tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58487656202381057632024-03-14T00:16:11.432-07:00' So, Frankly... 'Dedicated to promoting friendship, families, and teaching the next generation - primarily through games.SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.comBlogger153125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-76335184439899928172017-06-14T06:56:00.001-07:002017-06-16T10:32:25.528-07:00Then This Happened... <p dir="ltr">It happened last Sunday at our monthly game day. After taking a major setback in a long game, a player (we'll call him Al) said "I'm done", and got up from the table. Amongst most people, there is a general feeling that there is a social contract to finish a game. According to that norm, the social contract had been violated. But before we judge too harshly in these kinds of situations, we need to take a complete look at what transpired.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The game was <i>Merchants and Marauders</i>, a game which has roughly a three-hour play time. Players can either be a seafaring merchant, or a pirate praying on  merchants.  Or maybe a little of both.  Neutral pirates show up, national Navies show up; this is a game with a lot going on. This is also a game with a whole lot of options that the player can perform, though none of those action are terribly complicated. As a result, the game explainer - that would be me - decided it would just be easier for everyone to play off their player aid, rather than go through a lengthy and convoluted rule explanation. In short, I was pressed for time, and rather than be smart and say we're not going to push and play this game, I tried too hard to get it to the table. I did a poor job explaining the game.</p>
<p dir="ltr">At the same time, there was a person (we will call him Bob) had a pretty good idea of what was going on. Bob had played a computer game in which the player had the same options. As a result, he had an idea of what direction he should take. So while the rest of us were trying to figure out what the rules were, Bob was busy making smart strategic decisions. In fact, the last strategic decision of the game was when Bob attacked Al, dealing a crushing blow. Granted, Al had put himself in a bad position by previously attacking a pirate ship and defeating it, taking damage along the way. There was no way for Al to know that he was making himself easy prey. Bob had already gotten the most powerful ship in the game. Everybody else was still poking along their original ship, not knowing what they should be doing. If our gaming group was the kind of group that values the win above everything else, it would have been okay. However, we really focus on making sure everyone has a good time. So in a sense, Bob broke another social contract; one that is more important in our group.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I have to say I have been in Al's situation. About a year ago, I played a game for the first time in which someone who was much more familiar with the game effectively eliminated me in one fell swoop. I can't say I handled it well. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Just as happens so often in life, there were plenty of mistakes to go around. Al and I talked the next day, and he apologized for being upset. He had been a little out of sorts all day. I apologized for doing a poor job with the rules. And honestly, the game is not my type of game, nor Al's.  </p>
<p dir="ltr">So it was kind of a perfect storm; maybe appropriate for a game that takes place at sea.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><i><b>It's Your Move... </b></i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b><i>Frankly</i></b> </p>
SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-50498857256853092932017-06-03T08:45:00.003-07:002017-06-03T08:47:59.054-07:00New Adventures in Star Wars<div dir="ltr">
Fantasy Flight Games recently released the first expansion for it's epic <i>Star Wars Rebellion</i> game. For a while I haven't been blogging as actively, and since then two games have come out related to <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/search?q=star+wars">Star Wars</a> that I think really need to be discussed. If you are a fan of the films, you'll be happy to know they really bring things to life.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQd1a1z2NYHoD0j4JVxBMyUgu-stJjzJ6zgh2nWPR66SOpwsRwdJIFTtXAeHfVd4nOogt1yEk9KWq4H7s_DZltqtZxYoNN743s_rz-G2mAIalOAzOtepganAGxWT3gD5IbJjRzIzFHQiE2/s1600/RiskStarWars+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="394" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQd1a1z2NYHoD0j4JVxBMyUgu-stJjzJ6zgh2nWPR66SOpwsRwdJIFTtXAeHfVd4nOogt1yEk9KWq4H7s_DZltqtZxYoNN743s_rz-G2mAIalOAzOtepganAGxWT3gD5IbJjRzIzFHQiE2/s320/RiskStarWars+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from Hasbro</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first game is <i>Risk: Star Wars Edition</i>. This game reenacts <i>Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi</i>.. With one player acting as the Empire and one as the Rebellion, they are competing in three different arenas: the surface battle to shut down the Empire's shield, the space battle to destroy the new Death Star being built, and the fight between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. All of these are happening simultaneously. The basic mechanism is hand management and card play, with some dice rolling to resolve combat. It is not at all a true Risk game, but seems to just borrow the title for marketing reasons. It is amazingly good, and fairly simple gameplay. It plays in about an hour, so it can be played by kids of all ages. Being from Hasbro, it is still relatively easy to find even though it has been out for about a year and a half. At one time they were being sold in Target, and might still be, I have not been in a Target in a long time. Certainly they are available on Amazon.<br />
<br />
The other game is <i>Star Wars Rebellion</i>, from Fantasy Flight Games. If you are at all familiar with Fantasy Flight, you know that they tend to produce licensed games with a lot of awsomeness. There is card play and dice rolling in this one too, but the main mechanism is taking the story's heroes and villains and sending them out on missions to complete. Where as the first game I discussed is a battle game, this one is also about diplomacy, resource management, and politics. This is also a much longer game. <i>Risk: Star Wars</i> takes about an hour, <i>Star Wars Rebellion</i> takes about four. It is definitely more of a gamer's game, and takes a bit of a commitment. It also covers Episodes IV through VI, which makes the time to play understandable. The new expansion just released for it introduces the latest set of characters in the saga.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCOLH6CtONlf18NoPL08-gs2ZEqzjdTrCrGZnaaso7M5WiNkSqvzA1Gaq5CqZMeMEAMwTrvtJpgbBwg2C1KKoY75n86M_cBsnlnjt4gCnwhNskrVXZPwWH0BDEAwoQMKXkDrXxVj-Nsjn/s1600/sw03_layout_left_legal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="700" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCOLH6CtONlf18NoPL08-gs2ZEqzjdTrCrGZnaaso7M5WiNkSqvzA1Gaq5CqZMeMEAMwTrvtJpgbBwg2C1KKoY75n86M_cBsnlnjt4gCnwhNskrVXZPwWH0BDEAwoQMKXkDrXxVj-Nsjn/s400/sw03_layout_left_legal.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from Fantasy Flight Games</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Both of these are wonderful game. <i>Risk: Star Wars Edition </i>is the kind of game I would normally cover in this blog. It is excellent but won't feel like work. It's a great game for casual play. The second is more complex, and won't be for everyone. I love them both.<br />
<br />
It's Your Move!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtG3LxZZu7yn9rdxk-eRNkO2HLpo1Vomq4fu4Dgrp5xR5OKS2B5vu2z5VhY15BOF22Fzb5kdTbD1tmWYrIMAX_t9jmS026sMXGX6tm4kSD-5jqnu-HOrTv6dr_tQZazjjh335kr1vknVfj/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="42" data-original-width="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtG3LxZZu7yn9rdxk-eRNkO2HLpo1Vomq4fu4Dgrp5xR5OKS2B5vu2z5VhY15BOF22Fzb5kdTbD1tmWYrIMAX_t9jmS026sMXGX6tm4kSD-5jqnu-HOrTv6dr_tQZazjjh335kr1vknVfj/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-41618927163529677702017-05-27T06:36:00.001-07:002017-05-27T06:36:38.632-07:00What's Wrong with this Blog <div dir="ltr">
When I started this blog years ago, I was all gung-ho. I recognize that there were a lot of people who were unfamiliar with the board game hobby, and were missing out on the fun. I wrote a lot; roughly two posts a week. Overtime I tailed off as my readership didn't really grow.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Why did my writing slow down? I began to wonder about the basic premise of this blog. I was writing for the Casual Gamer. Does the Casual Gamer actually exist for any length of time? Do people either drop away from games after a brief flirtation, or convert themselves into hobbyists? I began to suspect that anyone reading my blog would quickly either drop it or move on to other resources covering gaming. Coincidentally, the makeup of my gaming group was changing, and more complex games we're hitting the table. In some ways, this confirmed my perception.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
As time got to be a more precious commodity, I started making an effort to play more games rather than write about them. And as I had more plays of complex games, I had a smaller selection of topics to discuss.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Where does this leave me? I don't know. I won't promise that I will write more. I have intended to do that in the past, and it hasn't happened. This may become more of a stream-of-consciousness thing. It may become more of a microblog thing. I'm open for input.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
It's Your Move!</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8pukvOjslSem1FqGuTWp17fjBUsIdE-SLdlwPvmfuZwkhUHOrR9RLn3tD1h1euuhHGSCTumUi8MyL5rDwFyVnvXQ5pDf1e3v4LVGXCK5Me63P4e_0VJNDGWOYt34tRCkjZ0mTo3df8CM/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="42" data-original-width="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8pukvOjslSem1FqGuTWp17fjBUsIdE-SLdlwPvmfuZwkhUHOrR9RLn3tD1h1euuhHGSCTumUi8MyL5rDwFyVnvXQ5pDf1e3v4LVGXCK5Me63P4e_0VJNDGWOYt34tRCkjZ0mTo3df8CM/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
</div>
SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-9067451103749484112017-01-29T18:56:00.000-08:002017-01-31T02:18:22.472-08:002016 in Review<div dir="ltr">
I started this a few weeks ago, but life has been crazy. I am only finishing it now...</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
In some ways, 2016 was the one of the worst years I have had gaming. Since I started getting back into gaming in 2008, only 2012 was worse. In 2016 I had a total of 76 plays on 42 separate days. That said, I had a good variety of games, having played a total of 41 different game titles. I did play 19 games that I have never played before, which is actually on par with the past few years. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
I am making a concerted effort of not letting any games sit on my shelf more than five years. I am not quite there, but I am getting there. I am also much more diligent about getting rid of games that I don't really have a desire to play, even if I haven't played them yet. I acquired 16 games this year, but since I am getting rid of games at roughly the same rate, my collection of about the same size. Only a very few of those were purchases (and at least one of them was a Kickstarter project from before this year). Others were trades, and of course a few gifts. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
The game highlights of the year were playing <i>Star Wars: Rebellion</i>, <i>Mission: Red Planet</i> and <i>Power Grid</i>. These are all excellent games. I actually don't recall playing any bad games this year. The surprise of the year was <i>Russian Railroads</i>, which I received a couple of years ago as a very surprising Christmas gift. I had only started considering it when I was given it, but it proved to be another worker placement game that I love. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Great neighbors who moved away gave us a table they couldn't take with them, so I added another gaming table to the gaming area. That was great, and it gets used a lot. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
So, unlike 2012, this past year felt as though it was a full and satisfying year. Now, I need to start thinking about what to accomplish this year...</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
