HobbyTime Update

What I Play In My Spare Time
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I describe my hobby here (link).  This post is an update on my brother's and my design, 2016 (illustrations and photo at the link).

For those who play historical boardgames, it isn't difficult to understand the attraction: the immersion in a set of difficult decisions that allows one to feel history play out--the closer the glove of the game fits the time represented, the better.

So, I present: a glove-like concept, a focus on clever card play, and simplification:

   * Press Support
This was key to the campaign--especially for Clinton.  Did she have The Press in her corner, or was there disenchantment.
We represent this by making the tie-breaker in all cases the player with the most Press Support cubes.
And, Press Support cubes on a given issue (Character, Jobs, Protest, Immigration) give an edge when that issue is debated (there's a debate at the end of each of the four turns).  Debates are scored for Partisan and for Bi-Partisan appeal; the latter is mainly Press Support cubes.
A recent tweak to the rules: rewards for winning Bi-Partisan appeal in a debate are constrained by how many Press Support cubes one has on the relevant issue (cubes are gained when playing Bi-Partisan Events related to a given issue): this makes Press Support more important.

This card is Clinton's best hope at
having The Press on her side.


   * Upgrade of 'Dud' Cards
The idea here is to reward innovative card play, rather than a player's accumulation of better cards.
A recent tweak: some of the cards that were considered 'lesser' were given dual-use status (they can be played as both Event and Address-An-Issue).

This card can now be played as a 
key Event, as well as Addressing
An Issue (with a +1 cube draw).

* (in general), Simplification
Although our game is aimed at players who enjoy complex designs (its sister games, 2012 and 2020, will be easier to master), we are now attempting to simplify whenever we can.
A recent tweak: players now select, or draft, their hand of four cards at the beginning of each of the four turns in exactly the same way each turn.  It used to be a different process for Turn #1.

Here's a fairly powerful card that
earns a cube on the Bi-Partisan, 
Press Support ("Both") track--for 
either player--on the Character 
issue.