Fleet

I still play Fleet from time to time. I probably ought to have that looked at, but not today.

Going back to Warhammer 40,000 was partly an attempt to justify the amount already spent on it. There is still something to be said for putting it on the table casually, with beers and a small audience gathered round. It makes a handsome spectacle. So does a lava lamp.

The account gives no detailed breakdown of Fleet’s turn structure, only that it remains a game I return to. The eighth edition of 40k is clearer in its effect: once the dust has settled, the system no longer offers enough depth to sustain the interest.

What remains is largely social interaction: beers, table talk, and a little crowd around the game. That has its place, but it does not repair a design that seems to have filed down its edges in order to compete more readily, leaving anyone after a more substantial game looking elsewhere.

I understand why that choice was made, but an edition like this would not have suffered from leaving a little cheese for players who wanted more depth.

Eighth-edition 40k can still make for a pleasant evening, but it is no longer the game I am looking for.