It's Your Move!</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_ZJ3zg4pT7nk1KkXaJpGEZ4YRTv2akCGoCE9_N_71kCjo5kVBdt3SFTF-fTGDv49e_qn30D9W9fTGuwm_n9uk8MZPFVm7gNjsDvBveMX9ZENKY5sPN5QZf8WKNs2VDtagTWEILkUnLI/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_ZJ3zg4pT7nk1KkXaJpGEZ4YRTv2akCGoCE9_N_71kCjo5kVBdt3SFTF-fTGDv49e_qn30D9W9fTGuwm_n9uk8MZPFVm7gNjsDvBveMX9ZENKY5sPN5QZf8WKNs2VDtagTWEILkUnLI/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-44843206472737664422016-02-20T13:14:00.000-08:002016-02-20T13:14:07.172-08:00Family Adventure in a Box - Heldentaufe<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic2492208_md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic2492208_md.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Promotional image </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr">
Occasionally, I look through projects on <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/search?q=kickstarter">Kickstarter </a>for something of interest. ( I can't do this too often, because I don't want to tempt myself too much.) I actually have two projects that currently I'm awaiting delivery on. I am always on the look out for a game that gives a great role playing game (RPG) feel without the role-playing work. So I stumbled across the game <i><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/heldentaufe/heldentaufe-the-adventure-board-game-for-the-whole?ref=nav_search">Heldentaufe </a></i>on Kickstarter. This game bills itself as a family-friendly adventure game, with both cooperative and competitive aspects. It looked to have a few RPG elements to it.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<i>Heldentaufe </i>is designed to be an adventure for game for 2 to 5 players ages 10 up, lasting 60 - 90 minutes. From the publisher:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<em>The day that you have been waiting for has come. At last, you can
prove that you are worthy of being a member of the Hero‘s council. Show
them your skills by collecting the golden monster teeth. But be aware -
the lands of Taora are not as peaceful as they seem. Rumor has it, that
in the dark and gloomy Netherworld, some friends become enemies...</em></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Now get up and hurry! The <em><strong>Heldentaufe</strong></em> already started. Be the first who returns the teeth of glory.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<em></em><br />
The unique experience of <em><strong>Heldentaufe</strong></em> arises due to two distinct but connected realms: The <strong>Upper world</strong> and the <strong>Netherworld</strong>. Heroes can travel back and forth to the separate worlds through so-called "portals".</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Events and activities taking place in the <strong>Upper world</strong>
are mostly serene and peaceful. You will harvest natural goods, carry
out missions and trade items that you find. Somewhere hidden in the <strong>Netherworld</strong> lies a bright and shiny treasure. But what underworld would be complete without monsters and traps?</blockquote>
<div dir="ltr">
Keeping in mind that it is a Kickstarter project, and not a full-fledged game yet, I obviously haven't played it. However I must say that I am impressed. The artwork is beautiful, evoking that adventurous feeling without being too dark for younger players. The rules are pretty straight forward from what I can tell, and should not be a problem for younger ones, particularly since the cooperative aspects of the game allow a little help for the younger player. As a result, this game is very approachable.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
I have to say that if my son were still at a young age, I would have back this almost instantly. His love of fantasy adventure would go right along with this, and the combination of the theme in the artwork would have sucked him right in.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
If you were looking for that kind of adventure game with younger players, or something that is a lighter adventure game for your casual gaming friends, I think this is definitely worth a look. The <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/heldentaufe/heldentaufe-the-adventure-board-game-for-the-whole?ref=nav_search">Kickstarter campaign</a> as well run, and you will find a lot of information on the website. This includes videos how to a copy of the rulebook in its current state, and everything else you need to decide if this is for you. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Hurry, there are only a few days left in the campaign. Find it <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/heldentaufe/heldentaufe-the-adventure-board-game-for-the-whole?ref=nav_search">here </a>on Kickstarter. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<i><b>It's Your Move!</b></i></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<i><b> </b></i></div>
SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-10778787264546235072016-01-21T14:33:00.000-08:002016-01-21T14:33:19.269-08:00Pathfinder - Returning Heros <div dir="ltr">
I mentioned previously that we had finished our <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2014/09/the-splenda-of-rpgs-pathfinder.html"><i>Pathfinder Adventure Card Game </i></a>campaign. I thought I would give a few notes on what the experience was like.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://static1.paizo.com/image/product/catalog/OWD/OWD29004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://static1.paizo.com/image/product/catalog/OWD/OWD29004.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image by Paizo.com - the Publisher of PACG</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr">
I do have to say that this game really scratched the role playing itch I have. It felt a lot like playing <i>Dungeons & Dragons</i> did when I was in college. It truly felt cooperative; we were on a grand quest. During the course of the campaign, we only had one character die. Of course it was mine. My dwarf ranger died trying to save a cat during a flood. (It was a noble act - unless you really don't like cats.) He was replaced in the party by a human wizard, who was not as useful in many ways. Partly, that was because my most devastating spells tended to also injure my comrades, so they would frequently suggest that I not use them. I thought raining fire from the sky looked like fun...</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
So, I had a blast playing this game. At the same time, I am glad to give it a rest now that we have completed the adventure.Thirty-three separate scenarios was quite enough. When we started, those of us involved had very flexible schedules. But as we found other jobs and the party grew, it became harder and harder to find time to play. (This is another way it felt like a role playing game, but not really one I was looking for.) It took us a year and a half to complete the entire adventure. We were determined to get it done by the end of 2015. I think the final session was scheduled two months in advance, and occurred on December 29th. It was pretty crazy.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Is the game perfect? No, definitely not. First of all, the rules were not always clear. The evidence of this is the number of questions asked on <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/">BoardGameGeek </a>about the rules, though we didn't have any problems ourselves. (Which doesn't mean we were always doing things right!) My understanding is that the second and third adventures were cleaned up some.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
This is also an expensive game. By the time I was done purchasing all the expansions and some extra dice, I probably had close to $200 invested in this game. That does not count the time that I spent finding maps online, reading backstory articles, but that was all really fun, so I'm not sure that does count. I realize that $200 sounds like a lot of money, but when you consider we probably had somewhere in the neighborhood of 35 hours of play in the entire game, that works out to just under $5.75/hour, which is still cheaper than going to see a movie. But those of you who have been reading my blog know that I think games are a good investment in both <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2014/11/values.html">time </a>and <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2011/02/playing-with-your-money-value-of-games.html">money</a>.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Will I play it again? Yes, but we are looking for which scenarios are essential, so that we can shorten the total campaign time. There are also some fan made Adventures using the same cards, and we may try one of those out in the future. It would also be interesting to try again with different characters. So while all the plot twists and turns may be known, it would still be fun. After all, I have read <i>The Lord of the Rings </i>eight times cover to cover. My guess would be that you also have a book or movie that you have gone back to time and time again.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<i><b>It's Your Move,</b></i></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
</div>
SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-63046566275734362602016-01-06T19:15:00.000-08:002016-01-06T20:14:42.359-08:002015 in Review <div dir="ltr">
A post like this is almost obligatory. Nonetheless, it fascinates me every year to go back and look at what my gaming over the previous twelve months has been. It will delay the discussion on the gaming group I mentioned a while back, but that will come. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
From a personal perspective, 2015 turned out to be a good, but not great gaming year. Satisfying, but not the gluttony of games that I hope for every year. I managed 117 plays of a total of 43 games. Of these, 17 were games I had never played before. None of those 17 were eye-popping; probably the most pleasant surprise was the game <i>Dead Man's Draw</i>, a filler that has some legs to it. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Of the 117 plays, I had two games that were nickels (at least five plays during the year): <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2014/01/unresistable-review-of-resistance.html"><i>The Resistance</i></a> and <i>Spot It!</i>. Two games were dimes (10 plays): <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2015/06/expand-and-exterminate-review-of-star.html"><i>Star Realms</i></a> and <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/search?q=hive"><i>Hive</i></a>. I almost had a quarter (that's right - 25 plays) in <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2014/09/the-splenda-of-rpgs-pathfinder.html"><i>Pathfinder Adventure Card Game</i></a>. We finished the campaign this year - all 33 scenarios - over the holidays. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
I acquired thirteen games and three expansions in 2015, which is actually the lowest in several years. Because of the way schedules worked out, that really includes a few Christmas presents from last year as well as this year: a total of five games. Two games were from trades. So I am successfully curtailing the growth of my collection. This is helped by the fact that I am getting pickier, since I already have a great collection. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Those are the highlights. I never made it to a convention. I didn't attend any local events. But it was a fun year. I think that's because gaming is like pizza - even when it's not so good, it's still pretty great.<br />
<br />
<i><b>It's Your Move!</b></i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></b></i></div>
<i><b> </b></i> </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<u><br /></u></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<u><br /></u></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<u><br /></u></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<u><br /></u></div>
SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-7269403037870893092015-06-29T17:57:00.002-07:002015-06-29T17:58:58.118-07:00Changes <div dir="ltr">
In September, we will celebrate the seventh year of our gaming group. I am the only left of the original members, but it has steadily grown. Our struggles to even get four people together are long gone; last month we had more than a dozen at three different tables. Our growth has created it's own set of blessings and complications. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Over the next couple of posts I will talk about some of the changes made, particularly topics I talked about a few years ago. I will cover how I handle teaching games with this many, as well as some of the dynamics in the group. Included will be a discussion on how my collection is shaped by the group. </div>
SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-23039100353267308592015-06-04T14:29:00.000-07:002015-06-04T14:35:31.302-07:00Expand and Exterminate: A Review of Star Realms<div style="text-align: right;">
<a href="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic1903816_md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic1903816_md.jpg" height="320" width="229" /></a></div>
One of my better finds this year has been the game<i> Star Realms</i>. This is a deckbuilding game with combat - a first of it's kind. Furthermore, it is designed for two players, which is unusual in this type of game.<br />
<br />
What is deckbuilding? It is a mechanism in which a player starts with a deck of cards which act as "money" and can purchase other cards. The purchased cards either have a special ability, or a higher value which in turn allows the player to buy yet more powerful cards. This continues until some endgame condition is met, and then a winner is determined. The grandaddy of deck builders is <i><a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2012/01/tasteless-fun-dominion-great-game.html">Dominion</a></i>, which is both the first and best selling deckbuilding game. If you are familiar with <i>Dominion</i>, you will easily grasp the concept in <i>Star Realms</i>.<br />
<br />
In fact, if you are also familiar with the online collectable card game (CCG) <i>Hearthstone</i>, you could start playing Star Realms almost without reading the rules. The combat is similar in the two games.<br />
<br />
There are three specific reasons that <b>I think Star Realms is a must-have game:</b><br />
<br />
<b>Quick to learn, quick to play.</b> The rules for two players are on a double-sided glossy. They will take just a few minutes to read through, and you will be up and running. Games last about 20 minutes, so it can be played in those small bits of time that can't fit in other games. My son and I have played while in the waiting room at the doctor's office.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Portability. </b>Have you seen the deck boxes used to carry around <i>Magic the Gathering </i>or <i>Pokémon</i> cards? <i>Star Realms </i>comes in a box that size. It is probably too big to fit in your pants pocket, but could easily go in a purse or backpack. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Affordability.</b> At $15 (USD) a copy from Amazon, <i>Star Realms</i> is a bargain. I have played it thirteen times in just a couple of months, and everyone I have played it with loves it. Two members of my gaming group bought their own copies.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While the game is designed for two players, it can be played as a three or four player game with a second copy. The style of multi-player play is exactly the same as <i>Magic the Gathering </i>I am told. I haven't tried it; I would probably play as a mini-tournament instead. While the box says it's for ages 12 and up, many younger children could
easily play it. The biggest issue is the text that is on the cards, but
my experience is that kids easily memorize that type of information. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Star Realms</i> is a game that should be in everyone's collection. It has achieved tenure in my collection in just a few months.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b>It's Your Move!</b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Star Realms</i>: ages 12 and up (or maybe less!), 20 minutes, 2 players.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRDc1hH3aBZGeKwUY2fb4p_WKmS1VdOVy2BfGXEkMC8ZxLU6kCehfvtb6mekG7zxyc6Wl-RLyG5HwM9g4lI8z1bAigdsOL-j1C6W-DH9QI9gPg06v0XcMiQVrUX7boJxM2Oonhp4G-pM/s1600-h/Good%20Casual%20Gaming!%5B3%5D.png"><img alt="Good Casual Gaming!" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9EFG-uWQ3moEkvqe40hHzLxNQ2qC7pl04J5XnNzUFccmIlK6YOtY-7k-KXuIFgLqblXLnQB1xV2e0S8UA82o0MyB5HaZn1dcOLTkP9XWAh84SPxpOeAlpiAOuNsK-iSEEEaRgosk1RUw/?imgmax=800" height="30" style="border: 0px none; display: inline;" title="Good Casual Gaming!" width="17" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcaQrXvO5RtC9esba7ML0plokvAvg1cd4ZmrCR6Fom35-9yTiZTCUPjONXLNCnW243pf13kNLci38YxPOYPmtZzszSKPr6dPhJABu0ziZsmJ_Sy6B5lbAkw5W8U0yYDP1K4Zt8BwqMnzQ/s1600-h/Kid%20Friendly!%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="Kid Friendly!" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_3pwnCISMSBybsOFaE-zBinv_Fj7FrVt0MinXyNz1j_kHi33vwjCNJpRQgNQz2_HI6ndfFZBBUWAVhKY1Rh1nWaQ0VCFcsrHEYH1Ta_5tZ1oT33dDZGgzy51sLo7MIDPmeeUWeBMuu0/?imgmax=800" height="18" style="border: 0px none; display: inline;" title="Kid Friendly!" width="18" /></a> </div>
SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-31039130069931030112014-12-02T13:21:00.000-08:002014-12-02T13:21:00.121-08:00Holiday Recomendation 2014: Love LetterOne game. I only have one game to recommend. It's all I need.<br />
<br />
In the past, I have written holiday game <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/search/label/gift_guides">guides </a>for the casual and family play group. In that group of reviews you will also find some recommendations for Christmas themed games. This year, there is a solution for both.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.alderac.com/loveletter/files/2013/08/LL_tempest-cover-759x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.alderac.com/loveletter/files/2013/08/LL_tempest-cover-759x1024.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Promotional image from AEG</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
First, I will talk about the one game that should be on your list to give this year: <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Alderac-Entertainment-Group-5109-Edition/dp/B00J1JLT8I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417552658&sr=8-2&keywords=love+letter">Love Letter</a>. </i>This is my best find of the year. It really hits the best possible combination in a casual game for Christmas: fun, accessible and inexpensive.<br />
<br />
In <i>Love Letter</i>, players are courting the young and beautiful Princess Annette. Unfortunately, she is distraught over the arrest of her mother (this is actually part of a game series with a storyline, but that really doesn't matter). In her distress, the Princess has shut her door to suitors, so each player must find someone of influence to carry their letter to the her Highness.<br />
<br />
<b>Fun.</b> I have now played this with all kinds of gamers: teenagers, hard core gamers, and family members. Everyone has liked it. It is a short game (30 minutes), but the victory points required to win (actually cubes representing the successful sending of a love letter in this game) could be increased to lengthen it. We have played matches lasting over an hour, and the game didn't wear out it's welcome.<br />
<br />
<b>Accessible.</b> Take a card, discard a card, and do what the discard says. Last person standing wins the round. Play until someone wins a given amount of rounds. That's it! This is a game anyone can play. There is text right on the cards which tell you what each card's discard effect is. Once someone is old enough to read, they could play. And, since there are only 16 cards of eight types, kids would actually memorize the cards fast enough to play anyway.<br />
<br />
<b>Inexpensive. </b>The game is less than $10 a copy for the boxed edition. If you get the velvet bag version, it's less than $8. Personally, I have the velvet bag version, which also means it fits in my pocket. We have played it in restaurants while waiting for our waitress before!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.alderac.com/loveletter/files/2014/10/Letters_to_Santa-BoxTop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.alderac.com/loveletter/files/2014/10/Letters_to_Santa-BoxTop.jpg" height="233" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Promotional image by AEG</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And as for Christmas themed games - there is a Christmas edition! The characters are not the same; instead of getting a love letter to Princess Annette, you are trying to get your list to Santa. However, the game play is the same. It's called <a href="http://smile.amazon.com/AEG-5112AEG-Letters-to-Santa/dp/B00OVZ67NY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417554893&sr=8-1&keywords=letters+to+santa"><i>Letters to Santa</i></a>, and just came out a couple of weeks ago. I snatched up a copy on the first day available, because there just aren't too many really good Christmas games out there. Finding one was great!<br />
<br />
This game plays well with two, but really needs 3-4 players to shine. It is a game that is great for a stocking stuffer, or as just a little something to give. <br />
<br />
If there is one thing I don't like about my experience with <i>Love Letter</i>, it's that I found it late. I missed so much fun with this! It actually came out a few years ago, and I just didn't try it! Don't do the same!<br />
<br />
<i><b>It's Your Move,</b></i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
<i><b> </b></i><br />
<br />
<br />SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-58109634981628023592014-11-19T12:40:00.000-08:002014-11-19T12:41:35.085-08:00Game Group 2014<div dir="ltr">
This past Sunday was the last Game Day of the year. As my few frequent readers know, there are about a dozen of us that meet once a month to play a variety of games. This time, we played the games that we played in 2013, but that had not made it to the table in 2014. As a group, we played <i>Acquire</i>, <i>Wasabi</i>, <i>Modern Art</i>, and <i>China</i>. All of these are great games that we had somehow missed. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
So now that the last weekend is done, we can start tallying the numbers for the year. Over the course of 2014, we played 28 different titles. That is the largest number of titles we have ever played. Of course, this is partly due to the fact that we have a larger number of attendees than we did in the past. And 2012 was a bizarre year anyway. That year, we may have only had about half of the sessions we normally do. This year we only missed one session. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Interestingly enough, only seven of those were games were brand new to the group. This is actually lower then any of the past two or three years. (If you go back too far, my bookkeeping is a little sketchy.) This is partly due to a new tradition I started this year. Ending the year with a session built around the games we didn't get to this year, but that we have played before, means that there will be no new games in November. In January, the session will be built around playing games that we did play in 2014. We can revisit the highlights of the year. Of course, that means there will be no new games in January. I did a similar thing this past January, so there were no new games for two of the months when there could have been. Add in the fact that June is for <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2013/06/the-spice-must-flow-dune-review.html"><i>Dune</i></a>, and there's a third month we did not have a new game. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
There were some big hits, but I will cover them when I talk about my personal gaming this year. Suffice it to say I am looking forward to next year! </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
So tell me, what did your family and friends play and 2014? </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<i><b>It's Your Move!</b></i></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<i><b> </b></i> </div>
SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-2009403093026471822014-11-03T14:12:00.001-08:002016-01-10T19:18:44.874-08:00Values<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Almost four years ago, I wrote about the value of games. At the time I was pretty focused on the entertainment value. I compared the price of <span style="font-family: inherit;">a </span>game to the price of a movie. I talked about cost per play. I went into some amount of detail analyzing the cost of some of my games in light of the fun I've had<span style="font-family: inherit;">;</span> I spent about three paragraphs on this. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The last paragraph was almost perfunctory. I briefly mentioned the value of games as exercise for the brain. And I had one line of about playing games as part of building a family. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Family_playing_board_game.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Family_playing_board_game.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from commons.wikipedia.org</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I should have flipped <span style="font-family: inherit;">that post a</span>round. You see, I don't think I realized how great gaming is <span style="font-family: inherit;">for </span>building a community. As an example, I will tell you that I was <span style="font-family: inherit;">laid </span>off at the end of August 2013. My gaming group, and particularly a few individuals within it, were absolutely committed to making sure that our monthly game day still happened. Our game day ends with dinner for all those who can stay. That can be as many as 12 people. Without a job, it was hard to throw this little party every month. However, the commitment of the group made it happen. I needed that, as a way to get my mind off of the roller-coaster job hunting can be<span style="font-family: inherit;"> - as a way to keep my spirits up.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Playing_Settlers_of_Catan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Playing_Settlers_of_Catan.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from ru.wikipedia.org</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That's great, but it's not where the community building attributes of gaming really struck me. <span style="font-family: inherit;">A few of the others in the group have recently talked about how much of <span style="font-family: inherit;">a </span>community - a family - we have in our little gaming group. </span>We talk about our joys and hardships, our triumphs and disappointments during our game day, even though we really try and focus on playing. Everyone knows that it is a day to rest, relax, and share a meal. And if you need someone to laugh with you, commiserate with you, or pray with you, you will find it in the group. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>That's </i>the value of games. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>It's Your Move!</b></i></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-77109370803651588732014-10-22T10:21:00.000-07:002014-10-22T10:21:59.829-07:00Review of LOTR ConfrontationThis past weekend was our monthly game day, and something strange happened. After two games set up, with people at the tables, two of us were left out! Rarely do we play two player games in the group, but this was one of those times.<br />
<br />
Given the length of the games being played at the other tables, we wanted to play something that wasn't very long. My opponent and I enjoy both heavy strategy and theme (not true for everyone), so we picked <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3201/lord-rings-confrontation"><i>The Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation</i></a>. You could think of this game as a heavy version of <i>Stratego</i>, with more theme thrown in. It was designed by Reiner Knizia, who is a well known designer in our little hobby world. I tend to run hot and cold with his games. <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeksearch.php?action=search&advsearch=1&objecttype=boardgame&q=&include[designerid]=2&geekitemname=Reiner+Knizia&include[publisherid]=&geekitemname=&range[yearpublished][min]=&range[yearpublished][max]=&range[minage][max]=&floatrange[avgrating][min]=&floatrange[avgrating][max]=&range[numvoters][min]=&floatrange[avgweight][min]=&floatrange[avgweight][max]=&range[numweights][min]=&searchown=ON&searchuser=feldmafx&range[minplayers][max]=&range[maxplayers][min]=&playerrangetype=normal&range[playingtime][max]=&B1=Submit">I currently own</a> a few, and have owned others that I didn't like and traded away.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic69357_md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic69357_md.jpg" height="320" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Box cover art from the original version, which<br />is the version I own. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This game, though, is one of my favorites. It was originally published in 2002, two years after his popular <i><a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/823/lord-rings">Lord of the Rings</a> </i>cooperative game. This is still in the heat of the post-movie glow, and was a huge hit. I would describe the reasons I like this game with three adjectives:<br />
<br />
<b>Elegance.</b> <i>LotR: The Confrontation</i> has a fairly small, uncomplicated set of rules. Each side has nine pieces which represent characters from the story. For the most part, you can move one piece forward to one of two spaces on your turn. Two pieces from the same side can occupy one space, except in the four center spaces which correspond to the entirety of the Misty Mountains range. If the space is occupied by an enemy piece, there is combat, which is based on he cards in your hand and the strength of the characters. Each piece has a special ability which impacts combat, but they are simple. Merry, for example, instantly defeats the Witch King. <br />
<br />
<b>Brevity. </b>The game plays in roughly 30 minutes. That makes it short enough to switch sides and play again.<br />
<br />
<b>Theme. </b>While Knizia is not known for thematic games, and many think his games are very math intensive, this game does have the feel of the <i>Lord of the Rings</i>. It isn't incredibly immersive, like some other Tolkien based games, but the abilities and movements of the pieces make sense from the perspective of the story.<br />
<br />
Just like most games that are asymmetrical (the different sides have very different abilities), many people think that one side has the advantage - the Sauron player has an advantage. The exception would be those who think the other side has an advantage. Typically, nearly everyone sees that one side is better, but no one can agree on which side! The solution is two play two games and switch sides, keeping some kind of score in between.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/LOTR%20Confrontation/fixed/KN22-box-left.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/LOTR%20Confrontation/fixed/KN22-box-left.png" height="320" width="278" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The deluxe edition; currently available<br />(Promotional image from Fantasy Flight Games.)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The game is recommended for ages 10+, and that seems about right. It is currently available as a deluxe edition, which has additional characters which can be mixed in. <br />
<br />
It's Your Move,<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-23523257271392843022014-09-18T07:41:00.000-07:002014-10-22T10:22:36.103-07:00The Splenda of RPGs - Pathfinder Adventure Card GameIn my last post, I mentioned that time seemed to be working against me. This really isn't a new thing; its been true for many years. Age does that to you. Another thing age does is force you to think more about what you put in your body. Maybe even change it. This is why I use artificial sweeteners. This is why I play <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/133038/pathfinder-adventure-card-game-rise-runelords-base"><i>Pathfinder Adventure Card Game - Rise of the Runelords</i></a> (PACG).<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic1775517_md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic1775517_md.jpg" height="291" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the game for that RPG itch!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Because really, I just don't have time for a full-up role playing game (RPG). They are some of the most time consuming of games, and are their own special type of <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2011/11/down-rabbit-hole.html">rabbit hole</a>. Some of you out there know what I am talking about. Like me, you played <i>Dungeons & Dragons </i>when you were younger. You painted minis. You bought, or wrote, your own adventures. You constructed a whole world with all of the back-story to make characters come alive for you and your friends. You felt the rush that comes from standing with your flaming sword, the blood of the dragon dripping from your armor as you revel over his lifeless eyes. Some of you - maybe.<br />
<br />
Maybe, like me, you are looking for that experience again. You are ready to grab all those friends from college who played and relive those days. (My brother Burnouts, are your reading this?) Perhaps you are looking to guide your kids into that type of gaming adventure, without trusting that his friend with the gummy bears in his pockets and the runny nose can keep it from being too flaky. That the kid who comes into the house dressed only in black - the one who doesn't talk to adults - who's dog seems to suffer from Munchausen syndrome - won't have every character be chaotic evil in alignment, doing things teenagers shouldn't be role playing. But once again there is that time thing.<br />
<br />
This is the game. Since I started board gaming again as a hobby in 2008, I have been looking for the board game that scratched that RPG itch. I looked for the game that tastes great, without all the time calories. The artificial sweetener of role playing. I tried a few, only to find out that they are not cooperative enough, or way too long themselves, or are just not a really good game. When I read about Pathfinder, I thought this might be it. I got it in trade (I won't say for what because I have family members who would cry) and in reading the rules it seemed to hit the mark. I found some in my gaming group who were familiar with RPGs, and we found that PACG was the one.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic1842970.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic1842970.jpg" height="263" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Skull & Shackles </i>is the second game in the series. A third <br />
is in the works.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Don't get me wrong. This is NOT an RPG. Some of the mechanisms in the game would not make any sense in a role playing scenario. However, it definitely has the <i>feel </i>of a role playing game. Cooperatively, you and your fellow players explore the scenario, overcoming traps, defeating monsters, and subduing the villain. The story develops. Each player's character advances in skills and abilities. The enemies and obstacles get harder to defeat. The weapons, armor and spells available to your party of adventurers become more powerful.<br />
<br />
And all the work is done. The scenarios are already written. Out of the box the game has eight different scenarios. With the expansions, there are 33, making an entire story arc - a quest if you will. There is back-story available, since the entire story arc is based upon the <i>Rise of the Runelords</i> adventure series from the <i>Pathfinder Role Playing Game.</i> (In fact, some incredibly patient and creative soul distilled the back-story down to a series of prologues and epilogues to be read with every scenario, base on the RPG game. It's available <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/filepage/106306/rise-runelords-adventure-guide-v132">here</a>.)<br />
<br />
This ranks right up there with the greatest gaming discoveries I have made. There may be better games, but we would be comparing apples and oranges. This is a fantastic game (pun intended!), and could easily be played with the family. Kids will really enjoy the story, and once they are old enough to roll a fist full of dice, they could play with the guidance of an adult playing with them.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbsZ54Ic77ZWB6rG1IApxckQKlcJ0ITfaMQ1JlEBftZdYrpgWCA3oX3nWhACZWnwe3nBvczsACjYjp2998RQo8gx6NsLkyHYefP-d14L6P8akyuntTUufB9xKAPBB9FSLaQoD7YzVt7w/s1600/Good+for+casual+gaming+and+families+with+kids!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbsZ54Ic77ZWB6rG1IApxckQKlcJ0ITfaMQ1JlEBftZdYrpgWCA3oX3nWhACZWnwe3nBvczsACjYjp2998RQo8gx6NsLkyHYefP-d14L6P8akyuntTUufB9xKAPBB9FSLaQoD7YzVt7w/s1600/Good+for+casual+gaming+and+families+with+kids!.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><b>It's Your Move!</b></i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-36237737922781138822014-09-12T08:08:00.000-07:002014-09-12T08:08:54.611-07:00Time is Not on my SideAny loyal readership I have left is probably wondering where I have been. The past six weeks have been very busy, and life is a little hectic. I thought I would provide a little insight into what is going on, offering both an excuse and an intention in the process. The craziness comes in these forms:<br />
<br />
<b>School.</b> As I may have mentioned before, my wife is a school librarian. There is a lot going on there for her, and I am First Volunteer. Our son is starting his junior year in high school, and with that comes taking him out for driving lessons. That's where it starts; not sure where it will end.<br />
