The Fun Zone

LEVEL UP!

Class: Human
Level: 0 -> 1
Height: 21.5" -> 31"
POINTS REMAINING UNTIL SPACE MOUNTAIN CLEARANCE: 13
Weight: 8 lb 3 oz -> 24 lb 6 oz
CONGRATULATIONS! YOUR MASS HAS TRIPLED!
Head Circumference: 37 cm -> 47.8 cm
Dialogue skills mastered:
"Dada"
"Mama"
"Papa"
"Nana"
"Bob"
"Bye-bye"
"Gooh guh" (Good Girl, said to the dog, whether she's being good or not)
"Rar Rar Rar!" (Barking)
"Pih tay" (Pretty)

Happy Birthday, Little Man.

Some time ago, I talked about some of the play-by-web options that are out there for playing board games. As getting out of the house to play has become more difficult, this option has become far more attractive. Imagine, then, my excitement at finding two more ways to scratch that gaming itch without needing to set aside a big chunk of time.

MaBiWeb was suggested to me by a friend after we had played a game of Amun Re at SpielByWeb. He suggested that I learn to play In The Shadow of the Emperor so I could join a game they were starting up. MBW is very similar to SBW, with a limited number of games (9). In addition to ItSotE, MBW features Richelieu (a great two-player game based on Web of Power), Hansa, and Samurai. The interfaces for the various games are very close to the board versions, and it's very clear what you need to do on each turn. My only complaint comes with In the Shadow of the Emperor, which runs very slowly for me. It takes a minute or to to make each move. Other than that, though, the system works very well.

Yucata.de is a new discovery of mine, based on a link from MaBiWeb. The basic site's in German, but a simple click switches everything over to English. There are more games here than at MBW, including Atta Ants, Masons, and Hey, That's My Fish. The interface has a different feel that what I'm used to, but so far the system works quickly, and you can't beat the game selection. There's even a ranking system and simple chat window on the home page. I'm looking forward to exploring this system further.

So... anybody want to play a game? I've started a game of Samurai for four players at MaBiWeb. You can use the link on the sidebar. Here's the info:

Title: The Zone of Fun
Password: funzone

Come on! Let's play!

My latest contribution to Audible's assortment of goodies is Vernor Vinge's Fast Times at Fairmont High. It's a futuristic sci-fi short story in which children are constantly surrounded by technology, networked together at every turn. A few of them, in the guise of a school assignment, go on an adventure to uncover some shady goings-on in town.

On the horizon: a sci-fi classic in which dark is the new light, a young-adult adventure in which New York City is much more than it seems, and a healthy dose of vampire lovin'. I'll tell you more when I'm allowed to do so.

Happy Listening!

This time: Monastery by Gary Dicken, Phil Kendell and Steve Kendell, published by Ragnar Brothers

Monastery is a tile-laying and action point management game in which players construct parts of a medieval monastery. Players have a hand of tiles behind their screens, each depicting features like buildings, roads, and gardens. On your turn, you play a tile to the board and move your monk tokens around in order to score points. Tiles played to the board aren’t automatically built, however. They’re played face down, and require a certain number of monks to complete it. The more complex the building, the more monks will be required to work on it. You’ll often have to work together with other players to finish the larger tiles. In addition to helping to build tiles, your monks can work or study on specific tiles, execute the power of some special tiles on the board, or kneel to pray if nobody else is around. The pieces actually tip forward into a kneeling position, a neat touch. Praying provides more points than simply working or studying, but that monk has to stay put for a while, and you won’t be able to use his movement points until he stands up again. The points you earn each round are spent on letter tiles and additional monks, which get more expensive as they’re purchased. Your ultimate goal is to use those tiles to fill in a nine-letter phrase in front of your screen, counting 3 victory points for each one you buy. You can also purchase letters for your opponents, blocking that space on their mat, and preventing them from earning those points. It’s a tactical game with a need to be a bit nasty, but it’s one of my favorites of the year. 8/10

Yeah, so I told you my gaming would be down this year. 2007 had me playing 176 games. 2008 had only 104. And even that's an inflated number, because I logged 20 games of Loopin' Louie during Lindberg's wedding weekend. Once you remove chicken-based children's dexterity games, my top selections for the year are Age of Steam, Agricola, Race for the Galaxy, and Wits and Wagers, at only three plays each.

That's what having a baby does for the game schedule, folks. That is, unless you're Tom Vasel, who I'm convinced uses some sort of time dilation device to play the games that he does and still take care of five kids.

Anyway, at least 2009 is off to a good start, with both Dominion and Battlestar Galactica hitting the table last night. I hope to play lots more of both games. Dominion is a fantastic filler, lasting no more than 30 minutes, but offering lots of great deck-building choices. Battlestar is the most thematically immersive game I've played in a long time. Any fan of the show should check it out. Come on over! Bring friends! It plays up to six!

Happy New Year!

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