# [Board Games] Settlers of Catan



## Angel Tarragon (Jul 9, 2008)

So I'm looking into buying Settlers. Is there any one specific version I should go after?

Also when I get some additional money I might be swayed into buying an expansion or two. Whcich ones should I give more thought to over others?


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## el-remmen (Jul 9, 2008)

We used to play a lot of Catan, but lately have been playing more Puerto Rico.

The only expansion we ever got to use was the six player version, and while my friend Sean has the sea-farers expansion for like 2 years now, we've still never used.

Hmmm, I guess that is not that helpful, but I do love the game and played a hell of a lot of it at the last Gen Con.


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## blargney the second (Jul 9, 2008)

As far as I'm concerned, the core 3 are the basic set with Cities & Knights and Seafarers.  The fisherman set is about $5 and pretty fun.  The 5-6 player expansion is only useful IFF you will have more than 4 players.  I haven't tried the event card set as of yet.
-blarg


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## Charwoman Gene (Jul 9, 2008)

Seafarers is a great expansion that doesn't totally warp the feel of the game.  Cities and Knights seems very different to me.


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## greatamericanfolkher (Jul 9, 2008)

Seafarers Is really the only expansion  that I’ve played with (Unless you count the 5-6 player expansions for them.) It’s one I would recommend.


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## WhatGravitas (Jul 9, 2008)

Charwoman Gene said:


> Seafarers is a great expansion that doesn't totally warp the feel of the game.  Cities and Knights seems very different to me.



Cities & Knights add a lot of "diplomacy" and sort of "tactics" to it.

It's still the same game, but the feel during the endgame changes - it also makes it longer. Personally, I think the expansion is the best one, but it's less suited for a "quick game".

But I can heartily recommend it, though keep your pieces well-separated, so you can "downgrade" to straight settlers without any hassle - I feel the straight version (also with seafarers) is better suited to family play including children, whereas the Cities & Knights version tickles more of a boardgame geek's/gamer's fancy.

Cheers, LT.


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## bobthehappyzombie (Jul 10, 2008)

I think cities and knights adds more paths to victory, I have found that standard/seafarers can become a bit of a city race to be honest, and although cities are important in knights & cities, because of the split goods they produce, they are less empowering than before.

One thing though, past the first invasion has anyone found difficulty having enough knights to stave offf the barbarians?
We have never lost a city past the first invasion, knights are just another (very good) way of scoring victory points, with the added bonus of securing a build site.


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## scitadel (Jul 10, 2008)

Interestingly enough, wrote a quick guide for Settlers on this very topic a short-while ago. Do tell me if you find it useful. Part I deals with the main 'Settlers' version and its expansions. Part II when I get around to writing it will be about all the other stand-alone Settlers games.


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## Angel Tarragon (Jul 10, 2008)

scitadel said:


> Interestingly enough, wrote a quick guide for Settlers on this very topic a short-while ago.




 I'm not seeing it at that link.


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## bobthehappyzombie (Jul 11, 2008)

Reveille said:


> I'm not seeing it at that link.




[sblock]Settlers of Catan Quick Guide: Part I
Settlers of Catan is probably the most recognizable Euro-game, followed closely by Carcassonne and Ticket to Ride. Since it’s explosive introduction in 1994, Settlers has spawned a large number of expansions and line extensions that could confuse even a seasoned veteran. As such, following is a quick guide on the Settlers of Catan series with very brief descriptions of how the various expansions and extensions fit. 

Part I will deal with the base series and all expansions on the series itself. Part II will deal with the line extensions of this great game. 

 The Settlers of Catan Base Game Settlers of Catan the base game plays up to 4 players and is required to play with all the expansions. Any of the major expansions (Seafarers, Cities & Traders) can be added directly to the base game and played with 4 players. 

Settlers of Catan is a development game with players expanding their settlements into cities across the land of Catan. Each turn, dice are rolled to determine which of the terrain hexes will produce (each terrain being numbered) their resources, with different resources required to build / expand different buildings. 

Settlers of Catan 5 + 6 player expansion 
The 5 + 6 player expansion introduces more land masses and pieces to allow up to 6 players to join in the fun. This expansion is required if you wish to play any of the other 5 + 6 player expansions. 

 Seafarers of Catan
Seafarers of Catan introduces a new island and sea routes to Settlers of Catan while keeping the base game-play the same. This is a great expansion to purchase if you regularly have 4 players and feel the need to introduce a subtle change to the game. Seafarers is an extremely popular expansion as it does not increase the complexity of the game unlike Cities and Knights. 

