Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Games I Really Need Some Sheep
Posted by Sam Machkovech on Tue, Mar 31, 2009 at 1:35 PM
Last week, Wired featured a profile about Klaus Teuber, best known for creating the board game Settlers of Catan. The feature—much like the game itself—is a fine introduction to the resurgent nerdy board game genre, which is apparently taking off as a "comfort food" entertainment choice while people are freaking out about their jobs (in spite of games like Catan typically retailing for $40+).
As a bonus, the article pretty much calls Monopoly the worst board game ever, and I'm amazed to think that other major publications haven't done so before:
It requires almost no strategy. The only meaningful question in the game is: To buy or not to buy? Most of its interminable three- to four-hour average playing time (length being another maddening trait) is spent waiting for other players to roll the dice, move their pieces, build hotels, and collect rent.
Have you seen modern Monopoly? Instead of using paper money, the game works with swipe cards and a digital money calculator. As if cheating wasn't bad enough when an evil older sibling manned the bank, now players can use this device to jack up their cash totals without any paper trail—the screen clears after transactions. Monopoly is now training the future Diebold techs of America.
The bulk of the article is probably old hat for most Sloggers—I've met a lot of people through Slog who love Catan (and love whooping me in it). But the feature gives me a good excuse to suggest that the next Slog Happy be filled with board and card games. Catan, Carcassone, Bohnanza, Power Grid, Dominion, Guillotine... if that list seems like gibberish, don't worry, cuz most of those have easy learning curves and aren't too competitive. What say you?
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1
Well, taking a date to a movie is going to run ~$30 so $40 on something you can play over and over is quite a steal if you enjoy it.
4
1. $40 isn't that much on a per-person, per-hour basis for the entertainment provided.
2. Monopoly is a great game. I suppose it might be boring if you played by the rules, but it's quite a bit of fun to do things like sell insurance against catastrophic loss. In fact, just thinking about that makes me want to play again.
3. Monopoly doesn't just come down to "To buy or not to buy?" Or rather, that's actually a very complicated question. You're basically making a tradeoff between return on investment and liquidity. If you get caught without enough liquidity, you have to sell your assets at fire-sale prices. Of course, if all you do is hold on to cash, you'll never earn enough to survive.
Maybe if a few more investment bankers had learned to play Monopoly properly...
2. Monopoly is a great game. I suppose it might be boring if you played by the rules, but it's quite a bit of fun to do things like sell insurance against catastrophic loss. In fact, just thinking about that makes me want to play again.
3. Monopoly doesn't just come down to "To buy or not to buy?" Or rather, that's actually a very complicated question. You're basically making a tradeoff between return on investment and liquidity. If you get caught without enough liquidity, you have to sell your assets at fire-sale prices. Of course, if all you do is hold on to cash, you'll never earn enough to survive.
Maybe if a few more investment bankers had learned to play Monopoly properly...
5
If you want to play a game in public and not look like too much of a nerd, play dice games. You can pretend that you're a pirate or an underworld thug while throwing dice.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/dice-play/G…
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/dice-play/G…
7
Oh, and I forgot to mention, you don't just buy or not buy. You also combine property that is worth more when held by one person than it is when scattered. This means that there are gains to be had from trade, but the surplus from those trades is up for grabs. That means in turn that the game has a lot of psychological/strategic dynamics as well.
8
I'd be up for game night. Although why the hell you don't come over to Queen Anne for Blue Highway Games's Saturday night game night eludes me, Sam.
Catan tourney at the end of April.
Catan tourney at the end of April.
9
@8: Saturday is usually D&D day, and I can only take so much. But I suppose I should suck it up and come by soon. Thanks for the invite.
10
Board game night is fabulous. I've been a fan of Catan for years, but my friends have just started playing Carcassone.
I'd be all over Slog Game Night.
I'd be all over Slog Game Night.
11
I just might come to Slog Happy if it involved unfamiliar board games. But I would definitely come if it involved Connect Four.
14
Cool, Sam.
I should also mention that Blue Highway has a sizable library of games to try there. It's how I got turned on to Dominion a couple of months ago... and Pandemic... Guillotine... Gloom... San Juan...
If it weren't for playtesting, I'd be broke :)
I should also mention that Blue Highway has a sizable library of games to try there. It's how I got turned on to Dominion a couple of months ago... and Pandemic... Guillotine... Gloom... San Juan...
If it weren't for playtesting, I'd be broke :)
17
Bah, it's not nerdy until it's a table-top role playing game.
Also, military strategy games (Axis and Allies, etc...) are pretty nerdy in a collecting-nazi-plates sort of way.
Also, military strategy games (Axis and Allies, etc...) are pretty nerdy in a collecting-nazi-plates sort of way.
18
If there were a Slog Happy board game night, I just might have to find an excuse to go to Seattle...
