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Stratos - Fantasy-themed Euro board game - 40% off

  • Last Updated:
  • Mar 29th, 2016 1:10 pm
Deal Addict
Nov 3, 2002
1089 posts
104 upvotes
we're big gamers, may give it a try.

Look this doesn't sound like some scam as it is being portrayed here.
Why would someone go through the effort and cost to produce a new game to run a scam.

A new CDN game that they are just trying to get out there.
Member
Jan 19, 2013
332 posts
313 upvotes
thanks to Stratos team for the response .. I love board games too and frequent meetups in my area.. as much I would like you to succeed , 62 $ is a high price point for a game .. there are many good games at that price .. I am not trying to be rude but asking 42 $ ( after discount ) for a game with 0 reviews ( barring the few that your friends have put up ), I would be very hesitant to that .. I was looking at the game rules page https://www.stratosgame.com/play.html .. I cant even find the rule book on the site .. can you guys at least put up a youtube video outlining how the game is played ( something in the Watch it Played style ).. again the game looks very promising and I would be really interested in this , but have some reviews in there first ( as others suggested send it to different reviewers ) ..
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Oct 19, 2003
20241 posts
8367 upvotes
Toronto (Bloor West …
I'd take a chance on it for $30. Over $50 after shipping and taxes, no.

Coupon it up, guys.
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
May 1, 2003
6818 posts
567 upvotes
soulchief wrote: Rahdo > Dice Tower :)
Often this is true, but Radho can be extremely annoying at times too. When he goes off on how certain aspects of a game might offend people and becomes all righetous , I want to punch him. Also he reviews things mostly from a 2 player perspective and does not like conflict, so games that need lots of players and have direct conflict are not reviews of his that you should watch.
Deal Fanatic
Jan 18, 2004
6433 posts
1239 upvotes
Canada
rubeus wrote: we're big gamers, may give it a try.

Look this doesn't sound like some scam as it is being portrayed here.
Why would someone go through the effort and cost to produce a new game to run a scam.

A new CDN game that they are just trying to get out there.
Not a scam but the game might not be fun or even interesting/well balanced/playable... etc
Also it might not be the game style one likes.. but without a good impartial review, it's hard to tell.
so is it worth paying $40-60 to try it out?
Newbie
Jan 10, 2016
5 posts
8 upvotes
Hamilton
Hi there,
I am the Marketing Manager for Stratos writing to assure you that we are currently working on addressing concerns here. We’re a new company and glad to have feedback both positive and negative to help us grow. Some of the things requested are obvious add-ins that just got delayed as we focused a lot on the product and on getting the first batch to our customers before Christmas, and then taking a much deserved rest after the crazy lead-up.

We are sending games from the next batch to reviewers {as the first batch sold out quickly}.The first versions were also a little different and included special extras for our earliest supporters. The Dice Tower & other successful reviewers are on our radar and in the works. As are tutorial and play-through videos. These things do take some time to do properly, and we do appreciate your patience as we work hard to get these to you.

We have begun reaching out to our customers now that they’ve had the game for a few weeks, as well as and anyone who has played, to post their reviews, and they have started to come in on Facebook. Thank you to jamex, vitalli and reubus for your comments. If you are willing to share these reviews on our Stratos Facebook page that would be a great help to contributing to more balanced reviews.

We were happy to have finished our pre-Christmas run with some sales at or close to full price as stock ran out from the first order, but recognize that in the new year lots of people have spent enough on Christmas and Boxing Week that starting off with a 40% discount is fair to us and to our next set of early pre-orders for the batch arriving mid-February.

Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have more comments, questions or concerns as we'd be happy to help.
For more information, photos and reviews check us out at:
Facebook: Stratos
Instagram: stratos_game
Twitter: @Stratos_Game
Websites: 1. https://www.stratosgame.com/ 2. http://www.boardandtale.com/

Jill K.G.G.
Stratos Community Manager
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Jul 8, 2005
2302 posts
1272 upvotes
I purchased one of the first copies of the game and think it is a very intriguing game. I played it four or five times over the holidays with 2, 3, 4 and 5 players. It is a really neat idea and it has a TON of potential. We played the Tomobolo scenario for the five player game and had a great time. The game was pretty intense and the defenders only won by getting 10 prosperity points with the attackers in our defensive zone (the defenders lose if any attackers remain in your defensive zone at the end of your turn)! Generally we think the game is very solid and we have a bit of feedback for the team (more scenarios, proofread the manual for errors, d4 is tough for randomness, not all unit upgrades are close to equal in improvement, the game could use a few more terrain pieces as one of the included scenarios needed more forest pieces than we were supplied with and a few more things). You can see where this game could go in lots of directions i.e. towards conflict only scenarios, RPG as the emphasis, RPG/Mage Knightish etc. etc.

