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Have you ever had an immense amount of palpitation when you solve a puzzle in your own way? No, it is not any generic puzzle but a specific one indeed. The ones making you tear your own hair out since you can’t connect all the hints. The ones frustrate you because of a rabbit hole you dig, and come back to zero again. And the climax reaches when you have your “ah-ha” moment, figure out the pattern and solve the problem. Then you start having an adrenaline rush, being eager to solve more. This feeling is no different from the moment you saw your megaball ticket shows up on the TV. Who won’t like such a good feeling? Fortunately, as a boardgamer, you will have a chance to experience it with the first and latest game from Bantam Planet – Bantam West.
Batam West is also referred to as an “Immersive Tabletop Simulator” – a genre where players can interact with the system in many different ways, to receive unique response(s) for each way. Thanks to this highly interactive system, players are encouraged to be creative in their own ways. As long as they can approach their strategic or tactical goals. Some of the most popular ones are Gloomhaven, Kingdom of Death and so on… Now, we are going to have Bantam West to join that list as well.
According to Ike, the designer of this game, players will be the authors of their own stories in Bantam West. Being provided with a set of objectives with no guidance nor support, players have to prioritize which one they should complete first. Corollary, players will end up being in a conundrum, asking themselves whether or not they should build a cabin, purchase a weapon, or something else. This depends on how players want to approach and plan their game. Especially in this open-world, it requires players to carefully and wisely set their goals to gain the most efficiency in their turn.
In addition to the free-to-explore system, the game is expected to deliver a massive amount of confrontations, or battles, either PvP or PvE. The foundation of the game combat system is a modern implementation of the rock paper and scissors mechanic. The three new types are: brawl, block and tackle. Brawl cancels tackle, tackle cancels block, and block cancels brawl. The mechanic is simple enough to teach and understand. However, players have to be capable of reading the room, the current situation of the game. They might not know exactly what other players might play. But they can minimize the risk of losing by understanding and anticipating others’ moves and objectives. This is a very promising perspective of Bantam West. I expect a highly interactive, but deep strategy game.
Not only am I curious about the gameplay of Bantam West, but also I am extremely excited about the artworks of this game. From the first glance at it, the audience can easily recognize the Wild West theme. Especially with so many Easter eggs from the cover box: a lone cowboy is relaxing under the shade. The cowboy must have been traveling for a long distance, as well as their company – the brown horse. Intentionally or not, this well emphasizes the main characteristic of this game: open-world. It is amazing that the spirit of the game is in the artwork.
Moreover, one of the perspectives I am surprised the most is the philosophy behind the game’s miniatures. The company will primarily focus on providing an immersive, realistic and gritty experience through the game play. Hence, players will not need the miniatures for the game play. In other words, it is rather an enhancement than a necessity. This approach will not only help the company to reduce the manufacturing cost, but also ensure players can still enjoy the game without the character minis. However, if the game reaches 100k in funding, the game will include plastic miniatures, and custom fit plastic trays for all the minis as well. As of now, I can’t wait to actually check out the actual campaign, read the rulebook and watch the game play.
Ah, this world makes me addicted already. I guess I am officially a citizen of Midland.
The link to the Kickstarter will be available today July, 13th, 2021. It will be live until August 12 2021 7:56 AM CDT.
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If you can’t find me at the table coding, then you can find me at another table playing boardgames. I want to share the fun, the intense, the `ah-ha` moments, the sabotage, the nerve wracking experience … that Boardgames can offer to the community.