Seafarers of Catan 5 + 6 player expansion
Should only be bought if you have the original 5 + 6 player expansion and regularly have more than 4 players. 

 Cities and Knights of Catan
Cities & Knights of Catan is the first expansion to change the way Settlers of Catan was played, introducing new complexities to the game with new events and city developments. This is an expansion for those who prefer more complexity in their games and do not mind increased lengt due to this complexity. City developments allow players to specialize their cities while the victory conditions have also been increased. 

This expansion can be combined with the original base game or the Seafarers of Catan for an epic Settlers of Catan session. 

Cities and Knights of Catan 5 + 6 player expansion
Should only be bought if you have the original 5 + 6 player expansion and regularly have more than 4 players. Players should be warned that with the Cities 5 + 6 player expansion, game play time increase to at least an hour and a half. 

 Traders & Barbarians
The latest expansion, Traders & Barbarians combines numerous small expansions together and introduces a few new expansions as well. These expansions to the game include: 

The Fishermen of Catan- Fish in the great lake or try casting in rich coastal shoals. A fresh, expanded, and updated version! 
The Rivers of Catan- Not one, but two, great rivers invite flourishing commerce. Bridge them en route to glory and wealth. 
The Caravans- Nomads of the oasis seek wool and grain. Camel caravans offer trade. 
Barbarian Attack- Eager for booty, vile barbarians land and occupy Catan's fertile shores. Brave knights unite and ride to battle. 
Traders & Barbarians- Your wagons transport fine marble, glass, tools and sand to help restore Catan's castle to splendor. 
Settlers of Catan Event Cards – replace your dice with these cards and add new excitement to your game 
Traders & Barbarians is a great expansion to purchase if you have been hankering after the smaller expansions. It does not need to be played with any of the other expansions and can be added to all expansions. 

 The Fishermen of Catan
The Fishermen of Catan expansion replaces coastal sea cards with ‘fishing grounds’ that provide a new resources – fish! Trade fish in to gain special benefits, determined by the number fish traded in. 

By only adding a single resource, this small expansion adds to the game much like Seafarers of Catan while not changing the basics of game play. It is also an expansion that can be added to the base game alone or with any of the other expansions. 

 The Great River of Catan
The Great River of Catan is another mini-expansion that is part of the larger Traders & Barbarians expansion. However, in this mini-expansion, only 1 River (3 tiles) is provided. Settlements or cities constructed alongside the river provide a gold, 3 of which can be traded in for a victory point. The expansion however increase the victory conditions by two additional victory points. 

Like the Fishermen of Catan, the Great River can be added to the base game or with any of the other expansions. 

 Settlers of Catan Event Cards 
The Settlers of Catan Event Cards deals with an on-going grouse of some players – the luck factor in the game. Players replace dice rolls with a draw of the card, individually numbered in direct proportion to their probability of coming up. As such, your 12 is guaranteed to come up once every 36 cards. Also included are actual events that add spice to the game. 

The Event Cards can be added to the base game or with any of the other expansions. 

 Settlers of Catan pre-2007 adapter kit 
Only required for pre-2007 (4th edition of the Mayfair Games releases), the adapter kit provides a frame to hold the hex tiles together. This also allows you to purchase the latest expansions to combine with your pre-2007 base game. 


[/sblock]


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## Eridanis (Jul 11, 2008)

I own Seafarers and Cities/Knights, and but have never played them. The basic set is all I've needed for - gasp - nearly ten years now of Catan fun. The 4th edition Catan set that recetnly came out looks very nice, and from what I've read, it's physically compatible with older expansions (which have been released in new editions as well). I was at Compleat Strategist NYC yesterday, and picked up an adapter kit for $10 that provides the nice new tile fram that the 4th edition set provides.

A new expansion, Traders and Barbarians, has been released, too, but I need to start playing more again before I pick it up. Has anyone played that yet?


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## thundershot (Jul 13, 2008)

We love Catan.

We have pretty much everything for it... (all the 5-6 player extentions, Cities & Knights, Seafarers, and Das Buch)

We like to pick and choose what rules we're using at a time. It's crazy to try to use too many of them. But simple things like the Dragon or Balloon from Das Buch are pretty neat. Traders & Barbarians (which we haven't tried yet, but own) includes the fisherman, the rivers, and the event cards, FYI...



