Pandemic: Fall of Rome Review - with Zee Garcia

[@rickthompson3843]

Zee, thanks for taking the time to delve into the solo mode. That sold this version for me. You've been the one to champion solo gaming the most of the Dice Tower crew and its appreciated that you make it a part of your TARGET system for reviews. I like to solo the Forbidden games and Flashpoint, but playing multiple characters is a bit of a chore. I'm glad they found a good workable system for this game.

[@guillermoz4914]

I love that you are still using the Target audience system but speaking more freely in your reviews. You seem less restricted when doing your reviews based on the order of the T.A.R.G.E.T system and just feels more organic 👏🏽

[@Shot007]

This really seems like a great version to be miniaturized. Would be amazing.

[@undolf4097]

Nowadays it’s cheap and easy to get minis to replace the pieces for yourself. I do this on the reg it’s just historical minis of the right size are trickier. Bigger market for fantasy

[@ConeDefense]

Whenever Zee reviews a Pandemic it’s a weird balance between me wanting to see a surprise negative and wanting what SHOULD happen.

[@spannyb]

Played this one solo last week and wow i love this one. The solo version is perfect and will try to play this solo version in the original pandemic. But i like Rising Tide as much as this one and think that one is harder

[@BandNerdcp]

Is it irrational to be bothered by the fact that it's called Pandemic but is neither A) having to do with a disease or B) global?

[@chrismusix5669]

What? You don't consider unmitigated immigration and intrusion on a continental scale a pandemic?

[@buffalobear160]

@@chrismusix5669 Oh shit. Z man games and Leacock are based and red pilled!

[@chrisfong8929]

“Pandemic” refers to the game system as opposed to the dictionary definition. This is similar to how Monopoly Fortnite has nothing to do with having an actual monopoly.

[@primusinterpares5767]

Chris Fong “Monopoly fortnite” Kill me

[@ZekeRomsdahl]

No, see the humans are the disease. Once you wipe out the foreign ethnic groups, the Roman Empire is allowed to continue for a thousand years, until eventually forming a world-spanning Terran Empire.

I like that all the components (except the dices) are made of wood. But come on, should the player meeples have been upgraded? Love love love the game btw

[@sborbu]

Thanks for the review! Which pandemic spinoff/system do you think are the best @zeegarcia after all this year? Is your opinion still the same? Where SW clone wars goes in this rank?

[@bibleboardgames]

Thank you! Pandemic brought me back to board games. Love Coop play. I like the theme of this one and might just pick it up!

[@blank4227]

10:25 would there still be Vestalis existing if Constantiopolis was already founded? Constantine and his successors basically banned pre-Christian religion (one of the many factors that contributed to the fall of Rome was the death of its original culture).

[@nealm2562]

Well done... this one is on my list for sure.

[@bronxuk6052]

I have to say i have never had any interest in any of the pandemic games just not my thing, the legacy versions peaked my interest but not enough to buy one. This version however does look like one i may pick up, i really like the theme and how its implemented, it looks really interesting to me. I would of liked little mini's as opposed to cubes to really push that theme but an owner can easily replace those i suppose if they choose to. It would of been nice to see them flesh out the politics side a bit more too with some back stabbing and political maneuvering which would of been a staple of the ancient era (maybe an expansion there interacting with barbarian leaders as well.).

[@comanaut9566]

Bronxuk - I agree that this theme is much more appealing than the original. Shame that it looks so ugly.

[@bronxuk6052]

@@comanaut9566 Yeah maybe but its functional, i would of liked a smallworld type map art with maybe cobbled roman roads connecting the cities and maybe some choke points with mountains and rivers making certain citys valuable strategically.

[@masqu81]

I allready bought this game and read the rules. The only thing that was a bit unclear at first was what happens after you ally a barbarian tribe. Good that Zee mentioned that they keep revolting and invading, but can be recruited now. Other than that i found everything else feel really well explained in the rules.

[@MrStonetigers]

Thanks for the review was looking forward to you doing this one. Have a question about the special power when rolled. Lets say you roll 2 specials does it effect once or twice? Thanks Keep the great reviews coming.

[@ZeeGarc]

It will happen twice if it was rolled on two of the faces.

[@sanderschippers2708]

Rising tide is very good. Theme comes out very well there compared to other spin-offs.

[@gazoo3596]

Question: When "eradicating" a barbarian tribe, i.e. no tribe cubes on the map, do you need to continue to block them from invading, or are they "eradicated" as in original Pandemic?

[@davidblake5353]

Very Cool! I can't wait to play :)

[@Graceclaw]

Paolo is a fantastic designer

[@JamesWanders]

Saying the Netherlands was the "low point" is a little on the nose, no?

