Player reputation

I've got a tendency towards toolbox decks and are almost completely unable to ever discard a master card unless it's a Unique one already in play.

Lemminkäinen wrote:

What sort of reputation do you (or others in your playgroup) have? Or wish you had? Do you build a reputation on purpose?

Mainly I like to be seen as trustworthy and helpful. And everybody in my playgroup knows that I get extremely unpleasant (in the game, not in real life) if I get backstabbed with a broken deal/promise. So I rather often try to play decks, which can revenge a treason.

Playing style per game depends on the deck I play. With a strong offence look weak, with a bad defence appear strong and confident (that doesn't work always, some of my friends just know me too good).
Best thing I think is keeping the others guessing what cards you have or what plans you hatch. Never be predictable. Or on the other hand seem to be predictable if it suits your goal.

See, it isn't that easy to give an answer. It always depends on the actual table and the game state.

I've only some small experience with European players, but I've literally met TWO non-European players that give a damn about what happened last game, even if it was some earth-shattering double-counter-bluff. Both of those players are, in my opinion, extremely average players.

I think that people who attempt to use another player's perceived personality against them are in for a shock and complete befuddlement when they lose at JUST the wrong time, because they were relying on whatever they were relying on.

Players should really play the game and not the player, most of the time. If you think VTES is poker, you're making the game A LOT harder on yourself than it needs to be.

KevinM wrote:

Players should really play the game and not the player, most of the time. If you think VTES is poker, you're making the game A LOT harder on yourself than it needs to be.

IMHO if you factor in the personality of other players you can manipulate them and the game better. Likewise it is good to veil your motives and let the others guess. Playing the different player types correctly is one of the best part of the game. So yes, being pissed of some ingame action of a fellow player is an absolutely unacceptable behaviour. But also yes, playing one's good or bad habits to your advantage is also good play. (Although I don't know if I got you right, Kevin).

Sometimes knowing the play style is very helpful. There are a couple of players around Sydney who are known to have some distinct triggers.

One player I do know has basically turned "Path of the Salmon" on me when I blocked 2 or 3 undirected actions of his (I was his predator) but it was to my advantage since I could get my cross-table to start working on my Predator. He can be baited into his "Path of the Salmon" if you have the right deck.

Another one of our players is the ultimate conservative turtle. His playstyle is too heavily influenced by the risk-minimisation boardgames he plays and he most often loses games because he's seen a deck do a trick once and is sure it will do it again or he is waiting for the 'ideal' hand rather than playing "less than the full combo" to see if he will draw the rest.