We have a lot of board games and we haven't played them nearly as much as we would like or even played all of them yet but Stratos is a good game. It needs some polish and expansion to be mentioned in the sentence as some of the classics but like I mentioned before, it has a ton of potential and it is pretty impressive for a first effort from a new company.
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Oct 19, 2003
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jkinggodard wrote: We were happy to have finished our pre-Christmas run with some sales at or close to full price as stock ran out from the first order
A little hard to believe unless the first order was very small. Also hard to believe the "full price" is a price that it ever lists for in an earnest capacity, it seems like an inflated MSRP tactic which generally RFD frowns upon as it treats consumers like fools (which most are, so the tactic is understandable).

I'd rather have a 10% discount on an honest to goodness regular price than a 40% discount on a price nobody actually buys something for.
Newbie
Jan 10, 2016
5 posts
8 upvotes
Hamilton
feminazi wrote:
We have a lot of board games and we haven't played them nearly as much as we would like or even played all of them yet but Stratos is a good game. It needs some polish and expansion to be mentioned in the sentence as some of the classics but like I mentioned before, it has a ton of potential and it is pretty impressive for a first effort from a new company.
Thank you feminazi for your well-rounded review. We very much appreciate feedback on the gameplay, especially from experienced gamers like yourselves who can bring insight from the players perspective.

We will be sure to proof read the manual and we'd be very grateful if you'd be willing to shoot us an email via https://www.stratosgame.com/contact.html with specific errors that you noticed. Also if you do have a moment to post this review on our Stratos Facebook page, we think it would be helpful for those considering purchasing Stratos.

We are very glad that you overall enjoyed Stratos and appreciate your support in our vision for the game. All of the comments you provided help us reflect, improve and get closer to achieving our goal of creating a unique, dynamic boardgame that is thoroughly enjoyed by the players.

If you're interested in keeping up with our progress as we release more content, tutorials and reviews check us out on Twitter @Stratos_Game, Instagram @stratos_game and our Stratos Facebook page.

Thanks again and happy gaming!
Jill K.G.G
Stratos Community Manager
Newbie
Jan 10, 2016
5 posts
8 upvotes
Hamilton
Thank you vitalii for taking the time to post your helpful review.

We really appreciate how you describe the gameplay and refer to other games to help readers better understand the concept. Our goal with Stratos is to create a unique, dynamic boardgame that is thoroughly enjoyed by the players. And with support from gamers like you we have the ability to achieve that goal.

If you have a moment we would really appreciate you posting your review on our Stratos Facebook page so that prospective players have a balanced idea of what to expect during gameplay.

If you're interested in keeping up with our progress as we release more content, tutorials and play-throughs check us out on Twitter @Stratos_Game, Instagram @stratos_game and our Stratos Facebook page.

Thanks again and happy gaming!
Jill K.G.G
Stratos Community Manager
Newbie
Sep 1, 2012
4 posts
5 upvotes
Peterborough
Hi All,

I also bought the game during the Pre-Christmas push and we have loved it. As a family of gamers it is fun to play with the kids, yet still competitive when the adults play alone.

Basically, you create a map (based on provided designs or one of your own). From there you race to collect the 10 points needed to win.

There are 5 character types within the game and each provides a unique way to win. Farmers can try and harvest their way to victory, Mages can use spells to control the game, Warriors and Archers can battle their way to 10 points, or explorers can discover cool (or deadly) findings to disrupt the game. It is usually a combination of the 5 required to win.

What I love about the game is the dynamic setup, not only can you change the lay of the land as you wish, you can also randomize the volume of treasures hidden in the game board. My kids love the explorers so I created a labyrinth map, which I loaded with (high amounts of) treasure for them to discover as I chased them with an army of soldiers.

Over time I think people will be able to come up with cool map/scenarios to play out based on standardized set up and goals. My buddy and I have been discussing creating a map based on Axis and Allies - where three players try and take down 2 powerful players loosely based on A&A map and character types.

I think I read somewhere that they are on the third or fourth iteration of the game. It shows, the game dynamics and trading systems are well thought out and balanced. The game plays well. Definitely a 60-90 minute game. Which can be shorted by going to 7-8 points to win. Only minor draw back for me is the constant changing of the tokens. I understand lots of games are played this way, it is just not my thing.

Overall, it is totally worth a try and if the map/scenario making catches on it could be really awesome. Of the three games we got for Christmas this one has been played the most.
Deal Fanatic
Jan 18, 2004
6433 posts
1239 upvotes
Canada
Mosman2 wrote: Hi All,

I also bought the game during the Pre-Christmas push and we have loved it. As a family of gamers it is fun to play with the kids, yet still competitive when the adults play alone.

Basically, you create a map (based on provided designs or one of your own). From there you race to collect the 10 points needed to win.