Favorites for party-type games: Apples to Apples, Catch Phrase, Time's Up (the "official" version of Celebrity, though we usually make up our own names)
Favorite for actual gaming: Talisman (kind of obscure, but awesome)
Oh, and Monopoly is, without a doubt, the worst game ever.
Favorites for party-type games: Apples to Apples, Catch Phrase, Time's Up (the "official" version of Celebrity, though we usually make up our own names)
Favorite for actual gaming: Talisman (kind of obscure, but awesome)
Oh, and Monopoly is, without a doubt, the worst game ever.
19
If Milles Bornes -- the groovy '60s auto racing card game -- is on offer, I may finally break my Slog Happy seal.
21
Add Risk or Trivial Pursuit (the original edition, not one of the Trivial Pursuit for Morons editions) to that, and someday, if I'm not rehearsing, I may show up. And kick your butt at Trivial Pursuit. I am a sinkhole of useless factoids.
22
wtf is Puerto Rico? i'm only a scenester blue collar gamer wannabe (that will sell you all the sheep you want.)
23
Settlers of Catan is fucking awesome. It's always fun, I frequently win, and there are plenty of jokes about giving people wood and sex with sheep.
25
Agricola takes all the awesome parts of Puerto Rico and all the mind boggling strategy of Catan and melds it into one totally sweet agriculture themed turf war. Everyone should play it.
26
While I may not be a fan of Steve Jackson, the person, I'm definitely a fan of muthafuckin' Illuminati, the card game of power structures, conspiracies, and good old fashioned cynicism. There was a trading card edition that didn't do well, but the Illuminati: New World Order edition from the late 90s is still the best time one can have. What makes the game fun is interpolating real life into people's power structures.
28
Steve Jackson Games recently re-released both Illuminati and Hackers. I've wanted to play them for years!
29
Card-based games that I also love:
Quiddler - a word-making game, similar to Scrabble without a board
Summer Camp - tough to explain, but a fun little game where you collect friends and try to be cool at camp.
Quiddler - a word-making game, similar to Scrabble without a board
Summer Camp - tough to explain, but a fun little game where you collect friends and try to be cool at camp.
30
My one complaint about SlogHappy is that it can be a bit intimidating for newbies. Playing board games could be a great way to mix it up.
My idea: Each person who shows up draws for which game they are going to play. (We'd put the game's name on slips of paper equal to the max # of players. So 4 slips of paper with "Settlers of Catan" on them, 5 with "Puerto Rico" on them, 5 with "Carcassone" on them, 8 with "Monopoly" on them, etc.) Newbies would be mixed in automatically with the old guard.
What do y'all think?
My idea: Each person who shows up draws for which game they are going to play. (We'd put the game's name on slips of paper equal to the max # of players. So 4 slips of paper with "Settlers of Catan" on them, 5 with "Puerto Rico" on them, 5 with "Carcassone" on them, 8 with "Monopoly" on them, etc.) Newbies would be mixed in automatically with the old guard.
What do y'all think?
31
My one complaint about SlogHappy is that it can be a bit intimidating for newbies. Playing board games could be a great way to mix it up.
My idea: Each person who shows up draws for which game they are going to play. (We'd put the game's name on slips of paper equal to the max # of players. So 4 slips of paper with "Settlers of Catan" on them, 5 with "Puerto Rico" on them, 5 with "Carcassone" on them, 8 with "Monopoly" on them, etc.) Newbies would be mixed in automatically with the old guard.
What do y'all think?
My idea: Each person who shows up draws for which game they are going to play. (We'd put the game's name on slips of paper equal to the max # of players. So 4 slips of paper with "Settlers of Catan" on them, 5 with "Puerto Rico" on them, 5 with "Carcassone" on them, 8 with "Monopoly" on them, etc.) Newbies would be mixed in automatically with the old guard.
What do y'all think?
32
Hell yes. Games Slog night sounds like an excellent idea. I'll contribute a couple of locally-made Cheapass Games if anybody's interested. The Big Idea and Devil Bunny Hates the Earth are good, short party games. I also have some random, crazy shit from Math & Stuff like Set, Octi, and Shougi (Japanese chess).
If somebody brings Mille Bornes, I will own all your asses at 700 or 1000 miles. I used to play that game for hours on the LCII. Does anybody know where you can buy the cards these days?
If somebody brings Mille Bornes, I will own all your asses at 700 or 1000 miles. I used to play that game for hours on the LCII. Does anybody know where you can buy the cards these days?
36
when playing settlers, we call sheep "mutton" - as in, "with all that mutton & that mutton port, you are the Mutton Czar." it's (scientifically speaking) WAY MORE FUN than saying "sheep"!
37
I really want to be able to yell "Coup Fourre! Oh, ho, ho ho" in a public place with a Pepe Le Pew accent without people looking at me funny. Include Mille Bornes, si vous plait.
38
oh, Settlers. You remind me of a time...oh, lets say, 10 years ago in college. I'm feeling old right now. But i still love that god damn game.
