Raanana session report (me, Ellis): Ticket to Ride Card Game, Steam
Jerusalem session report (Nadine): Endeavor, It's Alive
Movie reviews:
Hugo: A sweet movie about a French orphan boy that intersects lightly with the vaguely true early twentieth century story of the filmmaker Georges Méliès. Hugo is left to wander the crawl spaces of a French train station, passing his time winding the clocks (a job supposed to be done by his neglectful uncle who has disappeared) and trying to complete the automaton his father salvaged from a museum and was trying to fix before he died. Hugo is missing a heart shaped key for the automaton, and, wouldn't you know, it turns up around the neck of a cute girl his age who takes an interest in him. The girl is the granddaughter of a grouchy but sad watch and toy seller who takes Hugo's sketchbook on the automaton after catching Hugo stealing parts from his shop. There's more to this grouchy man than meets the eye. Meanwhile, a wily buffoon of a French station inspector parody is out to nab wandering orphans (to send them to the orphanage) in between shyly courting a pretty flower girl in the station.
Somehow everyone and everything magically fits together in the exact way that things don't in real life. But this is the magic of movies, eh?
The story is sweet, as I said, and lovers of cinema and steam-punk especially will love the movie. The automaton in the movie is actually based on three real automata that were built in the 1700s, which were actually incredible. The only thing I really didn't like was the score: the entire first half of the movie and much of the second is scored with that light French accordion music that is supposed to evoke period and romance, but which I find grating.
The Tree of Life: A movie that everyone either loves or hates with a passion. This is an art film, rather similar to the art films of the 60s or 70s, where there is little in the way of plot, the main flow (such as it is) is inter-cut with shots of the universe, nature, or life, and whispered voice-overs pound home existential questions or sharp emotions. The first part of the film is impressions of a happy 50s childhood - loving mom and some children - followed by the news that one of the kids died at age 19, followed by one of the other kids - now a man in his 50s - reflecting back on his childhood. The second part, the largest of the inter-cut segments, is about 25 minutes of evocative astronomical and biological film that roughly traces the origin of the universe, the Earth, and life. The third and largest part is more scenes from childhood, this time giving you the love-hate relationship that the boy had with his father and some other family dynamics. The last part is a surreal walk through the sand with various characters past and present affecting some kind of relationship, or not. At the end we flash back to the present and the man in his office.
Is it good? Obviously this depends on what kind of movie you want to see, how familiar you are with the art movies of the 60s and 70s, and how much you can take of pretension mixed with beautiful visuals and nostalgia. Yes, it's good. If for no other reason that the filmmaker tried to do something a little unusual, which should be applauded. In the case of The Artist, another highly stylized movie from last year, take away the beautiful style and you're left with some great acting but a mediocre rehashed plot. In this film, take away the beautiful style and you're left with some very evocative film-making. The scenes of fifties childhood are poignant and painful. Honestly, the second part (the evolution of the universe) didn't do much for me, and I count myself among those who don't see its point. The rest was captivating.
Showing posts with label game group. Show all posts
Showing posts with label game group. Show all posts
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
Raanana and Jerusalem Session Reports: A Look at The Castles of Burgundy
Raanana games played: Dvonn, Tigris and Euphrates, Race for the Galaxy, The Pillars of the Earth, The Castles of Burgundy, Boggle
Jerusalem games played: Bohnanza, El Grande, First Sparks, Lo Ra
My brother Ben and family came over for Purim seuda. After dinner, his youngest pestered us to play Dominion, but all I could muster up strength to play was No Thanks, which we played twice.
Jerusalem games played: Bohnanza, El Grande, First Sparks, Lo Ra
My brother Ben and family came over for Purim seuda. After dinner, his youngest pestered us to play Dominion, but all I could muster up strength to play was No Thanks, which we played twice.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Shabbat Gaming
Eitan and Emily joined me for shabbat, which was nice.
Friday night I had a family over as well, and they had some sharp teenagers. It is now typical for Anglo teens to have heard of or played a few decent games - Settlers, Ticket to Ride, Tigris and Euphrates - at least in the communities I've seen. Which is odd because the games are only available in Israel in a few select places and even then only Settlers and Blokus. I know a few dozen families that can trace their game playing to me, but I don't know where the rest of them got it from.
After dinner the teens stayed to play RoboRally with us. I don't know who selected it, but we were six people and the teen boy was keen to play it. He really loved it, and he won, too. I'm still not sure how. I proceeded precisely and without interference towards my goals, while he got knocked around and fell into a pit. Only two rounds I didn't get the cards I needed and I rotated in place. But he beat me by one round.
The teen girl had a good time, but she didn't really grok the game strategy and so played (deliberately) random cards for a while. It was amusing, since these didn't do too badly for her. She says that she's better at other types of games.
Saturday I had Abraham and Sarah over for lunch as well. After lunch we played two games.
We started with Through the Desert (some of them said they might have played this once before but didn't remember it). It went well. Sarah and Emily both liked it a lot. Eitan started by cordoning off a large corner of the board without any opposition (16 hexes, plus the tiles in them). I floundered about here and there and everyone, especially Abraham and me, thought I was losing. My saving grace was that I had majorities in two colors; probably because the others forgot about the majority scoring at the end. I came in second with 58, one point behind Abraham.
