Reply: Terra Mystica:: Reviews:: Re: Deep and balanced -but does it have soul?

by rmsgrey

drbobjack wrote:

Regarding some of your other points, I view the cult track in two ways over the course of the game -the first is infrastructure, to get cult bonuses. This also has the possibility of getting me points at the end of the game. (So the choice is infrastructure/other infrastructure -ok.) As the game closes, I view it as a point source that depends on other players' supplies of priests and positions. You can, in both cases, usually figure out what's going on there without too much difficulty. But the head space this asks for is totally different from the head space with which I play the actual game.

Round 6 (and, to a lesser extent, Round 5) is all about point sources that depend on other players resources and configurations - there's absolutely no point building infrastructure in Round 6 except as it gets you immediate points (or possibly better power leeching) because you'll never get any income from it. Like a lot of engine-builder games, you build infrastructure in the early and mid-game and then run it into the ground in the end-game.

End-game, cult vs other actions is a choice of points/other points.

When it comes down to it, you could cut priests, favour tiles and religious structures out of the game entirely - the only hole it would leave would be the digging/shipping upgrade tracks, which would need patching somehow. Just Dwelling, Trading Post, Stronghold would be enough to support the build-and-expand game - no need for religion.

Personally, I think the religious side is a positive addition to the game - it adds depth and allows for more faction variety, and it allows an alternate path to accumulate points...