tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post7910019373639346862..comments2024-03-19T07:56:00.031-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: Retrospective: IlluminatiJames Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-6759923342622120232011-01-24T04:18:00.977-05:002011-01-24T04:18:00.977-05:00Played the hell out of the game in high school. E...Played the hell out of the game in high school. Easy to learn and hard to master is an apt description - I never could win as the Servants, whose special victory condition as destroying a certain number of groups, as their condition was easy to track. OTOH, winning as the Gmones of Zurich (whose special condition was amassing a certain amount of money) was a bit too easy, which meant that once all the players knew the game, they always nailed the Gnomes to wall in fear that they were hiding reserves of cash somewhere.<br /><br />Good game.Matthew Slepinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04056247825064943944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-50096274089136062602011-01-20T14:13:37.469-05:002011-01-20T14:13:37.469-05:00NWO was the only CCG I ever loved. Regular Illumi...NWO was the only CCG I ever loved. Regular Illuminati is still amazing. I recommend picking it back up.Higgipediahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15898074416237354260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-42925138141269264122011-01-20T00:17:27.733-05:002011-01-20T00:17:27.733-05:00I have the old pocketbox edition and the two origi...I have the old pocketbox edition and the two original expansiosn in permanent residence at my cabin, and I have the Deluxe Edition, plus the Y2K and Bavarian Fire Drill expansions, along with the Mind Control Expansion, here at home. I also have the Illuminati Crime Lords game (which is basically Illuminati with famous mobsters replacing groups, and famous gangs replacing the controlling groups), as well as a SCHWACK of I:NWO CCG cards. Sadly, I have only played I:NWO twice (both times getting out to a massive lead and causing everyone else to quit), and I've never been able to convince my friends to actually play the Deluxe Edition. But I love looking at it. 8)The Badger Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09020950272210873449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-91582455075280040682011-01-19T20:58:19.206-05:002011-01-19T20:58:19.206-05:00Loved this game.Loved this game.Chainsawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13795026553408942707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-6818898664331233212011-01-19T19:41:04.381-05:002011-01-19T19:41:04.381-05:00Yes, the current Deluxe edition is essentially the...Yes, the current Deluxe edition is essentially the same game as the original, just with more stuff in it. I think it is basically the original game and the first two (or is that three?) expansions in one set. Probably not worth the money just to look at it, but if you actually have the time/inclination to play it, it is worth it's money. Over at boardgamegeek people are even making some new optional cards for it (hey, the company sells blank cards for a reason). I even added some of my own (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/filepage/62749/unofficial-illuminati-cards-inspired-by-the-univer)Aaron W. Thornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09265357352225836802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-66408039396491751942011-01-19T15:08:18.067-05:002011-01-19T15:08:18.067-05:00This is the only one of the three SJ pocket games ...This is the only one of the three SJ pocket games that I still have. I want it to be buried with me (well, not really, but I do love it).TheShadowKnowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11073693648569864707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-23038410378102203352011-01-19T14:10:06.886-05:002011-01-19T14:10:06.886-05:00Never played Illuminati, but the concept reminds m...Never played Illuminati, but the concept reminds me of the few times we ran TSR's Tabloid game. It was fun in a ridiculous, gonzo kind of way.Coldstreamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16140235342917611032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-18191235623672305662011-01-19T13:20:23.892-05:002011-01-19T13:20:23.892-05:00Illuminati is a great game and the new deluxe vers...Illuminati is a great game and the new deluxe version is excellent. I have it and an earlier printing of the deluxe edition from the 90s.<br /><br />I too lament the death of the "micro" game. Modern pdf publishing allows for inexpensive micro style games with micro prices, but doesn't allow for the high quality portability of the old SJG and Metagame Micros. Even the Victory Point Games "micros" like Loot and Scoot (http://victorypointgames.com/details.php?prodId=120) are more expensive than the old micros -- though not by much in "inflation adjusted dollars."Christian Lindkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12381310217234123318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-21155510470598252192011-01-19T13:00:11.923-05:002011-01-19T13:00:11.923-05:00This is also my favorite beer and pretzels game of...This is also my favorite beer and pretzels game of all time. I use the original plus the various expansions (3, I think?).<br /><br />It is in many ways the same dynamic as Diplomacy, but faster paced, more treacherous, and funny. Diplomacy runs slightly deeper for various reasons, but Illuminati! is actually often more fun - especially if your Diplomacy players get too bogged down in negotiations.<br /><br />One of the Illuminati! rules, to give an idea, is that you're allowed to cheat if you don't get caught. We disallow that rule because otherwise you can't take a bathroom break, but it gives a good idea of the game's spirit.Matt Finchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07678557558458924177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-22841025323143955002011-01-19T12:32:19.530-05:002011-01-19T12:32:19.530-05:00the game involved lots of negotiations and deal ma...<i>the game involved lots of negotiations and deal making amongst the players, as they formed temporary alliances against one another</i><br /><br />I didn't play Illuminati, but this statement is very reminiscent of Diplomacy which I played a tremendous amount in the early 80's.Todd A. Gibsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16177477114706281373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-61006454584086637982011-01-19T12:26:55.522-05:002011-01-19T12:26:55.522-05:00My older bro introduced me to this game on my birt...My older bro introduced me to this game on my birthday back in my teenage years. I remember being so proud of myself when I won in my very first game.<br /><br />I still have his old copy of this game, so now I'm going to need to break it out when I get home :)Nickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09358099916267465455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-28843320304018937462011-01-19T12:06:02.282-05:002011-01-19T12:06:02.282-05:00@Ed
