Out of several roleplaying sessions, you're likely to have one or two stand-out, highlight sessions. Yesterday was such a day for our group.
The PCs have been attacked numerous times during this adventure. Each time, the attack is performed by covert and unseen enemies. There has been no clue as to who is after them, or why. Until recently....
After a mid-night onslaught against the PCs, in their inn room, by 10 superbly strong men, the PCs interrogated one of them who was still conscious after the skirmish. The attackers all spoke with strange, slurred, incomprehensible speech. But this one fellow managed to utter one word, which sounded like the name of a person they knew - the head of the craftsmen's guild. The man who had welcomed them to town and given them a free booth for the craftsmen's convention.
That was two sessions ago. The following session, the players were all fired up to go find this man and do some serious talking, even though it was the middle of the night. They located the guildmaster's house and snuck around the back. Using Elros' energy magic, all three PCs hovered safely over the 10-foot wall surrounding the courtyard at the back of the house. Rwake then proceeded to climb through an open window into a small study. At the same time, Leo worked the complicated lock on the back door until it successfully unlatched. Then, as Leo opened the door, much to the PCs' dismay, alarm bells started ringing from the top of the house.
That is where we began yesterday's session. Immediately, there was a sense of urgency. The guildmaster's house was rigged with an automated alarm system that only someone like him could have crafted. The PCs heard viciously barking dogs coming down a hall toward them, accompanied by yelling voices.
This urgency was great. I was moving things along pretty quickly, in real time. I didn't want the players to have too much time to meta-game the scene. They came up with a couple of options - fight or flee. Leo and Elros chose flee. Rwake chose to stay and fight, to be consistent with his character. He requested a compel, which I honored, and he got a fate point for it.
Running back through the courtyard to the 10-foot boundary wall, Elros launched Leo and then himself over the wall, after which they both rolled successful stealth checks, keeping to the shadows outside the wall. A moment later, someone loosed three muscular attack dogs into the study where they had smelled an intruder - Rwake. Trapped in a corner between two sets of shelves, he quickly launched a paralyzing dart into one of the dogs before they lunged at him with teeth and claws.
Taking some damage, Rwake realized things were unmatched. So he decided, "I'm going to use my staff to vault over the dogs, then make a quick flying leap out the window." I asked him to roll, and his roll was a success. On the way out the window, he slammed a shoulder and twisted an ankle, but he made it out alive. Two dogs quickly ran around to the back door which Leo had left open in his retreat and darted for Rwake once again. The poison from the dart had left one of the three dogs disabled inside the house.
Elros, per Leo's recommendation, was now doing a pullup on the wall to see what was happening on the other side. Using pure mental power, Elros wielded more energy magic to float Rwake back over the wall. As Rwake left the ground, he narrowly avoided the thrown ax that someone from inside had just thrown at him through the doorway. He made a successful stealth check when he landed, and all three PCs retreated to the back of the building to come up with a plan. The sounds of locals and constables echoed from the front of the house now.
All this time, the players felt the need to keep moving, to plan quickly, and to avoid being seen. They would be regarded as criminals now, if they were seen or caught. They were almost certain they had been seen heading this direction earlier in the night. They decided that their only option was to find an answer behind the mysterious attacks before they could be found. They couldn't risk being caught.
A young urchin named Vonny Jaywhistle whom they had earlier befriended happened to be in the area that night and gave the PCs a "Pssst!" from behind a nearby building. The PCs joined him and found out that some of Vonny's friends had reported seeing the guildmaster enter his nearby warehouse earlier that night. The PCs stationed themselves in small tree-enclosed area within sight of the warehouse and took a few minutes to plan their next course of action.
Everyone came away from this session feeling good about it. Whether they were correct or incorrect in their suspicions, the players had an idea of what they wanted to do. They had a reason to move quickly. The law would now be their enemy unless they revealed the greater criminal. They had avoided unnecessary combat. Rwake had earned a fate point in the process. For the first time in a long while, they had a solid sense of direction, and much was on the line.
It's hard to line this kind of thing up. But this session reminded me how helpful urgency is to an adventure. We all came away pleased and eager for the next session.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Where have I been?
I realize that I haven't posted for a while. The reason for this is that I only have so many time slots where I can write for Games on the Table.
One fact you may or may not know is that I am a composer. Lately, I've had so much music to compose that I've had less time to devote to Games on the Table. If you are a listener to the podcast The Dice Tower, you will know that I just finished the new orchestral Dice Tower theme music in time for episode 128. If you would like to hear this theme in its entirety (about 3:15 in length), Tom played it all the way through in episode 128. From now on, you'll only hear short clips in Dice Tower episodes and in Tom's Dice Tower videos. You'll notice that Tom's video reviews include jazz music. This is a jazz arrangement of the main melody from The Dice Tower Theme that I finished shortly after, per Tom's request. So head over to the Dice Tower podcast and listen to episode 128. If you like the Dice Tower Theme, I'll have it available as a download from my website in the future, and Tom might make it available as well. I still need to polish up the final release of this track.
Right now, I have two priorities for Games on the Table. First, you seem to enjoy the brief overview videos and I like making them, so I hope to keep producing those from time to time. Second, the Geek at the Table interviews have been really interesting, so I'd like to do more of those. I'm not sure how frequently I'll be able to post with the amount of time I'm spending in the studio, but I'll try to keep the content coming.
If there is some other type of content that you enjoy and would like more of, please let me know. And if you listen to the samples on my website and like my music, why not consider hiring me to compose for your internet media?
One fact you may or may not know is that I am a composer. Lately, I've had so much music to compose that I've had less time to devote to Games on the Table. If you are a listener to the podcast The Dice Tower, you will know that I just finished the new orchestral Dice Tower theme music in time for episode 128. If you would like to hear this theme in its entirety (about 3:15 in length), Tom played it all the way through in episode 128. From now on, you'll only hear short clips in Dice Tower episodes and in Tom's Dice Tower videos. You'll notice that Tom's video reviews include jazz music. This is a jazz arrangement of the main melody from The Dice Tower Theme that I finished shortly after, per Tom's request. So head over to the Dice Tower podcast and listen to episode 128. If you like the Dice Tower Theme, I'll have it available as a download from my website in the future, and Tom might make it available as well. I still need to polish up the final release of this track.
Right now, I have two priorities for Games on the Table. First, you seem to enjoy the brief overview videos and I like making them, so I hope to keep producing those from time to time. Second, the Geek at the Table interviews have been really interesting, so I'd like to do more of those. I'm not sure how frequently I'll be able to post with the amount of time I'm spending in the studio, but I'll try to keep the content coming.
If there is some other type of content that you enjoy and would like more of, please let me know. And if you listen to the samples on my website and like my music, why not consider hiring me to compose for your internet media?
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Brief Overview video #8: Bohnanza
Here you go: episode 8 in my Brief Overview series. This was probably the most difficult game to briefly explain to date. The game is easy to play, easy to teach, and easy for noobs to pick up, but trying to do this video was just more difficult than usual for some reason. I think it worked out well in the end. Enjoy!
There they are!
You may remember, a few weeks ago I wrote a post called "I ordered these?"
I am pleased to announce that my group's game order finally arrived. We placed the order with Boards & Bits on May 15th, and the order arrived on August 1st, two and a half months later.
This time around, one guy picked up a copy of Cartagena II, and another guy picked up Thurn and Taxis: Power and Glory, R-Eco, and Treasures & Traps: Expanded Realms 1.
As I mentioned before, the Race for the Galaxy expansion was one of the games holding up the game order. Finally, after repeated delays, Tom from Boards & Bits decided to pull the RftG expansion out of everyone's pre-orders because it was now said to have an estimated delivery of September.
Soon after this event, standard RftG came back into stock and the order shipped. A few days later, the sweet, sweet box arrived on my doorstep. Usually, my wife will get me on Skype while I'm at work so I can see her unbox the games and show them to me. This time, we waited until I was home so I could dig out the gold with my own hands.
Besides RftG, I also finally acquired a copy of the cooperative game, Pandemic, and Treasures & Traps: Expanded Realms 1. Speaking of which: sometime soon I'm going to write more about Treasures and Traps and what an under-appreciated and unknown game it is. Really, it's very fun and I think lots of people would like it, if they only knew about it. More on this later.