Eitan then taught me, Abraham, and Sarah how to play Glen More, a game that's on my wishlist. I liked it a lot, and I hope to pick it up. It's a small box game from Alea that plays like a big box game (much like Louis XIV does). The game is build around a rondel, where every step on the rondel had a square building you can acquire, with new buildings replacing the ones taken.
Turn order is "whomever is in last position", so you can skip forward to a newly revealed building if you really want it, but you sacrifice some of your turns to do so. To balance this, you also lose three points for every building you acquire, so every building you take has to net you (on average) three points or more.
The buildings either give you cubes in any one of five colors, let you trade cubes for points or a commodity, give you cards, or give you workers and let you move your workers around. You can only place new buildings near your workers, so you have to keep moving the workers to the edge tiles; you can also move workers off the board. Every time you place a building, you activate the building and each other building touching it (in 8 directions). There are three scoring events, and each gives points based on the number of commodities, cards, and off-the-board workers that you have. Your score is based on the difference between how many of something you have versus the player who has the least of that something.
I concentrated on workers. Eitan got some great interim scoring going, repeatedly placing buildings to net him cubes and them convert them to victory points, so I thought I was losing badly. I ended up snagging a special scoring tile that doubled my points from workers off the board, however, so I made some back. In the end, I came in second place again, two points behind Emily. Abraham tried to take a minimal amount of tiles to avoid the -3/tile effect, but he didn't gain enough points to make that worthwihle.
An interesting game.
Friday night I had a family over as well, and they had some sharp teenagers. It is now typical for Anglo teens to have heard of or played a few decent games - Settlers, Ticket to Ride, Tigris and Euphrates - at least in the communities I've seen. Which is odd because the games are only available in Israel in a few select places and even then only Settlers and Blokus. I know a few dozen families that can trace their game playing to me, but I don't know where the rest of them got it from.
After dinner the teens stayed to play RoboRally with us. I don't know who selected it, but we were six people and the teen boy was keen to play it. He really loved it, and he won, too. I'm still not sure how. I proceeded precisely and without interference towards my goals, while he got knocked around and fell into a pit. Only two rounds I didn't get the cards I needed and I rotated in place. But he beat me by one round.
The teen girl had a good time, but she didn't really grok the game strategy and so played (deliberately) random cards for a while. It was amusing, since these didn't do too badly for her. She says that she's better at other types of games.
Saturday I had Abraham and Sarah over for lunch as well. After lunch we played two games.
We started with Through the Desert (some of them said they might have played this once before but didn't remember it). It went well. Sarah and Emily both liked it a lot. Eitan started by cordoning off a large corner of the board without any opposition (16 hexes, plus the tiles in them). I floundered about here and there and everyone, especially Abraham and me, thought I was losing. My saving grace was that I had majorities in two colors; probably because the others forgot about the majority scoring at the end. I came in second with 58, one point behind Abraham.
Eitan then taught me, Abraham, and Sarah how to play Glen More, a game that's on my wishlist. I liked it a lot, and I hope to pick it up. It's a small box game from Alea that plays like a big box game (much like Louis XIV does). The game is build around a rondel, where every step on the rondel had a square building you can acquire, with new buildings replacing the ones taken.
Turn order is "whomever is in last position", so you can skip forward to a newly revealed building if you really want it, but you sacrifice some of your turns to do so. To balance this, you also lose three points for every building you acquire, so every building you take has to net you (on average) three points or more.
The buildings either give you cubes in any one of five colors, let you trade cubes for points or a commodity, give you cards, or give you workers and let you move your workers around. You can only place new buildings near your workers, so you have to keep moving the workers to the edge tiles; you can also move workers off the board. Every time you place a building, you activate the building and each other building touching it (in 8 directions). There are three scoring events, and each gives points based on the number of commodities, cards, and off-the-board workers that you have. Your score is based on the difference between how many of something you have versus the player who has the least of that something.
I concentrated on workers. Eitan got some great interim scoring going, repeatedly placing buildings to net him cubes and them convert them to victory points, so I thought I was losing badly. I ended up snagging a special scoring tile that doubled my points from workers off the board, however, so I made some back. In the end, I came in second place again, two points behind Emily. Abraham tried to take a minimal amount of tiles to avoid the -3/tile effect, but he didn't gain enough points to make that worthwihle.
An interesting game.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Raanana and Jerusalem Session Reports
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Raanana, Jerusalem, Shabbat sessions
Ellis in Raanana: Endeavor. I taught the game. We also played two games of Water Lily after Ellis left, which is a simple and quick kids game because of the theme and components (or a simple abstract game otherwise).
Nadine in Jerusalem: Nile, Puerto Rico, It's Alive!, Egizia, R-eco. They also looked at Fungibility.
On shabbat I had a family over for lunch. They are home-schoolers, and so play more games than the typical family, including several Family Pastimes cooperative games. We played one aimed at young children, Princess.