Wow, that conspiracy site is worth a good lau...@Ed<br /><br />Wow, that conspiracy site is worth a good laugh with a quick read-through.<br /><br />One of the more entertaining marks of a good conspiracy site is the ease with which it switches registers: from "forensic science" to "demon summoning" to "wilderness survival". It's an art form all its own.Taketoshihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17876641059472816784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-74998825940066818822011-01-19T11:28:24.167-05:002011-01-19T11:28:24.167-05:00I loved NWO - I'm also now trying to think of ...I loved NWO - I'm also now trying to think of where my cards might be... I'm afraid that I never played it enough to get my mind around any sort of proper strategy or card combos. But, in all fairness, neither did any of my friends. So our games were quick & chaotic.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-47769686824074481942011-01-19T11:06:00.498-05:002011-01-19T11:06:00.498-05:00Wow an Illuminati reference. I played New World Or...Wow an Illuminati reference. I played New World Order back in the early 90's. It was a nice change from other card games we were playing at the time. Very ecclectic and weird and often humorous. Man I wonder whatever happened to my cards.RobChandlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07751057765555584823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-67191708456814165672011-01-19T10:23:03.980-05:002011-01-19T10:23:03.980-05:00@Christopher B
The 'One With Everything' i...@Christopher B<br />The 'One With Everything' is the CCG version of Illuminati (in non-CCG form). I really liked that version as well as it did away with the fiddly money (each group has two action tokens instead), but I found it suffered from too much 'sameness' of the different alignment's powers (eg. each alignment has a +5 power booster, etc.). Still a good game, but I recommend trying the non-collectable game as well.<br /><br />Anyone played the derivative games - I believe there's a mobster one?Rob of the Northhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08970111441532206496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-30802978651894841712011-01-19T10:07:21.733-05:002011-01-19T10:07:21.733-05:00I've never played the original Illuminati, but...I've never played the original <i>Illuminati</i>, but one of the prizes of my game collection is the "One With Everything" boxed set of <i>Illuminati: New World Order</i> cards. I have to say, even though it cost a pretty penny for the time ($75, IIRC, in the mid-90's), it was a great investment: as you said, it's as much fun to play the game as it is to muse over the bizarre events and power structures that result from game play.Christopher Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17368794259249607299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-55824129704875329562011-01-19T10:02:53.965-05:002011-01-19T10:02:53.965-05:00More fun Illuminati facts --
The nuttier modern d...More fun Illuminati facts --<br /><br />The nuttier modern day conspiracy theorists consider the game to be an actual artifact of real-world Illuminati plotting. Check it:<br /><br />http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1753.cfmEd Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01262472490580424119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-16190074835614877622011-01-19T10:02:27.193-05:002011-01-19T10:02:27.193-05:00Illuminati was also my favourite pocket-box game, ...Illuminati was also my favourite pocket-box game, though I, too, didn't play it nearly as much as I did Car Wars.<br /><br />I've got the deluxe edition, and it comprises the original game plus the two pocket-box expansions. The cards are larger format and the money is cardboard rather than the little paper bills you used have to cut out and that always blew away whenever someone 'sneezed' (i.e. were losing)Sean Robsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16429301144221551751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-23580097163497433522011-01-19T09:52:30.468-05:002011-01-19T09:52:30.468-05:00Forgot to mention that this is probably one of my ...Forgot to mention that this is probably one of my favourite games ever. It is one of the few games has players start with unequal power yet everyone has the capacity to manipulate their way to win.<br /><br />It also got me to read the Illuminatus! trilogy which was a real eye-opener to a teenage boy.Rob of the Northhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08970111441532206496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-62232856553651817512011-01-19T09:49:46.352-05:002011-01-19T09:49:46.352-05:00The current 'deluxe' version is pretty muc...The current 'deluxe' version is pretty much identical to the old deluxe version - which is the base illuminati with all its expansions except 'mind control'. So I think you'd be happy with the current deluxe game. The art however has changed, and while it's slicker and still whimsical, I still prefer to play with my original deluxe set with the black & white art for some reason I can't quite put my finger on.Rob of the Northhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08970111441532206496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-75095940152036664012011-01-19T09:49:12.407-05:002011-01-19T09:49:12.407-05:00The deluxe version of the game is excellent. For ...The deluxe version of the game is excellent. For some years it was unavailable and the only game available was Illuminati New World Order, which was an okay game, but was a tepid substitute for the original.<br /><br />The expansion sets pretty much only added groups, I don't think there were any noticable rules changes, and the added groups helped balance the game. For example, there were a lot more low power groups, which made the Servants of Cthulhu more dangerous. There were more special cards added too. <br /><br />Illuminati remains one of the most delightful games of backstabbing and intrigue that I've ever played.Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17116795932377593506noreply@blogger.com