The Fun Zone: The Fun

Some of you have asked about the math trade I mentioned earlier, and I thought you might be interested in more details, now that the trade sequence has been finalized.

Okay, so actually none of you have asked about the math trade, but I think it's fascinating, so I'm going to talk about it anyway.

ConnCon is this weekend, offering an excellent opportunity to perform a no-shipping game trade. Several people put up games they'd like to part with, and they get matched up with people offering games they'd like to own. Then they meet up at the con, and make the trades.

But how exactly does that work? The magic of computers, of course!

Everybody who wanted to trade a game went to BoardGameGeek and posted to this geeklist, one entry for each game. After the submission deadline, the trade moderator posted a summary of all of the games up for trade. Then, for each game that I was trading, I submitted a list of games from the geeklist that I'd be willing to accept in return. If I didn't like any of the games on the list in return for a specific game, I'd submit a blank list for that game, and I wouldn't give it up. Similarly, if nobody wanted to part with the games I was willing to accept, that particular trade wouldn't happen either.

Once everybody submitted their wantlists, the moderator ran them through a computer program that matched trades and wants. The program is set to maximize the number of games changing hands (thereby avoiding simple trades if more complicated ones are available). The result is a loopy sequence of exchanges scheduled to occur this Saturday.

I put up three games for trade: Gheos, Kontor, and The Historical Scenarios for The Settlers of Catan. The story of Gheos is pretty simple. I give my copy to Dustin. Dustin gives his copy of Carcassonne to Matt, who gives his copy of Rattlesnake to me. Simple.

The Settlers expansion trade is far more fun. I give my game to Matt. Matt gives his copy of Netrunner to Erik. Erik gives The Awful Green Things From Outer Space to Dustin, who gives his copy of The Settlers of Catan to Mark. Mark hands Aquadukt to Dustin, who meets with Matt to give him Clout Fantasy. Matt has a copy of Road to the White House with Dustin's name on it, while Dustin plans to give away his copy of Say Anything to... (ta da!) me. It's like game trading designed by Rube Goldberg.

As for Kontor... well, I'm keeping Kontor. I was only willing to trade it in return for Darjeeling or Ingenious, and the owner of those games didn't like anything on the list. No big deal. There will be more opportunities to trade. If you'll excuse me, I'm off to the game closet to find more games I want to get rid of. I wonder how many games I can fit in my luggage for Origins...

I've never done this before.

After several years of hearing about the joys of gaming conventions, yet not finding the time to actually attend one, I am currently making plans to visit not one, but two cons between now and the end of June. Overkill, perhaps, but my face-to-face gaming opportunities have been a bit sparse of late, so when the options presented themselves, I didn't want to hesitate. Pre-registration, here I come!

ConnCon - March 20-22 - Stamford, CT (Attending 2/21)

Stef is headed to New Hampshire for a stamping event that weekend, and The Kid is scheduled to spend some quality time with his grandparents. I have rehearsal on Friday and Sunday, but Saturday is completely open. I thought, "Hey, why don't I invite a bunch of gaming buddies over to play some games?" I sent out an invite, and even got a few affirmative replies, when my friend Mark, who is running the boardgame division of ConnCon, piped up to say that the con was that weekend. All of my RSVPs retracted immediately. I didn't even have the con on my radar, thinking that I wouldn't be able to go, but now that the day is free, I might as well check it out.

Heck, I might as well jump in with both feet. I'm signed up for two scheduled sessions on Saturday: one to learn Martin Wallace's Brass, and a second in the evening to play Starcraft for the first time. I haven't been able to discern much else from the website, but I imagine there will be some open gaming, and probably some sort of retail section. The con's focus has been heavily RPG-related, but the efforts of Mark and many others have seen the boardgame presence increase significantly in the past few years. I'm sure there will be plenty of opponents ready for a game.

I've also signed up for my first "math trade." This is a sort of multi-person round-robin trade exercise, in which I post a game (or games) I'm willing to trade, and then once I see all of the available games, I pick a number of games that I'd be willing to trade for. Then some sort of computer program matches things up, I give my game(s) to a specific person, and I get a game (or games) from somebody else, not necessarily the person who got my game. For the record, I'm putting Gheos, Kontor, and the Settlers Historical Scenarios up for trade. We'll see what happens. Here's a link to the trade itself.

