I just got whupped at a play-by-web game of Clans at the Cycloops.
I hate to sound like a moaner but it wasn’t very good. The web implementation was slick, but it was a poor choice of game. The whole point of Clans is that players have to figure out which player is assigned to which colour just from their moves. This is no fun in a PBW game, because you have to go back through the previous moves to see who moved which piece. In a face-to-face game, you get to see and remember the moves, so the bluffing is much more immediate and interesting. Otherwise Clans looks only moderately interesting, so I don’t think I’ll rush out to buy it.
[Updated 12 July 2004]
Agreed 100% about play-by-web Clans. The implementation is nice, but the game is ill-suited for that play format. I’m surprised you say the physical box is large, though—just the same size as TransAmerica, right?
Whoops. I must be wrong. I only saw it quickly in a store, and only picked it up for a moment.
I just read the review at Bouldergames, which implies you are right:
http://www.bouldergames.com/detail.asp?Product_id=0356
“Given the small size of the game box, the board is surprisingly large and the rest of the components are standard German fare.”