It barely qualifies as a game, though the experience is not all that bad. You roll the die and either increase the doom counter (6 total) or pick a random object and try to convince all the players that you can use this object to get past the current obstacle between you and the princess (moat, guard, dog, etc). For instance, the boat is the canonical item to get past the moat, but I suggested when I picked the candle that you can use it to set fire to the forest, and when the guards lower the drawbridge and run out to put out the fire you sneak across the drawbridge. You have to get to the princess before picking all the doom counters.
The game is exhausted after a few plays, but my guests had hand-crafted additional items to keep the game fresh.
I then taught them No Thanks! which they liked a lot, and we played Pit which I had taught them the last time they were over.
Nadine in Jerusalem: Nile, Puerto Rico, It's Alive!, Egizia, R-eco. They also looked at Fungibility.
On shabbat I had a family over for lunch. They are home-schoolers, and so play more games than the typical family, including several Family Pastimes cooperative games. We played one aimed at young children, Princess.
It barely qualifies as a game, though the experience is not all that bad. You roll the die and either increase the doom counter (6 total) or pick a random object and try to convince all the players that you can use this object to get past the current obstacle between you and the princess (moat, guard, dog, etc). For instance, the boat is the canonical item to get past the moat, but I suggested when I picked the candle that you can use it to set fire to the forest, and when the guards lower the drawbridge and run out to put out the fire you sneak across the drawbridge. You have to get to the princess before picking all the doom counters.
The game is exhausted after a few plays, but my guests had hand-crafted additional items to keep the game fresh.
I then taught them No Thanks! which they liked a lot, and we played Pit which I had taught them the last time they were over.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Raanana and Jerusalem Session Reports
Raanana by Ellis: Power Grid.
Jerusalem by Nadine: El Grande.
I lost at both. I also lost a two-player game of Ticket To Ride + 1910 Expansion I played on shabbat with my host in Beit Shemesh. I did well on the board, but he had more filled delivery orders, which also gave him a 15 point bonus.
I attended the 6th annual Techshoret technical writing/markcom conference in Jerusalem on Thursday. I promised Paula that I wouldn't blog about it (or, at least about the bad parts), so I will just say that it was good to see and be seen by others in the technical writing field and I enjoyed two of the lectures I went to (Revuven Lerner on HTML5 and Katriel Reichman on using Markov chains as cost/benefit analysis for new technologies).
Jerusalem by Nadine: El Grande.
I lost at both. I also lost a two-player game of Ticket To Ride + 1910 Expansion I played on shabbat with my host in Beit Shemesh. I did well on the board, but he had more filled delivery orders, which also gave him a 15 point bonus.
I attended the 6th annual Techshoret technical writing/markcom conference in Jerusalem on Thursday. I promised Paula that I wouldn't blog about it (or, at least about the bad parts), so I will just say that it was good to see and be seen by others in the technical writing field and I enjoyed two of the lectures I went to (Revuven Lerner on HTML5 and Katriel Reichman on using Markov chains as cost/benefit analysis for new technologies).
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Raanana and Jerusalem Session Reports
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Raanana and Jerusalem Session Reports
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Jerusalem and Raanana Session Reports
Raanana report by me: Power Grid, Antike, Ticket to Ride Norway, Detroit-Cleveland Grand Prix. And by Ellis: Power Grid.
Jerusalem report by Nadine: Nile, Year of the Dragon.
I played Mancala on Friday night with a young girl during dinner. The rules with which we played: 6 bowls on each side, 1 bin on the right for each player. 4 stones per bowl. On your turn, pick up and deliver, skipping opponent's bin. If you land in your bin, go again. If you land in an empty space on your side, take the stone and all stones in the opposing bowl and place them in your bin, but only if opponent has at least 1 stone in the opposing bowl. Keep playing until all stones are in bins.
I won the first game and we tied on the second. I think she was used to winning, which is why she stopped after two games. But she handled herself pretty well.
Jerusalem report by Nadine: Nile, Year of the Dragon.
I played Mancala on Friday night with a young girl during dinner. The rules with which we played: 6 bowls on each side, 1 bin on the right for each player. 4 stones per bowl. On your turn, pick up and deliver, skipping opponent's bin. If you land in your bin, go again. If you land in an empty space on your side, take the stone and all stones in the opposing bowl and place them in your bin, but only if opponent has at least 1 stone in the opposing bowl. Keep playing until all stones are in bins.
I won the first game and we tied on the second. I think she was used to winning, which is why she stopped after two games. But she handled herself pretty well.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Jerusalem and Raanana Session Reports; Hypnotism
Raanana games played: Power Grid.
Jerusalem games played: Jungle Speed, London.
Hypnotism
I was in an audience with a practicing stage hypnotist. I don't know what I was expecting, but I was not expecting my reaction: I was disgusted. I walked out.
The subjects were made to forget their names, the number three, etc. When they could not (or would not) count, the audience laughed. The subjects smiled sheepishly. The hypnotist did not use any hypnotic induction; he just passed his hand over their heads and held it in front of their eyes for a moment, and then announced, out loud, what the subjects were going to do incorrectly.