42
I love Catan, and am pro-games in general, but I don't know that a Slog Happy Game Night would work that well... there's usually too much inebriation and grabass going on to focus on something requiring higher levels of thought. (Please note that I often sit/stand near Joh during Slog Happy).
43
No strategy in monopoly? Have you every actually played the game the way it's supposed to be played, i.e. with trading properties between players?
The opportunities for strategy, psychology, risk assessment, calculating probabilities, etc. is endless. My brother and I play it every Christmas.
The opportunities for strategy, psychology, risk assessment, calculating probabilities, etc. is endless. My brother and I play it every Christmas.
45
@42.
Yes, I am usually much too distracted by your ass grabbing to make any of my sentences coherant.
I can bring Gloom, Guillotine, Thre Dragon Ante, etc etc.
Lara and I are quite the board game nerds.
Yes, I am usually much too distracted by your ass grabbing to make any of my sentences coherant.
I can bring Gloom, Guillotine, Thre Dragon Ante, etc etc.
Lara and I are quite the board game nerds.
46
I'm afraid I've never played most of the games mentioned here, and the only drawback to the random player lottery would be the amount of time it's going to take to explain to people like me how to play some of these. Nevertheless, I think a board game SLOG Happy sounds like a brick of an idea.
Now, we just have to figure out a place to play - Smith or Odd Fellows or Kings Hardware have big bench-sized tables that would facilitate this nicely (hm, never thought about that, but Linda's joints do seem geared toward the communal seating arrangements, don't they?). Any other suggestions?
Now, we just have to figure out a place to play - Smith or Odd Fellows or Kings Hardware have big bench-sized tables that would facilitate this nicely (hm, never thought about that, but Linda's joints do seem geared toward the communal seating arrangements, don't they?). Any other suggestions?
47
I host a Settlers of Catan night at 22 Doors every Sunday evening. We play a the games (Settlers, Seafarers, Knights and Cities, or Starfarers of Catan) and watch The Simpsons, then play another game. I make resource-themed cheap drink specials and have happy hour food all night.
First game's at 7:00. Anyone over 21 is welcome to play.
First game's at 7:00. Anyone over 21 is welcome to play.
48
What the fuck is it with Slog being right most of the time??!! I'm sitting on the UPS campus in Tacoma, and just across the room there is a funny-looking board game with agricultural paraphernalia and 6-sided pieces being played by a bunch of other students. Has Slog correctly predicted the rebirth of the board game era? Only time will tell...
49
settlers is great, as is carcassone.
spent a year in germany drinking and playing those games relentlessly
spent a year in germany drinking and playing those games relentlessly
51
Oh! Oh! Does anybody have a copy of Ohne Furcht und Adel (also published in English as Citadels)? I played it in Park City years ago and thought it was great, but I've never seen it since.
53
@42-Agreed about the possible mechanics of Slog Happy game night. Although everyone knows that inebriation and grabass are key elements of any good game of Catan!
54
No one's ever grabbed my ass at Slog Happy, but I've always been fairly grateful for that, because I always assumed it would be man hands grabbing.
57
To all the monopoly haters out there:
If you play according to the rules set out in the manual then hell yeah it is boring. But Monopoly has no restrictions (regulations) on making up new rules to supersede old rules as long as all the players consent. With that in mind you can create as many rules or products as you want:
Insurance on paying rent at Mayfair? pay 5 bucks every round to your insurer and he/she will take the hit.
CDOs CDSs, the sky is the limit.
If you play according to the rules set out in the manual then hell yeah it is boring. But Monopoly has no restrictions (regulations) on making up new rules to supersede old rules as long as all the players consent. With that in mind you can create as many rules or products as you want:
Insurance on paying rent at Mayfair? pay 5 bucks every round to your insurer and he/she will take the hit.
CDOs CDSs, the sky is the limit.
58
The problem with the new Monopoly is that you always have to swipe your card to find out how much money you have (and then you immediately forget before your next turn).
My favorite game is Acquire but I only get to play it at occasional family gatherings, I can't bring myself to teach any of my friends because I know they wouldn't enjoy it the first time (and, honestly, probably wouldn't like it that much after they knew how to play, either).
My favorite game is Acquire but I only get to play it at occasional family gatherings, I can't bring myself to teach any of my friends because I know they wouldn't enjoy it the first time (and, honestly, probably wouldn't like it that much after they knew how to play, either).
59
@56: Weird. That's like a hybrid of Apples to Apples and 1000 Blank White Cards.
BWC is, incidentally, the shit.
BWC is, incidentally, the shit.
62
Despite never having attended a Slog Happy thingamajig and not being a particularly frequent poster (and pretty late to the party in general, obviously) I'd happily drag my 50+ board games to the next one, if anyone wants to play 'em. I have just about every game mentioned in this thread so far, and a few that haven't been released in America yet.
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