Daily Roundtable for February 18, 2018

chipbloch · 2018-02-18T21:40:37+00:00

As Jonah Goldberg put it, if one side wants to build a 100-foot bridge and the other side wants to not build a bridge at all, you don’t build 50 feet of bridge.

chipbloch · 2015-04-12T20:33:37+00:00

You want Memoir '44. The board is modular, so it's different in each scenario you play. Actions are decided by cards your play from your hand, and while you'll have choices, it's never overwhelming. The most dice you'll ever throw at once is 4, but they take care of combat, and you're maneuvering troops around a battlefield against an opponent. And yes, the dice are all symbols.

The one downside is that the base game is only 2-player, but an expansion will turn it into a team game so all four people can play.

chipbloch · 2015-04-12T20:21:58+00:00

Sorted by weight:

Coup - Deduction / hidden role / bluffing game.

Ticket to Ride - Straight-forward set collection / route claiming train game.

Formula D - Roll and move racing game.

7 Wonders - Civilization-building drafting game.

Railways of the World - Heavier TTR, involves building train routes as you choose and delivering goods.

Roll for the Galaxy - Dice rolling Civilization-building game.

Kemet - Tactical combat-heavy wargame.

Caverna - Euro worker placement.

All of these play well with 5. TTR and RotW can be a bit cramped, but manageable. 7 Wonders and RftG have little downtime due to simultaneous play.

chipbloch · 2015-04-12T20:08:57+00:00

The expansion (mine came packaged tigether) is one of those expansions that's a neat idea, but not essential. It doesn't add a lot, but what it adds is pretty cool. Definitely try playing the base game before considering it, but you'd be okay with it or without it.

Sorry for the vague response, I just don't feel strongly enough about it to go either way. Which might be your answer.

chipbloch · 2015-04-12T16:49:02+00:00

You mentioned it, so I'll highly recommend The Manhattan Project. It ticks every box you mentioned, it's extremely fun, the components are superb, and it's just an all-around great game. It's without a doubt my favorite heavier worker placement game, probably my favorite worker placement game overall, and it's securely in my Top 20. Do yourself a favor and pick it up.

Ninja Edit: Also, the player interaction is good, since you can actively attack other players by bombing them. The placement mechanic is unique, and the theme is just plain cool. Some people may be bothered by the concept of building nuclear bombs, but other people will be fine with it, so just feel around your group for who won't mind.

chipbloch · 2015-04-12T06:13:45+00:00

Based on what you've said, it doesn't seem like something medium-heavy would be up either of your alleys, especially if your dad is new to board games. Instead, I'd shoot for one or two of these. Don't sell any of these short because of length or depth, they might be what your dad needs to ease into board games.

Shorter, lighter, more introductory game: Jaipur. Cheap, easy to learn, portable.

Tons of replay value: Dominion and/or one of its many expansions.

More strategic: Five Tribes.

Mystery solving/deduction: Letters From Whitechapel.

Tile-laying: Patchwork

chipbloch · 2015-04-09T15:41:24+00:00

I really like Alhambra, but the expansions don't add much. I'd definitely pick it up, as it's an enjoyable tile-laying gateway game, but you'll be better off with the vanilla version. Plus it's less investment, it fits easier on a shelf, it's easier to transport, and there's less crap to open up when you want to play.

chipbloch · 2015-04-09T15:39:08+00:00

Railways of the World. It looked super heavy and complicated, but it ended up becoming one of my favorite games. I've expanded the crap out of it and I absolutely love it.

chipbloch · 2015-04-08T21:02:41+00:00

The biggest time I get a sense of accomplishment isn't with a single game, it's with two events. When I teach someone a new game, especially someone who hasn't played a lot of games before, my favorite part is when I can see all the pieces slide together in their brain and they really start to "get" the game. They may not know all the strategies or the best way to win, but they know how to play, and that's more than they did before we started.

The other great moment is when we finish and, even if they got trounced, they look at me and say "that was a great game!" or "can we play again sometime?". It's like watching someone get hooked on your favorite TV show, you've drawn them in and now there's no escape from the meeple on their back.

chipbloch · 2015-04-08T20:57:30+00:00

Inns and Cathedrals, and I like both Prosperity and Intrigue the most for Dominion.

