On a nice long boardgame night got to do a bit more Formula D. We started with Eldritch Horror, which I haven't played in months. It's a great game, but it can be grueling. I don't think we have beat the game yet. After almost 4 hours of play, with some epic moments but still kind of a slog when you can see your doom coming a mile away, you can sometimes wish you had played something else. So Formula D was a nice, breezy and exciting thing to play afterwards.
In the basic set, you have the choice of playing identical divers, or special personality street racers. Last week we started with the Formula D drivers and cars, but last night we wanted to try out those personalities. I like to kind of think of it as they are all pro formula drivers as a career, and our street races are us on our off hours in our personal cars. They are meant I think to primarily used on the road race board on the other side (Chicago, I think?) but last night we went ahead and raced in Monaco.
The mechanics are fairly simple, and well researched, I think. They cover the starts, the gears, the maneuvers, and especially those tight Monaco turns around the resorts and the marinas. You try to get off to a good (or at least not disastrous) start, gear down when approaching corners (if you don't handle them properly, you can take damage to tires and brakes), and gear up in the straightaways.
I think for the most part, when running basic Formula cars and drivers, this game probably simulates reality more than any other boardgame I know. You FEEL like you are in a legit race despite some abstractions. For example, ending your turn a prescribed number of times in a curve zone to simulate you taking the turn properly, or the pit stop only delaying you ever so slightly if you need a tire change. But otherwise its reality based.
Reality goes a little fantasy in a street race out of your Formula 1 suits. Though in a street racer everybody can use a brief nitro boost each lap, there is more to them than meets the eye. You have all these unique racers who each have a special ability.
.JPG)
My character from last night, cosplayer Li Tsu, forces any other driver to slow down one space when passing her due to how eye catching she is. Something about her reminds me vaguely of my favorite Destruction All Stars character, Twinkle Riot.
Handsome Spaniard Montoya can do an extra nitro boost. Tupac look alike Washington can pull his radio out and toss at you to damage your tires.
 |
| "Thug life ain't no joke" |
Race cars are dainty, and the possibility of a variety of damages can happen due to getting to close to each other, or improperly taking a dangerous turn. Those curves can be hell, and mimic the actual layout of the city, its resorts and casinos and beaches. It really kind of puts this kind of race, and a visit to Monte Carlo, on my bucket list.
 |
| Though you have to imagine city traffic is hell during the races. |
The game is very exciting, and I really appreciate how the feel and play is very different from all my other games. Though my pool of people I know to play games with is somewhat small (3-5 of us), I can see a larger group of board gamers having tournaments and maybe even adding some kind of role-playing element. Kidnapping attempts. Bar room brawls during a post race bar hopping celebration. Maybe fighting each other.
 |
| I just knew I would easily find a pic of two guys in Formula 1 gear brawling. What a wonderful time we live in. |
OK, probably not. But this is a fun game, and well worth the around hour and half or less to play. The bang for your buck factor is high (though the game tends to go up to 60 bucks for the regular edition).
 |
| Race fans watch in hopes to see this. And we should maintain verisimilitude and play for this.. |
 |
| "You probably should not have gone into 5th gear right before this corner.." |
Since I'm trying to limit my board game collection this might be my last purchase for a good while, though I have my temptations. It is a great game to maybe introduce to non-gamers who are turned off by dragons and zombies and what not. A straight forward game that simulates a real life thing.
 |
| And we can all relate to this, especially those of us from Los Angeles. |
You can have a little fun with it outside the box. I had a habit of doing announcer blurbs during the first game we played. "Lets have a round of applause for the blue car as it takes the lead." Trash talk outside the game as well is perfectly acceptable. Sports fans are dipshits, and this IS a sport. Oh yeah, doing shifting gear, burning rubber, and acceleration noises should be mandatory.
I never thought I would have interest in a racing game until I saw this a few years ago on Wheaton's Tabletop show. But I hesitated at first because, really, I like fantasy and whimsical man-child stuff. I likes me dragons and zombies. But I think I'm a real world Formula 1 fan now too.
Cheers