Origins Game Fair - June 24-28 - Columbus, OH

Ever since I started listening to The Dice Tower, I've been hearing about Origins. It may not be the biggest convention in the US, but it is the only place where I can finally meet Mr. Vasel for the first time. Okay, it's not just Tom. Lots of members from the Dice Tower team, as well as other podcasters and gaming luminaries, will be in attendance. There's all sorts of stuff going on, including film fests, game demos, auctions, and open gaming. One of the extras I could purchase when registering is a ribbon to the "board room." It's a dedicated room for open games, complete with an extensive game library provided by CABS, the Columbus Area Boardgame Society. From what I hear, it's the big hangout for boardgamers during the con.

While I'm only visiting ConnCon for a day, I figured that if I was going to travel all the way to Ohio, I might as well take in as much as I can. I fly into town at about 10am on Wednesday, and I don't leave until late in the afternoon on Sunday. I have a room in one of the hotels connected to the convention center (anybody want to be my roommate?), so I can spend a minimum of time traveling back and forth. I'm ready for a crazy die-hard chunk of gaming and making friends. I might eat and sleep a bit if I can find the time.

I'm all sorts of psyched. Is it June yet?

No, wait. Is it March 21 yet?

Keep in mind I really have no idea what to expect at either of these events. It's all anticipation at this point. If you're more informed than I, feel free to correct or add to what I've said. Then I know I can track you down at the event itself.

I've really been enjoying yucata.de lately. I find it very easy to set up and jump into multiple games, and to keep track of what's going on. It's great for me during this particular drought of face-to-face gaming.

So, I've been playing a game of Atta Ants with three other players, one of whom uses the screen name "Atta." That made me a little nervous, because one would assume that "Atta" is someone who really likes Atta Ants. I wasn't sure how things were going to go, as we all acquired four ants, but couldn't find a clear path home to get any more. I was able to steer a few spiders toward the side of the board where I wasn't, effectively blocking several ants from getting home with their leaves. Finally, I found an opening, acquiring my fifth ant, and setting up an unblockable path home for the sixth. Victory was (and still is) in my grasp. Then it was Atta's turn.

He has yet to take it.

Now, this sort of thing happens all the time in play-by-web systems. Somebody gets busy, has to step away for a few days, etc. However, since yucata.de uses a ranking system based on your win/loss record, there are also a few people who try to game the system by not finishing games they think they're going to lose. I didn't really think that was what was going on in this case, but I clicked on Atta's profile just to see when he last logged in.

Atta's real name is Richard de Rijk. The designer of Atta Ants.

And I'm winning against him.

Hee.

--

Oh, hey, yucata.de recently added Arkadia to its list of games. I know some of you have enjoyed that one in the past. If you fancy a game, just invite amazingintern to the party. You know you want to.

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!

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!

The full list...

Read more »

This time: Power Grid China by Friedemann Friese, published by Rio Grande Games.

The latest map to be released for my favorite game is the China/Korea expansion for Power Grid. Now, while Tom is understandably all about the Korea side of the board, I’d like to talk specifically about China. While previous expansions have offered little more than minor rule tweaks in addition to the new terrain, the China map presents a fundamental shift in the way the game is played. In the basic game, if you recall, power plants are drawn randomly and then placed in order, forming a current and future market. For the bulk of the game, players can only purchase from the current market made up of the lower numbered, and therefore less efficient, plants. After a purchase, a new plant is drawn, the plants are reordered, and a new auction begins. My buddy’s chief gripe with the game comes when a lucky draw lets a player get a really nice plant early, and then everybody else is stuck with the outdated technology for several rounds. China changes this, as the first 30 or so plants come out in numerical order, and no new plants are drawn in the middle of the auction round, so there are no surprises. Furthermore, aside from the first round, a number of plants one fewer than the number of players is available each round, so at least one player won’t be able to purchase one. This decrease in luck, coupled with a built-in scarcity of resources, breathes new life into an already fantastic game. It’s a whole new way to play. 10/10.