My first thoughts were that, of course, this was bunk. But, then again, not necessarily. Although magic is bunk, some odd things about the human mind and body have some truth to them, even if the stories that surround them are nonsense. E.g. acupuncture apparently does have some real effect on reducing pain.
My second thought was that the performance, whether real or fake, was obscene. It's one thing to laugh at TV people being idiots for fun in a sitcom, or people in power (like politicians) being idiots. It's another thing to laugh at friends who are under the influence of suggestion. Even if they agreed to be hypnotized, they are being made to look like fools while helpless. It's embarrassing, like laughing at the handicapped. If it was a serious demonstration, I would have found it interesting ... scary and creepy, but interesting. But not for entertainment. So I walked out.
I asked the subjects after the fact, and they both denied any sort of collusion or trickery on their part. Neither was embarrassed at what had happened.
The odd part is that Israel is one of the few countries where stage hypnosis is absolutely illegal. I don't know how this guy gets away with doing it in public. He was a good stage magician, so the hypnosis wasn't necessary for his act. I have no problems with magic acts.
Jerusalem games played: Jungle Speed, London.
Hypnotism
I was in an audience with a practicing stage hypnotist. I don't know what I was expecting, but I was not expecting my reaction: I was disgusted. I walked out.
The subjects were made to forget their names, the number three, etc. When they could not (or would not) count, the audience laughed. The subjects smiled sheepishly. The hypnotist did not use any hypnotic induction; he just passed his hand over their heads and held it in front of their eyes for a moment, and then announced, out loud, what the subjects were going to do incorrectly.
My first thoughts were that, of course, this was bunk. But, then again, not necessarily. Although magic is bunk, some odd things about the human mind and body have some truth to them, even if the stories that surround them are nonsense. E.g. acupuncture apparently does have some real effect on reducing pain.
My second thought was that the performance, whether real or fake, was obscene. It's one thing to laugh at TV people being idiots for fun in a sitcom, or people in power (like politicians) being idiots. It's another thing to laugh at friends who are under the influence of suggestion. Even if they agreed to be hypnotized, they are being made to look like fools while helpless. It's embarrassing, like laughing at the handicapped. If it was a serious demonstration, I would have found it interesting ... scary and creepy, but interesting. But not for entertainment. So I walked out.
I asked the subjects after the fact, and they both denied any sort of collusion or trickery on their part. Neither was embarrassed at what had happened.
The odd part is that Israel is one of the few countries where stage hypnosis is absolutely illegal. I don't know how this guy gets away with doing it in public. He was a good stage magician, so the hypnosis wasn't necessary for his act. I have no problems with magic acts.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Raanana and Jerusalem Session Reports
Raanana: Ellis' report here, and my report here. Games played: Gobblet Junior, Sushizock im Gockelwok, Power Grid, Ticket to Ride Europe, Ticket to Ride Scandinavia
Jerusalem: Nadine's report here. Games played: Notre Dame, Microscope (RPG), Puerto Rico, London, Lo Ra.
New and returning people at both events.
Jerusalem: Nadine's report here. Games played: Notre Dame, Microscope (RPG), Puerto Rico, London, Lo Ra.
New and returning people at both events.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Jerusalem Session Report and wishes for 2012
The latest Jerusalem Strategy Gaming Club session report is up. Games played: Nile, Agricola.
I had a difficult and tumultuous 2011, with a few bright spots. I hope you all had an easier and happier year, and I wish you all a happy, memorable, and peaceful 2012.
I had a difficult and tumultuous 2011, with a few bright spots. I hope you all had an easier and happier year, and I wish you all a happy, memorable, and peaceful 2012.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Raanana Session Report
Participants: Laurie, Daniel, Ellis, Jon, Rochelle
I arrived as Laurie set up a filler game Piece o Cake for Ellis, Laurie, and me to play. This was the first play for all of us. It's a simple food-themed game of set collection with a divide and offer mechanic. There are five piles of cards.
Cards are worth a small number of points if they are "consumed" as soon as they are acquired, or nothing if not consumed; if, however, you have the most in a set of unconsumed cards, you gain a larger number of points. For instance, a cherry pie slice may be worth 7 points for having the most unconsumed slices at the end of the game (it doesn't matter how many of them you have, so long as you have the most), or they may be worth 2 points each if you simply consumed them. Note that if you will acquire all the cherry pie slices during the game, your best move it to consume all but one of them: the 6 slices will then be worth 2 points each consumed, and the remaining slice will be worth 7 points as the majority holder of unconsumed slices.
On each turn, someone opens a stack of 11 cards and arranges them into a circle without changing their order. The player then divides the cards into groups by the number of players; the division must not rearrange any of the arcs, but the division does not have to have an equal number of cards in each circle. Players then, in turn, select a group and consumes or not each of the cards in the group. Repeat for 5 turns. Score.
On turn three I had essentially reduced the game to its math, including how many points I was wasting trying to maintain majorities and how many slices were left in the deck so as to determine whether I really needed to keep one more slice unconsumed. Even with tracking, the game still holds interest, since you don't know the order in which the cards will turn up or how the other players will divide them. Ellis consumed nearly all of his slices. I squeaked out a win by 1 point over Laurie.
