Four Against the Great Old Ones - a nestled deep dive

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[@chrisdonovan8795]

You know, replay value is a thing, but I also consider the initial cost compared to the time played. I often think about the price of a movie ticket, which around here in New York, is around $13 for two hours of entertainment. I think these small games are a great value. Additionally, if you can't stand to play it again, give it to a friend.

[@lone_adventurer]

Ah I did not make the connection between this and MarcoOmniGamer! I was already interested in this one, but the fact that it is from Marco really increases my interest level. Side note - I watched his recent video about how he gave away like 80% of his game collection recently. What an awesome dude.

[@davidk6269]

Daniel playing a game by Marco the Omnigamer is a dream come true!!!!

[@TheDungeonDive]

Marco's great!

[@miked5394]

I'd love to see a Dungeon Dive interview with Marco!

[@dickwhiskey8041]

I've played this through three times and find it enjoyable. It is quite difficult at first. I limped into a final encounter with Cthulhu on my third time but my party was just too far gone. Over time you learn that certain locations have a bad benefits/risk ratio and that others are more productive visits. Good luck staying sane! The dives into the Carcosa Rising and Dawning Horror were very helpful. I ordered both. I just happen to be reading that Dream Cycle book. The Statement of Randolph Carter is a favorite.

[@5192aaron]

How fitting! I just got my hands on this one!

[@boatofcar3273]

Thanks for this review Daniel-it’s given me the 4AD itch again!

[@donbeyer5074]

Amazon wish list just got a bit longer! Thank you!

[@qsviewsrpgs4571]

Fantastic video, thank you for all of the great information and I'm excited to check this all out.

[@CuriosityWorldco]

Last fight VS yog-shototh ...TPK. L15 HP15 COSMIC HORROR VS 2 libray rats, gángster low ammo and a nurse but IS ok normal lovecraft ending every one crazy, all correct.

[@vitore.sanches7712]

10:30 I agree 100% with you! 4AtGOO reminds me so much about Eldritch/Arkham Horror in the best way possible! I hope they keep releasing expansions like the main 4AD series, so I can have another bloathed lovecraftian mess to play during weekends. XD

[@hariszark7396]

Although I like games with the Lovecraftian Mythos my issue is that most of them have the players trying to fight the Great Old Ones. Something that is humanly impossible if you are familiar with the concept of those oddities. The only thing the investigators can really do is to prevent the events prior the arrival or materialisation of them in our reality. I feel most games do not understand what those oddities represent compared to humans. For me, if one of those oddities find a way to our world, that world will never be the same again. Some times the world will be instantly destroyed. The only thing the players should do is find a way to send that oddity back to its own realm, somehow, but that would be extremely difficult and would need a lot of preparation and knowledge. You just can't fight them with a shotgun or a rifle. In most cases you can't even fight their servants (monsters or cultists) with human weapons. You just RUN while you can. I don't know if 4AGOO gives that feeling and atmosphere though.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Oh yeah. Games based on the mythos are mostly based entirely on the pulp interpretation of the mythos. There are so many different styles of the mythos, one for every author who contributed. Some more more about the cosmic horror, others are more about the pulp adventure. One is not more valid than the other, they're just different styles. It just makes for me exciting and active game play on a table.

[@hariszark7396]

@@TheDungeonDive Sure thing. It is a guilty pleasure to play Pulp Cthulhu / Mythos and throw a bundle of dynamite on a shoggoth or empty your tommygun's full magazine on a Mi-go while chewing bubblegum. But honestly having your character run or hide from a Byakhee or sht his pants the first time he meets a Dark Young in the forest moving between the trees is a better way to experience the Lovecraftian atmosphere of his stories.

[@TheDungeonDive]

@@hariszark7396is there a game that captures the more cosmic horror vibe best for you?

[@hariszark7396]

@@TheDungeonDive Honestly this is a hard question... At first, there are so many games I haven't tried and they may be good but I don't have the experience to judge them. And also, that subject is very subjective and depending on personal preferences that you can get so many different answers as many people you may ask about. So, ...I think I will have to go with Eldridge Horror for a board game. Not 100% perfect but very close to what I like. But a better combination would be a blend of EH and Fortune and Glory in one game if you can get what I mean. Then there is Mansions of Madness. A very good board game. I could add the Betrayal On The House on the Hill and A Touch Of Evil if they count as cosmic horror games. Now regarding RPGs, this is mostly dependent on the Game Masters and how they present their games. I mean Call Of Cthulhu RPG may be good but it can be boring or exciting depending on the GM. In my solo games I have everything under control and I make my games as dark and atmospheric as I want. Besides that it's just a matter of rules set and how easy or hard is a game to learn and use. I prefer lighter rule sets than heavy ones that rule out every little detail. For example Call Of Cthulhu is a heavy rules set for my taste. Honestly I can make a very good game session just with the Mythic system, The Solo Investigator's Handbook and the Cthulhu Nights micro-RPG. 4AGOO seems legit too for a combination with the above. Sorry I couldn't make my answer shorter or clearer.

[@TheDungeonDive]

It's such a weird sub-genre. Everyone who is into it kind of has their own idealized notion of what it is, and this isn't helped by the fact that the there really aren't any truly defined parameters of what it is, because it's always being added to by different people with their own ideas of what it is! LOL!

[@shirleynace1314]

Thank you for this video! It was so interesting I watched until the very end. I play Four Against Darkness, but the Lovecraft themes have always been too scary for me so I will pass on these and settle for some murder and mayhem in the Troublesome Towns 😮

[@TheDungeonDive]

I’m looking forward to checking TT out!

[@phaedruslive]

If you name drop Thieves' World, you know a thing or two about dungeons.

[@geoffdenham5063]

I know that it is defiantly ‘cosmic horror lite’ but I just finished The Fisherman by John Lanagan. I thought it was pretty good. defiantly rises above standard horror fiction and I actually dug the story within a story at its core.

[@TheDungeonDive]

I’ve had that for ages and just haven’t gotten around to reading it yet. I’ve heard nothing but great things.

[@carlwoods4564]

Alone against fear needs more expansions.

[@TheDungeonDive]

I’d love to see more, especially more in line with the original book.

[@carlwoods4564]

@@TheDungeonDive FAD needs better Wilderness rules too. A bit like the new Town rules, but wilderness based.

[@RSOULIER75]

Oh the same that done song of blades and heroes a super skirmish game?

[@TheDungeonDive]

Yes - and Four Against Darkness. Same publisher. Different designers.

[@mrjspancakehouse]

Does the publisher provide a pdf with physical purchase? I’m always torn I prefer physical copies but like to have pdfs just in case!

[@TheDungeonDive]

Not sure. I got things on Amazon. No pdf.

[@jaydugger3291]

Who's the publisher and where do we buy it??

[@TheDungeonDive]

Google it. Bing it. Alta vista it. Dogpile it. Yahoo it. I'm not here to help people shop. I bought them all on Amazon. You can get them from Lulu, DriveThru, World of Books, Noble Night, Alibris, Thrift Books, Better World Books, eBay...and on and on. I'm not sponsored by any retailer, and don't endorse any single retailer, so I'm not going to post a link to a single source. The best way to find the best place to buy things is just searching for the title, and picking a retailer you enjoy using.

[@jaydugger3291]

​@@TheDungeonDiveI was hoping you would have led with that information. I know that I can perfectly well Google it myself. There's no need to be snide.

[@TheDungeonDive]

@@jaydugger3291nope. Not here to help people shop. I told you the name and the authors. That’s all you need to find it at your favorite retailer