The weekend we received the games, my wife and I logged five plays of Pandemic and seven plays of RftG. The games were so enjoyable. We interrupted our always-in-progress alphabetical play-through of our collection to pile up a few plays of our new games. I was very pleased with this game order because we had waited for so long and because we hadn't ordered games in months. This was the antithesis of our Thebes/Caylus Magna Carta game order (two games I traded after very few plays). I was so relieved to find that not only I loved both new games, but my wife was having a blast as well. We were both always eager for one more play of RftG.
A couple weeks have gone by now and we've logged 11 plays of Pandemic and 15 plays of RftG. Most of these have been played with my wife (both games are great with 2 players) and a few have been played at work with my Board Game Wednesday group.
I'll briefly summarize my early impressions of the games.
Treasures and Traps expansion: Every player now gets a role with an ability. There are some interesting new cards, especially the Prism treasures.
Pandemic: An amazing design that simulates 4 deadly diseases spreading throughout the world while the players are a team of characters trying to find cures for them. You travel a lot, and you treat diseases. Working together, you race the game to find all four cures. 1 way to win - 3 ways to lose. The game has built in tension that is wonderful.
Race for the Galaxy: Combos, combos, combos. Much like San Juan, but with much more going on. The theme is awesome, especially when your play is accompanied by some good John Williams music. There is unique artwork on every card, really pulling you into the space theme. I can't fathom the amount of playtesting this game must have taken to perfect. Right now, I rank it as a 9 on BGG, but it just might become the first game I rate higher than a 9. I'll reconsider after a load of plays. There is so much card interaction in this game. Very tasty.
I was very pleased with this game order and I'm glad it came soon enough that I hadn't forgotten I ordered it.
I am pleased to announce that my group's game order finally arrived. We placed the order with Boards & Bits on May 15th, and the order arrived on August 1st, two and a half months later.
This time around, one guy picked up a copy of Cartagena II, and another guy picked up Thurn and Taxis: Power and Glory, R-Eco, and Treasures & Traps: Expanded Realms 1.
As I mentioned before, the Race for the Galaxy expansion was one of the games holding up the game order. Finally, after repeated delays, Tom from Boards & Bits decided to pull the RftG expansion out of everyone's pre-orders because it was now said to have an estimated delivery of September.
Soon after this event, standard RftG came back into stock and the order shipped. A few days later, the sweet, sweet box arrived on my doorstep. Usually, my wife will get me on Skype while I'm at work so I can see her unbox the games and show them to me. This time, we waited until I was home so I could dig out the gold with my own hands.
Besides RftG, I also finally acquired a copy of the cooperative game, Pandemic, and Treasures & Traps: Expanded Realms 1. Speaking of which: sometime soon I'm going to write more about Treasures and Traps and what an under-appreciated and unknown game it is. Really, it's very fun and I think lots of people would like it, if they only knew about it. More on this later.
The weekend we received the games, my wife and I logged five plays of Pandemic and seven plays of RftG. The games were so enjoyable. We interrupted our always-in-progress alphabetical play-through of our collection to pile up a few plays of our new games. I was very pleased with this game order because we had waited for so long and because we hadn't ordered games in months. This was the antithesis of our Thebes/Caylus Magna Carta game order (two games I traded after very few plays). I was so relieved to find that not only I loved both new games, but my wife was having a blast as well. We were both always eager for one more play of RftG.
A couple weeks have gone by now and we've logged 11 plays of Pandemic and 15 plays of RftG. Most of these have been played with my wife (both games are great with 2 players) and a few have been played at work with my Board Game Wednesday group.
I'll briefly summarize my early impressions of the games.
Treasures and Traps expansion: Every player now gets a role with an ability. There are some interesting new cards, especially the Prism treasures.
Pandemic: An amazing design that simulates 4 deadly diseases spreading throughout the world while the players are a team of characters trying to find cures for them. You travel a lot, and you treat diseases. Working together, you race the game to find all four cures. 1 way to win - 3 ways to lose. The game has built in tension that is wonderful.
Race for the Galaxy: Combos, combos, combos. Much like San Juan, but with much more going on. The theme is awesome, especially when your play is accompanied by some good John Williams music. There is unique artwork on every card, really pulling you into the space theme. I can't fathom the amount of playtesting this game must have taken to perfect. Right now, I rank it as a 9 on BGG, but it just might become the first game I rate higher than a 9. I'll reconsider after a load of plays. There is so much card interaction in this game. Very tasty.
I was very pleased with this game order and I'm glad it came soon enough that I hadn't forgotten I ordered it.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Geek at the Table Interview #2: Isamoor
Thanks to BGG user daveroswell, I have a new name for this interview series: "Geek at the Table". It seems like a fitting name, so I'll stick with that. Thanks for your input, Dave!
This is now the second interview in the series. This time, we speak with the man whose avatar inspires the adventure fan in all of us: Isamoor. (All of my words are in bold text.)
When did you become a board game geek and what drew you into the hobby?
I've been a board gamer for a long time. Unfortunately, I played a whole lot of bad mass production games in my childhood. Some of my earliest fun times were designing scenarios for HeroQuest or playing in some chess clubs at school.
In college I did a decent amount of party gaming. There were good ones and there were bad ones. I'll always have a soft spot for electronic Catch Phrase though. I can't play my copy any more since I have maybe 60% of the clues memorized.
I met my lovely wife during college as well. And her family happen to be some big gamers. They introduced me to the absolutely classic game of Acquire. I played Acquire with them a half a dozen times before a Google search for it landed me on BGG. It all went down hill from there.
I'm mostly through my complete fascination stage. I've quit trying to get my wife's family to play the complicated strategy games. I've learned more about my own tastes in games. I've also joined a great game club here in Indy where we play pretty much all the Euros under the sun. The great host (Dave Koch) has a bad case of the Cult of the New, so I get to try out all the new fancy titles without buying them. He's been a card carrying member for many years now, so I don't think that'll end any time soon.
HeroQuest was one of my earliest and heaviest games as a kid as well. My friend bought the base game, I bought the expansions. That was also my first roleplaying experience. I have lots of great memories of playing HeroQuest. I can still get my wife to play with me sometimes.
Your gaming club sounds great. You are in the situation we all would like to be in - you have a chance to try every game before you buy.
What is the significance of your avatar? I have to say, every time I see you post on BGG, I get a quick jolt of glee because I'm an Indiana Jones fan, and you've chosen a great pic for your avatar.
I too am a large Indiana Jones fan. During my teenage years, I watched the Indiana Jones trilogy and the original Star Wars trilogy over and over and over.
Me too.
I'm still a large Harrison Ford fan and have seen most of the movies he has been in. Additionally, I've lived in the great state of Indiana for all my life, so I thought an Indiana Jones avatar was a great pick. I briefly toyed with a Jack Sparrow avatar, but it just seemed too cliche at the time. I stuck with an iconic character that has been around for much longer. (Which I'm glad I did. The "Pirates" sequels just were not up to snuff. The original will remain a classic for me however.)
Harrison Ford is always good. He was excellent as Linus in Sabrina. I agree about the Pirates sequels. My wife and I really liked the first movie, but then the writers really took a dive the with second and third movies.
How would you order all four Indy movies from most to least favorite? Did you like the new Crystal Skull movie?
Here we go:
A. The Raiders of the Lost Ark: The original is still the best. I absolutely *love* the great chase scene with the trucks. (I also have a soft spot for "Stagecoach", which inspired this stunt). Marion was a great character. John Rhys-Davies and Denholm Elliott were some of my favorite supporting actors of all times. Both of them were sorely missed in the recent sequel.
B. Last Crusade: Sean Connery rocks. 'Nuff said. The whole interplay between Connery and Ford just made this movie. Around me, "The dog's name was Indiana" is still a favorite quote. As is "He chose poorly."
Sorry to correct you, but I believe the correct wording is: "We named the dog Indiana." ;)
C. Crystal Skull: I applaud the effort, but it's just not the same. It definitely nuked the fridge. (Look it up, almost as great as jumping the shark.) I did love the extended chase scene towards the end. A great homage back to the stunt men of old. The movie just took itself too seriously in parts and didn't have as memorable of characters. I like Shia and all, but he just didn't work for me. Give me River Pheonix any day. The plot was rather weak as well. I didn't mind the aliens, but the Russians just weren't menacing. Oh no! Communism! Pushaw. There are much worse things out there.
