Comments/Ratings for a Single Item
> ...and play the many excellent and free chess variants found on these pages, many of which are better games than Navia anyway. I find it sad that you claim to know how good of a game a game is when you haven't yet tried it.
>It's not completely reliable, of course, and I didn't say that ND is a poor game... You did, in fact, say that ND was a poor game with your rating of 'Poor'. It is one thing to rate a page poor when one has not played the game described within if the instructions are unclear. But that is not true in this case. I do not claim that ND is a perfect game. But neither is any other chess variant here, and thus if rating games in relation to other games here seems illogical. I am sorry if this comment or the previous one seemed hostile. But I cannot help the fact that I am not a member.
Regarding the 'booster pack' concept. As Michael stated, '. . . it means you don't know what you're buying before you buy it.' Well, 2 points here: (1) you don't need booster packs. (2) You can buy pieces individually. I bought 4 extra pieces to allow for greater game variety. I saw them on the internet and knew the exact piece I was getting. $1.50 to $2 is not unreasonable to me for these. In regard to 'fantasy-like piece and action names aestheically unpleasing, ... ' As well as Mark Thompson's comment, '.. as far as the aesthetics of the game are concerned, I'm completely with Michael Howe. The forms of the pieces are repulsive, the bizarre names for everything (including the game itself) pointlessly ugly.' Well, we have different tastes. I find the actual pieces and the many Japanese or otherwise bizarre sounding names interesting. My family (fairly mainstream) from the wife, 18 year old, 15, 9, and 6 year old all like the pieces. The pieces set the mood (the atmosphere) for the game. Is Lord Kiggoshi such a terrible name? Are Rook and Bishop better? As Shakespeare wrote, 'A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.' I had my second game of Navia Dratp tonight, again with my 15 year old son. I won that game, but only by one tempo. It was a game with lots of strategy, and many tactical shots. It was fun. For those who don't like the pieces, I can understand that, as I certainy had strong dislike for original Smess pieces and the board. This is simular situation. But as I pointed out in an earlier comment, you could make the ND movement grids, glue the Drapt and non-Dratp sides to checkers and ignore piece names. To me that would destroy the atmoshpere of this game. But you could do it and play the game that way. And use pennies, nickles and dimes instead of crystals. As for me, I do not mind bringing Lord Kiggoshi or Tiny Kiggoshi onto the battlefield. Their images and their names don't bother me in the least... nor do the names and images of the other characters. In regard to 'repulsive, bizarre,' to me that seems to fit the world-wide news far better than it does ND.
Someone wrote:
I cannot help the fact that I am not a member.
You do have the option of following this link and becoming a registered user, which has all the same benefits as being a member.
In response to my brief question [which was from a larger context) 'Is Lord Kiggoshi such a terrible name?' Mark Thompson replied: 'No, Kiggoshi does sound Japanese. But Chugyullas, Coydrocomp, Nebguard? --- Gary G response: What about Cyclops, Hydra, Medusa from stories of old? Were these not strange names that we've simply gotten used to? Should I rename Medusa Shogi to Snake-Haired Lady Drop Chess? Mark asked: Gyullas (to mean simply Money)? --- Gary G response: Gyullas are energy crystals. They are not money. Mark asked: Dratp (to mean simply Promote)? ---- Gary G response: Dratping a piece can increase or decrease a piece's movement. It can also result in that piece leaving the board, depending on the Dratp effect, or in earning more Gyullas (money if you prefer-but they are not money), or in bringing another piece into the battle... etc. So, I prefer Dratp to the word promote. Though Dratping is certainly related to promoting... it is more intense and requires an expenditure of Gyullas (crystals). In fact, the Navia Dratp (costing 60 Gyullas) instatly wins the game for the person making that Drapt. And that is how I lost my first game of ND.