[@JimmySquiky]

I think I'll buy this one ! Next I want Pandemic : Rise to Valhalla with viking theme :D

[@ConeDefense]

It’d be too weird to have a top 10 that Sam and Zee both LOVE!

[@JimmySquiky]

@@ConeDefense Imagine it's so good that it becomes Sam number 1 and they both have the same number 1 x3

[@kevinbhieey9188]

Well the next Pandemic Survival Finals would have to be in Oslo for that to happen. So far it seems like they are sticking to the big cities: Barcelona, Amsterdam, Rome. I have a feeling we'd be more likely to see Paris, London, Berlin or even Vienna or Prague before then. (Several of those scream Nazi Pandemic, no?) And that's just in Europe. You figure they'll have to hit the US eventually. (Pandemic to Ride!)

[@supermariomakermania5376]

Is this game co-op?

[@janenglund]

Yes.

[@sithlordmaster181]

Split screen yes

[@tommygrahn1516]

Seems like a version of pandemic my wife would like

[@maxducoudray]

My one concern with this game is that you use the same nine cards every game for determining starting cubes on the board. It seems like the “hot spots” will be largely the same every time you play.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

my brother and I played and didn't feel like it all came down to those spots but was worried about that when we started. The way they invade is interesting because they go along supply lines so they actually spread out pretty fast which splits your focus a bunch of ways.

[@maxducoudray]

@@TheBrothersMurph True (and I have also played, but only one time). But the issue I had was that those fixed set up cards are also shuffled into the discards, which means every game starts with the same fourteen cards in the discard (five Rome plus nine set up). That means the other cards you draw before the first Revolt are in a minority. I'll have to see if my suspicions are borne out in subsequent plays.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Yeah that’s a good point. I think some exhaustive playing may be in order ;) so far quite liked it and like that it felt a bit different than some other pandemics

[@chrismusix5669]

I've never heard of this 'Pandemic' with which you speak of. Should I check into it? HAHAHA! j/k I could hear Zee fall off his chair all the way up here in Michigan.

[@benlauson555]

No surprise here

[@inhumanbookworm]

Oh my, another Pandemic, is anyone afraid to open the fridge yet?

[@FragRevel]

Great game, great review

[@kevinbhieey9188]

Zee, it seemed like a couple of your points should have been without a plus. Ease of Play definitely did not come off like it deserved a plus. I don't think original Pandemic would get a plus for that and this is certainly more difficult than that game is to learn.

[@dutch_blades]

You were excited for this one to come out, weren't you? :p

[@bethanyrimington-warner7757]

So basically it’s Pandemic.......

[@Th0rvidTheViking]

It's Pandemic where the armies (diseases) all migrate in fairly predictable patterns instead of showing up in random locations. It's Pandemic where you have to bring along military units in order to eliminate the cubes (being there is not enough) and also have to initiate combat. It's Pandemic where you don't have to form alliances (cure diseases) with every colour on the board. It's Pandemic where if one location falls, it's game over instantly. It's Pandemic where you can choose to further yourself towards destruction to gain a huge benefit. In other words, it's not REALLY Pandemic, is it?

[@bethanyrimington-warner7757]

OdinWolf74 but it’s called Pandemic? So really it is Pandemic.

[@nurd6]

The Pandemic games are starting to horn in on COIN territory.. I may pick up this game and Falling Sky and try to transition people..

[@FredAlleanKabaret]

Nice approach

[@arcubal]

Sounds just like any other Pandemic to me. Z-Man Games needs to focus on different games instead of going down the Monopoly-variant route. That's just a waste of everyone's time, their money and an environmental waste. Skip!

[@Skobbolop]

But that's impossible, now that they are owned by Asmodee ;)

[@Th0rvidTheViking]

Thousands of satisfied customers enjoying these variants says otherwise, but no, let us all go with your individual opinion that these are a waste of time producing :)

[@57thorns]

Not a big fan of neither Pandemic, nor rebranding games. And do not get me started on the legacy trend (but I will ocassionally admit that is mostly because I do not have a stable group to play one with). This game however seems to be using some of the Pandemic mechanics (not sure if enough to warrant the name though) in a cooperative contemporary version of republic of Rome (minus the politics?). It seem to work nicely, get a bit fiddly (rather than complicated). A good impression to be honest.

[@carlosc862]

This is rising sun all over again.

[@Patronux]

What?

[@FredAlleanKabaret]

What ²?

[@Alluvian567]

I find this very unattractive. Would much rather just play defenders of the realm I think.

[@ReadyAimFire_]

Is this game based on what happening right now in Europe? Because hordes of heathen barbarians are at our gates, the problem is noone is fighting them, and traitors even invite them.

[@57thorns]

You gave me an idea for a game on the spread of xenophobia and Brexit. The game would be about keeping peace in Europe using the European Union and containing outbreaks of xenophobia to avoid them spreading. But I already have too many game ideas and all of them would be more fun to play.

