Related Sections: Game Diaries
Fall from Heaven II: I came, I saw, I played a few hands
A few months ago, Fall from Heaven developer Derek Paxton added a card game called Somnium into one of the betas. That's right, a card game. Like canasta or Go Fish. I'm not entirely sure what it's doing in there. Who puts a card game into a Civilization IV mod?
Have a seat and I'll deal you a hand after the jump.
Somnium reminds me a bit of the pub games in Fable II, which I've had a great time playing, even though they're little more than a time/money sink. Like the pub games, Somnium is mostly a diversion. But also like the pub games, it has a small gameplay effect. You can elect to just play hands of Somnium for fun, but you can also play against any other civilization you're not at war with. If you win, you'll earn a temporary diplomatic boost. If you loose, you'll suffer a temporary diplomatic setback.
The actual card game is simple, which is a testament to Paxton's skill as a game designer. From a look at Fall from Heaven, you'd think this is a guy who never met a feature he didn't like (you'd also be wrong, since there was plenty of feature-winnowing as Fall from Heaven progressed). But from a look at Somnium, you can see a guy who really "gets" elegance. In terms of look and feel, it's a bit like Lost Cities, a Reiner Knizia card game. But whereas Lost Cities is about sussing out and arranging the numbers in the deck, Somnium is about risk. Every turn is a question of how far you're willing to push your luck. A game takes mere minutes.
Somnium is also a place for some ridiculously gorgeous artwork, with a unique picture for each number of each suit. I would shell out real money if I could get a set of these cards printed on nice stock. But why relegate such great artwork to a diversion many people will never see? In a way, it makes it all the more precious.
While arranging all my units to sail across the sea and conquer the Bannor, I enjoy a hand of Somnium with everyone in the world. It goes swimmingly with the Svartalfar and poorly with everyone else. In fact, I lose to the Sheaim with zero points. Ouch. I don't think I've ever had that happen before.
In the diplomacy tooltips, you can read the opinions of the other civilizations. These opinions are like the thought bubbles of the little people in RollerCoaster Tycoon. "-2: You declared war on our friend." "-6: You are evil." "-4: We are upset you have embraced a heathen religion." "+1: You are very good value." I made up that last one. My favorite used to be "-4: You lack grace." I don't even know what it indicates, but I love that it figures into diplomatic interaction (I'm resisting the temptation to make a Bush Administration reference here, but I guess I've technically failed). My new favorite diplomacy tooltip, now featured prominently in the Sheaim catalogue of opinions about the Balseraph, is "-2: Learn to play Somnium."
Up next: The Bannor War
(Click here for the previous Fall from Heaven game diary.)
By obonicus at 2:43 PM ON 01/02/09
The artwork is Fall From Heaven's?
By Sticky at 5:09 PM ON 01/02/09
Your blog stinks. Nothing but one game. Bring some variety.
By SportsComedian at 5:23 PM ON 01/02/09
Indeed, this gaming blog is quite possibly the worst thing I have ever read. I came over as a Dvice reader hoping for the same kind of great coverage on games that they do on tech stuff. Instead I get 1 post per day on playthroughs of games no one cares about like Banjo Kazooie and a Civ IV Mod. I had high hopes for this place, but it is getting deleted from my bookmarks right now. Good thing your bosses don't know what a good gaming blog looks like, or you would have been let go a long time ago.
By Cubit at 5:28 PM ON 01/02/09
Oh you guys! ^
By not 16 at 5:34 PM ON 01/02/09
oh for christ's sake. . . I enjoy the thoughtful way fidgit's staff review, enjoy, and present games.
please, go back to G4, kids.
By Tom Chick at 6:45 PM ON 01/02/09
Uh, you guys do realize that the site is on a break right now due to the holidays, right? The game diaries have been queued up while I'm away so that Fidgit isn't just a single "Hey, I'm away for the holidays!" entry. The regular stuff will resume next week.
By Kua at 7:55 PM ON 01/02/09
I'm thoroughly enjoying this FFH2 write up. FFH2 is truly an incredible piece of work and deserves this sort of coverage.
So thank you!
By dingus at 7:56 PM ON 01/02/09
This blog totally suxors because you only talk about games. Why can't you talk about movies and literature and Scientology too?
Also, it's just plain useless without a babe-of-the-day feature. Dudes too.
By Kua at 8:07 PM ON 01/02/09
Yes MOAR SCIENTOLOGY plskthx.
By Aeon221 at 10:49 PM ON 01/02/09
I hear the blogger is, in fact, a borg. And borgs are what Spock is, right?
So he's, like, able to use the force! And not just gravity, mind you.
By shoggi at 11:04 PM ON 01/02/09
the "you lack grace" diplomacy modifier is based on if your leader is female or not. i think falamar of the lanun and os-gabala of the sheaim are the only ones that care about that. that said, i love this ffh2 write up
By Winterborn at 12:34 AM ON 01/03/09
So what's a CivIV complete pack go for this days? I bought CivIV but never got around to the expansions(there's two right?) which I assume are required for this. Plus I'm sure I lost my Civ box during the last move(why I love digital distribution - It's amazing how many disc one of two or two of ones I have in my collection without there partner).
Brilliant diary anyway, I'm sold.
By Tom Chick at 5:58 AM ON 01/03/09
Shoggi, is that true about the "you lack grace" modifier? If so, that's awesome. However, Keelyn is a chick, so the Sheaim shouldn't be telling me I lack grace, should they? I mean, from one sister to another, that's just uncalled for!
Winterborn, you only need the Beyond the Sword expansion for Civ IV. The Warlords expansion is entirely superfluous except for the scenarios, which are mostly no great shakes anyway.
By shoggi at 9:39 AM ON 01/03/09
normally falamar should give you a +2 bonus if you're female ("you are charming", or something like that) and os-gabella a -4 if you're male. don't know why you get it with keelyn
By wilson at 5:02 PM ON 01/04/09
yuor guay
By markgreyam at 5:51 PM ON 01/04/09
The lack of an "MGS4 is the best game in the universe forever" article obviously is still leaving it's mark.
"We are upset you have embraced a heathen religion"
By Boborlarry at 9:23 AM ON 01/05/09
I find myself wishing the Fallout 3 game diary was this involved, but overall a great effort. Thanks!
By Hei at 12:21 AM ON 01/06/09
=P well if anyone wanted to mess around with Somnium without having to start a FfH game you can always try it at
http://grahamcox.co.uk/somnium/home.game
You'd need to have an Online ID and possibly an opponent though, but you could possibly find prospective players on the irc channel.
I think the card game was added so that faster players could have things to kill time with in multiplayer games where the other human player takes ages to complete his turn. (^^)b
Hei:
=P well if anyone wanted to mess around with Somnium without having to start a FfH game you can always try it at ...More »