BSW Strategy Guide

How to be a better player.

Here is you chance to share your hints and tips with your fellow players.


5 Responses to “BSW Strategy Guide”

  1. Toph Says:

    Hmm, not an easy task …
    Well first of all, I would say that it is important to read the rules … probably several times !
    Many times it is nice to be tought the rules and this is enough to get started … but to really challenge the top players you need to know every single rule point … because they do !
    Then of course, you need practice … and you need practice against top players … no need to trash your 5 year old brother at Dvonn a hundred times … it will not help you much in improving your tactics … you need to go and challenge the big guys.
    Finally, and it is very important too, to be a better player also involve to have fun, before anything have fun, everybody loves to win … but if you loose, no worries, it is only a game … keep cool, congratulate your opponent … he might have been lucky with the dice or draw, nevermind … propose a rev, and you might be the next lucky one !
    Cheers all !
    Toph

  2. xandryyte Says:

    I have been on for 6 months now and had not run into this situation yet.. but then again, I have only played Halali 9 times before. I found out the hard way that it is proper etiquette to play Halali twice, first as the hunter, second as the animals.

    xandryyte

  3. SkipM624 Says:

    Dare to lose. . .experiment when you start learning a game. Try things with no thought about winning, just poking buttons and seeing what happens. . .I have an 8% win ratio in Puerto Rico and I think of myself as a fair player. Competition out here is VERY tough, so don’t let losses get you down. Keep at it. . .in fact, the lower your win percentage, the sweeter a victory when it does happen. Read up on the game at Boardgamegeek. . lot of strategy tips for a lot of games out there.

  4. TheBoomer Says:

    Skip makes some very useful points. Don’t be afraid to lose, often times making mistakes is a productive way to learn the game. www.boardgamegeek.com can be a useful place to read up on other players strategy idea.

    One of the most important things to remember, especially for new players, it can often take several games for you to get a feel for the game. New players shouldn’t let a few bad games stop them from trying.

    Now, that said. I had hoped we would get people posting specific strategy comments for specific games. Such as “how to be a wiz at Puerto Rico”.

    Boomer

  5. phalcon_ Says:

    Not sure I agree with Skip about trying things with no thought of winning but the principle is sound. Some players can take ages making a play because they need to win. It is possible to calculate moves in some games - and Funkenschlag seems to be badly afflicted in this respect with people playing with a spreadsheet open calculating every move. I enjoy Funkenschlag and play it with friends and we would not allow anyone with a calculator near the table. But there you are some people really need to win.

    As to strategy hints, well all you can expect with most games is some guidance in the form of general principles that you should use to guide your moves.

    Puerto Rico is considered by many to be one of the best games - if not the best. Most good games reward a flexible approach and Puerto Rico is no exception. There are some very good players out there and you can learn much by playing against them. You need always to be aware of the victory points you gain, but early in the game it is important to focus on the money. You need to build production capacity as fast as you can without giving other players too much money by passing on the roles that carry the bonus dubloon. Money becomes, relatively speaking, less important later on - depending upon your chosen stratgey (ship or build).

    Some players produce corn and ship as early and as fast as possible, while others will build lots of quarries and a large market in order to build their way to victory. You need to be flexible in how you respond to these strategies and you need luck. I make plenty of mistakes and have lost games on my own mistakes and won games on the mistakes of others.

    The nature of the game varies with the number of players. The three player game favours the detailed planner, while the 5 player game is perhaps more haphazard and contains a greater element of luck. The other significant factor is the overall level of experience in the game. A game with five players - one of whom is less experienced than the others - may result in an unexpected victory simply because that player may not choose the best move. There are always opportunities to play a move that inconveniences other players and understanding that is important.

    Finally - enjoy the game. It is only a game and, win or lose, you should enjoy playing. I played a 4 player game with one person who took ages over every move. It spoilt that game. Afterwards there was some chat during the course of which he explained that it took him a long time to move because there were some tough decisions. The only tough decisions in life involve the life/health of a fellow human being. All else is by comparison minor and playing any game on BSW is fun but essentially trivial. Enjoy.

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