I then taught Rochelle, Ellis, Laurie, and Daniel how to play Amun Re. Of course, I changed the theme of stage four, and also changed the power card that lets you correct the offering value. In the latter case, I let players decide to use these cards after seeing the results of the offering and also to act in collusion. Even with these boosts, the cards were used only once to boost the offering from level 3 to 4.
I won the money war in the first half, and I was tied for the lead in points. I messed up round four by not buying the best province, ceding it to Daniel instead. I spent a lot of money to build my pyramids in the second half. On the last round, I wasn't able to complete four complete pyramid sets by a few gold. In fact, completing the sets lost me so much gold that I received no bonus points for money at the end. Meanwhile, Ellis solidified his points in the second half. On the last round, his bribe bonus was two power cards, both of which gave him extra money from the harvest, which was enough to bump his money holdings to first place. He was five points behind me in scoring, and then he took his six point bonus for money and ended the game one point ahead of me.
Daniel ended one point ahead of Laurie, about 8 points behind Ellis and me. Rochelle brought up the rear. The game took just shy of three hours to teach and play.
P.S. The JSGC had a game day on Hanukkah. Games played: Highland Clans, El Grande, Egizia, Princes of Florence, Louis XIV, Year of the Dragon.
I arrived as Laurie set up a filler game Piece o Cake for Ellis, Laurie, and me to play. This was the first play for all of us. It's a simple food-themed game of set collection with a divide and offer mechanic. There are five piles of cards.
Cards are worth a small number of points if they are "consumed" as soon as they are acquired, or nothing if not consumed; if, however, you have the most in a set of unconsumed cards, you gain a larger number of points. For instance, a cherry pie slice may be worth 7 points for having the most unconsumed slices at the end of the game (it doesn't matter how many of them you have, so long as you have the most), or they may be worth 2 points each if you simply consumed them. Note that if you will acquire all the cherry pie slices during the game, your best move it to consume all but one of them: the 6 slices will then be worth 2 points each consumed, and the remaining slice will be worth 7 points as the majority holder of unconsumed slices.
On each turn, someone opens a stack of 11 cards and arranges them into a circle without changing their order. The player then divides the cards into groups by the number of players; the division must not rearrange any of the arcs, but the division does not have to have an equal number of cards in each circle. Players then, in turn, select a group and consumes or not each of the cards in the group. Repeat for 5 turns. Score.
On turn three I had essentially reduced the game to its math, including how many points I was wasting trying to maintain majorities and how many slices were left in the deck so as to determine whether I really needed to keep one more slice unconsumed. Even with tracking, the game still holds interest, since you don't know the order in which the cards will turn up or how the other players will divide them. Ellis consumed nearly all of his slices. I squeaked out a win by 1 point over Laurie.
I then taught Rochelle, Ellis, Laurie, and Daniel how to play Amun Re. Of course, I changed the theme of stage four, and also changed the power card that lets you correct the offering value. In the latter case, I let players decide to use these cards after seeing the results of the offering and also to act in collusion. Even with these boosts, the cards were used only once to boost the offering from level 3 to 4.
I won the money war in the first half, and I was tied for the lead in points. I messed up round four by not buying the best province, ceding it to Daniel instead. I spent a lot of money to build my pyramids in the second half. On the last round, I wasn't able to complete four complete pyramid sets by a few gold. In fact, completing the sets lost me so much gold that I received no bonus points for money at the end. Meanwhile, Ellis solidified his points in the second half. On the last round, his bribe bonus was two power cards, both of which gave him extra money from the harvest, which was enough to bump his money holdings to first place. He was five points behind me in scoring, and then he took his six point bonus for money and ended the game one point ahead of me.
Daniel ended one point ahead of Laurie, about 8 points behind Ellis and me. Rochelle brought up the rear. The game took just shy of three hours to teach and play.
P.S. The JSGC had a game day on Hanukkah. Games played: Highland Clans, El Grande, Egizia, Princes of Florence, Louis XIV, Year of the Dragon.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Raanana Session Report, in which I play Settlers with two Rochelles
Participants: Laurie, Daniel, Jon, Ellis, Rochelle, Rochelle 2
Game night at Laurie and Daniel's as usual. Rochelle 2 is a friend of mine who was willing to try something new; she has no previous experience with games as an adult.
Dominion+
Jon 27, Laurie 11, Ellis 10, Daniel 6
Scores approximate. I brought over my box of four Dominion games and selected a random assortment from all of them.
Kingdoms: Market, Great Hall, Masquerade, Swindler, Ironworks, Sea Hag, Tactician, Bishop, Bank, Expand. No Platinum or Colony.
This is the first play for any Dominion expansions by the others. Actually, they're all still in single digit plays for Dominion altogether. Turns are still kind of slow going. There was a lot of trashing, of course. Swindler has the side effect of causing piles of cards to disappear rather quickly, which is why the game ended up with three piles gone, rather than the usual Provinces. I managed to nab three Provinces before the game ended, all by using Tactician.
