"Teaching the Neighborhood kids Dreadball" Topic

Quick followup to my earlier post in another thread. (Most of this is a repost)……

Three of the boys in the neighborhood are playing quite a lot now. (Ages 8, 10, and 11), Overall they grasp the rules and concept and are loving the game. They still lack a lot of tactical sense that comes with experience and learning to evaluate risks. All three have now played more than my limited game and a half, and are demanding a chance to play today after it gets too hot outside to play ball or whatever (Hot weather, like really cold weather tends to drive them inside). So this afternoon around one I'll host for a couple more games.

One suggestion, when attempting to teach the game to new players, try and teach one game at a time. I tried to teach two games at once to a group of boys, and it just required too much attention. This of course is one of Dreadball strengths is that it keeps both players engaged through the games as you really have to be involved. Its this attention to both sides of both games that stretched my abilities too far. We eventually decided to let one set of boys finish one game and then the other set finished theirs afterwards.

The boys want me to take them to our club night, and let them introduce the game to the older crowd. I think this is funny as I can just imagine my 10 year old teaching the old grogonards the game (with a little help from me).

So to sum it up, I'd classify the beginning as a success start. I'd like to get a couple more involved, but its summer and fewer kids are actually available (Vacation time this month for many families). We3 still have to see if it will hold their attention over a longer period….like a real season.

Skipper

Did you use cards/ref for the first couple of games?
It took us a couple of games before adding that but it helped get the basic bit across.

Most of the kids got introduced slowly with the first game being basically the kickstarter, the second cards and fouls and finally adding cheers for the MVP on the third game.

Cool. First couple of games without cards and the Orx have a better chance of being nasty. Once humans get the cards, it helps even them out more.

imagine how much fun they could have with a thinking game like blood bowl…

"imagine how much fun they could have with a thinking game like blood bowl…"

the 2-1 Dwarven grind is so much fun and requires so much thought……

But I do like Bloodbowl,(8+ painted teams) but I'm really being won over by dreadball…..

dwarves are broken at high tv. in fact, blood bowl is broken at high tv. that said, and dwarves aside, i'd play a starting tv blood bowl league over breadball all day long…

I bought Dreadball and I'm dying to play it. I have the miniatures assembled and awaiting painting now, but too many other things have to be painted first. I flipped through the rules, but don't really remember them.

Overall, how complex is it to play? Is it something a new player can grasp quickly? I ask because I will play with my friends who aren't really miniatures gamers.

The game is pretty easy to play from what I've seen, but getting the finer points down may take some time.

As John indicates, their may not be as much depth of tactics in the long haul, but its a little early to be sure. I expect changes as a new edition appear in about 3-4 years.

I also think it will appeal to a more lighter gaming crowd. With shorter games and the potential to play three -4 games in the same number of hours, it is conceivable to play a whole season (half season) or tournament in one evening. I think I read somewhere where they were trying to run a league at work playing during their 1 hour lunch break.

I also find that the kids are really getting into it and have the concept down by their second-third game. Mine have been bugging me to play and host their friends over every spare minute. I finally had to just say "NO, Go play outside".

Having played BB as well I must disagree strongly with him. I Suspect his axe is being ground by the manufacturer of the game vs the quality of the Game.

Dreadball involves pushing your luck and is more dynamic. Faster? Definitely. Lighter? Lighter on rules, faq's and the pocketbook, but I disagree that it is light on strategy.

Enjoy your BB leagues where you can find them, then agree on which rule set you are going to use.

On the Mantic forum you can find shops all over that are running dreadball leagues and an automated league manager program is being independently developed.

In BB I saw the same tactics over and over sometimes move for move from the previous go. A thinking game indeed. Say that to me two hours into a Dwarven grind game as by then I am clock watching.

I several dozen games under my belt and I have yet to look at the clock and think "how did I get here?"

Most are "Oh damn I have two possessions left, how am I going to pull this off"

I never went beyond my metal Orc team with star players in BB but currently have four Dreadball teams and a host of MVP's (and to get that same BB orc team would cost me what I paid for those 4 DB teams)

Respectfully,
That Lee guy