<br />
<b>Illness.</b> Both my wife and my son have fought a bit of the Classroom Crud. I am pretty sure this is a bug very similar to what gamers and other geeks know as Convention Crud -- due to sudden changes in sleeping and eating habits and exposure to lots of germ carrying individuals in enclosed spaces. I have been spared, but I have been the 7-up cabana boy keeping them in fluids.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/aFxFWs9_4is/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/aFxFWs9_4is&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/aFxFWs9_4is&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
<b>Youth Group. </b>Our whole family is involved in our church Youth Ministry. Specifically, we all are part of the junior high leadership team. That has involved more stuff than usual as we approached the school year and began the planning.<br />
<br />
<b>Redecorating. </b>Our basement is in chaos. We decided to make the basement have a warmer feel, so that our son would have a cave to entertain his friends in. This is also where my games are stored/displayed. We are replacing the <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2011/06/take-this-game-and-shelve-it.html">existing shelves</a>, which have an industrial look, with something warmer yet still masculine. My wife had the brilliant idea of putting some of the games with better artwork on their ends, so that they show their art much like a painting. It means the shelves aren't used as efficiently, but it does look much more inviting. It's okay, because at this point in time, I am trying to keep my collection at equilibrium. I am trying to up the overall <i>quality </i>of games and reduce he overall <i>quantity </i>of games.<br />
<br />
<b>Work. </b>This has been absolutely great. About this time last year I was out of work, and I was picked up by a consulting group in December. Each of the consultants is responsible for their own clients, and personal income is derived directly from client revenue, so it was a little scary. I am happy to say that things are going very well. However, it takes a lot of time and energy. (It's a lot of fun too!)<br />
<br />
<b>Play.</b> Okay, let's face it. If it's a choice between writing about playing games and actually playing them, it's going to be the latter that I pick. Every time. So the fact that I have also now have a bi-weekly group playing <i><a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/133038/pathfinder-adventure-card-game-rise-runelords-base">Pathfinder Adventure Card Game</a></i> (PACG) just means that I am having more fun. In fact, this has been the best year of gaming I have ever had. I have played 49 different titles for a total of 166 games, and 17 of those titles are brand new to me. That last number is a little down compared to other years, but that's to be expected as my gaming career expands.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://paizo.com/image/content/Logos/PFACG-Logo_500.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://paizo.com/image/content/Logos/PFACG-Logo_500.jpeg" height="92" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Now it's time for me to be better. My plan is to review PACG in the very near future, and then to go into some of the other games that I am playing. That's my intent. I just need to carve up my time a little differently.<br />
<br />
<i><b>It's Your Move!</b></i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
<i><b> </b></i>SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-33280829897109070572014-06-10T13:15:00.000-07:002017-06-03T12:31:09.054-07:00Fireworks for the Fourth - A Review of HanabiLast year, I reviewed a game that I played on July 4th: <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2013/07/july-2-1863-battle-cry-review.html"><i>Battle Cry</i></a>. My son and I played it because of the holiday. The Battle of Gettysburg was fought 150 years earlier over the first days of July. This year I thought I would review a family game that tied in with the 4th. <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/98778/hanabi"><i>Hanabi</i> </a>is a game about putting on fireworks displays. It has won high praise, and is being highly touted as a fantastic family game within gaming circles. However, I think the last three words are important.<br />
<br />
<i>Hanabi</i> is a cooperative game for 2-5 players that should take about 30 minutes. There five suits of cards (and an optional sixth suit) which have cards valued from 1-5. There are three 1's, one 5, and two each of the 2's, 3's and 4's. Players work together to lay down cards in order for each of the five suits. Sounds simple, but there is one catch:<br />
<br />
You can't see your own cards!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-ysgXogBtG6xrMtiPWyHItWrR4dXzOs5tP7joRG3xUcZ59FUAI17j4Q5aWkprPDo5sm2f9FIxhJ5z5QwkrLRuwJ0JJCAQ5sN21Fi8411HKLM2XwlRlzF3ApECNQ3KH520xKA5wCnhmo0/s1600/hanabi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-ysgXogBtG6xrMtiPWyHItWrR4dXzOs5tP7joRG3xUcZ59FUAI17j4Q5aWkprPDo5sm2f9FIxhJ5z5QwkrLRuwJ0JJCAQ5sN21Fi8411HKLM2XwlRlzF3ApECNQ3KH520xKA5wCnhmo0/s400/hanabi.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
Players hold their hands <i>backwards</i>, so that a player only sees everyone else's cards. On a turn, a player can provide limited information about either the suits or values in one players hand, discard a card, or play a card to the table. The game forces discards, and only three wrong plays to the table can occur before the team loses.<br />
<br />
This is a great idea for a game, and I had a "blast" with it. But I am not sure how it would play in families. First of all, while the game gives an age range of 8+, I can't imagine too many 8 year-olds that could really wrap their heads around this. It's fairly "thinky"; not what one would call a "light" game. It doesn't surprise me that it's a "family game" in the gaming world. Kids in the gaming world often catch on a little earlier due to their gaming experience. But for casual family play, I would suggest something else. This is the co-op love child of <i>Mastermind </i>and <i>Headbanz</i>.<br />
<br />
It won the 2013 <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2011/06/spiel-des-jahres.html"><i>Spiel des Jahres</i></a>, so I am probably plain dead wrong with my reservations. There are families that will love it (including mine I think), and there are reasons to pick it up:<br />
<br />
<b>It's great for families with older children.</b> While the under 10 crowd might struggle, this would be great for older kids. I always like cooperative games for families, but sometimes they can suffer from "dominant player syndrome", where one person is bossing everyone around. That's impossible in <i>Hanabi</i>. Not only is there too little information, but it's flat out against the rules. As a result, everyone feels like they contributed.<br />
<br />
<b>Puzzle people will like it. </b>My wife is a puzzle person. If we sit down at the table to do anything other than eat, she's going to pick a jigsaw puzzle for the activity. There is a lot of "puzzling out" the logic in this game, so it's great for people who are into that.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>It's $10 and fits in your pocket. </b> I know a lot of people have sticker shock when they see the cost of modern board games, <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2011/02/playing-with-your-money-value-of-games.html">but they are well worth their value</a>. This one is downright cheap at the price, and it can go anywhere you want it to go. <br />
<br />
The game plays very well, and is a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it. Despite my reservations about its appeal, I can recommend it as a solid game.<br />
<br />
Thematically, it's a great fit for the 4th. It can go to the fireworks display in your town, and you can play it on the blanket while your waiting for the show to start. Have your own little fireworks!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjn0sfUYGg6a90uiJ1f1XLIhG2Ilg0CiPsuFx7b57APaTX_VtCT880F3OMeV7yfPCiL4HfF_dkROqzoLuJCiyiZSxdJpyMx-a0L54wMw_MTnAwWN5WS8TOT1tGfjXO2YpyEi1xIYsaoxQ/s1600/thumb-up_thumb%5B1%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjn0sfUYGg6a90uiJ1f1XLIhG2Ilg0CiPsuFx7b57APaTX_VtCT880F3OMeV7yfPCiL4HfF_dkROqzoLuJCiyiZSxdJpyMx-a0L54wMw_MTnAwWN5WS8TOT1tGfjXO2YpyEi1xIYsaoxQ/s1600/thumb-up_thumb%5B1%5D.png" /></a></div>
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><b>It's Your Move!</b></i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4hbOyJ13trpX9uc716_X971jZYnS6yV6zYpq6rrHvO4SVN0vxoXf8uDFwAnv0lZCB42z8uJvdpv3G4d0xyrovqRrzJ4z1zJ5eBc887eInCKN-nYYz1rHWomtQOsUxndHH_GpyedjdQs/s1600/Good+for+casual+gaming+and+families+with+kids%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-12134603018333742322014-06-03T13:36:00.000-07:002014-09-18T07:46:21.867-07:00Ticket to Ride - 10th Anniversary Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
A few years ago I wrote <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2011/03/getting-on-board-with-ticket-to-ride.html">a review of <i>Ticket to Ride</i></a>, a fantastic game by Days of Wonder. What I said then still holds true: no one has ever told
me they dislike it. Both gamers and non-gamers alike are drawn to this game.<br />
<br />
<i>Ticket to Ride</i> was released in 2004, and one the <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2011/06/spiel-des-jahres.html">Spiel des Jahres</a>. While there have been some innovative new mechanisms in games, this game would still be a contender for the award today, ten years later. Days of Wonder is actually putting out a 10th anniversary edition in commemoration, and it just gets better and better.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
The artwork in <i>Ticket to Ride</i> has been updated with new illustrations, but still retains that<i> </i>Victorian, <i>Around the World in 80 Days</i> feel. It's larger too; the board is actually 50% bigger than earlier versions.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhH_p-ulT8O3DNKFi-jV7oZktfcQbzlgWwK9opFod-Icfmkk2O69dXSgZiicNIoMZYe8RIWw7bFN31feh7ESp0qbbcpU2DJ-pD_ovoeToF93iEo6ioDS5aLmR5gcULBL1yQwtqItCApKS/s1600/ta_inside_board-detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhH_p-ulT8O3DNKFi-jV7oZktfcQbzlgWwK9opFod-Icfmkk2O69dXSgZiicNIoMZYe8RIWw7bFN31feh7ESp0qbbcpU2DJ-pD_ovoeToF93iEo6ioDS5aLmR5gcULBL1yQwtqItCApKS/s1600/ta_inside_board-detail.jpg" height="640" width="452" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New artwork, same Victorian feel! (Promotional image by Days of Wonder)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The box will need to be bigger too, since the train cars, which are actually more like pre-painted miniatures, come in tins. There is one tin for each player: circus cars, cabooses, passenger cars coal cars and oil cars.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBhCtrVujMD7QZfBQzM7spjfZJVBgV1EKLyUk-kUI-MVD5UpH8n3peJdbQKjjJduIOft79Zir_X6GZg8G52WuAO6rwfIZ_zuGrmdTxGiH4iWIo5xEXaakpf6bmjGreShBgrUJ9f_3wp4x/s1600/ta_inside_trains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBhCtrVujMD7QZfBQzM7spjfZJVBgV1EKLyUk-kUI-MVD5UpH8n3peJdbQKjjJduIOft79Zir_X6GZg8G52WuAO6rwfIZ_zuGrmdTxGiH4iWIo5xEXaakpf6bmjGreShBgrUJ9f_3wp4x/s1600/ta_inside_trains.jpg" height="215" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful miniature trains for the game pieces<br />
(Promotional image by Days of Wonder)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The biggest complaint I had against the original <i>Ticket to Ride</i> has been answered too. In the original, the playing cards were very small: almost half the size of a typical playing card. We solved this by purchasing the <i>1910 </i>expansion, which had standard size cards. The anniversary edition will come with standard cards. All the same, Days of Wonder tossed the expansion into the box too! <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhzlVGSkc06woLoD3IQ1X2ZLJTnMJ94StsdMP6yvWXVVGRvNs6dm3S0XTQdIHk3Sxhq4lqTPf7Cdf3alaI_dzzVZ-AkRpevhpy5hLmurX8rZCiOKXMuWzuJL8CF1KbGC-u002hwu1WWG-/s1600/ta_inside_wagons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhzlVGSkc06woLoD3IQ1X2ZLJTnMJ94StsdMP6yvWXVVGRvNs6dm3S0XTQdIHk3Sxhq4lqTPf7Cdf3alaI_dzzVZ-AkRpevhpy5hLmurX8rZCiOKXMuWzuJL8CF1KbGC-u002hwu1WWG-/s1600/ta_inside_wagons.jpg" height="387" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full size cards sport new artwork.<br />
(Promotional image by Days of Wonder)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
This news is great for my wife and myself. You see, our son is the one who actually owns <i>Ticket to Ride</i> in our house. Of course, when he goes away to college, he'll take that with him. Let me rephrase that: <i>he'll take that with him</i>.