Here I disagree. I think they took an excellent approach to the new movie. I felt that Spielberg and Lucas were taking a lighter approach to this movie. If you are familiar with the pulp genre, this movie doesn't seem too out there. Nuking the fridge is exactly what happens in pulp, which is the genre Indy fits into. Crazy stuff like that happens all the time in the roleplaying game Spirit of the Century. That's what makes it fun. I like that Spielberg and Lucas were willing to give us blantant, unrealistic, over-ther-top action adventure. This is the kind of movie I would love to see more of. I enjoyed the story, and thought Shia LaBeouf was the perfect addition to the story. I'd love to see him as the future Indy. I'd say the movie doesn't take itself seriously, which is what made it so fun. But hey, everyone has their own tastes.
D. Temple of Doom: Actually the first Indiana Jones I ever saw. Turned me off from watching the others for *years*. Kate Capshaw was a shrieking mess. Harrison Ford was still strong in the movie, but it wasn't enough to save it. Also, dropping it down to the scale of a tribe of cannibals really lost the epic feel of the other movies.
I agree. Temple of Doom just missed the mark for me. The cultic stuff just wasn't cool. I'd say Indy 1, 3, and 4 are probably all equally sweet for me at this point. Thanks for your Indy thoughts.
I can tell from your "Plays Games with Lover" microbadge and from your profile text that you love your wife. How long have you been married? What is something you've come to appreciate more and more about your wife, having been married all this time?
I've been happily married for almost 2 years now. I dated my wife for 4 years prior to that though, so we've been together quite a while. The more I live with her, the more I appreciate her strong-willed independence. I love her for the way she lives her life and wouldn't want her to be any different than she is.
One of your microbadges says, "When playing a game, the goal is to win, but it is the goal that is important, not the winning." - a quote from game designer Reiner Knizia. This sounds a bit like my own gaming philosophy. Talk about this quote and its significance to you.
I'd appreciated the quote for quite awhile. Then I finally saw the microbadge and new I had to have it front and center. The badge is a three tier podium with each space labeled #1. I really should go find the designer of the badge and tip them.
For me, it's just a perfect quote. I don't play games to try and demonstrate intelligent superiority. I play games because they are fun. I love interacting with other people, but I also love exercising my problem solving muscles. Games provide a very good medium to do both. So for me, it's fun to try and win, but it's not the winning that draws me back.
Well said.
It's just such a better past time than watching TV in my opinion. I also spend a great many hours reading books, but books let me escape into my imagination. Books also help you grow as a person since you can vicariously learn so much from the experiences of the characters you read about.
You also have the "I love all games!" microbdage. What are some features of games that you don't like? Are there any mechanics or game features that you avoid?
Funny you should bring that up. I think I need to find a new badge that says "I love all types of games!" I definitely was a little more newbish when I bought that badge. I've gotten a little more picky recently and will actually avoid some games. Still, if a friend wants to play a game, I'll play anything with them. I just am a little pickier about what I suggest.
I don't generally like worker placement. It's way too passive aggressive for me. If you want to fight, let's do it to the death. Otherwise how about we find a different form of player interaction. Worker placement just causes the optimal move to be blocking way too often for my pleasure. I'd rather a game be an set of incremental improvements. Not a turn order dance of annoyance.
I also dislike downtime. I avoid many of the primary causes. I don't always like Variable Turn Order for this reason. If someone says "Who's turn is it?" twice in a 10 minute period, I'll doubtfully ever play that game again.
A while back, I created a geeklist called: "When fans are compelled to defend a game's flaws: games which provoke rabid defense." You were one of the main contributors to that geeklist. So, first of all, thanks for contributing. Second of all, what made you get in on that geeklist? Were you already somewhat familiar with the Criticism vs Fanboy Retort scene?
Thank you for a fun idea for a geeklist. I generally try to contribute to any amusing open-ended geeklists I see out there. Community interaction is how some of the best content comes about.
I do stay pretty up to date on most "goings on", which includes all the "Criticism vs Fanboy" jazz. It's usually most prevalent in the replies to reviews. I read a lot of reviews and usually stick around for the commentary. I try to maintain an unbiased opinion. At the same time though, where there's smoke there's fire. If you see the same topic appear in multiple places, there's usually a grain of truth in there somewhere. Personally, I try very hard to be objective in my own reviews. I know I've been guilty of being the "fanboy retort" to other reviews on occasion. Still, I know I always appreciate having the other side present down in the comments.
Your collection shows that you currently own 101 games. Do you envision this increasing, or are you getting rid of games as you acquire more?
Gack. I did just cross the 100 mark didn't I? Well, here's the deal. I have one armoire. It sits in the library. That's supposed to be the limit of my game collection. Thus was the agreement with my wife. Now, there is a slippery slope about sticking to that agreement however...
First, we gave in and put the kid centric games over in a spare bedroom on a bookshelf. There's still plenty of space there for the moment.
Next I confiscated a freshly purchased trunk to place our KosMos 2-player collection in. I got a little overzealous there though and my wife made me give half of that back. I'm just starting to feel the space constraints again though. I'll probably convince myself to get rid of a goodly number of games again. The problem is I've been drifting towards collecting more and more card games since they don't take up much space and are really cheap.
Oh the pain. Oh the pain.
You have posted frequently in the Race for the Galaxy forums. Talk about your feelings and experience regarding Race for the Galaxy.
I suppose I have. Most of my feeling upon the actual game can be read in my extensive review here: http://www.boardgamegeeks.com/thread/311579
As for my own relationship with the game, I sure was lukewarm when I first got it. I played it a couple times and tossed it on the trade pile. It sat there for a couple months while I ran it through some math trades asking for some big ticket items. Eventually I came back two it and really fell in love with it. It's not perfect, but I do give it a positive review.
As for the actual game forums, I think some people have *WAY* too much time on their hands. The card by card analysis is bad enough, but then the intricate strategy articles and discussions are way too much for me. I stay out of all of those and just play the game.
On your profile, you mention that the things you value most in a game are (and I quote):
My favorite fits:
A. Schotten Totten: Still my favorite after a year at the top. My wife and I have played close to 40 games of this and it still hits the table. The stress of committing before you are ready and then hoping to draw the right cards is just too much fun. We always end up yelling and smiling by the end of it. At the same time, every decision is important and the game moves quickly.
B. Race for the Galaxy: Not quite as much pure *fun* as others, but very enjoyable. I enjoy watching my little empire grow over the course of the game. I like seeing the pieces come together into a cohesive whole. I also enjoy the *tons* of meaningful decisions and very fast moving game play.
C. Uptown: A recent addition, but definitely fits the bill. There's always cussing and laughing when pieces start getting smacked. Additionally, there really is a lot of thought that goes into what piece to put where on each and every turn. And the people I've played with have kept it to a very brisk pace.
Near Misses from perfect:
A. Brass: Brass is many great things, but it is not fast-moving. There is a lot to think about and the turn order is constantly shuffled. I appreciate how smoothly the components work, but it still just takes a little too long to play the game. I still enjoy it though.
B. Pick Picnic: I also love this game. It's among the most "fun" that I play. I love when the game shifts into quick negotiation mode. When they turn south, out comes the die!!! Still, the decisions aren't really *that* deep and meaningful here. It's true that some players will consistently win by understanding and predicting the group think, but many of the games still just come down to chance.
C. Magna Grecia: MG has lots of meaningful decisions all squeezed into a very short play time. However, there's usually not a lot of laughing and yelling going on in this game. I still have moods where I want to play the deeply analytical games, they're just not my absolute favorite.
With whom do you most often play board games?
Most definitely my wife. The vast majority of my collection can be played two-player. We usually get in 2-3 games over the course of a work week in the evenings. I'm sure this will change as children are introduced.
(I guarantee it.)
But then I just have to wait a few years and stock up on some good children's games.
I play about bi-weekly with a great gaming group here in town. They play much of the medium to heavy euro jazz out there. I also play a lot of the light to party games I own with my wife's family.
Do you play video games or roleplaying games?
