Impressions of the ISS Vanguard

 ISS Vanguard was one of the most anticipated games for me. The game is about exactly what I dreamed of: you are the captain of a spaceship exploring amazing new worlds. Perhaps the most attractive setting for any fan of science fiction. In part, the grand idea of the authors came true: the game turned out to be thematic and with an exciting plot. Exploring the worlds and discovering new things is very exciting, and the narrative in the app is excellent (although I had to turn down the loud background music first).

 It was not easy to break through the training mode, but in general the game is very clearly structured. The rulebook, player notes, ship's logbook, text on the cards — everything is quite simple and clear, despite the fact that the action is divided into several stages. All components are of excellent quality. Admittedly, I didn't splurge on the special kickstarter dice, but the basic ones are very nice, and the reviews on the kickstarter dice are mixed. I didn't buy a full set of miniatures either, which I didn't regret; all the small ones are completely unnecessary, except for the character models from the base box. Even the built-in organizer is very good here - however, the cards fit very tightly and it is not easy to find/pull out the necessary ones (and this is despite the fact that I did not put them in protectors).

 As for the game itself... The gameplay in ISS Vanguard is essentially to create obstacles in the way of the story and to make the decisions you make seem more meaningful. In this respect, it does its job of setting the pace of the game and giving you options to choose from. Like a gate guarding interesting secrets, technologies, pieces of the plot and setting. But if it wasn't for the setting and if the game was about, say, trains or harvesting, then I would definitely pass. The mechanics of ISS Vanguard are not too fan and shallow.

 Gameplay decisions basically come down to which die to roll and whether to roll at all. While they can have significant consequences, the options are always few and far between, and you rarely think, “Oh, tough dilemma”—the options aren't too interesting. You simply roll dice of different colors, trying to roll certain symbols - and most often hoping to roll the Vanguard symbol (wildcard), because usually without wildcards, the chances of rolling out values are slim. Sometimes you need a certain color combination to be successful, which requires you to... throw away the appropriate color combination. Sometimes you have to throw out some failures, and then some successes. And the main problem is often limited resources: in order to be able to use the spent cubes again, you need to rest, which wastes time and limited supplies.

 The gameplay will become more interesting when you can use the cards and special abilities of the crew members to control the randomness, but not to say much more interesting. I rarely get the feeling that I made a smart move or played an interesting combination. Maybe it's just me, but I often find myself looking annoyed at the cards in my hand—the only available way to manage randomness—and not enjoying the process. In addition, the 4 sections (classes) of the crew are too similar. It's just that some have more red cubes, others have more green or blue. Any crew member can be sent to any section, which feels realistic, but at the same time emphasizes how little mechanical difference there is between them. And you don't have to think about which sections to use. Go all out - it lowers the difficulty of the game and increases the rewards.

 Rewards for passing checks - hints (Leads) and discoveries (Discoveries). These mechanics seem interesting until you realize that many of the clues (more than half in my opinion) have zero value and don't get you any closer to the discovery. It's like winning the lottery and finding that the box is empty. Crazy and disappointing mechanics. And even when you do land on a discovery through consistent luck, it turns out that many of the discoveries only give pretty boring mechanical bonuses or are resources for research.

 Each move is very likely to advance a kind of timer that promises trouble, as well as gradually depleting your precious supplies, the absence of which will lead to mission failure. So, in addition to the tactical level (cubes and cards), there is also a strategic need to optimize events and hurry. Realized it is not bad; most missions have a chance of failure (unless, of course, your dice are more merciful than mine), which feels realistic. With almost every roll of the dice, trouble can happen, trouble can lead to injury, and injury can lead to more trouble. In my opinion, randomness in ISS Vanguard can lead to a snowball effect, both positive and negative, both within a mission and throughout the campaign. If you get ahead, it will be easier for you to play, and if you are unlucky, it will not be easy to get out of the bottom.

 Although the gameplay is reduced to checks on dice, it is quite complex. Everything, absolutely all actions are divided into many stages and are subject to a bunch of rules. Yes, the basic cube check takes 10 stages (fortunately, a reminder will help you), and in the ship phase, a whole table with dozens of stages of actions awaits you. Although the setting is cool, the feeling of filling out a tax return involuntarily arises. I would prefer either more polished and simple mechanics with a lot of focus on the plot, or deeper mechanics that have a place for strategy and tactics. But the complexity of the actions combined with their primitiveness (everything boils down to a roll of the dice) is not to my liking at all. Isn't it a fan thing?

 Overall, I love the setting and plot. But if you close your eyes to them and look at the game from a purely mechanical point of view, I did not like it. The more I play, the less I want to continue, and I'm not sure if I have the patience to finish the campaign. I gave ISS Vanguard a 7 on the BGG scale: "good game, usually don't mind breaking it down", a middle ground between the two extremes of great narrative and grim gameplay. I hope this review has helped you decide if the game is right for you.