Musings On... Pirate's Cove (#4)

 Jeremy: Do you remember the good ol' days when you sat around a table with a giant multicolored map of the world, rolling dice hundreds of times trying to conquer places like Western Canada and Irkutsk? Well, I remember that game, and I remember those times, and I left them behind long ago in search of better games with better mechanics. So what am I doing playing Pirate's Cove? This lavish production from Days of Wonder certainly looks wonderful with an exquisitely illustrated board depicting a series of islands, and great pirate ship pieces...and tons of dice. Pirate's Cove is a unique blend of German mechanics, and American sensibilities (read: obsession with dice.) And it works surprisingly well as players will move to islands and improve their ships by way of simple and clever mechanics, then meet each other in battle on the high seas, rolling dice till someone's tattered ship high-tails it in surrender.

Shawn: I certainly do remember those days, except I live in Western Canada. I just got ready to type 'I don't mind dice', until I began to really think about that. And I realized I actually DO mind dice. And sadly, I think the use of the dice in Pirate's Cove is a large reason why. What, I have to role a 5 or 6 to hit? That's nice, I'll just roll specifically with a short twist of the wrist and 4 shakes, and I should roll that 5 if I planned the drop of the die properly. The dice add a sense of luck and randomness to a battle, which I'm sure some are happy with, however I think that's what I don't like about Pirate's Cove. Long battles between two ships, that take longer than they really should. Despite this, I think I might still like this game.

Tom: Dice are the bane of some of my games, as I'll never forget a game of Axis and Allies where my opponent rolled 6 "1"'s out of ten dice in a crucial battle. And yet, at the same time, they have been a source of great victories for me. I must confess that I'm not a fan of "dicey" games, UNLESS there is a great theme and/or other strategies. For me, Pirate's Cove isn't really about the battles; it's about choosing the right island and more importantly about the theme. I can't name five games that have more theme than Pirate's Cove. Whenever I play the game, even serious people emit some "Arg, Matey's" every once in a while, and the cards, board, and pieces all help promote this.

Shawn: I agree, sometimes I actually don't mind the dice, like in Duel of Ages actually. And I think theme is a heavy factor in that case. But you are right, it's the theme of Pirate's Cove that probably makes me still like it. I will say I've only had the pleasure of two games (but my copy just arrived today!) and of those games I did not like the first, and almost liked the second. But I still bought it! It's because I am a pirate freak. I have been since I was little (I had every piece of Pirate Lego I could get my hands on). Theme is strong in this game, and might very well defeat the dark side of the dice. So the question is then, would I like it if I wasn't into Pirates? My guess is no, unfortunately. I wonder if there are any other wonderfully fun themes that could somehow be applied to this game. Star Wars with Bounty Hunters maybe?

Morgan: Pirate's Cove is so rich in color and texture that it is easy to get consumed by the experience and not sweat the fact that you are getting your ass kicked by bad dice. The mechanics are not complicated, in some ways you might even say that the game suffers by its simplicity. There is no elegance here, as this can be more or less lather, rinse and repeat. What makes it worse is that the board gives the illusion of movement upon first glance by having a map with a grid on it, yet neither mean anything. There really is no sense in this being a board game at all, the islands could be cards, the chests a counter on your mat, but without the board it would fail. If it were any more abstracted, the game would be exposed to show the flimsy machinations it relies on. While people knock the game for being nothing but frosting, I say all hail frosting and the creamy deliciousness of it all. For me, I look to games as a way to escape and as a way to interact with my friends; this game's bilge is overflowing with these qualities. What this game lacks in depth, it represents with a high fun quotient.

Tom: I don't quite understand why the mechanics of the game are thought to be so "thin". I think that the simultaneous selection for the islands, the decisions when and what to upgrade on your ship, and when to turn in your treasure all add a layer of strategy to the game. But even if these mechanics weren't in place, I would submit that the game was so much fun, and so thematic, that nothing else matters much. If I want a game full of powerful mechanics, and one that I can play with my gaming friends, then I'll play Powergrid or Maharaja (sorry, Jeremy). But if I want to play a game where shouting occurs, where poor pirate accents fill the air, or where, most importantly, everyone has almost too much fun, then Pirate's Cove is the first game I'd pull out.

Shawn: I will admit that the reason I bought the game was mainly because it looked so amazing, I wanted it on my game shelf in my living room. The look of a game really helps me break it out to my friends and family, and I'm sure they will all like Pirate's Cove. My question is, will it be a gut reaction to how it looks (like special effects in movies), or will they like it because of more? Tom and Morgan have illustrated a pretty picture of how much fun this game is and what it induces in even serious people. I think a good comparison for this is actually a movie about Pirates. Pirates of the Caribbean! It was fun, had great special effects, pirates, very colorful, humor, and an awesome pirate. The awesome pirate even got nominated for best actor because the serious people even had fun! But wait… is anyone really watching it anymore? I know even my brother, who absolutely loved the movie to death, hasn't watched it since Christmas. And yet he still watches the Lord of the Rings trilogy once a month. Does Pirate's Cove have staying power?