I don't do traditional RPGs, but I've played pretty much all types of video games. I've avoided MMORPGs just out of fear of addiction. I loved the older Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid games. In recent years, I've played a lot of the America's Army FPS. I still play in AA leagues 1-2 nights per week. I play many adventure games with my wife. Just recently we picked up Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and that is FAR too addictive.
Do you currently have a favorite board game? If so, why is it your favorite?
My favorite is probably still Schotten Totten. It just does so much right. Multiple paths to victory, simple rules, tough decisions, exciting game play, easy to get into. I could go on and on, but then I would bore you.
My wife and I had the Battle Line iteration of this game. My wife didn't like it much, and I was neutral about it, so we traded it. I imagine we'd like Schotten Totten more.
If something great happened in the board gaming world today, what would it be? (In other words, what would be your ideal wish for the BG world today?)
I wish Wal-Mart would carry Ticket to Ride. I don't need to see Race for the Galaxy on the shelves at my local department store, but I just don't see how such a great family game as Ticket to Ride hasn't caught on.
A more realistic wish would be for more games to use innovative mechanics. I enjoy many games that are just piles of mechanics tossed in a blender, but I really enjoy the more innovative ones. Uptown is a great example of an recent innovative game. Sure, it seems a little Suduko like, but it's really a very unique game.
If you had something valuable to teach or share with new board gamers, what would it be?
Find a local board game group. If you can't, make a local board game group. Games will only take this hobby so far. Good friends take it the rest of the way.
That's some good quote material.
Realize that there is no "best game". There are only "best game for the current situation". Don't try to force a game onto a group. Play something they are open to.
What would you say is or has been your most significant contribution to BGG and/or the board gaming world?
Sadly, none of my contributions have been that unique. I've written some good reviews, but they're probably a little more analytical than most people would like.
The contribution I am most proud of would be this geeklist: Food for Thought - Logic Gone Astray.
In there I tried to identify the most common logical fallacies applied to board games. It still irks me to this day when people tell me a perfectly shuffled deck of Magic the Gathering should never experience mana screw. I also can't handle the "dice owe me some sixes" argument. Unless I really don't know someone, I usually speak up anytime someone makes one of these mistakes in my presence.
What kind of world view do you hold? What is the purpose of life and the cosmos?
I most appreciate Buddhism in my day-to-day life. Buddhism has a very pragmatic world view that doesn't sugar coat very much. At this point in my life, I don't worry too much about my purpose in life. In living my life, I try to concentrate on having fun and not causing other people suffering. I recognize that oftentimes hard work now pays off with extra enjoyment later, so I also don't skimp in my work just to play more. I enjoy discussing other world views and religions, but I actively dislike any other view that judges me lacking for my own beliefs. I don't really worry about the purpose of the cosmos. I already know the answer to it all is 42.
This is now the second interview in the series. This time, we speak with the man whose avatar inspires the adventure fan in all of us: Isamoor. (All of my words are in bold text.)
When did you become a board game geek and what drew you into the hobby?
I've been a board gamer for a long time. Unfortunately, I played a whole lot of bad mass production games in my childhood. Some of my earliest fun times were designing scenarios for HeroQuest or playing in some chess clubs at school.
In college I did a decent amount of party gaming. There were good ones and there were bad ones. I'll always have a soft spot for electronic Catch Phrase though. I can't play my copy any more since I have maybe 60% of the clues memorized.
I met my lovely wife during college as well. And her family happen to be some big gamers. They introduced me to the absolutely classic game of Acquire. I played Acquire with them a half a dozen times before a Google search for it landed me on BGG. It all went down hill from there.
I'm mostly through my complete fascination stage. I've quit trying to get my wife's family to play the complicated strategy games. I've learned more about my own tastes in games. I've also joined a great game club here in Indy where we play pretty much all the Euros under the sun. The great host (Dave Koch) has a bad case of the Cult of the New, so I get to try out all the new fancy titles without buying them. He's been a card carrying member for many years now, so I don't think that'll end any time soon.
HeroQuest was one of my earliest and heaviest games as a kid as well. My friend bought the base game, I bought the expansions. That was also my first roleplaying experience. I have lots of great memories of playing HeroQuest. I can still get my wife to play with me sometimes.
Your gaming club sounds great. You are in the situation we all would like to be in - you have a chance to try every game before you buy.
What is the significance of your avatar? I have to say, every time I see you post on BGG, I get a quick jolt of glee because I'm an Indiana Jones fan, and you've chosen a great pic for your avatar.
I too am a large Indiana Jones fan. During my teenage years, I watched the Indiana Jones trilogy and the original Star Wars trilogy over and over and over.
Me too.
I'm still a large Harrison Ford fan and have seen most of the movies he has been in. Additionally, I've lived in the great state of Indiana for all my life, so I thought an Indiana Jones avatar was a great pick. I briefly toyed with a Jack Sparrow avatar, but it just seemed too cliche at the time. I stuck with an iconic character that has been around for much longer. (Which I'm glad I did. The "Pirates" sequels just were not up to snuff. The original will remain a classic for me however.)
Harrison Ford is always good. He was excellent as Linus in Sabrina. I agree about the Pirates sequels. My wife and I really liked the first movie, but then the writers really took a dive the with second and third movies.
How would you order all four Indy movies from most to least favorite? Did you like the new Crystal Skull movie?
Here we go:
A. The Raiders of the Lost Ark: The original is still the best. I absolutely *love* the great chase scene with the trucks. (I also have a soft spot for "Stagecoach", which inspired this stunt). Marion was a great character. John Rhys-Davies and Denholm Elliott were some of my favorite supporting actors of all times. Both of them were sorely missed in the recent sequel.
B. Last Crusade: Sean Connery rocks. 'Nuff said. The whole interplay between Connery and Ford just made this movie. Around me, "The dog's name was Indiana" is still a favorite quote. As is "He chose poorly."
Sorry to correct you, but I believe the correct wording is: "We named the dog Indiana." ;)
C. Crystal Skull: I applaud the effort, but it's just not the same. It definitely nuked the fridge. (Look it up, almost as great as jumping the shark.) I did love the extended chase scene towards the end. A great homage back to the stunt men of old. The movie just took itself too seriously in parts and didn't have as memorable of characters. I like Shia and all, but he just didn't work for me. Give me River Pheonix any day. The plot was rather weak as well. I didn't mind the aliens, but the Russians just weren't menacing. Oh no! Communism! Pushaw. There are much worse things out there.
Here I disagree. I think they took an excellent approach to the new movie. I felt that Spielberg and Lucas were taking a lighter approach to this movie. If you are familiar with the pulp genre, this movie doesn't seem too out there. Nuking the fridge is exactly what happens in pulp, which is the genre Indy fits into. Crazy stuff like that happens all the time in the roleplaying game Spirit of the Century. That's what makes it fun. I like that Spielberg and Lucas were willing to give us blantant, unrealistic, over-ther-top action adventure. This is the kind of movie I would love to see more of. I enjoyed the story, and thought Shia LaBeouf was the perfect addition to the story. I'd love to see him as the future Indy. I'd say the movie doesn't take itself seriously, which is what made it so fun. But hey, everyone has their own tastes.
D. Temple of Doom: Actually the first Indiana Jones I ever saw. Turned me off from watching the others for *years*. Kate Capshaw was a shrieking mess. Harrison Ford was still strong in the movie, but it wasn't enough to save it. Also, dropping it down to the scale of a tribe of cannibals really lost the epic feel of the other movies.
I agree. Temple of Doom just missed the mark for me. The cultic stuff just wasn't cool. I'd say Indy 1, 3, and 4 are probably all equally sweet for me at this point. Thanks for your Indy thoughts.
I can tell from your "Plays Games with Lover" microbadge and from your profile text that you love your wife. How long have you been married? What is something you've come to appreciate more and more about your wife, having been married all this time?
I've been happily married for almost 2 years now. I dated my wife for 4 years prior to that though, so we've been together quite a while. The more I live with her, the more I appreciate her strong-willed independence. I love her for the way she lives her life and wouldn't want her to be any different than she is.
One of your microbadges says, "When playing a game, the goal is to win, but it is the goal that is important, not the winning." - a quote from game designer Reiner Knizia. This sounds a bit like my own gaming philosophy. Talk about this quote and its significance to you.
