The Pros of Cons

First, let me start by apologizing for my absence these past few weeks. My old computer broke and I had to wait for a new one. But I'm back, baby!

Second, I had the privilege of going to Origins Game Fair in Columbus, OH. It was only for one day, but it was a great day! As with any fandom, gaming conventions are designed to advertise the best in the business and to appeal to a broad spectrum of players. For new comers, this is an opportunity to meet fellow players and learn more about your favorite games. For veterans, this is your chance to shine in tournaments and meet the people who have built your community. I'd like to discuss some of the highlights from the con, even though I did not participate in all of them. As someone who has never gone to a gaming con before, Origins let me redefine what it means to be a part of he gaming community and how to engage with various players.

Game Night Picks 1: Galaxy Trucker

This is Jack Burton on the Pork Chop Express, talking to whoever's listening out there. Like I told my ex-wife, "Honey, I never drive faster than I can see. And besides, it's all in the reflexes."

- Kurt Russell, "Big Trouble in Little China"

Imagine you are a trucker. You have to build your own truck from parts found in a junk yard. You have to select each piece individually, hoping you can connect everything and have enough power for the equipment needed to keep you and your cargo safe. You need to focus on the time, otherwise other truckers gain advantage over cargo found on the journey. If, when time runs out, your truck isn't put together properly, parts become dislodged and you drive with whatever crew and parts are left around the engine. Imagine leaving with your malformed truck, picking up whatever scraps you can carry, and trying to avoid further damage. Imagine doing all this again, trying to build a more complex truck each time. Also, imagine this is in space.

Game Night Picks Intro

Party games come in different flavors, from unnecessarily challenging to downright silly. Because they require less devotion than tournament/living games, casual gamers gravitate toward party games. I'd like to start talking about a few of my favorite choices for game nights, and a few odd finds I've encountered. Here are a few scales and examples used to determine if the games discussed on the page will be appropriate for your game night.

Difficulty
Easy:Anyone can play it, no experience required. (Apples to Apples)
Approachable: Anyone can play it, but it helps to have experience with other games.(Monopoly)
Moderate: Better for older/more experienced player, may be a little more strategic. (Settlers of Catan)
Hard: Strategic games, usually longer. A longer attention span helps. (Twilight Imperium)
Challenging: Very strategic, tends to be less casual. (Chess)

Time
Depending on the difficulty of the game, it may last 20 minutes or the whole night. When possible, I'll try to give an estimate on how long each game takes.

Sobriety Check Point
I don't have an actual scale for this, but I'm putting it here because a lot of game nights involve booze. Some games are best played sober, some games require drinking, and some games are so long you can witness an evolution as people get drunk. I'll give you my two cents when I can.

Friendship Integrity
 A good friend described Settlers of Catan to me this way: "It's a good game, but it ruins friendships". So, for fun, I'd love to include a scale used to measure competitive tendencies.

Solid: not very competitive
Breakable: somewhat competitive
Fragile:You are playing Settlers of Catan
Irreconcilable: You are playing Diplomacy

Hope this helps with future posts. And, as always, have fun playing!

Star Wars: Rebellion - A Review from a Casual Player

*This was originally published on 4/8/16 on the Armada Tactics at Steel Squadron HQ blog, ran by my better half. Check out Biggs IRL and his posts here*
“Casual” gaming is sometimes confused with gaming set on “easy mode”. While I rarely play in tournaments, I do enjoy playing games with more strategy and finer mechanics. Meta-gaming doesn’t always hold my interest, but I can appreciate a system that continuously blends its engineering with its atmosphere. Yes, I fly casually, but I also enjoy the long hours spent playing games like Twilight Imperium. Actually, part of why I recommend Rebellion is because of how much similar it is to Twilight Imperium. It’s a universe that changes throughout the game and each player is given a pretty hard winning condition to meet. Anyone who regularly plays games like X-Wing Miniatures or Armada will like Rebellion, but it can pose as an interesting experience for anyone who enjoy the Star Wars series. I want to talk about this game from the perspective of a casual player – not only get other casual players to try this game, but to encourage more veteran players to challenge their counterparts with more complex gameplay.