Chris


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## Korgoth (Jul 14, 2008)

I've played several games of standard Catan, mostly with the 5-6 expansion. I like the simplicity and purity of the game. I'm not sure I'd be tempted to add any expansions!


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## HellHound (Jul 14, 2008)

We usually play Cities & Knights unless we are playing with relative n00bs, in which case we stick to classic Catan.


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## questing gm (Jul 15, 2008)

I only played the classical Catan once but absolutely love it.  

It's nice when you get to hoard a particular resource and become some sort of monopoly 

We can't really find these interesting board games other than the staple monopoly and risk so it was really a blast to play this game and would definately pounch on the chance to play with the expansions.


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## greatamericanfolkher (Jul 16, 2008)

questing gm said:


> I only played the classical Catan once but absolutely love it.
> 
> It's nice when you get to hoard a particular resource and become some sort of monopoly
> 
> We can't really find these interesting board games other than the staple monopoly and risk so it was really a blast to play this game and would definately pounch on the chance to play with the expansions.




I once played a game where I got both of the monopoly cards in the dev deck. Fun times were had when I was able to turn every village I had into a city within three turns.


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## knightofround (Jul 17, 2008)

Seafarer's is a great expansion imho, but I didn't care too much for Cities and Knights. Walls are kinda pointless, barbarian invasions aren't a big deal because there's no real surprise, and knights basically exist so you can block roads with grain instead of brick/wood. The "growing cities" portion takes up too much time for too little impact on the game. By the time having a super-develped city matters, someone has enough victory points to win. I guess if you wanted to have longer games, cities would be good, but otherwise....meh.

Seafarers was awesome though because it made wool actually useful, and all the extra water hexes adds more depth to the game. Gold is fun too.

Actually I would recommend the 5-6 player expansion even if you don't normally play with that many people. Playing settlers as a type of inter-continental warfare is fun, but if you don't have some extra hexes it can sometimes get too easy for someone to get isolated at the beginning of the game.


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## satin (Aug 26, 2008)

I love Cities and Knights. As another poster suggested, we keep the pieces separated so we can easily scale back to the classical Settlers game if we have some newbies joining.

And we keep the 5-6 player expansion handy, in case we have more friends over.


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## MerricB (Aug 26, 2008)

Eridanis said:


> A new expansion, Traders and Barbarians, has been released, too, but I need to start playing more again before I pick it up. Has anyone played that yet?




I own it, but haven't played it yet (alas, we had 5 players at our most recent boardgame day).

It isn't a single expansion, but rather several, reprinting some and adding new options in.

The scenarios:
* Fishermen of Catan
* The Rivers of Catan
* The Caravans
* Barbarian Attack
* Traders & Barbarians

It also has four variants that can be combined with normal Catan:
* Friendly Robber
* Event Cards
* Harbormaster
* Catan for Two

If you enjoy regular Catan, I think this is a must-buy; the scenarios range from "little twiddle to the regular game" to "let's change a key aspect of the game and see what happens". With the Traders expansion, for instance, the Longest Road card disappears from the game, but instead you're using your roads to make deliveries of goods to and from three key hexes. Each delivery gives you a VP... so you want a *network* of roads rather than just the longest road.

Urgh. I've got too many good games! Race for the Galaxy just arrived as well. 

Cheers!


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## Ayrk (Aug 27, 2008)

Korgoth said:


> I've played several games of standard Catan, mostly with the 5-6 expansion. I like the simplicity and purity of the game. I'm not sure I'd be tempted to add any expansions!




I agree with this statment. I find the straight Catan the best experience. 

If I wanted to start adding expansions, I'd rather just find an entirely different game that does the same thing.

That's not to say that I think expansions are bad, just that I feel Catan works perfectly as is. I don't feel the 5-6 player is truly and expansions since it doesn't change the game rules, just adds players.

The On Board Games podcast talked about expansions, including the Catan one in episode 2.


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## Holy Bovine (Aug 27, 2008)

I own the basic set, seafarers, 5-6 expansions for both and Cities and Knights.  Of all of that only Cities & Knights get no play time.  I've tried it a few times and the games dragged on for hours.  I'm used to Settlers taking 2 hours at the most  - usually done in 90 minutes or less.  4+ hours for one game with the C&K expansion is unacceptable.  I doubt I will ever play C&K again.


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## Mathew_Freeman (Sep 23, 2008)

I've played the original a number of times and enjoyed it every time. I'd be happy to play the expansions if I knew anyone that had them!