I'd appreciated the quote for quite awhile. Then I finally saw the microbadge and new I had to have it front and center. The badge is a three tier podium with each space labeled #1. I really should go find the designer of the badge and tip them.
For me, it's just a perfect quote. I don't play games to try and demonstrate intelligent superiority. I play games because they are fun. I love interacting with other people, but I also love exercising my problem solving muscles. Games provide a very good medium to do both. So for me, it's fun to try and win, but it's not the winning that draws me back.
Well said.
It's just such a better past time than watching TV in my opinion. I also spend a great many hours reading books, but books let me escape into my imagination. Books also help you grow as a person since you can vicariously learn so much from the experiences of the characters you read about.
You also have the "I love all games!" microbdage. What are some features of games that you don't like? Are there any mechanics or game features that you avoid?
Funny you should bring that up. I think I need to find a new badge that says "I love all types of games!" I definitely was a little more newbish when I bought that badge. I've gotten a little more picky recently and will actually avoid some games. Still, if a friend wants to play a game, I'll play anything with them. I just am a little pickier about what I suggest.
I don't generally like worker placement. It's way too passive aggressive for me. If you want to fight, let's do it to the death. Otherwise how about we find a different form of player interaction. Worker placement just causes the optimal move to be blocking way too often for my pleasure. I'd rather a game be an set of incremental improvements. Not a turn order dance of annoyance.
I also dislike downtime. I avoid many of the primary causes. I don't always like Variable Turn Order for this reason. If someone says "Who's turn is it?" twice in a 10 minute period, I'll doubtfully ever play that game again.
A while back, I created a geeklist called: "When fans are compelled to defend a game's flaws: games which provoke rabid defense." You were one of the main contributors to that geeklist. So, first of all, thanks for contributing. Second of all, what made you get in on that geeklist? Were you already somewhat familiar with the Criticism vs Fanboy Retort scene?
Thank you for a fun idea for a geeklist. I generally try to contribute to any amusing open-ended geeklists I see out there. Community interaction is how some of the best content comes about.
I do stay pretty up to date on most "goings on", which includes all the "Criticism vs Fanboy" jazz. It's usually most prevalent in the replies to reviews. I read a lot of reviews and usually stick around for the commentary. I try to maintain an unbiased opinion. At the same time though, where there's smoke there's fire. If you see the same topic appear in multiple places, there's usually a grain of truth in there somewhere. Personally, I try very hard to be objective in my own reviews. I know I've been guilty of being the "fanboy retort" to other reviews on occasion. Still, I know I always appreciate having the other side present down in the comments.
Your collection shows that you currently own 101 games. Do you envision this increasing, or are you getting rid of games as you acquire more?
Gack. I did just cross the 100 mark didn't I? Well, here's the deal. I have one armoire. It sits in the library. That's supposed to be the limit of my game collection. Thus was the agreement with my wife. Now, there is a slippery slope about sticking to that agreement however...
First, we gave in and put the kid centric games over in a spare bedroom on a bookshelf. There's still plenty of space there for the moment.
Next I confiscated a freshly purchased trunk to place our KosMos 2-player collection in. I got a little overzealous there though and my wife made me give half of that back. I'm just starting to feel the space constraints again though. I'll probably convince myself to get rid of a goodly number of games again. The problem is I've been drifting towards collecting more and more card games since they don't take up much space and are really cheap.
Oh the pain. Oh the pain.
You have posted frequently in the Race for the Galaxy forums. Talk about your feelings and experience regarding Race for the Galaxy.
I suppose I have. Most of my feeling upon the actual game can be read in my extensive review here: http://www.boardgamegeeks.com/thread/311579
As for my own relationship with the game, I sure was lukewarm when I first got it. I played it a couple times and tossed it on the trade pile. It sat there for a couple months while I ran it through some math trades asking for some big ticket items. Eventually I came back two it and really fell in love with it. It's not perfect, but I do give it a positive review.
As for the actual game forums, I think some people have *WAY* too much time on their hands. The card by card analysis is bad enough, but then the intricate strategy articles and discussions are way too much for me. I stay out of all of those and just play the game.
On your profile, you mention that the things you value most in a game are (and I quote):
- Fun! I'd better be smilin' or yellin' by the end of it.
- Meaningful decisions! I like to make important choices turn after turn.
- Quick Playing / No Downtime! I like my games to keep moving at a brisk pace.
My favorite fits:
A. Schotten Totten: Still my favorite after a year at the top. My wife and I have played close to 40 games of this and it still hits the table. The stress of committing before you are ready and then hoping to draw the right cards is just too much fun. We always end up yelling and smiling by the end of it. At the same time, every decision is important and the game moves quickly.
B. Race for the Galaxy: Not quite as much pure *fun* as others, but very enjoyable. I enjoy watching my little empire grow over the course of the game. I like seeing the pieces come together into a cohesive whole. I also enjoy the *tons* of meaningful decisions and very fast moving game play.
C. Uptown: A recent addition, but definitely fits the bill. There's always cussing and laughing when pieces start getting smacked. Additionally, there really is a lot of thought that goes into what piece to put where on each and every turn. And the people I've played with have kept it to a very brisk pace.
Near Misses from perfect:
A. Brass: Brass is many great things, but it is not fast-moving. There is a lot to think about and the turn order is constantly shuffled. I appreciate how smoothly the components work, but it still just takes a little too long to play the game. I still enjoy it though.
B. Pick Picnic: I also love this game. It's among the most "fun" that I play. I love when the game shifts into quick negotiation mode. When they turn south, out comes the die!!! Still, the decisions aren't really *that* deep and meaningful here. It's true that some players will consistently win by understanding and predicting the group think, but many of the games still just come down to chance.
C. Magna Grecia: MG has lots of meaningful decisions all squeezed into a very short play time. However, there's usually not a lot of laughing and yelling going on in this game. I still have moods where I want to play the deeply analytical games, they're just not my absolute favorite.
With whom do you most often play board games?
Most definitely my wife. The vast majority of my collection can be played two-player. We usually get in 2-3 games over the course of a work week in the evenings. I'm sure this will change as children are introduced.
(I guarantee it.)
But then I just have to wait a few years and stock up on some good children's games.
I play about bi-weekly with a great gaming group here in town. They play much of the medium to heavy euro jazz out there. I also play a lot of the light to party games I own with my wife's family.
Do you play video games or roleplaying games?
I don't do traditional RPGs, but I've played pretty much all types of video games. I've avoided MMORPGs just out of fear of addiction. I loved the older Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid games. In recent years, I've played a lot of the America's Army FPS. I still play in AA leagues 1-2 nights per week. I play many adventure games with my wife. Just recently we picked up Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and that is FAR too addictive.
Do you currently have a favorite board game? If so, why is it your favorite?
My favorite is probably still Schotten Totten. It just does so much right. Multiple paths to victory, simple rules, tough decisions, exciting game play, easy to get into. I could go on and on, but then I would bore you.
My wife and I had the Battle Line iteration of this game. My wife didn't like it much, and I was neutral about it, so we traded it. I imagine we'd like Schotten Totten more.
If something great happened in the board gaming world today, what would it be? (In other words, what would be your ideal wish for the BG world today?)
I wish Wal-Mart would carry Ticket to Ride. I don't need to see Race for the Galaxy on the shelves at my local department store, but I just don't see how such a great family game as Ticket to Ride hasn't caught on.
A more realistic wish would be for more games to use innovative mechanics. I enjoy many games that are just piles of mechanics tossed in a blender, but I really enjoy the more innovative ones. Uptown is a great example of an recent innovative game. Sure, it seems a little Suduko like, but it's really a very unique game.
If you had something valuable to teach or share with new board gamers, what would it be?
Find a local board game group. If you can't, make a local board game group. Games will only take this hobby so far. Good friends take it the rest of the way.
That's some good quote material.
Realize that there is no "best game". There are only "best game for the current situation". Don't try to force a game onto a group. Play something they are open to.
What would you say is or has been your most significant contribution to BGG and/or the board gaming world?
Sadly, none of my contributions have been that unique. I've written some good reviews, but they're probably a little more analytical than most people would like.
The contribution I am most proud of would be this geeklist: Food for Thought - Logic Gone Astray.