Morgan: For me it seems silly to try and consider the lasting power of this game. Because, Pirate's Cove relies so heavy on player interaction and theme rather than on mechanics it relegates itself to an occasional play game. It is like ice cream. It is yummy, but you just can't live off of it. This game will never be a staple, rather it simply works as a diversion between other deeper more intense games. That said, on the infrequent night when you whip this puppy out, smiles will appear on everyone's faces. Tom had mentioned that he felt this game's mechanics shouldn't be discredited. In some ways I would have to agree, but only in that they facilitate the fun rather than being particularly innovative. Pirate's Cove is more or less a game of Raj or perhaps the second half of For Sale. You choose blindly, in hopes that you intuitively guessed what the other players are going for. Pirate's Cove succeeds in that rather than just taking what is sought based on sheer numbers or might, i.e. higher property cards as in For Sale, you have to duke it out -- you have to earn it. Sure the battle system is overly simple, but it leads to intense little battles that you can't help but care about. Why should you care? Because you just spent the last couple of turns building up your ship like a character in an RPG. It forces you to invest in your game. So when the cannons start firing do you retreat, or do you hope to cut the bitterness of your injuries with the sweet taste of your enemies suffering.

Shawn: What an excellent explanation Morgan, you've made me look forward to playing my new purchase, which I thank you for. You know, I don't think in my games much thought was taken by way of building up the ships, more concentration was placed on the cards available at the islands. Yes, the more I think about it, the more I see a strategy to the game that isn't noticed at first.

Jeremy: I'm with Morgan on this one (mmmm...icing!) When I first sat down to play Pirate's Cove, I might've found myself a bit disappointed upon learning of all the dice rolling I'd be doing, but any misgivings I had were quickly forgotten upon actually playing the game. The "German" part of the game -- trying to outguess your opponent's in order to pick up loot and outfit your ship -- makes for a good game, then the "American" part of combat resolution using dice...I can't sit here and defend the intangible "fun-factor", I just know that every time I have played Pirate's Cove, that fun-factor has been there. Maybe enough "German" to keep me happy, and enough "American" to please my mass-market suckled non-gamer buddies? Whatever the case may be, and as frustrating as die-roll dependant games always will be to me, there is something about Pirate's Cove that makes me very glad I pulled it out. (How's that for scientific? =)

Tom: Well, I COULD eat ice cream all the time! But on the other note, another big kudos to the game is the components, at least those from the new Days of Wonder editions (I've never played the other). When I put a game down on the table that looks like a pirate map, with pirate ship pieces and little wooden chests, the theme springs out and hits people smack in the face. I think the "fun-factor" can be explained very briefly in this game: excellent bits combined with simple, fast rules combined with a healthy dose of theme. And all of that aside, I still think the game is balanced and fair. To all those who think that the game is all fluff with no bite, I say, "Posh!"

Shawn: Pirate's Cove definitely has an undeniable fun factor, that rises the game above its dice rolling. I do enjoy it and have a feeling that the more it gets taken off the shelf, the more I'll actually like it. And I know it will get taken off the shelf a lot (It's Pirate's!!!).

Jeremy: It's not a terribly complicated game, and so most of our discourse has been fairly straightforward too (except for our delicious analogies which have renewed my desire to play Pirate's Cove -- though whether this has more to do with the analogy itself, or actual gameplay, I can't pretend to know.) The real question for me, is how much do I like this game? I realize my comments so far betray my ambivalences: on one hand, dice do tend to drive me nuts, on the other hand, the game experience tends to be a lot of fun. Dice have a place in combat games I think, if only because combat is uncertain, and dice rolls do a good job of simulating that uncertainty. I guess I should point out that though I do enjoy playing this, I don't own it and have never made a serious attempt to acquire it. It's incredible fun...once in a while.

Morgan: Look, this game succeeds in everything it set out to accomplish. Fast, Fun and Furious. What it really comes down to is that if I'm in the mood for playing Pirates there are only two viable options for me. One of them is to step into Richard Berg's insanity that is Blackbeard (something that only works if there are three people with three boats and one person that knows the rules inside and out that can keep the cards going) which is absolutely exclusive, or I can choose Pirate's Cove which is inversely proportionately inclusive. You can guess which one is going to hit the table more often. For a game that costs $50 it had better earn its keep. So far for me Pirate's Cove has done just that. I suspect that this bad boy will be a serious long haul pack mule that will be working its magic for many years to come.

Tom: Well, I don't consider Pirate's Cove a dessert, necessarily. It's more like one of my favorite foods, one that I can eat over and over and over... Pirate's Cove has just barely missed my top ten favorite games (it's currently #11), and is one that I have introduced to many, many groups of people with great success. That is solely because of its fun factor, which is influenced by the theme, but not necessarily dictated by it. If you want a FUN game, and one that you can play constantly, then this should be high on your list. Tremendous components, easy rules, and a pirate theme - this game is a prime steak amongst games!

Tom's Rating: 9.5/10
Jeremy's rating of Morgan's comments: 8/10
Jeremy's rating of Pirate's Cove: 7/10
Shawn's rating: 7/10
Morgan's rating: 9/10

Tom Vasel is a game enthusiast currently living in Korea. He has written over 200 reviews, which can be found at www.boardgamegeek.com, and plays games solely to have fun.

Jeremy Avery writes reviews for www.funagain.com, and is the designer of www.geocities.com/yahugaming - a web page devoted to helping people learn more about 'German' games.

Our guest reviewers are:

Shawn Christenson is a self-employed web-developer, and self-professed geek. Being that he works from home, Shawn tends to look at the BGG more than his work. Shawn and his wife run a monthly game night, which they have dubbed a 'Boardgy'.

Morgan Dontanville is a pop culture fanatic. His obsession for gaming is only matched by music, movies, books and comics. He is indecisive and is distracted by shiny objects, he had worked in the music industry for 10 years broken up only to train under a master chef. Later, he embarked on a two year stint at DC Comics, currently he is involved in digital film editing and has been badgering most of the American game companies with his game prototypes. He games with a regular crew in Brooklyn (BQE Gamers), but gives into game lust and cheats on them often with any other floozy group that comes along. His two favorite things are fun and cheese.