An interesting combo was Ironworks to take Great Hall, which gave two out of the three bonuses with no drawbacks. Swindler also handed out a lot of curses, mostly to Daniel.
Settlers of Catan
Jon 10, Rochelle 7, Rochelle 2 5
Rochelle had played this once before but had forgotten many of the rules. So it was essentially a first play for both of them. They both picked it up without much difficulty. The resource distribution was pretty even, and so were the dice rolls. No one had to toss out cards from a roll of 7.
Rochelle took Longest Road fairly early. She also acquired a port mid-game, but it wasn't one she could use. Rochelle 2 built a few settlements and was often one road away from taking Longest Road from Rochelle, though she never threatened to do so. Luck was against her, and she often rolled up a resource right after she had traded for it.
I built an early settlement and then city on the ore, and then city on the brick. I had a port for brick and used it nicely. I ended the game with my ninth board point and a revealed development victory point.
Race for the Galaxy
Ellis, Daniel, Laurie
I didn't see how the game (or games) went. They actually play with an expension or two thrown in, though I don't know which.
Game night at Laurie and Daniel's as usual. Rochelle 2 is a friend of mine who was willing to try something new; she has no previous experience with games as an adult.
Dominion+
Jon 27, Laurie 11, Ellis 10, Daniel 6
Scores approximate. I brought over my box of four Dominion games and selected a random assortment from all of them.
Kingdoms: Market, Great Hall, Masquerade, Swindler, Ironworks, Sea Hag, Tactician, Bishop, Bank, Expand. No Platinum or Colony.
This is the first play for any Dominion expansions by the others. Actually, they're all still in single digit plays for Dominion altogether. Turns are still kind of slow going. There was a lot of trashing, of course. Swindler has the side effect of causing piles of cards to disappear rather quickly, which is why the game ended up with three piles gone, rather than the usual Provinces. I managed to nab three Provinces before the game ended, all by using Tactician.
An interesting combo was Ironworks to take Great Hall, which gave two out of the three bonuses with no drawbacks. Swindler also handed out a lot of curses, mostly to Daniel.
Settlers of Catan
Jon 10, Rochelle 7, Rochelle 2 5
Rochelle had played this once before but had forgotten many of the rules. So it was essentially a first play for both of them. They both picked it up without much difficulty. The resource distribution was pretty even, and so were the dice rolls. No one had to toss out cards from a roll of 7.
Rochelle took Longest Road fairly early. She also acquired a port mid-game, but it wasn't one she could use. Rochelle 2 built a few settlements and was often one road away from taking Longest Road from Rochelle, though she never threatened to do so. Luck was against her, and she often rolled up a resource right after she had traded for it.
I built an early settlement and then city on the ore, and then city on the brick. I had a port for brick and used it nicely. I ended the game with my ninth board point and a revealed development victory point.
Race for the Galaxy
Ellis, Daniel, Laurie
I didn't see how the game (or games) went. They actually play with an expension or two thrown in, though I don't know which.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Raanana Session Report, in which I teach Agricola
Participants: Laurie, Jon, Daniel, Rochelle
Ellis was in the middle of moving. He should be back next week.
Race for the Galaxy
Laurie 40, Jon 38
I arrived early and Laurie chose this as a two-player game for us. We played with no specific two-player rules, just one role each round.
I picked too many 6 point cards early on and had to toss most of them out. Still, I didn't fare too badly. I played the 6 pointer that makes other developments cost 2 less early on, and then I mistaken played a development which I thought gave me another 2 discount on further developments, but I noticed later that it gave 2 discount on worlds, not developments. That put a kink in my plans.
Laurie meanwhile started taking victory points early and ended the game when I only had 9 buildings out. My second mistake was not to realize that this was going to happen and to build in what was sure to be the last round, instead of uselessly produce. Really, the only thing that bothers me about this game is the way that it suddenly ends and the way one player can rush the ending out under another. I would like the game a lot more if it simply went 12 rounds or something.
Agricola
Daniel 34, Jon 29, Laurie 26, Rochelle 23
We started the explanation for this at around 8:30 and finished the game at just before 12. It's an odd game in that it has a lot to explain, and even during the game there is a sense of being overwhelmed, but the basic flow is easy to grasp. This is in contrast to other games that are difficult to explain but not overwhelming once the game is in play, like Princes of Florence, or remain overwhelming and also hard to understand the flow, like Puerto Rico.
Daniel insisted that we draw and keep our fourteen cards, rather than do something to ameliorate the luck factor, since it would only do to help the newer players. In fact, I drew reasonably well; nobody had any real game killers.
I played unusually with a lot of occupations and minor improvements, all of which helped me get points but not food. I didn't have a good food engine and so occasionally had to scramble for food at the last moment. I played a card early on that gave me four wood but also gave any player who ended the game without any negative points a five point bonus. That seems like overkill, since the person who has no negative points is typically winning anyway. I often end the game with no negative points, so I thought it couldn't hurt me.