So, obviously, it only make sense that we will get a copy of the 10th
anniversary edition for our shelves. Oh, I misspoke again: <i>we will get a copy of the 10th anniversary edition</i>. You should too.<br />
<br />
<i>Ticket to Ride</i>: ages 8 and up, 45 minutes, 2-5 players.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbsZ54Ic77ZWB6rG1IApxckQKlcJ0ITfaMQ1JlEBftZdYrpgWCA3oX3nWhACZWnwe3nBvczsACjYjp2998RQo8gx6NsLkyHYefP-d14L6P8akyuntTUufB9xKAPBB9FSLaQoD7YzVt7w/s1600/Good+for+casual+gaming+and+families+with+kids!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbsZ54Ic77ZWB6rG1IApxckQKlcJ0ITfaMQ1JlEBftZdYrpgWCA3oX3nWhACZWnwe3nBvczsACjYjp2998RQo8gx6NsLkyHYefP-d14L6P8akyuntTUufB9xKAPBB9FSLaQoD7YzVt7w/s1600/Good+for+casual+gaming+and+families+with+kids!.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><b>It's Your Move!</b></i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-4799450201801251802014-04-23T05:06:00.000-07:002014-09-18T07:47:30.199-07:00Port of Call: Puerto Rico and San Juan ReviewsToday, you get a double feature! I'm not going to review just one game, but two! <i>San Juan</i> use the card game version of <i>Puerto Rico</i>, so it seems appropriate to do them together.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic158548_md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic158548_md.jpg" height="320" width="226" /></a></div>
In both games, the object is to build a colony of buildings which produce resources, which are then traded away. Additional buildings allow you to modify the rules, so that you can build buildings faster, or at less cost, or receive more for your current trade. This is done by taking turns selecting a role, which sets the action for the current turn around the board. The actions consists of building, producing, trading, or getting more resources. Players take turns selecting roles, so everyone gets to do everything, but not necessarily what they want to do at that moment. The person who selects the role gets to modify their action (using a <i>privilege</i>), giving them some slight advantage.<i> </i> The first person to build their colony to a certain level ends the game, at which point victory points are tallied and the player with the highest total wins. There isn't a lot of player interaction in these games, they mainly consists of forcing your opponents to do things out of sequence for their strategy, or taking the privilege they wanted for yourself. <br />
<br />
<i>Puerto Rico</i> has more moving parts than <i>San Juan</i>. For instance, it also requires you to provide workers to those buildings in order to produce their goods. As a result, it clocks in at about 90 minutes. It is a very well respected game, spending several years as
the number one game on BoardGameGeek; it is currently at number four. <br />
<br />
And I traded away.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic174174_md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic174174_md.jpg" height="320" width="252" /></a></div>
You see, <i>San Juan</i> has all the fun and all of the feel of <i>Puerto Rico</i>, but without the added complexity. It also plays in 45 minutes, which makes the "fun density" much higher. This makes it a better game for casual and family gamers, and I think for serious gamers too. Although it may not work for the under 10 crowd. There is a slight difference in the number of players each game supports. <i>Puerto Rico</i> plays with 3 to 5 players, while <i>San Juan</i> plays with 2 to 4 players. That might make a difference, if I needed another five player game, but I don't.<br />
<br />
So, my recommendation to you is that you try <i>San Juan</i>, which truly is an excellent game, but set <i>Puerto Rico</i> aside. <i>San Juan</i> starts to bridge over into a "gamer's" game, while <i>Puerto Rico</i> is well across that bridge. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjn0sfUYGg6a90uiJ1f1XLIhG2Ilg0CiPsuFx7b57APaTX_VtCT880F3OMeV7yfPCiL4HfF_dkROqzoLuJCiyiZSxdJpyMx-a0L54wMw_MTnAwWN5WS8TOT1tGfjXO2YpyEi1xIYsaoxQ/s1600/thumb-up_thumb%5B1%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjn0sfUYGg6a90uiJ1f1XLIhG2Ilg0CiPsuFx7b57APaTX_VtCT880F3OMeV7yfPCiL4HfF_dkROqzoLuJCiyiZSxdJpyMx-a0L54wMw_MTnAwWN5WS8TOT1tGfjXO2YpyEi1xIYsaoxQ/s1600/thumb-up_thumb%5B1%5D.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><i>It's Your Move!</i></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-24309932952668003362014-03-28T11:18:00.000-07:002017-06-03T12:35:37.994-07:00A Party Game to Treasure - Reviewing Incan GoldMy gaming group doesn't really play party games. <i>Apples to Apples </i>hasn't hit the table. Neither has <i>Taboo, Pictionary </i>or <i>Trivial Pursuit</i>. For most of the people in the group, they want to play something with a little more strategy. For myself, I am not a fan of performance based games. Each of those that I mentioned above require either trivial knowledge, quick wits, or artistic talent. No matter the group, someone always seems to feel self-conscious about playing.<br />
<br />
That said, there are times that one needs to pull out a game in the midst of a bunch of people to play. <i><a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2014/01/unresistable-review-of-resistance.html">The Resistance</a></i> is a possibility, buy recently I have run into a few people that are uncomfortable with the deception part of the game. It also isn't going to go well with little ones; they may not be okay with being called a liar to their faces.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic440071_md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic440071_md.jpg" height="234" width="320" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_1345545506"></span><span id="goog_1345545507"></span><span id="goog_1887639430"></span><span id="goog_1887639431"></span>Enter the temple of <i>Incan Gold.</i> This a quick, light push-your-luck game that everyone can enjoy. The game plays up to eight people, though I have stretched it to nine and it stilled played very well. It's a short game, playing in about 15 - 20 minutes, so it could be stretched a little further by having the dealer sit out when playing multiple games of <i>Incan Gold</i>. We had an 8 year old playing as a "teammate" of an adult when we have played, but she certainly could have played on her own. In fact, she was fully part of the decision making for her team.<br />
<br />
Imagine you are Indiana Jones, entering an Incan temple (actully, it might properly be<i> Inca</i> temple, but you get the idea) for artifacts and jewels. Okay, maybe your not Indy - maybe your a little more self-serving like <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_characters_in_the_Indiana_Jones_series#Ren.C3.A9_Belloq" title="List of characters in the Indiana Jones series">René Belloq</a>. Regardless of your personal motives, the winner of the game is the person with the most treasure at the end of the game.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic222633_md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic222633_md.jpg" height="200" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hazard Cards (Photo by Ender Wiggins)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There are five rounds to the game, with each round lasting several turns. Each turn of the game, players will simultaneously reveal whether or not they are going deeper into the temple or leaving while the getting is good. After everyone reveals their decision the dealer flips over a card which has an artifact, jewels or a hazard. Jewels are divided evenly amongst the players still in the temple, with any remainders staying on the path. Hazards (of which there are five types) and artifacts stay on the path. If players decide to leave, they divide any jewels on the path on the way out. If one and only one person leaves the temple that turn, they can take the artifact. Those players who have left the temple are out for the round, but any treasure they have collected will be kept for the rest of the game. The players who are still in take another turn. The round continues until everyone as left the temple, or two of the same type of hazard appear. If a hazard ends the round, anyone still in the temple loses everything they have collected during that round. After the five rounds, everyone counts the value of their treasure, and the player with the highest total wins. <br />
<br />
When we play, everyone tries to play quickly. If you take to long to decide, or leave early in the round, your are likely to be the target of lots of chicken sounds. There also can be a little bit of bluff and deception in this game too. I am pretty sure there are people who believe I was trying to talk them in to staying in the temple with me. It was purely a misunderstanding, though when I then left it did allow me to collect an artifact and avoid splitting up the jewels on the path. Purely unintentional. Really. Unfortunately for them, there were snakes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbsZ54Ic77ZWB6rG1IApxckQKlcJ0ITfaMQ1JlEBftZdYrpgWCA3oX3nWhACZWnwe3nBvczsACjYjp2998RQo8gx6NsLkyHYefP-d14L6P8akyuntTUufB9xKAPBB9FSLaQoD7YzVt7w/s1600/Good+for+casual+gaming+and+families+with+kids!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbsZ54Ic77ZWB6rG1IApxckQKlcJ0ITfaMQ1JlEBftZdYrpgWCA3oX3nWhACZWnwe3nBvczsACjYjp2998RQo8gx6NsLkyHYefP-d14L6P8akyuntTUufB9xKAPBB9FSLaQoD7YzVt7w/s1600/Good+for+casual+gaming+and+families+with+kids!.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i><b>It's Your Move!</b></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i><b> </b></i> </div>
<br />SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-27875092268612554782014-03-12T09:33:00.001-07:002016-01-10T19:20:39.707-08:00Literally<br />
I have talked about <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/search?q=rules">rules before</a>, but mainly how to review and remember them. I haven't addressed how to read them. Really? How to read rules?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3571/3655632378_7b834c5bf9_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3571/3655632378_7b834c5bf9_z.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rules don't always make sense at first...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now, there's no doubt that rules can be confusing. Often, they don't mention every circumstance that could come up during a game. Sometimes they make no sense until after a game or two has been played. This seems to be particularly true when there are cards (or some other mechanism) that create exceptions to the rules in the rulebook.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2011/03/gaming-resources-boardgamegeek-doorway.html">BoardGameGeek (BGG)</a> is a great resource for resolving these issues, but I find that a <i>literal reading of the rules</i> <i>and/or card </i>will often answer such questions for you.<br />
<br />
This is a skill that comes naturally to every 4 year old. Ask them to put their shoes in the closet, and they will. <i>Where</i> in the closet is another matter though; that wasn't specified. I am finding that this also is a skill that returns around age 16. Ask a 16 year old to take out the garbage because it is being collected tomorrow, and it will end up in the garbage can. Taking it out to the curb to be collected is a different story. It has to be specified. And never tell them to get "a snack" without defining the term <i>snack</i>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Rn69ZhXQyxg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> My son's favorite Lord of the Rings scene...</span></div>
<br />
