Game Expansions Are Often Unneeded
My Windows XP operating system and related MS software were updated 18 times today. Yes, this was long overdue. The automated system had tried to install these updates several times in the past several weeks, but for one reason or another, it had always failed.
As time passed, the number of updates grew until there eventually were the 18 that got installed today. There would have been 19, but Service Pack 3 just won’t finish. Hm. So now my computer should work even better and be more secure than before. Right?
I hope so.
Which Expansions Would You Get?
Software updates are intended as good things. Game expansions are intended as good things too. Sometimes updates and expansions fulfill their mission; sometimes they don’t.
I think my favorite expansions (two of them for the same game) are Inns & Cathedrals and Traders & Builders for Carcassonne. We never play the game without them anymore. We’ll even keep them in the mix when teaching the game to a new player – partly because one of them is too hard to separate from the base game.
Another expansion I really enjoy is Farmers of the Moor for Agricola. This expansion presents new challenges not found in the base game and gives it a whole new flavor. I wouldn’t consider it a must-have (unlike the Carcassonne expansions), because Agricola is great all by itself. As evidence, I submit my 300 or so plays of the original game.
An expansion that I don’t own yet (but wish I did) is the 5-6 player expansion to The Pillars of the Earth. The base game only supports up to 4 players, and there have been many times we wish we could have played with more people.
One of my two favorite games is El Grande (Agricola being the other). I have the Decennial Edition which comes with two expansions – Intrigue and the King and Grand Inquisitor and the Colonies. You can play each expansion separately with the base game, or you can combine the two – effectively making a third expansion. I have only tried the Grand Inquisitor and the Colonies one time so far. It felt like there was way too much to do. The base game itself provides plenty of options. We’ve never had a real urge to experiment with the other expansion, and I think we would be overwhelmed if we ever tried playing with both of them together – experienced players though we are.
I have yet to find an expansion that hurt the base game. Not even the El Grande expansions do that. There may be a few out there that do – just like there’s the occasional software update that fails. So in general I would recommend that you give an expansion a shot, even if it’s not necessary. If the base game is already solid, perhaps it will extend your desire to play it. If the base game was lacking in some way, hopefully the expansion will fix the flaw.