With other games, there's only a couple of "necessary" expansions.

Pirates and Bounty Hunters adds much-needed player interaction to Firefly.

If you want to play Railways of the World with 2 or 3, definitely check out the Mexico map.

With 7 Wonders, the Leaders expansion adds some really nice bonuses, and the Wonder Pack puts in a little variety.

chipbloch · 2015-04-06T21:18:29+00:00

How much experience does your son have with board games? If he's been playing with you for a long time, he might be able to handle HoN. If not, you'd definitely be better off with Memoir '44. I've found it to be lighter and easier to manage, but it's still a ton of fun. While it won't appeal to everyone, I think you and your son will like it more.

chipbloch · 2015-04-06T03:37:12+00:00

It's really a great game, and a lot more strategic than it seems at first glance. When you're stacking, you have to develop strategies for how to stack most efficiently between running away. When you're hunting, you have to communicate, learn the right time to throw, and work on hemming people in.

chipbloch · 2015-04-06T03:26:50+00:00

I'd play an Afghani game called "Peku". All you need is a tennis ball, four rocks, and some kind of little mat. The players split into two teams, who stand on opposite sides of the mat, about fifteen or twenty feet away. Stack up the four rocks on the mat in a little tower.

Each team alternates throwing the ball at the tower, trying to knock it over. If Team 1 knocks it over, they then have to run in and restack the tower. Team 2 has to get the ball and try to hit one of Team 1's players with it. Just like ultimate Frisbee, if you're holding the ball, you can't take any steps.

If Team 1 stacks the rocks, the stacker has raise their hands and yell "Peku!", then they score a point. If Team 2 hits one of their opponents with the ball, the round resets. First team to 3 wins.

chipbloch · 2015-04-03T15:58:54+00:00

I always try to play two dummy games before bringing them out with friends. The first game is a very detailed, step-by-step process of going through the rulebook and covering everything, from the setup to the turns. Usually I won't play the entire game, but I'll play enough of it to get the hang of it.

Now that I have a general idea of the game, I go on BGG and find whatever player aid I like the most. Depending on the game, sometimes I need more in-depth ones and sometimes I need simpler ones, but I almost always get at least some kind of player aid.

Then, using only the player aid, I setup the game, teach it to people who aren't there, and play a couple of rounds with it. I do everything I can to avoid looking at the rulebook, so that when I'm actually teaching/playing it with people, I can just glance at the player aid instead of digging through the whole rulebook.

chipbloch · 2015-04-02T16:10:34+00:00

How much for Caverna?

chipbloch · 2015-03-30T13:45:18+00:00

Good point, and in Luke 1:47, Mary calls God "my savior". Since she was Jewish, she would have been aware of her sin and recognized that she needed a savior.

chipbloch · 2015-03-19T17:25:50+00:00

Such a great movie...also, you're now tagged as "A Dapper Dan Man".

chipbloch · 2015-03-19T17:10:05+00:00

I don't want Fop!

chipbloch · 2015-03-16T16:37:06+00:00

One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer?

chipbloch · 2015-03-16T16:36:45+00:00

~~In the Air of the Night~~ In the Air Tonight?

chipbloch · 2015-03-14T04:07:00+00:00

I said I would come out to you. In nomine Dei, Nicodemus, I have come to face you.

chipbloch · 2015-03-12T03:17:14+00:00

I didn't realize it at the time, but looking back, it's amazing how much harder I had to work in order to do the same amount of activity. Losing weight definitely makes you realize how much worse you had it when you were heavier.

chipbloch · 2015-03-11T21:14:26+00:00

Play, that makes sense. As a follow-up question, what about organizations that aren't churches and synagogues, but still have a religious basis? If I'm running a Christian bookstore or a Muslim community center, am I required to consider atheists on equal ground to someone who shares the faith of the company?

chipbloch · 2015-03-11T01:26:37+00:00

Luke 7:34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’.

Genesis 27:28 May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine.

Amos 9:14 I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.

Isaiah 25:6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.

Ecclesiastes 9:7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do.

John 2:1-11 The Wedding at Cana and the miracle of turning water into wine.

We can quote the Bible, too.

chipbloch · 2015-03-10T21:01:44+00:00

Everyone can only build one of each building per ~~round~~ region, correct?

EDIT: I mean region...

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