I ran into a BGG entry recently in which a literal interpretation of the rules would have answered a question before it was asked. The game being played was <i><a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2013/07/july-2-1863-battle-cry-review.html">Battle Cry</a></i>, and the question was about card play. Apparently, the card being played was the "Forced March" card, which allows the player to move units further than normally allowed. However, "terrain movement restrictions still apply". The question was whether or not terrain <i>battle</i> restrictions would still apply. Why wouldn't they? Even if the card had said "terrain movement restriction do not apply", nothing would change. A literal reading of the card says nothing about battle restrictions. Therefore, the normal battle rules - as written in the rulebook - are in effect.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Game rules are generally meant to be taken literally. If the rules say a player "must" do something, it's mandatory. If the rules say "may", then it is optional. If the rules say that a player takes Action A, then Action B, then Action C, they must be done in that order. If the card says "play immediately" it means just that: stop everything else and resolve the effects of the card. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121122151318/monopoly/images/thumb/9/95/Chance_go_to_jail.jpg/300px-Chance_go_to_jail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121122151318/monopoly/images/thumb/9/95/Chance_go_to_jail.jpg/300px-Chance_go_to_jail.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do not pass go - it says it all!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It's nice when the rules provide clarifying text. <i>Monopoly</i> "go to jail" cards make it clear that the player does not get $200. However, a literal reading of the card and the rules makes it clear anyway. According to the rules, you get $200 when passing GO. The card says "go <i>directly</i> to jail" and "do <i>not </i>pass GO" (emphasis mine). No $200 is collected. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Does this always work? No, but it certainly cuts down on the questions. Occasionally, you will actually find a hole in the rules. At that point, you may need to look it up on BGG, an FAQ, or you may need to <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2014/03/who-you-calling-variant.html">house rule</a> it. But take a moment and read the rules literally.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><i>It's Your Move!</i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-30691134350697941072014-03-06T13:04:00.000-08:002014-03-06T13:04:11.768-08:00Who You Calling a Variant?Recently, <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2014/02/let-wookie-win.html">I talked about a day when our niece was over</a>, and playing Clue with her. This game was frustrating at time, as I think I rolled a "1" six times in a row. I was getting nowhere. The only redeeming part of it was that our niece thought this was incredibly funny. At least someone was enjoying it.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/Dr_Jekyll_and_Mr_Hyde_poster_edit2.jpg/800px-Dr_Jekyll_and_Mr_Hyde_poster_edit2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/Dr_Jekyll_and_Mr_Hyde_poster_edit2.jpg/800px-Dr_Jekyll_and_Mr_Hyde_poster_edit2.jpg" height="277" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr. Hyde was a variant of Dr. Jekyll. Hopefully your variants go better.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I wanted to introduce a variant, but at her age I didn't want to confuse things. What, you say? You have never played variants? If you have played <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2011/05/mass-market-monopoly.html"><i>Monopoly</i></a>, I bet you have. If you have put money in Free Parking, you've played a variant. In fact, I have never played a game of <i>Monopoly</i> that wasn't a variant! I've never played using property auctions as described in the rules. That's a variant. You've played them, you probably just called them <i>house rules</i>.<br />
<br />
Many people think of house rules as bad. "Your not playing by the REAL rules" seems to be their attitude. Personally, I think house rules are great - as long as they don't break the game. In fact, you'd be surprised to learn that many games encourage variant play. There are times when a house rule or two can make a huge improvement on a game. Publishers know this. Let me give you a couple of examples.<br />
<br />
In the <i>Monopoly</i> article mentioned above, I talk about variants to speed up the game. One is the auction rule to get properties sold more quickly. Another is to stop the game at the first player elimination, and count up everyone assets, with the richest person winning. Even Hasbro (who owns Parker Brothers) encourages this. Tournament rules - a variant - stop the game after 90 minutes. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2011/08/publisher-profile-fantasy-flight-games.html">Fantasy Flight</a>, publishers of many highly thematic games with lots of <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2011/07/never-underestimate-awesomeness-factor.html">awesomeness</a>, publishes variant rules in the rulebook. These "official variants" are designed so that players can tune the game. In some cases, rules benefit one side or the other to offset perceived game imbalances. In some cases, the variants change the length of the game. <br />
<br />
There's even a case of forcing a variant by <i>not</i> putting a rule in a game. As you may know, my favorite game (after Chess) is <a href="http://sofrankly.blogspot.com/2011/05/more-economic-game-for-your-money.html"><i>Acquire</i></a>. One of the frequently asked questions by new players is what information is <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/p/gaming-glossary.html#ClosedInfo">closed</a>, and what information is <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/p/gaming-glossary.html#OpenInfo">open</a>. Should everyone know how much money you have? Stock? The rules don't say. The game is on something like it's eighth publishing, and the rules are still silent. It would seem that the publisher wants you to decide for yourself. (Just so you know, we play with open money and closed stock, mostly because of table space. Most people play the other way, to reflect real life.)<br />
<br />
The whole point of playing games is to have fun. If tweaking the rules makes a game more fun for you, then I say go for it! Just make sure everyone knows the rules that are in effect before the game starts. People can get pretty passionate about Free Parking, so they probably ought to know up front!<br />
<br />
Oh, and the Clue variant? A while back I read about a variant where you get to spend nine <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/p/gaming-glossary.html#Action">actions points</a> each turn. It costs one point to move one space, except for the secret passage, which acts as describe in the rules. It costs three action points to make a suggestion, and three to make your final accusation. The whole point of this is to remove the randomness of the die rolls, and to speed up the game. I haven't tried this, but maybe next time!<br />
<br />
<i><b>It's Your Move!</b></i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
<i><b> </b></i>SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-66987493590672593752014-02-25T09:28:00.000-08:002014-09-18T07:49:41.370-07:00A Gaming Pit Stop - Reviewing Daytona 500Many of my readers probably watched the Daytona 500 race this past weekend. (Okay, the crossover between NASCAR fans and my readers probably isn't overwhelming.) I didn't. But, I did get to<i> </i><u>play</u> <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/631/daytona-500"><i>Daytona 500</i></a> a couple of weeks ago. I enjoyed it, and would gladly play it again; it's a keeper. But there are some issues...<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic235297_md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic235297_md.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Daytona 500</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Daytona 500</i> is an odd little game. Published by Milton Bradley in 1990, many would suspect that it has little for gamers. However, it really has some strategy, probably because the designer is actually very accomplished. Most would think it's really about NASCAR racing, and it is - sort of. A lot of people would assume it's a family game. On that, they would be right.<br />
<br />
Milton Bradley (MB) has produced a whole lot of games over the years, most of which are viewed better through the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia than the magnifying glass of gameplay. MB is known for such childhood wonders as <i>Ants in the Pants </i>and <i>The Game of Life</i>. They published iconic games such as <i>Axis and Allies, Scotland Yard </i>and <i>Heroquest</i>. <i>Daytona 500</i> falls closer to the iconic set. The designer was Wolfgang Kramer, who was Germany's first full-time professional game-designer. He has nearly 200 games to his name, many of which have made it across the Atlantic. <i>Daytona 500</i> is one of his best known.<br />
<br />
Kramer designed several games around auto racing, and this game is arguably his best. But it's not purely a racing game. It's more of a race team investment game.<br />
<br />
Each player starts with $300,000 and a hand of cards which will move the race cars around the track. Based on the cards in hand, players will bid on the cars with which they expect to be able to win a race. The second phase is the actual race. Players play cards in their hands to move their car around the track, which is shaped like the track at Daytona. The race consists of one lap. The catch is that playing a card, in general, does not move just your car, but also moves other cars. The turns narrow the playable spaces on the board, and can squeeze cars so they cannot move their full amount. The result is that the timing of card play creates some great strategic decisions. (Ones, in fact, that I didn't master at all!) Each player is awarded money for how they finish in the race. These two phases are repeated three times, and the winner of the game is the person at the end who has the highest cash total. In theory, one could win the game without ever winning an actual race.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic139796.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic139796.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The curves make everyone jockey for position.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The auction process is what starts to move this away from a family game, though for casual play amongst adults it would be fine. I am not sure at what age children would have the understanding of risks and rewards that is required by the auction phase. At a minimum, they would have to be old enough to understand the relative value of money. That said, I suspect kids too young for the auction phase would enjoy it as a straight forward racing game, performing the second phase by itself just one time. <br />
<br />
The only drawback to <i>Daytona 500 </i>is that it feels a little slow. Most games with auctions tend to bog down during the auction phase. This is no different. At the same time, the racing phase feels a little slow, too. The cards encourage counting spaces, which slows the game down a little, making it feel a little less like a race. It is hard to pick a card too far in advance, since the previous player can change the board pretty drastically<br />
<br />
And there is one more drawback to this game...<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic380016_md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic380016_md.jpg" height="233" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Top Race </i>is a a very similar game to <i>Dayton 500</i>.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Daytona 500 </i>is out of print, as one can imagine. On eBay, it goes for a pretty penny. As I type, there is a copy for sale for $125.00, and a new-in-shrink copy for auction starting at $39.99. The auction will probably approach $100.00 USD before it is sold. Going over that amount is likely.<br />
<br />
So, do I recommend this or not? Yes, but with reservations. If you are a die-hard NASCAR fan, this is a great game. It may be worth the price on eBay. I would also say that it is a possible thrift store find - that's how I got my copy - and I would definitely pick it up then. (You could always sell it on eBay!) Otherwise, there is an alternative game to fill that race car passion: <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/932/top-race"><i>Top Race</i></a>. <i>Top Race </i>is a very similar racing game by Kramer, which is still in print and reasonably priced.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbsZ54Ic77ZWB6rG1IApxckQKlcJ0ITfaMQ1JlEBftZdYrpgWCA3oX3nWhACZWnwe3nBvczsACjYjp2998RQo8gx6NsLkyHYefP-d14L6P8akyuntTUufB9xKAPBB9FSLaQoD7YzVt7w/s1600/Good+for+casual+gaming+and+families+with+kids!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbsZ54Ic77ZWB6rG1IApxckQKlcJ0ITfaMQ1JlEBftZdYrpgWCA3oX3nWhACZWnwe3nBvczsACjYjp2998RQo8gx6NsLkyHYefP-d14L6P8akyuntTUufB9xKAPBB9FSLaQoD7YzVt7w/s1600/Good+for+casual+gaming+and+families+with+kids!.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><i>It's Your Move!</i></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-66695597900393610742014-02-05T05:37:00.000-08:002014-02-05T05:37:34.967-08:00"Let the Wookie Win..."Yesterday our 1st grade niece was over for a Girl's Day with my wife. The day quickly moved from arts and crafts to boardgames, primarily consisting of <i><a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3059/rebound">Rebound</a></i>. However, Uncle Frank, yours truly, was invited for a game of <i><a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1294/clue">Clue</a></i>. I was truly honored.
Then came the dilemma. Before she became the schools librarian/media-specialist, my wife watched children in my home. Most of the kids couldn't handle playing a game unless they won...
<br />
<blockquote>
</blockquote>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="320" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/b47TY5VbFHY?feature=player_embedded" width="540"></iframe>
<br />
<blockquote>
</blockquote>
Would this be a similar situation? I really don't want to ruin their Girl's Day - should I let our niece win to keep the peace? What would you do?