[@blank4227]

@@57thorns there's a xenophobia gametype in Plague Inc which makes your disease much harder to spread since everyone's borders are closed... very funny to think about in hindsight considering covid

[@MeanNGreen17]

I disagree Zee, it’s not a good looking game at all.

[@kevinbhieey9188]

I have to agree with you. It's fugly. And having Legions and Fortresses and Characters and Barbarians all shoved together into one town just looks messy. Personally I would have preferred all the cubes start in areas off the board, which would allow for a larger map and larger circles for the cities. I think color choices were awful too. It's like they went in the exact opposite direction after Rising Tide, which had a more homogenous color scheme on top of a confusing layout. Now we've got more clarity but OMG, so garish.

[@comanaut9566]

The board is a hideous mess.

[@guillermoz4914]

Hmm I thought the colors and board looked great.

[@dandurkin9735]

Looks great and functional to me.

[@FragRevel]

Looks awesome

[@Glic2000]

Ugh, why is it SO ugly?

[@comanaut9566]

I agree. The board is awful. A map of Europe could easily be made to look more attractive. This looks crap.

[@guillermoz4914]

It’s not tho. :)

[@Artrean]

I still don't understand these "Pandemic" games. Sure, the first one has a legendary status in the hobby, and the Legacy version was revolutionary for the industry (although I found it relatively boring and repetitive). However, I don't know how they keep getting away with making different games and calling them "Pandemic". The very definition of Pandemic has to do with the theme of the first game(s) + expansions, but I don't understand the Netherlands, Cthulu, etc (and now Rome?!?) themes that literally have nothing to do with the word "pandemic". You say it's a branding thing? So these games are only getting attention because they slap the word "Pandemic" on there? Ok, well that seems like the game wouldn't hold water on its own then. Similar mechanics? Oh, you mean like 51st State and Imperial Settlers? Or do you mean like the first time they re-did Pandemic with a different theme and called it "Defenders Of the Realm", which stood on it's own two feet without a different name's brand to crutch it up? It's like CMON coming out with a game called Zombicide: My little Pony, where the game could have very similar mechanics to the Zombicide series, but not have any zombies or even anything close to zombies in it. I mean, am I just missing something here? This Pandemic madness has got to have an end sometime, right? Before it become an "Epicemic" ha ha! (Coincidentally, that is the correct word that they should have used, since the word "epidemic" can actually be used outside of a medical theme, while "pandemic" can not really. Too late to change it now.) I'm not saying that these spin-off games are bad - I don't know, I was never a huge fan of the original (or Legacy) and haven't played any of the spin-offs. I've always just never been interested enough in them to understand the hype. And it's just annoying they come out with a "new" one each year that has the appearance of having to rely on the name brand and popularity of the original to get any traction. Just call your game "Fall of Rome" and see if it's good enough to get any attention.

[@Punko1969]

Since you know you don't care for the series, you could have saved yourself some time and typing and just skipped this review altogether. The title of a game is the last thing that concerns me about it.

[@OdiousMage]

They all bear the Pandemic name because they're all built around the core gameplay of Pandemic. If you liked Pandemic, this is letting you know this is reworked version of that formula with a new theme. It interests me, if it doesn't interest you then that's fine.

[@buffalobear160]

I don't know what else one would call unchecked and unfiltered immigration on a continent wide scale. It's a pandemic. Come to think of it, I think Z man and Leacock are trying to red pill people.

[@WolfGratz]

@@buffalobear160 I'd call it a mass immigration of peoples caused in the main by invasions further down the line. I wouldn't compare it to a disease. But then neither would I describe these tribes as Barbarians in the first place. I mentally substituted Tribes for Barbarians throughout. Then again none of us are ancient Romans or clients of Rome and I do get that too.

[@kevinbhieey9188]

All the Catan games don't all take place in Catan. All the Carcassonne games don't take place in Carcassonne. (Many of the Carcassonne games don't even take place in a castle!) The Seven Wonders expansions have all kinds of buildings that are not one of the Seven Wonders. Then we can go into the games that don't match their title. In Ticket to Ride USA, you can build a route across the Continent that never touches American soil. The Castle of Mad King Ludwig looks nothing like the real Neuschwanstein, and Between Two Castles and Palace of Mad King Ludwig move even further away from reality. "Mad King Ludwig" has because a phrase that informs you this is a castle-building game. You know, branding. Like it it not, branding sells new games. The covers of these boxes look like the covers of novels; "Pandemic" just replaces the author's name. Pandemic Legacy is even presented as "Seasons", like they are a television show. If your brain cannot wrap itself around this concept, then just pretend there is a colon between Pandemic and whatever follows. Or, when you say the title, just mentally add in a word that allows you to not get so worked up. As in: Pandemic (presents) "Rising Tide".