[SPOILERS] Star Trek Into Darkness (Off-Topic Saturday)

It's saturday and that means no rules! Well, not as many anyways.  Off-Topic Saturday lets us talk about other geeky things that we feel like talking about that aren't necessarily directly related to board games.  You can read 'em, you can ignore em, it doesn't matter to me.

This week's topic: a very spoiler-y reaction to Star Trek: Into Darkness.  Do NOT hit the jump unless you're prepared to face a lot of details from the new movie that you wouldn't know unless you saw it or it already got spoiled for you.

SPOILERS BEGIN NOW.

To Boldly Go... (A Review of Star Trek: Fleet Captains)

[Editors note: The following is a Nemesis Review, featuring opinions from our in-house thematic-loving @futurewolfie and his ferocious opponent, the stodgy euro-loving @Farmerlenny.  Make sure to read both opinions to get a better overall picture of the game!]

If you fit into the "geek" sphere in any way, there's a good chance you enjoy at least one Star Trek series. If you haven't had your head buried for the last 45 years, you have at least heard of Star Trek. One of the biggest sci-fi franchises of all time, Star Trek brought us action, adventure, and social commentary way out in deep space. Whether you are loyal to Captain Kirk or Captain Picard, the world of Star Trek is deep, broad, and rich with potential. With all the strange new worlds, alien races, powerful ships, and advanced technology, there is plenty of room for exciting, player-driven adventures to be had.

Star Trek: Fleet Captains attempts to capture the feel of an entire season of Star Trek. Exploration, encounters with mysterious aliens, missions to complete, and a little combat add up to a hefty experience. But the ultimate question arises—is it an experience worth having?

FDQ: What Theme Grabs Your Attention?

Whether theme or flavor, the package a game comes wrapped in can greatly affect its enjoyment. Abstract games can be fun, but even Reiner Knizia gussies up the packaging with pictures of times and places (most of the time, anyway). So that brings us to today's question: what theme grabs your attention? Answer in the comments!

@FarmerLenny answers:
I've mentioned elsewhere that theme usually doesn't matter to me in a game as long as the game itself is fun. I say this, but there are themes that appeal to me. Most notably, I like novel themes that make me think about things differently. My own master of theme is James Ernest as his themes are usually quirky and cause an enjoyable narrative to permeate his games. Good examples of this are Kill Doctor Lucky and especially The Unexploded Cow (which is also now available as a free print-and-play game!). I'm also a sucker for medieval stuff (yes, I am the reason glowering Renaissance men keep appearing on game boxes; sorry!).

@Futurewolfie answers:
I'm looking at my board game shelf right now.  Apparently the theme that appeals the most to me is  "things in space" followed by medieval fantasy.  Oh man do I love space.  Or really any sci-fi thingummy in general.  You know, if you pretty much take any idea, and then put it in space... it becomes that much more awesome.  Imagine your favorite game.  Or just any game you like.  Let's say...  Tobago.  Yes, that's right, deductive treasure hunting.  Now it's in space.  Awesome!  Or how about Dominion.  You're still building an empire.  But it's a space empire.  Dude.  Sweet.  Imagine Shadows over Camelot... but in a futuristic reality where each Knight of the Round Table commands a starship, spreading justice across the galaxy.  I'm totally geeking out.  I think I'm a little obsessed with space.  Have you played Portal 2?  The audio track of the "Space" core was my ringtone for a while.

Don't forget! Each comment made today before midnight (central time) counts as an entry in our Dominion: Hinterlands giveaway. This is your last chance for an extra entry!

FDQ: What Game Is on Your Radar?

Conventions, blogs, and BGG—they seem like an endless source of inspiration (and temptation). This leads to today's FDQ: What new game is on your radar? Or, if not new, what game is at the top of your wish/to-play list? Answer in the comments!

@FarmerLenny answers:
As a huge Dominion fan, I'm obviously pretty stoked about the new Donald X. Vaccarino titles, Nefarious and Kingdom Builder, to see if lightning struck twice. (Admittedly, Kingdom Builder's name is lame.) I'm also pretty curious about Ora et Labora from Uwe Rosenberg. I love Bohnanza, Agricola, and At the Gates of Loyang, and this one—combined with a theme that interests me—is one I will follow with interest.

As for games on the to-play list, Fresco is at the top. It looks like a beautiful game, an interesting twist on worker placement. I'm quite excited about trying Glory to Rome—with schnazzy new art! I had avoided the older version because of the kiddish artwork, but I kickstarted the black box edition. I am anxious for its arrival. And thanks to The Card Gamer, I'm pumped to try out Ra. If any of you have a copy and are holding out on me...

@Futurewolfie answers:
This is pretty easy for me to answer.  Rex is the number one title I'm looking forward to right now. As a huge fan of Cosmic Encounter and the designers of that game, I've had my sights on the impossible-to-find-if-you-don't-want-to-spend-hundreds-of-dollars Dune game for a long time, so imagine my excitement when I learned it was being re-released in a new form in the Twilight Imperium universe. Incidentally, though Twilight Imperium isn't new, I haven't had a chance to play it yet, so it's also high on my want-to-play list.

I also really want to get my hands on Star Trek: Fleet Captains. I'm a huge Star Trek fan, but as there have been a number of pathetic excuses for star trek games milking the franchise, I was apprehensive. After trying it at Gencon, though, I found it to be excellent. 

Apparently I really like Space-themed games.

See, Nemesis, I can put in a bunch of random hyperlinks too!

Once More Unto The Breach (another look back at Gencon)

@Farmerlenny shows his excitement 

Not to beat a dead horse, but since this was not my first run at Gencon, I figured it was worth sharing my thoughts as well.  If you read yesterdays post you already know that myself, @Farmerlenny, and our friend Blake, all attended Gencon over the weekend with many thoughts towards finding and playing new games to share with our readers here.  We hit up the floor friday and saturday, saw a lot of sights, and played a lot of games.  Here are my thoughts, and a coupla photos.