2nd March 05.....................................................9 Players

We had Chris join us for the first time this week, he arrived with Steve G bringing us up to a healthy attendance of 9. This also meant Dave got to try out the first run through of A Game of Thrones with a full complement of players. Hope you had a good time Chris and will be able to join us again.

Mike was awarded the Trophy for February which he will get to keep for a month. The last time Mike won was the first month we ran the contest back in January 04. Back then we had not actually got a trophy to lend out. Nobody yet has managed to notch up the most points without attending all the months sessions, it will be done someday but has not happened yet. Mike misses a session most months so he is usually up against it. He attended all the sessions in February.

Puerto Rico - 75 minutes

This was our 6th recorded games of PR and each game we have had a different winner. Toby had a confident aura throughout and deservedly took the victory. Sometime during the last 3 years the outside world got good at this game. I got to play a fair bit when it first became available and back then I was quiet a contender but all the playing this game has received during the interim from the board game community at large has evolved playing methods. We have been under a rock and missed out on the new wisdom. Mark Stretch and now Toby have brought the new ways into our club and kicked our group arse good and proper.

Toby held a monopoly on sugar for several rounds. One of his early builds was a University which is the first time I have ever seen one purchased, it served him well. He also had an early small and large market which worked well with his sugar monopoly.

I was late into producing anything and finished the game with only 5 shipping victory points. I took a factory and managed to produce all 5 goods. The Guild hall scored me nicely at the end as did the city hall. I finished the game by filling my city with buildings. The last building I brought was the big building that scores for number of colonists though I did not get to man it so I did not benefit from the bonus.

Mike did not get a factory which is unusual. He got reasonable use out of a wharf and extra vps for a harbour each time he shipped. I ended the game early costing Mike dearly as he was well set up and would have easily overtaken me in another round.

Julian started well but got cut out of the big buildings which brought his score down. Again Julian could have done with another round or two to realise his strategies.

Settlers – 75 minutes

You should not laugh at others misfortunes but Julian’s thwarted attempts to build a 4th settlement really tickled me. Look at the rings I have overlaid on the photograph. Four times he built to available junctions only to have the position stolen by one of the rest of us.

I had a blazing run of luck on the early dice rolls. I got a road and a settlement on my third turn and that is without being on a port or getting brick or wheat. I finished off with Largest Army. Julian got longest road.

Mausoleum – 15 minutes  bgg

This was played with 2 packs of cards. We called the game when the deck came to an end. It is a light quick game with the simplest rules and plenty of “take that” going on between players. The theme raises a smile.

A Game of Thrones – 130 minutes

This looks like a nicely produced game. It seems to have been favourably received. I understand that the Dave's were at the point of extinction by the end of the 5^th turn and the game was brought to a halt. It is nice to see that the new guys have no qualms about laying into our Mr Dudley when the opportunity arises.

Steve H’s report:

 This was a new game for the Daves and me - Steve G and new member Chris had played it a couple of times with fewer players. The production values were great, good graphics and lots of chunky pieces including a big sword to stab the winner with. It was also right up my street in theme - fantasy and conquest. It could only really lose with me if the games system turned out to be pants (which it didn't).

In the game you get randomly assigned one of 5 powers on a map that looks suspiciously like England. There is a barbarian power north of the border that occasionally rushes over causing bother (possibly wearing kilts?). I was white (sort of Carlisle), Dave C was black (Isle of Man), Steve G was red (Manchester Utd), Chris was yellow (Norwich City), and Dave D was green (Devon cream gone off?). The powers are roughly the same, but there were key differences: for example red had good resources but poor geography sandwiched between most of the other powers. You had to capture seven fortresses to win the game, which is a fair deal of expansion. There are several elements to consider: a random element signified by event cards; a bidding element where success equals bonuses; a logistics element where you need to keep your armies supplied, and a military element where you need to concentrate force at the right time and in the right place, and defend adequately.

The game started with most of us doing what you would normally do in this type of game - build up a power base by slow expansion. But Steve G went for it right from the start and attacked Dave D. His first attack failed due to an impromptu alliance of the Daves. But this didn't put him off and the next few turns were characterised by the War of the Daves as Steve G took his revenge. He was able to do this by a timely Muster card coming up, enabling him to immediately rebuild his losses. While the others were fighting Chris and I were expanding and eyeing each other suspiciously. Dave D also suffered badly at the hands of the barbarians, through not keeping back enough power tokens.

On what turned out to be the last turn, I attacked red and yellow to grab some key fortresses. Chris also attacked Dave D with a lot of success. We had to finish early but I had just edged it with six fortresses to Steve and Chris's five. I had a plan to win it on the following turn which involved a sea borne attack down the west coast. I daresay Steve and Chris also had plans. What we didn't know is what fate the cards would deal out.

I liked this game a lot and would definitely like to give it a few more attempts. There was some debate about balance, but I don't think you can judge that on one playing. 

Dave C’s retort:

Steve, I'm glad you liked the game, I'm all for playing again soon so it'll be carried around. I like the game system, it's fairly fast but with lots of decisions.and options for alliances.  The impromptu alliance with DD was simply that I saw Yellow (Chris) had the potential to expand at an alarming rate unless Green (DD) was there to slow him down, and you didn't appear to be willing to start a war with Chris at the time. Actually, all I did was to use a Raid order to cut Steve's support from his fleet. That was the only attack I made against Red until the last turn (when it was over for me anyway.) It was unfortunate that Steve took a heavy loss on that attack, causing him to move back north and commit genocide on me. Then, with the Wildings attacked and we lost the units, I was gone by then and DD was badly hurt, he might have survived but the game would have ended next turn.