Every family has their Thanksgiving traditions. Some gather early to watch the Macy's parade. Others hoard snacks on the couch to watch football. Many simply eat as much as possible and fall into a food-induced coma.

We play games.

Technically, it's not Thanksgiving at that point. It's Black Friday. But while many are off braving the crowds at the mall, we Summerers assemble to eat leftovers and play as much as possible. At least, that's my goal. There tend to be breaks in the flow, as people check e-mail, the dog demands a walk, or The Kid requires food, but Game Day still represents the most concentrated dose of family games for the year. It's not just an item on the agenda. It's the purpose of the day.

We began this year with our new party game, which I picked up based on the recommendations of not only Mr. Vasel, but the Spiel guys as well. Wits and Wagers is a trivia game in which you don't really have to know the answers to the questions. It's more important to play the odds, and guess which other player might know the answer. Dad and Stef took an early lead, but Mom bet her whole stash on the last question and won it by one point. After another successful run with a church group, this has become my new standby for social situations.

The family scattered for a short period after that, so Mom and I pulled Lost Cities, which I haven't played in some time. I never do well at this game. This time was no different. I did pretty well in the first round, taking a lead of about 20 points, but in the second two rounds I had at least one expedition that was a real drain on my points, and several that didn't pay out nearly as much as I needed them to. Back to the closet you go, Lost Cities!

Drahtseilakt (Tightrope) was next, and apparently Mom, Dad, and Adam had avoided this one until now. Mom and Adam seemed to catch on pretty quick, managing to keep their totals of red and blue sticks to a minimum. Dad, however, started to self-destruct after round two. Something just didn't click for some reason, and I know how frustrating that kind of thing can be. Of course, it might have just been bad luck, which can certainly happen with this game as well. I had a couple of bad rounds as well, but I turned it around, taking zero sticks for two consecutive rounds (which allowed me to zero out my bad rounds as well), finishing up with a very nice score and the victory. The family liked it. Sadly, this one's only available in the dorky Uberplay reprint (though if you want it, it's pretty cheep that way).

Winning the tightrope game meant that I got to choose the next game, and as I stared at the closet, Finstere Flure (Fearsome Floors) leaped out at me. It hasn't hit the table in some time, and it is one of my favorites. Adam's girlfriend had joined us at that point, but Stef had to feed TK, so we had five for this one as well. Monster carnage was quite satisfying, and one of my guys got taken out pretty early on. However, Adam was able to draw the monster through a portal in the wall, having it show up right next to the exit. Better yet, I was able to draw the monster toward a cluster of my opponents' pieces, while sparing my own. This took out my biggest competition, and I was able to slip two of my guys out the door first. Proper attitude is critical for this game. If you think about it too much, it bogs down, but if you play quickly, it's great fun.

Our final game of the day was our old standby, Cargagena. I thought things were going pretty well until Shana was able to take advantage of the "bottle train," getting several of her pirates on the boat very quickly. By the time the rest of us had broken the chain, the damage was done, and she was too far ahead.

After games, we watched Get Smart, which was very cool. I've moved the DVD spin-off movie to the top of my queue. Hoping that's funny too.

Overall, a good Game Day. I almost brought out Agricola, planning to try out the family version, but I wasn't sure about my rules explanation, and I was worried it might have been a bit too heavy for everybody. I'll just have to wait until our next planned get-together with the Boston Buddies for that little gem.

Gobble. Gobble gobble.

If this is what a boardgame trailer is supposed to look like, I'm not sure they're a good idea.

The game is pretty cool, though.

Don't hit me! It's not like I'm playing carols already!

It's time once again to sign up for BoardGameGeek's Secret Santa program. Coordinated by the illustrious Mr. Vasel (not trying to suck up, boss, really!), the BGG Secret Santa is an international game gift exchange. You put your name in the giant digital hat, and somewhere around mid-November, you get your target's name. You research their BGG profile, learn about their tastes in games, and select something from their wishlist to send to them. There's lots of anonymous posting and cross-posting, puzzles and taunting situations abound, and everybody has a great time. Plus, you get a game in return. It's a great way to share the holiday spirit.

To join in the fun, click here.