If you are trying Settlers of Catan I'm sure, like I was at first, it is a bit confusing. The instructions aren't really the greatest and the interface is almost non-existent, but yet I still couldn't stop playing it once I got started. Your goal is to be the biggest, strongest, most powerful hexagons, (or countries/people). You build roads and gain resources depending on where you build your towns and what rolls you make on your turns. There is quite a lot of strategy involved when it gets down to it and you'll realize that after you've played a game or two.
If you are trying Settlers of Catan I'm sure, like I was at first, it is a bit confusing. The instructions aren't really the greatest and the interface is almost non-existent, but yet I still couldn't stop playing it once I got started. Your goal is to be the biggest, strongest, most powerful hexagons, (or countries/people). You build roads and gain resources depending on where you build your towns and what rolls you make on your turns. There is quite a lot of strategy involved when it gets down to it and you'll realize that after you've played a game or two. You can take resource cards and exchange them for other cards that can help you steal from other players, build
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up your army value, or just give you points. The game ends when all the rounds are complete and the Final points are tallied. The winner is most obviously the player with the most points at the end of the game. In my game for example, I was lagging behind pretty good, but decided to spend my resources on chance cards instead of building more roads and settlements. In the end I won by 2 points with the good cards I had picked up.
This game is a Computer port of the popular war and risk style board game. I have never personally played the board game, but I doubt I would like it very much since there is a lot of thinking and planning involved. It's okay here because everything is computerized and done for you making it a bit easier to hold your interests. Strategy must change and adapt through the game or you will end up falling way behind.
One thing I liked best was the ability to trade with other players your resources for theirs. If you hold out you can usually get a good 2 for 1 deal from desperate computer players that really want to build a road or settlement on their turn. You can also use the ocean ports to get an item if you need them badly but it will cost you way more than they are worth.
I really wouldn't recommend this game to a lot of people, because it’s not likely to hold your interest if you care about graphics and a lot of things happening. If you are looking for something relatively simple and easy to pass your time for a while then give this a shot and I'm sure by the time the first game is over, you'll already have a strategy for the next game and will love playing it if only in short bursts.
