ARC The Underworld Summary Playtest Report #3
With the conclusion of general playtesting, the participants submitted summaries of their experiences. Here are a few of the comments. More to follow.
“Conclusion: I thoroughly enjoyed my experiences with ARC, and I look forward to its eventual release. The sequence of play was quick and fluid, and my opponent and I really enjoyed the tension introduced by the initiative/activation system and the cards.”
“The story really draws you in, it’s sneaky, it looks simple at first, then the gameplay totally backs it up! I really like it! In this intense fight between the alien REZ forces and the specialized ARC units, everything goes down – grenades, sniper fire, close combat, literal “knife-fights”, armor deflections – plenty of narrative combat action. And then there are the multi-level and even underground maps that ratchet up the tension and twist your options (in a good way!).”
“The command system is simple and solves a host of potential issues (who goes first and how many go?) by breaking it down into small chunks and integrating the action over multiple turns between both sides in an easy-to-digest result (number of troops, Leader plus troops, etc.). A very definite table result gives me my operating parameters for the turn. No guarantees, but a minimum of commands makes me prioritize what I REALLY need to do in a turn. Very well done!”
“I hope this game reaches the right audience. It could be that crossover game from Historical-Simulationist to SciFi-Ameritrash-Euro, and I know there are many people who refuse to play Historical simply because it is/was real.”
“I would like to see a detailed example play-through of a turn or two.”
Example video sessions are currently in development. They will cover the initial game setup and playthrough.
“As one of Jim’s initial playtesters, I took a different tack during this session. I focused on developing a viable solitaire system. While I agree the game is vastly better with a live opponent, it is too good a design to pass up because many of us in the hobby have trouble finding opponents. I think we have fleshed out something that works pretty well. Most of my solo games during the playtesting period were long, bloody, and split between player and bot victories. No easy victories over the bot; I usually had to work hard. The design, while wildly asymmetrical, is beautifully balanced. The Rez forces use weapons, devices, and creatures that sometimes feel like they belong in a different game, but these rules seamlessly integrate these systems into a coherent game.”
Thanks to Jay Wissmann for fleshing out and extensively testing a solitaire enhancement for the game. It basically explains how the bot manages its Action cards. The game’s play mechanics remain unchanged. I strongly believe this addition supports changing the game’s solitaire rating from high-low to high-medium.