In there I tried to identify the most common logical fallacies applied to board games. It still irks me to this day when people tell me a perfectly shuffled deck of Magic the Gathering should never experience mana screw. I also can't handle the "dice owe me some sixes" argument. Unless I really don't know someone, I usually speak up anytime someone makes one of these mistakes in my presence.
What kind of world view do you hold? What is the purpose of life and the cosmos?
I most appreciate Buddhism in my day-to-day life. Buddhism has a very pragmatic world view that doesn't sugar coat very much. At this point in my life, I don't worry too much about my purpose in life. In living my life, I try to concentrate on having fun and not causing other people suffering. I recognize that oftentimes hard work now pays off with extra enjoyment later, so I also don't skimp in my work just to play more. I enjoy discussing other world views and religions, but I actively dislike any other view that judges me lacking for my own beliefs. I don't really worry about the purpose of the cosmos. I already know the answer to it all is 42.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Geek Interview #1: IronMoss
This is the first in a new series of interviews you will only find here at Games on the Table. I got to thinking: most interviews you read involve well-known people like game designers and publishers and the like. But I realized that the average game geek is typically just as interesting, or more so. So I've decided to bring you exclusive interviews with common members of the Board Game Geek community. Here, you'll get an inside look at the lives of those you see in passing every day while surfing on BGG.
I tried to think of a catchy name for the interview series, but nothing has stuck yet. Ideas I had were:
So how do I select the lucky geeks for my interviews? It's somewhat random really. I look for BGG users I've seen from time to time commenting on geeklists, thumbing items, posting articles and reviews, etc. I look around threads and say, "Hey, that user looks familiar. I'll interview him." Every geek counts, and each human life is interesting, so anyone I choose will be worth it.
Today, I begin this new interview series with a user you've probably seen thumbing items right and left: IronMoss. (All of my words are in bold text.)
When did you become a board game geek and what drew you into the hobby?
I believe there’s just something about the genetic make-up of folks that really draws them to this kind of hobby. I’ve enjoyed playing games as long as I can remember – still recall playing Uncle Wiggly with my grandmother at her house and playing various card games with my mom when I was young. Middle school saw Chess and role playing games come to the fore. By high school, several friends and I had picked up Car Wars, Battletech and a few old hex-and-counter wargames. Axis & Allies saw a lot of action during college.
Post-college featured the occasionally “party” game (which are all perfectly good fare), but I really did not (re)catch the gaming bug until I stumbled upon a Wizards of the Coast store (which, of course, was going out of business). I picked up the Limited Edition Carcassonne and Guillotine. They immediately relegated Trivial Pursuit to the back of the closet. And since then, I’ve been branching out to try all sorts of games.
It is clear from your geekbadge and microbadges that you love trail running and distance running. What is it that you love about running and what keeps you going? Distance running is difficult after all.
Running delivers a lot for me. Heading out onto the trail for a run is a terrific stress reducer / head clearer. The sense of accomplishment from finishing a long run is great. The fitness level that one can maintain is terrific – both in terms of the weight that you keep off and the increase in overall health.
I try to change my ‘running objectives’ each year. Several years ago, I wanted to focus on shorter distances, which involved a lot of speed training and resulted in my first sub-20 minute 5K (19:45) in my life. One year, after coming off a couple of injuries (most notably a stress fracture), I simply wanted to stay healthy for 12 months (which I did). This year, I set my sights on our local 50K (~32 mile) trail race. And although I wasn’t much to look at by the time I finished, I did finish the race.
I’m not sure I’ve met many folks who are both avid boardgamers and runners, but I find a lot of similarities with the two communities. Both tend to feature more introverts than extroverts. Both feature people of fairly even temperaments and long attention spans. And I don’t think I’ve met anyone in either community that I don’t like.
What is the significance of your avatar?
My nuclear symbol avatar represents my undergraduate degree – Nuclear Engineering – which I earned at the University of Virginia in 1991. Although I’ve been doing mostly systems engineering for the past decade, I remain a great supporter of nuclear power production.
You have an Orchid Enthusiast microbadge. How did you get into orchids?
The Orchid Enthusiast microbadge is actually my only contribution to BGG’s mircobadge offerings, so I’m pleased that someone noticed. [We actually boast 3 orchid lovers now at BGG.]
A good friend got me started with orchids ~15 years ago. Over the years, I’ve picked up a new one here and there. I now have a couple dozen Phalaenopsis (most common indoor type) and one Dendrobium.
Orchids are just spectacular when in bloom. And I think it’s neat that you may go many, many months between blooms, but when they do, the flowers may last a month or more. Fortunately, we have a sunroom in the house that the orchids seem to like. [Even more fortunately, my wife has allowed me to keep most of them there.] I have a few images in my BGG gallery of some of our orchids in bloom.
I like the game Masons. You've given it a 9.25, which is higher than the average rating for this game. You've also written a strategy article for new players. What is it about Masons that makes it so enjoyable for you?
Masons has a lot of attributes that put it right in my wheelhouse. I enjoy abstract strategy-esque games with just enough luck that you need to manage. And I love the sense of timing that you need to be successful at Masons. One must assess how to best influence board development, strategically position yourself to replace cards as needed and know when to score your best cards. I’ve seen games where very few scoring opportunities present themselves, and the winner is in the 30s. And I’ve seen the other extreme where the winner is well over 100.
Masons has been implemented on www.yucata.de, which has proven to be a terrific venue to play on-line. I’m often in at least one 3- or 4-person game at the site.
With whom do you most often play board games?
Most weekends during the year, my wife and I gather with another couple – do dinner, set the kids off to play and sit down for a boardgame or three ourselves. As the prime gaming instigator in the group, I’m very impressed with the number of games that our little group has played successfully. We’ve enjoyed a lot of Euro games over the past several years. Recently, we’ve played a lot of Railroad Tycoon (on the Eastern US and Europe maps) and Imperial.
During the week, I try to sneak in as many games with our two girls as we can fit. We play a mix of traditional kids’ fare (e.g., Rat-a-Tat Cat, Crazy 8s) and some slightly more advanced games (e.g., Ingenious, Blokus, O Zoo le Mio, Hoity Toity). Although I’d rather play games that push the envelope just a little bit, I’ll play whatever they request.
I see that you have the "Plays Games with Children" microbadge. What are your favorite games to play with children?
My favorite games to play with the kids are the ones that aren’t made exclusively for kids, yet our girls can play and win against the adults. I was incredibly tickled (and a little jealous) that one of our girls was the first to win at Blokus by playing all her pieces, including playing the one-block piece last. In a game of Ingenious, one of the girls was a mere 1 point away from maxing out in each of the six colors enroute to a commanding win. We’ve had similar good experiences with Coloretto, Hey! That’s My Fish! and 1313 Dead End Drive.
Of course, the girls also have their favorites – Rat-a-Tat Cat is their most requested game. And I am (almost) always willing to play any game for which they ask, including Twister.
Do you play video games or roleplaying games?
Years ago, I played games like Doom, Sid Meier’s Civilization II and III, Wizardry VIII and Railroad Tycoon III on the PC. I’ll still break out Civilization III every once in a while.
My roleplaying days ended several decades ago at the conclusion of high school. I had a great bunch of guys with which to play D&D, Call of Cthulu, Vigils and Vigilantes, Twilight 2000 and Top Secret back then. I still have several of the D&D books, but I don’t foresee playing again anytime soon.
As of now, you've given almost 10,000 thumbs-ups on BGG. I think it's great because people deserve that encouragement. Talk about your thoughts on "thumbing" BGG items.
When I first started contributing to BGG – mostly images – I was a little uncertain as to whether anything I was submitting was any good. EndersGame sent me a note with some nice words of encouragement along with a few ‘thumbs’. For me, a little positive feedback went a long way to keeping me motivated to keep contributing.
In turn, I’ve tried to return the favor to the BGG community. Since I know a little bit about photography, I’ve spent a lot of time the past couple of years reviewing the new image submissions, as well as many of the existing galleries. And I’m very pleased to say that I’ve seen many, many very impressive images, running the spectrum of artistic, creative and informative. I can only hope a few of my thumbs helped encourage people to continue contributing.
