Games included: 2
Respondents: 6
A. How enjoyable was the variant as a player? (If you were set upon by three other powers and eliminated quickly it doesn't necessarily mean that you think the variant is rubbish!!)
5: I love it and will play any chance I can 0
4: Good game - would like to play again 2
3: OK - Would be happy to play again 3
2: A bit weak (boring/not enough to think about etc) 1
1: Poor. Would definitely not play it next time! 0
Average: 3.2
B. Was the game reasonably balanced (not necessarily does everybody start out equal, but how likely is it to win from every position, for example, or did everybody have a reasonable opportunity to impact on the game)? Think of Regular Dip as around 3
5: Very balanced - good opportunities all round 3
4: Reasonably balanced 2
3: Average - some coutries a bit weaker, some a bit stronger 1
2: It was clear from the beginning who would be the dominant powers in the variant 0
1: Unbalanced - some powers doomed from the outset 0
Average: 4.3 = = = + -
C. How dynamic is the game? Are there plenty of opportunities for movement/change of alliances/sudden thrusts throughout the game? Or is the pattern, for some powers at least, restricted for at least some of the powers? (Regular has a number of blocking points apart from the main stalemate line and I would put it at 2-3)
5: Very fluid - lots of movement and opportunities right to the end 0
4: Plenty of chances but it can get stuck at times 2
3: OK - some opportunities to make choices about options but they're a bit limited 0
2: Choices are limited and the game can get bogged down. 3
1: Pretty static really! 1
Average: 2.5
->D. How complicated is the game? (This may be the complexity of the map or of the rules, or both. We've put Regular Dip at 2 out of 5 for this one; variants scoring 5 probably have a complicated map and particularly complicated rules!)
5: Mind-bendingly complicated; you'll need to work really hard at this one! 0
4: Very complicated map or rules, or both of them quite complicated 0
3: Complicated - more to think about than Regular - some extra rules (not just Build Anywhere etc) 4
2: Not especially complicated (think ~ Regular) 1
1: Simple game - small map, no tricky rules. 1
Average: 2.5