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## Sabathius42 (Sep 25, 2008)

The only "expansion" I suggest using is the little deck of event cards.  They double for the die rolling as well and because there are 36 cards (one for each possible die roll) it takes a lot of the luck out of the game.

Nothing makes me want to burn Settlers more than going 6 or 7 turns in a row and not getting a single resource.  The event cards deck pretty much eliminates that possibility.

The actual events on the cards are fairly minor and do not upset the balance of the game too much.

DS


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## Dr. Talos (Oct 2, 2008)

Holy Bovine said:


> I own the basic set, seafarers, 5-6 expansions for both and Cities and Knights.  Of all of that only Cities & Knights get no play time.  I've tried it a few times and the games dragged on for hours.  I'm used to Settlers taking 2 hours at the most  - usually done in 90 minutes or less.  4+ hours for one game with the C&K expansion is unacceptable.  I doubt I will ever play C&K again.




My group plays C&K about twice a month with 5-6 players.  A game normally runs right at 2 hours with the odd one going 2.5.  Give it another try or add a timer


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## weem (Oct 2, 2008)

Love Catan - an amazing game. I have played many many games - some with one or the other expansion, but TONS with both.

Cities and Knights is killer, and if I had to go without one it would be seafarers, but that's more about how awesome C/K is, not a matter of SF being bad (cause it's not at all).

I saw someone mention Puerto Rico which I have read a lot about - I think I need to get this one soon.

So yea, get Catan and start having a ton of fun


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## MerricB (Oct 2, 2008)

Sabathius42 said:


> The only "expansion" I suggest using is the little deck of event cards.  They double for the die rolling as well and because there are 36 cards (one for each possible die roll) it takes a lot of the luck out of the game.




I tend to use the cards and ignore the events.

As an additional note, these are included as one of the miniexpansions in the "Traders & Barbarians" expansion.

Cheers!


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## blargney the second (Oct 2, 2008)

MerricB said:


> As an additional note, these are included as one of the miniexpansions in the "Traders & Barbarians" expansion.



I wish I'd known that this afternoon... still, it's good to know!


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## Sabathius42 (Oct 5, 2008)

If you didn't want to use the events, i would suggest getting a couple decks of common playing cards and assembling a deck of "die rolls" to use.  You could probably pull this off using the spare change you find in your couch.

DS


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## blargney the second (Oct 11, 2008)

We tried out Traders & Barbarians last night, specifically the caravan scenario and the event cards.  The camels were totally fun, and we all loved them.  I hadn't anticipated the way the cards would promote card counting, but I could certainly get used to it.  I think the other players didn't like them at all, but they like to use house rules to increase the randomness of the game.


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## Plane Sailing (Oct 21, 2008)

I haven't played Settlers for years. I was thinking of getting hold of it and playing it with my kids, but I'm concerned that it might still be a little old for them.

Has anyone played it with children? of which ages?

Cheers


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## MerricB (Oct 21, 2008)

Plane Sailing said:


> I haven't played Settlers for years. I was thinking of getting hold of it and playing it with my kids, but I'm concerned that it might still be a little old for them.
> 
> Has anyone played it with children? of which ages?
> 
> Cheers




Hmm... the popular games with young children amongst my friends include such classics as Ticket to Ride, Zooloretto, Hey! That's my Fish! and Chrononauts. That's with 7 and up. 

What ages are your kids?

Cheers!


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## ThirdWizard (Nov 27, 2008)

Okay, I just got this game and have had a blast with it. I have a question: where can I find Hex Setups? I've been using the basic setup of the hexes in the instructions, but I was hoping to find some variety. I don't want to try my hand at a hex setup myself right now because it would be an easy thing to mess up, I would think. So, I'm trying to find some alternative hex configurations, but the Internet is not forthcoming. Anyone know any sites or builds I could try?


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## Simon Atavax (Nov 27, 2008)

Don't forget STARFARERS OF CATAN, the red-headed sci-fi stepchild of clan Catan.  It's a truly great game.

There's also a two-player only game called STARSHIP CATAN, great in its own right.


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## Simon Atavax (Nov 27, 2008)

Plane Sailing said:


> I haven't played Settlers for years. I was thinking of getting hold of it and playing it with my kids, but I'm concerned that it might still be a little old for them.
> 
> Has anyone played it with children? of which ages?




Hmmm. I imagine that basic Settlers could play fine with kids ages 7-8 or so, though I personally  haven't tried it.  