Energy crystals, money, what's the difference. It's stuff you earn by doing something and pay out to get privileges: by me that's money. And while I agree that dratping isn't exactly the same as promoting, the concept is close enough. A space elevator isn't exactly an elevator, but calling it that makes the idea clearer than coining a new word that's unrelated to anything in the language -- AND is either almost-unpronouncable or has a silent letter, what's with that? Silent letters are vestiges of pronunciations from earlier times, what's the point of including one in a new coinage? My aesthetic preferences are admittedly my own, and though I feel I have good reasons behind them, I don't expect everyone else to share them. These things depend on individual judgment, sentiment, and taste. As I've already said, it's a fine game.
MT: Energy crystals, money, what's the difference. Gary G response: Crystals set up for a magic atmosphere. Also, I cannot use crystals to buy things in the U.S. MT: While I agree that dratping isn't exactly the same as promoting, the concept is close enough. Gary G response: Dratping is a more precise term for the game being discussed. MT: ... coining a new word that's unrelated to anything in the language -- AND is either almost-unpronouncable or has a silent letter, what's with that? Gary G response: Dratp (pronounced 'Drap', not too difficult) How do we ever get new words? Silent letters- gee whiz, are we to throw out much of the English language. Look at words like giraffe (crazy 'g') and phone (ph acting like 'f') etc. MT: Silent letters are vestiges of pronunciations from earlier times, what's the point of including one in a new coinage? Gary G response: It is for a new game with a mysterious atmoshphere. But if we want to keep asking 'why' we can hit a virtual brick wall fairly quick. I am learning Russian, I can call a cat a kooshka, and I can say dobrahdeen and dosvidawnya... but why? Because others know these words and I can learn them and want to... but I don't have to. Dratping is another word to my vocabulary. Navia Dratp players understand it. It is not that hard. Why make a big deal of this game's language? MT: My aesthetic preferences are admittedly my own, and though I feel I have good reasons behind them, I don't expect everyone else to share them. These things depend on individual judgment, sentiment, and taste. As I've already said, it's a fine game. Gary G response: I am glad you think it is a fine game. I do too. As far as the game's linguistic aspect, I don't know why some people want to keep complaining about it.
I recently started playing ND, and I don't think there will be an end to the games. I have yet to encounter the same strategy twice. This helps to keep the game more interesting. The pieces are very well done, the mechanics are well put together, and having the different pieces allows for a greater array of playing styles. I think that the names do add to the 'atmosphere' of the game. They help me to get into the game more as the Navia Commander. The economics are also a fantastic way to make you think about every move that much more. You want to be sure that you are either not giving your opponent a free oppertunity to earn Gyullas while earning as many as you can at the same time. I believe that in the coming future ND will become a standard for fantasy CVs.
BoardGameGeek.com has some useful info, some brought over from the Navia Dratp Enthusiasts Yahoo group, like an easy-to-read copy of the rules with FAQ. I don't suppose there's any reason to repeat those here, unless someone has an improved version. There are many obscure combinations of the rules which we now know will never be officially ruled on, many of which will never happen (but could), like my favorite: a ring of three Kanabas confining each other! I think the game has to be respected in its entirety as an artistic concept, even though the names and forms of the playing elements may seem arbitrary to some. Most of the 'ugliness' of the pieces owes to the fact that most of them come unpainted. See the game Dreamblade for how to do it right (but it's still a collectible game, unfortunately).
I have watched a game being played Navia Dratp, at anime convention.
Is there a way to know when this page was written?
The introduction says "An upcoming commercial chess variant with collectible, tradable pieces", but some comments are more than 10 years old.
I can't find a publication date for this variant. (If it's there but I overlooked it please forgive me).
The first capture of their website by archive.org is dated August 18 2008, but comments here go back to 2006.
Thanks Fergus. So the entry in the alphabetical listing is a little out-dated "An upcoming commercial chess variant with collectible, tradable pieces"
Not sure if it can be changed, but the entry drew my attention because inventors that make the commitment to release actual physical variant chess sets is of interest to me.
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