Gaming is Everywhere YouTube Video

I have finally posted another YouTube video starring my production assistant, Yellow Meeple! His latest adventure is about how gamers see their games everywhere!

Carcassonne Realty

Enjoy!

Achievement Unlocked?!

Although I have played some video and computer games, I am super excited about the PS3 Trophy App. Why?! (Warning: Nerd Alert.) So I can make my own achievements. I like this app better than Xbox based Achievement Generator App because it allows you to add your own picture. I am having way too much fun with it!

Board games don't really have "achievements" unless you are playing in an tournament or you have a high score list as part of some House Rules. I like the idea of coming up with achievements. For hardcore gamers, we want more than just to win the game. Achievements are the next level after winning.

Now I know some people are not keen on the iOS Game Center achievements. A lot the games I play on my iPhone are games I started out playing in actual board game form. The achievements allow me to experience these in a different way.

Board gamers, what is your take on achievements.

WBC Preparations- How many tournaments is too many?

Some people come to WBC to play intournaments.  Others come just toplay games, either in the tournaments or in open gaming.

There is no limit to how many tournaments in whichyou are allowed to play.  The onlylimit is that you can’t play in more than one tournament at the exact sametime.

Now with the expanded open gaming area, playing intournaments is not the only way to play games at WBC.

Personally I began attending this conventionplaying in more tournaments. As the open gaming space grew, so did my interestin open gaming.  It is a great wayto learn new games, play newly bought games, or beat someone in an oldfavorite.

WBC Preparations- What Games Should I bring?

Even as a veteran attendee, I still find it hard to decide what games to bring.

1. Bring any games that you plan to play in the tournament.  This is critical! If they run out of boards to play on, you will not be able to play in the tournament. Bringing a game is the best way to guarantee you will get to play in the tournament.

2. Any games that you love to play, but usually do not have enough players to play at home.

3. Any games that you love to play in general.

4. Leave space for new games! Seriously! Don’t bring too many games that you can’t fit new games in your car.

WBC Preparations- Background & Tournaments

A week from now there the World Boardgaming Championship (WBC) begins!!!

WBC is a tournament hosted by the Boardgame Players Association every year since 1999.  WBC first began as Avalon Con from 1991 to 1998 by the Avalon Hill game publisher. Although mainly East coasters attend WBC, there are gamers from CA, Canada and even Europe who attend. Total number of attendees is usually around 1,500.

WBC is a tournament where gamers compete for a wooden plaque (insert wood jokes here) in their favorite games. There are usually about 100 different gaming events. This is in addition to open gaming space.  The open gaming space includes a game library, where gamers can borrow a game. There are also kiosks where you can advertise that you need more gamers, want to learn a new game, etc.  The convention also includes a demo area where Rio Grande Games has staff on hand to teach you their latest games.  Starting on Saturday, vendors are available to sell you the latest games, as well as old favorites. 

House Rules

Whether it’s Poker, Euro Games, or even chess, most gaming family have gaming house rules. 

Some of the rules are about the games themselves.  In my family we had assigned colors. My dad would always play red. No matter what game we played (unless the game happened to not have red.) Sometimes it would be the youngest player goes first no matter what.  I have even heard of people doing “do over” rules.

In my family we had a lot of rules around food and gaming. You have an eating hand and a playing hand, and you don’t mix the two. This was very important for pizza.  And don’t even think about spilling your drink. Yes we were that hardcore.

What are your gaming house rules? Do you have special foods that are required at your gaming sessions?

Expansions

Back in the day games didn’t have expansions. There was just the game. Sure you could modify the rules, make your own cards, etc. but there was nothing official. The game maker may even have a theme to their games, but the game was what it was.

In more recent times (starting with perhaps Settlers of Catan and Carcassonne?), expansions have basically become a requirement.   Sure for some games this can be good, but in the end there are always expansions that seem half-assed, too outrageous, break the game, etc.

One good example of this would be St. Petersburg, specifically the Banquet mini-expansion more so than the New Society.   The Banquet added special powers to the game, which I think broke the game. St. Petersburg did not need special powers. This modifies the game too much. At least the New Society’s additional cards attempted to fix some broken elements of the base game by replacing some of the cards like the Mistress.  Allowing for a fifth player was unnecessary though.

On the flip side, I love the Small World expansions… mostly.  (Partly I love the expansions, because I love the game itself so much.) The expansions with the new Races and Powers, like Be Not Afraid, Cursed! And the Grand Dames, are fantastic.  Tales and Legends were interesting, but adding event cards added a new element to the game that was unnecessary.

My theory on game expansions is they should expand, but not over extend the original game.  Expansions should also be limiting. A new game with a similar theme should be created.

Yes all game maker want to create an empire, but endless expansions are over done.  Case in point is Dominion.  There have been so many expansions, so quickly. It’s too much.  Then again I wouldn’t mind more Small World expansions, but maybe that’s just because I love the game.

What are your views on expansions?