The game, to me, is like a modern version of Diplomacy, but with much more streamlined mechanics and options. I expect that each House will develop its own preferred moves and playing styles; you said we started off by building up a power base slowly. As Black, I now think that was a mistake. I should have gone straight over on to the mainland, dug in there and made damn sure that no-one could get across to my Home. Also, the couple of games I played at home with Ben to try it out, I thought White was in a crap position. You've opened my eyes on that.

Ps: Sorry, forgot I Raided Steve G on the first turn and got a power token from pillage. Still, raiding's not a *real* attack, is it?

PPs: Maybe he thinks it is.

9th March 05.....................................................7 Players

We had a turnout of 7 tonight. We got cracking on a good night of gaming with 4 substantial games hitting the table. I have been rather indulged over the past few weeks with plenty of my own games getting played. I will gag myself next week when what to play gets discussed and leave my games in their bag.

Maharaja - 100 minutes

Steve and I played this a couple of weeks ago. Chris and Steve G are new to it. I got the rule explanation out more efficiently this time. We did not use any of the optional rules though I intend to use role bidding at the start of the next game.

Chris started out with the number 2 character that pays out a gold per turn and the number 1 character was out at the side of the board so he got a palace in the centre spot in the first city.

This game was very tight with us all drawing for number of palaces placed turn after turn. The last couple of turns did not work well for Steve G with the city orders getting changed to his detriment. The rest of us matched each other right up to the end when money was used as the tiebreak.

Web of Power – 40 minutes

This was the first playing of Web of Power for both Chris and Steve G. The rather convoluted scoring system in this game makes it difficult on a first playing to know how well you are doing. Prior to the advisor scores getting totalled we were all about even. This game can be won without a single advisor being placed by the winner. Mark Stretch won a game that way a couple of months ago. It does not seem to be a good idea either to be the only one placing advisors or to be the only one not placing advisors. It is a go with the crowd game.

This will not be the most thrilling computer gaming experience you have ever had but an online, against AI, version of Web of Power is available:

http://www.onlinebrettspiele.de/old/kuk/Default.asp?en

I rate this board game highly primarily because it packs a full helping of strategic satisfaction into a very quick playtime. An added bonus is it plays equally well with 3, 4 or 5 players. 

Mike’s Comment:

Tried this last night, I'm afraid I'm as dubious about it as Gordon - the Artificial Intelligence is decidedly lacking in intelligence.  I'm notoriously crap at this game, even though I love it, and I still breezed it by over 20 VP's.

Pirate’s Cove – 80 minutes

Another beautifully produced game by Days of Wonder. It looks like a lot of fun.

Saint Petersburg – 60 minutes

I rate this game as one of the most experience dependant multiplayer games we play. By that I mean that if you played a less experienced you (think time warp) the more experienced you would win 50% more often and that is if you number 1 had played say 10 times and you number 2 had played 5 times I even think that would hold true up to you number 1 on 30 games and you number 2 on 10 games. Much beyond 30 plays I don’t suppose you improve much so the “you number 2” would stand more of a chance.

Now Dave D and others who hail Settlers as too luck dependant would find it difficult to explain why the benefit of experience, though not as extreme as with St P, does go on for longer. If you played a less experienced you the more experienced you would, in my opinion win 20% more often and that is if your more experienced self had played 200 times and the less experienced self 100.

The topic of “improvement with experience” is of interest to me. Once you stop achieving a discernable improvement in your play at a strategy game it could be said that you have got the full depth out of the game for the amount of effort you are willing to put in. I like to play games often enough to get out all they have to offer, the game can then be graciously put into retirement to be aired once in a while for nostalgic reasons. I have played very few games so often that it can be said that my play is not improving, the only one that springs to mind is Acquire. 

Steve H Comment:

So what did the second half of Gordon's report mean then? I don't get it, but I think the ghost of Amun Re is haunting him (probably literally)...

 

Dave C’s agreement:
Yes, I was wondering that as well.

16th March 05.....................................................7 Players

This week saw another turnout of 7. Next week we are going to be without Dave Cooper and Steve Hilton has to juggle his social life if he is to make it. I suspect this will be the calm before the storm with up to 12 players expected over the Easter period. 

Steve’s comment:

Unfortunately I won't be there next Wednesday. I'll be in Leeds with my brother playing War of the Ring for two days. I'm being Sauron. Bad timing 'cos I had an outside chance of the trophy this month. I'll be back the following week though.

 

Mike:

Unlikely to make the start of the meeting next week.  I may drop in anyway, may just catch a table playing the '2-game strategy' around the end of the 1st one.

A Game of Thrones - 100 minutes

This game ended on the 5th turn. If you want to submit notes for the archive I will paste them in when I do the March web page. 

Steve’s comment:

I did enjoy myself yesterday. As I thought from the first playing Game of Thrones is right up my street, although I think it is better with five. The chaps quickly decided (after about two turns) to gang up on me - I don't blame them at all but it meant that the diplomacy / alliance element was lost. In a three-player red was exceptionally strong. I just had to bide my time and hold on until the muster got going. After two musters I had a red horde and it was just a question of applying the force in the right places. I also pushed hard to get the Sword, which gives you a further combat edge. I'll have to try yellow next time to prove it wasn't all luck.

 

Julian:

I've seen a 3 player variant for Game of Thrones that helps balance it out. Replace the green and black units with 3 knights on their home towns. You therefore need 6 army points to take these and stops red from expanding too quickly to the easy high value towns.

 

Dave:

I enjoyed AGOT again; it would appear that each House has a different strategy and it’s a matter of developing that. The Neutrals variant suggested by Julian seems a good idea and I'll put that in next time.

Formula Motor Racing – 30 minutes

Steve’s comment:

What a super game. Knizia is German for God (probably).

Saint Petersburg – 80 minutes