I can tell you that I've been encouraged by your thumbs-ups. The effort to post items is certainly more worthwhile when there are people like you there to support the effort.
As of now you've contributed 301 images to the BGG image database. That's a lot of pics. Do you invest a lot of time and energy into photography? When snapping shots of board games, what is your goal?
As an undergraduate, I served as the photography editor on our daily student newspaper. Taking, developing and seeing your own photos in newsprint was really a neat experience. I particularly enjoyed doing sports photography – especially (American) football, lacrosse and basketball.
Since then, other than some scenic vacation stops and family snapshots, I really had not done much with the camera. BGG provided a great outlet for exercising my creative photo ‘muscles’ again. I don’t have a lot of time to take photos, but when I have a little bit of time (and some good lighting), I’ll sneak out the digital camera to shoot a few images.
And although there are MANY better photographers than me at BGG, I just enjoy taking useful images of games that are under-represented on the site. I’m particular proud of the work I did to provide images to many of the ‘standard deck of cards’ games that previously had few to no images in their galleries.
Do you currently have a favorite board game? If so, why is it your favorite?
Historically, I always loved playing the ‘engineering’ games like Battletech and Car Wars. Designing your own mechs / cars for battle prior to actual game was almost as fun as playing. Sadly, it may be a while before either of those games see the light of day again.
Currently, I have really taken a liking to Railroad Tycoon. It has enough going on to feel complex, yet it’s relatively easy to teach. It is has great replayability with the set-up changing just enough to make you rethink your strategy each time. The board and components look fantastic (and, as a bonus, my board never exhibited any warping). And its expansion (Rails of Europe) may even make the game better.
If something great happened in the board gaming world today, what would it be? (in other words, what would be your ideal wish for the BG world today?)
I believe that it’s already happened. The development and proliferation of so many new games / gaming groups / gaming venues over the last decade has been impressive. However, the spread of so much information about the boardgaming hobby – all of which has been facilitated by on-line boardgaming resources (of which BGG may be the most prominent) – has been the real engine (by my way of thinking) that has powered the expansion of the hobby.
I have been amazed (and pleased) at how I’ve been able to travel for work over the past several years, yet – with a few clicks of the ol’ mouse – find a FLGS in the city where I’m staying that hosts a regular boardgaming night. I’ve met a lot of interesting and avid gamers and been able to try games that I’ve only heard about previously. I have also found local groups that play on a regular basis. It goes without saying that I’ve learned an incredible amount about games, that I would have otherwise never heard of, from various on-line boardgaming resources.
Looking back a decade or two ago, if you didn’t already have ‘your guys’ nearby and available to game, finding a group with which to enjoy the hobby was definitely a non-trivial exercise. And if you’re local gaming store didn’t carry a particular game, you may have only discovered its existence by chance.
If you had something valuable to teach or share with new board gamers, what would it be?
Games are very much like art. There are many different genres of games and not all genres are appreciated by everyone. I would just encourage folks to try as many different types of games as practical to help gain a sense of the features of games that they enjoy. Once you discover what game features that you like, you will be amazed at the wealth of games from which to choose.
What would you say is or has been your most significant contribution to BGG and/or the board gaming world?
I try to play as many games with my daughters as practical. If both of them can grow up with an appreciation of boardgaming and a healthy interest in playing different games, I believe that will be a great contribution to the hobby.
What kind of world view do you hold? What is the purpose of life and the cosmos?
Not sure that I spend much time thinking on the cosmos-level; however, if my daughters grow up to be independent, happy, good people, I will have considered my time on the planet to have been successful.
Thanks to IronMoss for the interview. If you would like to know more about IronMoss, look him up on BGG and take a look at some of his contributions.
I tried to think of a catchy name for the interview series, but nothing has stuck yet. Ideas I had were:
- "Who's that geek?"
- "The geeks you never knew"
- "Meet the geek"
So how do I select the lucky geeks for my interviews? It's somewhat random really. I look for BGG users I've seen from time to time commenting on geeklists, thumbing items, posting articles and reviews, etc. I look around threads and say, "Hey, that user looks familiar. I'll interview him." Every geek counts, and each human life is interesting, so anyone I choose will be worth it.
Today, I begin this new interview series with a user you've probably seen thumbing items right and left: IronMoss. (All of my words are in bold text.)
When did you become a board game geek and what drew you into the hobby?
I believe there’s just something about the genetic make-up of folks that really draws them to this kind of hobby. I’ve enjoyed playing games as long as I can remember – still recall playing Uncle Wiggly with my grandmother at her house and playing various card games with my mom when I was young. Middle school saw Chess and role playing games come to the fore. By high school, several friends and I had picked up Car Wars, Battletech and a few old hex-and-counter wargames. Axis & Allies saw a lot of action during college.
Post-college featured the occasionally “party” game (which are all perfectly good fare), but I really did not (re)catch the gaming bug until I stumbled upon a Wizards of the Coast store (which, of course, was going out of business). I picked up the Limited Edition Carcassonne and Guillotine. They immediately relegated Trivial Pursuit to the back of the closet. And since then, I’ve been branching out to try all sorts of games.
It is clear from your geekbadge and microbadges that you love trail running and distance running. What is it that you love about running and what keeps you going? Distance running is difficult after all.
Running delivers a lot for me. Heading out onto the trail for a run is a terrific stress reducer / head clearer. The sense of accomplishment from finishing a long run is great. The fitness level that one can maintain is terrific – both in terms of the weight that you keep off and the increase in overall health.
I try to change my ‘running objectives’ each year. Several years ago, I wanted to focus on shorter distances, which involved a lot of speed training and resulted in my first sub-20 minute 5K (19:45) in my life. One year, after coming off a couple of injuries (most notably a stress fracture), I simply wanted to stay healthy for 12 months (which I did). This year, I set my sights on our local 50K (~32 mile) trail race. And although I wasn’t much to look at by the time I finished, I did finish the race.
I’m not sure I’ve met many folks who are both avid boardgamers and runners, but I find a lot of similarities with the two communities. Both tend to feature more introverts than extroverts. Both feature people of fairly even temperaments and long attention spans. And I don’t think I’ve met anyone in either community that I don’t like.
What is the significance of your avatar?
My nuclear symbol avatar represents my undergraduate degree – Nuclear Engineering – which I earned at the University of Virginia in 1991. Although I’ve been doing mostly systems engineering for the past decade, I remain a great supporter of nuclear power production.
You have an Orchid Enthusiast microbadge. How did you get into orchids?
The Orchid Enthusiast microbadge is actually my only contribution to BGG’s mircobadge offerings, so I’m pleased that someone noticed. [We actually boast 3 orchid lovers now at BGG.]
A good friend got me started with orchids ~15 years ago. Over the years, I’ve picked up a new one here and there. I now have a couple dozen Phalaenopsis (most common indoor type) and one Dendrobium.
Orchids are just spectacular when in bloom. And I think it’s neat that you may go many, many months between blooms, but when they do, the flowers may last a month or more. Fortunately, we have a sunroom in the house that the orchids seem to like. [Even more fortunately, my wife has allowed me to keep most of them there.] I have a few images in my BGG gallery of some of our orchids in bloom.
I like the game Masons. You've given it a 9.25, which is higher than the average rating for this game. You've also written a strategy article for new players. What is it about Masons that makes it so enjoyable for you?
Masons has a lot of attributes that put it right in my wheelhouse. I enjoy abstract strategy-esque games with just enough luck that you need to manage. And I love the sense of timing that you need to be successful at Masons. One must assess how to best influence board development, strategically position yourself to replace cards as needed and know when to score your best cards. I’ve seen games where very few scoring opportunities present themselves, and the winner is in the 30s. And I’ve seen the other extreme where the winner is well over 100.
Masons has been implemented on www.yucata.de, which has proven to be a terrific venue to play on-line. I’m often in at least one 3- or 4-person game at the site.
With whom do you most often play board games?
Most weekends during the year, my wife and I gather with another couple – do dinner, set the kids off to play and sit down for a boardgame or three ourselves. As the prime gaming instigator in the group, I’m very impressed with the number of games that our little group has played successfully. We’ve enjoyed a lot of Euro games over the past several years. Recently, we’ve played a lot of Railroad Tycoon (on the Eastern US and Europe maps) and Imperial.