But just a warning to all you parents out there: do NOT buy THE KIDS OF CATAN thinking, "This'll be a great game for the kids!" It's painfully simple.  My five-year-old got bored of it very quickly.  My wife and I renamed it THE TODDLERS OF CATAN, since that's about the only age group that it might appeal to.


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## am181d (Nov 29, 2008)

Dr. Talos said:


> My group plays C&K about twice a month with 5-6 players.  A game normally runs right at 2 hours with the odd one going 2.5.  Give it another try or add a timer




I've played C&K with three players probably 100+ times and the average length of time it's taken is about two hours. (With regular Catan clocking in closer to 45 minutes.)


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## C_M2008 (Dec 19, 2008)

C&K has never taken us more than 1.5 hours. But we use the interbuild for 5+ players. We like the added tactics the game adds (like intentionally losing defense to screw other players) while still keeping the core of the catan gameplay.

For the player wanting more hex setups:

For 4 players:

-Mix/shuffle up your land and sea tiles(the ones from the basic game assuming you aren't running a "discovery" scenario via seafarers).

-deal out a row of 7 tiles vertically infront of you.
-next put 6 tiles to either side of this, then 5, then 4.
-turn the number chits face down and deal them out randomly, if any two of the same # touch move the chits around until they do not or make as few touches as possible. The same holds true for 6's & 8's. Resource inequality is okay as it spices up trading.
-If playing with later edition pieces, place ports as you see fit.
-play

-if playing without boats, recommend allowing players to build a bridge(a road) for either the boat cost or a road plus an ore, this will allow islands to be accessed or water to be crossed. This house rule has served us quite well over the years.

For more players: quite similiar, not sure on the tile distribution as I don't have any of the size expansions myself, although some friends do.


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## RefinedBean (Dec 19, 2008)

Only play the original Catan, all the new stuff gives it too much of an MMO feel.  

Serious points:

1.  I introduced my (fairly old) parents to the game, and after making fun of the amount of rules it had, they really enjoyed it.  So it's good for both older folks, as well as older children.
2.  If you do buy the expansions, as someone mentioned, do your best to keep them apart from the original game.  It can get unbelievably irritating to sort through everything before playing.
3.  Don't be afraid to houserule!


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## MerricB (Dec 20, 2008)

ThirdWizard said:


> Okay, I just got this game and have had a blast with it. I have a question: where can I find Hex Setups? I've been using the basic setup of the hexes in the instructions, but I was hoping to find some variety. I don't want to try my hand at a hex setup myself right now because it would be an easy thing to mess up, I would think. So, I'm trying to find some alternative hex configurations, but the Internet is not forthcoming. Anyone know any sites or builds I could try?




They're meant to be absolutely random. Shuffle the island hexes, and then deal them out one at a time: five in the centre, four on either side, and three on either side of that.

Cheers!


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## justanobody (Dec 20, 2008)

Here is a site with a BUNCH of configurations. You may need more than just one set of the game to make some of them.


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## Melba Toast (Dec 29, 2008)

Reveille said:


> So I'm looking into buying Settlers. Is there any one specific version I should go after?




I don't know where you live, and I realize beauty is in the eye of the beholder-kin, but I feel the design of the European version of Catan is much more visually attractive than the horrendous looking North American versions.

If you are willing to splurge, the poly-resin collector's edition is absolutely beautiful, and includes the Cities & Knights expansion.


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## Plane Sailing (Dec 29, 2008)

Plane Sailing said:


> I haven't played Settlers for years. I was thinking of getting hold of it and playing it with my kids, but I'm concerned that it might still be a little old for them.
> 
> Has anyone played it with children? of which ages?
> 
> Cheers




Well, I jumped, and they both play it happily.

My 7.5 year old absolutely loves it - it is her favourite game at the moment, and she was busy explaining to grandad how he ought to be getting his road building strategy sorted out if he wanted to win.

My 5 year old understands it, but doesn't cope well with losing and she's lost the last couple of games, so she 'doesn't like it' at the moment 

Cheers


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## Melba Toast (Dec 29, 2008)

Plane Sailing said:


> Well, I jumped, and they both play it happily.
> 
> Cheers




Good job!

I'm a firm believer in over-estimating a child's capabilities, and I think game-designers are too conservative about their suggested ages. If a child can comprehend the complexities of language, they can comprehend Settlers. Sure, impatient children might be easily frustrated, but patience can be taught.

As a point of reference, I was playing D&D when I was 8. While my problem solving and DMing skills might have been weak, I had no problem comprehending the rules. I credit D&D with introducing me to negative numbers long before algebra class.


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