There are 5 character types within the game and each provides a unique way to win. Farmers can try and harvest their way to victory, Mages can use spells to control the game, Warriors and Archers can battle their way to 10 points, or explorers can discover cool (or deadly) findings to disrupt the game. It is usually a combination of the 5 required to win.

What I love about the game is the dynamic setup, not only can you change the lay of the land as you wish, you can also randomize the volume of treasures hidden in the game board. My kids love the explorers so I created a labyrinth map, which I loaded with (high amounts of) treasure for them to discover as I chased them with an army of soldiers.

Over time I think people will be able to come up with cool map/scenarios to play out based on standardized set up and goals. My buddy and I have been discussing creating a map based on Axis and Allies - where three players try and take down 2 powerful players loosely based on A&A map and character types.

I think I read somewhere that they are on the third or fourth iteration of the game. It shows, the game dynamics and trading systems are well thought out and balanced. The game plays well. Definitely a 60-90 minute game. Which can be shorted by going to 7-8 points to win. Only minor draw back for me is the constant changing of the tokens. I understand lots of games are played this way, it is just not my thing.

Overall, it is totally worth a try and if the map/scenario making catches on it could be really awesome. Of the three games we got for Christmas this one has been played the most.
Thanks for the feedback.

Is there an end game scoring system? Or is it just first to 10 pts win?

If I'm a farmer, I can just harvest to win... but other people can attack me? Or do they take the land?
Do I have all 5 player types and I use them to fight off the invaders?
Newbie
Sep 1, 2012
4 posts
5 upvotes
Peterborough
canadiankorean wrote: Thanks for the feedback.

Is there an end game scoring system? Or is it just first to 10 pts win?

If I'm a farmer, I can just harvest to win... but other people can attack me? Or do they take the land?
Do I have all 5 player types and I use them to fight off the invaders?
The game is meant to be flexible. In standard games you need 10 pts to win. Some of the scenario maps have other conditions (hold the tower for 1 rd to win). I can also see proper RPG style maps where a DM scripts the first 4-6 rounds and the players have to reach or hold a certain tile to win. I don't have enough understanding of the game to design these "end results" yet but I am sure we will start seeing these in the months ahead.

Here are a few more game mechanics.
On a standard board every player starts with 1 farmer. On a players turn, every character they own gets 2 actions (Move, Harvest, Attack, Cast Spell, Explore, Defend). Every character has two states (standard and promoted). The attributes of the character change when they are promoted. When all characters finish their actions the player gets a "buying round" to purchase any characters, promotions, spells, etc that they want. You are allowed 5 characters per player. If a character is killed you can buy a new one the next turn. You can use any combination of the 5 character types. Farmers can also be converted into other characters if you have enough resources and want to be aggressive or explore.

Strategy
With the kids I use the harvest strategy, I build and promote 4 farmers that harvest every turn. I create 1 archer to defend the farmers. If the kids ignore me I can win relatively quickly. I have not been able to win with this strategy against adults.
My youngest is very aggressive. He will try and move his farmers close to someone (1 move action, 1 harvest action per turn) then start build warriors (who spawn next to any character) to kill opponents. I don't think he can win with this strategy but it makes for an interesting game.
My oldest loves to explore. He builds and promotes explorers, then creates archers to defend them, and has farmers harvesting at the back. It is a balanced approach which he has won several times.
In one of my early games with adults I was able to build and promote 4 wizards. It took a while to build it up but I became very powerful and won easily. Since then people aggressively stop the development of wizard armies.
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User avatar
Oct 5, 2007
5898 posts
2331 upvotes
Toronto
Mosman2 wrote: The game is meant to be flexible. In standard games you need 10 pts to win. Some of the scenario maps have other conditions (hold the tower for 1 rd to win). I can also see proper RPG style maps where a DM scripts the first 4-6 rounds and the players have to reach or hold a certain tile to win. I don't have enough understanding of the game to design these "end results" yet but I am sure we will start seeing these in the months ahead.

Here are a few more game mechanics.
On a standard board every player starts with 1 farmer. On a players turn, every character they own gets 2 actions (Move, Harvest, Attack, Cast Spell, Explore, Defend). Every character has two states (standard and promoted). The attributes of the character change when they are promoted. When all characters finish their actions the player gets a "buying round" to purchase any characters, promotions, spells, etc that they want. You are allowed 5 characters per player. If a character is killed you can buy a new one the next turn. You can use any combination of the 5 character types. Farmers can also be converted into other characters if you have enough resources and want to be aggressive or explore.