Unfortunately, in the last two rounds when I needed at least one of the Plow actions (I had an improvement that let me plow three fields, rather than one), both were taken before I could get them. Not only did this leave me with negative spaces, it also left me scrambling for food, lacking points in the food items (I was also going to plow them, and no one else could effectively plow), and forced me to give up several other items since I had to use my actions elsewhere. It represented at least a 10 point loss for me.
Laurie also experienced people blocking what she needed on various occasions. She finally took the Start Player action, but didn't feel like it did much for her. Daniel is the only one who finished with no negative points, and the five points he got from my occupation card handed him the clear victory.
Ellis was in the middle of moving. He should be back next week.
Race for the Galaxy
Laurie 40, Jon 38
I arrived early and Laurie chose this as a two-player game for us. We played with no specific two-player rules, just one role each round.
I picked too many 6 point cards early on and had to toss most of them out. Still, I didn't fare too badly. I played the 6 pointer that makes other developments cost 2 less early on, and then I mistaken played a development which I thought gave me another 2 discount on further developments, but I noticed later that it gave 2 discount on worlds, not developments. That put a kink in my plans.
Laurie meanwhile started taking victory points early and ended the game when I only had 9 buildings out. My second mistake was not to realize that this was going to happen and to build in what was sure to be the last round, instead of uselessly produce. Really, the only thing that bothers me about this game is the way that it suddenly ends and the way one player can rush the ending out under another. I would like the game a lot more if it simply went 12 rounds or something.
Agricola
Daniel 34, Jon 29, Laurie 26, Rochelle 23
We started the explanation for this at around 8:30 and finished the game at just before 12. It's an odd game in that it has a lot to explain, and even during the game there is a sense of being overwhelmed, but the basic flow is easy to grasp. This is in contrast to other games that are difficult to explain but not overwhelming once the game is in play, like Princes of Florence, or remain overwhelming and also hard to understand the flow, like Puerto Rico.
Daniel insisted that we draw and keep our fourteen cards, rather than do something to ameliorate the luck factor, since it would only do to help the newer players. In fact, I drew reasonably well; nobody had any real game killers.
I played unusually with a lot of occupations and minor improvements, all of which helped me get points but not food. I didn't have a good food engine and so occasionally had to scramble for food at the last moment. I played a card early on that gave me four wood but also gave any player who ended the game without any negative points a five point bonus. That seems like overkill, since the person who has no negative points is typically winning anyway. I often end the game with no negative points, so I thought it couldn't hurt me.
Unfortunately, in the last two rounds when I needed at least one of the Plow actions (I had an improvement that let me plow three fields, rather than one), both were taken before I could get them. Not only did this leave me with negative spaces, it also left me scrambling for food, lacking points in the food items (I was also going to plow them, and no one else could effectively plow), and forced me to give up several other items since I had to use my actions elsewhere. It represented at least a 10 point loss for me.
Laurie also experienced people blocking what she needed on various occasions. She finally took the Start Player action, but didn't feel like it did much for her. Daniel is the only one who finished with no negative points, and the five points he got from my occupation card handed him the clear victory.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Raanana and Jerusalem Sessions Report
Raanana
Participants: Daniel, Laurie, Ellis, Peleg, Tal, Jon
Back in the group for the first time in a few weeks. The games are currently held at Laurie and Daniel's house, so that they don't need to get a babysitter.
Finca: This game was set up and being explained as I arrived. Tal's eyes were glazed over, so I took her place. Daniel and Laurie played as a team.
Like the first time I played it, the game feels pastoral and mathematical, despite the pretty board and nice wooden fruit bits over which Laurie sat adoring. I don't mind it - not very high praise, but not damning either - and the calculations aren't that great, unless you want to start calculating what each of your opponents plans to do, which you really should but which I couldn't be bothered. As a result, I lost out on my final delivery.
Daniel and Laurie played slowly, but they also won by over 20 points. I came in last (actually Peleg left mid-game).
Dominion: We played with cards from the base set only, and it wasn't an inspiring set: Moat, Workshop, Bureaucrat, Gardens, Remodel, Thief, Laboratory, Library, Mine, Witch.
Actually, a Thief/Workshop/Gardens combo might have done well. But note that there are no extra buys and only Laboratory gave an extra action, and that only one. I played with the most Labs, with Moats, Gardens, and Remodels. I won by some 6 points over second. Ellis did poorly; I think he needs to play it more.
Jerusalem
Participants: Gili, Eitan, Jon, Estzer
My first play at the JSGC in quite some time, I just happened to have to be in Jerusalem on Wed evening. Knowing that Estzer cane from Hungary, I brought her a game that I received from someone while I was in Hungary but which contains no English instructions. I hope she will be able to translate the rules for me (BGG has been no help in this regard).
Detroit-Cleveland Grand Prix: I had played this at the Dallas games group on the night before my first BGG.con, and had been interested in picking it up ever since. It's rare to find a mid-weight strategy game that works well for up to six. It worked fine with four, too.
