate battle for survival.
The film has a good supporting cast and Joel Edgerton does solid supporting work as an American helicopter pilot assigned to the camp. Eric Christian Olsen provides a steadying presence as a research assistant but his character is not as developed as it could be. It is known that he and Kate know each other but their past history is undefined which makes their relationship a bit puzzling in the film especially when the survivors begin to pick sides.
While the movie is not going to make fans forget the original, it is a very worthy companion piece. As the film was winding down I found myself checking off a couple of inconsistencies with the original film, but was very pleasantly surprised when this was all explained during the end credits which perfectly synced the end of this film with the opening of John Carpenter’s classic.
In many ways the weakness of film is due to the success of John Carpenter’s previous film, in that the creature is not that much of a mystery this time around. Part of the suspense of the previous film was not knowing how the creature operated nor how it was capable of infecting and replicating numerous individuals.
This time around the suspense is lost due to the familiarity with the creature. As a result, director Matthijs van Heijningen focused his efforts on a more action adventure oriented film that gave very little time for character development. We are not told very much about many of the characters in the film as they simply exist to serve as potential victims for the creature. All one really needs to know is they are scientists or support staff as aside from a handful of characters we’re not really given much reason to care whether they survive.
Visually the film is sharp and it is clear that a lot of attention was paid to replicate the look of the previous film. The shots of vast fields of ice and snow emphasized the remote and isolated setting that the characters find themselves in and served as a reminder that danger lurks all around. The special-effects have obviously been upgraded since 1982 and it was nice to see that the creative elements did not go overboard on CGI effects, and actually used puppetry and animatronics to provide updated creature effects that were still in keeping with the look and tone from the previous film.
While the film is not likely to reach the iconic status of the previous film, it is still a worthy companion piece that has enough action and effects to keep it interesting to fans of the series – just so long as they keep their expectations reasonable and do not expect a film on par with the previous one.
Rather than do a sequel or remake, Universal opted to jump start the franchise with a prequel that covers the events leading up to the John Carpenter film. It is set in 1982 at a Norwegian research station in Antarctica shortly before the scientists make an amazing discovery. When they uncover an alien craft that had been buried in the ice for over 100,000 years, as well as a frozen crewmember from the craft, they quickly celebrate the scientific discovery of a lifetime.
Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), is recruited by a famed scientist to travel to the desolate continent to research the find. Told only that they are about to research an amazing discovery, Kate and a team of specialists arrive and are absolutely stunned by the magnitude of their discovery. Kate urges caution but is overridden by the expedition leader Dr. Halvorsan (Ulrich Thomsen), who insists on taking a tissue sample of the frozen creature encassed in a block of ice.
Later that evening while celebrating, the very much alive creature escapes from its icy prison and begins to systematically hunt the members of the research team. The creature is eventually trapped and burned which causes some consternation over the loss of the creature for further scientific study, but many in the camp applaud its loss after seeing firsthand the destruction it is capable of.
After a bizarre series of events, Kate makes the startling discovery that the cells of the creature are able to imitate and perfectly replicate any thing that it comes in contact with. As a result, not only is the creature very much alive, but the individuals in the camp may no longer be human. Trapped in a remote location with an advancing winter storm, suspicions and paranoia go through the roof as the survivors are pitted against one another, unsure of who is still human. What follows is a high-octane adventure awash in action and grisly special-effects as the two species are locked in the ultimate battle for survival.
The film has a good supporting cast and Joel Edgerton does solid supporting work as an American helicopter pilot assigned to the camp. Eric Christian Olsen provides a steadying presence as a research assistant but his character is not as developed as it could be. It is known that he and Kate know each other but their past history is undefined which makes their relationship a bit puzzling in the film especially when the survivors begin to pick sides.
While the movie is not going to make fans forget the original, it is a very worthy companion piece. As the film was winding down I found myself checking off a couple of inconsistencies with the original film, but was very pleasantly surprised when this was all explained during the end credits which perfectly synced the end of this film with the opening of John Carpenter’s classic.
In many ways the weakness of film is due to the success of John Carpenter’s previous film, in that the creature is not that much of a mystery this time around. Part of the suspense of the previous film was not knowing how the creature operated nor how it was capable of infecting and replicating numerous individuals.
This time around the suspense is lost due to the familiarity with the creature. As a result, director Matthijs van Heijningen focused his efforts on a more action adventure oriented film that gave very little time for character development. We are not told very much about many of the characters in the film as they simply exist to serve as potential victims for the creature. All one really needs to know is they are scientists or support staff as aside from a handful of characters we’re not really given much reason to care whether they survive.
Visually the film is sharp and it is clear that a lot of attention was paid to replicate the look of the previous film. The shots of vast fields of ice and snow emphasized the remote and isolated setting that the characters find themselves in and served as a reminder that danger lurks all around. The special-effects have obviously been upgraded since 1982 and it was nice to see that the creative elements did not go overboard on CGI effects, and actually used puppetry and animatronics to provide updated creature effects that were still in keeping with the look and tone from the previous film.
While the film is not likely to reach the iconic status of the previous film, it is still a worthy companion piece that has enough action and effects to keep it interesting to fans of the series – just so long as they keep their expectations reasonable and do not expect a film on par with the previous one.
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