After receiving significant feedback about FAZA falling victim to quarterbacking, we’ve devised a modification to address this issue. The main way a player engages in quarterbacking is by commanding others via spoken word and hand gestures. There are a few ways we can address this issue: we can give players secret information, private missions and goals, someone can become a traitor to the group, and/or we can limit communication. We decided limiting communication is the best option because it fits within the war story of the game.
Introducing a new set of rules we’re calling Radio Communication.
In real life war scenarios, radio signals are used to transmit data to communicate between various groups. These radio signals are the only way to communicate while not in line of sight and these transmissions can be intercepted. This idea laid the foundation for this rules update.
Theme & Story Update:
While designing FAZA, we do our best to root any game mechanic within the story to help players remember the game’s rules. That said, here’s what we’ve come up with for implementing Radio Communication.
As players traverse the apocalyptic landscape of FAZA and travel from tile to tile, players are rarely in the same location. They have to fight the FAZA on many fronts in different locations while also discussing tactics and strategy. To talk with one another, players now need to use their radio.
Game Mechanics Update:
- At Start of Game: All players start with 1 point.
- New Action, Radio Communication: A player may spend 1 point to start Radio Communication with all other players sitting around the table. All other players may choose to reply in any order (or even at the same time). The length of transmission is one full breath. (Choose your words carefully)
- Communication Restrictions: Players may NOT talk or hand gesture or make facial expressions about the game with one another. If you want to talk strategy or tactics (i.e. which motherships you’re going to attack, which tile you’re traveling to, which drones you’re going to combat, etc.) you need to start Radio Communication. Of course, you’ll still need to make a remark about passing the dice in order to engage in combat and you may still chat about getting food, going to the bathroom, getting drinks, and your day-to-day lives.
- While On The Same Tile: If players are on the same tile, they do not need to start Radio Communication to speak with one another. They may speak freely with each other. The communicating players must do their best to ensure other players will not hear the exchange or see any gestures.
- Modifications for a Harder Difficulty: If you want to up the difficulty, you may add the following rule. After Radio Communication has ended, the FAZA have a chance of intercepting your communication. Whoever decided to speak must roll a die. If you roll a 4 or more, add a drone to your location. This only applies to players that engaged in Radio Communication.
- New Players: If this is the first time you’re playing FAZA, we do not recommend playing with the Radio Communication rules in place. You should learn the game as well as you can before adding in this rule.
Questions, Comments, Feedback: If you have any questions, comments, or feedback about any of these changes please contact us or leave your thoughts below. We’ll do our best to address it.
We’ve also cross posted this on to Board Game Geek.