During the week, I try to sneak in as many games with our two girls as we can fit. We play a mix of traditional kids’ fare (e.g., Rat-a-Tat Cat, Crazy 8s) and some slightly more advanced games (e.g., Ingenious, Blokus, O Zoo le Mio, Hoity Toity). Although I’d rather play games that push the envelope just a little bit, I’ll play whatever they request.
I see that you have the "Plays Games with Children" microbadge. What are your favorite games to play with children?
My favorite games to play with the kids are the ones that aren’t made exclusively for kids, yet our girls can play and win against the adults. I was incredibly tickled (and a little jealous) that one of our girls was the first to win at Blokus by playing all her pieces, including playing the one-block piece last. In a game of Ingenious, one of the girls was a mere 1 point away from maxing out in each of the six colors enroute to a commanding win. We’ve had similar good experiences with Coloretto, Hey! That’s My Fish! and 1313 Dead End Drive.
Of course, the girls also have their favorites – Rat-a-Tat Cat is their most requested game. And I am (almost) always willing to play any game for which they ask, including Twister.
Do you play video games or roleplaying games?
Years ago, I played games like Doom, Sid Meier’s Civilization II and III, Wizardry VIII and Railroad Tycoon III on the PC. I’ll still break out Civilization III every once in a while.
My roleplaying days ended several decades ago at the conclusion of high school. I had a great bunch of guys with which to play D&D, Call of Cthulu, Vigils and Vigilantes, Twilight 2000 and Top Secret back then. I still have several of the D&D books, but I don’t foresee playing again anytime soon.
As of now, you've given almost 10,000 thumbs-ups on BGG. I think it's great because people deserve that encouragement. Talk about your thoughts on "thumbing" BGG items.
When I first started contributing to BGG – mostly images – I was a little uncertain as to whether anything I was submitting was any good. EndersGame sent me a note with some nice words of encouragement along with a few ‘thumbs’. For me, a little positive feedback went a long way to keeping me motivated to keep contributing.
In turn, I’ve tried to return the favor to the BGG community. Since I know a little bit about photography, I’ve spent a lot of time the past couple of years reviewing the new image submissions, as well as many of the existing galleries. And I’m very pleased to say that I’ve seen many, many very impressive images, running the spectrum of artistic, creative and informative. I can only hope a few of my thumbs helped encourage people to continue contributing.
I can tell you that I've been encouraged by your thumbs-ups. The effort to post items is certainly more worthwhile when there are people like you there to support the effort.
As of now you've contributed 301 images to the BGG image database. That's a lot of pics. Do you invest a lot of time and energy into photography? When snapping shots of board games, what is your goal?
As an undergraduate, I served as the photography editor on our daily student newspaper. Taking, developing and seeing your own photos in newsprint was really a neat experience. I particularly enjoyed doing sports photography – especially (American) football, lacrosse and basketball.
Since then, other than some scenic vacation stops and family snapshots, I really had not done much with the camera. BGG provided a great outlet for exercising my creative photo ‘muscles’ again. I don’t have a lot of time to take photos, but when I have a little bit of time (and some good lighting), I’ll sneak out the digital camera to shoot a few images.
And although there are MANY better photographers than me at BGG, I just enjoy taking useful images of games that are under-represented on the site. I’m particular proud of the work I did to provide images to many of the ‘standard deck of cards’ games that previously had few to no images in their galleries.
Do you currently have a favorite board game? If so, why is it your favorite?
Historically, I always loved playing the ‘engineering’ games like Battletech and Car Wars. Designing your own mechs / cars for battle prior to actual game was almost as fun as playing. Sadly, it may be a while before either of those games see the light of day again.
Currently, I have really taken a liking to Railroad Tycoon. It has enough going on to feel complex, yet it’s relatively easy to teach. It is has great replayability with the set-up changing just enough to make you rethink your strategy each time. The board and components look fantastic (and, as a bonus, my board never exhibited any warping). And its expansion (Rails of Europe) may even make the game better.
If something great happened in the board gaming world today, what would it be? (in other words, what would be your ideal wish for the BG world today?)
I believe that it’s already happened. The development and proliferation of so many new games / gaming groups / gaming venues over the last decade has been impressive. However, the spread of so much information about the boardgaming hobby – all of which has been facilitated by on-line boardgaming resources (of which BGG may be the most prominent) – has been the real engine (by my way of thinking) that has powered the expansion of the hobby.
I have been amazed (and pleased) at how I’ve been able to travel for work over the past several years, yet – with a few clicks of the ol’ mouse – find a FLGS in the city where I’m staying that hosts a regular boardgaming night. I’ve met a lot of interesting and avid gamers and been able to try games that I’ve only heard about previously. I have also found local groups that play on a regular basis. It goes without saying that I’ve learned an incredible amount about games, that I would have otherwise never heard of, from various on-line boardgaming resources.
Looking back a decade or two ago, if you didn’t already have ‘your guys’ nearby and available to game, finding a group with which to enjoy the hobby was definitely a non-trivial exercise. And if you’re local gaming store didn’t carry a particular game, you may have only discovered its existence by chance.
If you had something valuable to teach or share with new board gamers, what would it be?
Games are very much like art. There are many different genres of games and not all genres are appreciated by everyone. I would just encourage folks to try as many different types of games as practical to help gain a sense of the features of games that they enjoy. Once you discover what game features that you like, you will be amazed at the wealth of games from which to choose.
What would you say is or has been your most significant contribution to BGG and/or the board gaming world?
I try to play as many games with my daughters as practical. If both of them can grow up with an appreciation of boardgaming and a healthy interest in playing different games, I believe that will be a great contribution to the hobby.
What kind of world view do you hold? What is the purpose of life and the cosmos?
Not sure that I spend much time thinking on the cosmos-level; however, if my daughters grow up to be independent, happy, good people, I will have considered my time on the planet to have been successful.
Thanks to IronMoss for the interview. If you would like to know more about IronMoss, look him up on BGG and take a look at some of his contributions.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Brief Overview Series Ep. 7: Coloretto
It's been a few months, but I finally got around to finishing another episode in my Brief Overview series! This time around, thanks to a request on BGG, we're taking a look at one of my favorite games, Coloretto, by Michael Schacht.
Brief Overview series Ep. 7: Coloretto
You will notice that I've added a little theme music. Let me briefly explain. Long ago, my friend Jack and I were preparing to start a video podcast series called "The New Box" about board games, similar to what the guys at Obsessed With Gaming do now. Only, we were going to have discussion between the two of us regarding the game we were reviewing. We were well into working on the first episode when we were confronted with the difficulty of schedule matching and busy-ness. We decided to bail on the project before we got in too deep. We just couldn't realistically handle the load.
I had already composed and recorded the first part of a musical theme for the show. So, I remembered about this piece of music as I was working on the Coloretto video. I went up to the studio, touched the piece up a bit, cutting it down to one statement of the melody and ending it at that. I mixed the piece and exported it to audio, then I imported it as an opener and closer for the video.
So there you have it - a jazz theme composed by yours truly. This little piece is now the official Brief Overview Series Theme.
What will be the next brief overview video? I am always open for requests. If you would like a brief overview of something from my collection, comment here or email me at the address posted on the right side of this page.
Brief Overview series Ep. 7: Coloretto
You will notice that I've added a little theme music. Let me briefly explain. Long ago, my friend Jack and I were preparing to start a video podcast series called "The New Box" about board games, similar to what the guys at Obsessed With Gaming do now. Only, we were going to have discussion between the two of us regarding the game we were reviewing. We were well into working on the first episode when we were confronted with the difficulty of schedule matching and busy-ness. We decided to bail on the project before we got in too deep. We just couldn't realistically handle the load.
I had already composed and recorded the first part of a musical theme for the show. So, I remembered about this piece of music as I was working on the Coloretto video. I went up to the studio, touched the piece up a bit, cutting it down to one statement of the melody and ending it at that. I mixed the piece and exported it to audio, then I imported it as an opener and closer for the video.
So there you have it - a jazz theme composed by yours truly. This little piece is now the official Brief Overview Series Theme.
What will be the next brief overview video? I am always open for requests. If you would like a brief overview of something from my collection, comment here or email me at the address posted on the right side of this page.
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