I read the rules briefly, but messed up a few of the rules, without any detriment to the game. For one thing, I allowed people to move cars in any order, rather than in the order listed on the card. This provided more, rather than less decision making, so I don't think it was a bad thing, but also made more cards more useful. I also allowed people to immediately play a movement card together with a switch card and had the switch card expire right before their next turn. Apparently this is a good thing, as none of us would have been willing to sacrifice a turn to play a switch card, otherwise.
I also had the last round give a double payout, bit Eitan (who was leading before the last round) objected to this after the fact, since it makes a lucky swing of events in the last round too punishing.
Our biggest objection to the game was that people whose car had already finished (and sometimes even those whose cars had not finished) had too much kingmaking power on the final results. In the case of players whose cars have all finished, I could solve this by having them play their cards randomly and the cars moved in the order on the card (which is how the game is supposed to be played). However, this doesn't address all kingmaking situations. It remains a flaw in the game, perhaps a small flaw if you go into the game accounting for this.
Otherwise, we all enjoyed the game experience, though I lost very badly. Gili won.
Hearts: I wanted to teach Team Hearts, but it turns out that Estzer hadn't even played Hearts, so it was enough for her to learn just the rules for the regular game. We played two hands; in the second hand we played with teams, but didn't use any particular passing conventions.
Participants: Daniel, Laurie, Ellis, Peleg, Tal, Jon
Back in the group for the first time in a few weeks. The games are currently held at Laurie and Daniel's house, so that they don't need to get a babysitter.
Finca: This game was set up and being explained as I arrived. Tal's eyes were glazed over, so I took her place. Daniel and Laurie played as a team.
Like the first time I played it, the game feels pastoral and mathematical, despite the pretty board and nice wooden fruit bits over which Laurie sat adoring. I don't mind it - not very high praise, but not damning either - and the calculations aren't that great, unless you want to start calculating what each of your opponents plans to do, which you really should but which I couldn't be bothered. As a result, I lost out on my final delivery.
Daniel and Laurie played slowly, but they also won by over 20 points. I came in last (actually Peleg left mid-game).
Dominion: We played with cards from the base set only, and it wasn't an inspiring set: Moat, Workshop, Bureaucrat, Gardens, Remodel, Thief, Laboratory, Library, Mine, Witch.
Actually, a Thief/Workshop/Gardens combo might have done well. But note that there are no extra buys and only Laboratory gave an extra action, and that only one. I played with the most Labs, with Moats, Gardens, and Remodels. I won by some 6 points over second. Ellis did poorly; I think he needs to play it more.
Jerusalem
Participants: Gili, Eitan, Jon, Estzer
My first play at the JSGC in quite some time, I just happened to have to be in Jerusalem on Wed evening. Knowing that Estzer cane from Hungary, I brought her a game that I received from someone while I was in Hungary but which contains no English instructions. I hope she will be able to translate the rules for me (BGG has been no help in this regard).
Detroit-Cleveland Grand Prix: I had played this at the Dallas games group on the night before my first BGG.con, and had been interested in picking it up ever since. It's rare to find a mid-weight strategy game that works well for up to six. It worked fine with four, too.
I read the rules briefly, but messed up a few of the rules, without any detriment to the game. For one thing, I allowed people to move cars in any order, rather than in the order listed on the card. This provided more, rather than less decision making, so I don't think it was a bad thing, but also made more cards more useful. I also allowed people to immediately play a movement card together with a switch card and had the switch card expire right before their next turn. Apparently this is a good thing, as none of us would have been willing to sacrifice a turn to play a switch card, otherwise.
I also had the last round give a double payout, bit Eitan (who was leading before the last round) objected to this after the fact, since it makes a lucky swing of events in the last round too punishing.
Our biggest objection to the game was that people whose car had already finished (and sometimes even those whose cars had not finished) had too much kingmaking power on the final results. In the case of players whose cars have all finished, I could solve this by having them play their cards randomly and the cars moved in the order on the card (which is how the game is supposed to be played). However, this doesn't address all kingmaking situations. It remains a flaw in the game, perhaps a small flaw if you go into the game accounting for this.
Otherwise, we all enjoyed the game experience, though I lost very badly. Gili won.
Hearts: I wanted to teach Team Hearts, but it turns out that Estzer hadn't even played Hearts, so it was enough for her to learn just the rules for the regular game. We played two hands; in the second hand we played with teams, but didn't use any particular passing conventions.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Jerusalem Session Report, for an all girls game night
The latest Jerusalem Strategy Gaming Club session report is up. Games played: Genoa.
Emily won in an all girls game night.
Emily won in an all girls game night.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
JSGC Session Reports: Games Day and One More
Two JSGC session reports are up.
Oct 18: Games Day. Games played: Carson City, GoSu, Taj Mahal, R-Eco, El Grande, Lo Ra, Tangrams.
Oct 26, in which they decide that they like Nile. Games played: Nile, Amun-Re.
Oct 18: Games Day. Games played: Carson City, GoSu, Taj Mahal, R-Eco, El Grande, Lo Ra, Tangrams.
Oct 26, in which they decide that they like Nile. Games played: Nile, Amun-Re.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Jerusalem Session Report
The latest Jerusalem Strategy Gaming Club session report is up. Games played: R-Eco, Stone Age, Tribune.
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