I am a firm believer in playing to win regardless of the age of your opponent. Throwing the game isn't very satisfying for you as the adult. Worse, most of the time kids can smell a rat. That doesn't mean that I bring my "A" game, but I certainly don't give the game away, either. It's about respect and honesty, in both directions, and there are right ways to win and lose with a child.<br />
<br />
<b>Respecting the adult.</b> To a child, the adults in their lives are the ones who bring order and safety. As an adult, you and I are <i>supposed </i>to win at games - at least games of strategy and skill. I have lost exactly two games of chess in six years of coaching the grade school chess club. Both were in situations where I was playing multiple kids at a time. The kids know how tough it is to beat me. Because I rarely lose, the kids respect my ability to teach them the game.<br />
<br />
<b>Respecting the child. </b> When an adult consistently lets a child win, they are also consistently saying they don't believe the child <i>can</i> win. It doesn't take long for the child to figure out what is going on and to start to believe the same thing. It's counter-intuitive, but letting them win all the time makes them believe they are losers. <br />
<br />
<b>Aiming to be better.</b> It might sound trite, but letting a child win all the time means they have nothing to shoot for. The child cannot get better in a way they can measure. Now, combine that with the last point, and you have a confidence bomb: I am a loser and I cannot get better.<br />
<br />
Having said all of this, there is a middle road. It has to do with making the right choices when playing a game with a child. Here are some ideas:<br />
<br />
<b>Pick the right game.</b> There are games that children can win, even when the adult is trying their hardest. Games that are largely random are good examples. This is what has made <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/5048/candy-land"><i>Candyland</i> </a>such a huge seller. (In fact, I can't imagine what "try your hardest" would mean with such a game!) Adults will win a little more often, because they will make better choices than children (even though choices are few and far between). Some dexterity games are good choices once the child is starting to master fine motor skills. My hands just aren't steady enough to play <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3737/operation"><i>Operation</i> </a>anymore. This does mean that you might be a couple years off from playing <i><a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2011/07/the-game-that-settles-in-never-to-leave.html">Settlers of Catan</a></i>, though.<br />
<br />
<b>Teach the game.</b> In my chess club, everyone understands that I can win against any of them. They also understand that, if they play me, they will get instruction they would miss out on otherwise. When I am playing them, I am helping them think through the position in front of them. They can lose better when they know why they lost, and how to avoid it next time. So do I, actually.<br />
<br />
<b>Cooperative games.</b> These two ideas can come together best in a cooperative game with a mixed group of adults and children. A game like <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2011/05/there-are-no-rules-here-we-trying-to.html"><i>Forbidden Island</i></a> puts the children in a position of not losing against adults. The children might lose against the game, but they do so with the adults they are playing with. This not only allows the adults to help the little ones and teach strategy, but also model good sportsmanship when losing.<br />
<br />
With our niece, it worked out well. Even as a first grader, she had no problems with the rules of <i>Clue</i>. She did have a little trouble with the logic and strategy involved in playing. She made a "suggestion" in the Lounge, and I showed her that I had the card for the Lounge. A few minutes later, she did it again. I could have showed her the candlestick this time, but that would have been bad play on my part. Instead, after showing her the Lounge again, I pointed out that she didn't learn any new information, and why. Of course, she went to do it a third time, but this time I reminded her that I was just going to show her the Lounge again. (That gave some additional information to my wife, but she was good enough to ignore it.) I ended up winning, though I think only because I went before my wife. She had the game solved too. Our niece was fine with losing, and I honestly think it's because she knows why she lost.<b> </b>She didn't pick <i>Clue</i> again, and I don't blame her. The next game was another round of <i>Rebound</i>. I played, and she beat me fair and square. It was a better choice.<br />
<br />
The day ended well; she didn't want to go home. So all of the games we played must have been a fun experience. Of course, she also painted and helped fix dinner, so it was an all around good day.<br />
<br />
<i><b>It's Your Move!</b></i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-853405540081985482014-01-27T13:41:00.000-08:002014-09-18T07:50:38.163-07:00Irresistable: A Review of The ResistanceI already have my first "nickel" for the year. (A nickel is a game you have five plays of in a year). Our last gaming group session ended with seven of us at the table, a fantastic number for <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/41114/the-resistance"><i>The Resistance</i></a>, and we played five games by the end of the night. Given the length of some of our games, some of you are asking how late it was when we broke up. I think it was around 9pm. That's normally very late for us, but the next day was President's Day, and most of us were either off or could flex our office hours. On top of that, the game only takes about 30 minutes to play. However, it can be a pretty intense experience, so its easy to play again and again.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic1392135_md.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic1392135_md.png" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover of <i>The Resistance</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>The Resistance</i> is a game for game of deception and deduction for 5-10 players - almost a party game. The players are part of a resistance cell that is fighting against a dystopian government - something along the lines of the government in <i>The Hunger Games</i>. They have to complete three missions against the Government to win the game. The catch is that there are traitors in the cell; roughly half the players are actually Government agents. These agents are working to prevent missions being successful. If the Government agents can cause three missions to fail before three succeed, the agents win the game. <br />
<br />
But who are the Government agents? No true Resistance member knows!<br />
<br />
At the beginning of the game, cards are passed out which assign each player to be a true member of the Resistance or a Government agent. Everyone closes their eyes. The Government agents then open their eyes to see and identify each other. They close their eyes; then everyone opens their eyes. Now the agents know who is who, but the Resistance members do not!<br />
<br />
There aren't really turns in this game. Without too much detail, this is how the game plays:<br />
<br />
Each round, a team will be selected to go on a mission. If the team is approved, the team then secretly votes for the mission to succeed or fail. For most missions, one "fail" vote is all it takes for the Government to win that mission. The game then revolves around each side trying to have teams put together that will achieve their goals. The Government agents must deceive the Resistance members into including them to win. There is an included expansion, <i>The Plot Thickens</i>, which gives an individual a little bit of knowledge to share about another player, but is everyone telling the truth?<br />
<br />
The game is just great, for three reasons:<br />
<br />
<b>Simplicity. </b>This is an easy game to teach. A couple of minutes of explanation will have everyone in the game. Furthermore, no one has to be familiar with strategy games to play. Most of the gameplay is in conversation, and everyone knows how to bluff, right?<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic1398895_md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic1398895_md.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An alternative setting for the game</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i></i><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>.</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Brevity. </b>There is almost always time for a 30 minute game. The only catch might be that one game isn't enough!<br />
<br />
<b>Number of Players: </b> At five to ten players, this will cover most small get-togethers and family gatherings. It may not be suitable for children under 10 or 12 though, since someone looking you in the facing and calling you a liar takes a little bit of a thick skin - particularly when you know that <i>they</i> are the one lying!<br />
<br />
If you want to see more, the game was recently featured on the YouTube webshow <i>TableTop. </i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_QRczGzXqw#t=38">Click here to see it.</a><br />
<br />
There is another version of this game set in the Arthurian Legend: <i><a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/128882/the-resistance-avalon">The Resistance: Avalon</a>.</i> I haven't played it, but the gameplay is the same. Either one would be a great addition to your collection!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjn0sfUYGg6a90uiJ1f1XLIhG2Ilg0CiPsuFx7b57APaTX_VtCT880F3OMeV7yfPCiL4HfF_dkROqzoLuJCiyiZSxdJpyMx-a0L54wMw_MTnAwWN5WS8TOT1tGfjXO2YpyEi1xIYsaoxQ/s1600/thumb-up_thumb%5B1%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjn0sfUYGg6a90uiJ1f1XLIhG2Ilg0CiPsuFx7b57APaTX_VtCT880F3OMeV7yfPCiL4HfF_dkROqzoLuJCiyiZSxdJpyMx-a0L54wMw_MTnAwWN5WS8TOT1tGfjXO2YpyEi1xIYsaoxQ/s1600/thumb-up_thumb%5B1%5D.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><b>It's Your Move!</b></i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
<br />SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848765620238105763.post-70222157464368304982014-01-09T11:38:00.002-08:002016-02-20T13:24:37.013-08:00More Games than You ThinkIt happened again. I was asked how many games we own, and my response (around 300) dropped a jaw. Eyes darted around, looking for an escape route.<br />
<br />
Yes, I know that's a lot of games. In my defense, I only got one for Christmas (<a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/131357/coup"><i>Coup</i></a>), and it really wasn't a gift. I was something I backed on <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2012/12/what-is-kickstarter.html">Kickstarter </a>months ago, and it arrived just before the holidays. I only bought seven games this year, including <i>Coup</i>. I traded for three more. One game I received as a review copy (<a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2013/10/goin-clubbin-review-of-clubs.html"><i>Clubs</i></a>), and another new game is a <a href="http://sofrankly.blogspot.com/p/gaming-glossary.html#PnP" target="_blank">print-'n'-play</a> game.<br />
<br />
The funny part is that most people have more games than they imagine. When I count games, I count the children's games that are still around the house, mass market games that we could probably donate to a thrift store, and all of the specialty card games (like <i>Clubs</i>) that are stuck in a drawer in the house. I also count specialty decks of traditional cards, like a Canasta or Pinochle deck. I include <a href="http://www.sofrankly.com/2011/07/expending-my-thoughts-about-expanding.html">expansions</a>. Chess sets count, though only as one entry. (That would add another 10 entries if I counted them separately!)<br />
<br />
So, realistically, how many games do YOU own? My guess would be more than twenty-five, and a number of you more than fifty. Make sure you count them the way I do. That copy of <i><a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/6932/hi-ho-cherry-o">Hi Ho! Cherry-O</a> </i>counts.
And include that copy of the <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/7688/memory"><i>Monsters, Inc. </i>memory game</a>. Honestly, you also need to count that <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/images/boardgame/10799/old-maid/page/2?sort=recent&tag=BoxFront&date=alltime">specialty deck for </a><i><a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/images/boardgame/10799/old-maid/page/2?sort=recent&tag=BoxFront&date=alltime">Old Maid</a> </i>that your aunt bought your little girl for her birthday.<br />
<br />
'Fess up. How many?<br />
<br />
I bet it's more games than you think.<br />
<br />
<i><b>It's Your Move!</b></i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0q0Pznxc5HHE9uApZnVk37yHV-9G-M15kHoXgekbZr4nJjTE7O59CbMFpvg1O54yqbi6_IxYdUQarYZo_ifPnHO7fNqR2e-Kb6UYTKMLSMJprpvSFs8Zs82s4jOz6eCK8r496H5ziNQ/s1600/Frankly.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<i></i>SoFranklyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629984479802083360noreply@blogger.com0