&games

I know, I said I had the Struggle of Empires review ready to go, but I seem to have misplaced my outline.

Because the computer at work is down the review was handwritten on a yellow legal pad. I keep hoping it will turn up, but I doubt it will. Truthfully, I have been pouting since I discovered the loss. I put a lot of effort into that one.

I will try to knock out a couple easy reviews in the next few days. I'm done pouting now.

Hope you had a good weekend too, even if you live in a country that didn't have a three day holiday weekend.
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Remember that scene in Cool Hand Luke where Paul Newman eats 50 eggs in one hour? I think I could eat 50 deviled eggs in an hour.
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Taught Rheinlander to several people over the weekend. The wife handily won each game. Rheinlander continues to impress me as a good, hour-long, light to medium weight game for 3-5 players.

Taught Caylus to two newbies. I don't know. Everyone seems to like the game, but the more I play the less I like. I started out as luke-warm on Caylus, appreciated it more after a couple plays, and can now take it or leave it.

I wonder if the "cube" track on the Royal Favors Chart should be doubled. A single cube as a royal favor seems kind of weak. I also wonder if the "VP" track should be a little more tempting. Instead of 1-5, I'm wonder if 3-8, or even 5-10 would make the royal favor more tempting. Either that or make the other two royal favors less attractive. Those two tracks don't seem to get used much, at least in our games.

Everyone else seems to like it, so I will continue to play.

...but trying to fit Struggle of Empires into a 5 minute, audio review has been kicking my butt. I think I have it. Might get it posted later today.

Balderdash! I knew that.

Masked Mom is one of the few non-boardgame blogs that I read. Every post is usually good for at least one belly laugh.

You will probably enjoy this one. http://maskedmom.blogspot.com/2006/05/im-pretty-sure-this-isnt-what-folks-at.html

I was looking through some of the blog entries that I had started and never posted. Here are a couple.

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BGG: My Space for the literate, usually.

The following is cut and pasted directly from Boardgamegeek. I did not edit it:

Subject: Mystic Lands
Hey Im making a game called Mystic lands its a role playing game does any one want the derections for it when Im done making it.
you will need a 3 sided dice a 6 sided 8 sided 12 sided and a 19 sided dice to play it. post if you are interesded.

Maybe you should have your mother proofread the rules prior to sending the game off to a publisher.

And, although one person did post a picture of an honest-to-goodness 3-sided-die, users were left to speculate what a 19 sided die might look like.

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Knizia/ a one man think tank in boardgame design

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Overheard:

Two men talking. They obviously knew each other well. One was an older, grey-haired man who kept a lot of dogs for mushing, the second a very effeminate younger man.

The older man said, "Stop on by the house this weekend. I'll put you to work building dog kennels."

"How much are you paying?"

"I haven't thought about it. What's the goin' rate for fags these days?"

Decide for yourself.

"If you're a lawyer, you're at a huge financial advantage over most other careers (in the game)...most lawyers at most law schools end up not making all that much more than a good public school teacher or construction worker so this financial advantage is highly inflated."

From Cliff Gardner blog.

The designer also needed to take into account that lawyers will earn much more as their practice becomes established. Until these flaws are fixed I doubt I will ever play Life again. Perhaps I will organize another boycott. The last one was a success.

All these years I never really cared for The Game of Life, yet I could never put my finger on it. For a while I thought it was the pastel cars, but I think he might be on to something. According to the title there will be more boardgame criticisms coming shortly. No need to bookmark the site, I've done already it. I'll keep you informed.

And to think, I thought I would be able to talk about some expansions and still whittle it down to 5 minutes.

Not happening.

Snapped this picture on Tuesday (yesterday). It is the last bit of snow in my yard. Wouldn't you know, right after I took this picture I stepped over the snow and slipped and fell. That should be the last ice related injury for the season.

The answer to Monday's question was Connecticut, concerning the guy who had never seen a manual car window.

I am sooooo glad I am familiar with good games. Slap me if I ever use a Game of Life analogy.

The following comes from here: http://www.progressiveu.org/130724-life-in-a-board-game. Sounds to me like someone shipped her coffee, or screwed her with the provost.

I’m barely eighteen and I get pressured to start pursuing “the life” that I never thought about. Starting with college. I think The Game of Life is the ultimate brainwashing device. It’s like you land on the “it’s a girl!” spot and you’re like, “Wait… why wasn’t I on birth control? Can I get an abortion?” and like you f---ing hate camping but all of a sudden, the board tells you you’re going to spend a week in the mountains.

So from whatever the box recommends what age is appropriate…. we’re led to believe that it all goes downhill from after college. It’s laid out in a really strict path. How awful!

And then there’s Chutes and Ladders… it’s all about chance. You fall, you pick yourself back up again. Nobody gives a sh-- about you. You take care of yourself and you’ll find yourself at the finish line sooner or later.

And then there’s Battleship which isn’t a board game… but it’s like the best! EVER!
Needless to say, I’m a Chutes and Ladders kind of girl. You climb up, you fall down, in the end, you made it there on your own in your own time.

Don't know exactly what she is talking about but I think I can safely say that I am a Roads and Boats kind of guy.

True story:

As some of you might know, I drive a taxi from time to time. A young fellow and his girlfriend got into my cab yesterday. As we started down the road the fellow asked me to roll up his window. He must have been in his mid-twenties.

I said, "It's a crank, you need to roll it up."

"A what?"

We were going about 35 mph, I assumed that the wind must have drowned out my voice. I repeated, "It's a crank." I could see him looking around, so I added, "It's down by your knee."

"Can't you just get it?"

"No. It's a crank, it's right there," I said turning to the back seat and pointing.

Nothing.

"A what?"

The guy's girlfriend smacked him and pointed. "Crank it," she said.

Nothing.

She reached over and rolled up the window.

Turns out this guy had never seen a non-electronic car window. He did not have a clue.

One geek gold to the person who can guess where they were from.

FYI I was driving a late 90s model Suburban. Having a few 4-wheel drives on hand is a necessity for any cab company in Alaska.

Hint: New England

Dang. I said the board is plastic. It is not.

http://www.thedavincigame.com/ http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/23181

We ought to organize a boycott.

Temperatures are finally staying above freezing at night. This is what I returned to. Won't be but a couple more days and I will only be able to find snow on the north side of my house. I'm guessing one more week until the birch trees bud.

Had to break out my sandals and shorts.