Strategy
With the kids I use the harvest strategy, I build and promote 4 farmers that harvest every turn. I create 1 archer to defend the farmers. If the kids ignore me I can win relatively quickly. I have not been able to win with this strategy against adults.
My youngest is very aggressive. He will try and move his farmers close to someone (1 move action, 1 harvest action per turn) then start build warriors (who spawn next to any character) to kill opponents. I don't think he can win with this strategy but it makes for an interesting game.
My oldest loves to explore. He builds and promotes explorers, then creates archers to defend them, and has farmers harvesting at the back. It is a balanced approach which he has won several times.
In one of my early games with adults I was able to build and promote 4 wizards. It took a while to build it up but I became very powerful and won easily. Since then people aggressively stop the development of wizard armies.
LOL you expect us to believe you don't work with the company?.... joined 2012, randomly made your first 3 posts in this thread....

oh man.
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Oct 5, 2007
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Toronto
BinaryJay wrote: A little hard to believe unless the first order was very small. Also hard to believe the "full price" is a price that it ever lists for in an earnest capacity, it seems like an inflated MSRP tactic which generally RFD frowns upon as it treats consumers like fools (which most are, so the tactic is understandable).

I'd rather have a 10% discount on an honest to goodness regular price than a 40% discount on a price nobody actually buys something for.
Word to big bird.
Newbie
Sep 1, 2012
4 posts
5 upvotes
Peterborough
ez_86 wrote: LOL you expect us to believe you don't work with the company?.... joined 2012, randomly made your first 3 posts in this thread....

oh man.
You are totally right Ez, I created an RFD account in 2012 in hopes that I could one day create a game company and then use the RFD site to drive sales... or maybe I am a gamer who appreciates some Canadians guys trying to start a game company and thought I could write a couple posts to help out.
Member
User avatar
Aug 5, 2008
300 posts
132 upvotes
Rawdon
Mosman2 wrote: You are totally right Ez, I created an RFD account in 2012 in hopes that I could one day create a game company and then use the RFD site to drive sales... or maybe I am a gamer who appreciates some Canadians guys trying to start a game company and thought I could write a couple posts to help out.
Don't listen to the trolls. :)
Deal Fanatic
Jan 18, 2004
6433 posts
1239 upvotes
Canada
Mosman2 wrote: The game is meant to be flexible. In standard games you need 10 pts to win. Some of the scenario maps have other conditions (hold the tower for 1 rd to win). I can also see proper RPG style maps where a DM scripts the first 4-6 rounds and the players have to reach or hold a certain tile to win. I don't have enough understanding of the game to design these "end results" yet but I am sure we will start seeing these in the months ahead.

Here are a few more game mechanics.
On a standard board every player starts with 1 farmer. On a players turn, every character they own gets 2 actions (Move, Harvest, Attack, Cast Spell, Explore, Defend). Every character has two states (standard and promoted). The attributes of the character change when they are promoted. When all characters finish their actions the player gets a "buying round" to purchase any characters, promotions, spells, etc that they want. You are allowed 5 characters per player. If a character is killed you can buy a new one the next turn. You can use any combination of the 5 character types. Farmers can also be converted into other characters if you have enough resources and want to be aggressive or explore.

Strategy
With the kids I use the harvest strategy, I build and promote 4 farmers that harvest every turn. I create 1 archer to defend the farmers. If the kids ignore me I can win relatively quickly. I have not been able to win with this strategy against adults.
My youngest is very aggressive. He will try and move his farmers close to someone (1 move action, 1 harvest action per turn) then start build warriors (who spawn next to any character) to kill opponents. I don't think he can win with this strategy but it makes for an interesting game.
My oldest loves to explore. He builds and promotes explorers, then creates archers to defend them, and has farmers harvesting at the back. It is a balanced approach which he has won several times.
In one of my early games with adults I was able to build and promote 4 wizards. It took a while to build it up but I became very powerful and won easily. Since then people aggressively stop the development of wizard armies.
So it's almost like Civilizations (PC game) as a board game.
So Civ lite.

I still think a video by the game dev or a reviewer would help immensely
Deal Fanatic
Jan 18, 2004
6433 posts
1239 upvotes
Canada
Sorry to bump this.

But has anyone that bought this game received their copy and played it?

How is the gameplay?
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User avatar
Dec 12, 2006
1125 posts
257 upvotes
Calgary
My friend bought it and we played it once. I quite enjoyed it, I can relate it to Starcraft mixed with a bit of DnD but in board game format. You start out with harvesters to gather resources and you can use the resources to purchase an army of archers, mages, or soldiers. You can also buy an explorer but they're more for exploring tiles to collect victory points and equipment rather than fighting. Battle damage is determined using dice rolls and there's a chance of missing based the opponent's armor and your own *****ty rolls. You can upgrade your dudes to be more powerful (more health, more mana, deal more damage, less chance of missing). I quite enjoyed it overall, made me want to play Baldur's Gate II afterwards.

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